banking & financial...
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Banking & Financial News
Over 90% Indian customers still prefer branch over online banking: Oracle JD Power India
'Retail Banking Study’
A new report published on 3 July 2017 revealed that despite government has been pushing people to go online
when it comes to banking; the branch still continues to dominate banking channels in India. It says that the
about 94 per cent of retail banking customers having visited the branch/store at least once in the past 12
months.
According to the 2017 Oracle J.D. Power India 'Retail Banking Study', despite the impetus provided by
demonetisation, digital banking is not yet a pervasive experience in India. "Most banking relationships still begin
and continue at the branch.
However, there is great potential for banks to move more into the digital space.
Only 51 per cent of retail banking customers has a reliable online banking experience with their main financial
institution," said Gordon Shields, senior director, J.D. Power, a US-based global marketing information services
firm.
Basis of the findings
The results was based on in-person interviews with 5368 retail banking customers conducted between February
and April 2017 across 14 states and included both private and public banks.
"In fact, overall customer satisfaction with banking in India is lagging significantly behind other key markets at
672 index points, compared to the industry average score reported in other J.D. Power studies in China (806),
the USA (793) and Australia (748)," Shields added.
The study measured overall satisfaction in five factors, and they are:
a) Account activities (39 per cent)
b) Account information (18 per cent)
c) Facility (17 per cent)
d) Product offerings (14 per cent)
e) Fees (12 per cent)
While overall customer satisfaction with mobile banking is markedly higher (693) than with In-Person Branch
interaction (676), only 9 per cent of India retail banking customers use mobile banking for everyday transactions.
"Among the 48 per cent of customers who have yet to download a banking app, one-fourth state lack of security
is a key reason for non-usage," Shields noted.
Free GST Facilitation Centres set up across Goa
In Goa, the Office of the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes has set up GST facilitation centres in ward offices
across the state and at the department’s head office in Panaji.
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The Department of Information and Publicity stated in a release that trained help desk personnel have been
appointed for each ward and the head office to assist taxpayers in resolving their technical issues related to
migration to GST, registration, amendments, return filing and payments.
The release further read that select chartered accountants will provide free consultation services related to GST
between 4-6 pm till the 10 July.
Government listed 22 products for physically challenged persons at concessional GST rate of
5%
Union Government on 4 July 2017 explained about the GST rates which were fixed for specific devices for
physically challenged persons. In its explanation, it listed 22 products or devices for physically challenged
persons that will attract a concessional GST rate of five per cent only.
These 22 items have been kept at the concessional 5 per cent GST rate. Assistive devices and rehabilitation aids
for physically challenged persons are listed below
1) Braille writers and braille writing instruments
2) Handwriting equipment like Braille Frames, Slates, Writing Guides, Script Writing Guides, Styli, Braille
Erasers
3) Canes, Electronic aids like the Sonic Guide
4) Optical, Environmental Sensors
5) Arithmetic aids like the Taylor Frame (arithmetic and algebra types), Cubarythm, Speaking or Braille
calculator;
6) Geometrical aids like Combined Graph and Mathematical Demonstration Board, Braille Protractors,
Scales, Compasses and Spar Wheels
7) Electronic measuring equipment such as Calipers, Micrometers, Comparators, Gauges, Gauge Block
Levels, Rules, Rulers and Yardsticks
8) Drafting, Drawing Aids, Tactile Displays
9) Specially adapted Clocks and Watches
10) Orthopaedic appliances falling under heading No.90.21 of the First Schedule
11) Wheel Chairs falling under heading No.87.13 of the First Schedule
12) Artificial electronic larynx and spares thereof
13) Artificial electronic ear (Cochlear implant)
14) Talking books (in the form of cassettes, discs or other sound reproductions) and large-print books,
braille embossers, talking calculators, talking thermometers
15) Equipment for the mechanical or the computerized production of braille and recorded material such
as braille computer terminals and displays, electronic braille, transfer and pressing machines and
stereo typing machines
16) Braille Paper
17) All tangible appliances including articles, instruments, apparatus, specially designed for use by the
blind
18) Aids for improving mobility of the blind such as electronic orientation and obstacle detecting
appliance and white canes
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19) Technical aids for education, rehabilitation, vocational training and employment of the blind such as
Braille typewriters, braille watches, teaching and learning aids, games and other instruments and
vocational aids specifically adapted for use of the blind
20) Assistive listening devices, audiometers
21) External catheters, special jelly cushions to prevent bed sores, stair lift, and urine collection bags
22) Instruments and implants for severely physically handicapped patients and joints replacement and
spinal instruments and implants including bone cement.
In its notification, the Ministry of Finance said, “Most of the inputs and raw materials for the manufacture of
these assistive devices/equipment attract 18% GST. The concessional 5% GST rate on these devices/equipment
would enable their domestic manufacturers to avail Input Tax Credit of GST paid on their inputs and raw
materials.”
China-led AIIB clears $329-mn loan for building roads in Gujarat villages
China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said that its board has approved $329 million loan to build
access roads to 4,000 villages in Gujarat.
"The board of directors of the AIIB approved a loan of $329 million to build access roads to approximately 4,000
villages in all 33 districts of Gujarat, India," AIIB said in a statement.
Insufficient road connectivity into these villages limits their ability to access healthcare services, bring their
goods to market and access transportation for their children to attend schools, it said.
Axis Bank rolls out loans for super bikes
Axis Bank said it has launched Super Bike Loans for 500cc and above bikes.
Under the product offering, the private sector bank will give loans up to 95 per cent of the bike cost including
accessory funding with special offers & programmes for its own high net worth individual customers.
The trend of riding clubs & adventure biking activities surrounding these luxury bikes is further adding to the
popularity quotient of the segment, the bank said in a statement.
Svatantra Microfin launches cashless solution ‘Saathi’
Mid-sized microfinance institution Svatantra Microfin is looking at doubling its loan disbursals to ₹800 crore by
2019, even as it plans to expand its operations to more States within the same period.
The firm, founded and promoted by Ananya Birla in 2012, has so far disbursed micro-credits worth ₹ 450 crore.
Its loan book stands at ₹260 crore, and it has grown 220 per cent year-on-year since its launch in 2014. The firm
also claims to have broken even this year.
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Notify price increase through advertisement in two newspapers, if increased due to GST
Union Government, which is closely monitoring the price and supply situation of commodities following
implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), on 4 July 2017, said that the manufacturers/companies have
time until 30 September 2017 to clear the unsold pre-GST goods.
The government has allowed manufacturers, traders and importers to clear their stock lying with them prior to
1 July 2017 by 30 September 2017.
Briefing media in New Delhi, Consumer Affairs Secretary Avinash Srivastava said, if the rates of commodities
have gone up following the imposition of GST then, the companies will have to display the revised and previous
rates on packets and publish it in at least two newspapers. The revised rate stickers on unsold items have been
allowed till 30 September 2017.
However, where the price has gone down, the manufacturer/the company will not have to publish the rates in
the newspaper but they will have to display the old and revised rates on packets.
Customers should report fraud in 3 days to avoid losses: RBI
In a major step to protect customers from large financial losses on account of frauds, Reserve Bank of India has
capped the customer liability at ₹ 25,000 if they report unauthorised transactions within seven working days.
RBI said customers can’t be made liable at all if they notify the bank within three working days of the transaction.
These rules will be applicable for third party breach -- where the deficiency lies neither with the bank nor with
the customer but lies elsewhere in the system.
The banking regulator has revised the guidelines on customer liability given the recent surge in grievances
relating to unauthorised transactions.
CGST won't apply on items not registered under trademark law
The Union Finance Ministry on 5 July 2017 stated that the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) rate of 5 per
cent will not be applicable on the supply of goods unless the brand name or trade name is actually on the
Register of Trade Marks and is registered under the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
Certain goods such as chena or paneer, natural honey, wheat, rice and other cereals, pulses, flour of cereals,
pulses and other goods except those put up in unit container and bearing a registered brand name, attract no
CSGT.
However, supply of such goods, when put up in unit container and bearing a registered brand name, attracts
2.5 per cent CGST rate.
EPFO inks agreement with 5 banks to collect PF dues
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The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 5 July 2017 inked an agreement with four private banks
and Bank of Baroda for collection of provident fund dues from employers and payments to its subscribers.
It is the first time that the EPFO has tied up with private banks. These four banks are ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis
Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Before, only State Bank of India was authorised to collect contributions from employers and make payment to
employees.
The agreement will help the EPFO save about ₹ 300 crore annually as the five banks have agreed to zero
transaction charges.
IDFC and Shriram Group to finalise $10 billion mega merger within 90 days
IDFC and the Shriram Group have agreed to finalise within 90 days the merger of financial services business of
the two groups that will create a financial supermarket with offerings from motorcycle credit to lending for
multi-billion dollar power projects.
IDFC Bank managing director and chief executive Rajiv Lall called the proposed merger a 'marriage made in
heaven' while the founder chairman Deepak Parekh said that IDFC gets 'readymade branches’ and `hope the
marriage happens’ amid likely regulatory obstacles.
MRP on packaged consumer products to be same from January 1
With an aim to benefit the consumers and protect them from paying different prices at different locations, the
Union Consumer Affairs Ministry has amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (PCR).
The new rules seek to regulate the pre-packed commodities across India.
After this amendment, which was notified on 23 June 2017, the rules will be known as the Legal Metrology
(Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2017. In accordance with the new rules, which will come into effect
from 1 January 2018, the price of packed goods would no longer depend on where the product is purchased,
may be a mall, a five-star hotel, an airport or a local Kirana store.
Highlights of the amendment
a) MRP: As per the amended Legal Metrology Rules 2017, the retail sale price of any packed product will
be the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) inclusive of all taxes. The rule will have the provision to round off
the price to the nearest rupee or 50 paise.
b) Legal provision on MRPs: A new legal provision has been inserted to make sure that no person is able
to declare different MRPs on an identical pre-packed commodity. This provision was inserted with an
aim to curb the possibility of any vendor charging differential prices for the same product.
c) Size of Display: The new rules also talk about the size of the display on the pre-packed goods. The new
norms say that the sellers will have to enhance the size of letters and numerals for making declarations
about the packaged goods clear to the consumer. The declarations include things like date, month and
year for best before use among others.
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d) e-Commerce Marketplaces: In terms of the e-commerce marketplace, the new rules say that “An e-
commerce entity shall ensure that the mandatory declarations as specified, except the month and year
in which the commodity is manufactured or packed, shall be displayed on the digital and electronic
network used for e-commerce transactions.” In this term, e-Commerce entities include companies like
Grofers and BigBasket, who stock the inventory. However, e-Commerce entities like Amazon India and
Flipkart who do not own an inventory, the responsibility of the correctness of declarations will lie in the
hands of the manufacturer or seller or dealer or importer. The onus of ensuring due diligence before
dispatching the products, however, will lie with the online marketplaces.
Union Government exempts import of aircraft, aircraft engines from ambit of GST
The Union government has exempted the import of aircraft, aircraft engines and its parts via leasing route from
the purview of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
A notification from the Union Finance Ministry said that airlines will not have to pay GST at the time of import.
However, lease rentals will be subject to GST.
This exemption from GST can be seen as a major relief for the aviation industry as it has been asking for relief
as it was facing the dual levy of 5 per cent at the time of import and another 5 per cent at the time of payment
of lease rent.
SBI waives charge on IMPS fund transfer of up to ₹. 1,000
The country’s largest bank SBI has waived charges for fund transfer of up to ₹. 1,000 through its IMPS
(Immediate Payment Service) to promote small transactions.
State Bank of India had been charging ₹. 5 along with the applicable service tax for IMPS fund transfer of up to
₹. 1,000.
IMPS is an instant interbank electronic fund transfer service through mobile phones as well as Internet banking.
Union Government launches new tax payer service module Aaykar Setu
Arun Jaitley, the Union Finance Minister, on 10 July 2017 launched Aaykar Setu, a new tax payer service module.
The module was launched in a mobile responsive android version along with the desktop version to enhance
mobile access experience.
While launching the Aaykar Setu, Arun Jaitley stated that this e-initiative would help in reducing physical
interface between assesses and tax assessing authorities and thereby minimizing the chances of any tax
harassment.
SBI reduces NEFT, RTGS charges up to 75% effective from July 15
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After lowering the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) charges, the State Bank of India (SBI) on Thursday reduced
charges for National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transactions upto
75 per cent effective July 15.
The reduced charges will be applicable on the transactions done through internet banking and mobile banking
services offered by the bank, the bank said in an official statement here on Thursday.
Additionally, bank has also waived charges for fund transfer of upto ₹ 1,000 done through IMPS effective July 1,
2017.
Union Government forms Directorate to flag high-risk areas in Customs, GST
The Union Government on 13 July 2017 constituted the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management
(DGARM) aimed at providing intelligence inputs and do big data analytics for taxmen for better policy
formulation and taking action against Goods & Services Tax (GST) evaders.
The DGARM will do detailed data mining and analysis to generate outputs for focused and targeted action by
field formations and investigation wings of the CBEC.
Highlights of the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management (DGARM)
The Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management will function under the Central Board of
Excise and Customs (CBEC) for data analytics and risk management.
The Directorate will report to the Chairman of CBEC.
It will use internal and external sources of CBEC for detailed data mining to generate actionable inputs.
It has four verticals headed by an official of rank of Additional Director General (ADG) or Principal ADG.
The first vertical is the National Targeting Centre that has been set up for application of a nationally coordinated
approach to risk analysis and targeting of risky goods and passengers crossing the borders of the country.
SBI launches SBI Realty portal for home buyers
India’s largest commercial bank State Bank of India (SBI) on 18 July 2017 launched a dedicated portal ‘SBI Realty’
with an aim to help home buyers to choose flats from its 3000 approved projects across the country.
‘SBI Realty’ is a one-stop integrated website for home buyers.
SBI Realty will help customers to choose their dream home from 3000 SBI-approved projects, which are spread
across 13 states and union territories covering 30 cities.
GST Council increases cess on cigarettes
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on 17 July 2017 increased the Compensation Cess rate on cigarettes
to make the total tax incidence on cigarettes in GST regime at par with the total tax incidence in pre-GST regime.
The move will raise the prices of cigarettes that fell under the GST regime.
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As per the recommendations of the GST Council, the Compensation Cess rates under Section 8 (2) of the Goods
and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, was notified on Intra-State or Inter-State supply of the
specified goods including cigarettes.
Axis Bank launches digital invoice discounting platform Invoicemart
Axis Bank launched its digital invoice discounting platform, Invoicemart, to improve access of funds to micro,
small and medium sector enterprises (MSMEs).
Invoicemart is a platform created by A.TREDS, a joint venture of Axis Bank, India’s third-largest private bank,
and Mjunction Services, one of the largest B2B e-commerce company.
Kalyan Basu, MD & CEO of Invoicemart thinks that digital factoring as a business can get a further boost if the
government pushes the public sector MSMEs to get on the platform.
HDFC Bank launches digital-only marketing campaign #StartDoing
HDFC Bank on Tuesday launched a national digital-only marketing campaign, reinforcing its position as 'India's
No. 1 Bank' in products like credit cards, personal loans and auto loans.
Created by Leo Burnett, the campaign aims to connect with customers by asking them to #StartDoing and talk
to India's No 1 Bank, to fulfil all their needs.
The campaign involves a series of creatives including films that will be showcased across all major digital video
platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Hotstar, etc. and also through display ads across digital channels.
Union Government launches Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 21 July 2017 formally launched the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
(PMVVY).
PMVVY is a pension scheme announced by the Union Government exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60
years and above. The scheme is available from 4 May 2017 to 3 May 2018.
Highlights of the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
The Scheme can be purchased offline as well as online through Life Insurance Corporation of India which
has been given the sole privilege to operate this scheme.
The scheme provides an assured return of 8 per cent per annum and is payable monthly for 10 years.
The pension is payable at the end of each period during the policy term of 10 years, as per the frequency
of monthly/ quarterly/ half-yearly/ yearly as chosen by the pensioner.
The scheme is exempted from Service Tax or GST.
In case of the survival of the pensioner till the end of the policy term of 10 years, the purchase price
along with final pension instalment will be payable.
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Loan up to 75 per cent of Purchase Price will be allowed after 3 policy years to meet the liquidity needs.
Loan interest will be recovered from the pension instalments and claim proceeds.
It allows for premature exit for the treatment of any critical illness of self or spouse.
On premature exit due to medical emergency, 98 per cent of the Purchase Price will be refunded.
In case of the death of the pensioner during the policy term of 10 years, the Purchase Price will be paid
to the beneficiary.
