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My Dear Aspirants,
Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” said Gautama Buddha. We all have dreams. To turn
dreams into reality it takes a lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and hard work.
We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality coaching and help
every aspirant to achieve his or her life’s cherished goal of becoming a civil servant.
The class room coaching at VETRII IAS Study Circle is meticulously planned to equip the aspirants with
all the relevant facts and fundamentals of the subjects. Further the VETRII IAS Study Circle Study
material aim to support the candidate by providing the most relevant study material in a
comprehensive manner.
Wishing You All The Very Best !!
M. SHUNMUGAM
DIRECTOR
Vetrii IAS Study Circle.
TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IRC JAN 2018
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CONTENT
SL. NO TITLE PAGE NO
1. Important Days 1 - 4
2. International 5 – 11
3. National Affairs 12 - 19
4. State Affairs 20 - 26
5. Important Index 27 - 27
6. Schemes 28 – 32
7. Awards & Honours 33 - 37
8. Appointment 38 - 41
9. Economy 42 – 46
10. Military Exercises 47 - 48
11. Science & Technology 49 - 52
12. Sports 53 - 55
13. Summits 56 – 59
14. Tamilnadu 60 - 62
15. General Knowledge 63 - 65
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IMPORTANT DAYS
125TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF SATYENDRA NATH BOSE – JANUARY 1, 2018 :
Indian physicist from Bengal specialising
in theoretical physics. He is best known for
his work on quantum mechanics in the early
1920s, providing the foundation for Bose–
Einstein statistics and the theory of the Bose–
Einstein condensate.
A Fellow of the Royal Society, he was
awarded India's second highest civilian
award, the Padma Vibhushan in 1954 by
the Government of India.
The class of particles that obey Bose–Einstein
statistics, bosons, was named after Bose
by Paul Dirac. He was born on January
1,1894.
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS – JANUARY 9, 2018 :
The ‗Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas‘ is being celebrated
annually across the country on 9th January.
The day commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9th
January 1915.
ARMY DAY 2018 – JANUARY 15, 2018 :
The Army Day 2018 (70th edition) has been celebrated on 15th January in India.
The day is celebrated to pay homage, salute to the courageous and brave Indian soldiers who
have been sacrificing their lives for protecting the country.
• 2018 to be oserved as National Year of Millets to boost production of the
nutrient-rich millets.
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NATIONAL YOUTH DAY – JANUARY 12, 2018 :
National Youth Day has been celebrated
on 12th January in India on the birthday of
social reformer, philosopher and thinker
Swami Vivekananda. To capitalize on the
demographic dividend of young India, to
capture the vibrancy and fresh perspective
of youth and to pledge to accomplish the
goal of New India.
The Theme of the Festival is Sankalp Se Siddhi
NDRF RAISING DAY – JANUARY 19, 2018 :
The National Disaster Response Force has been celebrating its 13th Raising Day on --19th
January.
The NDRF was raised on 19th January 2006, as a specialized force capable of responding to
any type of disaster in the country and abroad. It is strategically deployed across the country
as per the vulnerability profile.
NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY – JANUARY 24, 2018 :
The 2018 National Girl Child Day
(NGCD) is celebrated in India -- 24th
January.
The National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is celebrated with an aim to raise awareness about sex
ratio levels and promote the empowerment of girls.
INTERNATIONAL CUSTOM DAY – JANUARY 26, 2018 :
The International Custom Day has been observed across the world -- 26th January. The slogan
for International Custom Day 2018 is “A Secure Business Environment for Economic
Development”.
The CCC has later renamed as World Custom Organization in 1994 which is an
intergovernmental organization.
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NATIONAL VOTERS DAY – JANUARY 25, 2018 :
The National Voters‘ Day (NVD) is
observed every year by India on -- 25th
January. The Election Commission of India
(ECI) has celebrated the 8th National Voters‘
Day 2018
Theme: „Accessible Elections‟ across the country.
INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY – JANUARY 27, 2018:
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been observed all over the world on -- 27th
January.
Theme: ―Holocaust Remembrance and Education: Our Shared Responsibility‖.
ANTI-LEPROSY DAY – JANUARY 30, 2018 :
Anti-Leprosy Day being observed on -- 30th
January.
The day, observed every year on the Martyrdom Day of Mahatma Gandhi, remembers his selfless
efforts and care for the people affected by leprosy.
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OTHER IMPORTANT DAYS
January 1 World Day of Peace.
January 4 World Braile Day.
January 10 World Hindi Day
January 25 Nationl Tourism Day
January 29 World Puzzles Day.
January 30 Martyr‟s day.
Jan 18-24, 2018 is announced as Girl child Week by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to celebrate
the girl child and spread awareness on gender equality.
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INTERNATIONAL
SAUDI ARABIA AND UNITED ARAB EMIRATES INTRODUCE VAT FOR FIRST
TIME :
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,
which have long lured foreign workers with
the promise of a tax-free lifestyle, plan to
impose a 5 per cent tax next year on most
goods and services to boost revenue after oil
prices collapsed three years ago.
Value-added tax or VAT: It will apply to a range of items like food, clothes, electronics and
gasoline, as well as phone, water and electricity bills, and hotel reservations.
INDIA-PAKISTAN NUCLEAR LIST EXCHANGE :
India and Pakistan on 1st Jan 2018
exchanged 27th lists of their nuclear
installations. This was done through
diplomatic channels simultaneously at New
Delhi and Islamabad.
Aim : To prevent both sides from attacking
such facilities.
WORLD FIRST COUNTRY TO LEGALISE EQUAL PAY :
From January 1, 2018, a new law has come to force in Iceland, under which it has become
illegal to pay men more than women for the same work. Iceland has thus becomes first
country in the world to legalise equal pay.
Iceland has been ranked as world‟s most gender-equal country by World Economic Forum
(WEF) since past nine years.
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HIMALAYAN HYDRO EXPO 2018 :
Organized by : The Independent Power
Producers‟ Association Nepal (IPPAN) and
Event Management Services began at the
Exhibition Hall of Bhrikutimandap, in
Kathmandu, Nepal.
The expo was inaugurated by Bidya Devi
Bhandari, President of Nepal. Hydro power
related products and services are displayed
in the Expo. Seminars, discussions and
competitions are conducted for students.
CHINA BUILD NAVAL BASE :
China is planning to build its second
foreign naval base in Pakistan according to
a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report.
After Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa in
Indian Ocean , this is the second one. The
base in Djibouti was formally opened in
August 2017.
China‘s naval base in Pakistan will most
likely come up in Gwadar on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. From Indian
perspective, this news holds strategic significance, as Gwadar is located at a short distance
from Chabahar port in Iran.
Chabahar Port : It is being jointly developed by India and Afghanistan. Chabahar port is to
be utilised as trade corridor for Indian exports to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.
BBIN MOTOR VEHICLES AGREEMENT :
Under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA),
Bangladesh, India and Nepal agreed on text of operating procedures for passenger vehicle
movement (Passenger protocol) in sub-region. Decision in this regard was taken at meeting of
High-level officials of three countries held in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The passenger protocol agreed upon is document detailing procedures for cross-border
movement of buses and private vehicles for transport facilitation in sub region. It will be
signed by three countries after completing necessary internal approval processes in their
government.
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GLOBAL CENTRE FOR CYBER SECURITY :
Launched by : World economic forum (WEF)
A new Global Centre for Cyber security headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The centre
will become operational from March 2018.
Objective: To safeguard world from hackers and growing data breaches — especially from
nation-states.
ASEAN-INDIA COMMEMORATIVE SUMMIT :
The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit was held in New Delhi to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of the establishment of sectoral dialogue between two sides.
Theme: “Shared Values, Common Destiny”.
THAR LINK EXPRESS AGREEMENT EXTENDED :
The agreement of Thar Link Express, second
solitary rail service between India and Pakistan
was extended for three more years i.e. till 2021.
It was set to expire in March 2018, but has now
been extended to January 31, 2021.
About Agreement: The agreement to link the
two countries by rail service through Munabao-
Khokhrapar link was signed in 2006 to facilitate
people-to-people contact.
Thar Express : It links Jodhpur (India) and Karachi (Pakistan) via Munabao (Rajasthan)-
Khokhrapar (Sindh province) border crossing and carries only passengers.
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SKYREV360 :
India and Lao PDR have signed civil aviation cooperation agreement for providing
SkyRev360, a comprehensive e-data gathering, invoicing and collection system. The
agreement was signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Lao Air Traffic
Management, Department of Civil Aviation under the Government‟s Make in India initiative.
Objective: It helps to eliminate inaccuracies errors and delays for better revenue management
with less manual processing.
SMART GRID PILOT PROJECT :
India-Japan Smart Grid Pilot Project was inaugurated in Panipat, Haryana by State Chief
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in the presence of Japanese Minister Keniko Sen to solve the
various complications faced by the power distribution sector.
Aim: To make electricity distribution network smarter and disseminate Japanese technologies in
India.
