Current Affairs January 2018 PDF

CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2018 PDF
AWARDS AND HONOURS

NAME OF THE AWARD AWARD KEY POINTS TO NOTE
WINNER
Best central banker in Asia- Ravi Menon He is Managing director of
Pacific Singapore’s central bank
Monetary Authority of
Singapore (MAS)
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Nitish Kumar Bihar Chief Minister
memorial Award
“Legion of Honour” ─ highest Soumitra Indian Actor
order of merit in France Chatterjee
Best Action Movie at the 2018 Movie “Wonder Directed by Patty Jenkins
Critics’ Woman “
Best Film at Filmfare Awards Hindi Medium Stared by Irrfan Khan
2018
Crystal Award at World Shah Rukh Khan Awarded this humanitarian
Economic Forum award along with Sir Elton
John and Cate Blanchett
Dr. Kalam Innovation in Nara Lokesh He is Andhra Pradesh
Governance Award 2018 Information Technology
(IT) Minister
Ashok Chakra 2018 Corporal Jyoti
Prakash Nirala
Grammy award 2018 Carrie Fisher He is Veteran actor
Yash Chopra Memorial Award Asha Bhosle
Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dinesh Outstanding MPs have received the
Trivedi Parliamentarian award
Award
BAI’s 1st Lifetime Prakash
Achievement award Padukone
APPOINTMENTS
NAME DEPT/FIELD
Vijay Keshav Gokhale Foreign secretary
Salil Parekh MD and CEO of Infosys
Abhay DG of Narcotics Control Bureau
Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External
T S Tirumurti
Affairs Ministry
A R Rahman Brand ambassador of Sikkim
Day Today GK - Join our WhatsApp Group - +916381085084

MD and CEO of Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd

Devika Shah
(ICCL).
Rajinder Khanna Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA)
Gopal Guru Editor of the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW)
MD and CEO of National Payments Corporation of
Dilip Asbe
India (NPCI)
Karen Bradley Northern Ireland secretary
Rajesh Ranjan High Commissioner of India to Botswana
Harjinder Singh Chef De Mission for the 23rd Winter Olympic Games
Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation
Sivan K
(ISRO)
Chairman of the Geneva-based World Business
Sunny Verghese
Council for Sustainable Development
James Kavanaugh Chief Financial Officer of IBM
Chairman of the Finance Commission of the Indian
Anil Khanna
Olympic Association (IOA)
Managing Director and CEO of National Commodity
Vijay Kumar
and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX)
Chairman and Manging Director (CMD) of Security
S Selvakumar Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd
(SPMCIL)
Susanta Kumar Roy Director of NTPC
Sudeep Lakhtakia DG of National Security Guard
Chairman of the Executive Board of the Indian School
Harish Manwani
of Business (ISB)
Anandiben Patel Governor of Madhya Pradesh
Viorica Dancila Romania’s first female PM
Om Prakash Rawat Chief Election Commissioner
Dilip Chenoy Director General of FICCI
Scientist S. Somanath Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Ambassador of India to
Srikumar Menon
the Republic of Angola
Jerome H Powell Chairman of the Federal Reserve, USA
Usha First woman Chairman of Indian Banks’ Association
Ananthasubramanian (IBA)
Dr V Narayanan Director of ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
Sauli Niinisto President of Finland
Tanuja Manoj Nesari Director of All India Institute of Ayurveda

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi to inaugurate online portal ‘NARI’ for women
empowerment
The Minister of Women & Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has
inaugurated an online portal NARI in New Delhi. Users can log on to
www.nari.nic.in to access information on different programmes offered by
various state governments as well as the Centre.
Parliament passes Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code Amendment Bill
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has entered into an unchartered territory as far
as bankruptcy and insolvency Code is concerned and would continue to
modify the law dealing with the issue.
Insolvency and bankruptcy is an area in which it is only in the recent years

that we have chartered into. It is a learning experience.
LS passes bill to build public projects in protected monuments
A bill to allow the government to take up infrastructure projects within

prohibited areas around protected monuments was passed in the Lok Sabha.
Amendments have been proposed in the legislation to the 1958 Act that
prohibits carrying out any public work or project or other constructions in
any prohibited area around protected monuments.
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.
The course is intended 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.
Govt launches Swachh Survekshan 2018
The government has announced the launch of cleanliness survey for this year
as part of Swachh Bharat Mission.

The Swachh Survekshan 2018 will rank 500 cities on national level which
have more than 1 lakh population, while 3,541 cities with less than 1 lakh
population will have State and Regional ranking.
Prez to inaugurate a three-day 4th Intl Dharma Dhamma Con
President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate a three-day ‘International

Dharma Dhamma Conference’ at Rajgir beginning on January 11.
The conference will be organised by Nalanda University in partnership with

India Foundation, Ministry of External Affairs, ASEAN India. The meet would
deliberate on “State and Social Order in Dharma Dhamma Traditions.”
Arun Jaitley -chaired panel to look into old port projects
The government has formed a ministerial committee headed by finance

minister Arun Jaitley to decide what to do with old, pre-existing projects in
ports, which have become unviable.
The committee will take a call on the projects on which we are unable to take
decision on our own for various reasons. These are existing projects working
under old model concession agreement conditions.
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 to launch new scheme for free treatment of Hepatitis C
The health ministry is set to roll out a National Programme for Control of
Viral Hepatitis from the 2018-19 financial year, for which a budget of Rs 600
crore for the next three years has been approved.
With the focus on Hepatitis C, an anti-viral treatment that costs $63,000-

94,000 for the full course in the US and Europe will be provided free at all
government health set-ups.

Indian Railways introduces OCR Kiosk Machines
Indian Railways continues to take steps based on new technology to facilitate

execution of its various activities.
It has now been decided to introduce modern Optical Character Recognition

(OCR) Kiosk Machines for quick & easy printing of tickets booked through UTS
App for mobile phones by suburban commuters.
Ministry of Railway Launches SFOORTI Application
In a major digital initiative to help plan the traffic flows and optimize freight
operations, Ministry of Railways have launched Smart Freight Operation
Optimisation & Real Time Information (SFOORTI) App for Freight Managers
which provides features for monitoring and managing freight business using
Geographic Information System (GIS) Views and Dashboard.
India contributes USD 50,000 to UN Youth Envoy’s Office
India has contributed USD 50,000 to the UN’s youth mission which works to
raise awareness and attention to youth issues globally. The office of UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Envoy on Youth works to raise
international awareness and attention to youth issues among others.
Microsoft, Accenture partner to help Indian tech startups
Microsoft Accelerator has partnered with Accenture Ventures to help scale

B2B (businesses catering to businesses) startups in national and international
markets.
Microsoft’s accelerator programme focusses on enterprise startups and helps

them get access to its tech stack and Azure technologies to make use of its
advanced cloud services in areas such as big data, IoT, advanced analytics and
cognitive services.
UIDAI allows face recognition for Aadhaar authentication
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced the

addition of facial recognition-based authentication for Aadhaar users,
especially those who have problems with other forms of biometric
verification such as fingerprint or iris.

UIDAI introduces yet another landmark technology for authentication – Face

Authentication. #AadhaarFaceAuth will help all elderly or other facing issues
with fingerprint authentication. Service to be launched by July 1, 2018.
Ministry of Petroleum launches Saksham 2018 Campaign
The Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has launched month long Saksham 2018
(Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav).
Saksham is annual flagship event of PCRA with active involvement of Oil &
Gas PSUs along with other stakeholders like State Governments.
Centre, CII ink MoU for development of logistics sector
To enhance import and export performance, the Centre has entrusted the task
of integrated development of the logistics sector to the Department of
Commerce.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued directions for a division for
logistics in the government. To fulfill this objective, a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed with Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII).
Government ends Haj subsidy
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has announced the
Centre would phase out subsidies for the annual Haj pilgrimage, two months
after his Ministry had taken the decision.
The Centre’s decision followed a 2012 Supreme Court order asking that
subsidies for the Haj be phased out by 2022 and the money saved (around
₹450 crore annually) diverted to more welfare-oriented activities.
India announces $350 million Solar Development Fund
The Central government will set up a $350 million fund to finance solar
projects as the country steps up efforts to achieve its ambitious target of
adding 175 gigawatts (GW) in renewable energy by 2022.

