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Current Affairs February 2017

Current Affairs February 2017

It gives us immense pleasure to bring you the latest of 'Current Affairs' of February 2017 which will help out the candidates appearing for various competitive examinations.

In this section we try to cover national and international current affairs February 2017 on regular basis. Kindly check the links given below and keep a track of the current affairs February 2017.  We have covered here date-wise Current affairs February 2017, FREE Current Affairs February 2017 PDF in Hindi and English.

Find here Date-Wise Current Affairs Updates of February 2017:

Stay tuned for latest news updates on General Knowledge, Current affairs February 2017 , Gk Quiz (Questions and Answers) for Competitive exam preparation.

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Gk and Current Affairs - February 3 2017

Daily Gk and Current Affairs - 3rd Feb 2017

Dear Readers, We bring you the Latest (GK)General Knowledge and Current Affairs news, General awareness Today  3rd February 2017 Section in FREE PDF (English & Hindi), a section which outlines the latest news, Events headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere. This will help you with the Latest General Knowledge and Current Affairs today asked in various competitive examinations of Banking & Government Sector examination.

ECONOMY

BSE Scripts History - Gets its Share Listed on NSE 

Shares of BSE Ltd, Asia’s oldest stock exchange, saw a stellar listing as they jumped nearly 33% on debut on Friday.

●    This happened after it's Rs1,234.4-crore initial public offering (IPO) was subscribed more than 51 times last week
●    The shares of BSE, the country’s first stock exchange to go public, closed at Rs1,070.55 .
●    The shares opened at Rs 1,085 and hit a high and low of Rs 1,200 and Rs1,065.10, respectively.
●    Separately, the market capitalization of shares listed on BSE hit a record high of Rs114.97 trillion on Thursday
●    Existing shareholders of the exchange sold 15.42 million shares through an offer for sale. 
●    The issue represented 28.26% of BSE’s pre-share sale capital.

NATIONAL NEWS


Alibaba to Hold 40% stake in PayTM's e-comm entity

Alibaba will hold a substantial stake in Paytm's newly spun off online marketplace business, setting the stage for a three-way battle between Amazon, Flipkart and the Chinese online behemoth in the country's hyper competitive e-commerce market.


●    The Jack Ma-led company will hold almost 40% in Paytm E-commerce, according to regulatory filings sourced from business research platform Toffler.
●    The shareholding is through Alibaba.com Singapore and AliPay Singapore, while venture fund SAIF Partners and Paytm's founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma will own 30% and 20%, respectively. 
●    Alibaba.com Singapore and AliPay Singapore have picked up 3,89,955 shares in Paytm Ecommerce at Rs 10 per share, show the filings, made on February 1. 
●    Alibaba, Alipay and SAIF are the largest investors in Paytm's parent One97 Communications as well, and the ecommerce entity's shareholding is mirroring that post the business being hived off. 
●    Paytm's parent One97 recently approved the separation of its payments and commerce businesses in two entities.

NATIONAL NEWS

 Environment Ministry to start awareness campaign to protect wetlands 

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) under the Environment Ministry has decided to organise two events to spread public awareness about conservation of wetlands which includes a radio-outreach and awareness generation campaign.

●    The World Wetland day 2017, with the theme Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction has been celebrated in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh government at Bhoj Wetlands Bhopal, which is one of the 26 Ramsar sites that India has designated under the Ramsar Convention.
●    World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2 each year to mark the day the Convention on Wetlands was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and India is a party to the convention since 1982 and committed to the Ramsar approach of wise use of wetlands.
●    The ministry has also asked all the state governments to celebrate the World Wetlands Day in their respective states in a befitting manner.
●    In partnership with a prominent radio station with a multi-city presence, NBA will run information snippets on wetlands, their role in disaster management and ways to protect them over the period of two weeks spread over a month from February 1 to March 2.

SPORTS

Lakshya Sen achieves No. 1 Rank in BWF World Junior Rankings

Lakshya Sen from Uttarakhand on Thursday achieved the World No. 1 ranking in the latest BWF World junior ranking.

●    The 15-year-old prodigy, who won the bronze medal at Junior Asian Championships and clinched the All India Senior Ranking Tournament at Arunachal Pradesh last year, jumped one place to reach the numero uno status.
●    Sen, hails from Almora district in Uttarakhand.
●    He has been training under 1980 All England champion Prakash Padukone at his Badminton Academy in Bangalore since he was 10.
●    In men’s singles, Sameer Verma jumped 10 spots to be placed at 25th position.     


INTERATIONAL NEWS

Kuwait Bans Visa for 5 Muslim Majority Countries


Kuwait has suspended the issuance of visas for nationals of Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. 

●    After US President Donald Trump's executive order banning seven Muslim-majority countries last Friday, the Kuwaiti government has told would-be migrants from the five banned nations to not apply for visas, as it is worried about the possible migration of radical Islamic terrorists. 
●    Under the executive order signed by Trump, refugees from all over the world will be denied US entry for 120 days while all immigration from so-called "countries with terrorism concerns" will be suspended for 90 days. 
●    The countries included in the US ban are Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. 
●    Kuwait was the only nation to prohibit the entry of Syrian nationals prior to Trump's executive action. 
●    Kuwait City previously issued a suspension of visas for all Syrians in 2011.


NATIONAL NEWS

Chennai's oil spill spreads over 32 km - Marine life hugely affected 

The oil spill from two ships that collided near the Ennore Port, north of Chennai, on Saturday, spread along the city's shoreline further down up to the famed Marina Beach.  


●    On Monday morning, the local fishermen found not just thick black oil along the beach, but a number of turtles that were washed ashore dead.
●    The accidental collision of two oil tanker ships took place in the wee hours of Saturday near the Ennore Port. 
●    The effects could be noticed only on Sunday when a large quantum of thick and dark oil was washed ashore near Ernavur. 
●    Coast Guard was carrying out the operations to remove the oil.
●    On Sunday morning it had spread further down till Marina Beach.


NATIONAL NEWS

Apple to make iPhones from Bengaluru

Apple will soon have `Made in India' iPhones, and they will come out of a factory in Bengaluru. 


●    The Karnataka government on Thursday issued a release welcoming Apple's proposal "to commence initial manufacturing operations" in the state.
●    The release, signed by state IT minister Priyank Kharge, said Apple's intentions to manufacture in Bengaluru "will foster cutting edge technology ecosystem and supply chain development in the state, which are critical for India to compete globally." Though it did not provide a timeline, production is expected to begin in June.
●    India will be only the third country globally to assemble iPhones, an indication of how important the country has become for one of the world's most valued companies.

NATIONAL NEWS

Mt Everest to be Re-measured by Survey of India


The Survey of India is planning to remeasure the height of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak.

●    The project is being undertaken to determine whether the peak as per the doubts of some sections of the scientific community has indeed shrunk following the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal two years ago.
●    Some scientists have expressed doubts regarding the current height of the towering peak. 
●    They feel that it has shrunk post the Nepal earthquake.
●    Officially Mount Everest currently stands at a height of 8,848 metres (29,028 feet) above the sea level.


 

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Gk and Current Affairs Today - February 2 2017

Gk and Current Affairs Today - February 2 2017

Dear Readers,

We bring you the Latest (GK)General Knowledge and Current Affairs news, General awareness Today  2nd February 2017 Section in FREE PDF (English & Hindi), a section which outlines the latest news, Events headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere. This will help you with the Latest General Knowledge and Current Affairs today asked in various competitive examinations of Banking & Government Sector examination.

NATIONAL NEWS


CBSE to alter Class X Assessment

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a remodelled assessment structure for Class X board exams, according to which students will be tested on the entire syllabus for the theory exams next year.
●    Last December, the CBSE had made an announcement that board exams would be made compulsory while doing away with the school-based exam option.
●    Now, the students will also have to score 33 per cent in both theory exams and internal assessment to pass.
●    As per the new structure, the theory exam will carry 80 marks and internal assessment 20 marks. Presently, there is a 60:40 division.
●    For theory exams, students will be tested on the entire syllabus. For internal assessment, schools will have to conduct three periodic written tests, instead of four assessments and the best two will be taken for final submission. 
●    The board has included discipline as a grade subject.