WORLD BIGGEST SMOG TOWER :
China has constructed Xian smog tower, an experimental air purifying tower touted to be the
world‟s biggest at height of over 100 meters (328 feet)
Objective: To fight air pollution.
GLOBAL FORUM FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE :
The 10th edition of Global Forum for Food & Agriculture was held in Berlin, Germany.
Theme: “Shaping the future of livestock – sustainably, responsibly, efficiently”
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NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE NETWORK PARK :
India and Sri Lanka have signed 4 agreements for collaboration in the ICT(Information and
Communication Technology ) sector, setting up of an e-office system and connecting of
National Knowledge Network ( NKN) for collaboration among universities and academics.
Sri Lanka became first country to be connected to NKN through Gigabyte (GB) optical fibre
network.
OFFICE OF ENVOY ON YOUTH :
India has contributed $50,000 to United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres‟s
Office of Envoy on Youth to help with its mission of involving young people in the world
body‟s goals. The contribution made by India is voluntary with no strings attached. The
Youth Envoy‟s works to raise international awareness and attention to youth issues among
others.
Mission Aim: To promote engagement of youth and advocate for them across all the four pillars of
UN‟s work
1. human rights,
2. peace and security,
3. sustainable development and
4. humanitarian action.
RIZHAO :
A new missile frigate was commissioned by the People‟s Liberation Army in a naval port in
Dalian, China. The Missile frigate Rizhao is 140 m longand 16 m wide designed and made by
China.
1ST WOMEN-ONLY CAR SHOWROOM :
Saudi Arabia‟s first motorshow for women
customers was held in Jeddah.
Saudi King Salman had ordered an end to the ban on Women drivers by June2018.
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BEIDOU NAVIGATION SATELLITE :
Two BeiDou-3 satellites has successfully launched by China to provide navigation and
positioning services to countries along Belt and Road initiative (BRI) by the end of 2018. The
two satellites were designated as BeiDou-3 M and BeiDou-3 M8 (26th and 27th satellites) in
BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). This was first launch of the BeiDou satellites in
2018.
China is planning to send 18 BeiDou-3 satellites into space in 2018.
PAKISTAN-SPECIAL WATCH LIST :
The United States has placed Pakistan on ―Special
Watch List‟ for “severe violations” of religious
freedom. It is only country to be put under the
newlyformed list. As per US, Pakistan was placed
in this list because it continues to harass its
religious minorities, tolerates extra-judicial
violence in the guise of opposing blasphemy.
INDIA JOINED AUSTRALIAN GROUP :
India‘s entry into the group which aims to prevent
proliferation of biological and chemical weapons,
will ensure a more secure world. ―The Australia
Group decided to admit India as its 43rd
participant. India would like to thank each of the
participants. Its entry would be mutually
beneficial and further contribute to international
security and non-proliferation.
India‘s membership will help to counter the
―spread of materials, equipment and technologies that could contribute to the development or
acquisition of chemical/biological weapons.‖
India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016 and the
Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) in 2017.
Wassenaar Arrangement: Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use
Goods and Technologies is a multilateral export control regime.
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NEPAL BANS SOLO CLIMBING ON MOUNT EVEREST :
Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a bid
to reduce accidents. The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind
climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world‘s highest peak without a valid
medical certificate.
China is issuing long-term visas to lure highly skilled people from
abroad to work in the country.
The union govt. has approved the agreement between India and
Myanmar on Land Border Crossing.
The U.N. Security Council has welcomed six new non-permanent
members. They are Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, the
Netherlands, Peru, and Poland.
India and Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement to revive the option of
sending Haj pilgrims through sea route for Haj 2018.
Saudi Arabia allowed women to spectate a football match, part of an
easing of strict rules on gender separation by the ultra-conservative
Muslim country.
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
KERAL NILAMBUR TEAK GET GI TAG:
Kerala‘s nilambur teak known internationally
for ts superior timber quality and elegant
appeareance will be added to the list of
kerala products with the Geographical
Indication(GI) tag. Britisers were first identify
the superior and unique quality of teak from
Kerala nilambur plantations and forest. Later
the region became the major supplier of
quality teak in the world.
About GI tag: GI tag is an insignia on products having a unique geographical origin
and evolution over centuries regards to its special quality or reputation attributes.
BENEFITS OF GI TAG:
1. Legal protection to the products,
2. Prevents unauthorized use of a GI tag products by others,
3. Enhancing demand in national and international markets,
4. Help consumers get quality products.
GOLDEN PEACOCK AWARD :
Chola MS has been awarded the Winner
under the Sector - "Insurance (General)", at the
Awards presentation ceremony as part of the
"Global Convention on Corporate Ethics &
Risk Management" held recently at Hotel
Inter Continental, Singapore. The other
winners in this category include State Bank of
India, ONGC Videsh, L&T Finance Holdings
etc.
The Golden Peacock Awards were instituted in 1991 by the Institute of Directors (IOD), now
regarded as a benchmark of Corporate Excellence worldwide, are presented annually to
recognize the best Corporates through competition.
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INDIA‟S FIRST DIGITAL ONLINE ONCOLOGY TUTORIAL SERIES:
Designed by Tata Memorial Centre (a grant-in-aid cancer centre under Department of Atomic
Energy, GOI)
LAUNCHED BY: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Aim : To train doctors across country to educate them in early detection, prevention, palliation,
rehabilitation and treatment of various cancers. Oncology literally means a branch of science that
deals with tumours and cancers. The word ―onco‖ means bulk/ mass/ tumor while ―logy‖
means study.
22ND NATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL (NYF) :
Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Government at
Gautam Buddha University Greater Noida organised the 22nd National Youth Festival (NYF)
in New Delhi on the occasion of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the youth icon of
India. This is the first time that the National Youth Festival is being organized in National
Capital Region (NCR).
Objective : To provide platform to bring youth of country together in attempt to
provide them opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.
The first National Youth Festival was held in 1995 ( Bhopal).
SFOORTI APPLICATION :
LAUNCHED BY : Union Ministry of Railways
Objective : To track movement of freight trains
over Zones / Divisions /Sections on GIS View.
Even passenger trains can be tracked using it. It
will help to monitor freight business along with
comparative analysis of Zonal and Divisional
Traffic.
SFOORTI - Smart Freight Operation Optimisation & Real Time Information
Theme of 2017 NYF: “Sankalp Se Siddhi‟
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SAKSHAM 2018 (SANRAKSHAN KSHAMTA MAHOTSAV) :
LAUNCHED BY : Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
Aim: To creating focused attention on fuel conservation through people centric activities and
sensitize masses about conservation and efficient use of petroleum products leading to
better health and environment.
RASHTRIYA SANSKRITI MAHOTSAV - 2018 :
7th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav -2018 under the Ek Bharath Shreshtha Bharat
Programme began in Karnataka. Under this programme Karnataka is paired with
Uttarakhand.
Aim: To celebrate the idea of unity in diversity by promoting engagement amongst the people of
different states /UT‟s and thereby strengthening people-people bond.
NEW 9 SMART CITIES :
The addition of these 9 smart cities in the
fourth round, the total cities picked up
under Smart City Mission have reached
99. Under the scheme, each city will get
Rs.500 crore (Rs. 100 crore per year) from
the Centre for implementing various
projects.
THE NINE CITIES INCLUDE :
1. Uttar Pradesh –Moradabad, Bareilly and Saharanpur,
2. Bihar Sharif (Bihar),
3. Silvassa (Dadra and Nagar Havelli),
4. Erode(Tamil Nadu),
5. Daman and Diu,
6. Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) and
7. Kavaratti (Lakshadweep).
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WORLD WEALTH REPORT :
India was ranked sixth in list of wealthiest countries with total wealth of US $8,230 billion in
2017 according to New World Wealth Report.
IMPROVE INDIA‟S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM :
India and London government MoU signed between Union Ministry of Road Transport &
Highways and ―Transport for London‖.
Aim : To improve the overall public transport system and also to promote the
use of high capacity buses in India.
GLOBAL MANUFACTURING INDEX (GMI) :
PUBLISHED BY : World Economic Forum (WEF)
India ranked at 30th position among 100 countries on its Global Manufacturing Index(GMI).
The index was released as part of WEF‘s first Readiness for the future of production Report
which analysed development of modern industrial strategies and urges collaborative action.
MAITRE-2 BUS SERVICES TO CONNECT INDIA AND BANGLADESH :
A second passenger bus to Kolkata via Dhaka was started from Agartala, Tripura, to give a
boost to the trans-border relationship between India and Bangladesh. The second bus service
has been named Maitre-2.
UIDAI INTRODUCES „VIRTUAL ID‟ TO ADDRESS PRIVACY CONCERNS :
In a bid to address privacy concerns, the UIDAI has introduced a new concept of ‗Virtual ID‘
which Aadhaar-card holder can generate from its website and give for various purposes,
including SIM verification, instead of sharing the actual 12-digit biometric ID.
This will give the users the option of not sharing their Aadhaar number at the time of
authentication.
GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES ONLINE CANCER DETECTION COURSE :
Union health ministry launched a seven-month online course designed by Tata Memorial to
help non-cancer specialists detect early signs of the disease, especially in villages and smaller
cities.