India will need at least $125 billion to fund a plan to increase the share of
renewable power supply in the country’s grid by 2022, underlining the
immense financing challenge ahead.
India to host yoga training sessions at World Economic Forum in Davos
In a first, India will host Yoga training sessions at the World Economic Forum
(WEF) in Davos next week. This will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first
Davos visit and also the first by an Indian Prime Minister since the one by H
D Deve Gowda in 1997.
As part of this, Yoga has been included in the main WEF programme for which
we will be taking two acharyas to Davos to provide yoga classes during the
five-day summit.
India becomes member of Australia Group
India has gained entry into the Australia Group (AG), an important non-
proliferation regime which seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to
the development of chemical or biological weapons.
After the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Wassenaar
Arrangement (WA), the membership in another of the four major export
control regimes is expected to give India a leg-up in its bid to secure a berth
in the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group, which has been blocked by China
at the behest of Pakistan.
Airtel granted regulatory approval to acquire Millicom’s Rwanda

operations
Telecom giant Bharti Airtel Ltd. has received an approval for the acquisition
of Tigo Rwanda Limited (Tigo Rwanda), a subsidiary of Millicom
International Cellular S.A. (Millicom) from the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory
Authority (RURA).
The merged entity will have the largest customer base in Rwanda with 5.9
million subscribers. The combined networks of the two companies will serve
customers with voice or data services, global roaming and mobile banking
services.

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways Signs MoU with IL&FS for
Construction of Zojila Tunnel
NHIDCL and IL&FS transportation signed an MoU for construction of Zojila

tunnel at an estimated cost of Rs 6,808.69 crore. The tunnel will provide all
weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh.
Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh

National Highway which remains closed during winters (December to April)
due to heavy snowfall and avalanches cutting off Leh-Ladakh region from
Kashmir.
Government launches Rapid Reporting System for the Scheme for

Adolescent Girls
Rakesh Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, has

launched the beneficiary module of the Rapid Reporting System (RRS) for the
Scheme for Adolescent Girls – a web based on line monitoring for the Scheme
for Adolescent Girls in New Delhi.
The RRS will facilitate the monitoring of the scheme and taking corrective
measures by ensuring faster flow of information, accurate targeting of the
beneficiaries and reduction of leakages. This Portal has been developed in
collaboration with National Informatics Centre (NIC).
ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit issues Delhi Declaration
India rolled out the red carpet for the 10 ASEAN leaders, as they gathered in
New Delhi to mark 25 years of ASEAN-India relations. At a commemorative
summit, the leaders renewed their commitment to enhance the multifaceted
ties between the South-east Asian grouping and its neighbouring South Asian
giant.
IT ministry tests LED-based wireless communication tech
The country’s IT ministry has successfully tested LiFi – a wireless

commmunication technology – in a pilot jointly conducted with the Indian
Institute of Technology-Madras and lighting company Philips India.
LiFi, or light fidelity, aims to replace WiFi by using lights to transmit internet
signals. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are used as visible light transmitters.

NEWS IN STATES
KERALA
Govt to set up Kerala Madrasa Teachers Welfare Fund Board
The CPI-M-led LDF government in Kerala has decided to set up a Kerala

Madrasa Teachers Welfare Fund Board to make available pension and other
benefits for Madrasa teachers.
The main objective is to provide pension and other benefits for madrasa
teachers. The cabinet decided to recommend to the governor P Sathasivam on
convening the assembly session from January 22.
Traditional folk art form festival ‘Utsavam 2018’ from Jan 6
‘Utsavam 2018’, conceived as an attempt to rejuvenate traditional folk art

forms of Kerala, will be held across the state from January 6 to 12.
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, Paanaporatt and Kaakirinaatakam.
Butterfly parks to turn ‘eco-monitors’ in Kerala
A string of butterfly parks, providing natural habitat for beautiful flying

insects that is getting endangered, will soon play as ‘eco-monitors’ in Kerala.
The State-run Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has drawn up an

ambitious programme to create a number of butterfly gardens/parks in
selected schools and other spots in the State.
The objective of setting up butterfly parks was not only to provide a natural
environ for the flying insects but also to use them as ‘environment-monitors.
Kerala to set up Blockchain academy
The Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala

(IIITM-K) has planned to set up a Kerala Blockchain Academy, arguably the
first of its kind in the country. The academy will be a joint initiative of the
IIITM-K and the global Blockchain Education Network (BEN).

This would be done in collaboration with BEN as well as best-in-class

blockchain experts and researchers group from across the world.
NEW DELHI
Delhi to create 1.5L tonnes e-waste per yr by 2020: Assocham
Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) is likely to generate about 1,50,000

metric tonnes (MT) of e-waste per annum by 2020 from the current level of
85,000 metric tonnes, according to industry body Assocham.
E-waste is expected to be generated at compounded annual growth rate

(CAGR) of about 25 per cent in the Delhi-NCR region.
Fourth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture & Forestry Held

in New Delhi
The Fourth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry

(AIMMAF) was held on 12 January 2018 in New Delhi.
The Meeting was Co-chaired by Mr. GrisadaBoonrach, Minister of Agriculture

and Cooperatives, Thailand and RadhaMohan Singh, Union Minister of
Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
Delhi’s Teen Murti Chowk renamed after Israeli city Haifa
The iconic Teen Murti Chowk has been renamed after the Israeli City Haifa, a
year after the plan was put on hold by the NDMC. The announcement comes
after the scheduled visit of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to
India.
The idea of renaming Teen Murti road and chowk after Haifa was proposed
in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) council during Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel last year.
Union Home Minister inaugurates IWDRI 2018 in New Delhi
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the International
Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI).
The two-day workshop is being organised by the National Disaster

Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with United Nations Office
for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

India to Host 16th International Energy Forum Meet
The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial meeting will be held
in New Delhi on April 10 to 12.
Global energy organisations, including the Organisation of the Petroleum

Exporting Countries, nternational Energy Agency, will also be represented at
the meet. India had last hosted the IEF ministerial conference in 1996.
Delhi to get its first ever Haj house in 2019
Haj pilgrims embarking from Delhi will get to stay in the city’s first ever Haj
house from mid-next year.
The Delhi government, after nearly a decade since land for the Haj house was
allotted at Dwarka Sector 22, has prepared the building layout of the proposed
house.
PM Modi to launch Khelo India School Games
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the first Khelo India School Games
at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
The week-long inaugural edition will be an Under-17 event where athletes

have been invited to participate across 16 disciplines: Archery, Athletics,
Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Kabaddi,
Kho-Kho, Shooting, Swimming, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling.
First Ever Khadi Haat Inaugurated In Delhi
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 on January 25 by Union Minister of State

Giriraj Singh in Connaught Place in presence of New Delhi Lok Sabha MP
Meenakshi Lekhi, KVIC Chairman V K Saxena, NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar
and noted fashion designer Ritu Beri among others.
KARNATAKA
Karnataka govt to obtain electric vehicles under FAME-India scheme

Karnataka government would be obtaining electric vehicles under the

Centre’s FAME-India scheme.
Karnataka is set to procure and ply 40 electric buses, 100 four wheelers and
500 three wheelers along with setting up of charging infrastructure across
the city of Bengaluru.
Under the scheme, subsidy is provided to an extent of 60 per cent of purchase

cost for electric buses, Rs 1.24 lakh for every Electric four wheeler and Rs
61,000 for every electric three wheeler by the central government.
Women leadership summit at IIM-B on Jan 13
The 4th Annual Women Leadership Summit will be held at IIM-Bangalore on

January 13, 2018. Organised by the student-run Women in Management Club
(WIM) of IIM-Bangalore, the theme for this year is ‘Redefining Power for a
Newer Tomorrow’. Diversity issues prevalent to both men and women will
be discussed during the summit.
Karnataka Government to Engage Blockchain for Governance
The Karnataka Government has decided to use the blockchain technology and
is planning to bring out a White Paper on ‘Blockchain Use in Governance’ as
a prelude to a separate policy.
As a first step, various government departments have been consulted to

develop use case studies for a ‘Blockchain Hackathon’.
The Blockchain Hackathon for Governance will be held from January 19 to 21

and will be a fast-paced event designed to create demonstrable prototypes of
the use of Blockchain in government applications.
MEIL commissions Asia’s largest drip irrigation project
Ramthal Marola project, the largest drip irrigation project in Asia, has been
commissioned. The project, which has been executed by Megha Engineering
and Infrastructures Ltd, is in Bhagalkot district of Karnataka.
The project was inaugurated by M B Patil, Minister for Water Resources in

Karnataka. Netafim, an Israeli corporation, has provided technical assistance
for this project.