Minimum and Maximum Purchase Price and Pension Amount
Mode of
Pension
Minimum
Purchase
Price
Maximum
Purchase
Price
Minimum
Pension
amount
Maximum
Pension
amount
Yearly ₹ 144578 ₹ 722892 ₹ 12000 ₹ 60000
Half-
yearly
₹ 147601 ₹ 738007 ₹ 6000 ₹ 30000
Quarterly ₹ 149068 ₹ 745342 ₹ 3000 ₹ 15000
Monthly ₹ 150000 ₹ 750000 ₹ 1000 ₹ 5000
Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 introduced in Lok Sabha
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 24 July 2017 introduced the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017
in Lok Sabha.
The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 seeks to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and replace
the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, which was promulgated in May 2017.
It authorises the RBI to direct the banking companies to resolve the problem of stressed assets.
It also allows the RBI to initiate insolvency resolution process on specific stressed assets.
GST Council panel to select National Anti-profiteering Authority
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council in July 2017 constituted a selection committee to identify members
and head of the National Anti-Profiteering Authority.
The announcement was made by the Union Finance Ministry on 25 July 2017.
The selection committee will be chaired by Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha.
The National Anti-Profiteering Authority is tasked with ensuring that benefits of lower tax rates under GST are
passed on to consumers.
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It would be headed by a secretary-level officer of the Government of India, and will have four technical members
from both the state and central governments.
According to anti-profiteering rules, complaints received on not transferring benefits will be examined by a
Standing Committee comprising officers from state and central governments and nominated by the GST Council.
The Standing Committee is empowered to refer cases requiring detailed enquiry to the Director General of
Safeguards, who will then give his recommendations to the National Anti-profiteering Authority.
Gadkari approves Rs 200 cr for national highway repair in flood-hit Assam
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday announced grant of Rs 200 crore as first
instalment for immediate repair of National Highways damaged due to heavy rains in Assam.
Gadkari said that, if needed, further financial assistance will be given after a final report is submitted by an
expert-team of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The expert-team, which has been dispatched for on-the-spot assessment of the damage, is expected to submit
its report within a week.
E-commerce sites must disclose food expiry date, MRP under new rule
E-commerce companies will now have to display the expiry dates and maximum retail prices of packaged food
products under new rule designed to protect consumers from being sold old stuff.
Ordering packaged food from e-commerce sites has increased many folds, but the absence of manufacturing
and expiry dates on such products often led to the product not being fully utilised.
A whooping 96 percent of the participants in a survey had agreed that e-commerce sites should mandatorily
disclose manufacturing and expiry dates of such products sold on their sites since many products received by
them were due to expire in 15-30 days.
In a big win for the consumers, the Department of Consumer Affairs amended the packaged commodity rules
2011 and issued a notification declaring that all e-Commerce sites will have to disclose actual product MRP and
the best by date of the product they are listing.
Union Cabinet approves revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme
The Union Cabinet on 26 July 2017 approved revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) Scheme. The
revision was done with an aim to achieve its intended objectives.
Specific changes have been made in the attributes of the scheme to make it more attractive, mobilise finances
as per the target and reduce the economic strains caused by imports of gold and reduce the Current Account
Deficit (CAD).
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Flexibility: The Ministry of Finance has been given the flexibility to design and introduce variants of Sovereign
Gold Bonds with different interest rates and risk protection or payoffs that will offer investment alternatives to
the different category of investors.
Ministry of Finance which is the issuer has been delegated the power to amend or add to the features of the
Scheme with an approval of the Finance Minister to reduce the time lag between finalising the attributes of a
particular tranche and its notification.
Such flexibility will be effective in addressing the elements of competition with new products of investment, to
deal with very dynamic and sometimes volatile market, macroeconomic and other conditions such as gold price.
Following specific changes in the scheme have been approved:
i. The investment limit per fiscal year has been increased to 4 kg for individuals, 4 Kg for Hindu
Undivided Family (HUF) and 20 Kg for Trusts and similar entities notified by the Government from
time to time.
ii. The ceiling will be counted on financial year basis and will include the SGBs purchased during the
trading in the secondary market.
iii. The ceiling on investment will not include the holdings as collateral by Banks and Financial
institutions.
iv. SGBs will be available 'on tap’. Based on the consultation with NSE, BSE, Banks and Department of
Post, features of the product to emulate 'On Tap' sale would be finalised by Ministry of Finance.
v. To improve liquidity and tradability of SGBs, appropriate market making initiatives will be devised.
Market makers could be commercial banks or any other public sector entity, such as MMTC or any
other entity as decided by Government of India.
vi. The Government may, if so felt necessary, allow higher commission to agents.
Cabinet approves new wage code bill to ensure minimum wage across all sectors
The Union Cabinet on 26 July 2017 approved the new wage code bill that will ensure a minimum wage across
all sectors by integrating four labour related laws.
The new Labour Code on Wages Bill will be consolidating the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Wages
Act, 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. The bill was approved by the
Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The proposed legislation is expected to benefit over 4 Cr employees across the country.
Key Highlights
The new bill seeks to empower the Centre to set a minimum wage across all sectors in the country, which
would have to be maintained by the states as well.
However, states will be able to provide for a higher minimum wage in their jurisdiction in place of the
amount fixed by the central government.
The bill is likely to be introduced in the Parliament during the ongoing monsoon session.
The new minimum wage norms would be applicable for all workers irrespective of their pay.
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At present, the minimum wages fixed by the Centre and states are applicable to workers getting up to
Rs 18000 per month.
The move would ensure a universal minimum wage for all industries and workers including those getting
paid higher than Rs 18,000 per month.
Canara Bank launches “CANDI”-its first digital branch in Bengaluru
Taking its ambitious vision of moving into cashless banking, Public sector lender Canara Bank has launched its
first ‘Digital Banking Branch’ at Spencer Towers in MG Road, Bengaluru.
The branch is reportedly titled “CANDI” and it will aim to provide an end-to-end digital experience to customers.
As a part of its digital campaign, the bank has unveiled several customer friendly mobile apps. These innovations
will enable customers to get most of the information related to their accounts without visiting the branch.
The most eye catching feature of the digital bank is the infusion of artificial intelligence. A humanoid has been
introduced in the branch to addresses basic queries of customers on banking products and services.With this,
the bank becomes the first in the public sector category to initiate artificial intelligence in banking.
This is a first-of-its kind initiative by a public sector bank in the country.
RBI slaps Rs. 1 cr penalty on Union Bank for KYC non-compliance
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had earlier this week imposed a monetary penalty of Rs. 10 million on Union
Bank of India for non-compliance with the directions issued by the apex bank on Know Your Customer (KYC)
norms.
The penalty imposed on July 26, is part of the exercise vested under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read
with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, taking into account failure of the bank to adhere to
certain directions issued by RBI.
MoU & Business News
India's 3rd biggest commodity exchange created by merging NMCE and ICEX
National Multi Commodity Exchange (NMCE) will merge with Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX) creating the
country's third biggest commodity exchange, both the exchanges said in a statement.
ICEX will hold a 62.8 per cent stake in the merged entity, while NMCE shareholders will own the rest, they said.
The merger has been approved by the boards of both exchanges and is expected to be completed by December,
subject to regulatory approvals.
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Adventz Group's Texmaco signs $2-bn MoU for Israel light rail
Indian conglomerate Adventz Group has signed a $2-billion-plus memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
Israel’s Lesico group to collaborate in the light rail transit (LRT) projects in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The
announcement came on Tuesday against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit of
Israel.
The historic visit – the first by an Indian prime minister – is seen as a watermark in deepening economic and
trade relationships between New Delhi and Tel Aviv.
Infosys Finacle ties up with Singapore firm Active.AI for artificial intelligence in banking
services
Infosys Finacle, part of Infosys-owned subsidiary EdgeVerve Systems, announced a partnership with Singapore-
based fin-tech company Active.AI to offer enterprise Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based platform for banks globally.
The platform, in integration with Finacle, will help financial institutions offer conversational banking services
through chat and voice-based interfaces across their digital channels. The joint solution will use AI to better
understand customer interactions across channels.
Reliance Jio launches world’s longest submarine cable system
Reliance Jio on 29 June 2017 announced the launch of the Asia-Africa-Europe (AAE-1) submarine cable system.
AAE-1 is claimed to be the world’s longest 100Gbps technology-based submarine system.
The cable will stretch from Marseille in France to Hong Kong, covering 25000 km. It will have 21 cable landings
across Asia and Europe.
The project is a combination of leading telecom service providers from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It will
feature diversified Points of Presence (PoP) in Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore) with three onward connectivity
options in Europe (France, Italy and Greece).
AAE-1 will help cater to the increasing demand for video centric data in India and other regions.
Govt's MERIT app launch to help customers save up to Rs 20,000 cr
The ministry of power launched a mobile app and web portal for tracking and managing merit order dispatch of
power. The web portal, called MERIT (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and
Transparency), according to the government, would entail savings of close to Rs 20,000 crore to consumers in
the coming five years.
The merit order stack is a common approach to the problem of minimising the sum of generators’ operating
costs, while honouring the operational constraints of the available generation to supply the demand in a secure
and reliable manner, said a government statement.
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India to import crude oil from US for first time
India, the world's third-largest oil importer, will import crude oil from the United States for the first time after
Indian Oil Corp bought a cargo that will be delivered in October. The purchase comes after Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's visit to the US in June when President Donald Trump said his country looked forward to
exporting more energy products to India.
IOC bought 1.6 million barrels of US Mars crude, a heavy, high-sulphur grade, and 400,000 barrels of Western
Canadian Select that will be delivered onboard a Very Large Crude Carrier, IOC's head of finance, A K Sharma,
told Reuters.
Cabinet approves signing of JIN pact with Bangladesh
The cabinet approved the signing of the joint interpretative notes (JIN) agreement with Bangladesh to ensure
smooth implementation of the investment promotion and protection pact.
JIN play an important supplementary role in strengthening the investment treaty regime, an official statement
said after the Union Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
With increasing bilateral investment treaty disputes, issuance of such statements is "likely to have strong
persuasive value before tribunals", it said.
Cabinet approves upgradation of Manipur Highway connecting Myanmar
The Union Cabinet approved upgradation of a 65-km-long National Highway in Manipur to boost the state's
connectivity with south and southeast Asia via Myanmar.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told reporters that NH-39 from Imphal to Moreh near the
Myanmar border would reduce travel time from three-and-a-half hours to one hour and 45 minutes.
The Imphal-Moreh Highway would not only boost international trade and business, but would also be important
from security point of view, he said.
Railways Ministry launches RailCloud Project, NIVARAN-Grievance Portal and CTSE Scheme
Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 12 July 2017 launched various initiatives namely RailCloud
Project, NIVARAN-Grievance Portal and Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE) Scheme.
RailCloud Project
The Phase-I of the RailCloud was sanctioned with Rs 53.55 crore cost.
RailCloud is another step towards the Digitization of Railways with an aim of single digital platform for Indian
Railways.
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It is a strategic IT initiative for enterprise wide digital single platform with an aim to improve customer
satisfaction, improve revenue and effective, efficient and safe operations.
It works on popular Cloud Computing system. Cloud Computing is the emerging technology for faster
deployment of Server resources which result in reduced cost.
NIVARAN-Grievance Portal
NIVARAN-Grievance Portal is the first IT application to be launched on the RailCloud.
It is aimed for the resolution of service related grievances of serving and former railway employees.
The existing NIVARAN-Grievance application was hosted on a conventional server; it has now been made cloud-
ready and is made as the first cloud application of Indian Railways.
Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE)
With an aim to provide immediate care to its retired employees in Golden Hour, the Railway Board has rolled
out a Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE) in empanelled hospitals for retired employees and their
dependent family members.
A web based system of communication between private hospitals and railway authorities has been developed
wherein identity of the beneficiary will be established using biometrics stored in Aadhar (UIDAI) server.
Google acquires Bengaluru-based startup Halli Labs
Google on 12 July 2017 acquired Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence startup Halli Labs for an undisclosed
sum.
Halli Labs was founded in 2017 by Pankaj Gupta with the goal of applying modern artificial intelligence and
machine learning techniques to solve old problems.
Pankaj Gupta, an Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Stanford University alumnus, has earlier served as
Chief Technology Officer of online homestay aggregator Stayzilla and as senior data scientist at Twitter.
Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma launches LIFE programme at Songsak
Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on 12 July 2017 launched a flagship programme ‘Livelihood
Intervention and Facilitation of Entrepreneurship’ (LIFE) at Songsak in East Garo Hills. Songsak is about
210kilometer west of the state capital, Shillong.
LIFE is a programme of the State Rural Livelihood Society (MSRLS), an agency of the Community and Rural
Development Department of Government of Meghalaya, which is implementing the Centre's flagship
programme - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). NRLM promotes livelihood through women Self Help
Groups (SHGs) and their Federations.
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SEBI signs a bilateral MoU with The European Securities and Markets Authority
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) under the European Markets Infrastructure
Regulation (EMIR), said SEBI in a press statement.
The MoU establishes cooperation arrangements, including the exchange of information, regarding Central
Counterparties (CCPs) which are established and authorised or recognised in India, and which have applied for
EU recognition under EMIR.
DDA signs MoU with NIUA for preparing Delhi Master Plan 2041
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on 20 July 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for preparation of the Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2041.
This information was provided by DDA to Lt Governor Anil Baijal, who is also the Chairman of the Delhi
Development Authority.
The Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2041 will be an enabling strategic plan which would be the guiding framework
of the planning and growth of Delhi till 2041.
Union Government launches quality mark logo for milk and milk products
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on 20 July 2017 launched National Dairy Development Board's
(NDDB) quality logo for milk and milk products to signify safe and quality milk and milk products from dairy
cooperatives.
This move will reinforce the consumers' recognition that the quality mark is synonymous with good quality.
NDDB's quality mark will provide dairy cooperatives and producer institutions the much-needed brand identity
and a competitive edge.
This will also contribute to building consumer confidence in dairy cooperative brands.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released National Trade Facilitation Action Plan
The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 20 July 2017 released the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan (NTFAP)
in New Delhi.
After releasing NTFAP, the finance minister said that the WTO-Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) was a major
milestone for the global trading system. The WTO-Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) entered into force on 22
February 2017.
Jaitley also said India looks forward to ensuring compliance with the TFA. He further added that this Action Plan
gives a time bound map, not only for implementing TFA but also for India's initiatives for trade facilitation and
ease of doing business which goes beyond TFA.
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AAI signs MoU with Uttarakhand government for development of civil aviation sector
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed a MoU with the Uttarakhand government and Uttarakhand Civil
Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) to develop the state’s civil aviation sector
The agreement is a part of the body’s effort to create, upgrade, maintain and manage the civil aviation
infrastructure in the country.
The main aim of the deal is to identify relevant factors influencing the development of civil aviation
infrastructure in Uttarakhand and to assess commercial potential of various airports of the state.
Union Government plans to open over 100 new post offices by 2018
The Union government is planning to open 81 sub-post offices and 100 branch post offices during the 2017-18
fiscal year under the " Rural Business & Access to Postal Network " scheme.
The same was notified to the Parliament on 26 July 2017. The Communications Minister, Manoj Sinha in a
written reply in the Lok Sabha said that under the scheme, the Department of Posts plans to open 66 new branch
post offices during the current fiscal year by creation of new post offices in 32 worst affected Left Wing
Extremism (LWE)-hit districts in the country.
Lok Sabha passes Companies Act (Amendment) Bill, 2016
The Lok Sabha on 27 July 2017 passed the Companies Act (Amendment) Bill, 2016 that seeks to amend
Companies Act, 2013 to remove complexities and improve ease of doing business.
The bill was passed with a voice vote and was moved by Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Arjun
Ram Meghwal.
Provisions of the Bill
It removes the limit on layers of subsidiaries and intermediaries. This is in line with the Companies Law
Committee’s (CLC) recommendations which noted that imposing such limits would affect the company’s
structuring and ability to raise funds.
It calls for a group of people who exercise beneficial control (above 25 per cent) in a company to disclose such
interest.
It removes the requirement of offer letter that is issued to individuals to whom a private offer of shares has
been made, but retains the provision related to notifying the Registrar of the return of allotment.
India & States
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G-Ride- a digital ride sharing platform launched in Kerala.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched G-Ride, a digital ride sharing platform designed and deployed
for the IT industry by the Group of Technology Companies (GTech), the industry body of IT companies in the
state.
The G-Ride app automatically matches co-workers and neighbours and help them travel together to work. It is
available in Android and iOS versions.According to the Chief Minister, easing traffic, tackling parking woes,
reducing fuel consumption, lowering pollution levels and providing convenient modes of transport are areas of
high priority.It is available in android and iOS versions.
Madhya Pradesh sets new record by planting 6 Cr saplings in 12 hours
The Madhya Pradesh government undertook a massive plantation drive on 2 July 2017 to save the environment
and for the conservation of the Narmada River. According to official sources, over six Cr saplings were planted
in 24 districts of Narmada basin in just 12 hours.
