DAILY GK BANKERS ADDA 24TH MARCH TO 31ST MARCH 2017

24/03/2017

World Tuberculosis Day- 24 March

i. World Tuberculosis Day celebrated on 24 March each year. 

ii. The theme for World Tuberculosis Day 2017 is 'Unite to End TB: Leave no one behind'. 2017 is the second year of a two-year "Unite to End TB" campaign for World TB Day.

ISRO commissions world's third largest hypersonic wind tunnel

i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) created history by commissioning the world’s third largest hypersonic wind tunnel at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

ii. A wind tunnel is used to study the effects of air flowing past a solid object in ISRO's case, space vehicles.

 India Notifies Amended Tax Treaty with Singapore

i. The government notified the amended India-Singapore tax treaty under which capital gains tax will be levied at source of investments with effect from April 1,2017.

ii. India had amended the tax treaty with Singapore on December 30, 2016, under which for two years  capital gains tax will be imposed at 50 percent of the prevailing domestic rate. Full rate will apply from April 1, 2019.

iii. The revision of tax treaty will help curb revenue loss, prevent double non-taxation and streamline the flow of investments adding that the amended tax treaty has been notified.

Assam govt, SBI sign MoU over housing, educational loan at subsidized interest rates

i. The state government of Assam has signed two MoUs with Mumbai-based State Bank of India(SBI) to provide housing loan and education loan for its employees. 

ii. To provide housing loan at hugely subsidized interest rates of 5% for its women employees and 5.5 % for men, and education loan for higher education for their children at 4% interest rate. Both types of loans will be free of any collateral security and processing fee.

South Indian Bank introduces Aadhar-based payment app

i. To promote cashless digital transactions, South Indian Bank (SIB) has introduced Aadhar-based payment in its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) mobile application- 'SIB M-Pay'. 

ii. Even non-customers of South Indian Bank can link any of their bank accounts in this mobile application. 

iii. With the latest addition in SIB M-Pay, the fund transfers can be done by just entering the Aadhar number of the beneficiary. SIB M-Pay app is currently available in Android Playstore.

World Bank signs US$ 100 million credit agreement with Uttarakhand, Centre

i. The World Bank has signed a 100 million US dollar credit agreement with the Centre and Uttarakhand in New Delhi to improve the quality of health care services in all 13 districts of the state.

ii. The project aims to reduce the financial risk for its citizens and make affordable, quality health care available to all. 

Airtel acquires Tikona’s 4G business for ₹1,600 crore

i. Bharti Airtel has acquired Tikona Digital's 4G airwaves for Rs 1,600 crore, ramping up its high-speed broadband spectrum capacity to take on Reliance Jio Infocomm and the Vodafone-Idea Cellular in the competitive market.

ii. Bharti Airtel as India's largest telecom company provides access to Tikona's 4G airwaves in five circles are Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West), Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan. 

BSE, NSE to launch F&O series in 15 companies

i. Indian capital markets Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) will introduce futures and options (F&O) contracts in 15 companies including InterGlobe Aviation and Indian Bank from 31 March 2017. 

ii.  F&O are derivative securities derived from a debt instrument, share, loan, whether secured or unsecured or any other form of security. It also derives its value from the prices, or index of prices, of underlying securities.

Raghu Rai conferred with Lifetime Achievement award

i. Photojournalist Raghu Rai was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Mr. Venkaiah Naidu for “his remarkable contribution to the field.” at 6th National Photography Awards organized by the photo division of the ministry in the capital. 

ii. Rai is also a Padma Shri awardee. 

Yves Meyer wins the 2017 Abel Prize

i. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has awarded the Abel Prize for 2017 to mathematician Yves Meyer.

ii. He was awarded for his pivotal role in the development of the mathematical theory of wavelets. The theory of wavelets that he started and made fundamental contributions to finds wide-ranging applications from image processing to fluid dynamics.

 8th Laadli Media Awards 2016

i. The 8th Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2016 (Northern and Eastern Region) were announced at the Chinmaya Mission in New Delhi. 

ii. Anima Pookkunnyil, Assistant Editor with BusinessLine, and Shreya Ila Anasuya, a freelance journalist, were awarded this year for their critical gender-sensitive reportage.

iii. Ila Anasuya was awarded for her report on Suzette Jordan. Anima Pookkunnyi was awarded for her story about Kamlesh Kairi’s petition to the Supreme Court against the unjust laws.

RBI okays appointment of T S Anantharaman as part-time chairman

i. The Reserve Bank of India has accorded its approval for the appointment of T S Anantharaman as part-time Chairman of the bank. 

ii. Anantharaman has been holding the position of Non-Executive Director of the bank since August 28, 2009. 

iii. At present, he is an investment consultant and director of a number of other companies and institutions.

India ranks 87th on energy architecture performance: WEF

i. India has marginally improved its position to 87th place on a global energy architecture performance index, but ranks among the worst for pollution, a survey showed. 

ii. Switzerland topped the annual list released by Geneva- based World Economic Forum (WEF) and was followed by Norway, Sweden, Denmark and France in the top five. India's rank improved three places from 90th last year. 

