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My Dear Aspirants,

Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” said Gautama Buddha. We all have dreams. To turn

dreams into reality it takes a lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and hard work.

We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality coaching and help

every aspirant to achieve his or her life’s cherished goal of becoming a civil servant.

The class room coaching at VETRII IAS Study Circle is meticulously planned to equip the aspirants with

all the relevant facts and fundamentals of the subjects. Further the VETRII IAS Study Circle Study

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comprehensive manner.

Wishing You All The Very Best !!

M. SHUNMUGAM

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Vetrii IAS Study Circle.

TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IRC DEC 2017

9600124042/ 9840097666

CONTENT

SL. NO TITLE PAGE NO

1. Important Days 1-2

2. National Affairs 3 – 12

3. State Affairs 13 - 23

4. International 24 - 30

5. Schemes 31 - 32

6. Economy 33 - 36

7. Awards & Honours 37 - 40

8. Science & Technology 41 - 45

9. Sports 46 - 48

10. Personalities 49 - 50

11. Defence 51 - 52

12. General Knowledge 53 - 54

13. Summits & Committees 55 - 56

14. Important Index 57 – 58

15. Appointment 59 - 60

TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS Dec 2017

9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 1

IMPORTANT DAYS

December 1st: World AIDS Day

Designated by: World Health Organisation

Theme: Everybody Counts

First Observed in: 1988

December 3rd: International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Designated by : United Nations General Assembly

Theme: Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all


December 5th : International Volunteer Day


Theme: Volunteers Act First. Here. Everywhere


December 5th : World Soil Day

First launched by : International Union of Soil Sciences (2002)

Endorsed by : Food and Agricultural Organisation (Jun 2013)

Accepted by : United Nations General Assembly (Dec 2013)

Theme: Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground

December 07th : International Civil Aviation Day

Established by : International Civil Aviation Organisation (1994)

Adopted by : United Nations General Assembly (1996)

Theme (2015-18): Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left Behind

December 09th : International Anti Corruption Day


Theme: United against corruption for development, peace and security



9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 2

December 10th : United Nations Human Rights Day


Theme: Stand up 4 human rights


December 11th : International Mountains Day


Theme: Mountain under Pressure: climate, hunger, migration


December 20th : International Human Solidarity Day




9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 3

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

INDIA'S FIRST RUNWAY ON 'SEA BRIDGE' IN LAKSHADWEEP

India is all set to get its first runway on a

‗sea bridge‘, as the Airports Authority of

India (AAI) has been given a nod to extend

Lakshadweep‘s Agatti Airport.

The task will be carried out by building an

RCC platform on the beach and shallow

area which will allow bigger ATRs to

operate on the island.

INDIA'S FIRST TESLA CAR REGISTERED IN MUMBAI

India's first Tesla was registered at the

Tardeo Regional Transport Office (RTO).

The Model X car, is owned by the business

conglomerate Essar's CEO Prashant Ruia

and is reportedly exempted from RTO taxes

as it is an electric vehicle.

INDIA‟S FIRST ENERGY-EFFICIENT RAILWAY STATION

Kacheguda has earned the distinction of being the first energy-efficient ‗A1

Category‘ railway station in the country.

Kacheguda railway station has achieved 100% energy efficiency by replacing 1,312

conventional lights with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, 370 ceiling fans with

Brushless DC Electrical (BLDC) motors energy-efficient fans and 12 air

conditioners with energy efficient inverter type ACs.

Kacheguda Railway station is a historic building and had completed 100 years.

NOTE :

The SUV (sports utility vehicle) is also the 16th electric vehicle registered in Mumbai

during the current financial year.


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REGIONAL PROJECT TO TACKLE STUBBLE BURNING

The Environment Ministry approved the

regional project on ‗Climate Resilience

Building among Farmers through Crop

Residue Management‘ under National

Adaptation Fund for Climate Change

(NAFCC).

The project was approved at meeting of

National Steering Committee on Climate

Change (NSCCC) held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Secretary,

Environment Ministry.

PILOT PROJECT BLUE FLAG FOR BEACH CLEAN-UP

The environment ministry launched a

pilot project 'Blue Flag' for its clean-

up and development. With the prime

objective of enhancing standards of

cleanliness, upkeep and basic

amenities at beaches.

The 'Blue Flag' is a certification by

the Foundation for Environmental

Education (FEE) that a beach, Marina or sustainable boating tourism operator, meets

its stringent standards.

GANGA GRAM PROJECT AT GANGA GRAM SWACHATA SAMMELAN

The Union government had formally launched the ‗Ganga Gram‘ project at the

Ganga Gram Swachata Sammelan in New Delhi.

As part of its clean Ganga mission – Namami Gange, the Ganga Gram project is an

integrated approach for the holistic development of villages situated on the banks

of the holy river with the active participation of villagers.

NOTE :

The project aims to mitigate climate change impacts and enhance adaptive capacity

and counter adverse environmental impacts arising from stubble burning.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 5

COMMERCIAL FLIGHT NOD FOR MADE-IN-INDIA PLANE DORNIER 228

The Directorate General of Civil

Aviation (DGCA) allowed Hindustan

Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)-

manufactured Dornier 228 to be used

for civilian flights.

The 19-seater aircraft has, till now,

been used by defence forces and is the

first plane to be made in the country

for commercial flights.

CLEAN SEA-2017

The Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise titled ‗Clean Sea –

2017‘, was recently conducted at sea off Port Blair.

The objective of the exercise was to ascertain preparedness of the Indian Coast

Guard, resource agencies and other stakeholders in responding to a major oil spill

in line with the provisions of NOS-DCP (National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency

Plan).

NITI AAYOG LAUNCHES ATL COMMUNITY DAY

The National Institute of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog‟s Atal Innovation

Mission launched the Atal Tinkering Lab‘s Community Day in New Delhi.

The day marks Community Drive Initiative in which 25 young Mentors engaged

with more than 200 students who are not enrolled in the formal education system.

The initiative is aimed at maximizing impact of Atal Tinkering Labs by extending

innovation to children in the community who do not have access to

formal educational institutions.

NOTE :

HAL can sell this plane to airlines in India and it can be used by them for regional flights under the Indian government's ambitious UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme.

NOTE :

Indian Coast Guard is responsible for marine environment protection in the maritime zones of India and is the coordinating authority for response to oil spills in Indian waters.

India promulgated National oil spill Disaster contingency plan (NOS-DCP) in the year 1996. Coast guard was designated as central coordination authority.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 6

TRAINING OF TRAINERS PROGRAM FOR SENDAI FRAMEWORK

The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, inaugurated

the first national-level training of trainers program to sensitize various Central

Ministries and Departments on the utilization of Sendai Monitor for developing

action plans for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in New Delhi.

The three-day programme was organized by the National Disaster Management

Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster

Risk Reduction-Global Education and Training Institute (UNISDR-GETI).

INDIA REACHES 2ND POSITION ON HORTICULTURAL CROPS

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh research and development

projects in horticulture crops have yielded encouraging results, as a result, the

production of horticulture crops have been more than food grains irrespective of

adverse climatic conditions.

After China, India is the second largest producer of horticultural crops and fruits.

In terms of area in India, the citrus fruits hold second position (10.37 lakh hectare)

and third (12 million tonnes) in production.

NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL IMPOSES COMPLETE BAN ON PLASTIC

ITEMS IN HARIDWAR AND RISHIKESH

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on plastic items like carry

bags, plates etc in Haridwar and Rishikesh, located on the banks of the River

Ganga.

The move was taken to to tackle and prevent pollution of the Ganga.

The NGT passed the direction after noting that despite its earlier order, plastic was

being used in these areas causing pollution to the river.

The green panel was hearing a plea of environmentalist MC Mehta.

AYUSH MINISTRY OPENS ITS ARMS TO BOOST THE EXPORTS OF

AYURVEDIC PRODUCTS

AYUSH Ministry hands with Commerce

and Industry Ministry; Federation of

Indian Chambers of Commerce and

Industry (FICCI) and Pharmexcil to

organize the International AROGYA

2017.

First Edition of International Exhibition

and Conference on AYUSH and


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 7

Wellness with the theme „Enhancing the export potential of AYUSH‟. This event

was attended by many dignitaries and manufacturers.

During the conference important topics relating to Standardization and Quality

Control in AYUSH Sector, Enhancing the export potential of AYUSH and Business

opportunities, Integrative Healthcare.

WINTER SESSION OF PARLIAMENT BEGINS

The winter session of Parliament

begins with Prime Minister Narendra

Modi urging all political parties to

extend co-operation for smooth

conduct and pressing for a "national

consensus" on the issue of

simultaneous elections in the country.

UNION CABINET APPROVES AUCTIONING OF 680 FM CHANNELS

UNDER PHASE III

The Union cabinet approved an auction of 683 private FM radio frequencies in

236 cities across the country under Phase III of FM radio privatization.

The sale of these channels in Phase III is likely to generate direct and indirect

employment to more than 10,000 persons on a pan-India basis.

The third batch of FM auctions will cover cities with no private FM radio presence,

including cities in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir and north-east states where

the population is less than 100,000. With the completion of FM Phase III auctions,

the government is planning to cover all the 29 states.

NOTE :

The NAM was launched in September 2014. It is being implemented by Ministry of AYUSH with the objective of providing cost-effective universal access to AYUSH Services.

NOTE :

This year's Winter Session of the Parliament will end on 5th January 2018 has only 14 proposed sittings.

As per government data available, 14 sittings is the lowest for any winter session since 1999.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 8

'MANN KI BAAT' PROGRAM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will

share his thoughts with listeners of All

India Radio in the Mann Ki Baat

programme at 11 AM.

His is the 39th edition of the Mann Ki

Baat programme will be broadcast on an

entire network of AIR and Doordarshan.

GAIL AWARDS MAJOR CONTRACTS FOR PRADHAN MANTRI URJA

GANGA

State-run Gas (India) Limited (GAIL) placed orders for another 400-km natural gas

pipeline project under ambitious Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG).

INCREDIBLE INDIA NATION EARNS

1,60,865 CRORES

Tourism is a major engine of economic growth

and an important source of foreign exchange

earnings in many countries including India.

However, as the tourism is flourishing, the

country's economy is also getting a massive hike.

NOTE :

It will also be streamed on the YouTube channels of the Prime Minister‘s Office, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and DD News

NOTE :

For 2,100 km of Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL) project have been placed.

NOTE :

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during the period January-November 2017 were

90.01 lakh with a growth of 15.6% while Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs)

during the period January-November 2017 were Rs.1,60,865 Crore with a growth

of 16.9% over same period of previous year.