Intend: For physicians, gynaecologists, dentists and other health care professionals who are not
oncologists. It can play a crucial role in early detection and diagnosis of cancers.
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FIRST EVER KHADI HAAT IN DELHI :
On the mark of 69th Republic Day celebrations, Khadi and Village Industries Commission
(KVIC) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) have launched the first ever 'Khadi Haat'
in the country. The Khadi Haat was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh in
Connaught Place, New Delhi.
JAL MARG VIKAS PROJECT (JMVP) :
Implementation of the for capacity augumentation
of navigation on National Waterway -1 (NW-1).
The project will be implemented at a cost of
Rs.5369.18 cr with the technical assistance and
investment support of the World Bank. It is
expected to be completed by March 2023.
THE PROJECT WILL COVER STATES
1. Uttra Pradesh, 2. Bihar, 3. Jharkhand and 4. West Bengal
ZOJILA TUNNEL:
The Zojila Tunnel will be situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National
Highway (NH-1A).
MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT : To provide all whether connectivity to strategically
important Leh region in J&K which at moment is limited to at best 6 months because of snow on
the mountainous passes and threat of avalanches. Ladakh region remains cut off from rest of the
country during winter months due to heavy snowfall. On completion, it will be Asia‟s largest 2-
lane bi-directional tunnel.
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WORLD BOOK FAIR :
The nine-day World Book fair at New Delhi. The World Book Fair is organized every year
by the National Book Trust and India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO).
Theme: Environment issues like climate change, global warming, and water pollution.
INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL:
The fourth edition of the
India International Science Festival will
be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The
decision to hold the Festival in Lucknow
was taken at the first preparatory
meeting for the 4th India International
Science Festival (IISF).
The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
INDIA'S 1ST GARBAGE FESTIVAL ORGANISED IN CHHATTISGARH:
The Raipur Municipal Corporation in Chhattisgarh organized the three-day 'Kachra
Mahotsav 2018'. It is India's first Garbage Festival.
Aim : To increase awareness, use the waste generated in the city creatively, and to
showcase multiple techniques for reusing things that are labeled as garbage.
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'ICREATE CENTRE' IN AHMEDABAD:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PM Benjamin Netanyahu inaugurated the 'iCreate
Centre' at Deo Dholera in Ahmedabad. iCreate paves way for the two nations to jointly script
new stories of success through innovation. The two leaders also visited the startup exhibition
at the venue and interacted with entrepreneurs and innovators.
―OPERATION DIGITAL BOARD‖:
The Cabinet Advisory Board of Education (CABE) has launched the ―Operation Digital
Board‖ at 65th meeting of CABE held in New Delhi.
It has been launched on the lines of the ‗Operation Black board of 1987‘ which was started
with the purpose of providing minimum education facilities to all primary school. The idea of
Operation Digital Board is aimed at providing better digital education in all schools.
INTERNATIONAL BIRD FESTIVAL- 2018 :
The 2018 International Bird Festival will be held in the Dudhwa National Park, uthara
Pradesh.
Purpose : To give it a distinct international identity besides highlighting its \traditional Tharu
arts, culture, and heritage.
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TYPBAR TCV :
World‟s first typhoid vaccine clinically proven to
be administered to children from six months of age
to adults, and confers long-term protection against
typhoid fever. Typbar Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine
(TVC) developed by Hyderabad based Bharat
Biotech for global use got its prequalification from
the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Typhoid fever is caused by bacterium Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi).
SHORT NEWS:
Anwar Jalalpuri Prominent Urdu poet Anwar Jalalpuri who translated
Bhagwad ‗Geeta into Urdu‘ has passed away.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) rolled out Aadhaar-based
online verification of mobile connections for non-resident Indians, senior
citizens above 70 years and physically challenged persons.
90% of the food grains and 20% of the sugar products will be mandatorily
packed in jute bags. This decision will benefit farmers and workers
located in the Eastern and North-Eastern regions of the country
particularly in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Andhra Pradesh,
Meghalaya and Tripura.
World Bank projects India's growth rate in 2018 -7.3%.
Niti Aayog provide rankings to the 115 aspirational districts.
The Union Home Minister B. R. Sharma appointed a panel to
recommend changes in the existing laws of playing of the National
Anthem in cinema halls and public places.
The Matunga railway station has figured in the ‗Limca Book of Records
2018‘ for having an all-woman staff.
Election Commission (EC) of India has constituted Umesh Sinha
committee to suggest changes to Section 126 of the Representation of the
People Act.
Madhya Pradesh state hosted the Annual Conference of Director
Generals of Police (DGP) and Inspector Generals of Police (IGP) 2018.
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STATE AFFAIRS
INDIA‟S FIRST FLOATING MARKET:
Kolkata became first metro city in India to
get floating market which was inaugurated
by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee. The floating market is located on
lake at Patuli in South Kolkata which is 400
metres long and 60 metres wide.
Aim : To rehabilitate over 200 shopkeepers from nearby market that was demolished for the
widening of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass (EMB) — an important road that connects the
northern parts of Kolkata the eastern and southern tips. The lake has been transformed into
the floating market similar to the one in Thailand.
EARLY WARNING DISSEMINATION SYSTEM (EWDS) :
India‘s first automatic Early Warning Dissemination System(EWDS) will be commissioned by
March 2018 in Odisha. The EWDS is a first-of-its-kind automatic public address system in the
country. The project is being implemented under National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project
with World Bank‟s help.
Aim : To establish fool-proof communication system to address existing gaps in disseminating
disaster warning up to community level.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED OPEN DEFECATION FREE
(ODF) STATE :
Arunachal Pradesh has total 21 districts
and it attained this major cleanliness feat
under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan much
before (one year and 10 months ahead) the
national deadline of October 2, 2019.
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OPEN DEFECATION FREE STATES:
Northeast state – 2 states.
1. Sikkim,
2. Himachal Pradesh,
3. Kerala,
4. Haryana,
5. Arunachala Pradesh.
32ND SURAJKUND INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS MELA :
Haryana tourism department has announced that 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela,
to be held at Surajkund, Faridabad, from 2nd to 15th February 2018. This fair was organized
by Haryana Tourism and Surajkund Fair Authority in collaboration with Union ministries of
tourism, textiles, culture and external affairs.
Theme state: Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2018 is Uttar Pradesh.
“24X7 GUDIYA HELPLINE”:
Himachal Pradesh government setting up
of 24X7 ―Gudiya helpline‖ for reporting
crimes against women. Under ―Gudiya
helpline‟ initiative, three special crime cells
would be set up, one each at Mandi, Shimla
and Kangra.
ABOUT GUDIYA:
‟Gudiya‟ is a nickname given to the 16-year-old victim of rape and murder in Kotkhai town.
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FLAMINGO FESTIVAL :
The three-day annual Flamingo Festival was held at Pulicat lake and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary
in Sullurpet mandal.
ABOUT FESTIVAL:
These festival is held every year to promote tourism in Pulicat and Nellapattu. Nelapattu Bird
Sanctuary is one of the biggest habitats for some hundreds of pelicans and other birds. It is
located about 20 km north of the Pulicat Lake on the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border.
HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY (HRP) PORTAL:
Haryana become first state in the country to launch High-Risk Pregnancy (HRP) portal. The
portal will help in early identification of high-risk pregnant cases up to grass-roots level and
ensures their timely referral to civil hospitals.
Objective : These portal will help in increasing pace of decline in Maternal Mortality Rate
(MMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Still Birth Incidence as morbidity and mortality is
quite high in high risk pregnant cases if not managed timely.
INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL :
The International Kite Festival started at
Sabarmati River Front in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Nearly 149 foreign kite fliers from 44 countries
are taking part in this festival. From India,
around 96 kite fliers from 18 states and 290 kite
fliers from Gujarat participate in this kite festival.
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COMMON MOBILITY CARD FOR BUS AND METRO RIDES :
Delhi becomes the first city in India to launch common mobility card for bus and metro rides.
It was launched by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. This card will come in to effect from 1st April
2018.
Objective : This card can be used at 200 Delhi Transport Corporation ( DTC) and 50 buses.
This card also behaves likes a debit card.
PUBLIC CLOUD POLICY :
Maharashtra became first state in country to unveil Public Cloud Policy that virtually
mandates state government departments to shift their data storage onto cloud. The policy will
result in additional private sector investments worth US $2 billion for cloud industry as
government is one of biggest creators and consumers of data.
Aim: To generate 5 lakh jobs in next five years.
KERALA GOVERNMENT PERMITS PRISONERS TO DONATE ORGANS :
The Kerala government gave permission to
prisoners in Kerala jails to donate organs to their
close relatives. The period of admission in
hospital will be taken as parole period for the
prisoner. The hospital expenses will be taken
care by the jail authorities. In the statement it is
clearly mentioned that ‗no relaxation in prison
term‘ for the prisoner performing organ
donation will be provided.