Sarbananda Sonowal launches initiative to make Majuli carbon neutral

i. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched initiative to develop Majuli, the world’s largest river island, as the country’s first carbon neutral district and a biodiversity heritage site. 

ii. He launched the Sustainable Actions for Climate Resilient Development (SaCReD) Initiative would ensure that infrastructure in Majuli had less carbon.

Radha Mohan Singh launched Book titled '50 Years – The Great Indian Milk Revolution'

i. The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh has launched a Coffee Table Book titled “50 Years – The Great Indian Milk Revolution” commemorating National Dairy Development Board’s (NDDB) Golden Jubilee year.

Writer Ashokamitran passes away

i. Prominent Tamil writer and Sahitya Akademi winner Ashokamitran died at the age of 86.

ii. He was given the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996 for his work Appavin Snegidhar, a collection of short stories.

Ankur Mittal wins gold in double trap at ISSF World Cup

i. Young Indian shooter Ankur Mittal, defeated rival James Willett, and bagged the first World Cup gold medal of his career in double trap at the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup.

ii. The event was held in Acapulco, Mexico.

25/03/2017.

'Earth Hour' being observed today: 25 March

i. The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) is observing the 10th anniversary of 'Earth Hour' today i.e. 25 March,2017. 

ii. The worldwide event is held annually encouraging individuals to turn off non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 PM local time as a symbol of their commitment to the planet. It was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007.

Aadhaar mandatory for mobile connection

i. After making Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns and applying for a Permanent Account Number (PAN), the government has moved to make Aadhaar-based e-KYC (know your customer) mandatory for mobile phone connections.

ii. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) directed all mobile phone service providers to reverify existing customers, prepaid and postpaid, using their unique Aadhaar identity number and biometric details. Aadhaar-based e-KYC would also be mandatory for customers procuring new SIM card.

Nellore in AP to get Post Office Passport Seva Kendra

i. The External Affairs Ministry and the department of posts announced the opening of a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
ii. It would be the 86th POPSK in the country. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Posts will be working closely for the early operationalisation of this POPSK at Nellore.

Pawan Hans to start 'Dilli Darshan' chopper rides at Rs 2,500 

i. National chopper operator Pawan Hans is set to launch its "Delhi Darshan" rides with a 10-minute sortie costing Rs 2,499 per person. 

ii. Besides, the state-owned aviation firm will also offer a 20-minute helicopter ride for Rs 4,999. The company's Chairman and Managing Director, B P Sharma, announced the roll out of these services from April 1, 2017.

Navy gets three naval systems from DRDO

i. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley handed over three naval systems, developed by premier Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to the Indian Navy.

ii. The naval systems, given to Indian Navy, are USHUS-II submarine sonar, directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array and inertial navigation system for ship applications. 

Indian Navy fires surface-to-air missile from INS Vikramaditya

i. The country’s sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya successfully carried out the maiden test of the newly installed Barak short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM).

ii. The 44,500-tonne carrier was commissioned into the Navy in November 2013 at Severodvinsk in Russia.

CBEC renamed as CBIC under GST regime

i. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) will be reorganized for the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime and will be renamed as the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) following Parliamentary approval.

ii.  Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has approved the reorganization of the field formations of the CBEC for the implementation of GST.

SBI's Arundhati Bhattacharya among world's greatest leaders

i. State Bank of India (SBI) Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya has been ranked 26th among the world's 50 greatest leaders, according to Fortune Magazine.

ii. With this, Bhattacharya has become the only Indian corporate leader to be featured on the list. The list has been topped by Theo Epstein President, Baseball Operations in Chicago Cubs.

Osmania University to host 105th Indian Science Congress
i. The 105th session of Indian Science Congress (ISC) will be hosted by Osmania University, Hyderabad during January 3-7, 2018.
ii. The theme of the 105th session of Indian Science Congress is 'Science and Technology - Reaching the Unreached’. This will be the sixth time that the university will be hosing the conferrer. The congress will be meeting in Hyderabad for the seventh time.

Ashwin breaks record for most wickets in a Test season

i. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has broken the record for most wickets in a single Test season, taking his 79th this season during the Dharamsala Test against Australia. 

ii. Ashwin went past South African pacer Dale Steyn, who had claimed 78 wickets in 12 Tests in 2007-08. Ashwin has taken seven five-wicket hauls this season in 13 matches.

26/03/2017

Bangladesh celebrates 46th Independence Day

i. On March 26 Bangladesh celebrates its Independence day.

ii.Bangladesh's President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at National Memorial in Savar paying respects to those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom.
Vettel wins Australian Grand Prix

i.Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel won the Australian Grand Prix for Ferrari.
ii.It was Vettel's fourth win for Ferrari and his first since the Singapore Grand Prix in September 2015.