India's rank in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), 2017 has

also shown 25 places jump from 2013.

The Rank of India in TTCI Report of 2017 was 40th as compared to 52nd in 2015

and 65th in 2013.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 9

UNION CABINET APPROVES ESTABLISHING INDIA'S 1ST NATIONAL

RAIL AND TRANSPORTATION UNIVERSITY

The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the Ministry of

Railways' transformative initiative to set up India's first ever National Rail and

Transport University (NRTU) in Vadodara, Gujarat to skill its human resources

and build capability.

The University will be set up as a Deemed to Be University under de novo

category as per the UGC [Institutions Deemed to be Universities] Regulations,

2016. Government is planning to launch the first academic program in July 2018.

The funding of the new University/Institute is to entirely come from Ministry of

Railways.

NATIONAL NUTRITION MISSION

The Union Cabinet approved setting up of National Nutrition Mission with a three

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

NNM will address three aspects—the food that should be given to rein in stunting,

undernourishment, low birthweight and anaemia; the delivery system required for

it; and monitoring of the entire process.

Under the mission, the government is targeting a reduction of 2% a year in

stunting, undernutrition and low birthweight among 100 million people. Also, it

aims to reduce anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls by 3%

a year.

SLCM TIES UP WITH HDFC, INDUSIND BANK FOR POST HARVEST

CREDIT

Agri service solutions provider Sohan Lal Commodity Management

(SLCM) having operations across India and Myanmar has tied up with HDFC

Bank and IndusInd Bank to provide collateral management services.

NOTE :

This tie-up will not only help improve the farmers' access to post-harvest credits at affordable interest rates, it will also provide easy access to scientific storage facilities leading to a fair price discovery of their products in the market.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 10

CYCLONE OCKHI

The deep depression which had formed in the Bay of Bengal near Kanyakumari

district in Tamil Nadu, bordering Kerala, has now intensified into a cyclonic storm

named Ockhi.

The name Ockhi was given by Bangladesh which in Bengali means ‗eye‘.

OP SAHAYAM

OP Sahayam is an Indian Navy exercise for undertaking Search and Rescue (SAR)

and providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster relief (HADR) material

support, over Southeast Arabian Sea and L& M islands in the aftermath of Very

Severe Cyclonic Storm ‗OCKHI‘.

CERTIFICATE OF COMMENDATION TO WCCB FOR “OPERATION SAVE

KURMA”

India has been awarded with the Certificate of Commendation for its exemplary

enforcement action in its regional and global effort to combat illegal wildlife trade.

The award has been given to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau by the Secretary

General of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora.

India was the only recipient of the Certificate of Commendation at the recently

held 69th Standing Committee meeting of CITES at Geneva.

NOTE :

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) started the

tropical cyclone naming system in 2000.

Tropical cyclones are named to provide ease of communication between

forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches, and warnings.

The Cyclones worldwide are named by 9 regions— North Atlantic, Eastern North

Pacific, Central North Pacific, Western North Pacific, North Indian Ocean, South

West Indian Ocean, Australian, Southern Pacific, South Atlantic.

Cyclones in the North Indian Ocean basin are named by the Indian

Meteorological Department and the first tropical cyclone was named in 2004 as

Onil (given by Bangladesh).

Eight north Indian Ocean countries — Bangladesh, India, the Maldives,

Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, gave eight names each

which was combined into a list of 64 names.

One name from each country is picked in an order to name the cyclones.

The previous storm Mora that caused severe flooding across Northeast India in

May was named by Thailand.

Mora is the name of one of the healing stones and also means star of the sea.

The next cyclone will be named Sagar — a name given by India


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 11

The award has been presented to WCCB for its efforts in conducting and

coordinating a species specific wildlife enforcement Operation, codenamed

“Operation Save Kurma”.

The operation was also aimed to invite attention of the enforcement agencies

towards such illegal trade.

During the ‗Operation Save Kurma‘ conducted from December 15, 2016 to January

30, 2017, approximately 16, 000 live turtles/tortoises were seized and released

back into the wild.

WASSENAAR ARRANGEMENT

In a significant development, elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) has decided to admit India as its new member.

This is expected to raise New Delhi‘s stature in the field of non-proliferation besides helping it acquire critical technologies.

The decision was taken at the recently held plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna.

TAJ MAHAL – SECOND BEST UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

The Taj Mahal, India‘s iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, is the second best UNESCO world heritage site in the world.

The Taj Mahal is rated after Cambodia‘s Angkor Wat.

NOTE :

The Government of India constituted a statutory body, the Wildlife Crime

Control Bureau (WCCB) on 6 June 2007, by amending the Wildlife (Protection)

Act, 1972.

It was established to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.

NOTE :

The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and

Dual-Use Goods and Technologies, commonly known as the Wassenaar

Arrangement.

It is a multilateral export control regime established to ensure regional and

international security and stability promoting transparency in transfer of

arms and dual-use goods and technologies.

India‘s entry into the export control regime would enhance its credentials in

the field of non-proliferation despite not being a signatory to the Non-

Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The WA membership is also expected to build up a strong case for India‘s

entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Further, since India has low reserves of uranium required for its civil nuclear

energy programmes, the country entry to the Export Control regimes will help

secure the supply of nuclear fuel more easily.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 12

NATION CELEBRATES KISAN DIWAS

Kisan Diwas (Farmer's Day) is observed every year on 23 December to celebrate

the birth anniversary of the fifth prime minister.

He was the PM of India for a very short tenure starting from 28th of July 1979 until

14th January 1980.

A Kisan leader, Late Chaudhary Charan Singh belonged to a peasant family.

When he became the Prime Minister of India in July 1979 he made many changes

to improve the lives of the farmers.

This is also an interesting fact that as the Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary

Charan Singh never visited the Lok Sabha.

Short News

The Skill Development Ministry and Maruti Suzuki have signed an agreement

to impart training to youth and enhance their employment potential.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 13

STATE AFFAIRS LOAN AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH WB FOR FARMERS IN TAMIL NADU

The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $318 million loan

agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project

To promote climate resilient agriculture technologies to improve water

management practices and increase market opportunities for small and marginal

farmers. About 500,000 farmers, of which a majority are small and marginal, are

expected to benefit from improved and modernized tank irrigation systems. The

$318 million loan from the IBRD has a 5-year grace period and a maturity of 19

years.

T.N. IS 14TH IN IMPLEMENTING URBAN LIVELIHOOD SCHEME

Tamil Nadu has been ranked 14th in the country in the implementation of the

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)

scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Based on the Systematic Progressive Analytical Real Time Ranking (SPARK), T.N.

is ranked after Kerala, while Madhya Pradesh and Punjab are in the first two

spots.

V.O. CHIDAMBARANAR PORT TRUST CREATES NEW RECORD IN

SINGLE DAY CARGO HANDLING

V O Chidambaranar Port Trust in Chennai created a new record for single day

handling of cargo.

It handled 36,526 Metric Tonnes of thermal coal at the berth NCB-I from the vessel

MV. Asian Champion.

The previous single day record was 35,656 Metric Tonnes of thermal coal at the

same berth from the vessel MV. Tentenc on 30.10.2016.

Shri I. Jeyakumar, Chairman of V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust said that this Port

is continuously striving to achieve improvement in performance and productivity

in order to attract more volume of traffic.

INDIA‟S ONE AND ONLY ISO 9000 CERTIFIED HOME – CHENNAI

The Surana family in Chennai has acquired an ISO 9000 certification. This is the India‘s one and only ISO-certified household.

The eldest member of the family, the grandfather, has been named the ‗household head‘.

Grandma is the ‗household representative‘ and the mother is designated the ‗management representative‘.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 14

The other members of the family, the father and the children are designated as the ‗permanent customers‘.

If you‘re visiting the Suranas, you will most likely be termed ‗temporary customers‘ and will be served a customer feedback form along with your cup of tea, wherein you can respond with the level of satisfaction with the hospitality and the food.

KAANI TRIBES

Kani is a tribe living in the Western Ghats area of Kerala, India.

ASSAM SIGNS MOU WITH ISHA FOUNDATION TO SAVE RIVERS

The Assam government signed an MoU

with Isha Foundation to conserve and

rejuvenate the rivers of Assam.

Assam became the sixth state in the country to

sign MoU with non-profit making and

spiritual organization, the Isha foundation.

The agreement was signed by Assam CM

Sarbananda Sonowal.

NOTE :

The ISO 9000 family of quality management systems standards is designed to

help organizations ensure that they meet the needs of customers and other

stakeholders while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements related to a

product or program.

ISO 9000 deals with the fundamentals of quality management systems,

including the seven quality management principles upon which the family of

standards is based.

ISO 9001 deals with the requirements that organizations wishing to meet the

standard must fulfill.

NOTE :

Their use of the forest plant arogyapacha (trichopus zeylanicus) as a key ingredient

in a herbal remedy called Jeevani was noted by visiting scientists in the 1980s.

The formula was eventually developed as a commercial enterprise by Arya Vaidya

Pharmacy, with the tribe‘s Kerala Kani Welfare Trust receiving license fees and

royalties.

A recently discovered species of tree-dwelling crab has been named Kani maranjandu

after the tribe.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 15

MUMBAI GETS INDIA'S FIRST EVER AC LOCAL TRAIN

Mumbai got India's first ever AC suburban local train as Christmas gift.

The first service of the 12-coach EMU

will commence between Borivali and

Church gate.

The first and 12th coaches from

Churchgate end are ear marked as

ladies coaches.

This will be the first train with

automatic doors in the suburban

system.

BENGALURU BECOMES FIRST INDIAN CITY TO HAVE ITS OWN LOGO

Karnataka's capital city Bengaluru has

become the first Indian city to have its own

logo after the state government launched it.

The logo was designed by a design start-up

and uses both English and Kannada

alphabets.

The red and black logo is part English and part Kannada. With this, Bengaluru joins a

select group of global cities like New York City, Melbourne and Singapore to have a

tourism logo of its own.

UTTAR PRADESH STATE GOVERNOR

LAUNCHES KUMBH 2019 LOGO

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has

unveiled a new multi-coloured logo for the

Kumbh Mela that is scheduled to be held in

Allahabad in January 2019.

The logo, which comprises temples, seers, a

Kalash (pitcher) and a 'Swastika', was

launched by the governor at a function in the Raj Bhawan here last evening.

He launched the Kumbh's tagline "Chalo Kumbh Chalo-Chalo, Kumbh Chalo".

KUMBH MELA

The Intergovernmental Committee under UNESCO has inscribed ´KumbhMela´ on

the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 12th

session being held at Jeju, South Korea.