The day-long campaign was launched by the state’s Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who performed puja
and planted saplings at Amarkantak, river Narmada’s origin point. He also took part in plantation drives at
Jabalpur and Omkareshwar.
India successfully test-fires short range surface-to-air missile QR-SAM
India on 3 July 2017 successfully test-fired indigenously developed quick reaction surface-to-air missile (QR-
SAM) off the Odisha coast.
This short range missile with a strike range of 25 to 30 km was test fired from a truck-mounted canister launcher
from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
Manipur government declares flood situation a 'State Calamity'
An emergency review meeting held on 3 July 2017 to assess the flood situation in Manipur decided to declare
the present disaster as a ‘State Calamity.’
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, was held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. It was
attended by Irrigation & Flood Control Department (IFCD) Minister Letpao Haokip, Education Minister Th.
Radheshyam, Chief Secretary O. Nabakishore, Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries,
Commissioners, DCs and Directors of different Departments.
Law Commission recommends compulsory registration of marriages, defaulters to be fined
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The Law commission of India recommended the compulsory registration of marriage in its 270th Report called
‘Compulsory Registration of Marriages’ submitted to the Government under the Chairmanship of Dr. Justice B
S Chauhan.
The Report starts by recognizing that notwithstanding endeavors from all divisions, the general public is still
tormented with social indecencies, for example, polygamy, child marriage and gender violence.
During the UPA Government's 2nd term, the Rajya Sabha had passed an amendment to make marriage
registrationnecessary under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969.
President Pranab Mukherjee approves ordinance allowing Kambala in Karnataka
President Pranab Mukherjee on 4 July 2017 approved the promulgation of The Prevention of cruelty to Animals
(Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 to legalise Kambala in Karnataka. Kambala is the folk sport involving
the bullock cart race.
The ordinance also calls to exempt bulls from The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
In November 2016, the Karnataka High Court banned kambala along with bull-cart race in the state while hearing
a case filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) citing animal cruelty.
Haryana government to run electric buses in Gurgaon
The Haryana government is planning to set up an environment-friendly transportation system in Gurgaon on
the pattern of Poland.
The same was announced by the state’s Urban Local Bodies Minister, Kavita Jain on 4 July 2017. The Cabinet
Minister, who is leading a delegation on a visit to the plant of JBM Solaris Electric Vehicles Limited in Poland's
Ponzan, said that in the first phase, 75 to 100 electric buses would be operated.
Environment Minister launches plantation drive to mark Van Mahotsav
The Union Environment Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched a month-long plantation drive to mark Van
Mahotsav on 5 July 2017. The Minister planted a sapling and also distributed saplings for plantation to local
residents.
The plantation drive was organised at Ram Lila Park, C. C Colony and Model Town early in the morning.
Speaking on the occasion, Harsh Vardhan urged the states to undertake similar initiatives and urged people to
become ‘green ambassadors’ and participate actively in plantation drives during the period of monsoon, in
keeping with the spirit of Van Mahotsav.
India, Israel signed seven Agreements including National Campaign for Water Conservation in
India
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India and Israel on 5 July 2017 signed seven agreements in different areas of mutual benefit including
agriculture, technology and space. These agreements were signed in Tel Aviv during Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s visit to Israel.
Narendra Modi, who was in Israel from 4 July to 6 July 2017, is the first Prime Minister of India to visit Israel in
70 years. His visit also marked 25 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The
diplomatic relations between India and Israel was established in 1992, during Narasimha Rao government.
After this establishment of the diplomatic relations, the Israeli President and Prime Minister visited India more
than a decade ago and those visits were reciprocated by the visits of President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015 and
Prime Minister Modi in 2017.
List of MoUs/Agreements signed during the visit of Prime Minister to Israel
1. MoU for setting up of India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F): It was signed
between the Department of Science & Technology, India and National Technological Innovation
Authority, Israel
2. MoU on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India: It was signed between the Union Ministry
of Drinking Water and Sanitation and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water
Resources of the State of Israel.
3. MoU on State Water Utility Reform in India: It was signed between UP Jal Nigam, Government of Uttar
Pradesh and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources of the State of Israel.
4. India-Israel Development Cooperation - Three Year Work Program in Agriculture 2018-2020
5. Plan of Cooperation regarding cooperation in Atomic Clocks: It was signed between the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA).
6. MoU regarding cooperation in GEO-LEO Optical Link: It was signed between the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA).
7. MoU regarding cooperation in Electric Propulsion for Small Satellites: It was signed between the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA).
Besides, the two nations, namely India and Israel also elevated their ties to a strategic partnership as India
identified Tel Aviv as a major development and technological partner.
India, Israel resolves to fight menace of terrorism and radicalism
Both nations agreed to combat growing radicalization and terrorism and expand co-operation in cyber security.
In addition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon the industrialists from Israel to come and invest in the
defence sector as India has opened up and has now allowed 100 per cent FDI in this sector.
National Book Trust launches Har Haath Ek Kitaab
The National Book Trust (NBT) recently launched the Har Haath Ek Kitaab (One Book for Every Hand) scheme.
The scheme allows the people to make donations to children, between the ages of six and 12, in the form of
books with a simple method.
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People who wish to donate can transfer money to online shopping site Snapdeal with which the Trust, an
autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD), has formally tied up.
The money will then be transferred to the National Book Trust.
The Non-Governmental Organisations that are in touch with local communities choose the books to be
distributed to children from within NBT's catalogue of children's books.
The NBT is also subsidising the cost of the books by about 23.5 per cent. As of now, 3726 children's books have
been sent out under the scheme.
Union Government launches student-scientist connect programme JIGYASA
The Union Government on 6 July 2017 launched JIGYASA programme, a student- scientist connect programme.
In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Union Ministry of Science & Technology and
Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.
For the implementation of the programme, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) tied-up with
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).
'JIGYASA' would inculcate the culture of inquisitiveness on one hand and scientific temper on the other, amongst
the school students and their teachers.
The Programme is expected to connect 1151 Kendriya Vidyalayas with 38 National Laboratories of CSIR targeting
100000 students and nearly 1000 teachers annually.
India declares itself free from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 and H5N8
India on 6 July 2017 declared itself free from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 and H5N8) and notified
the same to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), an intergovernmental body that coordinates, supports
and promotes animal disease control.
India had reported outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza at various epicenters in Delhi, Gwalior
(Madhya Pradesh), Rajpura (Punjab), Hissar (Haryana), Bellary (Karnataka), Allappuzha and Kottayam (Kerala),
Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Daman (Daman) and Khordha and Angul (Odisha).
India, US, Japan begin Malabar Exercise 2017
India, Japan and the United States on 7 July 2017 began the joint naval exercise Malabar 2017.
Warships, submarines, aircraft and personnel from India, Japan and the US will be participating in the Malabar
exercise in the Bay of Bengal from 7 July to 17. The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training.
President Pranab Mukherjee launches digital initiatives to promote e-education
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President Pranab Mukherjee on 9 July 2017 launched four major digital initiatives in to push e-education. These
digital initiatives are SWAYAM, SWAYAM Prabha and National Academic Depository.
All these digital initiatives are managed and supervised by the Union Ministry of Human Resource and
Development.
An indigenously designed Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), SWAYAM will host all the courses taught in
classrooms from 9th class till post-graduation.
More than 400 Courses are available on SWAYAM covering all the engineering and non-engineering subjects at
undergraduate and post-graduate levels.
The UGC has also issued Regulation that allows transfer of credits earned through the courses done through
SWAYAM into the academic record of the students.
Ahmedabad becomes first Indian city to get UNESCO Heritage tag
The Indian city of Ahmedabad on 8 July 2017 was declared India’s first World Heritage City, recognising heritage
value of the walled city’s unique heritage.
The announcement was made by the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO following a meeting in
Krakwo, Poland.
After the announcement, the city has now joined the likes of heritage cities like Paris, Edinburg, Galle in Sri
Lanka, Cairo, among others.
Union Government proposes scheme to open residential schools for SC girls
Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot on 7 July 2017 said that the Union Government has proposed to introduce
a scheme to open residential schools for scheduled caste girls in educationally backward districts.
The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot informed about the proposed school
while speaking at a regional conference of social welfare ministers from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir,
Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and officials from Chandigarh.
He said the schools will have classes from VI to XII and 70 per cent of the seats will be reserved for SC girls and
the remaining for those from BPL families in other categories.
Rajasthan becomes first State to fix minimum education qualification for cooperative body
poll
Rajasthan in July 2017 laid down the minimum educational qualifications for contesting elections to village
cooperative societies and various other cooperative bodies.
With this, Rajasthan became India’s first state to fix minimum education qualification for cooperative body poll.
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In this regard, the Rajasthan Government amended State Cooperative Societies Rules, 2003. The new rules
would benefit about 10000 cooperative and agricultural credit societies. Moreover, the benefit of education will
accrue to the societies as their management will go to expert hands.
The State Cooperative Societies Rules, 2003, were amended for the purpose and notification was issued on 10
July 2017.
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurates Ashiana Annexe in Dehradun
Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India, on 10 July 2017 inaugurated the Ashiana Annexe in Dehradun,
Uttarakhand.
The Ashiana Annexe comprises of twelve low cost dwelling units constructed to accommodate officers and staff
of Rashtrapati Bhavan during Presidential visits to the Retreat at ‘Ashiana’.
These dwelling units have been constructed using the Habitech-NivaraTantra - Onsite Sanitation Integrated
Community Housing Technology Innovations developed at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).
The Technology innovations comprise unique blocks known as compacted intermeshing blocks, which are made
from local soil.
NGT imposes complete ban on nylon and synthetic manja
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 11 July 2017 banned the use of 'Chinese' kite strings, made of nylon or
any synthetic material, which is non-biodegradable, with immediate effect.
The NGT directed all state governments to prohibit the "manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use" of
synthetic manja or nylon threads and all other synthetic strings used for flying kites with immediate effect.
The judgement of Tribunal came on a plea filed by animal rights body People for Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA) and others.
Union Government signs MoU with West Bengal to set up Centre of Excellence in Transfusion
Medicine
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 10 July 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with West Bengal Government to set up a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine in
Kolkata.
The move is aimed at strengthening the blood transfusion services in the state and the surrounding region.
The Union Government approved this vital initiative with an outlay of approximately Rs 200 Crores towards
equipment, manpower and running costs.
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Kerala Government proposes Stray Dog Zoos
The Kerala Government on 10 July 2017 informed a Supreme Court Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra that it is
planning 'Stray Dog Zoos' across the state to keep them off the streets.
For this purpose, the State government has asked all district panchayats to keep aside two to three acres of land
and label them as ‘Stray Dog Zoos’.
The State government was responding to a question from the Supreme Court on the construction of shelter
homes for the stray dog population.
India to host 8th edition of Theatre Olympics
India will host the 8th edition of the greatest carnival of theatre in the world, Theatre Olympics, for the first time
ever from 17 February to 8 April 2018 simultaneously in 15 cities across the country.
The announcement was made by Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture and
Tourism, on 12 July 2017.
The Theatre Olympics will be organised by the National School of Drama, under the aegis of the Union Ministry
of Culture.
NGT declares 100m area from edge of Ganga as No-development Zone
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 13 July 2017 passed a few directions to rejuvenate the Ganga river and
declared 100 metres from the edge of the Ganga river between Haridwar and Unnao as “No-Development
Zone”.
The directions were passed by a NGT bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar.
It declared ‘No-Development Zone’ along an area of 100 metres from the edge of the river and directed that
this zone must be turned into green belts.
The environment compensation of Rs 50000 will be imposed on anyone who dumps waste in the Ganga river.
DIPP to set up India’s first TISC in Punjab
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will establish India’s first Technology and Innovation
Support Center (TISC) at Patent Information Centre of Punjab. TISC will be established in Punjab under the World
Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) TISC program.
In this regard, DIPP on 13 July 2017 signed an Institutional agreement with the Punjab State Council of Science
and Technology (PSCST).
In a first, Telangana to have eco-friendly bridges for movement of tigers
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In a first of its kind, the Indian state of Telangana will soon have eco-friendly bridges for easy movement of
tigers.
The state will have the bridges over a canal cutting across the tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger
Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with the forests in Telangana's Kumram Bheem
Asifabad district.
The intervention requires the laying of fertile soil to grow grass and plants over the structure, so that
fragmentation of the reserve forest is camouflaged.
India launches solar project to electrify remote village of Agaween in Egypt
India in July 2017 launched a solar project with state-of-the-art technology to electrify a remote village in Egypt.
The Solar Electrification Project is an off-grid system that is ideal for remote locations. The Project has been
launched at Agaween village in the Western Desert in Matrouh Governorate, close to the Libyan border.
The project was inaugurated by India’s Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya and Major General Alla Fathi
Abou Zeid, Governor of Matrouh.
MP launches Shala Siddhi Prohatsan Yojana in 25000 government schools
Madhya Pradesh’s school education department is in the process of implementing programmes such as 'Hamari
Shala Kaisi Ho' and 'Shala Siddhi Karyakram' in all government schools of the state in order to provide qualitative
education to the students.
The State Education Centre has also started Shala Siddhi Prohatsan Yojana under the programme in 25 thousand
schools of the state to encourage best works. A time table has been fixed for the award process.
Going by the time table, the district core committees would be required to form block-level selection
committees by 22 July.
The selected schools will be required to forward their applications for Shala Siddhi Karyakram to Sankul
Principals by 28 July.
Supreme Court allows Union Government to replace MCI oversight committee
The Supreme Court on 18 July 2017 allowed the Union Government to replace the Oversight Committee set up
to supervise the functioning of the Medical Coucil of India (MCI) with a new committee of five eminent doctors.
The ruling was made by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar.
Maharashtra government approves revised policy of scheme to improve girl child ratio
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The Maharashtra government on 18 July 2017 approved a revised policy of the 'Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree'
scheme in an attempt to improve girl child ratio in the state.
The revised scheme will benefit families that have a yearly income of up to Rs 7.5 lakh. The decision was taken
during the cabinet meeting held in Mumbai.
The 'Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree' scheme was launched by the Maharashtra government on 1 April 2016 in place
of ‘Sukanya’ scheme.
Nine-judge bench to decide whether privacy is a fundamental right
Supreme Court of India on 18 July 2017 decided to set up a nine-judge bench to decide whether the right to
privacy in the world’s largest democracy can be defined as a fundamental right under the Constitution or not.
The nine-judge bench will start hearing the issue and decided whether the fundamental rights, described under
Part III of the Constitution, also include the right to privacy from 19 July 2017.
PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate APJ Abdul Kalam's memorial
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be inaugurating a memorial for former Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam
at his birthplace, Peikarumbu near Rameswaram on 27 July 2017.
The same was announced by Union Minister of State for Road Transport Highways and Shipping Pon
Radhakrishnan in Madurai. The minister stated that the Prime Minister will come to Tamil Nadu next week to
open the memorial.
Tata Motors develops country’s first Bio-Methane Bus
Auto Major Tata Motors on 17 July 2017 rolled out the country’s first Bio-CNG (bio-methane) bus. The bus was
rolled out at the Bio-energy programme, called ‘Urja Utsav’, which was organised by the Ministry of Petroleum
& Natural Gas.
India’s first Bio-Methane bus was rolled out in the presence of Minister of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural
Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable
Energy and Mines Piyush Goyal.
The bus was designed by Tata Motors, which is India’s largest Commercial Vehicles manufacturer and the
number one bus brand across the country.
Karnataka government appoints panel to design its own state flag
The Congress-led Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka has constituted a nine-member committee to study
the possibility of designing its own ‘state flag’.
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The panel headed by Principal Secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture is expected to prepare a design
for a separate state flag and soon submit a report looking into the legal sanctity of the same to the state
government.
Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill scheduled for
consideration in Lok Sabha
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 is scheduled to be brought up
for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha on 18 July 2017. The Indian Institutes of Information Technology
(Public-Private Partnership) Bill, 2017 is also scheduled for consideration and passing in the lower house.
Besides this, the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017, Ancient
Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Indian Institute of Petroleum
and Energy Bill, 2017 are scheduled to be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
DBT launched “Sohum” an innovative newborn hearing screening device
SOHUM, an indigenously developed newborn hearing screening device, was formally launched on 17 July 2017
by YS Chowdary, the Minister of State for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences, at Prithvi Bhavan, New
Delhi.
This newborn hearing screening device, SOHUM, has been developed by School of International Biodesign (SIB),
a startup M/S Sohum Innovation Labs India Pvt. Ltd. This innovative medical device has been developed under
Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology; Government of India supported School
of International Biodesign (SIB).