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E-RAKTKOSH WEB PORTAL :
According to the Punjab State Health Minister Brahm Mahindra, the state has rolled out e-
Raktkosh web portal in all the 45 government blood banks.The web portal provides the
guidelines and streamlines the workflow of blood blanks and storage centers across the nation
and interconnects all blood banks with a single network.In the next phase all 59 private blood
banks of the state will be linked with the e-Raktkosh application software.
„UTSAVAM 2018‟ :
To rejuvenate traditional folk art forms of Kerala, will be held across the state. The festival,
organised by the state tourism department, would be held in 28 venues in 14 districts with
participation of more than 5000 artists.
The Ustavam will showcase various art forms, including Kolkali, Theyyam, Irulnritham,
Ganabali, Pavkanaporatt and Kaakirinaatakam.
MANIPUR GETS WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANT TO PRESERVE GREEN COVER :
The green cover of northeastern state of Manipur, a solid waste treatment plant has been set
up at Lamdeng in Imphal West.
About Plant: The plant, set up under a state government initiative, is helping the state manage
solid and industrial waste. The operations of the plant, which will treat, process, recycle and
disposing solid waste of Imphal, has been handed to a private agency Eco Care Private Limited.
MAHARASHTRA ANNOUNCES 1% RESERVATION TO ORPHANS IN JOBS,
EDUCATION :
Maharashtra Government has announced 1%
reservation for orphans in government jobs and
education. The reservation, termed parallel
reservation, will be provided under the general
category, which means the government won‘t
need to increase its caste reservation quota that
has already reached 52%.
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TELANGANA TO INTRODUCE SEPARATE BUDGET FOR FARM SECTOR FROM
NEXT FISCAL :
The Telangana Government would introduce a separate budget for agriculture from the next
financial year. The TRS government will also be providing investment support for the key
sector to ensure that cultivators don‘t fall into debt trap. The government has decided to
provide Rs 8,000 per acre per annum to farmers (for two seasons) as investment support for
agriculture.
INDIA'S 1ST PARK FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED INAUGURATED IN HYDERABAD :
Municipal Administration and
Urban Development Minister of
Telangana K.T. Rama Rao
inaugurated the park, which has
speech therapist, physiotherapist,
vocational training instructors for the
differently-abled children.
This is the first such park in India. The park will benefit those differently-abled children, who
want to move forward and thrive in life.
BANNED E-CIGARETTE :
The Bihar Govt. has banned electronic cigarettes in the state.
E-cigarette: It is a battery run electronic device that tries to create the feeling of tobacco smoking.
It works by heating a liquid to generate an aerosol that users inhale.
SHORT NEWS:
Karnataka state government has received the approval for purchase of electric
vehicles under Central government‘s FAME-India scheme.
The Union Cabinet has approved for establishment of new AIIMS in which state
under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) in Himachal
Pradesh.
Harstate govt. has announced a power tariff subsidy of Rs. 2 per unit for micro
and small enterprises, under Enterprises Promotion Policy – 2015.
The first draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) has released for the state of
Assam.
Music maestro A R Rahman named the official brand ambassador of Sikkim.
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IMPORTANT INDEX
INDIA RANKS 177TH IN ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX :
PUBLISHED BY : World Economic Forum
According to the latest global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) rankings released on
the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meet in Davos, India is at 177th spot — down
from 141st position two years ago — in the list of 180 countries.
LEADING COUNTRIES :
1. Switzerland,
2. France,
3. Denmark,
4. Malta and
5. Sweden
A new green index has ranked India the fourth worst country worldwide in curbing
environmental pollution.
INDIA RANKED 81ST ON GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEX :
PUBLISHED BY : World Economic Forum (WEF)
India has moved up on a global index of talent competitiveness to the 81st position. India has
improved its position from 92nd last year. India was at the 89th place in 2016 on the index that
measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent.
TOP 10 WEALTHIEST COUNTRIES :
1. United States (1st, total wealth held US $ 64,584 billion),
2. China (2nd, $24,803 billion),
3. Japan (3rd, $19,522 billion) ,
4. United Kingdom (4th, $9,919 billion),
5. Germany (5th, $9,660 billion),
6. India (6 th, $8,230 billion),
7. France (7th, $6,649 billion),
8. Canada (8th, $6,393 billion),
9. Australia (9th, $6,142 billion) and
10. Italy (10th, $4,276 billion).
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STEEL PRODUCER REPORT :
REPORT PUBLISHED BY : World Steel Association (WSA).
India has overtaken US to become the world‟s third largest steel producer in 2017. India‟s
crude steel production has grown by 6.2% to 101.4 million tonnes (MT) in 2017 compared to
95.5 MT in the previous year.
1. China has remained world leader by producing steel,
2. Japan is second largest global steel producer.
INDIA‟S WEALTH INDEX :
According to wealth index released on basis of data from fourth round of
National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-4).
1. Delhi is richest state and Jain wealthiest community in the country.
2. Bihar is poorest state half of its households in the bottom quintile.
3. Rajasthan has most equitable wealth distribution with similar number of households in all
quintiles.
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SCHEME
MUKSHYAMANTRI KALAKAR SAHAYATA YOJANA (MMKSY) :
MMKSY to provide financial assistance
to the literature and cultural artists of
state was launched by Odisha Chief
Minister, Naveen Patnaik. The scheme
is mainly for the welfare of literature
and cultural artists of the state. It will
provide monthly financial assistance of
Rs.1200 to literature and cultural artists
of state.
Male artist can get assistance under after attaining age of 50 years (earlier it was 60 years) and
female artist can get it at age of 40 years (earlier it was 50 years).
MAHATMA GANDHI SARBAT VIKAS YOJNA (MGSVY)
MGSVY for the welfare of the downtrodden citizen across the state was launched by the
Punjab Government.
Objective : To identify poor and distressed households which have been deprived of the
benefits of the various welfare schemes. It will be on the line of Antyodaya principles
(Antyodaya‟ means rise of the last person) and will be implemented in the state‟s rural areas.
E-SAMVAD PORTAL :
LAUNCHED BY : Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD)
Objective : To provide platform for NGOs and Civil Societies to interact with the ministry.
Through it, NGOs and civil society can provide their feedback, suggestions, put up grievances,
share best practices etc. This will help in formulation of effective policies and measures for welfare
of women and children.
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ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF) PROJECT :
To promote organic farming have been launched by Jai Ram Thakur (CM of Himachal
Pradesh) in the state. ZBNF is set of natural farming methods where cost of growing and
harvesting plants is zero. It is a farming practice that believes in natural growth of crops
without adding any fertilizers and pesticides or any other foriegn elements. It is different from
organic farming.
Aims: To increase agriculture produce and the income of farmers by the year 2022.
“TRACKCHILD‟ AND “KHOYA-PAYA‟ WEB PORTALS :
LAUNCHED BY : Ministry of Women and Child Development
Objective : To track missing and found children and also provides support for children in
trouble through the dedicated toll free number – 1098.
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“MUHAFIZ‟- SCHEME :
A major welfare initiative for providing institutionalized socio-economic security to workers
in the unorganised sector of the Jammu and Kashmir state.
Objective : 3 lakh workers registered with Jammu and Kashmir Building and Other
Construction Workers‟ Welfare Board (JKBOCWWB), will be provided accidental, life and
disability insurance cover.
“Muhafiz‟ means “Guardian‟ in English.
NARI ONLINE PORTAL :
LAUNCHED BY : Women and Child Development
Objective : To empower Women.
NARI stands for National Repository of Information for Women. The portal contains
information about schemes being run by both centre as well as the state governments.
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NANAJI DESHMUKH KRISHI SANJIVANI YOJNA :
Maharashtra Government has approved Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi
Sanjivani Yojna to promote climate-resilient agriculture. It will be roll out in 2018-19 and
continue till 2023-24. The scheme will be implemented in 5,142 villages across 15 districts.
Objective : To improve soil quality, develop foodgrain varieties which can sustain climate
variations and effect necessary changes in the crop pattern as per the availability of water in a
particular region.
INTEGRATED SOLAR BASED MICRO IRRIGATION SCHEME(ISBMI) :
Haryana govt has announced to implement the integrated solar based micro irrigation scheme
(ISBMI) in all districts of the state and formed a committee under the Chairman of Haryana
Renewable Energy Development Agency(HAREDA).
Aim: To save electricity and water and will thereby prove to be economical for farmers.
SWACHH SURVEKSHAN :
The nationwide cleanliness survey was launched across India on 4th Jan 2018. It is deemed as
the World‟s biggest survey, it will conducted in over 4000 cities with a population of more
than 40 cr.
Objective: To evaluate the achievements in the cleanliness level in urban areas.
E-SANSAD AND E-VIDHAN :
e-Sansad in Parliament and e-Vidhan in
State Legislatures to digitize and make
their functioning paperless.
Aim : To digitise and make available Parliament and state legislature documents,
including debates, speeches, committee reports and questions on internet.
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NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR CONTROL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS :
LAUNCHED BY : Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
A new scheme free treatment of Hepatitis C is rolled out by the Union Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare from the 2018-19 financial year. Significant number of people infected with
Hepatitis C develop cirrhosis of liver or liver cancer, which are responsible for 3,99,000
Hepatitis C deaths annually across the world.