ANDHRA PRADESH
AP govt signs Mou with Niti Aayog for developing monitoring mechanism
The Andhra Pradesh government and Niti Aayog have entered into an MoU
for development of monitoring mechanism, including creation of dashboard
and collection of data for improving the performance of 115 most aspirational
districts in the country.
An MoU was signed by Mr Ashok Jain, Advisor NITI Aayog and Mr Sanjay
Gupta, Secretary, Planning Department of the government of Andhra Pradesh
at the District Collectors’ Conference
TELANGANA
Telangana starts free, 24-hour power supply to farmers
The Telangana government on January 01, 2018 launched a round-the-clock

power supply to the state’s 2.3 million farmers free of cost.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao described the 24X7

agriculture power supply as a New Year’s gift for the farmers of the state.
The free power supply will now be available for 23 lakh agricultural pump
sets.
India's 1st park for differently abled inaugurated in Hyd
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.
Telangana inks MoU with ISE Foods, Clean Authority of Tokyo
Telangana has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Clean

Authority of Tokyo for solid waste management. The two sides will exchange
expertise and build technical cooperation in waste management.
Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce (I&C), Telangana

and Yoshimi Sato, Vice-President, Clean Authority of Tokyo, signed the MoU.

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.
HARYANA
Haryana approves service bye-laws for contractual employees
The Haryana government has approved service bye-laws for contractual

employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) in the state.
Under these rules, the employees have been divided into three categories. In
category-I, apart from experts, maximum honorarium of the present or the
entry level would be given to employees who have completed satisfactory
service till five years.
Solar-based irrigation scheme to be implemented in Haryana
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has directed the irrigation
department to implement the integrated solar-based micro irrigation scheme
in all districts of the state.
He constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Haryana Renewable

Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) chairman to chalk out a strategy in
this regard.
Cobblers in Haryana can get bank loan to set up kiosks
Cobblers in Haryana can now look forward to getting bank loans of up to Rs

15,000 for setting up kiosks in the state under a new scheme.
Under the the Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) Scheme, financial assistance
at concessional rate of four per cent interest is provided by public and private
sector banks to selected low-income groups for boosting their productive
endeavours.

Haryana govt sets up state road safety council
The Haryana government has set up a state road safety council under the
chairmanship of transport minister and district road safety committees led
by the deputy commissioners concerned to initiate steps in raising road safety
awareness.
The council would include administrative secretaries of home, school

education, public works (buildings and roads), transport and health
departments as members.
Haryana Becomes First State to Launch High Risk Pregnancy Portal
Haryana has achieved the distinction of becoming the first state in the
country to launch High Risk Pregnancy (HRP) Portal.
This portal not only helps in early identification of high-risk pregnant cases
up to the grass-roots level but also ensures their timely referral to the civil
hospitals for further management and delivery by specialists.
Haryana govt mulling insurance scheme in health sector
Haryana government is contemplating implementation of an insurance

scheme in the health sector for the people of the state.
The scheme would not only benefit the common man but also ease the
growing pressure on doctors in governmenthealth facilities.
At the ‘Meet the CM’ programme organised on the occasion of National Youth
Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Haryana records its highest sex ratio at birth in 2017
For the first time, Haryana claimed to have logged the highest ever sex ratio
of 914 girls against 1,000 boys in 2017. It was 900 in 2016 and 876 in 2015.
As per the date, released by the state government, out of the 5,09,290
children born in the state from January to December 2017, there were 2,
66,064 boys and 2,43,226 girls witnessing the improvement of SRB, which
jumped from 871 to 914, an increase of 43 points.
Haryana to set up NBFC for efficient management of funds

The Haryana government has decided to form a new non-banking financial

company (NBFC) Haryana State Financial Services Limited (HSFL) to act as
an in-house treasury manager for efficient management of surplus funds of
state public enterprises and autonomous bodies.
The newly set up NBFC would enable quick and hassle-free lending and create
financial discipline among the state government entities.
Haryana CM announces free travel for Kashi pilgrims
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday announced that the
state government will provide free travel facility to pilgrims from Haryana to
Kashi in Uttar Pradesh.
The facility will be provided on first-come, first-served basis in Indian

railways from next year (2019). Every year, about 5,000 people could avail
it.
WEST BENGAL
India’s First ‘Floating market’ to Open in Kolkata
India’s first floating market is set to open for public in January 2018, in
Kolkata. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the market, which
has been designed along the lines of floating markets seen in Bangkok.
A water body in Patuli area was transformed into the floating market by the
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) in collaboration with
the municipal corporation. It will house over 200 shops.
Centre has approved West Bengal logo designed by Mamata Banerjee
The Centre has approved a logo designed and conceptualised by West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the state’s symbol.
The logo highlighting the “Biswa Bangla” theme with Ashoka Pillars on it was
sent to the Centre in May for its approval to allow it as a state symbol.
Kolkata airport gets CAT III B technology
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport has become the 5th airport
in India having CAT III landing system.

Kolkata has operationalised CAT IIIB landing system on runway 01R. It

enables flight operation up to runway visual range of 50 meters with decision
height of 15 meters.
The facility also includes visual guidance through taxiway centre line lights
up to aircraft parking stands from January 4.
Kolkata is the fifth airport to get this upgradation after Delhi, Chandigarh,
Lucknow, Jaipur.
West Bengal’s first floating market opens in Kolkata
India’s first floating market is now open in Kolkata’s Patuli area in West
Bengal. The market houses over 200 shops.
Set up by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), the

market functions solely on boats at the lake in Patuli, where shopkeepers
sell fruits, vegetables, fish among other produce.
ASSAM
Sonowal launches free CT Scan service at Majuli
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched a free CT Scan

service under ‘Chief Minister Free Diagnostic Services’ at Shri Shri Pitambar
Dev Goswami Civil Hospital in Majuli island.
The newly introduced CT Scan service installed at an expenditure of Rs two

crore would greatly benefit the people of the district.
Majuli is world’s largest river island. It is also the home constituency of

Sonowal.
Assam CM inaugurates skill development centres across state
With an aim to promote skill development in northeast India, the centre and
the states have been rolling out various projects. Assam Chief Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated various skill development centres across
the state.
Focusing on the need to nurture skilled manpower in the state, Sonowal

recently inaugurated around 249 skill centres in the state to impart

vocational training to the native youth and help them become financially
independent.
Assam Chah Bagichar Dhan Puraskar Mela 2018
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ceremonially launched ‘Chah

Bagichar Dhan Puraskar Mela 2017-18’ by distributing cheques to
beneficiaries at a function held at Sarbananda Singha auditorium in Tinsukia.
Under the newly-launched scheme, steps have been taken to extend the fruits
of demonetisation to the people belonging to tea community who have already
opened their bank accounts during the period of demonetisation by crediting
an amount of Rs 2500 in each of their accounts.
Assam to introduce digital budget on March 12
The Assam Assembly will introduce digital budget in its next session, doing
away with the traditional printed booklet form practice.
Apart from digital budget, the Assembly session will also see exclusive
‘Members Hour’, a year-long calendar, ‘Best Legislator Award’, setting up of
a Pay Commission for MLAs’ salary and fellowships for research work on
history of the Assembly.
MAHARASHTRA
Maharashtra to form its own international school board
After deciding to set up 100 international schools across Maharashtra, the

state has planned to form the Maharashtra International Education Board
(MIEB).
It will be an autonomous body, which will decide curriculum for the schools
and conduct examinations.
The MIEB will be second board of the state after Maharashtra State Board for
Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).
India’s fastest supercomputer inaugurated in Pune
India’s fastest supercomputer with “multi-petaflops” was dedicated to nation

in Pune. Union minister for science and technology Harsh Vardhan

inaugurated the powerful computer. Petaflops is a measure of a computer’s

processing speed.
The supercomputer has been installed at the High Performance Computing

(HPC) facility at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
Mumbai to get a new International Cruise Terminal
Union minister for transport and shipping Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have laid the foundation stone for an
international cruise terminal at Ballard Pier, Mumbai.
The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) will handle the modernization and expansion
of the terminal. At an estimated cost of Rs197 crore, the revamp is aimed to
transform Mumbai into an international cruise destination. The new terminal
will have all facilities that passengers get at the airports.
Johnson & Johnson Partners with Maharashtra Govt. on Health

Interventions
Maharashtra’s mine workers who face an increased risk of tuberculosis will

be part of awareness programmes on the illness, as part of a partnership that
the Maharashtra Government recently formalized with Johnson & Johnson.
Other interventions under the ambit of the agreement include hospital

acquired infections and maternal and infant mortality.
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%.
Maharashtra becomes first state to unveil Public Cloud Policy
The Maharashtra government announced its State Innovation and Start-up

Policy, aiming to generate five lakh jobs in the next five years.