This inscription is the third in two years following the inscriptions of ´Yoga´ and

´Nouroz´ in December.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 16

BODHI PARVA 2017

India is hosting the 2017 edition of ―Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist

Heritage‖ in New Delhi as part of celebrations of 20th Anniversary of BIMSTEC.

To emphasise and raise awareness of this rich and common heritage and mark the

20th anniversary of this unique organisation group, a BIMSTEC Buddhism Festival

‗‘Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage‖ has been celebrated.

The universal message of peace and tolerance practiced by Buddhism can address

the growing sense of inadequacy in the face of changes and conflicts that people

and the world face.

EASTERN INDIAS FIRST CNG STATIONS

Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated eastern India‘s first compressed

natural gas (CNG) stations for scooters in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Pradhan

inaugurated two CNG stations for scooters and three-wheelers at

Chandrasekharpur and Patia area in Bhubaneswar. The minister also launched

CNG-run scooters.

The CNG stations were part of GAIL‘s Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga and City Gas

Distribution (CGD) projects in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

MEGHALAYA LAUNCHES INDIAS FIRST SOCIAL AUDIT LAW

Meghalaya became the first state in the country to operationalize

NOTE :

Kumbh Mela is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth. The festival, held in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik, represents a syncretic

set of rituals related to worship and ritual cleansing in holy rivers in India. As a religious festival, the tolerance and inclusiveness that Kumbh Mela

demonstrates are especially valuable for the contemporary world. The UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage,

adopted in 2003, defines intangible cultural heritage as the practices, representations, expressions as well as knowledge and skills that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.

NOTE :

―Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Buddhist Heritage Festival‖ aims to look at the

different aspects of Buddhism, in today‘s context.

BIMSTEC has a deep connect with Buddhism, which originated in South Asia and

then travelled and rooted itself in South East Asia. Buddhism constitutes a bridge

between South and South-East Asia.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 17

The Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act,

2017, a law that makes a social audit of government programmes and schemes a

part of government practice.

It was launched by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma at a national convention in

Shillong.

The law makes social audits part of the system as earlier it was civil society

initiative rather than government-mandated.

HORNBILL FESTIVAL AND STATE FORMATION DAY CELEBRATIONS OF

NAGALAND

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated 18th edition of the

Hornbill Festival and State Formation Day celebrations of Nagaland in Kisama.

UNION GOVERNMENT RS 2,600 CRORES PACKAGE FOR LEATHER

INDUSTRY; GENERATES 3.24 LAKH JOBS IN THREE YEARS

The Delhi Government approved

a Rs 2,600Crores special package for

employment generation in the leather

and footwear sector.

The decision was taken at a meeting

of the Union Cabinet chaired by PM

Modi in Delhi.

The package has the potential to

generate 3.24 lakh new jobs in 3 years and assist in the formalisation of 2 lakh jobs

as cumulative impact in footwear, leather and accessories sector.

The package involves implementation of central scheme ‗Indian Footwear, Leather

and Accessories Development Programme‘, with an expenditure of Rs 2,600 crore

during 2017-18 to 2019-20.

NOTE :

The Hornbill Festival is a celebration held every year from 1 – 10 December, in

Nagaland, Northeast India.

It is also called the ‗Festival of Festivals‘.

The Hornbill Festival is the perfect showcase of rich Naga culture and traditions,

preserved over the years in the form of music, dance and food.

The aim of the festival is to revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland and

display its extravaganza and traditions


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ANDHRA GOVERNMENT SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH ALPHABET X

The government of Andhra Pradesh entered into an agreement with the moonshot

factory of Alphabet (earlier Google) X to bring the breakthrough Free Space

Optical Communication (FSOC) technology in order to provide internet through

the government Fibergrid project.

ANDHRA CABINET APPROVES PENSION FOR STATE'S TRANSGENDERS

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1500

to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state.

Under this scheme the transgenders will be provided ration cards, plots and

scholarships, also skill development for financial stability.

After Kerala and Odisha, Andhra Pradesh becomes the next state to sanction

pension scheme for the transgender community.

UTTAR PRADESH PASSES BILL TO DEATH PENALTY FOR HOOCH

TRADERS

The Uttar Pradesh government has legalised death penalty and life imprisonment

for those involved in the trade of illegitimate liquor if it leads to the death of the

consumers.

The Excise (Amendment) Bill 2017, passed in the state Assembly, also imposes a

fine of Rs 10 lakh.

Further, the bill imposes imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakhs if

consumption of spurious liquor causes disability.

It also provides for rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years and not less than six

years in case of disability caused by consumption of spurious liquor and fine to the

tune of Rs five lakh and not less than Rs three lakh.

NYAYA GRAM PROJECT

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, laid the foundation stone of the

'Nyaya Gram project' of the High Court of Allahabad in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.

NOTE :

This association with X labs to implement FSOC in AP is first of its kind in the

world to provide wireless internet connection at a higher speed of up to 20Gbps

and to a distance of up to 20kms.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 19

This judicial academy will make a significant contribution to the capacity of the

lower judiciary in Uttar Pradesh.

As per the President, the Nyaya Gram project would prove to be a milestone in

fulfilling the requirements of the Allahabad High Court.

INDIA'S FIRST DESIGN UNIVERSITY OPENS IN HARYANA

India's first and only design university, ' the World University of Design' opened

its campus at Sonipat, Haryana.

The University is promoted by Om Parkash Bansal Educational and Social Welfare

Trust of Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab.

The university is currently located in a sprawling lush green picturesque campus

with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and world-class facilities.

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

DR JITENDRASINGH LAUNCHED E-HRMS ON GOOD GOVERNANCE

DAY

The Union Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern

Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh launched the electronic-Human Resource

Management System (e-HRMS) in New Delhi.

He launched it during the observance of Good Governance Day by the Ministry of

Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

The Minister launched the 25 applications of 5 modules of the system. The e-service

book launched for DoPT during March 2017 will also be integrated into the e-HRMS.

BENGALURU TO HOST 7TH INTERNATIONAL COFFEE FESTIVAL

The seventh edition of the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) will be held

in Bengaluru from January 16-19.

The four-day IICF 2018, being organized by the India Coffee Trust and State-run

Coffee Board to promote the Indian coffees globally.

NOTE :

As per the officials, IICF 2018 would be a precursor to the International Coffee Organisation‘s World Coffee Conference being hosted by India in Bengaluru in 2020.


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INTERNATIONAL MEDAL WINNERS TO GET GOVERNMENT JOB:MP

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan the union government jobs

will be provided to the medal winners of individual and team competitions at the

international level.

While addressing the concluding programme of All India Rajmata Vijaya Raje

Scindia Women Gold Cup Hockey Tournament, Singh mentioned that life is

incomplete without sports.

He announced to give an additional amount of Rs. One lakh each to the teams,

which bagged four first positions in the tournament and Rs. 25 thousand each to the

best players of various categories.

START-UP INCUBATION CENTRE IN MANGALORE

Nirmala Sitharaman launched a start-up incubation center called the Centre for

Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Learning (CEOL) in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

She has allocated Rs. 1.5 crore from her MPLAD (Member of Parliament's Local

Area Development) scheme for the development of CEOL.

PRESIDENT DEDICATED 4 PROJECTS TO ANDHRA PRADESH

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, dedicated to the people of Andhra

Pradesh four projects of the State Government at a function held at Velagapudi,

Andhra Pradesh.

The Projects were Andhra Pradesh Fibregrid Project, Andhra Pradesh Surveillance

Project, Drone Project; and Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) system.

The President focused on the 24/7 hyper-connected world and the online presence

of the government

KONARK DANCE FESTIVAL – ODISHA

The 31st edition annual Konark festival begins in Odisha, which is being held every

year from 1st to 5th December.

It began near the world famous Sun Temple of Konark.

Along with the dance festival, International Sand Art Festival has begun at

Chandrabhaga beach in Konark.

NOTE :

She represents Karnataka as an MP in the Rajya Sabha


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ODISHA ENVIRONMENT CONGRESS 2017 KICKED OFF TO FOSTER

SUSTAINABLE RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT

Indian Affairs Odisha Environment Congress 2017 kicked off with an aim to foster

‗Sustainable River Basin Management‘. OEC-2017 kicked off at Regional Museum

of Natural History in Odisha. Inaugurating the event.

The integrated approach to river basin management is needed with a focus on

water-use-efficiency in both agricultural as well as industry. This may save

adequate water for the river to serve itself. Conscious efforts by all to reduce

pollution load on the river system would be beneficial to both human societies as

well as to nature.

UTTAR PRADESH GOVERNMENT SIGNS MOU WITH SOUTH KOREA

The Uttar Pradesh government signedan

MoU with South Korea to enhance

cooperation in the field of tourism, skill

development, culture and farming.

An agreement was signed in 2000 to

develop Ayodhya and Gimhae as sister

cities, following which a memorial was

constructed in Ayodhya which is visited

by a large number of tourists from South Korea every year.

PM DEDICATES TUIRIAL HYDROPOWER PROJECT TO THE NATION

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 60-megawatt Tuirial

hydroelectric power project from Aizawl, Mizoram.

Mizoram had become the third power- surplus state in the north-east after

Sikkim and Tripura.

The hydropower project would produce "251 million units" of electrical

energy every year. The Tuirial project, which was announced and cleared in

1998 by the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

NOTE :

It was the first major central project to be successfully commissioned in Mizoram. Prime Minister also inaugurated the Shillong - Nongstoin Rongjeng Tura road.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 22

UTTAR PRADESH INTRODUCES NEW POWER SCHEME

Uttar Pradesh launched a free household power connection scheme for the poor

in the state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee‘s birth

anniversary.

The government has a target of covering 16 million by 2018-end, driven by Yogi

Adityanath government‘s motto „Prakash hai to Vikas hai‟ (the barometer of

development is light).

The government has also introduced Kisan Uday Yojana, a novel scheme for

farmers.

The scheme would cover 10 lakh farmers by 2022, would lead to 35 percent saving

on power consumption.

KEN-BETWA RIVER LINKING PROJECT

The Union Government is planning to club phase I and phase II of its

ambitious Ken-Betwa interlinking river (ILR) project.

The phases will be clubbed after Madhya Pradesh, one of the two beneficiary

states (Uttar Pradesh in another), demanded so.

The state government had allegedly warned that first phase of the project would

not be allowed to take off if as it has not reworked to incorporate three other

smaller projects – Bina complex, Lower Orr dam and Kotha barrage projects – in

the initial phase.

The Ken-Betwa ILR project aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken River to

the Betwa basin through the concrete canal to irrigate India‘s worst

drought recently.