Indian Railways to install Wi-Fi kiosks at 500 remote stations for e-services

i. Railways will set up Wi-Fi hotspot kiosks at about 500 stations and help people access an array of online services, including various government schemes.
ii. Christened as Railwire Saathi, the Wi-Fi kiosks will function like a PCO for Digital India and enable people to use services like e-commerce, online banking and much more.

India becomes third largest aviation market in domestic traffic

i. India has become the third largest aviation market in terms of domestic passenger traffic, beating Japan.
ii. United States with 815 million passengers in 2016 enjoyed the top position, followed by China with 490 million.


Cheteshwar Pujara sets a record by scoring the most runs in a Test season by an Indian

i.Pujara achieved the landmark for scoring the most runs in a Test season, surpassing the mark of 1269 by Gautam Gambhir which he achieved in the 2008/09 season.

ii.He has scored 1316 runs at an average of 65.8 in the season, the most ever by an Indian batsman in Tests.
iii. He needs 168 runs to break Ricky Ponting’s mark, who holds the record for the most runs ever by a batsman in a season, with 1483 runs at an average of 78.05.

27/03/2017

World Theatre Day- 27th March

i. World Theatre Day is observed globally on 27th March every year. World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), France. 

ii. The first World Theatre Day Message was written by Jean Cocteau in 1962.

Environment Ministry official to chair animal welfare board

i. The government has notified that Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), a statutory advisory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF) will now be permanently chaired by a senior MoEF official. 

ii. This step came into effect due to the recently held Jallikattu Protest in Tamil Nadu. Central Government applies its preference now in the management of the organization by making a new Board of 18 members, chaired by Sharad Singh Negi, Special Secretary and Director-General (Forests).

CCEA approved closing of CHBL and ICBL

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved closure/winding up of CREDA HPCL Biofuel Ltd (CHBL) and IndianOil - Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) Biofuels Limited (ICBL). 

ii. Joint Ventures between CREDA HPCL Biofuel Ltd (CHBL) and IndianOil-CREDA Biofuels Limited (ICBL) were formed for carrying out energy crop (Jatropha) plantation and production of bio-diesel in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

AP tops in Aadhaar seeding of Jan Dhan accounts

i. The list of state with highest seeded Aadhaar numbers was topped by Andhra Pradesh which had linked 87.73 per cent of its Jan-Dhan accounts with Aadhaar numbers followed by Tripura at 87.08 per cent and Telangana 83.56 percent.

ii. Post demonetization of specified bank notes on November 8, 2016, more accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) have been seeded with Aadhaar numbers.

GIC to be first PSU general insurer to launch IPO

i. General Insurance Corporation (GIC Re) is likely to be the first PSU insurer to tap the capital market as the Finance Ministry has started scouting for merchant bankers to manage its Initial Public Offering (IPO), yet not officially released.

ii. The government holds 100 per cent stake in GIC Re, which provides reinsurance support to 54 general and life insurance companies, both public and private, in the Indian market.

 Karnataka Bank’s launched platinum card

i. Karnataka Bank has launched the ‘MoneyPlant RuPay International Platinum Debit Card’ to provide more privileges to its premium and HNI (high net worth individual) customers.

ii. The card can be used for domestic and international cash withdrawals and purchases. The card has a withdrawal limit of Rs75,000 and purchases limit ofRs2 lakh a day at point-of-sales terminals and e-commerce sites.

Repco ties up with NHB 

i. Repco Home Finance Ltd (RHFL) has signed an agreement with National Housing Bank (NHB) for implementation of a credit-linked subsidy scheme for the middle-income group.

ii. The scheme will be implemented for one year with effect from January 1, 2017, in all statutory towns. The scheme divides middle-income group into two categories with annual household income up to Rs12 lakh and Rs 18 lakh. 

iii. The subsidy will be available for the two brackets for a loan amount of Rs 9 lakh and Rs 12 lakh at the rate of 4 per cent and 3 per cent per annum, respectively, for a tenure of 20 years. The maximum subsidy amount for an individual beneficiary is Rs 2.35 lakh.

Pawan Hans ties-up with HAL to train helicopter pilots

i. State-run Pawan Hans has joined hands with public sector chopper maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to train helicopter pilots.

ii. Pawan Hans is a joint venture where state-owned ONGC holds 49 per cent.

BHEL commissions 250-MW eco-friendly unit in Gujarat

i. State-owned power equipment maker BHEL has commissioned a 250-MW eco-friendly unit using low-grade coal (lignite) as a primary fuel.
ii. The lignite-based thermal unit, based on circulating fluidised bed combustion (CFBC) technology, is the second such facility to be commissioned at Bhavnagar Energy Company’s (BECL) 2x250-MW thermal power project at Padva in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat.

Conference on 'Make in India' held in Houston

i. A first-ever Houston India conference on 'Make in India' was held in Houston, the USA, for bringing together various constituencies that have an interest in doing business in India and discussing the latest developments.

ii.  The two-day Houston India Conference was hosted by Asia Society Texas Center which began on 25th March 2017. The theme of the Conference is 'Make in India -The Inside Story'.