It also revealed its public cloud policy, which targets $2 billion opportunity
for the industry. For a start, it has asked its departments to shift its data
storage onto the cloud.
WEF to set up C4IR in Mumbai in partnership with RIL
The World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with India’s most valued
firm Reliance Industries (RIL) has agreed to set up a new Centre for Fourth
Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in Mumbai to promote Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s Digital India and Startup India programmes to promote young
entrepreneurs.
Pune launches free WiFi hotspots across the city
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) launching a free Wi-Fi facility at 150

locations in the city from January 26 (Republic Day), 2018.
The PMC plans to cover the entire city under the free Wi-Fi scheme in the
near future with the target of making Pune a ‘digital city’ set for the year
2020.
MEGHALAYA
Meghalaya signs host city contract for 39th National Games
Meghalaya was signed the Host City Contract with the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) for hosting the 39th National Games in 2022.
The tripartite contract was signed between the IOA, the Meghalaya State
Olympic Association and the state government.
Meghalaya had made the bid to host the 39th National Games after
successfully co-hosting the South Asian Games last year.
Meghalaya CM inaugurates 40 mw Umtru hydro-electric project
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma inaugurated the 40 mw Umtru

hydro-electric project at Dehal in Ri Bhoi district.
Inaugurating the Rs 629 crore project the state has various potential areas
for power generation and called on the local indigenous people to participate
in the process of state building.

BIHAR
Nitish launches projects worth Rs 304 cr in north Bihar
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has inaugurated and laid foundation stones
for nearly 200 projects worth more than Rs 300 crore in this district as part
of his state-wide “Vikas Samiksha Yatra”.
Among the projects inaugurated by Kumar was a solar-powered mini water

supply system involving a modest cost of Rs 36.91 lakh.
Bihar government bans electronic cigarettes in state
The state government has banned even e-cigarette in Bihar. E-cigarette is

smoked through electronics nicotine delivery system (ENDS) for nicotine
intake.
Its manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, display and advertisement also

stand banned. Even online purchase of e-cigarettes has been banned in the
state.
UTTAR PRADESH
UP education board to help Nepal conduct school exams
The UP education board has been approached by the government of Nepal for
“support and guidance” to its newly established National Examination Board
of Nepal after it was impressed with its expertise in accommodating lakhs of
students.
The Nepal board, formed last year through an amendment to country’s

Education Act, 1971, will now be conducting the high school and Intermediate
examinations in the country instead of Nepal’s Higher Education Examination
Board.
GAIL commissions India's second largest rooftop solar plant in UP
State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd has commissioned the country's second
largest rooftop solar power plant.
The firm has installed a 5.76 MWp (Mega Watt peak) solar plant at its
petrochemical complex at Pata in Uttar Pradesh.

IMT Ghaziabad selected as United Nations PRME Champion
Ghaziabad-based Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) has been

selected as one of the champions of the United Nations’ initiative on
Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).
The aim of the PRME Champions group is to work towards developing and
promoting activities which focus on United Nations’ Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
MANIPUR
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.
The plant, set up under a state government initiative, is helping the state
manage solid and industrial waste.am
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.
TAMIL NADU
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.
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.
JAMMU AND KASHMIR

J-K to launch welfare scheme for workers in unorganised sector
The Jammu and Kashmir government is set to launch a major welfare

initiative for workers in the unorganised sector to provide them
institutionalised socio- economic security.
The social security scheme would be launched by Chief Minister Mehbooba

Mufti and Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on January 8.
Under the scheme, named “Muhafiz” (Guardian), around three lakh workers
registered with the Jammu and Kashmir Building and Other Construction
Workers’ Welfare Board (JKBOCWWB) would be covered under accidental,
life and disability insurance.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Govt to set up FTII in Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh would get its first Film and Television Institute, being set
up by the union government as part of tapping the potential of the North
Eastern region.

This would be the second such one in the country. The first Film and
Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in Pune, an autonomous
institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Pema Khandu inaugurates World War II Memorial Museum in Arunachal
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has inaugurated the World
War II Memorial Museum in the state’s Changlang district bordering
Myanmar.
Built by the Union Culture Ministry, the Rs 2.25 crore museum in memory of
those who laid down their lives in World War II is located adjacent to the
historic Stilwell Road and is expected to boost international and domestic
tourist inflow especially from Southeast Asian countries.
GUJARAT
International kite festival begins in Gujarat
The international kite festival was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister

Vijay Rupani at Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat.
Kite enthusiasts from across India and also foreign countries are
participating in the week-long festival that is being celebrated across cities
in Gujarat.
The state government-sponsored festival will culminate on January 14, which

is celebrated as Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti).
RIL commissions 'world's largest' refinery off-gas cracker at Jamnagar
Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd has commissioned and achieved

design throughput of the world’s largest refinery off the gas cracker at
Jamnagar. The refinery would have a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum
(mtpa) along with downstream plants and utilities.
This is one of the largest capital expenditure programme globally in the sector
in recent times. It epitomises RIL’s core strategy of continuously pursuing
opportunities for cost optimisation and efficiency enhancement through
vertical integration across the value chain.
Gujarat to get largest accelerator for start-ups – “DevX”

As the country celebrates two years of Startup India mission, a new chapter
in the start-up field is opening up in Ahmedabad creating co-working spaces
for tech startups to incubate and get nurtured.
To be named as DevX, the accelerator will have co-working space of about

15,000-18,000 square feet at single location with seating capacity for over
250 people. This will be Gujarat’s largest accelerator.
ODISHA
Int’l Film Festival on Art and Artist begins in Odisha
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated the 12th International
Film Festival on Art and Artist called upon filmmakers to come forward to
work on documentaries and biopics on the literary souls.
The three-day festival, organised by the city-based Jatin Das Centre of Art
(JDCA), will continue till January 14.
JHARKHAND
Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat launched in Jharkhand
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das was launched ‘Pradhan Mantri LPG
Panchayat’ in the state from Balijore village in Dumka district. Jharkhand is
the first state where beneficiaries are also getting stoves along with gas
connections.
TRIPURA
Tripura is getting infra-ready to serve as gateway to Chittagong port
Border district Sabroom is getting a new bridge, road and rail links, but
needed most is an Integrated Check Post.
A 150 sq ft patch of land, just ahead of the border fencing at Nabin Para, in
Sabroom, Tripura, is levelled and marked as P1.
RAJASHTHAN
International spice conference in Jaipur from Feb 4-7
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.
The central theme of the 2018 conference would be ‘Managing Disruptions

through Transformation and Collaboration‘.
CABINET APPROVALS
Govt approves Rs 6,809-cr Zojila Pass tunnel project in J-K
The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of Asia’s longest bi-
directional Zojila Pass tunnel at an estimated cost of Rs 6,089 crore, which
will reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh to 15 minutes from the
current 3.5 hours.
Zojila tunnel will be the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. The tunnel shall
be a engineering marvel as first of its kind in such a geographical area.
Cabinet nod for AIIMS in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of an AIIMS in Bilaspur in

Himachal Pradesh with an outlay of Rs 1,350 crore under the Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Surakhsa Yojna (PMSSY).
The new AIIMS which will have 20 speciality and super speciality
departments including 15 operation theatres will be completed in 48 months.
Cabinet apprised of India-Italy pact on clean energy
The Cabinet was apprised of a pact between India and Italy for cooperation
in the field of renewable energy.
India and Italy aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional
relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new
and renewable energy issues.
The MoU envisages establishing a Joint Working Committee to review,

monitor and discuss matters relation to areas of cooperation. It aims for
exchange of expertise and networking of information and helps in
strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries
Cabinet nod to pact signed with US for co-hosting GES 2017

The Union Cabinet has gave its ex-post facto approval for a pact signed
between India and the US for co-hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit
(GES) 2017 in India.
The MoU delineated the responsibilities, areas of cooperation, including

logistics and venue related requirements between the parties for smooth
conduct of the summit.
The GES-2017 was held in Hyderabad from November 28-30, 2017. The
summit provided a forum to enhance economic opportunities to young
entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs and marginalised groups in
the long run.
Cabinet nod to India, UK pact to improve public transport
The government has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

between India and London’s transportation authority to improve public
transport in the country.
The MoU is aimed at improving the overall public transport system, improve
passenger services and promote the use of high capacity buses in India.
Cabinet approves ICT cooperation pact between India, Belgium
The Cabinet has approved an agreement signed between India and Belgium to
increase cooperation in the field of information and communication
technology.
The agreement was signed between the two countries during the state visit
of King Philippe of the Belgium to India on November 7, 2017.
The MoU intends cooperation between India and Belgium including sharing
of best practices in the area of ICT&E policy, digital agenda technology and
research with special emphasis on developing ICT&E manufacturing and
services, e- governance, cyber security and to resolve issues of data adequacy,
market access, trade and services
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Canada for cooperation in the
field of Science & Technology