GOA CELEBRATES 56TH LIBERATION DAY

Goa celebrated its 56th Liberation Day. The state was liberated on 19th December

in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule.

The main program was organized at the Sports Authority of Goa Ground, Campal

in state capital Panaji. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar unfurled the national flag

at the Goa Liberation Day celebrations in Panaji.


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THIRD WORLD TELUGU CONFERENCE BEGINS IN HYDERABAD

The third World Telugu Conference began in Hyderabad amidst much fanfare.

The main aim of the Conference is to promote Telugu and its literature besides

helping the present generation learn more about Telugu language and its rich

culture and heritage.

Telangana Government has put in place elaborate arrangements for the 5-day event

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu had formally inaugurated the Conference.

Short News

West Bengal government is also gearing up efforts to win the hearts of rural

people. The state government has decided to provide Rs 2,700 crore to widen and

renovate 3,000km of rural roads.

Haryana government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the

Airports Authority of India. The MoU aims at the development of an International

Aviation Hub at Hisar.


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INTERNATIONAL INDIA AND COLUMBIA SOON TO JOIN HANDS IN FIELD OF

AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES

Indian and Columbia are set to join hands in the field of agriculture and fisheries

with an aim to boost the economy and mutual co-operation of both the countries.

Notably, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved

the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and

Colombia in the field of agriculture and fisheries.

The MoU provides for cooperation in the following fields of agriculture and

Fisheries

Innovative agricultural practices/approaches,

New agricultural mechanizations,

Successful models of agricultural marketing,

To develop projects in association with agricultural companies for production of

seed, Innovative production models and value generation processes in

horticulture(vegetables, fruits and flowers),

Exchange of information/exchange visits of SPS experts, Jatropha and Karaya.

INDIA AND AFGHANISTAN LAUNCH SECOND AIR CARGO ROUTE,

LINKING KABUL WITH MUMBAI

Mumbai received the first cargo of fruit from Kabul. The consignment comes after

Kabul-New Delhi the second air corridor between Afghanistan and India was

opened by sending fruits from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

INDIA AND SWITZERLAND DEAL INKED FOR INFORMATION

EXCHANGE

In a move aimed at combating black money stashed abroad, India signed an

agreement with Switzerland that would allow

automatic sharing of tax-related information from

January 1, 2017.

The agreement was signed by CBDT chairman

Sushil Chandraand Swiss Ambassador to India

Andreas Baum at the North Block.

NOTE :

Afghanistan was historically our window to the Central Asian landlocked countries and was connected through long-distance trade with the western part of India.


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INDIA-AUSTRALIA-JAPAN TRILATERAL DIALOGUE HELD IN NEW

DELHI

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar hosted

the 4th India-Australia-Japan

Trilateral Dialogue with Secretary of

Department of Foreign Affairs and

Trade of Australia Ms Frances

Adamson and Vice Minister of

Foreign Affairs of Japan Mr. Shinsuke

J. Sugiyama, in New Delhi.

The three sides highlighted the growing convergence of their respective

countries‘ interests in the Indo-Pacific region and underscored their shared

commitment to peace, democracy, economic growth and a rules-based order in

the region.

INDIA AND RUSSIA HOLD TALKS TO FIRM UP ECONOMIC &

CULTURAL RELATIONS

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is holding a meeting of the India-

Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific,

Technological and Cultural Cooperation with visiting Russian Deputy Prime

Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

Mr Rogozin arrived in New Delhi. He is accompanied by senior Russian

Government officials and representatives of trade and industry.

The meeting will enable the two sides to review the progress achieved by

various Working groups and Sub-groups under the IRIGC-TEC and also

discuss new areas of cooperation that could strengthen bilateral trade and

investment. The visiting dignitary will also call on Prime Minister Narendra

Modi this evening.

UP PRO-POOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

The Union Government has inked Loan

agreement with World Bank for $40 Million

IBRD Credit for ―Uttar Pradesh Pro-Poor

Tourism Development Project”. The objective

of UP Pro-Poor Tourism Development Project

is to increase tourism-related benefits for local

communities in targeted destinations.


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BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER OF

INDIA AND JORDAN HELD IN NEW DELHI

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Jordanian counterpart Ayman

Al Safadi held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi and discussed deepening bilateral

ties across multiple sectors.

NORWAY BECOMES FIRST NATION TO SHUT NATIONAL BROADCASTS

ON FM

Norway became the world's first country to shut down national broadcasts of its

FM network by completing its transition to digital radio. The transition will allow

for better sound quality, a greater number of channels and more functions, at a

cost eight times lower than FM radio. The transition concerns only national radio

channels.

VENEZUELA LAUNCHES NEW VIRTUAL CURRENCY NAMED PETRO

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced the creation of a new

virtual currency named ‗Petro‘ in a bid to ease the country‘s economic crisis.

The Petro would be backed by Venezuela‘s oil, gas, gold and diamond wealth.

UN SECURITY COUNCIL IMPOSES NEW SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA

The UN Security Council approved tough

new sanctions against North Korea in

response to its latest launch of a ballistic

missile that Pyongyang says is capable of

reaching anywhere on the US mainland.

The resolution adopted by the council

includes sharply lower limits on North

Korea‘s refined oil imports, the return home

of all North Koreans working overseas within 24 months and a crackdown on ships

smuggling banned items including coal and oil to and from the country.

NOTE :

This main tourist and pilgrimage attractions are Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Govardhan in Braj region.

NOTE :

Mr Safadi discussed steps to set up a robust agenda for deepening and diversifying areas of cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contact.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 27

The resolution, adopted in response to North Korea‘s sixth and strongest nuclear test

explosion on Sept. 3, banned North Korea from importing all natural gas liquids and

condensates.

FRANCE PASSES LAW TO BAN ALL OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION BY 2040

France's parliament has approved a law banning all

exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040

within the country and its overseas territories.

Under that law that passed a final vote, existing drilling

permits will not be renewed and no new exploration

licenses will be granted.

The French government claims the ban is a world first.

SAUDI ARABIA LIFTED BAN ON MOVIE THEATRES AFTER 35 YEARS

Saudi Arabia‘s Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad

has announced the lifting of ban on movie theatres.

Saudi Arabia will have its first public cinemas in more than 35 years.

IRAQ OVERTAKES SAUDI ARABIA AS TOP OIL SUPPLIER TO INDIA

Iraq overtook Saudi Arabia for the first time to become India's top crude oil supplier

in the current fiscal, according to the Oil

Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Saudi Arabia traditionally has been India's top

oil source but in the April-October period of

2017-18, Iraq dethroned it, supplying 25.8

million tonnes (MT) of oil.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION CERTIFIES GABON AS POLIO FREE

The World Health Organisation declared Gabon a "polio-free country", given the lack of new reported or suspected cases in the central African country.

According to a WHO statement obtained, the UN

health agency nonetheless recommended taking

the necessary steps to continue monitoring for

possible signs of the disease.

NOTE :

Iran was India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but western sanctions over its suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the 7th spot in the subsequent years.


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INSTC

The International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) connecting

Mumbai with St Petersburg and is set to be operationalized from the middle of

next month with the first shipment from India to Russia.

CHINA‟S FIRST SOLAR HIGHWAY WHICH WILL CHARGE THE RUNNING

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

China didn‘t stop to make the first solar

road of the world despite many-sided

the concept as impractically.

The project will serve as a clean energy

test bed to evaluate new technologies,

with an overarching goal to reduce the

amount of land needed for solar farms

and transmission wires. The panels,

covering 5,875 square meters, can generate 1 million kWh of power in a year, enough

to meet the everyday demand of around 800 households.

NOTE :

The Cases of polio have decreased by 99 per cent since 1988, when polio was endemic in 125 countries and 350,000 cases were recorded worldwide.

NOTE :

India, Iran and Russia had in September 2000 signed the INSTC agreement to build a corridor to provide the shortest multi-model transportation route linking the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran and St Petersburg.

From St Petersburg, North Europe is within easy reach via the Russian Federation.

The estimated capacity of the corridor is 20-30 million tonnes of goods per year. The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and

Russia via ship, rail and road. The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major

cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali and etc.

NOTE :

Electricity produced by the test section will be used to power highway lights, signboards, surveillance cameras, tunnel and toll gate facilities. Surplus power will be supplied to the state grid. Future functions to be developed include mobile charging for electric vehicles and providing internet connection.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 29

WORLDS LONGEST GLASS BRIDGE OPENS IN CHINA

The world‘s longest glass bridge

opened in China to the public.

Though it has a capacity to hold 2000

people, only 500 would be allowed at

a time.

It is Located in Shijiazhuang, the

magnificent bridge lies 218 meters

above hanging between the two cliffs

in Hongyagu Scenic Area in Pingshan

county.

The bridge is 488 meters long and two

meters wide, with two dragon statues on top that could produce smoke.

WORLD'S LARGEST HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH PROJECT

The world's largest human genome

research project of 100,000 people was

launched by China to document their

genetic makeup for a study that aims to

help generate the precision medicines of

the future.

It is the country's first large project detecting the genetic links between health and

sickness and will involve 100,000 people from different ethnic backgrounds and

regions.

NEW ZEALAND KIWI BIRDS

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has upgraded the status of

Okarito kiwi and Northern Brown kiwi from endangered to vulnerable.

The number of Okarito kiwi has risen from 160 in 1995 to 400-450 now, and

Northern Brown kiwi numbers are also climbing.

NOTE :

Another 430 meters long and 6 meters wide bridge was opened last year in the Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, China.

NOTE :

The project includes four stages - collecting, sequencing gene samples, gathering the data and sharing the findings.


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US AND TURKEY OPEN GATES FOR VISA SERVICES

The US embassy in Turkey announced it is resuming normal visa services for

Turkish citizens, saying Turkish authorities fulfilled assurances no local staff

would be detained or arrested for performing their duties.

But Turkey swiftly denied having granted such assurances in the affair that has

tested relations since the two local employees of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul

were held on suspicion of ties to last year's failed coup against President Tayyip

Erdogan.

CHINA UNVEILS SATELLITE NETWORK PLAN FOR SOUTH CHINA SEA

China unveiled a satellite network plan for

round-the-clock surveillance on the South China Sea.

The East Asian country plans to launch 10

satellites into space over the next three

years to maintain non-stop surveillance on

the disputed waterway. The program

would provide scientific support for its

One Belt One Road initiative and emergency response efforts at sea.

UNICEF REPORT ON AIR POLLUTION

The UNICEF has released the report on air pollution titled- ‗Danger in the air:

How air pollution can affect brain development in young children‘. The report has

once again set alarm bells ringing about high levels of air pollution and its likely

impact on brain development among infants.