SPORTS


West Indian Cricketer Andre Russell Banned for a Year

West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell has been banned from all cricket for a year over a doping code violation.
●    The 28-year-old did not file his whereabouts on three occasions in 2015 as required, which constitutes a failed drugs test under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines.
●    His punishment was handed down by the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission on Tuesday.
●    Under WADA's whereabouts rules, elite athletes must supply details of where they will be for one hour each day to facilitate drug tests.
●    Russell played the first five games of the Big Bash League this year for Thunder before withdrawing due to injury and being replaced by international teammate Carlos Brathwaite.

DISCOVERY


'Lost Continent' discovered under Mauritius


Scientists have confirmed the existence of a “lost continent” under the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius that was left over by the breakup of the supercontinent, Gondwana, which started about 200 million years ago.
●    The piece of crust, which was subsequently covered by young lava during volcanic eruptions on the island, seems to be a tiny piece of ancient continent, which broke off from the island of Madagascar, when Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica split up and formed the Indian Ocean.
●    By studying the mineral, zircon, found in rocks spewed up by lava during volcanic eruptions, Prof. Ashwal and his colleagues have found that remnants of this mineral were far too old to belong on the island of Mauritius.
●    Zircons are minerals that occur mainly in granites from the continents. 
●    They contain trace amounts of uranium, thorium and lead, and due to the fact that they survive geological process very well, they contain a rich record of geological processes and can be dated extremely accurately.
●    This is not the first time that zircons that are billions of years old have been found on the island. 

ENVIRONMENT


BNHS Proposes Thane Creek as Ramasar site


Thane Creek features as one of the two sites that the Bombay Natural History Society has recommended to the state government as potential Ramsar sites on February 1, a day before World Wetland Day.
●    Hatnur Dam in Jalgaon is the second recommendation that the body made.
●    Ramsar sites are wetlands considered to be of international importance. 
●    The Ramsar convention, an international body, forms the basis for identification of such wetlands. 
●    The international treaty came into effect in 1971 after identifying the first such wetland at the Ramsar city of Iran. 
●    The Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
●    In 2013, the state forest department had identified five prominent wetlands - Jaikwadi Bird Sanctuary (Aurangabad), Ujni Reservoir (Pune), Sewri Creek or Mahul-Sewri Mudflats (Mumbai), Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary (Nashik), and Lonar Lake Sanctuary (Buldhana) – as proposed Ramsar sites for the state government. 
●    The BNHS proposal adds an additional two sites to this list, taking the total to seven. However, Maharashtra does not have a Ramsar site yet. 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS


India and Italy Sign an MOU for Technical Cooperation in Rail Sector Especially on Safety Related Subjects

Ministry of Railways and Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane Group (FS Group) a Government Company of Italy managing the Italian railway sector have signed an MoU for technical cooperation in rail sector especially in the areas safety in train operations. On behalf of Ministry of Railways the agreement has been signed by Shri Vinod Kumar, Executive Director/Safety(coordination), Railway Board whereas it has been signed by Shri Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of FS Group, Italy.
●    The cooperation areas identified in this MoU includes safety audit of Indian Railways and measures required for enhancing safety in train operation, Assessment and certification of advanced technology based safety products and systems to Safety Integrity Level (SIL4), Training and competency development with focus of safety, Modern trends in Maintenance and diagnostic etc.
●    The MoU comes in the backdrop of emphasis given by Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu Minister of Railways, Govt. of India on safety in railway operation. He has directed Railway Board to collaborate with the international experts on this subject and identify the best practices in this field.
●    Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane Group (FS Group) is a fully owned company of the Italian Government working in the Railway Sector and is under Ministry of Treasure, Itlay. The Group, with its technical and managerial railway expertise, widely recognized at international level, is one of the most advanced worldwide player in many field, such as design and realization of High Speed and Conventional Lines, Safety Systems, Certification, Training and Operation and Maintenance.

ECONOMY


India Signs Financing Agreement with World Bank for US$ 201.50 Million for TEQIP III

 A Financing Agreement for IDA credit of US$201.50 million (equivalent) for the “Third Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP III)” was signed with the World Bank here yesterday. 
●    The Financing Agreement was signed by Mr. Raj Kumar (Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs) on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank.
●    The objective of the Program is to enhance quality and equity in participating Engineering Education Institutes and improve the efficiency of the Engineering Education System in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, 8 North Eastern States and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 
●    The Project has two main components, (i) Improving quality and equity in engineering institutes in those states; and (ii) System-level initiatives to strengthen sector governance and performance. The project has been designed as a disbursement linked one, that is, the World Bank loan will be disbursed on achievement of specific outcomes.


NATIONAL NEWS

Health Ministry Notifies Medical Devices Rules, 2017

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified Medical Devices Rules, 2017 on 31.01.2017. The new Rules have been framed in conformity with Global Harmonisation Task Force (GHTF) framework and conform to best international practices.  Only 15 categories of medical devices are, at present, regulated as drugs and to that extent, the current regulatory practices in India were not fully geared to meet the requirements of medical devices sector in the country.  The new Rules seek to remove regulatory bottlenecks to make in India, facilitate ease of doing business while ensuring availability of better medical devices for patient care and safety.
●    Medical devices will, under the new Rules, be classified as per GHTF practice, based on associated risks, into Class A (low risk), Class B (low moderate risk), Class C (moderate high risk) and Class D (high risk). The manufacturers of medical devices will be required to meet risk proportionate regulatory requirements that have been specified in the Rules and are based on best international practices. 
●    The new rules have many other unique features. It will be for the first time that there will be no requirement of periodic renewal of licences. Accordingly, manufacturing and import licences will remain valid till these are suspended or cancelled or surrendered.  
●    Further, the entire process starting from submission of application to grant of permission/licence will be processed through online electronic platform. Timelines have been defined for most activities at the regulators end. 
●    The issuance of licences for Class A medical devices on the basis of self-certification coupled with a system of checks and balances for ensuring compliance is a departure from the inspection based regulatory regime. Risk based audit of manufacturing units will be carried out to assess conformance with standards and quality parameters. These Rules envisage creation of a robust eco-system for all stakeholders including innovators, manufacturers, providers, consumers, buyers and regulators.


NATIONAL NEWS


Shares of Railway PSEs - IRCTC, IRFC and IRCON to be listed 


While presenting the General Budget 2017-18 in Lok Sabha here today, the Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley has said that the shares of Railway Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) like IRCTC, IRFC and IRCON will be listed in stock exchanges. The Government will encourage strengthening the CPSEs through consolidation, mergers and acquisitions and soon create an integrated public sector ‘oil major’, he added.
●    Stating that the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has proved an overwhelming success in extending funds for the deprived sections, Shri Jaitley doubled the budget target under the scheme to Rs. 2.44 lakh crores.
●    Easing the stressed legacy accounts of banks, Shri Jaitley earmarked Rs. 10,000 crores for recapitalisation of Banks in 2017-18 and assured need based additional allocation.
●    Stating that the disinvestment policy announced in the last budget will continue, Shri Jaitley further said that the Government will put in place a revised mechanism and procedure to ensure time bound listing of identified CPSEs on stock exchanges. This will foster greater public accountability and unlock the true value of these companies, he added.
●    Shri Jaitley said the CPSEs will be integrated across the value chain of an industry through consolidation, mergers and acquisitions. By these methods it will give them capacity to bear higher risks, avail economies of scale, take higher investment decisions and create more value for the stakeholders, he added. Possibilities of such restructuring are visible in the oil and gas sector. The Government proposes to create an integrated public sector ‘oil major’ which will be able to match the performance of international and domestic private sector oil and gas companies.
●    Shri Jaitley said that the focus on resolution of stressed legacy accounts of Banks will continue and the legal framework has been strengthened to facilitate resolution, through the enactment of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the amendments to the SARFAESI and Debt Recovery Tribunal Acts. In line with the ‘Indradhanush’ roadmap, an amount of Rs. 10,000 crore is provided for recapitalisation of Banks in 2017-18 and additional allocation will be provided, as may be required, he added.
●    Shri Jaitley said that the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana has contributed significantly to funding the unfunded and the underfunded. He further said that the last year target of Rs.1.22 lakh crores was exceeded and for 2017-18, he proposes to double the lending target of 2015-16 and set it at Rs. 2.44 lakh crores. Priority will be given to Dalits, Tribals, Backward Classes, Minorities and Women, he added.