The Union Cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

with Canada for cooperation in the field of Science & Technology. The MoU
will provide a mechanism and help to foster scientific cooperation between
R&D and academic institutions of India and Canada.
The MoU was concluded in pursuance to the inter-governmental Agreement

for Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the India and Canada
concluded in November 2005.
Cabinet approves closure of Tungabhadra Steel Products
The Cabinet has approved the closure of Tungabhadra Steel Products Ltd
(TSPL). The decision also allowed the name of the company to be struck off
from the Registrar of Companies after settling balance liabilities of TSPL.
The Cabinet also approved the transfer of MMH (Metallurgical and Material
Handling Plants) to the Karnataka government along with 20,000 square
metres of land.
BANKING AND FINANCE

SEBI levies Rs 10-lakh fine on Prime Capital,Warner Multimedia
Markets regulator SEBI has imposed a total penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Prime

Capital Market and Warner Multimedia for disclosure lapses in the matter of
Blue Circle Services.
The order has come following an investigation by the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) into the trading activities of certain entities in the scrip
of Blue Circle Services Ltd (BCSL) during the period from October 21, 2011 to
March 31, 2013.
NABARD assistance to Odisha Rs 10,000 cr
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has
provided financial assistance of Rs 10,000 crore to Odisha by end of the third
quarters of the current financial year.
Under refinance channel, the NABARD has so far extended Rs 4,861 crore to
cooperative banks for production of crops by about 3 million farmers in the
state.

Under Long Term Refinance scheme of the NABARD, banks in Odisha have
availed credit support of Rs 624 crore, which have facilitated creation of
private sector farm assets.
Paytm Payments Bank, IndusInd tie-up for FD facility
Paytm Payments Bank has partnered Induslnd Bank to introduce a facility to

create a fixed deposit when the customer balance exceeds Rs 1 lakh at the end
of day.
Paytm Payments Bank customers can redeem their deposits instantly,

anytime without paying any pre-closure or miscellaneous charges and can
earn up to 6.85 per cent annual interest.
AIIB plans to issue first USD bonds this year
China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), in which India is a

second largest shareholder, plans to issue its first US dollar-denominated
bond with minimum worth of a USD billion by June this year.
The Beijing-based AIIB is a multilateral development bank initiated by China.

The bank has an authorised capital of USD 100 billion.
It priorities investment in energy, power generation, transport, rural

infrastructure, environmental protection and logistics in Asia.
APGVB introduces Desktop ATMs in rural India
Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) has operationalised it’s first
desktop ATM at Kasibugga in Mandi Bazar of Warangal in Telangana.
The mini-ATM within the branch premises will facilitate customers to

withdraw small amounts. At the same time regular bank account holders can
withdraw money and do other banking activities. The model will be scaled up
to 100 in the near future.
This is another IT initiative that the bank, which is the biggest under the SBI
and among the best regional rural banks (RRBs). There are 56 RRBs.
Ola, ICICI Bank to introduce new range of integrated offerings

Ola, the taxi hailing app, has tied up with ICICI Bank to provide a range of
integrated offers, including micro-credit to their customers and digital
payment facilities to driver partners, respectively.
As per the partnership, ICICI Bank customers can now book and pay for Ola
on the bank’s mobile app and wallet itself.
IndusInd Bank to roll out battery-powered payment cards
IndusInd Bank and Dynamics Inc have announced plans to introduce the first
battery-powered, interactive payment cards in the Indian market in 2018.
The new IndusInd Bank card from Pennsylvania-based Dynamics, which

designs and manufactures intelligent, battery-powered payment cards, has
multiple buttons that let the consumer use a single card to pay in multiple
ways.
Flipkart’s PhonePe inks pact with FreeCharge
Flipkart’s payments arm PhonePe has partnered mobile wallet company

FreeCharge to allow the latter’s customers pay for transactions at PhonePe’s
partner merchants.
According to the deal terms, PhonePe has now enabled its over 45 million
users to link their existing FreeCharge wallets to the PhonePe app.
Aviva, Bank of Maharashtra in bancassurance tie-up
State-run Bank of Maharashtra, which under the prompt corrective action of

the Reserve Bank due to very high bad loans, and Aviva Life Insurance have
entered into a corporate agency arrangement to distribute the latter’s
products.
With this tie-up under the open architecture system, BoM will hawk Aviva
Life products through its 1,863 branches.
Federal Bank ties up with Hedge Equities
Federal Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with Hedge Equities for
providing portfolio investment scheme (PIS) services to NRIs.

A formal agreement was executed in which Jose K Mathew, EVP & Head —
Retail Business, Federal Bank, and Alex Babu, MD, Hedge Equities, exchanged
the MoU announcing the tie-up.
Yes Bank ties up with Amplus Energy Solutions
Amplus Energy Solutions has signed an MoU with India’s leading bank Yes
Bank for a strategic tie-up to co-finance projects in the solar energy sector in
India.
Yes Bank, which has been focussing on funding green energy projects in India,
also announced that it will mobilise USD one billion by 2023 for financing
solar energy projects in India and USD five billion till 2030.
Paytm Payments Bank starts physical debit card delivery
The account holders in Paytm Payments Bank can now order physical debit
cards from the Paytm app. Earlier, the bank provided only digital debit cards
which are issued to customers upon opening of Individual Savings Account.
The development was confirmed by Paytm and One97 Communication

founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
SBI ties up with Transfast Remittance LLC for remittance
State Bank of India (SBI), the largest commercial bank in India, has
announced tie-up with Transfast Remittance LLC, the USA based payment
network since 25 years with a network that covers over 6 billion people
across 120 plus countries for inward remittance from the USA to India.
HDFC Bank becomes first Indian bank to cross Rs5 trillion market cap
India’s most-valued lender HDFC Bank Ltd was crossed Rs5 trillion market
capitalisation for the first time, making it only the third Indian company to
achieve this milestone.
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) are the
other two companies which crossed market capitalisation of Rs5 trillion.
AU Small Finance Bank inks MoU with LIC to offer PMJJBY scheme

Banking finance company AU Small Finance Bank has signed an MoU with LIC
to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY).
Under the MoU, LIC will give a life cover of ₹2 lakh in case of death to the
customer at a nominal premium of ₹330 per annum.
NIIF Makes its First Investment Partnered with DP World
The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), India’s first

sovereign wealth fund, and Dubai-based ports operator DP World Pvt. Ltd,
have announced the creation of an investment platform to invest up to $3
billion in ports, terminals, transportation and logistics businesses in India.
This is the first investment platform from NIIF and will see investment up to
$3 billion of equity to acquire assets and develop projects in these sectors.
Government to Infuse over Rs88 Thousand Crore in 20 PSB
The government has announced Rs. 88,139 crore capital infusion in 20 public
sector banks (PSBs) during the current fiscal, with IDBI Bank getting the most
— Rs. 10,610 crore.
The unprecedented Rs. 2.1 lakh crore bank recapitalization plan announced
in October last year was to be spread over two financial years — 2017-18 and
2018-19. During the current fiscal, ending March 31, State Bank of India will
get Rs. 8,800 crore capital and Bank of India, Rs. 9,232 crore.
MERGER AND ACQUISITION

Principal to acquire ownership of joint venture with PNB
The US-based Principal Financial Group has proposed to pick up PNB’s stake
in Principal-PNB Asset Management Company and Principal Trustee Company
in India.
PNB has signed a share purchase agreement to give Principal full ownership
in the two entities pending regulatory approval.
PNB holds 21.38 per cent in Principal PNB Asset Management and 30 per cent
in Principal Trustee.
NCLT approves Idea-Vodafone merger

The National Company Law Tribunal has approved the proposed merger
between Idea Cellular and Vodafone — a move that brings both the companies
closer to culminating the deal.
Vodafone is expected to hold around 47.5 per cent stake in the merged entity
and rest will be owned by Idea and promoter Aditya Birla Group.
IDFC Bank, Capital First to merge in Share Swap Deal
The boards of directors of IDFC Bank and Capital First has approved a merger
of Capital First with IDFC Bank. Pursuant to the merger which is subject to
regulatory and shareholder approvals, IDFC Bank will issue 139 shares for
every 10 shares of Capital First. With this move, IDFC Bank has put the failed
amalgamation bid with Shriram Group behind it.
INDEX AND RANKING

India ranked 81st on Global competitiveness Index
India has moved up on a global index of talent competitiveness to the 81st

position, but remains a laggard among the BRICS nations, an annual study
showed.
While Switzerland continues to top the list released every year on the first
day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting, 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.
India Ranks 177th in Environmental Performance Index
A new green index has ranked India the fourth worst country worldwide in
curbing environmental pollution.
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.
Switzerland leads the world in sustainability, followed by France, Denmark,