Nearly 17 million infants worldwide live in areas where outdoor air pollution is at

least six times higher than international limits. These babies are at a risk of

suffering brain damage. Air pollution-related ailments has led to the deaths of

over 920,000 children under the age of five every year.

Nearly 16 million infants belong to Asia. Moreover, 75% of them live in the Indian

subcontinent, which has three of the world‘s 10 most populations countries in the

world — India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

In fact, India topped the list of countries with babies at risk, followed by China,

the most populated country in the world.

NOTE :

The United States suspended visa services at its missions in Turkey in October and Turkey reciprocated

NOTE :

The UNICEF report urged citizens, especially in the developing world — South Asia and China — to be aware of the quality of air they breathe, and protect children from exposure to unhealthy air through protective masks or air filtration systems.


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SCHEMES SAMEEP TO TAKE INDIAN FOREIGN POLICY TO STUDENTS ACROSS

COUNTRY

Indian Affairs With an aim to bring the

foreign policy to the masses the

External Affairs Ministry has come up

with an initiative called SAMEEP -

'Students and MEA Engagement

Programme'.

Under this MEA official will talk to

students to help them better

understand foreign policy.

The main objective of SAMEEP is to take Indian foreign policy and its global

engagements to students across the country. Under this programme, all the ministry

officers - under-secretary and above - will be asked to go to their hometowns,

particularly their alma maters.

J&K BANK LAUNCHES SAHAFAT FINANCE SCHEME

Jammu and Kashmir Bank launched a special financial scheme for journalists of

the state. The scheme "J&K Bank Sahafat Finance Scheme" was launched by the

bank's chairman and CEO Parvez Ahmad.

The scheme will enable journalists to buy cameras, laptops, tablets and books. The

minimum loan amount for the purpose has been fixed at Rs 50,000 while as the

maximum cap is Rs 3 lac.

MISSION CLEAN ENERGY

Maharashtra set to generate 25,000 MW

electricity through solar power. Rather

Maharashtra as a state tops in generating

power through renewable energy around 7,500

MW.

The one state in producing power through

renewable energy, with 7,500 MW generation capacity.The government wants to

take to this capacity to 10,000 MW.


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NORTH EAST SPECIAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

The Union Cabinet approved new Central Sector Scheme of North East Special

Infrastructure Development Scheme” (NESIDS) from 2017-18. The scheme will

broadly cover the creation of infrastructure under following sectors (i) Physical

infrastructure relating to water supply, power, connectivity and especially the

projects promoting tourism.The Infrastructure of social sectors of education and

health.

NOTE :

The Union Cabinet also approved the continuation of existing Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) scheme till March 2020 with funding pattern.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 33

ECONOMY DARPAN PROJECT LAUNCHED FOR FINANCIAL INCLUSION OF RURAL

POPULATION

The Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha launched DARPAN- “Digital

Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India” Project to improve the quality

of service, add value to services and achieve 'financial inclusion' of the unbanked

rural population.

The goal of the IT modernization project with an outlay of Rs. 1400 Crore is to

provide a low power technology solution to each Branch Postmaster (BPM) which

will enable each of approximately 1.29 Lakhs Branch Post Offices (BOs) to improve

the level of services being offered to rural customers across all the states.

GST COUNCIL CLEARS E-WAY BILL MECHANISM

The GST Goods and Service Council decided to implement the e-way bill

mechanism throughout the country by June 1st after reviewing the readiness of the

IT network.

Under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, the waybill is replaced by an e-way

bill.

It aims at mitigating the problems caused by waybill compliance.

E-way bill is an electronic way bill for movement of goods which can be generated

on the GSTN portal.

The decision was taken in 24th meeting of the GST Council via Video-Conferencing.

KKR GETS RBI NOD TO START INDIAS 1ST

FOREIGN-OWNED ARC

US buyout giant KKR & Company become the

first foreign investor to fully own an asset

reconstruction company (ARC) in India as it

received approval from the Reserve Bank of India.

IRDAI NORMS ALLOW INSURERS TO BEGIN OFFSHORE BUSINESS

FROM GIFT IFSC

Sectoral regulator IRDAI issued regulations for insurance firms to carry out

offshore business from Gujarat-based GIFT International Financial Services Centre

(IFSC). With this, Insurance operations will get a major boost.

Under the regulations, for the first time in the country, foreign insurers are

permitted to open IFSC Insurance Office (IIO) at GIFT IFSC.

NOTE :

KKR, one of the most aggressive investors in financial services, plans to deploy a major chunk from its record Asia fund for buying troubled assets in the country, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter.


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BANK OF BARODA ENTERS INTO MOU WITH POORTI AGRI SERVICES

PRIVATE LIMITED

Bank of Baroda entered into MoU with POORTI

Agri Services Pvt. Ltd to enable the farmers to

purchase agricultural inputs such as fertilizers,

pesticides, seeds etc. provided by POORTI. This is

a Platform for Online Ordering & Rural

Transformation of India known as ―POORTI‖.

SBI GETS BOARD APPROVAL TO RAISE RS 8,000 CRORE TO COMPLY

BASEL III

According to the country's largest lender, SBI, its board approved raising Rs 8,000

crorethrough various sources, including masala bonds, to meet Basel III capital

norms.

Masala bonds are rupee denominated specialized debt instruments that can be

floated in overseas markets only to raise capital.

STATE BANK OF INDIA AWARDS STATE BANK REWARDZ SCHEME

The State Bank of India introduced a loyalty program for its valued customers.

This program is called as State Bank Rewardz, the program gives the customers

several opportunities to earn reward points and earn many times faster at Max Get

More partner outlets.

Thus, one can become a member of the State Bank Rewards Loyalty Program and

earn points every time one spend.

NOTE :

GIFT IFSC already hosts three major insurance players, GIC Re, New India and ECGC.

NOTE :

Poorti is a well-established company providing multi-party mobile commerce platform for easy ordering of fertilizers, pesticides, seeds by farmers with loans given by banks.

NOTE :

Banks in India have to comply with the global capital norms under Basel III by March 2019, three months later than the internationally agreed time frame by January 2019.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 35

PARE HYDROELECTRIC PLANT PROJECT

A loan agreement has been signed between

India and Germany for providing additional

funding of EUR 20 million for the Pare

Hydroelectric Plant project under Indo-

German Bilateral Development Cooperation.

The objective of the project is the generation of

hydroelectric power for the socio-economic

development of the North Eastern region. The government of Germany signed a loan

agreement with North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) for providing

EUR 80 million with the government of India‘s guarantee for the Pare Hydroelectric

Plant project.

WORLD BANK PROVIDES LOANS FOR STRIVE PROJECT

The World Bank committed $125 million (around Rs800 crore) loan to India for the

STRIVE project for skill development.

The main objective of the operation (Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value

Enhancement) is to improve access to quality and market-driven vocational

training as well as apprenticeships. The financing agreement was signed between

the World Bank and the Finance Ministry.

AU SMALL FINANCE BANK JOINS HANDS WITH SAHAJ E-VILLAGE

AU Small Finance Bank announced signing an MoU with Sahaj e-Village for

extending its banking service in remote areas through Business Correspondent

Agent (BC) model. With this MoU, AU Bank will be able to further foster its

mission of financial inclusion and greater customer outreach.

UNION GOVERNMENT ROPES IN ICICI BANK TO ENABLE CASHLESS

PAYMENTS ON E-NAM

The government has engaged private lender ICICI Bank to enable online payments

at 470 mandis integrated with the national portal of electronic National Agriculture

Market (e-NAM).

NOTE :

As per the agreement, the BCs will act as an intermediary between the Bank and the customers in the interior locations where the Bank does not have a presence.

NOTE :

At present, e-NAM participants are doing payments through traditional ways via bank branches, debit cards, and net banking. ICICI Bank will enable BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on the e-NAM portal for making cashless payments.


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UNION GOVERNMENT TO BEAR MDR CHARGES ON DIGITAL

TRANSACTIONS UP TO RS 2,000

As per the IT Ministry, the government will bear the Merchant Discount Rate

(MDR)charges on transactions up to Rs 2,000 made through debit cards, BHIM

UPI or Aadhaar-enabled payment systems to promote digital transactions.

MDR is charged on payments made to merchants through BHIM UPI platform

and AePS (Aadhaar enabled Payment System). The merchant discount rate (MDR)

will be borne by the government for two years with effect from January 1, 2018 by

reimbursing the same to the banks.

Short News:

YES Bank and the European Investment Bank will co-finance $400-million funding for

renewable power generation in the country.


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AWARDS & HONOURS FRENCH MAN SAILS AROUND THE WORLD IN 42 DAYS, BREAKS

WORLD RECORD

Frenchman Francois Gabart smashed the world

record for the fastest non-stop solo navigation of

the globe, completing the mammoth feat in 42

days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds.

The 34-year-old sailor crossed a virtual finish line

drawn between the island of Ushant off France's

northwest tip and Lizard Point in southwest

England at 0145 GMT, comfortably beating the previous record set by compatriot

Thomas Coville last year by six days and 10 hours.

K S CHITRA BAGS 'HARIVARASANAM' AWARD

Veteran singer K S Chitra selected for

prestigious 'Harivarasanam' award 2017,

instituted by the Kerala government.

The award carrying a cash prize of Rs one

lakh, citation and plaque would be presented

to the veteran playback singer at a function on

January 14, 2018.

SATHEESH REDDY CONFERRED WITH NATIONAL DESIGN AWARD

G. Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to

Raksha Mantri and Director General,

Missiles and Strategic Systems, has been

conferred with the prestigious National

Design Award.

He has bagged this award for his significant

national contribution towards indigenous

design and development of diversified

missile systems, guided weapons, avionics technologies and for his sustained efforts

leading to the advancement of aerospace technologies and industries in India.

CHILDREN‟S PEACE PRIZE 2017 – MOHAMAD AL JOUNDE

Sixteen-year-old Mohamad Al Jounde from Syria was awarded the International

Children‘s Peace Prize for his efforts to ensure the rights of Syrian refugee

children.


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Al Jounde, a refugee of the Syrian civil war, set up a school together with his

family in a Lebanese refugee camp that currently provides 200 children with

eduction.

SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD 2017

Language Title and Genre

Author Language Title and Genre Author

Assamese Moriahola (Novel)

Jayantha Mahatab Bora

Marathi Bolave Te Amhi (Poetry) Shrikant Deshmukh

Bengali Sei Nikhonj Manusta (Novel)

Afsar Ahmed

Nepali Kriti Vimarsha (Literary Criticism)

Bina Hangkhim

Bodo Thwisam (Novel)

Rita Boro Odia Etavatira Shilpi (Short Stories)

Gayatri Saraf

Dogri Banna (Short stories)

Shiv Mehta Punjabi Slow Down (Novel) Nachhattar

English The Black Hill (Novel)

Mamang Dai

Rajasthani Bina Hasal Pai (Criticism) Neeraj Daiya

Gujarati Gujarati Vyakaranna Baso Varsh (Criticism)

Urmi Ghanshyam Desai

Sanskrit Gangaputravadanam (Poetry)

Niranjan Mishra

Hindi Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar (Literary Criticism)

Ramesh Kuntal Megh

Santali Tahenan Tangi re (Poetry) Bhujanga Tudu

Kannada Kathana Bharathi (Literary Criticism)

T.P. Ashoka Sindhi Aachhende Laja Maraan (Essays)

Jagdish Lachhani

Kashmiri Yeli Parda Woth (Short Stories)

Autar Krishen Rahbar

Tamil Kaandhal Naatkal (Poetry) (Late) Inqulab

Konkani Khand Ani Her Katha (Short Stories)

Gajanan Jog Telugu Gaali Rangu (Poetry) Devipriya

Maithili Jahalak Diary (Poetry)

Udaya Narayana Singh ‗Nachiketa‘

Urdu Dakhma (Short Stories) Baig Ehsas

Manipuri Chahee Taret Khuntakpa (Play)

Rajen Toijamba

Malayalam Daivathinte Pusthakam (Novel)

K.P. Ramanunni

NOTE :

The International Children‘s Peace Prize is awarded annually to a child who has made a significant contribution to advocating children‘s rights and improving the situation of vulnerable children such as orphans, child labourers and children with HIV/AIDS.

The first Children‘s Peace Prize was launched in November 2005 during the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome.


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TATA STEEL JODA MINE GETS GOLDEN PEACOCK INNOVATION AWARD

Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) of Tata Steel honoured with the prestigious Golden

Peacock Innovation Management Award for the year 2017 for driving innovation in

mines.

The award was given at Institute of Directors India‘s 2nd Global Convention held at

Singapore.

Golden Peacock Awards Secretariat receives over 1,000 entries per year for various

awards, from over 25 countries worldwide.

ACING CINEMATOGRAPHY ANJULI SHUKLA WINS NATIONAL AWARD

The field of cinematography is one woman who has become the leading lady to win

a national award of cinematography for her first film.

BENGALI POET JOY GOSWAMI TO GET 31ST MOORTIDEVI AWARD

Eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be given the 31st Moortidevi Award for the

year 2017.

The committee, headed by poet and scholar Satya Vrat Shastri, unanimously decided

to confer the award upon Goswami for his poetry collection titled Du Dondo

Phowara Matro.

It is the first time the award will be given to a Bengali poet.

The award consists of a Saraswati Statue, a Citation Plaque and cash award of

Rupees 4 lakh.

NOTE :

The Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards 2017 in 24 languages. Seven novels, five collections each of poetry and short stories, five works of literary criticism, a play and a book of essays have won the awards.

The award in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and a cheque of Rs 1 lakh will be presented to the authors at a special function to be held on February 12, 2018.The first Children‘s Peace Prize was launched in November 2005 during the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome.

NOTE :

Anjuli Shukla became the first lady to win the award for Malayalam film industry.

It has come up like a challenge for her to shoot a film which she is quite unknown and oblivion of. Acing her skills in this profession the female has proved herself in a male-dominated industry.


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VYAS SAMMAN

Eminent Hindi writer Mamta Kalia will be honoured with literary award Vyas

Samman for year 2017 for her novel ―Dukkham Sukkham‖.

About Vyas Samman Awards:

The Vyas Samman is given to a Hindi literary work published in the past 10 years.

Eminent literary critic and poet Ram Vilas Sharma is the first recipient of this

award in 1991.

ANUSHKA SHARMA IS PETAS PERSON OF THE YEAR

Actress Anushka Sharma named PETA's Person of the Year by animal rights

organization People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Anushka is a

vegetarian, has nabbed the title for helping to protect dogs from fireworks to

advocating for horses who are forced to pull carriages in Mumbai.

PRIYANKA CHOPRA – MOTHER TERESA MEMORIAL AWARD FOR

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Priyanka Chopra, selected for the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice for the year 2017.

As a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador she has fighting for the rights of refugees and displaced people.

LIONEL MESSI BEATS RONALDO TO LA LIGA BEST PLAYER AWARD

Lionel Messi, the star forward of Barcelona, has received La Liga‘s top scorer and

best player awards for the 2016-2017 football season. The Argentine beat rival

Cristiano Ronaldo, who guided Real Madrid to their first title since 2012 in the

recent campaign.

He scored 37 goals in league action last season to earn his fourth Pichichi award

for most goals in La Liga and his fifth Alfredo Di Stefano trophy for best player.

NOTE :

The Mother Teresa Awards are awards to honour individuals and organizations that promote peace, equality and social justice, and aim to encourage the cause of justice and peaceful coexistence, while providing a impetus for society to imbibe these values.

The award is given in honour of Mother Teresa.


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SCIENCE & TECH

NEW FORM OF MATTER „EXCITONIUM‟

Researchers at the University of Illinois have announced an exciting finding — the discovery of a new form of matter: excitonium.

The existence of this matter has been theorized for 50 years.

It is made up of excitons – unusual particles made up of an escaped electron and the hole it has left behind in a material.

This quirky quantum-mechanical pairing is possible because, in semiconductors, electrons on the edge of one energy level in an atom are able, when excited, to jump into the next energy level, leaving behind a ―hole‖ in the previous level.

This hole acts like a positively charged particle, attracting the negatively charged electron that escaped.

INDIA‟S FIRST EVER MOBILE FOOD-TESTING LAB

Goa state government has launched the country‘s first ever mobile food testing

laboratory.

It is entirely funded by the Centre, which will also bear the maintenance cost for

five years.

HONDA TO SET UP ELECTRIC CAR BATTERY PLANT IN INDIA

Honda Motor is planning to set up a lithium-ion battery manufacturing unit in

India with the main aim to move only potential electric vehicles on roads by 2030.

NOTE :

Scientists used a novel technique called momentum-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (M-EELS) for the study.

With their new technique, the group was able to measure collective excitations of the low-energy bosonic particles, the paired electrons and holes.

NOTE :

The laboratory, mounted on a bus will travel across the state and check food samples on the spot.

This would be the first ever ‗Food Safety on Wheel‘ vehicle in the country. The laboratory will help in the on-the-spot testing of food items and curb

adulteration. Besides this, it will also educate people about nutrition and importance of safe

food.


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Under the global agreement on climate change, the company is to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions. As per reports, it is involved in building up of electric

vehicle strategy for the Indian market.

GOOGLE OPENS 1ST MACHINE LEARNING RESEARCH LAB IN ASIA

In an apparent move to rebuild its presence in China, Google announced that it

will open a research lab focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Beijing, China.

It will be its first such centre in Asia. The "Google AI China Centre" will join the

other AI research groups that the company has in other parts of the world,

including in New York, Toronto, London and Zurich. The main Focused on basic

AI research, the lab will consist of a team of AI researchers in Beijing, supported

by the company's engineering teams.

ISRO TO LAUNCH 31 SATELLITES IN SINGLE MISSION ON JAN 10

Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO announced to launch 31 satellites,

including India's Cartosat-2 series earth observation spacecraft, in a single mission

onboard its Polar rocket on January 10.

INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE

With 19 countries ratifying its framework agreement, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) has become the first treaty-based international government organisation to be based in India.

This marks the culmination of India‘s efforts, which had taken a lead role in setting up the ISA—an alliance of 121 sunshine countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

ISA also signals that New Delhi would employ it as a foreign policy tool to cement its leadership among developing countries.

NOTE :

According to an announcement made by Honda, by 2030, electric cars will comprise 65% of the company‘s overall sales. Of that, 15% will be pure electric while the rest will be hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

NOTE :

The mission will be the first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission after the unsuccessful launch of navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in August this year. The mission's main payload would be India's Cartosat-2 series earth observation satellite.


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GUINEA BECAME THE 15TH COUNTRY TO RATIFY THIS AGREEMENT

The ISA is an Indian initiative, jointly launched by the Prime Minister Narendra

Modi and the president of France on 30 November 2015 in Paris.

It aims at addressing obstacles to deployment at scale of solar energy through

better harmonization and aggregation of demand from solar rich countries lying

fully or partially between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

The ISA, headquartered in India, has its secretariat located in the campus of the

National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurgaon, Haryana.

AMAZON ACQUIRES CONNECTED SECURITY CAMERA MAKER 'BLINK'

Amazon bought an Andover, Massachusetts-based company 'Blink' that makes

Internet-connected doorbells and security cameras.

The move could help Amazon compete in the fast-growing home security camera

market and against similar devices made by Nest, a subsidiary of Google parent

company Alphabet.

UIDAI TEMPORARILY BARS AIRTEL FROM CONDUCTING AADHAAR

LINKED E-KYC CERIFICATION

The Unique Identification Authority of India

(UIDAI) temporarily barred Bharti Airtel and

Airtel Payments Bank from conducting Aadhaar-

based SIM verification of mobile customers using

eKYC process.

The action follows allegations of Bharti Airtel

using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank

accounts of its subscribers without their informed consent.

BHARTI AIRTEL TO BUY MILLICOMS OPERATIONS IN RWANDA

Bharti Airtel Limited entered into a definitive agreement with Millicom

International Cellular S.A. under which Airtel Rwanda Ltd will acquire 100%

equity in Tigo Rwanda Ltd.

NOTE :

The ISA now has become a treaty based inter-governmental international organisation and it will be recognized by UN legally to become fully functionable


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This comes after Airtel‘s announcement to merge with Millicom, which operates

the brand Tigo, in another African nation Ghana.

Apps & Portal

LIVESTOCK DISEASE FOREWARNING (LDF) MOBILE APP

Union Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh

launched Livestock Disease Forewarning –Mobile Application (LDF-Mobile

App).

The app is developed by ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and

Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru.

PLUTO EXCHANGE LAUNCHES INDIAS FIRST BITCOIN TRADING APP

Cryptocurrency dealer 'Pluto

Exchange' announced the launch of

India‘s first mobile application for

transacting in virtual currencies.

The Pluto Exchange mobile app offers

a solution to the coordination problem

between payment processors,

financial gateways and banks.

PAYTM BECOMES INDIA'S FIRST PAYMENTS APP

India's largest mobile-first financial services platform, Paytm announced that its

app crossed the 100 million milestones on Google Play Store in the second week of

December 2017.