●    Shri Jaitley said that the Stand Up India scheme was launched by the Government in April 2016 to support Dalit, Tribal and Women entrepreneurs to set up green field enterprises and become job creators. Over 16,000 new enterprises have come up through this scheme in activities, as diverse as food processing, garments, diagnostic centres, etc, he added. 

On This Day

On 2 February 1933, Adolf Hitler 2 days after becoming the Chancellor of Germany dissolved the Reichstag (Parliament). Also on this day Communist Meetings/Demonstrations were banned from this day. In 1923, Hitler had attempted a coup in Munich to seize power. The coup failed and he was imprisoned. After his release in 1924, Hitler gained popular support by attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting Pan-Germanism, anti-Semitism, and anti-communism with charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda. By 1933 the Nazi Party was the largest elected party in the German Reichstag, which led to Hitler's appointment as Chancellor on 30 January 1933.


 

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Important Highlights of Union Budget 2017-18 - Key Features

Important Highlights of Union Budget 2017-18 - Key Features

The Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley successfully presented the Union Budget for 2017-18. We will describe the key features and important highlights that were discussed in the budget.

Also, we will brief about what are the impacts of financial budget on different sectors and economy. The Demonetization has driven major decisions in the current budget. The prime focus was on middle class family and students.

The PDF file will give you the important highlights and what to expect from the Union Budget session 2017-18.

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Current Affairs Today - February 1 2017

Dear Readers,

We bring you the Latest (GK)General Knowledge and Current Affairs, General awareness Today  1st February 2017 Section in FREE PDF (English & Hindi), a section which outlines the latest news, Events headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere. This will help you with the Latest GK and Current Affairs  asked in various competitive examinations of Banking & Government Sector like IBPS, SBI (RRB, PO and Clerk), SSC, Railways, LAW (CLAT) entrance exams, UPSC -IAS etc. and will help you score good marks in the competitive examination. We recommend all our readers to go through the Gk & Current Affairs section and boost your general awareness, Gk, Current Affairs before the examination.

NATIONAL NEWS

Former Union Minister E Ahamed Passes Away


E Ahamed, former Union Minister passed away in the early hours of 1 February 2017 after suffering from a heart attack. He was 78.
●    The veteran leader had collapsed during President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the joint sitting of the Parliamen.
●    He was born on 29 April 1938.
●    He had graduated from Brennen College in Tellicherry in Kerala and had a law degree from the Government Law College in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
●    He had served as the Minister of State for External Affairs under the Manmohan Singh government during the period 2004-14.
●    He represented the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency of Kerala.
●    He was also the National President of the Indian Union Muslim League.

ECONOMY


Economic Survey 2016 published

The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 31 January 2017 presented the Economic Survey 2017 in the Parliament. 
●    The survey observed that the Indian Economy has sustained a macro-economic environment of relatively low inflation, fiscal discipline and moderate current account deficit coupled with broadly stable rupee-dollar exchange rate.
●    Macro economy: As per the advance estimates released by the Central Statistics Office, the growth rate of GDP at constant market prices for the year 2016-17 is placed at 7.1 per cent, as against 7.6 per cent in 2015-16.
●    This estimate is based mainly on information for the first seven to eight months of the financial year. 
●    For 2017-18, it is expected that the growth would return to normal as the new currency notes in required quantities come back into circulation and as follow-up actions to demonetisation are taken.

ENVIRONMENT


February 2 : World Wetlands Day


The 2 February each year is World Wetlands Day, marking the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971.
●    Established to raise awareness about the value of wetlands for humanity and the planet, WWD was celebrated for the first time in 1997 and has grown remarkably since then. 
●    Each year a theme is selected to focus attention and help raise public awareness about the value of wetlands.
●    The theme for the world wetland day 2017 is “Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction”.
●    Since 1997 the Ramsar website has posted reports from about 100 countries of their WWD activities 
●    These materials are available to freely download in the three languages of the Convention English, French and Spanish on the World Wetlands Day website .
●    All the materials are also available in their design files for event organizers to customize and adapt them to their local languages and contexts. 
●    A few print copies are available to countries upon request to the Secretariat.

ECONOMY


CSO Revises GDP Growth for 2015-16 to 7.9%


Government has marginally revised upwards GDP growth for 2015-16 to 7.9 per cent from the earlier estimate of 7.6 per cent after factoring in latest data on agriculture and industrial production.
●    Real GDP or GDP at constant (2011-12) prices for 2015-16 and 2014-15 stands at Rs. 113.58 lakh crore and Rs. 105.23 lakh crore, respectively, showing growth of 7.9 per cent during 2015-16 and 7.2 per cent during 2014-15.
●    The figure for 2014-15 has remained unchanged at 7.2 per cent in the second revision of the national accounts for the fiscal.
Last year, CSO has estimated GDP growth rate for 2015-16 and 2014-15 at 7.6 per cent and 7.2 per cent, respectively.

GLOBAL NEWS

Trump fires US Attorney General


Mr. Boente, who has been a prosecutor with the Justice Department for 31 years, had no hesitation about accepting the acting attorney general’s job given his “seniority and loyalty” to the department, Mr. Stueve said in a telephone interview on Monday night.
●    As acting attorney general, Ms. Yates was the only person at the Justice Department authorized to sign applications for foreign surveillance warrants. 
●    Ms. Yates’s decision had effectively overruled a finding by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, which had already approved the executive order “with respect to form and legality.”
●    Ms. Yates said her determination in deciding not to defend the order was broader, however, and included questions not only about the order’s lawfulness, but also whether it was a “wise or just” policy. 
●    She also alluded to unspecified statements the White House had made before signing the order, which she factored into her review.

NATIONAL NEWS

Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh to be aided by Finance Ministry

The Union Finance Ministry has agreed to contribute partially to a new dedicated railway safety fund named as ‘Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh’. 
●    The proposed safety fund will be utilised for track improvement, bridge rehabilitation, rolling stock replacement, human resource development, improved inspection system and safety work at level crossing, among other things. 

●    The Finance Ministry is likely to grant a fresh infusion of only Rs. 5,000 crore in the upcoming financial year out of the initial proposed corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore. 
●    Railways may now be asked to fund the remaining Rs. 5,000 crore for the initial corpus from its own resources.
●    For this Indian Railway’s may either have to bring back a cess on rail tickets to finance its share of Rail Safety Fund or look to fund it from non-budgetary resources.

ENVIRONMENT

BHNS launches Climate Change Programme in Central Himalayas

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has launched climate change programme to assess the status, distribution and conservation of finches and pheasants in the Central Himalayas. 
●    The first study will be funded by Oracle and facilitated by CAF-India. 
●    Currently, there are nearly 50 species of pheasants and 62 species of finches in the Indian subcontinent.
●    Several of these species are listed under the ‘Globally Threatened’ category created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
●    Shrinking habitat as a result of climate change and several biotic factors along with poaching and trapping have pushed both these groups to almost extinction.
●    While species that are capable of adapting to the change will survive, those that are habitat specialist and sensitive to temperature will suffer.