Malta and Sweden.
ISB ranked 28th in Financial Times global MBA 2018 ranking

The post-graduate programme of the Indian School of Business (ISB) here has
been ranked 28th among the top 100 global MBAs by the Financial Times.
ISB has slipped by one rank as it was ranked 27th last year. It is also the top
ranked business school in India.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
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.
Saudi, UAE introduce VAT in first for Gulf
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates introduced value-added tax from
January 01, 2018 a first for the Gulf which has long prided itself on its tax-
free, cradle-to-grave welfare system.
Saudi Arabia has deposited billions of dollars in special accounts to help

needy citizens face the resulting rise in retail prices.
Germany to start enforcing hate speech law
Germany is set to start enforcing a law that demands social media sites move
quickly to remove hate speech, fake news and illegal material.
The law gives the networks 24 hours to act after they have been told about
law-breaking material.
China to build AI development park worth over ₹13,400 crore
Beijing is planning to build a 13.8 billion yuan ($2.12 billion) artificial

intelligence development park in the city’s west as China pushes ahead to
fulfill its ambition to become a world leader in AI by 2025.
The AI park will house up to 400 enterprises and have an estimated annual
output of 50 billion yuan, Xinhua said, citing a report from authorities in
Beijing’s Mentougou district.

China develops new underwater surveillance network
China’s underwater glider has successfully ended its mission to the Indian
Ocean and South China Sea amid reports that the country has developed a
new underwater surveillance network to help its submarines lock on to
targets.
China’s independently-developed underwater glider, Haiyi, which means “sea

wings” in Chinese, has successfully completed a scientific observation in the
Indian Ocean, marking the first time that the country’s indigenous
underwater glider was used in this ocean.
China to build second foreign naval base in Pakistan
China is planning to build its second foreign naval base in Pakistan, after
Djibouti. China needs to set up another base in Gwadar for its warships
because Gwadar is now a civilian port.
It's a common practice to have separate facilities for warships and

merchant's vessels because of their different operations.
Merchant ships need a bigger port with a lot of space for warehouses and
containers, but warships need a full range of maintenance and logistical
support services
World’s largest ice festival celebrated in China
A spectacular ice festival has kicked off in the northern Chinese city of
Harbin. Over 100,000 people a day are expected to visit this year's Harbin
Ice and Snow Festival, often described as 'the world's largest winter festival',
which is open for around 100 days of the year
Harbin's best ice and snow carvers have been putting the finishing touches to
their work during a month soft opening and now the grand festival has
opened to the public on January 4.
Iceland Becomes 1st Country to Legalise Equal Pay
Iceland has stepped up for equality and has become the first country in the
world to legalise equal pay.

According to a law passed by the parliament in June, all companies, both

private and public, need to prove that their wage practices don’t discriminate
against women. The only difference in wages that may exist, should be on the
basis of education, output, and skills.
Venezuela raises minimum wage 40 %, stoking world’s fastest inflation
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced a 40 percent increase to the

minimum wage as of January.
Venezuelans will now earn some 797,510 bolivars a month, factoring in food
tickets, or just over $7 on the widely used black market index.
Millions will still be unable to afford three meals a day, while the increase is
likely to stoke inflation further.
Prices went up 1,369 percent between January and November, according to

figures released earlier this month by the opposition-led Congress, which
estimated the 2017 rate would top 2,000 percent. The Venezuelan
government no longer publishes inflation data on a regular basis.
Turkey's endangered "bird language" enters UNESCO list
The unusual and very efficient whistle language used as a means of

communication by villagers in the remote and mountainous northern Turkey
has recently entered the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) list of Intangible Cultural Heritage but could soon be
overtaken by modern technology.
The United Nations Cultural Agency has accepted the “bird language” of Black
Sea villagers as an endangered part of world heritage in need of urgent
protection.
Six countries enter United Nations Security Council
Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Peru, Poland and the Netherlands
formally joined the ranks of the non-permanent members of the United
Nations Security Council.

The UN Security Council has 15 members, including five with permanent

seats who have the power to veto resolutions — Britain, China, France,
Russia and the United States.
The six countries which left the Security Council on December 31 were Egypt,
Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay.
Pakistan successfully tests Harba Missile in Arabian Sea
The Pakistan Navy has demonstrated its ability to respond to any aggression
by conducting a test fire of a cruise missile from its newly commissioned Fast
Attack Craft (Missile), PNS Himmat, off Karachi in the North Arabian Sea.
The PNS Himmat fired an indigenously built live weapon named Harba Naval
Cruise Missile, which is a surface-to-surface anti-ship missile and can also hit
any target on land.
US suspend $1.3-bn security aid to Pakistan
The Trump administration has announced that it will freeze all security
assistance to Pakistan until the country cracks down on militant groups
allegedly operating out of its territory.
The decision, which could reportedly impact about $1.3 billion in annual aid
to Islamabad, comes three days after US President Donald Trump tweeted
that Pakistan has "given us nothing but lies & deceit", and accused it of
providing "safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan".
US approves ₹800-crore anti-ballistic missile sale to Japan
The White House has greenlighted the sale of four interceptor missiles that
Tokyo wants to buy from Washington to “fundamentally” improve its
defenses.
The missiles can be deployed on land-based Aegis launchers. The US State

Department announced had given preliminary approval for Japan to purchase
four SM-3 Block 2A missiles manufactured by Raytheon Co and BAE Systems,
related hardware equipment, and technological, engineering and logistics
services provided by the US government and contractors.
Australia to build world’s largest solar-thermal power plant

A proposal to build the world’s largest thermal solar plant has been approved
by the South Australian government. It paves the way for the construction of
the AU$650 million (US$512mn) facility by a US-based company.
The 150-megawatt facility will harness solar energy by using mirrors known
as heliostats to focus sunlight onto one central tower.
Saudi Arabia opens its 1st women-only car showroom
A Saudi private company has opened the first car showroom for women only
just five months before a decision allowing females to drive takes effect.
In a historic decision late last year, King Salman gave Saudi women the right
to drive, abolishing an almost three-decade ban based on religious reasons.
Saudi allows women to attend men’s soccer match for 1st time
Saudi Arabia has allowed women to attend a men’s football match for the first
time from a sports stadium.
This comes after Saudi women were allowed in a stadium for National Day
celebrations in a one-off event in September last year. Saudi women had long
been barred from stadiums over rules on gender segregation in public.
World’s fifth largest diamond discovered in Lesotho
A 910 carat gem diamond has been recovered in a Lesotho mine, the size of
which makes it the fifth largest gem quality diamond ever found.
This is according to a statement from Gem Diamonds, a British-based

diamond company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
China builds ‘world’s biggest air purifier’ in Xian
China has constructed an experimental air purifying tower, touted to be the

world’s biggest at a height of over 100 meters (328 feet).
The Xian smog tower is undergoing testing by researchers at the Institute of

Earth Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
UK appoints ‘Minister for loneliness’

Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in
ten people in the UK.
Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role, in addition to her
existing job, and develop a strategy to address the problem, which research
has linked with dementia, early mortality and high blood pressure.
Russia, EU sign agreements on new cooperation programmes
Russia and the European Union (EU) have signed agreements to finance and
implement two new cross-border cooperation programmes for the period
until 2020.
The programmes worth 88 million euros ($108 million) involve Russia and
its neighbours Lithuania and Poland, both EU members, will focus
particularly on the preservation of historical and cultural heritage, the
promotion of social inclusiveness, cooperation for a clean natural
environment and efficient management of natural resources.
Apple named the world’s most admired company for 2018
Apple has once again taken the top spot in Fortune’s list of the world’s most
admired companies. This is Apple’s ninth consecutive year at the top of the
list. It is followed by Google parent company Alphabet in second, with Amazon
placing third.
This list is distilled from Fortune’s list of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies,
along with its Global 500 database.
Malta’s capital Valletta named European Capital of Culture
Valletta, the Maltese capital, has been officially inaugurated as the European
City of Culture, 2018.
On this occasion many historical monuments have been renovated and the
year is packed with a dense cultural programme, the best occasion to discover
or rediscover the Maltese capital.
The slogan for the opening was “The festa is here”, and the streets were filled
with music, bands and impressive performances.