NOTE :

Apart from early warning, the app will also provide information about clinical samples for the diagnosis in case of the epidemic so that immediate action can be taken in case of the epidemic.

NOTE :

The app would permit a range of transactions, including payments, remittances, business-to-business commerce, supply chain finance, asset management and trading.

NOTE :

This makes Paytm the country's first payments app to cross the 100 million downloads mark.


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SECUCARE SAFETY APP

Mumbai Metro launched a new security app „Secucare‟, which can be downloaded

on Android and IOS platforms, for raising an alarm to ensure passengers‘ safety.

Through the app, commuters can raise an alarm in case of any problem. The

control room will be alerted once the alarm is raised.

The security personnel in the control room will be able to track the exact location

of the passenger through the application.

DOG-SITTING APP WAG

Japanese conglomerate SoftBank is in talks to invest $300 million in the US-based

dog-sitting app Wag, according to reports.

This comes months after the startup was slammed for allegedly losing customers'

pets under its care. Founded in 2014, Wag gives on-demand access to dog

handlers, who can be hired by the users for dog walking and dog sitting.


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SPORTS VISWANATHAN ANAND WINS WORLD RAPID CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

India‘s ace chess player Viswanathan Anand won

the World Rapid Chess tournament title in Saudi

Arabia by beating Russia‘s Vladimir Fedoseev 2-0

in a two-game tie-break.

BIRMINGHAM TO HOST COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN 2022

The Birmingham city will host the Commonwealth

Games in 2022.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games were originally

given to Durban in 2015, but the South African city

was stripped of the event this year because of

financial difficulties.

OFFICIAL EMBLEMS FOR BEIJING 2022 WINTER GAMES UNVEILED

The emblems of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have

been named “Winter Dream” and ―Flight,” respectively.

The emblem launching ceremony was held at the National Aquatic Center, which

staged the swimming events during the Beijing 2008 Games. In 2022, this venue

will be transformed into an ice rink for curling games.

NOTE :

Saudi Arabia hosted the world chess tournament for the first time. The tournament has been named as the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz

Chess Championships. The world‘s top three chess players from Norway, Armenia and Azerbaijan are

participating in the tournament. The women‘s title was won by China‘s Ju Wenjun. Dronavalli Harika was the best-placed Indian, finishing 19th

NOTE :

The multisports event was last in Britain in 2014 when it was held in Glasgow.


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ANISA WINS WOMENS 25M PISTOL WITH NEW NATIONAL RECORD

Haryana shooter Anisa Sayyed won the

women‘s 25m pistol gold with a new record at

the ongoing 61st National Shooting

Championship Competitions (61st NSCC), in

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

AAKARSHI KASHYAP WINS U-17 & U-19 SINGLES TITLES

India‘s top-ranked junior shuttler Aakarshi Kashyap won U-17

and U-19 singles titles at Badminton junior Nationals in Guwahati,

Assam.

In Under-17 category, 16-year-old from Bhilai defeated Malvika

Bansod in the final. In under 19 categories final, Kashyap has

beaten Vaidehi Choudhari.

DUBAI WORLD BADMINTON SUPERSERIES FINALS

Top Indian shuttler P V Sindhu won the Silver

medal in women‘s singles summit clash of the Dubai

World Super Series Final in Dubai.

She went down fighting against World No. 2 Akane

Yamaguchi of Japan.

COMMONWEALTH WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar clinched a gold

medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in

South Africa.

In Johannesburg, Sushil defeated New Zealand's Akash

Khullar via a pinfall in the final of the 74kg freestyle category to clinch the medal.

Parveen Rana also won a bronze medal in the same category.

NOTE :

Anisa shot a new finals national record score of 33


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Another Olympic medalist, Sakshi Malik also clinched a gold medal in the

championships. Sakshi defeated New Zealand‘s Tayla Tuahine Ford in the final of the

62kg women‘s freestyle category.

INDIA WON 9 MEDALS IN ASIAN ARCHERY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Indian archers won three gold, four silver and two bronze medals at the Asian

Championships in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Two Indian boys and girls also booked quota

places for the 2018 Youth Olympics.

SHIVA KESHAVAN WON GOLD IN ASIAN LUGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Indian participant and defending Asian champion Shiva Keshavan retained his title with a time of 55.60 seconds.

India‘s veteran Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan won a gold medal at the Asian Luge Championships at Altenberg, Germany.

WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS – MIRABAI CHANU

Indian female weightlifter, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won a gold medal in the women‘s 48 kg category at World weightlifting championship 2017.

And she became the first Indian in over two decades to won a gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championship in Anaheim, USA.

INDIA FINISHES 1ST AT JUNIOR BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP

Indian junior boxers clinched total 11

Medals (six gold, four silver and a bronze

medal) at the fifth International Sven Lange

Memorial Tournament to finish as overall

champions in the German city of Schwerin.

Bhavesh Kattamani (52kg) picked up the

best boxer trophy along with his gold

medal. In the three-day tournament, the

other gold-medallists for India were Vijeydeep (63kg), Akshay (60kg), Ish Pannu

(70kg), Lakshay Chahar (80kg) and Vinit (75kg). India was named the tournament's

best team.

NOTE :

Chanu hails from Manipur State and is currently employed with the Indian Railways.


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PERSONALITIES

BHARATHI‟S 136TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED

The 136th birth anniversary of Tamil poet ‗Mahakavi‘ C. Subramania Bharathi was

celebrated at his birth place in Ettayapuram on 11th December 2017.

„FATHER OF DNA FINGER PRINTING IN INDIA‟ LALJI SINGH PASSES

AWAY

Eminent scientist and ‗Father of DNA finger printing in India‘, Lalji Singh has passed away.

YERARINGAN AWARD TO PROF. M.S. SWAMINATHAN

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu given the ‗Yeraringan‘ Award to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, in Chennai.

NOTE :

Chinnaswami Subramania Bharati, also known as Bharathiyar was aTamil writer, poet and journalist, and Indian independence activist and social reformer from Tamil Nadu.

Popularly known as ―Mahakavi Bharati‖, he was a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry and is considered one of the greatest Tamil literary figures of all time.

His numerous works were fiery songs kindling patriotism and nationalism during the Indian Independence movement

NOTE :

Lalji Singh was an Indian scientist who worked in the field of DNA fingerprinting technology in India, where he was popularly known as the ―Father of Indian DNA fingerprinting‖.

Singh also worked in the areas of molecular basis of sex determination, wildlife conservation forensics and evolution and migration of humans.

In 2004, he received the Padma Shri in recognition of his contribution to Indian science and technology

NOTE :

Prof. Swaminathan was a living legend who has done India proud with his extraordinary vision, commitment and pragmatism.

Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is an Indian geneticist and international administrator, renowned for his leading role in India‘s Green Revolution a program under which high-yield varieties of wheat and rice seedlings were planted in the fields of poor farmers.

Swaminathan is known as ―Indian Father of Green Revolution‖ for his leadership and success in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in India.

He is the founder and chairman of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation. His stated vision is to rid the world of hunger and poverty. Swaminathan is an advocate of moving India to sustainable development,

especially using environmentally sustainable agriculture, sustainable food security and the preservation of biodiversity, which he calls an ―evergreen revolution‖.


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KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW HAILS REAL-TIME GOVERNANCE MODULE

OF CHANDRA BABU NAIDU

Veteran Business leader Kiran Mazumdar Shaw urged

political class to emulate the good governance module

for better transparency and accountability. The

Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon took to

Twitter and shared a snap from the cabinet meeting

under the Chairmanship of Chandra Babu Naidu.

BOOK ON GAURI LANKESHS WRITINGS LAUNCHED

A book containing selected writings by late journalist Gauri Lankesh was

launched at the Mumbai Press Club, three months after she was gunned down.

The book, The Way I See It - a Gauri Lankesh Reader, has been edited by writer

and sociologist Chandan Gowda.

TWO‟ FIRST NOVEL IN ENGLISH BY GULZAR RELEASED

Gulzar sahab is written a novel ‗Two‘, which is a debut novel in English and it revolves around the area of Punjab which became Pakistan after Partition.

The novel was originally written in ―Urdu‘ later it translated into the English form.

AMITABH BACHCHAN LAUNCHES BOOK ON INDIAN CINEMA

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan launched a book based on Indian cinema in Mumbai.

The book, titled ‗Bollywood: The Films! The Songs! The Stars!‘, is a coffee table book, which provides historical insights, lesser-known facts and behind-the-scene exclusives of the most iconic movies made in the history of the Indian film industry.

YOUTHQUAKE IS NAMED WORD OF THE YEAR BY OXFORD DICTIONARIES

Oxford Dictionaries crowned "youthquake" as its word of 2017 in a nod to the

unexpected level of youth engagement in this summer's election in the United

Kingdom. An amalgamation of "youth" and "earthquake", the noun is defined as "a

significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence

of young people."

NOTE :

The main aim of RTG tool is to strengthen the course of administration and governance using technological intervention like e-governance, new age technology, and electronic communication.

NOTE :

The word was coined in the 1960s by the then-Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, to

describe upheavals in fashion and music caused by Britain's youth culture.


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DEFENCE INDO-MALDIVES JOINT EXERCISE EKUVERIN CONCLUDES

The two-week long eighth edition of the Indo-

Maldives joint military exercise, ‗Ekuverin‟, came

to an end at Belagavi, Karnataka. ‗ Ekuverin‘

means ‗friends‘ in the Maldivian language. The

bilateral annual exercise was a 14-day joint

military training between the Indian Army and

the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

INDIAN NAVY CONDUCTS EXERCISE NASEEM-AL-BAHR WITH OMAN

NAVY

Indian Naval Ships Trikand and Teg are deployed to Oman for bilateral

exercise „Naseem Al Bahr‟ or „Sea Breeze‟. This exercise is the 11th edition and has

been a biennial feature since 1993.

The bilateral relation between Indian and Oman were formally established with

the signing of a 1953 Indo-Oman Treaty of friendship, Navigation and Commerce,

a first between India and an Arab country.

HAMESHA VIJAYEE EXERCISE HELD IN RAJASTHAN

The Indian Army's Southern Command had conducted exercise 'Hamesha

Vijayee' in the deserts of Rajasthan to evaluate the capability of the armed forces

to strike deep into the enemy territory in an integrated air-land battle.

The military exercise is being carried in the general area of Barmer and Jaisalmer

and aimed at fine-tuning surveillance and destruction mechanisms to support

precision strikes and manoeuvres by network-enabled forces.