Hepatitis C : This is infectious disease caused by blood-borne virus hepatitis C virus (HCV)
that primarily affects the liver.
“STREE SWABHIMAN INITIATIVE” :
LAUNCHED BY : Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY)
Aim : To create sustainable model for providing adolescent girls and women an access to
affordable sanitary products by leveraging Common Service Centres (CSC‘s).
PRADHAN MANTRI VAYA VANDANA YOJANA (PMVVY)
Aim: To provide social security during old age, to protect elderly persons aged 60 and above
against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain market conditions.
Aim : anti-viral treatment of Hepatitis C which will be provided free at all
government health set-ups. For this government has embarked budget
of Rs 600 crore for the next three years.
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AWARDS
PARLIAMENTARIAN AWARDS :
Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards was conferred to five Members of Parliament by the
parliamentarian Group. They are
1. Dr.Najma Heptulla: former Rajya Sabha MP - 2013,
2. Hukumdev Narayan Yadav: Lok Sabha MP - 2014,
3. Ghulam Nabi Azad: Rajya Sabha MP – 2015,
4. Dinesh Trivedi: Lok Sabha MP - 2016.
5. Bhartruhari Mahatab: Lok Sabha MP - 2017.
JANAKAVI P SAWLARAM AWARD :
Actor Sudhir Dalvi honored with the Janakavi P Sawlaram
award at a function held in Mumbai.
The award is jointly given by the Thane
Municipal Corporation and the Janakavi
P Savlaram Kala Samiti.
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75TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS :
The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards honored
the best in film and American television of 2017.
WINNERS OF VARIOUS AWARDS:
1. Best Motion Picture Drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
2. Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy: Lady Bird.
3. Best Director in Motion Picture-Drama: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water).
4. Best Actor in Motion Picture-Drama: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) as Winston Churchill.
5. Best Actress in Motion Picture-Drama: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside
Ebbing, Missouri) as Mildred Hayes.
6. Best Actor in Motion Picture or Musical or Comedy: James Franco (The Disaster Artist) as
Tommy Wiseau.
7. Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical/Comedy: Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) as Christine
―Lady Bird‖ McPherson.
8. Best Actor in a Supporting role in Motion Picture: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards
Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Officer Jason Dixon.
9. Best Actress in a Supporting role in Motion Picture: Allison Janney (I, Tonya) as LaVona
Golden.
10. Best Animated Feature Film: Coco.
11. Best Foreign Language Film: In the Fade (Germany/France).
12. Lifetime Achievement Award: Oprah Winfrey.
GANGA JAMUNA AWARD :
Well-known dancer Jaishree T was bestowed with the Ganga Jamuna award, which is
instituted in memory of a popular song written by Sawlaram. Mr. Dalvi featured on the
famous TV show "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" and other Hindi serials.
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31ST MOORTHIDEVI AWARD :
Eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be given the 31st Moortidevi Award for the year
2017. The committee, headed by poet and scholar Satya Vrat Shastri, unanimously decided to
confer the award upon Goswami for his poetry collection titled Du Dondo Phowara Matro. It
is the first time the award will be given to a Bengali poet.
Du Dondo Phowara Matro: It is an autobiographical account of the poet's life featuring his close
ones including a pet cat.
YASH CHOPRA MEMORIAL AWARD :
Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle will be
given the 'Yash Chopra Memorial Award'. She will
be the fifth winner of the award. The name of
Asha Bhosle is in the Guinness World Records for
recording over 11,000 songs in 20 different
languages. The award will be presented to Asha
Bhosle in February 2018.
Yash Chopra Memorial award has been instituted by the TSR Foundation of
T.Subbarami Reddy in memory of producer-director Yash Chopra, who died in 2012.
GRAMMY AWARDS – 2018 :
60th Annual Grammy Awards, honoring the best achievements from October 2016 to
September 2017 were held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the USA.
James Corden was the host of the ceremony for the second year in a row.
It was Bruno Mars' night at the Grammy Awards held in New York, with the three biggest
wins - Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year for 24K Magic and Song Of The Year
for 'That's What I Like'.
Album Of The Year: Bruno Mars
Song of the Year: Bruno Mars', That's What I Like
Record Of The Year: Bruno Mars, 24K Magic
Best Pop Solo Performance: Ed Sheeran, Shape of You
Best Pop Vocal Album: Ed Sheeran, Divide
Best Dance Recording: LCD Soundsystem, Tonite
Best Music Film: The Defiant Ones
Best Children's Album: Feel What U Feel, Lisa Loeb
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: La La Land
Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost
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PRIME MINISTER SHARAM AWARDS :
The Ministry of Labour & Employment announced Prime Minister‟s Shram Awards for the
year 2016 to be awarded to 50 workers including 3 women employees.
Shram Bhushan : 12 workers from SAIL, BHEL and TATA Steel Ltd. were selected.
Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana Award: 18 workers from Naval Dockyard, Ordinance Factory,
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam, TATA Steel, Hindalco Industries, Paradeep Phosphates Ltd., Brahmos
Aerospace were selected. Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awards.
CRYSTAL AWARD AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM :
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan honored with the 24th Crystal Award at the World
Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
According to the WEF, Shah Rukh Khan received Award for "his leadership in championing
children's and women's rights in India".
He received the award alongside Elton John and Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett.
CHEVALIER DE L‟ORDRE DES ARTSET LETTRES :
Indian Architect Aishwarya Tipnis has been conferred France‘s top cultural award for her
outstanding commitment to preservation of French heritage in India in Kolkata.
They were instituted in 1985 and are announced every year by Ministry of
Labour and Employment.
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“SAMUDRA MANTHAN - CARING ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR” AWARD :
India‘s Premier Container Port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has won the ―Samudra
Manthan - Caring Organization of the Year‖ award.
JNPT : It provides excellent facilities to their staff like medical insurance, residential township
with school, transport service, canteens, rest rooms, recreation, sports activities and regular
training programs on various key topics.
The award instituted by Bhandarkar Shipping aims to fuel healthy competition in the maritime
sector.
SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI AWARDS :
The Sangeet Natak Akademi‘s Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi
Awards for 2016 given by President of India in New Delhi.
FOUR AKADEMI RATNA (FELLOWSHIP) :
1. Arvind Parikh,
2. Sunil Kothari,
3. Ram Goapl Bajaj and
4. R Vedavalli and 43 artists will receive the Akademi Awards.
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APPOINTMENTS
NEW DG OF NATIONAL SECURITY GUARD : Sudeep Lakhtakia appointed as the new Director General
(DG) of the 'black cats' commando force NSG. The officer is
currently serving as a Special DG in the Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF) headquarters New Delhi. He will take
over from incumbent S P Singh who will retire from the post
of NSG DG.
NEW CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER:
Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat was appointed as the next Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) of India. Mr. Rawat is the 22nd CEC of India. He succeeded Achal
Kumar Joti.
Other Election Commisioner: The government also appointed former finance secretary Ashok
Lawasa as an Commissioner. Mr Rawat will take over the office from 23rd January 2018
onwards. Sunil Arora is the other Election Commissioner.
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ANANDIBEN PATEL NAMED AS NEW MADHYA PRADESH GOVERNOR :
Former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel named as the new governor of Madhya
Pradesh. She will replace Gujarat governor Om Prakash Kohli, who currently holds additional
charge of the office of Governor of Madhya Pradesh.
Ms. Patel became the first woman chief minister of Gujarat.
NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER :
The new National Security Adviser (NSA) -Rajinder Khanna is appointed.
• National Security Advisor (NSA): It is the chief executive of the National Security Council
(NSC), and the primary advisor to the Prime Minister of India on national and international
security.
NEW REAT CHAIRMAN :
• The Chairman of the Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (REAT) for Tamil Nadu and the Union
Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands -- B Rajendran.
REAT : The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, the State government have to
establish the Real Estate Appellate Tribunal for Tamil Nadu.
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ISRO NEW CHAIRMAN :
The Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) --K Sivan.
FIRST WOMAN LAWYER TO BE DIRECTLY APPOINTED AS A JUDGE :
The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the name of senior advocate Indu Malhotra
as the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the apex court.
Indu Malhotra: She will be the seventh woman judge since independence to make it to the
Supreme Court. In collegium system, the shortlisted candidates are scrutinized by a collegium of
five senior-most judges of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India before being cleared for
appointment.
K.Sivan: Renowned Scientist K Sivan has been
appointed as the Chairman of Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO), also as Secretary in
the Department of Space and Chairman of Space
Commission for tenure of three years. He
succeeds A S Kiran Kumar. Currently, Sivan is
serving as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space
Centre in Trivandrum.
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VIKRAM SARABHAI SPACE CENTER NEW DIRECTOR :
New Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) -- S Somanath.
Somanath: He is known for his contributions to launch vehicle design, particularly in the
areas of launch vehicle systems engineering, structural design, structural dynamics, and
pyrotechnics.