10th Global Forum for Food & Agriculture held Berlin
Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat is leading the Indian delegation to 10th Global Forum for Food &
Agriculture (GFFA) from 18-20 January, 2018 which includes the 10th Berlin
Agriculture Ministers’ Conference.
The theme of this year’s event is “Shaping the future of livestock –

sustainability, responsibly, efficiently”. The discussions will focus on
sustainable and productive animal production among other issues.
US creates task force to promote ‘internet freedom’ in Cuba
The U.S. State Department said that it had created a Cuba Internet Task Force
to promote “the free and unregulated flow of information” on the Communist-
run island, an action denounced by Cuban state media as subversive.
The task force will examine the technological challenges and opportunities
for expanding internet access and independent media in Cuba.
US lifts ban on refugees from 11 countries
The United States announced it was lifting its ban on refugees from 11 “high-
risk” countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under
much tougher scrutiny than in the past.
Applicants from 11 countries, unnamed but understood to include 10 Muslim-

majority nations plus North Korea, will face tougher “risk-based”
assessments to be accepted.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
China agrees to stop road construction in Arunachal Pradesh
China has agreed to stop road construction activity at Bhising area in upper
Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
It was on December 26, 2017 India discovered that China was trying to
construct an operational track – an unpaved road for movement of men and
material – along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in upper Siang district of
Arunachal Pradesh.
India, Malaysia discuss cooperation in traditional medicine

India and Malaysia have discussed cooperation in the field of traditional

systems of medicine and the establishment of an Ayurveda Chair at a private
university in Malaysia.
Officials from the two countries discussed several issues, including the
setting up of an Ayurveda Chair in University of UTAR in Malaysia and
professional training in Panchakarma therapy for Malaysian experts in India.
Australia India youth dialogue from Jan. 21
Australia India Youth Dialogue (AIYD), a youth-led dialogue between the

young and emerging leaders of both countries, will be held in January.
AIYD promotes exchange and partnering across organisations by hosting 15

talented young minds from each country, annually.
AIYD 2018 will be hosted in Mumbai and Delhi from 21-24 January. Delegates
will discuss, debate and collaborate on ideas of ‘Digital Disruption’ in fields
of democracy, media and workplace.
India grants ₹288 crore to develop Sri Lankan port
India has extended a fresh financial assistance of $45.27 million for

upgrading Kankesanthurai (KKS) Harbour in northern Sri Lanka into a
commercial port and strengthening the country’s efforts to become a regional
maritime hub.
Sri Lanka’s ministry of finance and Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank)
signed an agreement in this regard on January 10.
India Signs Pact with UK on Illegal Migrants
India has signed an MoU with the United Kingdom to enable the return of
illegal Indian migrants within a month of their detection by authorities
abroad.
The Memorandum of Understanding, which would affect hundreds of Indians,

comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to the UK in
March.
India, Sri Lanka sign four agreements for collaboration in ICT sector

India and Sri Lanka have signed four agreements for collaboration in ICT
sector, setting up of e-office system and connecting of National Knowledge
network (NKN) for collaboration among universities and academics.
The MoU for cooperation was signed by Union minister for Information
Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad with his Sri Lankan counterpart in Colombo.
India, Israel ink Nine Pacts on Cyber Security, Other Sectors
India and Israel have inked nine pacts in key areas, including cyber security
and oil & gas sectors amid PM Narendra Modi’s call to Israel firms to take
advantage of the liberalised FDI regime in the defence sector that would boost
Make in India initiative.
India and Israel will strengthen the existing pillars of cooperation in areas
such as agriculture, technology and security.
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.
The buses red in color were flagged off by Tripura Road Transport
Corporation Chairman Rajendra Reang and MLA Ratan Das in Agartala
recently.
India, Vietnam release first ever commemorative stamps
India and Vietnam have released first ever set of commemorative postage
stamps to mark the long term friendly bilateral relationships between the two
countries.
The first ever joint issue of commemorative postage stamps between India
and Vietnam on the theme of ancient architecture is a symbol of strong
friendship between the two countries.
India and Cambodia ink four agreements

India and Cambodia has signed four agreements in the field of cultural
exchange, an exchange line of credit of $26.9 million, memorandum of
understanding to cooperate in legal matter and an agreement on prevention
of human trafficking.
The documents were exchanged in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

and visiting Cambodian PM Hun Sen following delegation-level talks between
the two countries. New Delhi has agreed to set up a centre of IT excellence in
Cambodia.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NASA to launch two missions to explore Earth-space boundary
NASA has announced that it would launch two missions to explore the little-
understood area of 96 km above Earth’s surface.
The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will be
launched in January 2018, and the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)
will be launched later this year.
SpaceX launches ‘secret’ satellite on its 1st flight of 2018
SpaceX has launched a secret satellite codenamed Zuma on its first flight of
the new year. The unmanned Falcon rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral,
Florida, carrying the satellite toward an undisclosed orbit.
SpaceX ended launch commentary five minutes into the flight, due to the
classified nature of the satellite. But the company continued to broadcast the
return of the first-stage booster to Cape Canaveral, where it landed upright
as part of a recycling effort.
Intel unveils ‘flying car’ with 27 km range
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich showed off the Volocopter, an autonomous

passenger drone at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018.
The craft can have a 30-minute flight and have a maximum range of around
27 kilometres and is powered by a battery. The ‘flying car’ can also be flown
autonomously.
ISRO to launch its 100th satellite on January 12

India has launched ISRO’s 100th satellite along with 30 others in a single
mission on January 12 from Sriharikota, in a milestone event in the country’s
space history.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it was “back in the game”
with the launch, the first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission after
the unsuccessful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in August last.
NASA discovers farthest known galaxy in the universe “SPT0615-JD”
NASA scientists have spotted the farthest known galaxy in the universe, a
primitive cluster of stars just 500 million years old.
An intensive survey deep into the universe by NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer
space telescopes has yielded the image of the galaxy named SPT0615-JD,
stretched and amplified by a phenomenon called gravitational lensing.
WhatsApp launches Business App for Android
Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has formally

announced the launch of a new ‘Business’ application. Called WhatsApp
Business, it’s a free-to-download Android application for business users.
The application, which was available in beta for almost a month, is currently
available in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Britain and the US. The app will roll out
for other countries, and in India, in the coming weeks.
WEF launches Global center for cyber security
In a bid to safeguard the world from hackers and growing data breaches —
especially from nation-states — the World Economic Forum (WEF) was
announced a new Global Centre for Cybersecurity.
Headquartered in Geneva, the centre will become operational from March.

The global centre will be an excellent opportunity to safeguard verticals like
automotive and health care where wireless connectivity is the key.
Alphabet unveils new cyber security business called “Chronicle”

Alphabet Inc launched a new business unit would sell cyber security software
to Fortune 500 companies, the latest move by the parent of Google to become
a big player in corporate computing.
The new unit, dubbed Chronicle, is betting on the premise that machine
learning software, a type of artificial intelligence, can sift and analyze
massive stores of data to detect cyber threats more quickly and precisely than
is possible with traditional methods.
Google confirms investment in Uber’s Indonesia rival Go-Jek
Google has made its first ride-hailing investment in Asia by pumping money
into Go-Jek, as the Indonesian start-up and deep-pocketed rivals rapidly
expand their app-based services and digital payments in Southeast Asia.
Rivals Grab and Uber are backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group, while Go-Jek has
secured investments from Chinese technology giants Tencent Holdings Ltd
and JD.com Inc.
Alibaba launches AI-based traffic solution in Malaysia
Jack Ma-led Alibaba Group’s cloud computing division has launched Malaysia
City Brain, an artificial intelligence-based smart city solution, to manage
traffic at Kuala Lumpur.
The initiative by Alibaba Cloud will be implemented in collaboration with

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur,
the city council of the Malaysian capital.
DEFENCE NEWS
Indian Coast Guard Ship C-161 commissioned in Porbandar
Indian Coast Guard Ship C-161 was commissioned on Friday at Porbandar in

Gujarat. The induction is a part of ongoing efforts by the Coast Guard to
strengthen coastal security.
It will strengthen the security umbrella of west coast and also help augment
patrolling to prevent illicit activities such as infiltration, smuggling and
illegal fishing.

The ICGS C-161 shall be based at Vadinar under the administrative and
operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (North West) Air
Marshal RK Dhir PVSM AVSM VM ADC.
Navy signs MoU with Cochin Port Trust
In a major step towards increasing the berthing capacity of naval ships in

Kochi, the Navy has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Cochin Port Trust (CPT) towards leasing of 228 metres of berths, Q2 and Q3
at Mattancherry Wharf for a period of five years.
The MoU was signed between the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of Southern
Naval Command Commodore Deepak Kumar and Gautam Gupta, Traffic
manager of the Port Trust, at the Naval Base
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Clears Two Procurement Proposals
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cleared two procurement proposals.