HDFC Bank's Aditya Puri named in world's 30 Best CEOs list

i. American financial magazine Barron's has listed the name of HDFC Bank Managing Director Aditya Puri’s name in its list of world’s 30 best CEOs. 

ii. He holds the 23rd position in the list beating social media giant Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg who is listed on the 30th spot.

iii. The top position has been secured by Mary Barra of General Motors.

Anupam Kher receives Kala Ratan Award from Vice President

i. Veteran actor Anupam Kher was honored with the Kala Ratan Award by Vice President Hamid Ansari at Punjab University, Chandigarh. 

ii. Anupam Kher was honored him the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution in the field of cinema and arts.

BSF gets first woman combat officer after 51 years

i. Tanushree Pareek became the first woman combat officer to be commissioned in the 51-year history of the BSF, the country’s largest border guarding force.

ii. A resident of Rajasthan’s Bikaner, she is the first woman to join the force in the officer rank after she was selected in the all-India exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in 2014.

World's largest capstone discovered by archaeologists in Telangana

i. The archaeology department of Telangana has discovered the world's largest capstone after excavating an ancient human burial site in Siddipet district, Telangana. The capstone of the menhir burial reportedly weighs about 40 tonnes. 

Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait retires from cricket

i. Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait has announced his retirement from international cricket. Tait who last played for Australia in a Twenty20 international against India in January 2016, cited his chronic elbow trouble as the reason for quitting the game. 

14-year-old becomes first girl to swim from Sea Link to Gateway of India

i. Gauri Singh, 14-year-old girl became the first girl to explore the route from Sea Link near Worli Koliwada to the Gateway of India. 

ii. The 36 km long distance route, which she started was completed in 6 hours and 30 minutes.

FIFA U-17 World Cup: Kolkata to host final

i. FIFA confirmed that the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata will be the venue of the final of the FIFA Under 17 World Cup to be held later in 2017.

ii. The World Cup gets underway from October 6, 2017 and the slogan of the tournament will be "Football Takes Over". 

27/03/2017

World Theatre Day- 27th March

i. World Theatre Day is observed globally on 27th March every year. World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), France. 

ii. The first World Theatre Day Message was written by Jean Cocteau in 1962.

Environment Ministry official to chair animal welfare board

i. The government has notified that Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), a statutory advisory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF) will now be permanently chaired by a senior MoEF official. 

ii. This step came into effect due to the recently held Jallikattu Protest in Tamil Nadu. Central Government applies its preference now in the management of the organization by making a new Board of 18 members, chaired by Sharad Singh Negi, Special Secretary and Director-General (Forests).

CCEA approved closing of CHBL and ICBL

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved closure/winding up of CREDA HPCL Biofuel Ltd (CHBL) and IndianOil - Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) Biofuels Limited (ICBL). 

ii. Joint Ventures between CREDA HPCL Biofuel Ltd (CHBL) and IndianOil-CREDA Biofuels Limited (ICBL) were formed for carrying out energy crop (Jatropha) plantation and production of bio-diesel in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

AP tops in Aadhaar seeding of Jan Dhan accounts

i. The list of state with highest seeded Aadhaar numbers was topped by Andhra Pradesh which had linked 87.73 per cent of its Jan-Dhan accounts with Aadhaar numbers followed by Tripura at 87.08 per cent and Telangana 83.56 percent.

ii. Post demonetization of specified bank notes on November 8, 2016, more accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) have been seeded with Aadhaar numbers.

GIC to be first PSU general insurer to launch IPO

i. General Insurance Corporation (GIC Re) is likely to be the first PSU insurer to tap the capital market as the Finance Ministry has started scouting for merchant bankers to manage its Initial Public Offering (IPO), yet not officially released.

ii. The government holds 100 per cent stake in GIC Re, which provides reinsurance support to 54 general and life insurance companies, both public and private, in the Indian market.

 Karnataka Bank’s launched platinum card

i. Karnataka Bank has launched the ‘MoneyPlant RuPay International Platinum Debit Card’ to provide more privileges to its premium and HNI (high net worth individual) customers.

ii. The card can be used for domestic and international cash withdrawals and purchases. The card has a withdrawal limit of Rs75,000 and purchases limit ofRs2 lakh a day at point-of-sales terminals and e-commerce sites.

Repco ties up with NHB 

i. Repco Home Finance Ltd (RHFL) has signed an agreement with National Housing Bank (NHB) for implementation of a credit-linked subsidy scheme for the middle-income group.

ii. The scheme will be implemented for one year with effect from January 1, 2017, in all statutory towns. The scheme divides middle-income group into two categories with annual household income up to Rs12 lakh and Rs 18 lakh. 

iii. The subsidy will be available for the two brackets for a loan amount of Rs 9 lakh and Rs 12 lakh at the rate of 4 per cent and 3 per cent per annum, respectively, for a tenure of 20 years. The maximum subsidy amount for an individual beneficiary is Rs 2.35 lakh.