AJEYA WARRIOR-2017

It is a fourteen days training exercise between the Indian Army and the British Army. It is being held in Rajasthan.

It is the third joint military exercise between the two countries.

NOTE :

The exercise has been held alternatively in India and Maldives since 2009.

NOTE :

The first exercise was conducted in 2013 at Belgaum, Karnataka, whereas for the

second exercise in 2015, an Indian Army contingent had visited the United

Kingdom.


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SSB STRENGTHENS POSITION IN SIKKIM, BHUTAN-BORDER AREA POST

DOKLAM

Union Home Minister affairs Rajnath Singh said the SSB is strengthening its position

in Sikkim and Bhutan-border area after Doklam issue between India and China.

Speaking at the 54th raising day parade of SSB in New Delhi today, Mr Singh said,

his ministry has approved demand of SSB to form separate intelligence wing.

The people living near border areas are the strategic assets and government is

dedicated for their welfare.

INDIA SUCCESSFULLY TESTS SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE „AKASH‟

India carried out successful test launch of land to air missile ‗AKASH‘ with indigenous radio frequency seeker on 5th December 2017.

The missile was targeted from Launch Complex-III at ITR Chandipur.

The radars, telemetry and electro-optical systems along with coast have tracked and monitored all the technical parameters of the missile. The missile would soon be initiated into the Indian army as Short Range Surface to Air Missile.

2ND PHASE OF JOINT OCEANOGRAPHIC SURVEY

Indian Navy in collaboration with its Sri Lankan counterpart has successfully

completed the second phase of the joint oceanographic survey conducted off the

South Western Coast of Sri Lanka.

The survey commenced with the arrival of Indian Naval Ship Sutlej in Sri Lanka.

The aim of the joint survey was to update all the navigational charts covering the

southern Sri Lankan waters with the latest hydrographic data.

OUR NATION CELEBRATES VIJAY DIWAS

The Vijay Diwas day marks the glorious victory over Pakistan in 1971 during the

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, in alliance with Bangladesh Mukti Bahini.

On 16th December in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Abdullah

Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the allied forces consists of

Indian Army. The anniversary of Vijay Divas is observed across India by paying

tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation.

NOTE :

The survey extended to a depth contour of 200 m from the coastline, ranging from Colombo to Galle.

The move is expected to benefit the international shipping traffic passing the southern coast of Sri Lanka and will pave the way for the blue economy.


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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Thermal Power Plants in India

Sr. No. Power Station District State

1. Rihand Thermal Power Station Sonebhadra Uttar Pradesh

2. Singrauli Super Thermal Power

Station

Sonebhadra Uttar Pradesh

3. Anpara Thermal Power Station Sonebhadra Uttar Pradesh

4. Obra Thermal Power Station Sonebhadra Uttar Pradesh

5. Rosa (TPS) Shahjahanpur Uttar Pradesh

6. Udupi Thermal Power Plant Udupi Karnataka

7. Bellary Thermal Power station Bellary Karnataka

8. MetturTheral Power Station Salem Tamil Nadu

9. Bellary Thermal Power station Bellary Karnataka

10. Simhadri Super Thermal Power

Plant

Vishakapatnam Andhra Pradesh

11. Chhabra (TPP) Baran Rajasthan

12. Hirakud Captive Power Plant Sambalpur Odisha

13. Talcher Super Thermal Angul Odisha

14. Patratu Thermal Power Station Jaisalmer Jharkhand

15. Bokaro Thermal Power Station Bokaro Jharkhand

16. Durgapur Thermal Power Station Bardhaman West Bengal

17. Barauni Thermal Power Station Begusarai Bihar

18. Vindhyachal Super Thermal

Power Station

Singrauli

Madhya Pradesh


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 54

19. SantSingaji (TPP) East Nimar Madhya Pradesh

20. Satpura Thermal Power Station Betul Madhya Pradesh

21 Sanjay Gandhi Thermal Power

Station

Birsinghpur Madhya Pradesh

22. Mundra Thermal Power Station Kutch Gujarat

23. Ukai Thermal Power Station Tapi Gujarat

24. Sikka Thermal Power Station Jamnagar Gujarat

25. Tirora (TPP) Gondia Maharashtra

26. Amravati (TPP) Amravati Maharashtra

27. Chandrapur Super (TPP) Chandrapur Maharashtra

28. Khaperkheda Thermal Power

Station

Nagpur Maharashtra

29. Bhilai Expansion Power Plant Durg Chhattisgarh

30. Sipat Thermal Power Plant Bilaspur Chhattisgarh

31. Korba Super Thermal Power Plant Korba Chhattisgar


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 55

SUMMIT SEVENTY EIGHTH SESSION OF INDIAN HISTORY CONGRESS

The three-day long 78th session of the Indian History Congress begun in Kolkata,

West Bengal.

The Indian History Congress had six sections this time - Ancient India, Medieval

India, Modern India, Countries Other than India, Archaeology and Contemporary

India.

WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE HELD IN ARGENTINA

The Eleventh World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC11)

took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Conference was chaired by Minister

Susana Malcorra of Argentina. Indian Delegation was led by Minister of

Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu.

100TH INDIAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated

the 100th Annual Conference of the

Indian Economic Association at Acharya

Nagarjuna University in Guntur of

Andhra Pradesh.

The event will be held for four days.

Indian Economic Association is a

registered body of Indian economic

professionals with an objective of

providing a forum for debate and discussion of policy-oriented issues.Singapore's

Deputy PM to join Sushma Swaraj at ASEAN-India PBD in Singapore International

Affairs Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will join India's External

Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for a two-day ASEAN-India Pravasi Bharatiya

Divas to be held in Singapore next month.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and chief ministers of Andhra

Pradesh and Assam, N Chandrababu Naidu and Sarbananda Sonowal, will also

attend the function on 6-7 January 2018.

NOTE :

The aim of conducting Indian History Congress is for promotion and

encouragement of the scientific study of Indian History.

NOTE :

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every year to mark the

contribution of overseas Indian community in the development of India.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 56

INDIA TO HOST MEETING OF WTO MEMBER COUNTRIES ON FOOD

SECURITY

India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February 2018 to muster

support for food security and other issues.

The announcement was made by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu

in New Delhi.

The proposed meeting would be in the backdrop of developed nations forming

groupings to prepare the ground for pushing investment facilitation, preparing

rules for e-commerce, promoting gender equality and reducing subsidy on

fisheries.

SAICON 2017

It is the First International Conference on Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences, which is being held in New Delhi.

It aims to promote scientific temperament in the country and inspire students, researchers and educationists alike to take up sports science and research to the next level.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 57

IMPORTANT INDEX GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX

India currently ranks 60th out of 127

countries on the Global Innovation Index

(GII) 2017 as compared to 66th rank on

GII 2016.

The list was topped by Switzerland. NITI

Aayog, Department of Industrial Policy &

Promotion (DIPP) and Confederation of

Indian Industry (CII) together launched a

mega initiative ―India Innovation Index”.

INDIA RANKS 5TH IN LIST OF COUNTRIES WITH HIGHEST NPA LEVELS

India has the highest level of non-performing assets (NPA) among BRICS countries

and is ranked fifth on a list of countries with the highest levels of NPAs, as per the

report by CARE Ratings.

The only countries ranked higher than India on the list are Greece, Italy, Portugal,

and Ireland.

Spain is the only PIIGS country ranked lower than India on the list, with an NPA

ratio of 5.28 percent.

UK TOPS FORBES' LIST OF BEST COUNTRIES FOR BUSINESS IN 2018

The United Kingdom topped Forbes' rankings of best countries in the world for

business in 2018 for the first time, up from fifth last year.

The list ranks 153 countries on 15 factors including property rights, innovation, taxes

and red tape. The UK is followed by New Zealand and the Netherlands, while India

was ranked 62nd on the list. The UK's $2.6 trillion economy is the fifth largest in the

world. The world‘s second (China) and third (Japan) biggest economies rank 66th

and 21st, respectively. Chad ranks last for the third straight year.

NOTE :

This Index will rank states on Innovations through country‘s first online

innovation index portal that will capture data on innovation from all Indian

states on innovation and regularly update it in real time.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 58

WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2018

The Indian diaspora is the largest in the world, with over 15 million migrants from

India living abroad, according to the World Migration Report 2018 published by

the International Organisation for Migration, the United Nations migration agency.

Because the country has the largest number of migrants abroad, India also receives

the highest amount in remittances ($68.91 billion).

INCOME INEQUALITY HIGHEST IN INDIA SINCE 1980S

Since 1980 India led to substantial increase in

inequality so much that top 0.1% of earners

has continued to capture more growth than

all those in the bottom 50% combined,

according to the World Inequality Lab in its

World Inequality Report 2018.

NOTE :

The largest migration corridor is from India to UAE, where 3.5 million Indians

were residing in 2015.

NOTE :

In 2014, the share of national income captured by India's top 1% of earners was

22%, while the share of top 10% of earners was around 56%.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 59

APPOINTMENT CHIEF OF NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL

The union government appointed Justice U D Salvi as

officiating chairperson of the National Green

Tribunal (NGT) following the superannuation of

Justice Swatanter Kumar. He will remain in the

saddle until his retirement on February 13, 2018.

The selection panel is headed by the Chief Justice of

India or his nominee, with other members recommended by or from the

Environment Ministry.

JAI RAM THAKUR TOOK OATH AS 6TH CM OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

Senior BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur took oath

as the 6th Chief Minister of Himachal

Pradesh.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the

historic Ridge Ground of Shimla.

Governor Aacharya Devvrat administered

the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Thakur.

This was the first time when the Prime Minister attended the oath-taking ceremony

of the Chief Minister in the state

SEBASTIAN PINERA WINS CHILES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Sebastian Pinera, won Chile's presidential

election run-off.

With nearly all votes counted, Mr Pinera has

polled more than 54%. Left-winger Alejandro

Guillier was his closest opponent. Sebastian

Pinera has replaced Michelle Bachelet

GEORGE WEAH ELECTED LIBERIAN PRESIDENT

Former football star George Weah elected as Liberia's president.

The closest rival of Mr. Weah was his opponent Joseph Boakai.

NOTE :

He succeeded Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female president, in Liberia's

first democratic handover in decades.


9600124042/ 9840097666 Page 60

Short News

Senior IPS officer Abhay was appointed Director General of Narcotics Control

Bureau (NCB).

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in for a second and final five-

year term as President of Kenya.

Lieutenant General B S Sahrawat took over the reins of National Cadet Corps as

its Director General.

Shri M. Subbarayudu presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs

has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru.

R Hemalatha appointed as the new Director of the country‘s premier National

Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad.

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