NEW FOREIGN SECRETARY OF INDIA :
The new Foreign Secretary of India -- Vijay Keshav Gokhale.
• Earlier, Mr. Gokhale was serving as the Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA). He also served as India‘s Ambassador to China, Germany and
worked in Indian missions in Hong Kong, Hanoi and in New York.
T S Tirumurti appointed as the Economic Relations secretary in the
External Affairs Ministry.
Harjinder Singh appointed as the Chef De Mission for the 23rd
Winter Olympic Games.
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ECONOMY
INDIA IS 5TH MOST ATTARACTIVE MARKET FOR INVESTMENTS :
India emerged as the fifth most attractive market for investments and theoptimism over
global economic growth is at a record level, as per the survey of CEOs by global consultancy
PwC.
LEADING COUNTRIES :
1. United States (46%)
2. China (33%)
3. Germany (20%)
4. Japan (9%)
5. India (8%)
INDIA TO GROW AT 7.4% IN 2018 :
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India is projected to grow at 7.4% in
2018 as against China‘s 6.8%, making it the fastest growing countryamong the emerging
economies.Due to demonetization and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST),
India‘s economy slowed down a little bit to 6.7% in 2016.
In 2017, India‘s growth rate dropped to 6.7%. In its latest World Economic Outlook update
released in Davos, Switzerland on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the IMF
projected a 7.8% growth rate for India in 2019.
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MAURITIUS LARGEST SOURCE OF FDI IN INDIA - RESERVE BANK OF INDIA :
Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India (21.8 percent share at market
value), followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank of India.
Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), reported
the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17,
released by RBI.
1ST INDIAN BANK TO CROSS RS5 TRILLION MARKET CAPITALISATION :
India‘s most-valued lender HDFC Bank Limited crossed Rs5 trillion capitalization action for
the first time, making it only the third Indian company to achieve this milestone. In intraday
trade, the stock touched a fresh record high of Rs1,53.75 on the BSE, up 3.31% from its
previous close.
INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT CREATE WEBSITE ABOUT QUERIES :
The Income Tax (IT) Department has launched an on-line chat service on its national website -
- www.incometaxindia.gov.in‟.
• A customer support executive having expertise in tax-related matters helps the users in
resolving their queries on-line. The facility is available on all working days from Monday
to Friday between 10 AM and 6 PM.
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NEW RS.10 DENOMINATION NOTES :
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued new banknotes of Rs. 10 denomination in the Mahatma
Gandhi (New) Series.
About Note: The new denomination has motif of Sun Temple, Konark on the reverse and the base
colour of the note, Chocolate Brown. The dimension of the banknote will be 63 mm x 123 mm.
FACEBOOK LAUNCHES “MARKETPLACE” TO BUY, SELL GOODS IN INDIA:
Facebook has launched its ‘Marketplace’ to buy and sell used goods and services across categories such
as electronics, entertainment, and housing in India.
For used goods, it allows sellers to register by including details like price, category, location and
images.
NABARD (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2017 :
Parliament has cleared the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(Amendment) Bill,2017 to amend the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
Act, 1981. According to the bill the authorized capital is raised to 30000 Cr from 5000 Cr in
future it may also increase with consultation of RBI.
At present, Union government has the 99.6% share in the bank rest with RBI.
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RBI ORDERED BANKS TO RECALIBRATE ATMS WITH Rs.200 :
Indian apex bank RBI orders all the banks to recalibrate ATM to install new Rs.200 for the
more circulation of the denomination.
About Rs.200 rupees: RBI introduced New Rs.200 Note in 25th August 2017. Image on Backside
Sanchi Stupa,
Dimensions 66 X 146 mm²,
Colour bright yellow.
STATE BANK OF INDIA MAY CUT MINIMUM BALANCE LIMIT IN SAVINGS
A/C‟S TO 1,000 :
India‗s largest lender SBI is planning to bring down the minimum balance limit for savings
accounts to 1,000 from the current 3,000 balance in metros.
WORLD‟S FIRST BIOMETRIC PAYMENT CARD :
Bank of Cyprus has selected Gemalto, an
digital security company to supply
world‟s first biometric payment card for
both chip and contactless payments.
These cards will use fingerprint
recognition instead of a personal
identification number (PIN) to
authenticate the cardholder.
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INSOLVENT COMPANIES LEVY MINIMUM ALTERNATIVE TAX :
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has announced to relax norms around levy of
minimum alternate tax (MAT) for insolvent companies from financial year 2017-18. It is ruled
by provisions enclosed in section 115JB of Income Tax Act, 1961.The purpose of the move is to
make the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 more effective and minimise hardship faced
by companies going in for insolvency resolution.
Aim: To bring Zero Tax Companies‖ into tax realm who do not pay any tax.
LOGISTICS EASE ACROSS DIFFERENT STATES ( LEADS) INDEX :
Gujarat has topped logistics ease across different states ( LEADS) index as per the report
released by the union minister of commerce and industry Suresh Prabhu at the third meeting
of council for Trade development and promotion on 8th Jan 2018. LEADS index is a
perception based index of mobility of goods and efficiency of logistics chain.
• Punjab has acquired second position followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and
Maharashtra. Among the Union Territories, Daman & Diu occupied top slot followed by NCT
Delhi and Chandigarh. As regards the hilly states, Tripura was on top followed by Mizoram
and Meghalaya.
GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS REPORT :
According to the World Bank‟s Global economic prospects report, India economy will grow
by 6.7% during the current fiscal year, higher than 6.5% estimated by the Indian government.
It further stated that GDP growth is expected to be 7.3% in 2018-19 and with this growth, India
is set to regain the top spot in World‟s fastest growing economies.
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MILITARY EXERCISES
VINBAX-2018 :
The first military exercise (VINBAX-2018) between India and Vietnam was conducted at
Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh as a part of joint training undertaken with friendly foreign
countries by Indian Army.
VAJRA PRAHAR-2018 :
The Indo-US joint military exercise held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Seattle in
third week of January in line with the increasing military cooperation between both countries.
The last edition was held in Jodhpur in March 2017.
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IRON FIST :
13th Annual Iron fist joint exercises was conducted by US and Japan military in California,
US.
COAST GUARDS OF INDIA, JAPAN ORGANISED JOINT NAVAL EXERCISE :
The biennial search and rescue exercise by ships and aircraft from the Indian and Japanese
Coast Guards, to be witnessed by observers from 27 maritime Nation.
The exercise, the eighth such in the series of „National Maritime Search and Rescue
Workshop and Exercise,‘ will see ships and aircraft of Coast Guards from India and Japan, the
Indian Navy and Air Force and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) taking part.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA)
run Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has reached a subscriber base of 80 lakh.
The Customers will not have to pay any transaction charges for payments
through debit card, BHIM app and other payment made for up to Rs 2,000.
The union govt has finalized the scheme aimed at cleaning the system of
political funding in the country Electoral Bonds.
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
LAUNCHED BY : Indian Navy at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
It the third Scorpene class submarine built by MDL under ambitious Project 75 of the Indian
Navy. INS Karanj has an overall length of 67.5 metres and height of about 12.3 metres. The
first of these, INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2017 and second, INS Khanderi is
undergoing sea trials. Remaining 4 submarines will be inducted gradually by 2020.
• INS Karanj has been named after older submarine as per Indian naval tradition that was in
operation from 1969 to 2003. It served country for 34 years and was also part of operations
in 1971.
PROJECT- 75 :
• In all, six scorpion submarines being indigenously built at MDL under Project 75 with help
of French naval defence and energy company DCNS. These are diesel-electric attack
submarines equipped with antiship missile. The first four submarines will be conventional,
while last two will be equipped with the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, which
will enable them to stay underwater for longer duration.
PARKER SOLAR PROBE :
To explore the sun‟s outer atmosphere, Parker Solar Probe is going to launch by NASA in
2018. It is NASA‟s planned robotic spacecraft to probe outer corona of Sun. It will perform its
scientific investigations in a hazardous region of intense heat and solar radiation.
About Spacecraft: It is named after solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker. This is first time NASA
spacecraft named after living person. It has been designed and built by Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory.
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GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (GEM 3.0) :
LAUNCHED BY : Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
GeM is an Online Market platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services by various
Ministries and agencies of the Government. It has been envisaged as National Procurement
Portal of India.
Aim: To enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement of goods and services
and eliminate corruption.
ROTAVAC :
It is first Indigenously developed vaccine
from India to be prequalified by World
Health Organisation (WHO). Rotavac
conceived and developed by the Hyderabad
based Bharat Biotech Limited.
It protects against childhood diarrhoea caused by the rotavirus. It was developed under the
joint collaboration between India and United States in area of medical research.
CYBER SURAKSHIT BHARAT INITIATIVE :
LAUNCHED BY : National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY)
Aim: To strengthen cyber security ecosystem in India in line Government‘s vision for a ―Digital
India‟. It will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cyber security.
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SPT0615-JD :
NASA scientists have discovered SPT0615-JD, the farthest known galaxy in the Universe. The
image was captured by NASA‖S Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes.