Lok Sabha clears Indian Institute of Information Technology Public Private Partnership Bill
2017
The Lok Sabha on 19 July 2017 passed the Indian Institute of Information Technology Public Private Partnership
(IIIT-PPP) Bill 2017.
The bill was passed through a voice vote in the lower house.
The proposed Bill grants statutory status to the fifteen Indian Institutes of Information Technology in Public
Private Partnership and declares them as Institutions of National Importance.
In addition, the Bill enables these institutions to grant degrees to their students in the academic courses
conducted by them.
Telangana launches 'Janahitha' for speedy redressal of public grievances
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The Telangana government launched a special portal called “Janahitha” to receive complaints from the public
on 19 July 2017.
The programme was inaugurated in Suryapet district on a pilot basis by Telangana Energy minister G Jagadish
Reddy. Reddy said that the state government was maintaining transparency in all aspects and putting all out
efforts to resolve the issues of people living in the state’s remote areas.
UIDAI launches mAadhaar app for syncing Aadhaar data on mobile phone
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on 19 July 2017 launched the mAadhaar app for syncing
Aadhaar data on the mobile phone, a move that will negate the need to carry the Aadhaar card in wallets.
At present, the mAadhaar app is only available on Android phones and can be downloaded on the Google Play
Store.
Environment Ministry Approves Projects for Climate Change Adaptation in Three States
The National Steering Committee on Climate Change under the Chairmanship of Secretary MoEF&CC, Ajay
Narayan Jha approved three Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) at a meeting in New Delhi on 19 July 2017.
The DPRs were submitted by the Governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Sikkim for funding under the National
Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
Union Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and Netherlands on cooperation in space
technology
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on 19 July 2017 apprised of the Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) between India and Netherlands on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer
space for peaceful purposes.
The MoU was signed between both the sides on 11 May 2017 and 22 May 2017 at Bangalore and The Hague
respectively.
Telangana government puts cap on weight of school bags
The Telangana government has imposed a cap on the weight of bags carried by schoolchildren in order to
prevent any resulting physical effect and anxiety disorder in students.
The government issued an official order on 18 July 2017 detailing the allowed weight limit of school bags for
students studying in the primary section to those in Class X. The order has been issued to all the school
managements.
The maximum weight of a school bag with textbooks and notebooks should not exceed 1.5 kg for children in
Class 1 and II and it should not go above 2-3 kg for children studying in Class III, IV and V.
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Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana for poors: Interest free loans on e-rickshaws, three-
wheelers
The Union Ministry of Rural Development on 20 July 2017 announced that it will launch a new sub-scheme
Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods
Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana aims to provide an alternative source of livelihoods to members of Self
Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM by facilitating them to operate public transport services in backward rural
areas.
The sub-scheme will provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services like e-
rickshaws, 3 and 4 wheeler motorised transport vehicles to connect remote villages with key services and
amenities including access to markets, education and health for the overall economic development of the area.
Key highlights of the scheme
The Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana will be implemented in 250 blocks in India on a pilot basis for a
period of 3 years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
The States have been informed about the number of blocks allocated to them to take up this sub-scheme
in the pilot phases.
One of the options proposed to be given under the sub-scheme is that the Community Based
Organisation (CBO) will provide interest free loan from its own corpus to Self Help Group member for
purchase of the vehicle.
The Government is implementing DAY-NRLM across the country in all States and Union Territories
(except Delhi and Chandigarh).
Under DAY-NRLM, till date, 34.4 lakh women Self Help Groups have been promoted under the
programme.
Punjab Government releases 90 lakh for construction of modern cattle pond
The Punjab Government has released Rs. 90 lakh for the construction of an ultra-modern cattle pond at a village
called Kanian Kalan in Jalandhar district.
The announcement was made by Keemti Bhagat, the Chairman of Punjab Gau Sewa Commission. Elaborating
more on the project, Bhagat said that the project would be completed on the lines of the cattle pond at Mansa,
having the capacity of more than 2000 cattle.
Pranab Mukharjee inaugurates Bicentenary Celebration of Paika Rebellion of Odisha
The President of India Pranab Mukharjee on 20 July 2017 inaugurated the bicentenary celebration of the Paika
Rebellion of Odisha organised by the Union Ministry of Culture.
The Paika Rebellion was an armed rebellion against the British East India Company's rule in Odisha in 1817.
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The Paikas rose in rebellion under their leader Bakshi Jagabandhu and, projecting Lord Jagannath as the symbol
of Odia unity.
Chhattisgarh sets target of planting 8 Cr saplings by August end
The Government of Chhattisgarh has set a target of planting over eight Cr plant saplings by the end of August
2017.
The announcement was made by the state’s Chief Minister, Raman Singh in Naya Raipur on 20 July 2017. The
mega-mission will be taken up across the state under the 'Harihar Chhattisgarh' campaign. To ensure the success
of the same, Singh has called for active participation of people.
Further, the Minister stated that Oxy-zones will be developed in all the 27 districts of the state and added saying
that if citizens are keen on developing similar 'Oxy-zones' on their 3-5 acre site, they can get themselves
registered with Chhattisgarh's Forest Department.
IRCTC to install 1100 water vending machines at 450 stations
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is planning to install around 1100 water vending
machines (WVMs) at 450 stations across the country between 2017 and 2018.
The announcement was made by the Rail Ministry in a series of tweets. The initiative is a part of the
corporation’s effort to ensure the availability of clean drinking water at low cost within rail premises.
The project of setting up WVMs was initiated in 2015. It aims to provide potable water at nominal rates.
At present, there are 1106 water vending machines at 345 stations in the country.
Water is dispensed through the provision of Reverse Osmosis (RO) in these machines.
The WVMs can be operated round-the-clock either manually or through the automatic mode.
UP Government announces to launch all-women 'Pink' AC buses with CCTV cameras
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government on 24 July 2017 announced to launch 'Pink' air-conditioned buses installed
with CCTV cameras exclusively for women.
The staff, including the conductor in these buses, will be women only. The 'Pink' buses will have panic buttons
installed for emergencies.
A presentation in this regard was made before the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development on 21 July
2017 by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) authorities.
Following this, the Union Ministry sanctioned funds for the 50 buses from its 'Nirbhaya Fund' for the 'Pink' buses
in UP. The ministry permitted the state government to buy the buses and install CCTV cameras in the other
12500 buses owned by the UPSRTC.
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Union Government launches SHe-box portal for sexual harassment complaints
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development on 24 July 2017 launched an online platform 'SHe-box'
(Sexual Harassment Electronic Box) to enable women employees of the central government to file complaints
related to sexual harassment at the workplace.
The Ministry also instructed officials to make the 'SHe-box' portal as interactive as possible.
The e-platform will be hosted on the WCD ministry's website and the complaints will then be taken up with the
respective ministries or departments.
Madhya Pradesh Government constitutes Food Commission
The state government of Madhya Pradesh on 21 July 2017 appointed a four-member food commission headed
by IAS (retd.) Rajkishore Swain. The commission was appointed in accordance with the National Food Security
Act (NFSA) 2013.
The commission will be responsible for monitoring implementation of the provisions of the National Food
Security Act 2013 in the state. It will be responsible for monitoring
Distribution of the food grains under Public Distribution System (PDS).
India to host Global Conference on Cyber Space 2017
Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice in July 2017
announced that the 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS), one of the world’s largest conferences on
Cyber Space and related issues, will be hosted by India.
The Conference will take place on 23 and 24 November 2017 in New Delhi.
The 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
It is the first time ever that the Global Conference on Cyber Space is taking place outside Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations.
Kerala to host literary festival with ‘Tolerance’ as theme
The state of Kerala will be hosting the fifth edition of South India Writers Ensemble (SIWE) at Chengannur, a
town in Kerala’s coastal Alappuzha district from 24 July 2017.
The core theme of the festival this year is ‘tolerance’. So creative writers, journalists, theatre and film
personalities from across the industry will be seen deliberating on the theme at a time when the country as a
whole is witnessing raging debates over intolerance.
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The three-day annual literary event is being organised by People for Performing Arts and More, an art and
cultural outfit.
Union Government launches mobile app Aarambh for road maintenance
The Union Government on 24 July 2017 introduced a mobile app Aarambh for road maintenance.
The app was launched by Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Rural Development,
Drinking Water & Sanitation, and Deborah Greenfield, Deputy Director General (Policy) of the International
Labour Organization (ILO).
In addition, Tomar and Greenfield also launched a Concept Note and Guidance Note for Mobilizing Funds for
Maintenance of Rural Road. The Concept Note outlines innovative ways, which can be adopted by the State
Governments for mobilizing additional funds for road maintenance and presents some international best
practices worldwide.
BillionAbles App to help disabled find accessible public places
The Delhi-based start-up, BillionAbles has launched a new app called BillionAbles that aims to assist people
with disabilities to find accessible restaurants, tourist locations and other public places across India.
According to the start-up’s founder, Sameer Garg, the app is India’s first lifestyle app for people with special
needs. Sameer himself suffered a spinal cord injury at the age of 19 that left him with paralysed lower limbs.
Voicing his struggle, Sameer said, “Over the years, I have struggled to find an inclusive environment, whether
it is a workplace or public place.”
FSSAI bans stapler pins in tea bags from January 2018
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on 24 July 2017 banned the use of stapler pins in tea
bags.
The decision is effective from 1 January 2018.
The FSSAI has deemed the use of stapler pins in tea bag a serious health hazard. The move is expected to
affect the fast growing packaged tea business in the country.
Right to Education is Right to Quality Education: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on 25 July 2017 quashed the regularisation of 1.78 lakh Shiksha Mitras as teachers in Uttar
Pradesh (UP) for not holding adequate qualifications as fixed under Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education Act, 2009.
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A bench of Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit ruled that their jobs could not be regularised at the cost of fundamental
right of children to free quality education by duly qualified teachers. It ruled that Right to Education means right
to quality education.
The court held that appointment of Shiksha Mitras was not as per qualification prescribed for a teacher and
they could not be regularized as teachers.
RDEL launches two NOPVs Shachi and Shruti at Pipavav
The Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (RDEL) on 25 July 2017 launched the first two Naval Offshore
Patrol Vessels (NOPVs) Shachi and Shruti at their shipyard in Pipavav, Gujarat.
These vessels are part of a five ship project being constructed for the Indian Navy.
The main aim of NOPVs is to undertake surveillance of the country’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Madras HC makes Vande Mataram mandatory in schools, private and government offices
The Madras High Court on 25 July 2017 ruled that Vande Mataram should be sung in all schools and colleges
across Tamil Nadu at least once in a week and in government and private offices at least once in a month.
While issuing order, Justice MV Muralidharan said that to instil a sense of patriotism in each and every citizen
of Tamil Nadu, the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ shall be played and sung in all educational institutions at
least once a week, preferably on Monday and Friday.”
Madhubala to join Bollywood brigade at Delhi’s Madame Tussauds
Madhubala, who is known as one of the most iconic female celebrities in Hindi cinema, is the latest to join the
ranks of Bollywood celebrities, who will have their wax figures at Madame Tussauds, which is scheduled to open
later this year in Delhi’s iconic Regal Building.
The yesteryear actress’s wax figure will be styled based on her character of the doomed courtesan, Anarkali
from the magnum opus, Mughal-E- Azam. The role of Anarkali is said to be the greatest one that Madhubala has
ever played, at a time when her health was deteriorating rapidly.
Uttarakhand records second highest tiger count in India
The count of tigers in Uttarakhand shot up to 242 with an increase of 63 big cats in the year 2017.
The news was announced by Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
In addition, 11 cubs were also found in the two tiger reserves, the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger
Reserve, in the state.
Uttarakhand is the second state in terms of tiger count behind Karnataka, which has 400 big cats.
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PM Modi inaugurates Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial in Rameswaram
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on 27 July 2017 inaugurated the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam memorial at Pei
Karumbu, Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
The PM unveiled the statue of Dr. Kalam, and offered floral tributes at Kalam Sthal.
National Centre for Seismology launches app India Quake for Earthquake Parameter
Dissemination
Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate
Change, on 27 July 2017 launched an app India Quake for Earthquake Parameter Dissemination.
The minister launched the application on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences in New
Delhi.
India’s first unmanned tank Muntra launched
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 29 July 2017 launched India's first unmanned
tank Muntra (Mission UNmanned TRAcked) that was being developed in Chennai.
The tank was tested and validated at Mahajan field firing range in Rajasthan under dusty desert conditions
where temperatures touched 52 C.
The tanks will facilitate Indian Army in conducting unmanned surveillance missions.
Muntra was developed and tested for the Indian Army by Combat Vehicles Research and Development
Establishment (CVRDE) in Avadi.
Maharashtra government to launch pilot project to encourage use of bicycle
The Maharashtra state government is planning to create cycle tracks through 'streets with cycle track' project
in order to encourage the use of bicycles, to ease congestion and reduce air pollution.
The pilot project will be at first implemented in 10 cities across the state including Nagpur, Amaravati, Pune,
Nashik, Aurangabad, Solapur, Latur, Jalgaon, Chandrapur and Kolhapur. A government resolution confirming
the same was issued recently.
A committee comprising four members including the Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Secretary
PWD (Roads), and two members of NGO Mission Olympics will be studying the project and providing technical
inputs.
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Delhi Metro declared as world’s first green metro
The Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) was on 28 July 2017 declared as the world’s first green metro
after it added a green certification for all its major buildings and installations.
Apart from depots and sub stations, DMRC was also awarded the platinum rating for its 10 residential colonies
for adherence to green building norms by the IGBC.
The declaration was made during National Conference on Green Metro Systems by the Indian Green Building
Council (IGBC).
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 in Mumbai
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Minority Affairs & Parliamentary
Affairs, on 29 July 2017 launched the Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
While launching the Phase-2, Naqvi said that Parsi community has immense contribution in nation building and
Parsi community has been a “role model” for other communities for its culture and traditions. The Parsi
community has given so many great people who have been “architects of nation building”.
India, Pakistan to hold talks on hydropower projects under Indus Waters Treaty
India and Pakistan will hold talks on two hydropower projects, namely Kishenganga and Ratle, under the 1960
Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at the World Bank headquarters in Washington on 31 July 2017.
Union Water Resources Secretary Amarjit Singh is leading the Indian delegation during the talks. The delegation
will include officials from ministries of external affairs and water resources.
Union Government launches Sagar Vani to alert coastal community
Union Minister of Science & Technology Harshvardhan on 27 July 2017 launched Sagar Vani application on the
occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The portal was launched with an aim to alert the coastal communities.
This Integrated Information Dissemination System (IDS) was developed by ESSO-Indian National Centre for
Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).
Appointments
India
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Person Appointed Position Organization Melwyn Rego Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer Syndicate Bank
Achal Kumar Jyoti Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) India
KK Venugopal 15th Attorney General India
RK Pachnanda Director-General Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
Natarajan Chandrasekaran
Chairman Tata Global Beverages Ltd (TGBL)
Somesh Goyal Director General of Police (DGP) Himachal Pradesh
Sanjay Kumar Director General (DG) National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Sanjiv Goenka Chairman IIT Kharagpur
Justice Vikramajit Sen Chairperson Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC)
Aarthi Subramanian Chief Digital Officer (CDO) Tata Sons Group
Smriti Irani In Charge Information and Broadcasting Ministry
TR Zeliang Chief Minister Nagaland
Ram Nath Kovind 14th President India
Gopal Baglay Joint Secretary Prime Minister’s Office
Sanjay Kothari Secretary Ram Nath Kovind
Nitish Kumar Chief Minister Bihar
World
Person Appointed Position Organization Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor Chief Executive Hong Kong
Catherine Marchi-Uhel Head UN Syria war crimes probe
Saima Wazed Hossain Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in the South-East Asia region
World Health Organization
UK’s first woman Sikh MP Preet Kaur Gill
Elected Home Affairs Select Committee
Lord Mervyn Davies Chair UK India Business Council (UKIBC)
Important Days
Day Observed on
Theme/Other info
International Day of Cooperatives
1 July ‘Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world’
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National Doctors' Day 1 July To honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy
World Day for International Justice
17 July Justice Matters
World Emoji Day 17 July International Chess Day 20 July
Mohun Bagan Day 29 July In honour of Mohun Bagan's victory over East Yorkshire Regiment in the 1911 IFA Shield Final.
World Population Day 11 July Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations
World Youth Skills Day 15 July #SkillsForAll
Nelson Mandela International Day
18 July Take Action! Inspire Change
18th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
26 July
World Hepatitis Day 28 July Eliminate Hepatitis International Tiger Day 29 July Fresh Ecology For Tigers
United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons
30 July
International Day of Friendship 30 July
World News
German Parliament approves same-sex marriage
The Parliament of Germany in June 2017 voted by a wide margin to legalise same-sex marriage.