The first proposal is related to procurement of 240 bombs, at a cost of Rs.
1254 cr. from M/s JSC Rosonboron Exports, Russia.
The second proposal pertained to the procurement of 131 Barak Missiles and
associated equipment, under option clause from M/s Rafeal Advance Defence
Systems Ltd., Israel, at a cost of Rs. 460 cr.
These missiles are surface to air missiles designed to be used as a ship-borne

anti-missile defence system against anti-ship missiles.
‘IRON FIST’- The US, Japan Joint Military Drill Begins
The 13th annual Iron Fist exercises kicked off in the U.S. western state of
California. More than 500 U.S. Marines and sailors are partnering with about
350 members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force to train in fire
support operations and amphibious assaults.
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.
INS Vikramaditya Formally Affiliated to Bihar Regiment
Indian Naval Ship Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy’s largest ship and its sole
aircraft carrier was formally affiliated to the Indian Army’s highly-decorated
and battle-hardened Bihar Regiment and the Indian Air Force’s No 6 Squadron
that is tasked with maritime strike operations with its Jaguar fighter aircraft.
VINBAX: India and Vietnam hold first military exercise in Jabalpur
For the first time, armies of India and Vietnam have began a six day-long
military exercise in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, reflecting growing defence
ties between the two countries.
It is the first military exercise between the two countries, a senior army
official said here. The exercise, christened ‘VINBAX’ will continue for six
days.
PERSONS IN NEWS
Microsoft tops Thomson Reuters top 100 global tech leaders list
Thomson Reuters has published its debut “Top 100 Global Technology
Leaders” list with Microsoft in the no. 1 spot followed by chipmaker Intel
Corp (INTC.O) and network gear maker Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O).
The list, which aims to identify the industry’s top financially successful and
organizationally sound organizations, features U.S. tech giants such as Apple
Inc (AAPL.O) , Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) , International Business Machines
Corp (IBM.N) and Texas Instruments Inc (TXN.O), among its top 10.
SPORTS
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.
After Dubai, Dhoni to launch his cricket academy in S’pore
Indian wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni is all set to open a cricket academy

in Singapore. The 36-year old stalwart will inaugurate his second such
venture in overseas territory on January 20 at St Patrick’s School.
During November last year, Dhoni had launched his first global cricket
academy at Al Quoz in Dubai.
Sports Minister Rathore Launches ‘Khelo India’ Logo
The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore,
stated that Khelo India would go a long way in achieving the twin objectives
of mass participation and promotion of excellence in sports.
The Sports Minister launched the simple yet vibrant Khelo India logo at the
Nehru Stadium. Khelo India School Games will be staged from January 31.
Bahrain to host first-ever ‘Baby Olympics’
Bahrain has unveiled plans to stage the first ever Baby Olympics in April,
where medals will be contested by two to four year-olds, in a bid to promote
the Olympic principles and exercise at a young age.
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.

West Indies to Host 2018 Women’s World T20
The 2018 edition of the Women’s World T20 will be hosted by Antigua and
Barbuda, Guyana and St Lucia from November 9-24, the ICC has announced.
Hosts Windies will defend the title they won with an eight-wicket victory over
Australia in Kolkata in 2016.
David Beckham launches his football club in USA
Football legend David Beckham now has a team of his own after he recently
announced the official launch of Major League Soccer (MLS) team in Miami,
Florida.
The team is expected to start playing in 2020 before the commencement of

the 2021 football season.
WINNER TITLE NOTE

Mohamed Salah African Footballer of 2017 He is From Egypt
Elina Svitolina Brisbane International Held in Australia
WTA title
Roger Federer Mastercard Hopman Cup Defeated Germany’s
2018 Alexander Zverev
Julia Goerges WTA Auckland Open Held in Auckland, New
Tennis title 2018 Zealand
Aditya Mehta Kolkata Open ─
International Invitation
Snooker Championship
Assam Junior National Hockey Defeated Rajasthan
Championship
Siddharth Pratap Swedish Open Junior Defeated Denmark’s Mads
Singh title_shuttle Christophersen
India Blind Cricket World Cup Defeated Pakistan
Virat Kohli ICC cricketer of the year
Rakhi Halder Gold medal at 33rd
Women Senior National
Weightlifting
Championships
Roger Federer Australian Open He is from Switzerland

OBITUARY
NAME OF THE PERSON FIELD
Anwar Jalalpuri Poet
Madhukarrao Kimmatkar Former Maharashtra Minister
Asghar Khan First native commander-in-chief of
Pakistan
Jerry Van Dyke English Actor and comedian
John Young US astronaut
R Margabandu Tamil Nadu Politician
A Sivanandan Sri Lankan native novelist
Saksham Yadav Powerlifting world champion
Sukhchain Singh wrestler, coach
Charu Rohatgi Actress
Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta Sarod maestro
Gnani Sankaran Veteran Tamil writer, journalist and
theatre personality
Major FKK Sircar longest living army veteran
Hugh Masekela Father of South African Jazz; Trumpeter
and singer
Jimmy Armfield Blackpool legend
Chandi Lahiri Cartoonist
V. Vishveshwara Pioneer of Black Hole Discovery
W B Rao Cinematographer
Ursula K. Le Guin Author
Supriya Devi Bengali film actress
Ingvar Kamprad Billionaire; Ikea Founder
IMPORTANT DAYS
DATE OBSERVED DAY OBSERVED
January 01 Global Family day
January 01 World day of peace
January 04 World Braille day
January 06 World day of war orphans
January 07 International Kite Festival
January 09 Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas
January 10 World Hindi Day
January 12 National Youth Day
January 15 Indian Army Day
January 21 World Hug Day
January 24 National girl child Day

January 25 World Leprosy Day

January 25 India Tourism Day
January 25 Data Privacy Day
January 26 Indian Republic Day
January 26 International Customs Day
January 27 International Day of Commemoration in
Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
January 30 National Martyr’s Day
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AWARDS AND HONOURS

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MD and CEO of Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd

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Parliament passes Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code Amendment Bill

Insolvency and bankruptcy is an area in which it is only in the recent years

LS passes bill to build public projects in protected monuments

A bill to allow the government to take up infrastructure projects within

Government launches online cancer detection course

Union health ministry launched a seven-month online course designed by

The course is intended for physicians, gynaecologists, dentists and other

Govt launches Swachh Survekshan 2018

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Prez to inaugurate a three-day 4th Intl Dharma Dhamma Con

President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate a three-day ‘International

The conference will be organised by Nalanda University in partnership with

Arun Jaitley -chaired panel to look into old port projects

The government has formed a ministerial committee headed by finance

UIDAI introduces ‘Virtual ID’ to address privacy concerns

Government to launch new scheme for free treatment of Hepatitis C

With the focus on Hepatitis C, an anti-viral treatment that costs $63,000-

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Indian Railways introduces OCR Kiosk Machines

Indian Railways continues to take steps based on new technology to facilitate

It has now been decided to introduce modern Optical Character Recognition

Ministry of Railway Launches SFOORTI Application

India contributes USD 50,000 to UN Youth Envoy’s Office

Microsoft, Accenture partner to help Indian tech startups

Microsoft Accelerator has partnered with Accenture Ventures to help scale

Microsoft’s accelerator programme focusses on enterprise startups and helps

UIDAI allows face recognition for Aadhaar authentication

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced the

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UIDAI introduces yet another landmark technology for authentication – Face

Ministry of Petroleum launches Saksham 2018 Campaign

The Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of

Centre, CII ink MoU for development of logistics sector

Government ends Haj subsidy

India announces $350 million Solar Development Fund

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India to host yoga training sessions at World Economic Forum in Davos

India becomes member of Australia Group

Airtel granted regulatory approval to acquire Millicom’s Rwanda

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NHIDCL and IL&FS transportation signed an MoU for construction of Zojila

Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh

Government launches Rapid Reporting System for the Scheme for

Rakesh Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, has

ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit issues Delhi Declaration

IT ministry tests LED-based wireless communication tech

The country’s IT ministry has successfully tested LiFi – a wireless

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The CPI-M-led LDF government in Kerala has decided to set up a Kerala

Traditional folk art form festival ‘Utsavam 2018’ from Jan 6

‘Utsavam 2018’, conceived as an attempt to rejuvenate traditional folk art

The festival, organised by the state tourism department, would be held in 28

Butterfly parks to turn ‘eco-monitors’ in Kerala

A string of butterfly parks, providing natural habitat for beautiful flying

The State-run Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has drawn up an

Kerala to set up Blockchain academy

The Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala

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This would be done in collaboration with BEN as well as best-in-class