PSLV C-40 ROCKET :
ISRO to launch 31 satellites in Sriharikota,
Andhra Pradesh . It will be the first space
mission of India in 2018. It will carry 3
satellites of India and 28 satellites from other
countries. Indian Satellites contains 710 kg of
Cartostat-2 series for Earth observation ,11kg
Nano-satellite and 100 kg Microsatellite.
GOLD AND ICON MISSION :
The two new missions named GOLD and ICON to explore the ionosphere, located 96 km
above Earth‘s surface will be launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA).
GOLD : The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will be launched
in January 2018. It will be launched in geostationary orbit over Western Hemisphere,
about 35,398 km above earth. It will help in full-disk view of ionosphere and upper
atmosphere beneath it every half hour.
ICON : Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) will be launched later this year. It will be
launched in low-Earth orbit (LEO) located at 560 km above Earth, like a close-up
camera.
ICBM AGNI-V :
India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), which
has a strike range of over 5,000 km. The ICBM can reach the northern-most parts of China.
Agni-V was last tested in December 2016, in what was described as the fourth and final
experimental test of the three-stage ICBM.
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„CHARLIE-435‟ :
It is the state-of-art patrol vessel, equipped with modern navigation and communication
system. The vessel will strengthen the coastal security between Chennai and Kanyakumari in
the Eastern Coastal region.
MIHIR:
The name of the computer launched for weather forecasting in Noida—Mihir
Aim: To improve India‘s capacity in weather forecasting including Air quality forecasting at the
block level, the High-Performance Computer (HPC) System named ‗Mihir‘ (meaning ‗Sun‘) was
dedicated to the nation at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting
(NCMRWF) in Noida.
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SPORTS
INDIA WINS BLIND WORLD CUP 2018 :
The Indian cricket team won the blind world cup 2018 by beating arch-rivals Pakistan by 2
wickets in the final. Chasing a target of 308 runs in 40 overs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in
UAE, the Indian team reached there with 8 balls remaining.
1ST KHELO INDIA SCHOOL GAMES IS LAUNCHED BY PM MODI:
The first Khelo India School Games is launched by PM Modi at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium
in New Delhi. The Khelo India programme has been introduced to save the sports culture in
India from the school level.
• Union government allotted annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.
The Khelo India School Games are being held from 31st January to 8th February 2018 in New
Delhi.
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BAHRAIN TO HOST FIRST-EVER “BABY OLYMPICS” :
Bahrain has announced plans to host the first-ever Baby Olympics‗ where two to four-year-
olds will take part in the games in April.
The Athletics competition will host three events: medley relay for four year-olds, a hurdles
toddle for three year-olds, while participating two year-olds will cross a specially designed
stretch of 15 meters in a freestyle race.
SARJUBALA DEVI CLAIMS GOLD IN NATIONAL WOMEN‟S BOXING
CHAMPIONSHIP :
Former world silver medallist Sarjubala Devi
representing Manipur claimed the gold in 48 kg
category in the National Women‗s Boxing
Championships in Rohtak, Haryana.
WOMAN PERFORMS 105-HOUR NON-STOP YOGA, ATTEMPTS WORLD RECORD:
Kavitha Bharanidaran, a Chennai resident, has attempted a new Guinness World
Record for performing yoga continuously for over 105 hours.
Kavitha Bharanidaran, who took five-minute breaks after each hour, started doing
Yoga continuously from 7 AM on December 23, 2017.
WTA AUCKLAND OPEN TENNIS TITLE :
Julia Goerges won the WTA Auckland
Open Tennis title, in Auckland, New
Zealand by defeating Denmark‟s Caroline
Wozniacki.
Julia Goerges has won the Auckland singles title for the first time. This was her ninth
attempt to win the title.
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KHELO INDIA SCHOOL GAMES :
Vibrant Khelo India logo at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi was launched by
Union Minister of State ( I/C)YouthAffairs and Sports Col Rajyavardhan Rathore.Three-stroke
Khelo India logo has been designed by Ogilvy India. The logo design has been crowd sourced.
It bears the colours of the national flag.The inaugural Khelo India School Games under the
revamped Khelo India Programme will begin on January 31, 2018.
BRAZIL LEGEND RONALDINHO RETIRES FROM FOOTBALL:
The Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has retired from football. The 37-year-old, who
also won the Champions League and Ballon d‘Or in a glittering career, has not played for a
professional team since leaving Fluminense in 2015.
OLYMPIAN ASHWINI PONNAPPA IS „COORG PERSON OF THE YEAR 2017‟ :
Star Indian badminton player and Olympian
Ashwini Ponnappa has been named ‗Coorg
Person of the year, 2017‘ in a poll conducted by a
news portal dedicated to Kodagu.
Ashwini, who won a gold medal in the women‘s double event of the 2010 Delhi
Commonwealth Games, was selected for the honour by www.coorgtourisminfo.com,
Kodagu‘s first news portal, promoted by senior journalist P. T. Bopanna.
G Sathiyan India‘s highest-ranked player in latest International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF) rankings.
India's first ever international medal in skiing (in the slalom race category)-
Aanchal Thakur.
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SUMMIT 4TH INTERNATIONAL DHARMA-DHAMMA CONFERENCE :
4th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference on ―State and Social Order in Dharma-
Dhamma Traditions‖ was held at Rajgir in Nalanda district, Bihar.
Theme : The ideal state and just social order based on dharmic principles.
Aim : To facilitate crosspollination of ideas and foster harmony at global level. The event
was organised as part of commemorative events to celebrate Silver Jubilee (25) year
of ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership.
RAISINA DIALOGUE :
The third edition of the geo-political conference – Raisina Dialogue was held in New Delhi.
It was inaugurated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Raisina Dialogue is an
annual conference held in New Delhi. It is envisioned to be India‟s flagship conference of
geopolitics and geo-economics.
The conference is held jointly by Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research
Foundation (ORF), an independent think tank based in India.
Theme: “Managing Disruptive Transitions: Ideas, Institutions and Idioms‟.
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WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) MINISTERIAL MEETING :
It will be hosted by India in March 2018 in New Delhi. The meeting will be taking place after
collapse of the WTO 11th Ministerial Conference (MC 11) held in Buenos Aires in December
2017.
Objective : To discuss ways to revitalise WTO to ensure predictable and transparent system
of rule-making in the area of international trade.
CONFERENCE ON TRANSFORMATION OF ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS It was held at the Dr.Ambedkar International Centre, in New Delhi by NITI Aayog. The
conference focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi‟s vision of a New India by 2022.
Government officials such as Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary have been made officers
in-charge for the transformation of districts initiative of around 100 districts.
INDIA TO HOST 16TH INTERNATIONAL ENERGY FORUM MEET The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial meeting will be held in New Delhi.
Global energy organisations, including the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries,international Energy Agency, will also be represented at the meet.
India had last hosted the IEF ministerial conference in 1996.
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INTERNATIONAL SPICE CONFERENCE :
The third edition of international spice
conference will be held at Jaipur from
February 4 to 7. Arancha Gonzalvez,
Executive Director, International Trade
Centre, Geneva, will inaugurate the
conference which will be jointly hosted by the
All India Spices Exporters‘ Forum and Cochin
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Theme: „Managing Disruptions through Transformation and Collaboration„.
1ST SCO MILITARY COOPERATION MEETING :
India took part in a two-day meeting of the
international military cooperation departments of
the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in
Beijing,China. An Indian delegation was led by
Major General Ajay Seth. The meeting discussed
issues of practical cooperation among SCO nations.
This is the first meeting attended by India in the
field of defense cooperation under the SCO
framework.
About SCO: India and Pakistan were admitted in 2017 into the grouping in which China
plays an influential role.
ALL INDIA WHIPS CONFERENCE :
18th All India Whips‟ Conference has been held in the Udaipur of India.
Purpose : To strengthen the Parliamentary Democracy, its institutions and ultimately serve
people at large.
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WILD SILK MOTHS :
The 8th edition of the International Conference on Wild Silk Moths -- Assam. The conference
would help in increasing income of the people of the region who are involved with silk
industry.
Organized by: The Central Silk Board and International Society for Wild Silk Moths.
WOMEN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT :
The 4th Annual Women Leadership Summit will be held at IIM-Bangalore. Organised by the
student-run Women in Management Club (WIM) of IIM-Bangalore. Diversity issues prevalent
to both men and women will be discussed during the summit.
Theme: ‗Redefining Power for a Newer Tomorrow‘.
INDIA-ISRAEL BUSINESS SUMMIT IN MUMBAI :
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
visited Mumbai during the final leg of his visit
to India. Mr. Netanyahu addressed the India-
Israel Business Summit at the iconic Taj Mahal
hotel in south Mumbai. Later in the day,
Mr. Netanyahu will attend the ‗Shalom
Bollywood‘ event at the Taj hotel.
Namaste Shalom: A monthly magazine titled ‗Namaste Shalom‘ will also be launched to mark
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s Mumbai visit. The magazine is planned to carry
forward the great initiative of Mr. Modi and Mr. Netanyahu to strengthen India-Israel
relations.