The parliament voted by 393 to 226 on 30 June 2017 in favour of same-sex marriage.
Scientists develop world's sharpest laser with a linewidth of only 10 mHz
A team of scientists have developed the world’s sharpest laser costing 44 million euros. Named as 'Super Laser',
it is 10 times more powerful than any other on the planet and has the potential to revolutionize engineering in
aeronautics, power and automotive industries.
The Physical Review Letters journal published about the development of Super Laser on 29 June 2017.
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Germany to impose €50 million fine on Facebook and Twitter over hate speech
Germany has passed a controversial law under which social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube could face a hefty fine of €50 million if they fail to remove hate speech within 24 hours.
The Network Enforcement Act, commonly referred to as the ‘Facebook law’, was passed by Germany’s
parliamentary body, Bundestag on 30 June 2017. It will come into effect in October. The move is a part of a
crackdown against abuse online.
999: The world's oldest emergency services phone number marks 80th anniversary
The world’s oldest emergency helpline number 999 on 2 July 2017 completed 80 years of its services in the
United Kingdom. The introduction of the world's first emergency call telephone number was celebrated by the
police forces across Britain.
Now, 999 number is the best known phone number in Britain to alert police, fire, ambulance and coastguards
to emergencies.
President Bashar Assad appears on Syrian Lira for first time
The Syrian Central Bank on 2 July 2017 put into circulation a new 2,000 Syrian Lira ($3.9) banknote that has the
face of country’s current President Bashar Assad.
This is the first time that President Bashar Assad is being depicted on the country’s currency since he took office
17 years ago. The move comes at a time when Assad’s government is boasting military successes against the
armed rebellion occurring across the country.
WHO declares end to Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The World Health Organization (WHO) on 2 July 2017 declared the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola
Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The announcement comes 42 days after the last confirmed Ebola patient in the affected Bas-Uélé province that
tested negative for the disease for the second time.
NASA developing first planetary defence mechanism
NASA is developing the first-ever mission that will work as a planetary defence mechanism against potential
cosmic body impacts in the future.
The mission, The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), is being designed, built and managed by the John
Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. The mission has moved from concept development to preliminary design
phase, following NASA’s approval on 23 June 2017.
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It is the first-ever design that will have the capability of deflecting a near-Earth asteroid.
Beijing Declaration on Education adopted
The Beijing Declaration on Education was adopted during the 5th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education in
Beijing, China on 5 July 2017.
The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss education reforms, various approaches to promote equity in
education, fostering quality education, strengthening BRICS collaboration in the field of education, and
exchange of students and scholars among BRICS Member States.
Xiaomi to acquire key Nokia patents
Chinese tech major Xiaomi on 5 July 2017 signed an agreement for business collaboration and patent licencing
with Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia. As per the agreement, Xiaomi will acquire key patent assets
from Nokia.
The multi-year patent agreement includes a cross license to each company's cellular standard essential patents.
Under the agreement, Nokia will provide network infrastructure equipment designed to deliver high capacity,
low power requirements for large web providers and data centre operators.
Volkswagen returns to Iranian market after 17-year absence
German car giant Volkswagen on 4 July 2017 announced its return to the Iranian market for the first time in 17
years due to the lifting of economic sanctions.
The company said that it would resume selling cars in Iran from August 2017 after signing a deal with local
importer Mammut Khodro.
The deal will initially cover Volkswagen’s Tiguan and Passat models to gain an insight into current market needs,
establish the Volkswagen brand in Iran, and offer Iranians modern technologies.
Jurassic-era crocodile with T-rex teeth discovered in Madagascar
A group of scientists discovered fossils belonging to an ancient, extinct crocodile relative that has deep and
massive jaw bones armed with enormous serrated teeth like those of a T-rex.
The study was published on 4 July 2017 in the journal PeerJ.
New Israeli Crysanthumum flower named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi
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A new fast-growing Israeli flower on 4 July 2017 was named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The step comes
as a special gesture to mark the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish nation.
Israeli Crysanthumum flower will now be called Modi.
SpaceX successfully launches heavy communications satellite Intelsat 35e
SpaceX on 6 July 2017 launched a commercial communications satellite Intelsat 35e into space using Falcon 9
rocket. The rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, delivering the satellite into a geostationary
transfer orbit. The satellite was deployed about 32 minutes after launch.
This was the third flight of the Falcon 9 rocket within just 12 days. On 23 June 2017, SpaceX launched a Bulgarian
communications satellite into space from launch complex 39A, using a pre-flown first stage booster while, the
second launch took place on 25 June when SpaceX launched 10 communications satellites into orbit from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Italy passes bill making ‘Torture’ crime under national law
Italy has finally passed a bill making torture a crime under national law, after years of parliamentary back-and-
forth.
The bill was passed on 5 July 2017 with 198 lawmakers backing the legislation, 35 opposing it and 104 abstaining.
It aims to make torture punishable by four to 10 years in prison and 12 years for members of the security forces.
G20 countries leaders agree for action, targeted exchange of information on terrorism
G20 leaders on 7 July 2017, the first day of G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, agreed to facilitate swift action
and targeted exchange of information on terrorism and it’s financing.
The information exchange that will include operational information-sharing, preventive measures and criminal
justice response will happen between intelligence and law enforcement and judicial authorities
In a statement released at the end of the first day of the 12th G20 Summit in Hamburg, the member countries
decided to take concrete steps to stop funding of the terror activities.
PM Modi raises issues of terrorism, climate change at BRICS Leaders' Informal Meeting in
Hamburg
The leaders of the 5 BRICS nations had an informal meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg,
Germany on 7 July 2017. This was in run up to the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in
September 2017 in Xiamen, China.
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During the meet, the leaders discussed preparations and priorities for the forthcoming Xiamen BRICS Summit.
In addition, President Xi, the leader of the host country for the September Xiamen BRICS Summit said he looked
forward to welcoming the BRICS leaders.
Historic Centre of Vienna inscribed on List of World Heritage in Danger
The World Heritage Committee on 6 July 2017 inscribed the Historic Centre of Vienna on the List of World
Heritage in Danger.
The step was taken due to high-rise projects in the middle of the historic city.
UNESCO declares West Bank city of Hebron as World Heritage Site in Danger
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 7 July 2017 declared West Bank
city of Hebron a heritage site, an issue which triggered a new Israeli-Palestinian clash.
UNESCO passed an anti-Israel resolution by voting to have the Tomb of the Patriarchs, in the Old City of Hebron
in the West Bank, to be inscribed as a Palestinian World Heritage Site in Danger.
UNESCO omits Great Barrier Reef from List of World Heritage in Danger
The World Heritage Committee, during its annual meeting in Poland, in July 2017 decided not to include the
Great Barrier Reef in the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Committee voted to endorse the Australian Government’s Reef 2050 Plan, which includes several measures
designed to protect and manage the ecosystem.
Brazil's Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO on 9 July 2017 added Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site in the World
Heritage List.
The committee, during its meeting in Krakow, Poland, stated that Valongo is the most important physical trace
of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent
Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site is located in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and encompasses the whole of
Jornal do Comercio Square.
122 countries adopted global treaty banning nuclear weapons
The global treaty that bans nuclear weapons was adopted at the United Nations on 8 July 2017 despite
opposition from the United States, Britain, France and other nuclear powers that boycotted negotiations.
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The treaty was adopted by a vote of 122 in favour with one country the Netherlands voting against while
Singapore abstained.
Costa Rica's ambassador, Elayne Whyte Gomez, the president of the UN conference that negotiated the treaty
said we have managed to sow the first seeds of a world free of nuclear weapons.
Cambodia’s Sambor Prei Kuk temple zone gets UNESCO World Heritage Status
Cambodia's Sambor Prei Kuk archaeological site on 8 July 2017 was inscribed on the UNESCO'S World Heritage
List.
The inscription was made during the World Heritage Committee's 41st session in Krakow, Poland.
UNESCO adds German Caves with world's oldest known art to heritage list
Six caves in south-western Germany’s Swabia Jura region, home to some of the world’s oldest art, In July 2017
were added to the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) World Heritage Centre.
The caves were occupied some 43000 to 33000 years ago. They are among the earliest known dwelling places
of modern humans in Europe.
In a first, Israel transfers authority for West Bank Electrical Substation to Palestinians
Rami Hamdallah, Prime Minister of Palestinian, and Yuval Steinitz, Israeli Energy Minister, on 10 July 2017
launched the first power plant in the West Bank that transforms high to medium voltage in Jenin, north of the
West Bank.
It is the first time that Israel has given the ownership of electricity infrastructure to the Palestinian Authority.
Okinoshima, Japan’s men-only island, gains UNESCO World Heritage tag
Okinoshima Island, an ancient religious site in Japan where women are banned and male visitors need to take
off their clothes and take a naked bath before visiting the shrine, was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site
on 9 July 2017.
Okinoshima, which is a part of the city of Munakata, Fukuoka, Japan, is located in south-west Japan between
the main island of Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula. Referred as the men-only island, the island is permanently
manned by a Shinto priest who prays to the island’s goddess, in a tradition that has been kept up for centuries.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft unveils new maps of Pluto, Charon
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NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft on 14 July 2017 unveiled a set of detailed and high-quality global maps of Pluto
and its largest moon Charon on the occasion of the two year anniversary of the flyby.
These new maps from the landmark exploration of Pluto by NASA’s New Horizons mission will help unravel the
mysteries associated with Pluto.
US House of Representatives passes bill to boost defence cooperation with India
The US House of Representatives on 14 July 2017 passed National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2018, a
USD 621.5 billion defence policy bill that proposes to advance defence cooperation with India. NDAA-2018 was
passed by the House 344-81.
An amendment in this regard was moved by Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera. The Act now needs the
approval of the US Senate before it can be sent to the White House for the approval fo the US President Donald
Trump.
New plastic £10 note featuring this legendary author unveiled in UK
The Bank of England has unveiled a new £10 plastic note featuring a portrait of British novelist Jane Austen at
the Winchester Cathedral, the place where she was buried.
The note will go into circulation on 14 September, on the occasion of the author’s 200th death anniversary. It
follows the previously released polymer £5 note.
US Navy tests world’s first Laser Weapons System
The United States Navy has successfully tested the world’s first-ever active Laser Weapons System (LaWS), which
is now deployed, all ready for any sort of attack on the Persian Gulf.
The LaWS has been deployed aboard the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship. In the test, the system was able
to destroy a drone in flight and moving targets in the Persian Gulf. With its addition, USS Ponce becomes the
first ship in the world to be deployed with such an advanced weapons system.
NASA Langley Research Centre turns 100 years old
NASA Langley Research Centre (LRC) on 17 July 2017 completed 100 years of its establishment. NASA's Langley
changed forever the way astronauts fly, explore space and how they study Earth.
More than 40 high-tech wind tunnels and supporting infrastructure have been built over the years since its
establishment and researchers use these facilities to develop many of the wing shapes still used today in airplane
design.
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Google introduces recruiting app 'Hire' for businesses
Google on 18 July 2017 launched 'Hire', a recruiting app for small- and medium-sized businesses that integrates
seamlessly with G Suite.
The launch of Hire app is seen as an apparent move to compete with Microsoft-owned LinkedIn.
French Senate approves controversial anti-terror bill
Lawmakers in France’s conservative-dominated Senate on 18 July 2017 approved controversial legislation to
further strengthen France’s anti-terror laws by a majority vote.
The French senators passed the draft bill by a vote of 229 to 106.
The Bill will now be sent to the lower house of the National Assembly for a vote in October 2017.
Neil Armstrong Moon Bag sold for USD 1.8 million in New York
Neil Armstrong bag containing traces of moon dust was sold at an auction for USD 1.8 million on 20 July 2017 in
New York. The bag was sold to an anonymous buyer following a sluggish five-minute bidding war on the
telephone.
The collection bag was used by astronaut Neil Armstrong to collect the first dust samples from the Moon during
the Apollo 11 mission, the first manned mission to the moon in 1969 and the auction marked the 48th
anniversary of that mission.
US commissions world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford
The United States Navy on 22 July 2017 commissioned its most powerful warship USS Gerald R Ford into its fleet
with the help of President Donald Trump.
The USD 13 billion USS Gerald R Ford carrier weighs 100000 tonnes and can apparently sail for 20 years without
refuelling. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is fixed with modern technology with a capacity for more aircraft
and weaponry than ever before.
World's first floating wind farm emerges off coast of Scotland
Construction began in July 2017 on the world’s first full-scale floating wind farm, around 15 miles off the coast
of north-east Scotland.
The Peterhead wind farm, known as Hywind, is a trial which will bring power to 20000 homes.
The wind farm will be lased with revolutionary technology that will allow wind power to be harvested in waters
too deep for the current conventional bottom-standing turbines.
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Michael Kors buys Jimmy Choo for USD 1.5 billion
Global fashion luxury brand Michael Kors on 25 July 2017 announced to buy global luxury footwear and
accessories brand Jimmy Choo for approximately USD 1.2 billion. With this, Micheal Kors aims to this coveted
global brand to its lot as its own handbag and accessories sales suffer.
The transaction was approved by the Boards of Directors of both Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo.
Under the terms of the transaction, Jimmy Choo shareholders will receive 230 pence per share, with an
enterprise value of approximately USD 1.350 billion.
International food standard body CAC adopts universal standards for pepper, cumin and
thyme
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) adopted three Codex standards for black, white and green pepper,
cumin and thyme, paving the way for universal agreement on identifying quality spices in various countries.
The decision was taken during the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s 40th session in Geneva during 17 to 22 July
2017.
Trump bans Transgender individuals from serving in US Military
The President of United States, Donald Trump announced on 27 July 2017 that the US government will not
accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.
The announcement was made by Trump through a series of tweets on his official Twitter account. He said that
the decision was taken after consultation with Generals and military experts.
With the move, Trump has reinstated the ban that his predecessor, former Democratic President Barack Obama
lifted last year allowing transgender individuals to openly serve in the military.
Amazon's Jeff Bezos briefly overtakes Gates to become world’s richest person
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon became the world’s richest man on 27 July 2017, dethroning Microsoft
founder Bill Gates from the position briefly.
With a jump in the share price of the US tech giant, Bezos's net worth topped $90.5 billion on the morning of
27 July, ahead of Bill Gates’ estimated worth of $90 billion, according to Forbes and Bloomberg.
Iran successfully launches rocket designed to carry satellites
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Iran successfully launched its most advanced satellite-carrying rocket called ‘Simorgh’ into space on 27 July
2017.
The launch took place at the Imam Khomeini National Space Station in Semnan, some 220 kilometers (138 miles)
east of Tehran.
Trump administration urges NSG members to support India's application
Donald Trump’s administration has urged other members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group to support India’s
membership bid to the elite grouping. The NSG controls international nuclear trade.
The US Department of Defence and Department of State said in a joint report that the United States welcomed
India's application to join the NSG and it continues to re-affirm that India is ready for the membership. It also
added that the US has called upon other NSG members to support India's application.
BRICS nations sign memorandum to facilitate taxation cooperation
The 2017 BRICS Labour and Employment ministers meeting that concluded in Chongqing, China on 27 July 2017
saw the signing of the BRICS Taxation Cooperation Memorandum.
The document, signed by the Heads of Tax Authorities of the five BRICS Nations, aims to establish a mechanism
for taxation cooperation and is the bloc's first document that elevates taxation cooperation to the institutional
level.
US tests missile-defence system after North Korea missile launch
The United States (US) on 30 July 2017 tested the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in Alaska
by launching a ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean.
The missile-defence system test came after North Korea conducted an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)
test.
A medium-range target ballistic missile (MRBM) was launched by US Air Force C-17 over the Pacific Ocean and
the THAAD weapon system detected, tracked and intercepted the target. This was the 15th successful intercept
out of the 15 tests carried out for the THAAD weapon system.
World's smallest spacecraft Sprites launched by Indian rocket
The world's smallest spacecraft were on 23 June 2017 successfully launched into low-Earth orbit by Indian rocket
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
Known as 'Sprites', these tiny satellites are just 3.5cm x 3.5cm and carry radios, sensors and computers, and
each device is powered by sunlight and weighs just four grams.
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The Sprites were constructed by researchers at Cornell University and transported into space as secondary
payloads by the two larger German satellites Max Valier and Venta.
Sports News
Novak Djokovic clinches Eastbourne International Men’s Singles title
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic on 1 July 2017 defeated France's Gael Monfils to clinch the Eastbourne
International Men’s Singles title.
Karolina Pliskova wins Eastbourne International Women’s Singles title
Czech tennis player Karolina Pliskova on 1 July 2017 defeated Danish Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets to win
the Eastbourne International Women’s Singles title.
Pliskova scripted a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Wozniacki in just one hour and 18 minutes.