Pawan Hans ties-up with HAL to train helicopter pilots

i. State-run Pawan Hans has joined hands with public sector chopper maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to train helicopter pilots.

ii. Pawan Hans is a joint venture where state-owned ONGC holds 49 per cent.

BHEL commissions 250-MW eco-friendly unit in Gujarat

i. State-owned power equipment maker BHEL has commissioned a 250-MW eco-friendly unit using low-grade coal (lignite) as a primary fuel.
ii. The lignite-based thermal unit, based on circulating fluidised bed combustion (CFBC) technology, is the second such facility to be commissioned at Bhavnagar Energy Company’s (BECL) 2x250-MW thermal power project at Padva in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat.

Conference on 'Make in India' held in Houston

i. A first-ever Houston India conference on 'Make in India' was held in Houston, the USA, for bringing together various constituencies that have an interest in doing business in India and discussing the latest developments.

ii.  The two-day Houston India Conference was hosted by Asia Society Texas Center which began on 25th March 2017. The theme of the Conference is 'Make in India -The Inside Story'.

HDFC Bank's Aditya Puri named in world's 30 Best CEOs list

i. American financial magazine Barron's has listed the name of HDFC Bank Managing Director Aditya Puri’s name in its list of world’s 30 best CEOs. 

ii. He holds the 23rd position in the list beating social media giant Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg who is listed on the 30th spot.

iii. The top position has been secured by Mary Barra of General Motors.

Anupam Kher receives Kala Ratan Award from Vice President

i. Veteran actor Anupam Kher was honored with the Kala Ratan Award by Vice President Hamid Ansari at Punjab University, Chandigarh. 

ii. Anupam Kher was honored him the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution in the field of cinema and arts.

BSF gets first woman combat officer after 51 years

i. Tanushree Pareek became the first woman combat officer to be commissioned in the 51-year history of the BSF, the country’s largest border guarding force.

ii. A resident of Rajasthan’s Bikaner, she is the first woman to join the force in the officer rank after she was selected in the all-India exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in 2014.

World's largest capstone discovered by archaeologists in Telangana

i. The archaeology department of Telangana has discovered the world's largest capstone after excavating an ancient human burial site in Siddipet district, Telangana. The capstone of the menhir burial reportedly weighs about 40 tonnes. 

Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait retires from cricket

i. Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait has announced his retirement from international cricket. Tait who last played for Australia in a Twenty20 international against India in January 2016, cited his chronic elbow trouble as the reason for quitting the game. 

14-year-old becomes first girl to swim from Sea Link to Gateway of India

i. Gauri Singh, 14-year-old girl became the first girl to explore the route from Sea Link near Worli Koliwada to the Gateway of India. 

ii. The 36 km long distance route, which she started was completed in 6 hours and 30 minutes.

FIFA U-17 World Cup: Kolkata to host final

i. FIFA confirmed that the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata will be the venue of the final of the FIFA Under 17 World Cup to be held later in 2017.

ii. The World Cup gets underway from October 6, 2017 and the slogan of the tournament will be "Football Takes Over". 

28/03/2017

Union Petroleum Ministry launches MoPNG e Seva

i. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched MoP&NG e-Seva. 

ii. It is a dedicated grievances redressal platform on Social Media for all queries and grievances relating to Oil and Gas Sector. 

ESIC launched Mobile Clinic Services in AP and Telangana

i. The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) launched Mobile Clinic Services for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 

ii. Union minister of state for labour and employment Bandaru Dattatreya, launched the ESIC Mobile Clinic Services by flagging off 'Jan Suraksha Ambulances'. 

iii. It is for the first time in the country that the ESIC Mobile Clinic Services are launched in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Odisha becomes first state to bring banking to remote rural areas through SHG

i. Odisha became the first state in the country to carry financial inclusion and extend banking services to unbanked areas through Self Help Groups (SHGs).

ii. The state government signed an agreement with State Bank of India in this regard. The system would be of great help to people in rural areas under social security schemes.

KVB bags ‘best small bank’ award

i. Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has been adjudged the ‘Best Small Bank for 2016’. 

ii. This is the eighth award won by KVB in the current fiscal.

Vijaya Bank inks MoU with Piaggio Vehicles

i. Vijaya Bank entered into an MoU with Piaggio Vehicles for providing financial support for the purchase of vehicles under Small Road Transport Operators (SRTO) scheme in Bengaluru. 

ii. Vijaya Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kishore Sansi flagged off the first batch of vehicles under the MoU in the presence of Piaggio Vehicles Vice-President Praveen Nagpal.

Syndicate Bank opens 40 ‘Ananya’ branches

i. Syndicate Bank digitally inaugurated 40 ‘Ananya’ transformed branches. Project Ananya is a two-year large-scale transformation project undertaken by the bank to provide customers with ‘best in class’ services while improving and modernizing the whole bank.

ii. The aim is to enhance customer experience, improve sales focus, and improve digital transactions through a dedicated digit zone. The bank also launched its first MSME hub in Bengaluru.