• The 3rd Meeting of Council of Trade Development and
Promotion has been held the city New Delhi.
• The ‗Economic Democracy Conclave‘ at Thane, Maharastra.
• The 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF-
2018) was held in Davos, Switzerland.
• The Thiruvananthapuram city hosted the International
Conference on dam safety.
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TAMILNADU
TN LAUNCHES E-GOVERNANCE POLICY :
The Tamil Nadu government has launched an
e-governance policy to provide various services digitally.
Government services will be provided through service
centres spread across the State and also through mobile
apps. The policy also has guidelines to provide IT
infrastructure for digital initiatives.
The policy includes a provision to allocate 0.5 per cent of the total funds in a financial year to
digital initiatives. The allocation will be gradually increased to 3 per cent in the next five years.
TAMILNADU GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE AEROSPACE & DEFENCE
POLICY:
The Tamil Nadu government is in the process of coming out with an exclusive Aerospace and
Defence policy. The policy‘s objective is to achieve a 30 per cent share of the defence sector in
India and creating high-end employment opportunities for around 100,000 people in the state.
The development of Chennai Aerospace Park at Sriperumbudur is one such initiative to start
with. The Chennai Aerospace Park is being set up in 250 acres in the first phase which will be
expanded to 500 acres in the next phase.
DEFENCE INNOVATION HUB TO COME UP IN COIMBATORE :
A Defence Innovation Centre would be set up
in Coimbatore by industry body CODISSIA
to assist small industries in manufacturing
components for the defence sector. The
Defence Ministry would release Rs 20 crore as
an initial funding to the Coimbatore District
Small Industries Association (CODISSIA) to
set up the innovation centre.
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UNESCO AWARD :
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi
K.Palanichamy received UNESCO
Award of Merit awarded to the iconic
Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple in
Tiruchirapalli.
The award of merit was awarded by
UNESCO Asia Pacific region for
thereconstruction activities undertaken in
the temple without in the least affecting its traditional splendor and Vedic rituals.
It is considered as one of the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams).
ARAADHANAI MUSIC FESTIVAL :
The 171st Araadhanai Music festival of one of the Trinities of Carnatic music Saint Thyagaraja
begins in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu on 2nd Jan 2018. This festival was inaugurated by
Governor of TN Banwarilal Purohit.
SMART POLICE STATIONS INITIATIVE :
R.S. Puram Police station in Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu has been adjudged as the best police
station in India in SMART Police stations
initiative of Union Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA). SMART Police concept was
announced by PM Modi at the 49th annual
conference of Director General/Inspector
General held in Guwahati in Nov 2014.
SMART POLICE STANDS FOR :
1. S-Sensitive and Strict,
2. M-Modern with Mobility,
3. A-Alert and Accountable,
4. R- Reliable and Responsible ,
5. T-Trained and Technosavvy.
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TAMIL NADU LITERARY AWARDS 2018 :
1. Thiruvalluvar Award Ko. Periyannan,
2. Ambedkar Award Dr.George,
3. Bharathiyar Award Su. Balasubramanian,
4. Bharathidasan award Jeeva Bharathi,
5. Thiru V. Ka award Vai. Balakumaran,
6. Periyar Award P.Valarmathy,
7. Anna Award A.Subramanian,
8. Kamarajar Award Dinakaran,
9. Ki.Aa. Pe. Viswanathan Award Maruthanayagam.
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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
IMPORTANT DEFENCE EXERCISE BETWEEN INDIA AND WORLD
1. Garuda→India‐France
2. Garuda Shakti →India‐Indonesia
3. Hand‐Hand→ India‐China
4. Indra →India‐Russia
5. Jimex→ India‐Japan
6. Malbar →Us‐India
7. Shade →Naval Forces of India, Japan and China
8. Surya Kiran→ India‐Nepal
9. Varuna →France‐India
10. Simbex→ Indian Navy with Republic of Singapore Navy
11. Ibsamar →India with Brazil and South African Navy
12. Konkan→ Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Britain
13. Ausindex→ Indian and Australian Navy
14. Indradhanush or Rainbow→ India‐Uk Air Exercise
15. Nomadic Elephant→ Indian Army Exercise with Mongolia
16. Ekuverin→ India‐Maldives
17. Mitra Shakti →India‐Sri Lanka
LAKES IN INDIA
Name of the Lake→ Location
1. Kolleru lake →Andhra Pradesh
2. Pulicat lake→ Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh
3. Hussain Sagar→ Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
4. Ulsoor lake→ Bangalore, Karnataka
5. Sambhar lake→ Rajasthan
6. Pichola lake →Udaipur in Rajasthan
7. Dal lake→ Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir
8. Wular lake→ Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir
9. Pangong lake→ Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir
10. Surajkund →Faridabad in Haryana
11. Rudrasagar lake →West Tripura, Tripura
12. Udaipur is known as the Lake City.
13. Pangong Lake is a transboundary lake. A major portion of the lake lies in Tibet.
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FIRST IN INDIA (FEMALE)
● Prime Minister —Indira Gandhi
● Governor —Sarojini Naidu (U. P.)
● I. P. S. —Kiran Bedi
● President of National Congress —Anne Besant
● Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission —Rose‐William Baithu
● Winner of Nobel Prize —Mother Teresa (for peace)
● Awardee of Miss World —Reeta Farhia
● Awardee of Miss Universe —Sushmita Sen
● Mayer —Tara Charian (Madras‐1957)
● Minister in Central Cabinet —Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
● Chief Minister —Sucheta Kriplani
● Parliamentrian —Radhabai Subbarayan (1938).
• Judge of Supreme Court—Justice Meera Sahaib Fatima Bibi
● Chief Justice of High Court—Justice Leela Seth (Himachal Pradesh)
● Session Judge of the Counting —Anna Chandi (Kerala)
● Mountaineer who climbed (Conquered) the Mt. Everest —Bacchendri Pal
● Awardee of Norman Barlog Prize —Dr. Amrita Patil
● Literature who was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award—Amrita Pritam (1956)
● Honoured with ‗Bharat Ratna‘—Indira Gandhi.
Literary Awards
1st Indian to be awarded the Nobel prize in literature‐Rabindranath Tagore
1st recipient of Bhartiya Jnanpith award ‐G Sankara Kurup
1st recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award for English‐RK Narayan
1st person to receive Nobel prize for English literature‐Rudyard Kipling
1st Indian to receive the Booker prize (British citizen) ‐Salman Rushdie
1st Indian woman (and also first Indian citizen The Booker prize ‐Arundhati Roy
1st Indian to receive the Pulitzer prize (Reporting category) ‐Gobind Behari Lal
FIRST RECIPIENTS OF VARIOUS AWARDS
Bharat Ratna 1st Indian to be awarded the Bharat Ratna‐C Rajagopalachari
1st Bharat Ratna Awardee to become thePresident of India‐ Dr. S.Radhakrishnan
1st person to be awarded the Bharat Ratnaposthumously ‐Lal Bahadur Shastri
1st Scientist to be awarded the Bharat Ratna -CV Raman
1st and only Industrialist to be awarded the Bharat Ratna‐ JRD Tata
1st woman to be awarded the Bharat Ratna‐Mrs. Indira Gandhi
1st sportsperson to be awarded the BharatRatna‐ Sachin Tendulkar
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Sports Awards
1st recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award‐ Viswanathan Anand
1st woman recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel RatnaAward ‐Karnam Malleshwari
1st recipient of Dhyanchand LifetimeAchievement Award ‐Aparna Ghosh
1st cricket player to be awarded the ArjunaAward ‐ Salim Durrani
1st Indian recipient of International CricketCouncil's Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy‐Rahul Dravid
Discovery of Elements - Radioactive Elements
Element Discoverer
Polonium Marie Curie
Radium Marie Curie and Pierre Curie
Actinium Andre Louis Debierne
Thorium Jons Jacob Berzelius
Uranium Martin Heinrich Klaproth
Plutonium Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin McMillan,
First Appointees of India
1st President- Dr. Rajendra Prasad
1st Vice-President -Dr. S Radhakrishnan
1st Prime Minister -Pt Jawaharlal Nehru
1st Home Minister -Vallabhbhai Patel
1st Railway Minister- John Mathai
1st Defence Minister -Sardar Baldev Singh
1st Finance Minister -RK Shanmugam Chetty
1st External Affairs Minister -Jawaharlal Nehru
1st Governor General (Indian)- C Rajagopalachari
1st Governor General(Independent India)-Lord Mountbatten
1st Chief Justice of India -Harilal J Kania
1st Chief Election Commissioner- Sukumar Sen
1st Chief Information Commissioner-Wajahat Habibullah
1st Central VigilanceCommissioner-N Srinivasa Rau
1st Attorney General M.C. Setalvad
1st Speaker of Lok Sabha G.V. Mavalankar
1st Cabinet Secretary N.R. Pillai
1st Chief of Army Staff Gen Rajendra Singhji
1st Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall-Thomas Elmhirst
1st Chief of Naval Staff -Vice Admiral RD Katari