Germany beats Chile to win 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
Germany on 2 July 2017 defeated Chile 1-0 in the final to clinch the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
With the win, Germany took home their first Confederations Cup.
The tournament was held in Russia as a prelude to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Indian national team rises to 96th in FIFA rankings; second highest ever
Indian national football team climbed four places to sit on the 96th position in the latest FIFA rankings updated
on 6 July 2017. It is the second highest ranking for the country ever.
In addition, it is India’s highest FIFA ranking under coach Stephen Constantine.
The rankings were updated following India’s 2-0 win against Nepal in a friendly match. The national team also
emerged victorious against Kyrgyzstan in AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifiers group match held in June 2017.
India currently scores 341 points, seven points behind 95th placed Cyprus.
Ravi Shastri is new coach of Indian Cricket Team
The BCCI on 11 July 2017 named Ravi Shastri as the new chief coach of the Indian cricket team. He will be with
the team as its head coach till ICC World Cup 2019.
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In addition to it, former fast bowler Zaheer Khan was also appointed as bowling coach for a period of two years.
Afghanistan batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq scores double century in T20 game
Afghanistan's Wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq on 9 July 2017 smashed a laudable 214 innings off just
71 balls including 21 sixes and 16 fours in the Paragon Nangarhar Champion Trophy Twenty20, a local
tournament of Afghanistan.
Shafaq set record books on fire with his swashbuckling right-handed batting, striking a double century in a local
T20 match.
2017 Asian Athletics Championships: India creates history, tops medal tally
With five gold, one silver and three bronze medals on the final day of the 2017 Asian Athletics Championship,
India finished on top of the medals tally, comfortably surpassing China and Kazakhstan.
China and Kazakhstan took the second and third spots respectively in the medal tally.
Mithali Raj shatters record; becomes first player to score 6000 runs in women’s ODI cricket
India captain Mithali Raj scripted history on 12 July 2017 as she became the only female cricketer to surpass the
6000 run mark in One-Day Internationals (ODI).
Mithali overtook Charlotte Edwards (5992) after scoring her 34th run against Australia in Bristol. The 34-year-
old reached the landmark in her 183rd ODI, taking 164 innings - 16 less than Edwards.
Bharat Arun appointed as Team India’s new bowling coach
Bharat Arun was appointed as the new bowling coach of Team India by the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) on 18 July 2017.
The decision was announced during a press briefing held by the newly appointed Indian team coach Ravi Shastri
after meeting the four-member BCCI panel.
Kazan and Budapest to host 2022, 2024 FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) on 17 July 2017 announced that the Russian city of Kazan and
Hungarian city Budapest have been chosen to host the 2022, 2024 Short Course Swimming Championships
respectively.
FINA took the decision about the host cities for both events in a meeting at Budapest, the venue of the 2017
World Aquatics Championships.
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2017 Wimbledon Championships Title Winner Runner-Up Information/Fact
Men’s Singles Roger Federer (Switzerland) Marin Cilic (Croatia) Federer became the only male player to win the Wimbledon singles title eight times.
Women’s Singles
Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain) Venus Williams (USA)
Men’s Doubles Łukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo Oliver Marach and Mate Pavić
Women’s Doubles
Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina
Chan Hao-ching and Monica Niculescu
Mixed Doubles Henri Kontinen and Heather Watson
Jamie Murray and Martina Hingi
HS Prannoy beats Parupalli Kashyap to lift 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold badminton title
Rising shuttler H S Prannoy on 24 July 2017 defeated Parupalli Kashyap to clinch the $120000 US Open Grand
Prix Gold in Anaheim, California.
Prannoy defeated Kashyap 21-15 20-22 21-12 in the summit clash, which lasted an hour and five minutes.
In the women’s singles category of the tournament, Aya Ohori of Japan won the final by defeating Michelle Li
of Canada.
England beats India by 9 runs to lift ICC Women's World Cup 2017
England on 23 July 2017 defeated India by 9 runs to clinch the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup. The final match
was played at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. The win is England’s 4th title.
The 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup was the eleventh edition of the Women's Cricket World Cup, and the
third to be held in England after the 1973 and 1993 tournaments.
India finishes 7th in Youth Commonwealth Games with 11 medals
The Indian contingent finished an impressive seventh in the recently-concluded 6th Youth Commonwealth
Games at the Bahamas with a total tally of 11 medals including four gold, one silver and six bronze medals.
The six-day event was kick-started on 18 July with India grabbing four medals in Judo.
While Soni picked up India’s first gold medal by beating Australia’s Uros Nikolic in the 73kg category event,
Ashish followed it up with a bronze medal in the 60kg category after defeating England’s Harry Zane-Prosser.
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Among the girls, Antim Yadav and Rebina Devi Chanam won two bronze medals, defeating Bahamian Jasmine
Russell in 48-kg and Australia's Saskia Jolande Brothers in 57-kg categories respectively.
Mithali Raj named Captain of ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 team
India skipper Mithali Raj was on 24 July 2017 named as the Captain of the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 team
by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Besides Mithali, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were the other
two Indians included in the ICC's team.
This is the second time that Mithali has been named in the Team of the tournament at a World Cup. She was
first included in the team in 2009.
India to host men's, women's World Boxing Championships in 2021
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has awarded to India next year's women's World Championship and
the men's 2021 World Championship.
This is the first time that India have been awarded the rights to host the men's event while the women's
tournament will be held for the second time. The country had earlier hosted the women's World Championship
in 2006.
Kylie Masse wins 100m backstroke world gold in record time
Canada’s Kylie Masse on 25 July 2017 won the women's 100m backstroke gold by creating a new world-record
time at the world aquatics championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The 21-year-old, Masse, clocked 58.10 seconds breaking Gemma Spofforth’s previous mark of 58.12 seconds
from 2009 world championships in Rome, in the era of the now-banned neoprene suits.
With this title Masse, who won a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, also became Canada’s first ever woman world
champion swimmer.
Somdev Devvarman to head Centre of Excellence at DLTA
Somdev Devvarman, former professional Indian tennis player has been roped in to lead a Centre of Excellence
at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA).
The centre aims to provide coaching to budding players. The search has already begun for coaches, sports
psychologist and physios who will work in coordination with each other at the Academy.
2017 FIBA Women's Asia Cup: India beat Kazakhstan to clinch Division B crown
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India on 29 July 2017 defeated Kazakhstan, 75-73, to clinch the FIBA Women's Asia Cup’s Division B title. The
thrilling final was held at the Kanteerava Indoor stadium in Bengaluru.
To celebrate the win, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh for the
Indian team.
Indexes
The Energy Resources Institute ranks second among world's climate think tanks
The International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG) recently ranked The Energy Resources Institute (TERI)
second among world’s best climate think tank.
The institute was ranked number two under the category 2016 Top Climate Think Tanks in the Rest of the World-
Absolute Global Rankings during ICCG’s 23rd annual conference of the European Association of Environmental
and Resource Economists (EAERE) in Athens, Greece.
The Energy and Resources Institute is a research institute based in New Delhi.
It conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.
The institute was established in 1974.
It was formerly known as Tata Energy and Resource Institute.
As the scope of its activities widened, it was renamed The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003.
India ranks 23rd among 165 nations in 2017 Global Cybersecurity Index
India ranked a high 23rd out of 165 nations in the 2017 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), a global index that
measures the commitment of nations across the world to cybersecurity.
The second Global Cybersecurity Index was released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the
UN telecommunications agency, on 5 July 2017.
India ranked 23rd on the index with a score of 0.683 and has been listed in the maturing category, which refers
to 77 countries that have developed complex commitments to cybersecurity and engage in cybersecurity
programmes and initiatives.
Singapore topped the Global Cybersecurity Index with a 0.92 GCI score.
OECD releases Government at a Glance 2017 report: India tops OECD list of countries
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The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on 13 July 2017 released the
Government at a Glance 2017 report. The report presents an index of countries that trust their governments
the most.
The topmost rank in the global index is secured by India as around 73 per cent people have faith in Narendra
Modi government.
With 73 per cent India is ranked firmly at the top, followed by Canada in second position as Justin Trudeau's
government earned the confidence of 62 per cent of its people. The other three players in the top 5 are Turkey,
Russia and Germany.
Highlights of the Government at a Glance 2017 report
The report finds that government spending averaged 40.9 per cent of GDP in OECD countries in 2015, up from
38.8 per cent in 2007.
The number of government jobs as a share of total employment remained at 18.1 per cent in 2015, in
comparison to 17.9 per cent in 2007.
Government spending as a share of GDP is highest in France with 56.5 per cent in 2016 followed by Finland (56.1
per cent) and Denmark (53.6 per cent).
Government spending was lowest in 2015 in Mexico (24.5 per cent), Ireland (29.5 per cent) and Korea (32.4 per
cent).
Awards & Honors
Writer Preeti Shenoy bags Indian of the Year Award
Writer Preeti Shenoy in the last week of June 2017 was honoured with the Indian of the Year Award at a function
organised in New Delhi.
Shenoy was awarded by Brands Academy, one of the most reputed branding companies in India.
The Award is given to recognise the achievements of personalities who have contributed towards building up
the reputation of the country.
Telangana IPS Officer Mahesh Bhagwat conferred 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report Heroes
Award
An IPS officer from Telangana, Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, who currently serves as Rachakonda Police
Commissioner, was recently conferred the 2017 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Heroes Award by the US
State Department.
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The IPS officer was recognised for his vital role in elevating human trafficking as a government priority, and his
innovative approach to investigating cases and dismantling trafficking.
With this, Bhagwat became the third IPS officer to receive the honour.
Indian-Americans Shantanu Narayen and Vivek Murthy to be honoured with Great Immigrants
Award
Two Indian-Americans, Adobe Chief Shantanu Narayen and former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, are
among 38 immigrants to be honoured with the Great Immigrants Award.
They will be honoured for their role in helping advance the country's society, culture and economy on 4 July
2017, the Independence Day of the United States of America.
Among other honourees include Canadian-origin social entrepreneur Jeff Skoll, who has been awarded the 2017
Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, PayPal cofounder of Ukrainian origin Max Levchin, Iranian-origin philanthropist
and entrepreneur Hushang Ansary.
IROAF wins Golden Peacock Award for Eco Innovation for the year 2017
Indian Railways Organization for Alternate Fuel (IROAF) on 10 July 2017 won the Golden Peacock Award for Eco
Innovation for the year 2017 for introducing eco friendly and cost saving Dual Fuel 1400 HP Diesel engines on
DEMU trains.
With this, Indian Railways achieved a major milestone in the field of eco-friendly fuel technologies. IROAF
substituted fossil fuels (Diesel) by environment friendly CNG in DEMU passenger train services. The use of CNG
in Train Sets for passenger transportation was done for the first time in the world.
A R Rahman shortlisted for World Soundtrack Award - Public Choice
Academy Award winning composer and music maestro A R Rahman in July 2017 has been shortlisted for the
World Soundtrack Award – Public Choice.
The music maestro was shortlisted for the development of the music for the British-Indian historical film
Viceroy’s House that was directed by British filmmaker of Indian origin Gurinder Chadha.
2017 IIFA awards: Alia and Shahid win Best Actors for Udta Punjab
The 18th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards was announced on 15 July 2017 at
MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On the occasion, the Hindi films of 2016 were awarded by the
International Indian Film Academy.
Alia Bhatt and Shahid Kapoor bagged the Best Actors for Udta Punjab, where as the best film award went to
Neerja.
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List of the awards and awardees
Best Film: Neerja
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Shahid Kapoor for Udta Punjab
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Alia Bhatt for Udta Punjab
Best Director: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury for Pink
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Anupam Kher for M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Shabana Azmi for Neerja
Best Performance in a Comic Role: Varun Dhawan for Dishoom
Best Performance in a Negative Role: Jim Sarbh for Neerja
Best Music Direction: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – Pritam Chakraborty
Best Lyrics: Channa Mereya from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – Amitabh Bhattacharya
Best Male Playback Singer: Amit Mishra for "Bulleya" – Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Best Female Playback Singer: Tulsi Kumar for "Soch Na Sake" – Airlift and Kanika Kapoor for "Da Da
Dasse" – Udta Punjab
LK Advani receives Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions in Lok Sabha
Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna (LK) Advani on 19 July 2017 received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his
contributions as a Parliamentarian in the Lok Sabha.
He received the award from Vice President Hamid Ansari at a function organised by the Lokmat Media Group
to honour distinguished Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members.
Obituaries
Person Nation Field/Known For Naresh Chandra India Former Indian Ambassador to the United States
Pakkiriswamy Chandra Sekharan
India Forensic Expert who helped crack the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case
Maryam Mirzakhani Iran The first and only woman to receive the Fields Medal equivalent of the Nobel Prize for mathematics.
Nar Bahadur Bhandari India Former chief minister of Sikkim
Martin Landau USA Actor, won Oscar for “Ed Wood”
Chester Bennington USA Singer, Lead singer of Linkin Park
Udupi Ramachandra Rao India Scientist, former ISRO chairman and man behind India's first satellite Aryabhatta
Shivajirao Girdhar Patil India Politician, freedom fighter and former Maharashtra Minister
Yash Pal India Scientist, Known for his contributions to the study of cosmic rays.
N. Dharam Singh India Politician, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka
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Strategy for IBPS PO and IBPS Clerical exams 2017
As the opportunity, in the name of IBPS 2017, is already on its way to knock your doors, it is
better we prepare ourselves to welcome and make the most of it. IBPS is changing its face and
coming out with new challenges. Today we will be putting out a strategy about how you can
catch hold of that one job from the pool of jobs that IBPS is offering. Of course, there might be
some changes here and there because the strategy varies from person to person but this will
definitely help you plan out yours.
Once a wise man said, “A good warrior always knows what is waiting for him in the battlefield.”
So, it’s important we know the detailed pattern of the IBPS PO as well as IBPS Clerk 2017 exam.
Preliminary Exam (For both IBPS PO and Clerk level)
SECTION NAME NO. OF QUESTIONS
MARKS DURATION
1 Reasoning Ability Paper 35 35
01 hour 2 Numerical Ability Paper 35 35
3 English Language Paper 30 30
Total 100 100
Main Exam (For both IBPS PO and Clerk level)
SECTION NAME NO. OF QUESTIONS Marks (Separately timed)
1 Reasoning Ability 50 50 30 Min.
2 English Language 40 40 30 Min.
3 Quantitative Aptitude 50 50 30 Min.
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4 General Awareness 40 40 25 Min.
5 Computer Knowledge 20 20 20 Min.
Total 200 200 135 Min.
The exam will start with one section and you cannot skip to other section until the sectional time is up neither can you decide the order in which the sections will come to you, although last year it was in the same order as given in the IBPS notification but you should be mentally prepared for any surprises.
Negative Marking in IBPS exams:
There will be negative marking 0.25 in both the IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk exams for each wrong
answer you mark so you need to be extra careful while choosing the answer. To our relief, there
will be no mark deducted for the questions you leave unmarked.
Now, that we are aware of the challenge ahead of us we need to determine the strategy step
by step. But before walking over to that, there are two things that we need to be very clear
about.
1) IBPS does not expect you to be the master of all subjects. Rather a jack of all would be
way better.
2) Accuracy is the key. Write it on a piece of paper in bold letters and put it above your study
space.
Step 1: - Take a mock test! Regardless of whether you are a new entrant to this competitive
world or an old player, you need to see your weak and strong points clearly before digging into
the pool of preparations for IBPS exams. And do not take this test as exam. Just go through every
question in every section and solve only the ones that click in first instance and analyse your
speed. Also, go through the detailed analysis/solutions after you complete the test. And note
down whatever score you got. This is just the start and there is no looking back.
Step 2: - Make a list of topics in all sections according to most important (the ones you cannot
afford to skip), important (the ones that will help you increase your merit), least important (the
ones you can give a shot but not obsess over if they seem to be a bouncer).
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Step 3: - Set a time table. It’s important to be organised if you want to achieve your goals. IBPS
exams demand a lot of dedication. Discipline has helped countries conquer wars. This is just an
examination for your dream job. So, figure out with which subject you want to start your day or
what is the best time for you to study and fix a time table accordingly and be sure to follow it.
Step 4: - Track your time. For this, you should make a habit of attempting a quiz of the topic
you’ve studied earlier that day. Let’s just say that 3/4th of your preparation time should be
dedicated to studying a topic and the rest 1/4th should be for taking the quiz. Just put a timer
in your phone and try solving all the questions of that small quiz.
Step 5: - Accuracy is more important than speed in any IBPS exam. Now, let us put it this way.
Suppose you do 80 questions out of hundred and you are 99.9% sure that all the answers that
you have marked are correct, there are very high chances that you secure 75 or more marks for
sure. On the other hand, if you attempt 100 questions but 40 of them are guess work then your
marks will come down to 50 or less than that and that too with no surety. So, avoid guess work
in any IBPS exam.