Bharat Dynamics, L&T sign up for torpedo export

i. Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), a defence public sector undertaking, signed an MoU with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for export of torpedoes.

ii. The torpedoes are designed and developed at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhaptnam and manufactured by BDL. 

ICICI Bank partners with Truecaller

i. ICICI Bank announced a partnership with mobile app firm Truecaller for a new UPI-based mobile payment service.The new feature called as Truecaller Pay, and it will allow users of the app to instantly create a UPI ID, send money to any UPI ID or a mobile number registered with the BHIM app.

ii. It will also enable users to recharge their mobile number from within the Truecaller app itself.

Truecaller partners with Google

i. Leading communication app Truecaller has tied up with Google to integrate the tech giant's video calling app Duo within the Truecaller app.

ii. According to the agreement, Truecaller integration with Google Duo will be available in the  Android and iOS as a permission-based service, where users will be able to opt-in and out at any time.

Indian-American Vanita Gupta appointed president of ‘Leadership Conference’

i. Indian-American Vanita Gupta has been appointed as president and CEO of ‘The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’, becoming the first woman to head the prestigious organization. 

ii. She will replace Wade Henderson who is stepping down after more than two decades. She will begin her new role on June 1, 2017.

Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha gets Sikh Jewel Award

i. Indian-origin British Director Gurinder Chadha has been honored with the Sikh Jewel Award for 2017 for her immense contribution to British cinema. 

ii. Chadha, whose films include Bhaji on the Beach, Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice, received the award from UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. The event was organized by the British Sikh Association.

CCI imposes reduced penalty of Rs591 crore on Coal India for fuel supply pacts

i. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a reduced penalty of Rs 591 crore on Coal India Ltd for fuel supply pacts. 

ii. CCI asked Coal India to modify the Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) and also ensure that uniformity between old and new power producers as well as between private and state power producers.

Minoru Kato appointed as new HMSI CEO

i. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has appointed Minoru Kato as a new President and Chief Executive Office of the company effective from April 1, 2017. 

ii. He will be replacing Keita Muramatsu, the current President & CEO who spear-headed Honda’s Indian two-wheeler operations for the last six years. 

Eminent Jurist TR Andhyarujina Passes Away

i. Senior Advocate and eminent jurist Tehmtan R. Andhyarujina passed away. He was the Solicitor General of India from 1996 to 1998. 

Satwik-Chirag pair wins Vietnam Challenger

i. Promising Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched the $20,000 Vietnam Open International challenger badminton doubles title after defeating Thai pair of Trawut Potieng and Nanthakam Yordphaisong in a final in Hanoi, Vietnam.

29/03/2017

AAI, DRDO and Govt. of Jharkhand Signed a Tripartite MoU

i. The Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Government of Jharkhand signed an MoU for the development of the Deoghar Airport in Deoghar district of Jharkhand.
ii. The existing Deoghar Airport will be developed for operations of A-320 and C-130 Aircraft. The time frame given to develop and operationalize the Deoghar Airport is two years.

1st time India becomes Net Exporter of Electricity

i. As per Central Electricity Authority, the Designated Authority of Government of India for Cross Border Trade of Electricity, 1st time India has turned around from a net importer of electricity to Net Exporter of electricity.
ii. During the current year 2016-17 (April 2016 to February 2017), India has exported around 5,798 Million Units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar which is 213 Million units more than the import of around 5,585 Million units from Bhutan.

SBI launches 'Unnati' credit card

i. SBI Card launched a unique credit card ‘SBI Card Unnati’ targeted at all SBI customers, including Jan Dhan account-holders across the country.
ii. As per the statement of SBI Card CEO, Vijay Jasuja, any SBI customer with a balance of at least Rs 25,000 in his/her savings account with the bank would be eligible for the Unnati credit card without the need for any credit score or credit history.

Karnataka Bank’s PoS installations reach 10,000-mark

i. The total tally of PoS (point-of-sale) installations of Karnataka Bank Ltd has reached 10,000. The bank has been offering PoS services since 2011.
ii. This service enabled the merchant establishments to accept card payments and boost their business. The bank is also providing ‘PoS Manager’, an android mobile app to help merchants.

Paytm, The first e-commerce company to become ASCI member

i. The country’s fast-growing e-commerce industry Paytm is all set to become a member of the self-regulatory voluntary organization Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) from April, 2017.
ii. The move is significant because advertising violations by e-commerce companies, which are big spenders on television, print and digital media, have been on the rise in recent years.
iii. The Alibaba-backed Paytm has also set up a new company named Paytm Financial Services, which will sell financial products like insurance and mutual funds to its planned payments bank account holders.

IRDAI imposed penalty on ICICI Pru Life
i. The Insurance Regulatory and Development authority of India (IRDAI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 20 lakh on ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company on various charges.
ii. The charges include free look cancellations not being in line with regulations and delay in processing surrenders/partial withdrawals.