NATIONAL NEWS


 Karnataka Govt. to Amend Law for Conducting Kambala

 The Karnataka government has decided to bring an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, for conducting kambala and bull-cart race, traditional sports of the State. 
●    The government has decided against promulgating an ordinance since the legislature would meet from February 6 for five days. 
●    The State would follow the model of the Tamil Nadu government and bring changes to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. 
●    The Bill passed by the legislature would require an assent from the President.
●    Earlier in the day, hundreds of people marched with 300 he-buffaloes at Moodbidri town in Dakshina Kannada district demanding lifting of the ban on kambala.
●    About 150 pairs of kambala buffaloes were brought from Kasaragod, Kerala, in the south, and Baindoor, Udupi district, in the north. 

On This Day

On 1 February 1968, the World Trade Conference Unctad II was held in New Delhi. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues. The first UNCTAD conference took place in Geneva in 1964, the second in New Delhi in 1968. The Fourteenth was recently held in Nairobi (Kenya) in 2016. Currently, UNCTAD has 194 member states and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.


 

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FREE GK and Current Affairs today - January 31 2017

FREE GK and Current Affairs today - January 31 2017

Dear Readers,

We bring you the Latest (GK)General Knowledge and Current Affairs, General awareness Today  31st January 2017 Section in FREE PDF (English & Hindi), a section which outlines the latest news, Events headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere. This will help you with the Latest GK and Current Affairs  asked in various competitive examinations of Banking & Government Sector like IBPS, SBI (RRB, PO and Clerk), SSC, Railways, LAW (CLAT) entrance exams, UPSC -IAS etc. and will help you score good marks in the competitive examination. We recommend all our readers to go through the Gk & Current Affairs section and boost your general awareness, Gk, Current Affairs before the examination.

FREE Current Affairs today : 29th January 2017 (PDF) - Hindi & English

FREE Current Affairs today : 30th January 2017 (PDF) - Hindi & English


NATIONAL NEWS

January 31 - 12th Raising Day Celebration of NDRF held

The 12th Raising Day celebration of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was held in the national capital on 31st Jan.
●    Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh presented the Jeevan Raksha Padak awards and Distinguished Service Medals to the NDRF personnel.
●    He also released the NDRF pictorial book and souvenir to mark the occasion.
●    The NDRF raised on January, 2006, is a specialised force capable of responding to any type of disaster in the country and abroad.
●    It is strategically deployed across the nation as per the vulnerability profile of the country.
●    Over the years, the NDRF has proved itself a vibrant force in the country which provides prompt assistance in search and rescue, mass evacuation and immediate relief to victims in case of natural or man-made disasters.
●    So far, the NDRF has responded to over one thousand operations and rescued around four lakh 73 thousand victims.

ECONOMY


RBI removes cash withdrawal limit on current accounts 


The Reserve Bank of India lifts restrictions on daily withdrawal of money from ATMs (automated teller machines) starting 1 February 2017. 
●    The announcement was made through a circular issued on 30 January 2017. According to the notice, the decision was taken after a review of the pace of demonetisation.
●    RBI has asked all banks to set their own daily limit as they did before the demonetisation of old high denomination currency notes on 8 November 2016.
●    The RBI will also be removing all limits on cash withdrawals from current accounts, cash credit accounts and overdraft accounts.
●    The weekly limit of Rs 24000 on savings bank accounts will continue to hold for now but is under consideration for withdrawal in the near future.
●    Along with this, the RBI has also urged all banks to encourage their constituents to move towards digitisation of payments and switch the mode of payment from cash mode to non-cash mode.

SPORTS

Abhinav Bindra, Pullela Gopichand part of TOP task force

The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports constituted a Task Force to prepare an action plan for 2020, 2024 and 2028 Olympic games.
●    An announcement in this regard was made by the Union Ministry of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel on 30 January 2017.
●    Pulella Gopichand-Olympian and coach
●    Abhinav Bindra-Olympic gold medalist
●    Rajesh Kalra-Chief Editor, Times Group Online
●    Om Pathak-School Sports Promotion foundation
●    Viren Rasquinha-CEO – Olympic Gold Quest
●    S. Baldev Singh (Hockey)-Coach
●    Prof GL Khanna-Professor and Dean (Exercise and Physiology), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad
●    Sandeep Pradhan-Director General, Sports Authority of Gujarat (Member Convenor)


SPACE SCIENCE


ISRO to launch 104 satellites in one go on Februray 15


ISRO centres here are focussed on the next commercial launch of a record 104 satellites at one go on board its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C37) from Sriharikota by Feb 15.

●    It will be followed by the launch of the South Asian satellite in March this year, which is pegged as the Prime Minister's pet project.
●    In the payload of 104 satellites, 101 will be foreign satellites including the latest addition of a nano-satellite. 
●    Remaining three will be Indian satellites including the Cartosat series-2D with remote sensing high resolution camera which finds its application in defence and strategic purposes.
●    Till now, ISRO has launched the maximum 20 satellites at one go and it was on board PSLV-C34 on June 22 last year. 
●    While, Russia has launched a record 37 satellites in a single mission in 2014 and the US space agency NASA had launched 29 satellites at one go.


APPOINTMENTS


Vikramjit Sen Appointed DDCA administrator


Delhi High Court appointed Justice (Rtd) Vikramajit Sen as the new administrator of DDCA, replacing retired Justice Mukul Mudgal who did not wish to continue in the post. 

●    They also ordered audit of the accounts of the years of 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) by an external auditor. 
●    The bench also said that Justice Sen will call for a meeting of DDCA members for reconstituting the cricketing body’s working and sports committees.
●    Thereafter, the administrator will meet the Registrar of Companies prior to holding of elections to elect the office bearers of DDCA.
●    The directions, among many others, came on DDCA’s plea against appointment of an arbitrator to oversee its functioning.
●    The bench said it is going to monitor the matter and said the administrator can file periodic reports if required.


Amulya Kumar Patnaik Appointed Delhi Police Commissioner


The Union Home Ministry on 30 January 2017 announced the appointment of Amulya Kumar Patnaik as the Delhi Police Commissioner.
●    Patnaik, a 1985 batch Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre IPS officer, is currently posted as Special Commissioner of Police (Administration).
●    The Government of India constituted the Delhi Police Commission headed by Justice G.D. Khosla in the year 1966. 
●    The Commission was constituted to go into the Problems faced by Delhi Police.
●    On the basis of the Khosla Commission Report, 4 Police districts, namely, North, Central, South and New Delhi were constituted.
●    The Commission also recommended the introduction of Police Commissioner System, which was adopted from 1 July 1978.


Supreme Court appoints four member committee to run BCCI affairs

The Supreme Court (SC) on 30 January 2017 appointed former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai as the head of four-member Committee of Administrators to run Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
●    The other three members of the Committee are noted historian Ramachandra Guha, former Indian women’s cricket team captain Diana Edulji and IDFC Limited’s Managing Director Vikram Limaye.
●    The order was given by a three-judge Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra. The other two judges were Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.
●    The Bench rejected the suggestion of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to appoint Secretary of Union Sports Ministry as one of the administrators.
●    The Bench states that its 18 July 2016 judgement had specifically debarred ministers and government servants from holding any office in the BCCI.


DISCOVERY


New Species of Songbird discovered


Researchers exploring fragmented forests of the highest ranges of the Western Ghats have designated two new endemic genera and a new species of songbird.
●    The research published in the latest issue of BMC Evolutionary Biology was undertaken by V. V. Robin; Sushma Reddy; C .K. Vishnudas; Pooja Gupta; Frank E. Rheindt; Daniel M. Hooper and Uma Ramakrishnan.
●    The species in the Montecincla genera include Montecincla jerdoni, Montecincla cachinnans, Montecincla fairbanki and Montecincla meridionalis belongs to Montecincla genus. 
●    Sholicola major and Sholicola albiventris belongs to Sholicola genus.
●    Another lucky break was the discovery of old forgotten specimens in the Trivandrum Natural History Museum. 
●    Ms. Ramakrishnan expressed the hope that the the knowledge of their distinct evolution and ecology would help to increase conservation efforts.