Step 6: - Start learning the short tricks of the topics you have already aced. This will help you
save time and put you ahead of your competition. IBPS exams have become all about smart
work over hard work over the years.
Step 7: - Revise daily! With the increasing pile of GK, we kind of forget the importance of
revision. Can you forget a thing you read daily for 60 days or 40 days or even 30 days? For
learning a thing by heart, 15 times reading is more than enough and it is scientifically proven.
And we never get any current affairs(from exampundit) of the last 10-12 days prior to the IBPS
exam. This just makes the point crystal clear.
Step 8: - Mock tests are essential to keep a track of your progress and also encouraging yourself
when you see a hike in your marks. Pat yourself on the back for every hike or treat yourself with
your favourite chocolate. The motive is to keep improving day by day. Trust us, even a slight
improvement test after test will result in huge results in the actual IBPS exam. Not to mention,
it helps you to figure out sections or topics you still need to cover.
Step 9: - Keep up with the modifications. The new patterns of almost every question are being
introduced with each IBPS exam. You need to keep up with the changes so it does not come as
a surprise for you in your next exam. Also, IBPS tends to follow SBI PO exam pattern. So to ace
IBPS PO one should go through the SBI memory based papers, the new types of questions
introduced and the level of questions. It will help you triumph half of the IBPS battle.
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With all the steps above being followed with determination, not even IBPS can stop you from
being a banker this coming exam season. So, without wasting time let’s get to work because our
dreams are calling us!
STOP WASTING TIME
The only thing that everyone has unlimited is time. Every person born on this earth comes with
a gift called time and everyone has ample of it. Some manage to do wonders in the same given
time and some are, well, just breathing. Its passing, every day, every minute, and every second,
this time is slipping right out of our hands and we don’t even realize it. Time stands for the most
ironical example of being the most important and precious gift and yet not valued as much.
After the end of this life, every person goes into the grave and the milestone above it specifies
the time period spent on earth by that person. The small dash in between the two dates is
actually your life, just that simple dash. It is totally up to you what that dash says about you. We
can die anonymous and no one will remember us after we are gone or we can make the most
of what we have and become immortal.
The most successful people are not granted with extra time or extra life. They have the same
life and same time, sometimes even less than us and still accomplish some great things because
they utilised their time smartly. Laziness was always envy of them because it could never touch
them. Sleep was never a luxury they enjoyed, rather it was only a necessity that their body
needed in order to function.
The thought that every second that the clock ticks off never comes back, should send shivers.
And some days we don’t do anything at all. We spend 86000 seconds of our life just laying on
bed or sleeping. The same seconds can be used to make difference in your life and in the world.
But, it’s gone, just like that. Time is the only thing on this earth that cannot be recycled.
We all dream of becoming millionaires or becoming very famous or going places exploring the
beauty of nature but all we do is think and want. How many of us actually plan and work towards
it? Very less. And it is very easy to blame it on circumstances but then we should always
remember that a newspaper distributor became the president of this country (honourable late
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam) and a chai wala became the Prime Minister of our country (honourable
Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi).
Our focus should be on producing more than consuming. We can do so much while the clock is
ticking. Every hour, every minute, every second can make the change but we need to realise it
first. Our effort should be in the direction of changing later to now, not never. The bridge
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between our dreams and our values can only be crossed by us and no one else. So, begin now!
Without any delay because every moment you spend working on your dreams, you are actually
getting closer to them and one day it will all pay off.
Success is not a destination you have to reach, it is a journey you have to complete. Make that
journey substantial. Start now, this very moment and work tirelessly towards your dream and
make your life worth it. Even god should be pleasantly forced to say that he did not waste one
life by granting it to you.
Puzzle for Upcoming IBPS Prelims Exams
Q. (1-5) Read the following information carefully
and answer the given questions.
Seven EP’ians P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are sitting around
a circular desk having discussion about a quiz, not
necessarily in the same order. All of them are facing
towards the center.
S is not sitting adjacent to Q. U sits third to the right
of V. R is equidistant from both P and U. Q is sitting
adjacent to V. There are as many persons between
right of V and left of T, as there are between left of
P and right of U, but the number is not four.
Q.1 who among the following is sitting second to
the left of U?
(a) S
(b) T
(c) Q
(d) Cannot be determined
(e) None of these.
Q.2 who sits between R and T?
(a) P
(b) U
(c) C
(d) V
(e) None of these.
Q.3 who sits second the right of R?
(a) P
(b) V
(c) Q
(d) Cannot be determined
(e) None of these.
Q.4 if all the persons will arrange in an alphabetical
order (as they appear in English language) starting
from R, the position of how many will remain
same?
(a) One
(b) None
(c) Two
(d) Three
(e) None of these.
60 | P a g e
Q.5 if Q sits immediate right of V, then who will sit
second to the left of U?
(a) S
(b) Q
(c) T
(d) P
(e) None of these.
Q. (6-10) Read the following information carefully
and answer the given questions.
Eight friends Anya, Saurabh, Deepti, Akanksha,
Renu, Rahul, Priya and Ruby are standing in a row,
not necessarily in the same order. Some of them are
facing south and some are facing north. Deepti is
facing north. Rahul is second to the left of Priya and
they face in the same direction. Priya is not an
immediate neighbour of Deepti. Saurabh is third to
left of Deepti. The immediate neighbours of Anya
face in opposite direction to that of Anya. Renu is
third to the right of Deepti. Ruby is not an
immediate neighbour of Akanksha and faces in
opposite direction to that of Akanksha. Anya faces
in a direction opposite to that of Priya. Only one of
the neighbours of Akanksha faces in north direction.
Renu faces in the same direction as that of Anya.
Anya is somewhere to the right of Akanksha. Rahul
doesn’t sit at the end.
Q.6 who sits second to the right of Saurabh?
(a) Deepti
(b) Ruby
(c) Anya
(d) Rahul
(e) None of these.
Q.7 who sits immediate left of Renu?
(a) Ruby
(b) Priya
(c) Rahul
(d) Cannot determined
(e) None of these.
Q.8 who sits second to the left of the one who sits
immediate right of Ruby?
(a) Anya
(b) Rahul
(c) Saurabh
(d) Akanksha
(e) None of these.
Q.9 who among the following face south?
(a) Anya
(b) Priya
(c) Ruby
(d) both a & c
(e) None of these.
Q.10 Saurabh is related to Akanksha, in the same
way Deepti is related to Ruby. Then in the same
way, who is related to Priya?
(a) Rahul
(b) Anya
(c) Renu
(d) Ruby
(e) None of these.
61 | P a g e
Answer:
1. D
2. B
3. D
4. C
5. B
6. C
7. C
8. D
9. D
10. C
Fig.
1-5
6-10
Saurabh Akanksha Anya Deepti Ruby Rahul Renu Priya
North North South North South North South North
Questions from July Current Affairs
1. How much amount of loan did Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank recently approve to
build access roads in villages of Gujarat?
(1) USD 368 mn
(2) USD 329 mn
(3) USD 328 mn
(4) USD 318 mn
(5) USD 338 mn
2. Which of the following state recently announced
setting up of GST facilitation centres in ward offices
across the state?
(1) Maharashtra
(2) Uttar Pradesh
(3) Telangana
(4) Goa
(5) Gujarat
3. Which of the following Indian state did recently a
digital ride sharing platform G-Ride?
62 | P a g e
(1) Tamil Nadu
(2) Maharashtra
(3) Haryana
(4) Goa
(5) Kerala
4. Which of the following banks did recently launch
loan scheme for Super Bikes?
(1) HDFC Bank
(2) IndusInd Bank
(3) Axis Bank
(4) ICICI Bank
(5) Yes Bank
5. How many products for physically challenged
persons did the government list at concessional
GST rate of 5%?
(1) 22
(2) 23
(3) 21
(4) 24
(5) 25
6. Which of the following state recently set a
record by planting 6 crore sampling in 12 hours?
(1) Maharashtra
(2) Uttar Pradesh
(3) Punjab
(4) Karnataka
(5) None of these
7. The Union Government recently directed the
manufacturers/companies to clear their unsold
pre-GST goods by ___________.
(1) 31st December, 2017
(2) 31st October, 2017
(3) 31st March, 2018
(4) 30th September, 2017
(5) 31st January, 2018
8. Which of the following bank did recently appoint
Melwyn Rego as their MD & CEO?
(1) Union Bank of India
(2) Syndicate Bank
(3) Vijaya Bank
(4) Punjab & Sind Bank
(5) Bank of Maharashtra
9. Reliance Jio recently launched Asia-Africa-Europe
(AAE-1) submarine cable system which is claimed
to be the largest submarine cable system will cover
a distance of _____________. (June, 2017)
(1) 18,000 km
(2) 32,000 km
(3) 25,000 km
(4) 28,000 km
(5) 21,000 km
10. The Haryana government is planning to set up
an environment-friendly transportation system in
Gurgaon on the pattern of __________.
(1) Germany
63 | P a g e
(2) Poland
(3) France
(4) Spain
(5) Canada
11. International Day of Cooperatives is observed
on ______________.
(1) 1st July
(2) 3rd July
(3) 4th July
(4) 2nd July
(5) 5th July
12. Germany won the 2017 FIFA Confederations
Cup by defeating which of the following nation?
(1) Argentina
(2) Russia
(3) Spain
(4) England
(5) Chile
13. Which of the following nation did recently
approve Same-sex marriages in the country?
1) France
2) Germany
3) Denmark
4) Croatia
5) Italy
14. Which of the following micro-financial institute
did recently launch a cashless programme named
“Saathi”?
1) Sambandh Finserv Pvt Ltd
2) Samasta Micro Finance Ltd
3) Sahayog Microfinance Limited
4) Svatantra Microfin Pvt. Ltd
5) Muthoot Fincorp Ltd
15. 999: The world's oldest emergency services
phone number was launched in the year of
__________.
1) 1938
2) 1939
3) 1937
4) 1936
5) 1940
16. Who won the Eastbourne International Men’s
Singles title 2017?
1) Rafael Nadal
2) Andy Murray
3) Stan Wawrinka
4) Novak Djokovic
5) Juan Del Porto
17. 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was held in
___________.
1) Germany
2) Chile
3) France
64 | P a g e
4) Mexico
5) Russia
18. The Law Commission of India submitted a
report called ‘Compulsory Registration of
Marriages’ submitted to the Government under
the Chairmanship of Dr. Justice B S Chauhan. It is
the ____ report of Law Commission.
1) 250th
2) 270th
3) 275th
4) 300th
5) 200th
19. Catherine Marchi-Uhel was recently appointed
to lead UN Syria war crimes probe. She is a judge
from _______.
1) France
2) Germany
3) Denmark
4) Finland
5) Spain
20. Reserve Bank of India has capped the customer
liability at Rs 25,000 if they report unauthorised
transactions within ________.
1) 3 working days
2) 5 working days
3) 7 working days
4) 10 working days
5) None of the above
21. With which of the following banks did EPFO
NOT sign any agreement for collection of provident
fund dues from employers and payments to its
subscribers?
1) Bank of Baroda
2) Axis Bank
3) Kotak Mahindra Bank
4) Yes Bank
5) HDFC Bank
22. The National Book Trust (NBT) recently
launched the Har Haath Ek Kitaab (One Book for
Every Hand) scheme. The scheme allows the
people to make donations to children, between the
ages of ___________, in the form of books with a
simple method.
1) 5 to 12
2) 6 to 15
3) 6 to 12
4) 5 to 15
5) 5 to 10
23. Union Ministry has recently launched a mobile
app and web portal for tracking and managing
merit order dispatch of power named “MERIT”.
According to the government, would entail savings
of close to Rs 20,000 crore to consumers in the
coming ________.
1) 5 years
2) 7 years
3) 3 years
4) 10 years
5) 8 years
65 | P a g e
24. 5th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education
was held in _____________.
1) Shanghai, China
2) Sao Paolo, Brazil
3) Moscow, Russia
4) New Delhi, India
5) None of the above
25. Which of the following nation did recently
make torture a crime under national law?
(1) France
(2) Germany
(3) Italy
(4) Australia
(5) Denmark
26. Which of the following nations did recently held
Malabar Exercise 2017?
(1) India
(2) Japan
(3) USA
(4) Both 1 & 2
(5) All 1, 2 & 3
27. Saima Wazed Hossain, who was appointed as
the WHO's Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in the
South-East Asia region is an autism activist from
________.
(1) India
(2) Bangladesh
(3) Indonesia
(4) Pakistan
(5) Afghanistan
28. 22nd Asian Athletics Championships was held in
__________.
(1) Raipur
(2) Indore
(3) Hyderabad
(4) Cuttack
(5) None of these
29. What was India's rank in 2017 Global
Cybersecurity Index?
(1) 26
(2) 28
(3) 22
(4) 23
(5) 25
30. President launched SWAYAM will host all the
courses taught in classrooms from _________
standard
(1) 6th
(2) 7th
(3) 8th
(4) 9th
(5) 11th
31. Name the first Indian city to get UNESCO
Heritage tag.
66 | P a g e
(1) Lucknow
(2) Ahmedabad
(3) Allahabad
(4) Kolkata
(5) Hyderabad
32. State Bank of India has waived charges for fund
transfer through IMPS up to __________.
(1) Rs 5000
(2) Rs 2000
(3) Rs 1000
(4) Rs 500
(5) Rs 10000
33. Name the first State to fix minimum education
qualification for cooperative body poll.
(1) Gujarat
(2) Telangana
(3) Kerala
(4) Rajasthan
(5) Assam
34. In which of the following state did President
Pranab Mukherjee recently inagurate Ashiana
Annexe?
(1) Punjab
(2) Arunachal Pradesh
(3) Uttarakhand
(4) Sikkim
(5) Mahrashtra
35. With which of the following state did Union
Government recently sign a MoU to set up Centre
of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine?
(1) West Bengal
(2) Odisha
(3) Uttar Pradesh
(4) Haryana
(5) Gujarat
36. World Population Day is observed on _______.
(1) 12 July
(2) 11 July
(3) 13 July
(4) 14 July
(5) 10 July
37. What is the estimated project cost of Indian
Railways launched RailCloud - a virtual server with
an inbuilt security system to optimise server usage
and faster connectivity?
1) 29 crore rupees
2) 53 crore rupees
3) 79 crore rupees
4) 98 crore rupees
5) 11 crore rupees
67 | P a g e
38. Which of the following Indian state did recently
announce to build eco-friendly bridges for easy
movement of tigers?
1) Madhya Pradesh
2) West Bengal
3) Jharkhand
4) Telangana
5) Maharashtra
39. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP) will establish India’s first Technology and
Innovation Support Center (TISC) in which state?
1) Uttar Pradesh
2) Maharashtra
3) Punjab
4) Tamil Nadu
5) Karnataka
40. For which of the following purpose did Indian
Railways recently launch CTSE Scheme?
1) To promote cashless transactions in ticket
booking.
2) To maintain & improve Railcloud project.
3) For the resolution of service related grievances
of serving and former railway employees.
4) To provide immediate care to its retired
employees in Golden Hour.
5) None of these
41. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu on 14 July
2017 dedicated country's first solar powered DEMU
(Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) train to the nation. In
which of the following state(s) will the train run?
1) Delhi
2) Uttar Pradesh
3) Haryana
4) Both 1 & 2
5) Both 1 & 3
42. Swami Vivekananda Airport, which was recently
ranked first in Customer Satisfaction Index Survey
is located in __________.
1) Chhattisgarh
2) Jharkhand
3) Tripura
4) Assam
5) West Bengal
43. Which of the following company did recently
acquire Bengaluru-based startup Halli Labs?
1) Microsoft
2) Google
3) Intel
4) Oracle
5) Facebook
44. In which of the following state ‘Livelihood
Intervention and Facilitation of Entrepreneurship’
(LIFE) programme was launched?
1) Mizoram
2) Meghalaya
3) Sikkim
4) Nagaland
5) Tripura
68 | P a g e
45. India in July 2017 launched a solar project with
state-of-the-art technology to electrify a remote
village in ___________.
1) Egypt
2) Afghanistan
3) Sri Lanka
4) Nepal
5) Philippines
46. In which of the following state Shala Siddhi
Prohatsan Yojana was launched?
1) Telangana
2) Odisha
3) Madhya Pradesh
4) Bihar
5) Uttar Pradesh
47. World Youth Skills Day is observed on
_____________.
1) 14 July
2) 13 July
3) 16 July
4) 17 July
5) 15 July
48. What was India’s rank in the Government at a
Glance 2017 report by Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD)?