 INLCU L51 commissioned into India Navy

i. Indian Navy inducts surveillance ship INLCU L51, the first of the eight ships of the Landing Craft Utility MK IV Class, was commissioned into the India Navy in Port Blair.
ii. The commissioning of the ship adds a feather to the glorious chapter in the nation’s ‘Make in India’ initiatives and indigenisation efforts in the field of warship design and construction.

NTPC commissions 55 MW solar project at Bhadla
i. State-run power producer NTPC has commissioned 55 Mega Watt (MW) of Bhadla Solar Power Project in Rajasthan.
ii. With this, the installed capacity of Bhadla Solar Power project has become 260 MW and that of NTPC's solar power projects has become 620 MW.


Sima Kamil becomes first woman to lead a major Pakistani bank

i. United Bank Limited (UBL) has appointed Sima Kamil as the new president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the bank.
ii. She will take charge on June 1, 2017 by replacing outgoing CEO Wajahat Hussain. She is the first woman to head a major commercial bank in Pakistan.


UN appoints David Beasley to head World Food Programme

i. United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres has appointed former South Carolina Governor David Beasley to head the Rome-based World Food Programme (WFP).
ii. Beasley will run the affairs of the world’s largest humanitarian organization, serving more than 90 million beneficiaries in 80 countries.
iii. He has replaced Etharin Cousin, who has been the WFP executive director since 2012.

Anil Ambani inducted into the Atlantic Council
i. Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has been inducted into the international advisory board of global think-tank the Atlantic Council.
ii. The Atlantic Council headquartered in Washington, DC. The Atlantic Council chaired by Jon Huntsman Jr.



Bhubaneswar to host men’s hockey World League Final 2017

i. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed Bhubaneswar as the venue for two of its major events the Men’s Hockey World League Final in December 2017 and the men’s World Cup in 2018.
ii. The Kalinga Stadium in the Odisha capital was confirmed as host after the state government signed a deal with FIH to sponsor the two events.

R Ashwin receives Sir Garfield Sobers trophy

i.India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin received Garfield Sobers Trophy for being named the ICC Cricketer of the Year as well as the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.
ii. With this Ashwin has become the third Indian and the 12th player overall to win the award after Rahul Dravid in 2004 and Sachin Tendulkar in 2010.

30/03/2017

Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal joined UDAY
i. Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh have joined the Centre’s power distribution company debt relief scheme, Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY). With this, 26 states have joined the scheme.
ii. The government estimates that Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura will gain net benefits of approximately Rs 4,178 crore, Rs 309 crore and Rs 810 crore respectively. 

Union Government launches Online Film Certification System

i. Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu launched the online film certification system, 'e-cinepramaan' with an aim to censor corruption and promote clean cinema.

ii. The new system of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will make the entire process of certification transparent and efficient. The payments made during the process by the producers will go to Bharat Kosh portal.

Chenani-Nashri Tunnel: The longest road tunnel in South Asia
i. In the Historic move, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will formally open the longest road tunnel of South Asia- Chenani-Nashri Tunnel on 2nd April 2017.

Click here to read more

Govt signs deal for Hydrocarbon project in Neduvasal

i.  The Government of India signed a contract for the Discovered Small Fields (DSF) Bid 2016 with GEM Laboratories for extracting Hydrocarbons at Neduvasal, in Tamil Nadu.

ii. The contract was one of the many signed for 31 areas under the DSF Bid Round 2016.

India, Nepal renew fuel supply pact

i. India and Nepal have renewed the fuel supply agreement between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) for another five years.

ii. Supplies to Nepal from India have been meeting the petroleum product requirements since 1974. Both countries are working together for the construction of petroleum product Motihari-Amlekhgunj Pipeline.

Third meeting of G-20 framework working group held at Varanasi

i. The 3rd G-20 Framework Working Group (FWG) Meeting under the G-20 German Presidency was held in Varanasi on 28th and 29th of March, 2017.

ii. The first two G-20 FWG meetings under the G-20 German Presidency have already been held at Berlin in Dec 16 and at Riyadh in Feb 17. Since the inception of the FWG in 2009, this is the fourth occasion that India is hosting this meeting.

iii. Previously, India had hosted the G-20 FWG Meetings in Rajasthan (2012), in Goa (2014) and in Kerala (2015) under different presidencies.

NASA, ISRO jointly working on project NISAR

i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly working on the development of Dual Frequency (L and S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite named as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)

ii. The L-band SAR is being developed by JPL/NASA, while ISRO is developing S-band SAR.

World Environmental Education Congress 2017

i. The 9th World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) will be held in Vancouver, Canada between September 9-15 2017. The theme will be 'Weaving new connections'.

ii. The International Organizing Committee is the WEEC Permanent Secretariat, based in Italy. The congress is an international meeting point for everyone working with education for environment and sustainable future or who has an interest in the field.