On This Day

On 31 January 1966, Russia launched Luna 9 towards moon. Luna 9, internal designation Ye-6 No.13, was an unmanned space mission of the Soviet Union's Luna programme. On 3 February 1966 the Luna 9 spacecraft became the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, or any planetary body other than Earth, and to transmit photographic data to Earth from the surface of another planetary body.   

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FREE GK and Current Affairs Today - January 30 2017

FREE Current Affairs 30 Jan 2017

Dear Readers,

We cover some important Latest news in Gk and Current Affairs, General Awareness Today 30th January Section, which are not covered in Daily Detailed News events updates, More General Knowledge and  Current Affairs  latest  Events coverage Which will help you to Score Good Marks in Competitive Examinations of Banking, Governments, Railways & UPSC Examination..


INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

SAARC Member States to Meet in Nepal This Week 

Senior officials of the eight member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) will meet in Kathmandu this week to attend the Programming Committee.

●    This will be the first meeting of the SAARC member countries since the postponement of the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad last November, officials said on Sunday.
●    Nepal, current chair of the SAARC, had decided to postpone the SAARC Summit until further notice after four nations Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India decided to boycott the summit in Islamabad scheduled for November 9 and 10 last year.
●    SAARC is a regional body founded in 1985 in South Asia, comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.


SPORTS

Roger Federer Wins Australian Open Men's Title, Sania Mirza Loses Final 

Roger Federer on 29 January 2017 won the 2017 Australian Open Men’s Singles title.
●    The 35-year-old Swiss defeated Rafael Nadal 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 to claim his 18th Grand Slam and fifth Melbourne title.
●    Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player.
●    He is currently ranked world No. 10 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has held the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for 302 weeks.
●    He turned professional in 1998.
●    He has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, which is the most in history.
●    He has won five Australian Open titles, seven Wimbledon titles, five US Open titles and one French Open title.
●    He has won record six ATP World Tour Finals and played in the finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.


NATIONAL NEWS


Delhi becomes one of the World's Busiest Airports

Delhi airport handled nearly 56 million passengers last year, joining the ranks of some of its busiest global peers such as Bangkok, Singapore and John F Kennedy International Airport in New York. 

●    All these airports have about 50 million passengers passing through annually.  
●    For Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, this was the highest traffic growth — 21 per cent, year on year — in four years. 
●    An increase in the number of domestic passengers, foreign tourist arrivals and transit passengers fuelled the growth. 
●    Indira Gandhi International Airport serves as the primary civilian aviation hub for the National Capital Region of Delhi, India. 
●    Named after Indira Gandhi, a former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger traffic since 2009.
●    It is busiest airport in the country in terms of cargo traffic in the recent year overtaking Mumbai during late 2015.

SPORTS


Sindhu and Sameer Wins Syed Modi International Badminton Championship


Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu and National champion Sameer Verma began the new season on a resounding note by winning the women's and men's singles crowns respectively at the USD 120,000 Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament.
●    In fact, India scooped up three titles out of the five events in the tournament.
●    Top seed Sindhu, who has been in rampaging form last season, brushed aside Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska in the summit clash, while Sameer, who had reached the finals of Hong Kong Super Series, defeated compatriot B Sai Praneeth 21-19 21-16 in a 44-minute final.
●    The girl from Hyderabad led right from the start and never allowed her younger opponent to pose any threat. 
●    She entered the break at 11-5 and 11-6 in the first and second games respectively and never looked back.


NATIONAL NEWS

Government to Carry Out Comprehensive Census of Gangetic Dolphins

For the first time, the government will carry out a comprehensive census of endangered Gangetic dolphins, ghariyals and turtles across the entire Ganges river system to get their official count. 

●    The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) will carry out the exercise through Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous institution under Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, by February-end or early March.
●    All the efforts of counting the number of dolphins in the Ganga until now were carried out in bits and pieces or in particular stretches of the river.
●    The WII scientists will co-ordinate with states and NGOs for the study, he added.
●    Uttar Pradesh government had in October 2015 had conducted a census for over a period of three days in Ganga’s stretch in the state.

ENVIRONMENT


More than 3 km long fissure opens up in Arizona 


A gaping 3.2 kilometre long crack has opened up in the barren land of Arizona, possibly due to the withdrawal of groundwater for agricultural activities, say scientists who have warned that the fissure is likely continue growing.

●    A footage from an Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) in the US drone showed the extent of the huge fissure splitting the barren land.
●    The crack is so big that it dwarfs people walking along its edges in the video.
●    The northern part of the fissure, which is older and partially filled in, is shallow, while the southern portion is tens of feet deep in some spots, according to Joseph Cook, a geologist with the AZGS.
●    Cook first spotted the crack in Google Earth imagery from December 2014. After mapping the fissure using GPS, the researchers got another look using a drone, Live Science reported.
●    The crack is so big that it dwarfs people walking along its edges in the video.
●    The northern part of the fissure, which is older and partially filled in, is shallow, while the southern portion is tens of feet deep in some spots, according to Joseph Cook, a geologist with the AZGS.
●    Cook first spotted the crack in Google Earth imagery from December 2014. After mapping the fissure using GPS, the researchers got another look using a drone, Live Science reported.


SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY


Solid Metallic Hydrogen Successfully Created by Harvard Scientists


Squeezed between two pieces of diamond, hydrogen has been transformed into a metallic form believed to exist inside giant planets like Jupiter.


●    If some theoretical predictions turn out to be true, the new state of hydrogen could even be a solid metal that is metastable — remaining solid even after the crushing pressure is removed — and a superconductor, able to conduct electricity without resistance.
●    Editors at Science declined to discuss the paper, but in a statement, Jeremy Berg, the editor in chief, said that submissions must pass rigorous review by experts and that only about 7 percent are published.
●    Hydrogen is the lightest of elements; each atom consists only of one proton and one electron. 
●    In the ordinary conditions at Earth’s surface, where the weight of air presses at 14.7 pounds per square inch, hydrogen atoms pair up into simple molecules.

AWARDS

Miss France Crowned Miss Universe 2016


France’s Iris Mittenaere on 30 January 2017 was crowned the Miss Universe 2016. The pageant was held at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines.

●    Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines crowned her successor Iris Mittenaere at the end of the event.
●    Miss Haiti Raquel Pélissier was announced the first runner-up while Miss Columbia Andrea Tovar was named the second runner-up in the pageant.
●    India’s Roshmitha Harimurthy could not even make it to the top 15.
●    Born on 25 January 1993, Mittenaere is a French model.
●    She is the second Miss Universe from France. France's Christiane Martel was crowned the Miss Universe in the year 1953.
●    Mittenaere had represented Nord-Pas-de-Calais at the Miss France 2016. On 19 December 2015, she was crowned Miss France 2016. 


 

On This Day

On 30 January 1948, the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu Nationalist, Nathuram Godse. Communal violence broke out in Punjab and Bengal after the Partition of India and Pakistan. Eschewing the official celebration of independence in Delhi, Gandhi visited the affected areas, attempting to provide solace. In the months following, he undertook several fasts unto death to promote religious harmony. The last of these, undertaken on 12 January 1948 when he was 78, also had the indirect goal of pressuring India to pay out some cash assets owed to Pakistan. Some Indians mistakenly thought Gandhi was too accommodating. Godse was one of them.