1) 1
2) 2
3) 7
4) 11
5) 23
49. Which of the following film won the Best Film
award in 2017 IIFA awards?
1) Udta Punjab
2) Rustom
3) Pink
4) Neerja
5) Dangal
50. The Maharashtra government on 18 July 2017
approved a revised policy of the 'Majhi Kanya
Bhagyashree' scheme in an attempt to improve girl
child ratio in the state. The revised scheme will
benefit families that have a yearly income of up to
__________.
1) 1 lakh rupees
2) 2.5 Lakh rupees
3) 5 lakhs
4) 6.5 lakhs
5) 7.5 lakhs
51. Maryam Mirzakhani, the first and only woman
to receive Fields Medal was from _________.
1) Iran
2) Turkey
3) Armenia
4) Egypt
5) Iraq
69 | P a g e
52. Which of the following state did recently launch
a portal 'Janahitha' for speedy redressal of public
grievances?
(1) Madhya Pradesh
(2) Andhra Pradesh
(3) Telangana
(4) Chhattisgarh
(5) Jharkhand
53. Which of the following state government has
imposed a cap on the weight of bags carried by
schoolchildren in order to prevent any resulting
physical effect and anxiety disorder in students?
(1) Uttar Pradesh
(2) Telangana
(3) Andhra Pradesh
(4) Maharashtra
(5) Gujarat
54. Which of the following bank did recently launch
digital invoice discounting platform Invoicemart?
(1) ICIC Bank
(2) HDFC Bank
(3) Yes Bank
(4) Kotak Mahindra Bank
(5) Axis Bank
55. Which of the following bank did recently launch
digital-only marketing campaign #StartDoing?
(1) Axis Bank
(2) HDFC Bank
(3) ICIC Bank
(4) State Bank of India
(5) Yes Bank
56. Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana provides
assured return of what percent per annum?
(1) 8%
(2) 9%
(3) 4%
(4) 6%
(5) 10.50%
57. Chester Bennington, who recently committed
suicide was a lead singer of famous band
___________.
(1) Fort Minor
(2) Coldplay
(3) Fall Out Boy
(4) Linkin Park
(5) Imagine Dragons
58. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC) is planning to install around
1100 water vending machines (WVMs) at how
many stations?
(1) 500
(2) 450
(3) 480
(4) 300
(5) 550
70 | P a g e
59. Which of the following state government
recently announced to launch all-women 'Pink' AC
buses with CCTV cameras?
(1) Telangana
(2) Maharashtra
(3) Delhi
(4) Uttar Pradesh
(5) West Bengal
60. Parupalli Kashyap is associated with which
sports?
(1) Tennis
(2) Golf
(3) Badminton
(4) Athletics
(5) Table Tennis
61. Former ISRO chairman, Prof Udupi
Ramachandra Rao passed away on 24 July 2017. He
was the main person behind the launch of India’s
satellite _______ .
(1) INSAT
(2) Aryabhatta
(3) Rohini
(4) Bhaskara
(5) ARABSAT
62. Ramnath Kovind was recently elected as the
___ President of India.
(1) 13th
(2) 15th
(3) 12th
(4) 14th
(5) 16th
63. 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games was held in
______________.
(1) Bahamas
(2) Singapore
(3) Canada
(4) Australia
(5) South Africa
64. For which of the following purpose did
Government of India recently launch Aarambh
app?
(1) To help students prepare online.
(2) For Start-up information & guidelines.
(3) For maintenance of roads.
(4) To help divyangs in various services.
(5) None of the above.
65. Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed on ________.
(1) 26th July
(2) 25th July
(3) 27th July
(4) 28th July
(5) 29th July
66. Kylie Masse is associated with which sports?
(1) Athletics
71 | P a g e
(2) Tennis
(3) Shooting
(4) Boxing
(5) Swimming
67. Under the revised guidelines of Sovereign Gold
Bonds Scheme, investment limit per fiscal year has
been increased to _____ per individuals.
(1) 5kg
(2) 4kg
(3) 2kg
(4) 10kg
(5) 20kg
68. Which of the following government did recently
announce to create cycle tracks through 'streets
with cycle track' project in order to encourage the
use of bicycles?
(1) Telangana
(2) Madhya Pradesh
(3) Maharashtra
(4) Kerala
(5) Tamil Nadu
69. Which of the following bank did recently launch
its first digital branch “CANDI”?
(1) Canara Bank
(2) Indian Bank
(3) Andhra Bank
(4) Union Bank of India
(5) Central Bank of India
70. Which of the following nation did recently
launch ‘Simorgh’ satellite?
(1) Israel
(2) Qatar
(3) Egypt
(4) Jordan
(5) Iran
71. The World Hepatitis Day was observed globally
on 28 July 2017 with the theme ________.
(1) Eliminate Hepatitis
(2) Know Hepatitis-Act now
(3) Hepatitis: Think Again
(4) Hepatitis affects everyone, everywhere. Know
it. Confront it. Confront her
(5) It’s closer than you think
72. Who among the following ministers did
recently launch Sagar Vani application to alert the
coastal communities?
(1) Ravi Shankar Prasad
(2) D. V. Sadananda Gowda
(3) Nitin Gadkari
(4) Harsh Vardhan
(5) Venkaiah Naidu
73. 2017 International Tiger Day was observed on
__________.
(1) 28 July
(2) 29 July
(3) 27 July
72 | P a g e
(4) 30 July
(5) 31 July
74. United Nations World Day against Trafficking in
Persons is observed on __________.
(1) 30 July
(2) 31 July
(3) 28 July
(4) 29 July
(5) 27 July
75. On which of the following bank did RBI in July,
2017 impose a ₹10 million penalty for KYC non-
compliance?
(1) Kotak Mahindra Bank
(2) Canara Bank
(3) Union Bank of India
(4) Bank of Baroda
(5) Punjab National Bank
76. N Dharam Singh, who recently passed away
was a former chief minister of ____________.
(1) Kerala
(2) Chhattisgarh
(3) Rajasthan
(4) Karnataka
(5) Madhya Pradesh
Answers & Explanations
1. (2) China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) on Wednesday said that its board has
approved $329 million loan to build access roads to
4,000 villages in Gujarat.
2. (4) In Goa, the Office of the Commissioner of
Commercial Taxes has set up GST facilitation centres
in ward offices across the state and at the
department’s head office in Panaji.
3. (5) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
launched G-Ride, a digital ride sharing platform
designed and deployed for the IT industry by the
Group of Technology Companies (GTech), the
industry body of IT companies in the state.
4. (3) Axis Bank has launched Super Bike Loans for
500cc and above bikes.
5. (1) Union Government on 4 July 2017 explained
about the GST rates which were fixed for specific
devices for physically challenged persons. In its
explanation, it listed 22 products or devices for
physically challenged persons that will attract a
concessional GST rate of five per cent only.
6. (5) The Madhya Pradesh government undertook
a massive plantation drive on 2 July 2017 to save the
environment and for the conservation of the
Narmada River. According to official sources, over
six Cr saplings were planted in 24 districts of
Narmada basin in just 12 hours.
7. (4) Union Government, which is closely
monitoring the price and supply situation of
commodities following implementation of Goods
and Services Tax (GST), on 4 July 2017, said that the
manufacturers/companies have time until 30
September 2017 to clear the unsold pre-GST goods.
8. (2)
9. (3)
73 | P a g e
10. (2) The Haryana government is planning to set
up an environment-friendly transportation system
in Gurgaon on the pattern of Poland.
11. (1)
12. (5) Germany on 2 July 2017 defeated Chile 1-0 in
the final to clinch the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
13. (2) The Parliament of Germany in June 2017
voted by a wide margin to legalise same-sex
marriage.
14. (4) Svatantra has launched an app, an end-to-
end cashless solution called Saathi, for an entire
spectrum of operations in areas such as loan
originating system, loan management system and
collections.
15. (3) The world’s oldest emergency helpline
number 999 on 2 July 2017 completed 80 years
(1937) of its services in the United Kingdom.
16. (4) Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic on 1
July 2017 defeated France's Gael Monfils to clinch
the Eastbourne International Men’s Singles title.
17. (5)
18. (2)
19. (1) The United Nations Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres on 3 July 2017 appointed a French
legal expert and former judge Catherine Marchi-
Uhel as the head of the independent panel to assist
in the investigation and prosecution of those
responsible for most serious violations of
international law in Syria.
20. (3) Reserve Bank of India has capped the
customer liability at Rs 25,000 if they report
unauthorised transactions within seven working
days. RBI said customers can’t be made liable at all
if they notify the bank within three working days of
the transaction.
21. (4) The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation
(EPFO) on 5 July 2017 inked an agreement with four
private banks and Bank of Baroda for collection of
provident fund dues from employers and payments
to its subscribers. It is the first time that the EPFO
has tied up with private banks. These four banks are
ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak
Mahindra Bank.
22. (3) The National Book Trust (NBT) recently
launched the Har Haath Ek Kitaab (One Book for
Every Hand) scheme. The scheme allows the people
to make donations to children, between the ages of
six and 12, in the form of books with a simple
method.
23. (1)
24. (5) The Beijing Declaration on Education was
adopted during the 5th Meeting of BRICS Ministers
of Education in Beijing, China on 5 July 2017.
25. (3)
26. (5)
27. (2)
28. (5) - Bhubaneswar, Odisha
29. (4)
30. (4)
31. (2)
32. (3)
33. (4)
34. (3)
35. (1)
36. (2)
37. (2)
38. (4)
39. (3)
40. (4)
41. (5)
74 | P a g e
42. (1) - Raipur’s Swami Vivekananda Airport has
been ranked first in Customer Satisfaction among 49
airports in the country.
43. (2)
44. (2)
45. (1)
46. (3)
47. (5)
48. (1)
49. (4)
50. (5) - The Maharashtra government on 18 July
2017 approved a revised policy of the 'Majhi Kanya
Bhagyashree' scheme in an attempt to improve girl
child ratio in the state. The revised scheme will
benefit families that have a yearly income of up to
Rs 7.5 lakh.
51. (1)
52. (3) – The Telangana government launched a
special portal called “Janahitha” to receive
complaints from the public on 19 July 2017.
53. (2) – Telangana government has imposed a cap
on the weight of bags carried by schoolchildren in
order to prevent any resulting physical effect and
anxiety disorder in students.
54. (5) – Axis Bank launched digital invoice
discounting platform Invoicemart.
55. (2) – HDFC Bank launched a national digital-only
marketing campaign #StardDoing, reinforcing its
position as 'India's No. 1 Bank' in products like credit
cards, personal loans and auto loans.
56. (1) – Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
provides an assured return of 8 per cent per annum
and is payable monthly for 10 years.
57. (4) – Linkin Park.
58. (2) – The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC) is planning to install around
1100 water vending machines (WVMs) at 450
stations across the country between 2017 and 2018.
59. (4) – Uttar Pradesh state government recently
announced to launch all-women 'Pink' AC buses
with CCTV cameras.
60. (3) – Parupalli Kashyap is associated with
badminton.
61. (2) – Former ISRO chairman, Prof Udupi
Ramachandra Rao passed away on 24 July 2017. He
was the main person behind the launch of India’s
satellite Aryabhatta.
62. (4) - Ramnath Kovind on 25 July 2017 took oath
as the 14th President of India.
63. (1) – Bahamas.
64. (3) – The GOI launched Aarambh app for
maintenance of roads.
65. (1) – The 18th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
was celebrated across India on 26 July 2017.
66. (5) – Kylie Masse is associated with swimming.
67. (2) Under the revised guidelines of Sovereign
Gold Bonds Scheme, investment limit per fiscal year
has been increased to 4 kg for individuals.
68. (3) The Maharashtra state government is
planning to create cycle tracks through 'streets with
cycle track' project in order to encourage the use of
bicycles, to ease congestion and reduce air
pollution.
69. (1) Public sector lender Canara Bank has
launched its first ‘Digital Banking Branch’ at Spencer
Towers in MG Road, Bengaluru. The branch is
reportedly titled “CANDI” and it will aim to provide
an end-to-end digital experience to customers.
70. (5) Iran successfully launched its most advanced
satellite-carrying rocket called ‘Simorgh’ into space
on 27 July 2017.
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71. (1)
72. (4) Union Minister of Science & Technology
Harshvardhan on 27 July 2017 launched Sagar Vani
application on the occasion of Foundation Day of
Ministry of Earth Sciences.
73. (2) The 2017 International Tiger Day was
observed on 29 July 2017.
74. (1) The United Nations World Day against
Trafficking in Persons 2017 was observed across the
world on 30 July 2017.
75. (3) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had imposed
a monetary penalty of Rs. 10 million on Union Bank
of India for non-compliance with the directions
issued by the apex bank on Know Your Customer
(KYC) norms.
76. (4)
English Quiz for Upcoming IBPS Mains Exams
Ques I. One of the five/six sentences given below do
not form the part of the central theme of the
paragraph. Which of the following sentences is the
odd one out?
1. A) Hawala is the system for transferring
money and property in a parallel
arrangement avoiding the traditional
banking system.
B) Bitcoins are a kind of cryptocurrency, in
the sense of them being conceptual.
C) It is a simple way of money laundering and
is banned in India.
D) According to the US treasury, Bitcoin is a
‘decentralised virtual currency’.
E) But a new high-tech form of Hawala has
appeared: the digital currency, bitcoin.
F) As a result of GoI’s demonetisation
initiative, today there is a flood of such
digital transactions in the country.
2. A) In a bid to attract young applicants,
American fast food chain McDonald’s will
hire some US workers this summer through
the photo sharing app, Snapchat.
B) The chain started accepting
“Snaplications” in Australia last month,
allowing potential employees to make video
submissions with a special filter that shows
them wearing the McDonald’s uniform.
C) The company is also set to use other
platforms like Spotify and Hulu to reach
potential jobseekers.
D) The video audition could be submitted to
McDonald’s snapchat account after which
McDonald’s would send back a link of
application and digital careers page for a
formal application.
E) The world’s largest burger chain said the
company will hire about 2,50,000 people
across its US restaurants for what is actually
one of the busiest seasons of the year.
3. A) On June 17, the National Payments
Corporation of India, the nodal agency that
handles payments in India is set to introduce
yet another digital payment product –
contactless cards.
B) This will add to NPCI’s growing portfolio of
digital payment options that includes apps
like UPI and BHIM.
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C) This will help users make micro payments
like bus fares, pay for a pen, pencil, water
bottle and so on.
D) Such a tilt towards young companies is
because they score over their larger
counterparts on multiple counts.
E) These are the key to the government’s
goal of at least 25 billion digital payments
transactions this fiscal.
Ques II. Select the phrase/connector from the given
three options which can be used in the beginning (to
start the sentence) to form a single sentence from
the two sentences given below, implying the same
meaning as expressed in the statement sentences
4. He has to work hard for the exam. He has no
other option left.
a) He has to work…
b) Lest he will…
c) No other option…
5. He chose to run away. He could have
confessed his crime.
a) He may…
b) He ran away as…
c) He could have…
6. The real deal is how the resolution of these
assets will be done. These accounts will be
provided for.
a) These accounts…
b) The resolution of assets…
c) Although these accounts…
7. The officials have asked for a detailed report.
The officials will take proper action after
scrutinizing the reports.
a) The officials will…
b) The detailed reports…
c) After scrutinising the reports…
Ques. III. Find the option which is most similar or
most opposite to the given word
8. Empathy
a) Apathy
b) Sympathy
c) Indifferent
d) Disinterest
9. Disenchantment
a) Idealism
b) Disillusionment
c) Disappointment
d) Bitterness
10. Sheer
a) Absolute
b) Indefinite
c) Partial
d) Biased
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Answers
1. D (All the other options talk about the entrance of Bitcoin in India but option D talks about what
is Bitcoin in US)
2. C (All the other options talk about recruitment through McDonald’s but option C talk about the
future plans of the company)
3. D (All the other options talk about the digital payment product and its usage but option D talks
about how the small start-ups are given preference over the large companies)
4. A only (He has to work hard for the exam as he has no other option left.)
5. C only (He could have confessed his crime but he chose to ran away.)
6. C only (Although these accounts will be provided for but the real deal is how the resolution of
these assets will be done.)
7. Both A and C (The officials will take proper action after scrutinising the detailed reports they have
asked for. OR After scrutinising the reports that the officials have asked for, they will take proper
action.)
8. B Sympathy is the synonym of empathy (Empathy means to share each other feelings) Apathy
means lack of concern.
9. A Idealism is the antonym of disenchantment (Disenchantment means disappointment or let
down) Disillusionment means discouragement.
10. A Absolute (Sheer means complete) all the other options are the antonyms of sheer.
“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs – one small step at a time”
July, 2017 Edition of Monthly e-Magazine completes three years. Three years of improvement, inspiration &
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