 Amazon makes entry in UAE by acquiring Souq.com

i. Amazon, the USA based e-commerce giant made its entry in UAE by acquiring Souq.com, the Middle East’s largest online retailer.

ii. This agreement brings Amazon into a fast-growing market as it expands into a wide range of services. Souq.com, based in Dubai is the largest e-commerce platform in the Arab world offering more than 400,000 products such as consumer electronics, fashion products, and household goods.

 ALTBalaji ties up with MobiKwik

i. ALTBalaji, the digital platform of Balalji Telefilms Ltd, has announced a partnership with mobile wallet major MobiKwik.

ii. The Over-the-top (OTT) entertainment platform ALTBalaji will offer 250 hours of original content and subscribers can now avail themselves of 25 per cent cashback while paying for the service using MobiKwik wallet.

Indian Army Releases Book on Rashtriya Rifles
i. General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) in New Delhi, released the book ‘Home of the Brave’ on the history of Indian Army’s Counter Insurgency Force, the Rashtriya Rifles (RR).
ii. The book is authored by Mr. Nitin A Gokhale, Defence & Security Analyst and Brig S K Chatterji (Retired).

31/03/2017

President inaugurated 'Namami Brahmaputra' festival in Assam

i. The biggest river festival of India, Namami Brahmaputra, begins in 21 districts of Assam.

ii. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the festival on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, which is considered country's only male river.

iii. The main purpose of the 5-day festival (31st March to 4th April) is to give a boost to the investment and tourism prospect in the state.

India signs First Loan Agreement with New Development Bank

i. The Loan Agreement for New Development Bank (NDB) financing of US$ 350 Million for Development and Upgradation of Major District Roads Project in Madhya Pradesh was signed between Government of India and the New Development Bank (NDB).

ii. This is the First Loan Agreement for NDB assisted project in India. The objective of the Project is upgradation of major district roads (Approx. 1,500 km) in Madhya Pradesh to improve connectivity of the interior areas of the state with the national and state highway networks. The project implementation is 5 years.

Mental Healthcare Bill passed in Parliament

i. Parliament passed the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, which provides healthcare and services to the people with mental illness and also decriminalizes suicide.

ii. The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in August 2016. The Mental Healthcare Bill secured approval in Lok Sabha too, recently. On the clauses decriminalizing suicide, the bill states that a person who attempts suicide should be presumed to have severe stress, and shall not be punished.

iii. Under the Mental Healthcare Bill, the punishment for flouting of provisions will attract up to six months in prison or Rs 10,000 fine or both.

RBI says payment systems to remain closed on April 1

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said all payment systems will remain closed on April 1, in a change from its earlier directive asking banks to remain open on the first day of the next fiscal beginning April.

ii. Electronic fund transfers using payment channels like RTGS (Real-time gross settlement) and NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) would remain closed on Saturday. However, debit card and credit card transactions would remain unaffected. 

Interest rates on small savings schemes cut by 0.1%

i. The returns on small savings schemes, including Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, will be lowered by 0.1 percent for the April-June quarter.

ii. Interest rates on all nine small savings schemes will be lower by 0.1%. Interest rates are reviewed quarterly.

iii. According to finance ministry notification, investments in the public provident fund (PPF) scheme will fetch lower annual rate of 7.9%, the same as a five-year National Savings Certificate.

Karnataka Bank, SBI Card launch co-branded credit card
i. Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank.

ii. Through this alliance, Karnataka Bank and SBI Card will launch two variants of the co-branded credit card named ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’ and ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’.

Sunaina Singh appointed as new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University

i. Sunaina Singh has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University. She was Vice Chancellor of Hyderabad-based EFL University. She has replaced George Yeo.

ii. The University has received a total of 160 applications for the position and six people were called for interviews and three names were then sent to the Visitor. Singh’s name was on top.

El Salvador becomes first country in the world to ban metals mining

i. El Salvador, Central America’s smallest nation, has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nationwide.

ii. The new law, supported by 70 lawmakers, bans all exploration, extraction, and processing of metals both in open pits and mines.

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson breaks Sunita Williams’ spacewalking record

i. American astronaut Peggy Whitson made history when she floated outside the International Space Station (ISS).

ii. She broke the record for the most spacewalks by a woman. Whitson at the age of 57, is making her eighth career spacewalk, surpassing the record of seven previously held by American Sunita Williams.
iii. Ms. Whitson earned a doctorate in biochemistry and served as the first female space station commander in 2008.

India's S V Sunil named player of the year for 2016 in Asian Hockey Awards

i. Indian forward player S V Sunil was named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016.

ii. Drag-flick specialist Harmanpreet Singh was chosen as the Promising Player of the Year in the continental body’s annual awards.

Sachin Tendulkar launches own mobile app
i. Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launched his Android and iOS app called '100MB'. The app has been developed by Pune-based technology firm JetSynthesys.
ii. The app allows users access to their personal social media account within the app and access to exclusive information and interaction with Tendulkar.