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Gk and Current Affairs FREE PDF today - January 29 2017

Current-Affairs-free-pdf-today-january-29-2017

Dear Readers,

We bring you the (GK)General Knowledge and Current Affairs Today  29th Jan 2017 Section in PDF (English & Hindi), a section which outlines the latest news headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere. This will help you with the GK and Current Affairs  asked in various competitive exams of Banking & Government  like IBPS, SBI (PO and Clerk), SSC, Railways, LAW (CLAT) entrance exams, UPSC -IAS etc. and will help you score good marks. We recommend all our aspirants to go through the section and boost your general awareness before.

SPORTS

Serena Williams wins Australian Open Women's title

Serena Williams wins Australian Open Women's title


Serena Williams pushed sentiments aside in an emotion-charged 6-4 6-4 defeat of sister Venus to win the Australian Open on Saturday and a record 23rd grand slam title in the professional era.


●    The American's seventh title at Melbourne Park was won with an aggressive charge to the net and a desperate defensive backhand from Venus that floated into the tramlines.
●    Williams slumped to the ground, with hands in the air and eyes wide with joyous disbelief, before congratulating her sister for inspiring her run in Melbourne.
●    The win moved her past Steffi Graf on the list of all-time slam winners and she now sits just one shy of Margaret Court's long-standing record of 24.
●    In the ultimate throwback tournament, Serena met her sister on the same Rod Laver Arena court where 14 years before she had edged her in three sets to claim her first Melbourne Park crown.
●    Eight years had passed since their last grand slam decider at Wimbledon in 2009, and their combined ages in Melbourne added up to the 'oldest' major final ever contested.

NATIONAL NEWS


India to soon flag off Antyodaya Express

India to soon flag off Antyodaya Express

Catering to the growing requirement of general passengers, Railways will introduce Antodaya superfast trains, a special service with many facilities for unreserved category, in the high demand routes.

●    Antodaya Express will be a fully unreserved service for general class passengers and run in the high density routes, a senior Railway Ministry official said.
●    Provided with bio-toilets for zero discharge of effluents, Antodaya coaches will have toilet occupation indication lights provided at each end near the doorway with better visibility from compartments.
●    Besides there will be cushioned seats, LED lights in the coach with aluminium composite panels interior for asthetic look. The official said the new Antodaya service was budget commitment.
●    Earlier Humsafar Express, a fully 3AC service, also part of the budget announcement, was launched for Gorakhpur to New Delhi. After Antodaya, Railways will launch Tejas Express, another special service in reserved class, which will be operational this year.

NATIONAL NEWS


India Post Receives payment banks licence to start services 

India Post Receives payment banks licence to start services 


India Post has received payments bank licence from the Reserve Bank of India to start rollout of banking operations commercially under the permit. 


●    India Post has received payments bank licence. The service will be launched as per schedule.
●    India Post Payments Bank is the third entity to receive payments bank permit after Bharti Airtel and Paytm.
●    Payments banks can accept deposits up to Rs 1 lakh per account from individuals and small businesses.
●    The new model of banking allows mobile firms, supermarket chains and others to cater to banking requirements of individuals and small businesses. 
●    It will be set up as a differentiated bank and will confine its activities to acceptance of demand deposits, remittance services, Internet banking and other specified services.
●    In 2015, RBI had granted ‘in-principle’ approval to 11 entities, including Department of Posts, to set up payments banks and proposed to give such licences ‘on tap’ basis in future.

NATIONAL NEWS


UID Begins on BHIM App

UID Begins on BHIM App

The government has enabled the Bharat Interface for Mobile (BHIM) app with Aadhaar seeking to accelerate the drive toward digital-money transactions in the country.    


●    Aadhaar Pay service will enable people to make and receive payments using their Aadhaar number and the biometric technology. 
●    14 banks have come on board for Aadhaar Pay and the government is in talks with other banks too, Minister for Electronics and IT. 
●    Aadhaar has already given unique numbers to 1.11 billion people in the country, and about 390 million bank accounts are linked to the 12-digit Aadhaar number. 
●    Prasad said that about 20 million people are linking their bank accounts with Aadhaar every month.

BANKING


HDFC launches first humanoid 'Ira' in Mumbai

HDFC launches first humanoid 'Ira' in Mumbai


HDFC Bank has deployed an interactive humanoid at its Kamala Mills branch in Mumbai. 

●    Intelligent Robotic Assistant is developed in partnership with Kochi-based startup Asimov Robotics.
●    IRA will be used for customer service.
●    HDFC has become the first bank in the country to deploy humanoid for customer service. 
●    Developed using robotics and artificial intelligence technology, IRA will be initially positioned near the bank’s welcome desk where it will display the services, greet customers and guide them to the counters - cash deposit, foreign exchange, loans etc. 
●    In phase-II, IRA’s capabilities will be enhanced by introducing features like voice/face recognition for customer identification, voice-guided navigation, balance enquiry and cheque deposit.


NATIONAL NEWS


ONGC to invest Rs. 78,000 crore in KG Basin 

ONGC to invest Rs. 78,000 crore in KG Basin 

Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC) will invest Rs 78,000 crore in the Krishna Godavari basin for producing hydrocarbons and has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government.

●    ONGC has been pursuing exploration in the basin and had last March announced a $5 billion (Rs34,000 crore) investment over the next three years in two of its fields.
●    The investment figure announced on Saturday is for the entire basin. 
●    ONGC sees Andhra Pradesh as a hydrocarbon rich state. 
●    ONGC is very aggressively pursuing to put the huge gas reserves it has discovered in KG basin, to production. 
●    It plans to invest about Rs10,000 crore for exploration and production activities in onland blocks and about Rs 68,000 crore in offshore assets in the KG Basin.

SPORTS

 World T20 for the Blind to begin in India from Jan 30

World T20 for the Blind to begin in India from Jan 30

The opening T20 World Cup Cricket for the blind will start from Monday with two matches slated in Delhi when India takes on Bangladesh and New Zealand with Pakistan.

●    For the first time, the World Cup matches will take place in multiple cities across India.
●    Ten teams, including hosts India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia and England, will fight it out for the title.
●    The matches will be played in twelve venues, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Indore and Bhubaneswar.
●    A seventeen member squad led by Ajay Kumar Reddy will represent India in the mega-event.
●    Former Indian blind cricket team captain Shekhar Naik yesterday released the Blind Anthem for T20 World Cup in New Delhi.


SPACE SCIENCE


India's first dedicated space observatory ASTROSAT catches Vampire Star at work

India's first dedicated space observatory ASTROSAT catches Vampire Star at work

India’s first dedicated space observatory, Astrosat, has captured a small, 6-billion-year-old “vampire” star “preying” on a bigger celestial body.


●    Scientists say the smaller star, also called a “blue straggler”, feeds off its companion star by sucking out its mass and energy, causing its eventual death.
●    This discovery also highlights the capabilities of the telescopes on Astrosat, a dedicated space observatory satellite launched in September 2015.
●    The study was recently published in Astrophysical Journal Letters by a team of scientists from IIA, Inter-University Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
●    Scientists are now looking to understand the chemical composition of the ‘blue straggler’ using high resolution spectroscopy, which could reveal more about the evolution of these peculiar celestial objects. 

On This Day

On This Day - 29 Jan 2017


On 29 January 1886, the first successful gasoline powered car was patented by Karl Benz in Karlsruhe, Germany. Karl Friedrich Benz was a German engine designer and automobile engineer. His Benz Patent Motorcar from 1885 is considered the first practical motorcar.

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Gk and Current Affairs FREE PDF Today - January 28 2017

Gk-Current-Affairs-free-pdf-today-january-28-2017

Dear Readers,

We bring you the (GK)General Knowledge and Current Affairs Today  28th Jan 2017 Section in PDF (English & Hindi), a section which outlines the latest news headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere. This will help you with the GK and Current Affairs  asked in various competitive exams of Banking & Government  like IBPS, SBI (PO and Clerk), SSC, Railways, LAW (CLAT) entrance exams, UPSC -IAS etc. and will help you score good marks. We recommend all our aspirants to go through the section and boost your general awareness before.

NATIONAL NEWS

January 28 - Lala Lajpat Rai's 151st Birth-Anniversary Observed 

January 28 - Lala Lajpat Rai's 151st Birth-Anniversary Observed 

150th birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai, also known as Punjab Kesri is being celebrated 28th January 2016.

●    Rai, popularly known as Punjab Kesari was part of the ‘Lal Bal Pal’ trio.
●    He was one of the three extremist members of the Indian National Congress who gave their life for the independence of India along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal.
●    He was part of the Lal Bal Pal trio of assertive nationalists that included Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal from 1905 to 1918. 
●    Lal Bal Pal trio had advocated the Swadeshi movement involving the boycott of all imported items and the use of Indian-made goods in 1907 during the anti-Partition agitation in Bengal which began in 1905.
●    Rai was born on January 28, 1865 and died on November 17, 1928.

APPOINTMENTS

Vijay P Bhatkar Appointed Chancellor of Nalanda University

Vijay P Bhatkar Appointed Chancellor of Nalanda University


Vijay Pandurang Bhatkar, a technocrat who is considered the father of the Indian Supercomputer, has been appointed the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University, Rajgir, in Bihar. 

●    President Pranab Mukherjee, in his capacity as Visitor to Nalanda University, named Bhatkar for the post with effect from January 25.
●    He will hold the office for a three-year period from the date of his appointment as per the Nalanda University Act, Sec 11(3). 
●    Bhatkar, 70, replaces Gopa Sabharwal who resigned on November 24 last year, followed by the resignation of Chancellor George Yeo, after the dissolution of the Mentor Group which functioned as the governing body of the university.
●    Born on October 11, 1946 in Pune, Bhatkar was educated at IIT, Delhi, Sir Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur and MS University, Vadodara. 
●    He is known as the architect of India’s initiative in supercomputing, the Centre of Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Pune founded in 1988, leading to the development of the first indigenous supercomputer Param 8,000 in 1991, followed by Param 10,000 in 1998.

GLOBAL NEWS


Morocco to rejoin African Union After 33 Years

Morocco to rejoin African Union After 33 Years


After leaving the pan African organisation three decades ago, Morocco is set to rejoin the African Union during its 28th African summit scheduled for January 30-31 in Addis Ababa.

●    Morocco in 1984 decided to withdraw from the Organisation of African Unity, which later became the AU, in protest against the admission of Western Sahara, which seeks independence for a chunk of territory the country claims as its own.
●    Morocco has since then refused to be part of the organisation, but recently it changed its policy, making the re-admission to the AU on the top of its agenda.
●    Two months after the king's message to the African leaders, the North African kingdom in September formally submitted a request to re-join the continental body.
●    The request was submitted after it received the support of a group of 28 AU member states, representing more than the majority of the 54 African Union member states required for admission.


OBITUARY


English Actor John Hurt Passes Away

English Actor John Hurt Passes Away

Actor John Hurt, the gravelly voiced British actor who garnered Oscar nominations for his roles in "Midnight Express" and "The Elephant Man," has died at the age of 77, publicist Charles McDonald said Friday.
●    Hurt always stayed busy, working more than six decades in television, movies and voice work in England and the United States. He recently played a priest who counsels Jacqueline Kennedy in last year's biopic "Jackie," according to IMDb.
●    Hurt was born in Shirebrook, a coal mining village in Derbyshire, England, the son of an an engineer and one-time actress and an Anglican clergyman and 
mathematician, IMDb said.
●    He trained to become a painter but, after being accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, worked on the stage in the early 1960s.
●    His first film role came in the "angry young man" drama "Young and Willing" in 1962 and his first major role in "A Man for All Seasons" in 1966, IMDb said.


NATIONAL NEWS

India's Inter-Service Military Exercise TROPEX 17 Starts

India's Inter-Service Military Exercise TROPEX 17 Starts

Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya backed by nuclear submarine INS Chakra besides fighting assets of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have come together in the country’s biggest inter-service ‘Tropex’ exercise along the western seaboard. The navy’s annual Theatre Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX) got underway on January 24.

●    The month-long exercise will have ships and aircraft of both the Western and Eastern Naval Commands, as also assets from the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Coast Guard exercising together.
●    The last edition of the exercise was conducted in January 2015.
●    Tropex has grown in scale and complexity over the years and will see participation of major surface combatants and air assets of the Indian Navy including INS Vikramaditya, INS Chakra, Landing Platform Dock (LPD) Jalashwa, the recently commissioned destroyer INS Chennai, P-8I long range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft operating alongside SU-30 MKI, Jaguars, AWACS, IL-78 Flight Refuelling Aircraft of the Indian Air Force and infantry units of the Indian Army.
●    Tropex-17 assumes special significance in the backdrop of the current security scenario, a statement by the navy said.

NATIONAL NEWS

Report on National MSME Policy Submitted

Report on National MSME Policy Submitted


The committee tasked with drafting a comprehensive policy for the country's micro, small and medium enterprises today submitted its report. 

●    The one-member panel of former Cabinet Secretary Dr Prabhat Kumar submitted the report on formulation of a National MSME Policy to Union MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra here. 
●    The country does not have an MSME policy till date. 
●    Mishra appreciated the efforts made by Kumar in meeting various stakeholders in different parts of .. 
●    At the moment, there is no integrated approach for the development of MSMEs despite the fact that the sector accounts for 40 per cent of India's manufacturing and 45 per cent of exports. 

NATIONAL NEWS


Water Level of 91 Major Reservoirs of the Country Reduced by 2%

Water Level of 91 Major Reservoirs of the Country Reduced by 2%


According to data released by the ministry of water resources on 2 December, water storage available in 91 large reservoirs of the country for the week ending 1 December 2016 was 102.841 billion cu. metre (BCM), which is 65% of the total storage capacity of these reservoirs. 

●    This was 126% in the corresponding period last year and averaged at 98% over the last ten years.
●    States having lesser storage than last year for corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
●    The report states that current storage is 67 per cent of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 77 per cent of storage of average of last ten years.
●    Experts attribute the depleting water levels in reservoirs to two years of poor rainfall in the country.
●    On Tuesday, Indian meteorological department announced that monsoon in 2016 was likely to be ‘above normal’, which may increase the water levels.
●    States having better storage than last year for corresponding period are Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Karnataka, among others.

NATIONAL NEWS


I&B Secretary Launches Film Condition Assessment Project 

I&B Secretary Launches Film Condition Assessment Project 

“Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is committed to safeguarding the country’s filmic and non-filmic heritage and is taking all necessary steps to preserve films and non-filmic material for posterity as per global standards,” said Shri Ajay Mittal, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Ministry. 
●    He was speaking on the occasion of the launch of Film Condition Assessment, which is the first phase of implementation of National Film Heritage Mission, NFHM here today at Pune.
●    Elaborating further, Shri Mittal said, “This is a one-of-its-kind project in the world, wherein the Government is spending huge amount of money towards the aspect of film preservation, in order to make rich filmic heritage available for the future generations to come. 
●    The condition of about 1,32,000 film reels at NFAI would be assessed and necessary measures would be taken to prolong their life. Each film reel will be tracked and monitored through RFID tagging, during the first phase”.
●    On the sidelines of the occasion, Shri Mittal also launched NFAI’s initiative of digitization of non-filmic material. Secretary said, “this is a step in the direction of Government’s Digital India initiative, wherein non-filmic heritage of the country would be digitized, restored and made available to the people at large”. 
●    NFAI has been the custodian of a large number of film ancillary material like posters, photos, song booklets, pamphlets, press clippings, slides / transparencies, glass negatives etc, which would be digitized and restored during the process. 

On This Day

On This Day


On 28 January 1933, the name Pakistan was coined by Choudhary Rahmat Ali, a Pakistan Movement activist, who published it in his pamphlet Now or Never, using it as an acronym ("thirty million Muslim brethren who live in PAKSTAN") referring to the names of the five northern regions of the British Raj: Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, and Baluchistan. The name Pakistan literally means "land of the pure" in Urdu and Persian.

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GK, Current Affairs Today - January 27 2017

Current Affairs 27th Jan 2017

Dear Readers,

We bring you the (GK)General Knowledge and Current Affairs Today  27th Jan 2017 Section in PDF (English & Hindi), a section which outlines the latest news headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere. This will help you with the GK and Current Affairs  asked in various competitive exams of Banking & Government  like IBPS, SBI (PO and Clerk), SSC, Railways, LAW (CLAT) entrance exams, UPSC -IASetc. and will help you score good marks. We recommend all our aspirants to go through the section and boost your general awareness before.

National News

Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan Resigns 


Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan resigned from his position on 27 January 2017. 

His resignation came following a controversy that was triggered against him, accusing him of sexual misconduct.

●    Moreover, a letter was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the staff of the Meghalaya Governor's House, accusing the Governor of compromising with the dignity of his office.
●    Civil society groups in Meghalaya like the Civil Society Women's Organisation and a progressive political outfit of Meghalaya 'Thma U Rangli' launched a signature campaign following the reports of inappropriate behaviour by the Governor. The campaign was launched to demand Governor's resignation.
●    However, Shanmuganathan, who also holds the additional charge of Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, denied such media allegations.


SPORTS

David Warner Breaks Tendulkar's Record of Scoring 150 or More 5 Times in ODIs


Sachin Tendulkar, in his illustrious career that spanned over two decades, has set many a records in cricketing history. 

●    Although many of these records are set to stand for some while, one man who has been tipped to break at least some of them is India skipper Virat Kohli.
●    However, as the swashbuckling Indian top-order batsman gears up for his first T20I as the Team India captain, it was an Aussie, who matched one of the ‘Little Master’s’ unique records.
●    Australia opener David Warner absolutely clobbered the Pakistan bowlers all around the Adelaide Oval, to help his side to a massive total of 369. 
●    While he set a record-breaking opening partnership of 284 runs with Travis Head, there was another record that brought Warner on the same level as Tendulkar.
●    Warner’s 179 runs off 128 balls was his fifth 150 plus score in one-day cricket. 
●    This brought him level with Tendulkar, who had also scored 150 or more five times in his ODI career.


DEFENCE

Improved Pinaka Rockets Test-Fired

The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on 24 January 2017 successfully test fired the Guided PINAKA from Launch Complex-III at ITR, Chandipur.

●    Guided PINAKA is the enhanced version of PINAKA Rocket Mark-II which has been equipped with navigation, guidance and control kit. 
●    The conversion from PINAKA Rocket Mark-II to Guided PINAKA facilitated the enhancement in the range and improvement in the accuracy of PINAKA. 
●    The flight of this upgraded rocket was tracked and monitored by Radars, Electro Optical and Telemetry Systems at ITR Chandipur. 
●    The guided version of Pinaka was developed jointly by Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune and Imarat and Defence Research and Development Laboratory, the Hyderabad-based Research Centre. 

SPACE SCIENCE

NASA'a New Horizons to Explore Ancient Object Beyond Pluto

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is on its way to explore a small, ancient object located about 1.6 billion kilometres beyond Pluto, nearly two years after its historic encounter with the icy dwarf planet.

●    The new target was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2014 and it was dubbed 2014 MU69.
●    It took the spacecraft about 16 months to beam back all of its data from the Pluto flyby, and planetary scientists have had a ball with that data.
●    The next big stage of the mission, the flyby of 2014 MU69, will occur in January 2019. 
●    MU69 is much smaller and more representative of the trillions of other KBOs. 
●    Pluto is comparable to the size of North America at 2,370 km in diameter, while MU69 is less than 45 km across.


RANKINGS & REPORTS

India in Red Zone on Transparency List


A major international index of corruption and transparency has placed India on the watch list for its inability to curb mega corruption scandals and petty bribery. 

●    The annual index of Transparency International issued on Wednesday for 2016 placed India with Brazil and China in the 40th position. India’s condition showed growth with inequality.
●    “The impact of corruption on poverty, illiteracy and policy brutality showed that not only was the economy growing but so was inequality.
●    India’s current ranking, putting it in the high corruption zone, has drawn critical observations from transparency campaigners. 
●    Nikhil Dey of People’s Campaign for Right to Information said the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not done enough on the issue of Lokpal and whistleblower protection.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS


India to Fill Strategic Reserve Facility at Mangaluru with Oil from UAE


●    India signed a deal with the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday that allows the Gulf nation to fill half of an underground crude oil storage facility at Mangalore that is part of New Delhi's strategic reserve system. 
●    New Delhi announced a series of pacts with the UAE ranging from defence, trade, maritime cooperation to energy after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. 
●    UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Co will store about 6 million barrels of oil at Mangalore, taking up about half of the site's capacity, said Sunjay Sudhir, joint secretary for international cooperation at the Indian oil ministry. 
●    India, hedging against energy security risks as it imports most of its oil needs, is building emergency storage in underground caverns to hold 36.87 million barrels of crude, or about 10 days of its average daily oil demand in 2016. 

GLOBAL NEWS
 


Japan Successfully Launches First Military Communications Satellite

Japan on 24 January 2017 launched its first military communications satellite Kirameki-2 to boost the broadband capacity of its armed forces with an aim to reinforce its presence at the southern edge of the East China Sea.

●    The satellite was launched through Mistubishi H-IIA rocket from southern-most islands of Japan, an area in which Tokyo and Beijing have clashed over the gas-rich East China Sea.
●    Kirameki-2 is one of three planned X-band satellites that will allow communications across wider territory. It has a lifespan of 15 years. It was built by DSN Corporation for the Japanese Ministry of Defence.
●    The Kirameki-1 satellite was damaged in 2016 during transportation to the launch site and is expected to be launched in March 2018. On the other hand, Kirameki-3 is intended to be launched in 2021.
●    The country expects to send three X-band satellites into orbit over the coming years in order to quadruple the country’s broadband capacity.


INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
 


India, France Sign Pact on Maritime Info Sharing in IOR

India and France has signed White Shipping agreement to enable information sharing on maritime traffic and maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) amid China's expanding naval forays in the area where India wants to establish itself as the net security provider.

●    The agreement was signed on January 19 here when the two sides held their second dialogue on maritime cooperation for the Indian Ocean Region.
●    The White Shipping Agreement will be implemented over the next few months enabling Navies of India and France to coordinate their roles in stabilizing Indo-Pacific region, persons familiar with the developments indicated. It will enhance Indo-French maritime security cooperation in the 
region.
●    The Indo-French dialogue also emphasized on Freedom of Navigation in IOR and Pacific in the backdrop of China's territorial claims and dominance in the South China Sea region.

Awards

Padma Awards 2017 announced

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 25 January 2017 announced the winners of the Padma Awards 2017. 

The list comprises of 7 Padma Vibhushan, 7 Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri Awardees.  

19 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 5 persons from the category of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs and 6 posthumous awardees.

●    List of Padma Vibhushan Awardees
●    K J Yesudas
●    Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
●    Sharad Pawar
●    Murli Manohar Joshi
●    Prof. Udipi Ramachandra Rao
●    Late Sunder Lal Patwa (Posthumous)
●    Late PA Sangma (Posthumous)
●    Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian Awards of India. 

The awards are conferred in three categories namely - Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.


On This Day

On 27 January 1888, the National Geographic Society was incorporated at Washington DC, USA. Gardiner Greene Hubbard became its first president and his son-in-law, Alexander Graham Bell, succeeded him in 1897. The current National Geographic Society president and CEO is Gary E. Knell. The chairman of the board of trustees is John Fahey. The editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine is Susan Goldberg. It is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history.


 

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