sbi - became most valued public sector affairs capsule - april... · delhi, estd. : 12th april,...

The RBI has asked all the existing AssetReconstruction Companies (ARCs) to have aminimum Net Owned Fund (NOF) of Rs100crore by March 2019.

- RBI - Reserve Bank of India

Reliance Industries of Mukesh Ambani hasovertaken TCS as most valued Indian companyby market capitalisation.

- TCS : Tata Consultancy Services; Chairman :Natarajan Chandrashekharan

ASEAN - India Business Forum was held inSingapore.

Government has raised Rs. 1200 Cr. throughdisinvestment of 9.2% stake in NALCO(National Aluminium Company Ltd.

'AU Financiers India', a NBFC is converted intoa small finance bank will be known a 'AU SmallFinance Bank'.

- NBFC : Non Banking Finance Company

NABARD to digitise banks across 5 states• Finopaytech, a payment technology company

to help NABARD to fulfill the task in Haryana,MP, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra.

• Fino will also provide NABARD with 5000Aadhar enabled micro ATMs.

- NABARD : National Bank for Agricultureand Rural Development; H.Q. - Mumbai, Chairman -Harsh Kumar BanwalaATM : Automated Teller Machine

Global FDI confidence Index• India ranked at 8th position in the index.• In 2016 edition of this index India was ranked

at 9th position.• Top 3 countries are : (1) USA, (2) Germany, (3)

China.

IMF - India's growth forecast• IMF has cutdown India's GDP to 6.8% from

7.2% for FY-2016-17.

• Global economy to grow by 3.5% in 2017 and3.6% in 2018.

- IMF : International Monetary Fund; H.Q. :Washington D.C., M.D.: Christine Lagarde

SBI - became most valued public sectorundertaking company• It has surpassed ONGC in terms of market

valuation.• SBI's share rose by 2.33% whereas ONGC lost

1.36%. - SBI : H.Q. : Mumbai, Chairman - Arundathi

BhattacharyaONGC : (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation); H.Q. -Uttarakhand (Dehradun), Chairman - Dinesh K. Sarraf

PNB has celebrated its 123rd foundation day. - PNB : Punjab National Bank; H.Q. - New

Delhi, Estd. : 12th April, 1895, Slogan : The name youcan Bank upon

RBI has opened new ombudsman office atRaipur for Chattisgarh and for Jammu.

- Banking ombudsman is an official appointedby RBI to look into the grievances about banking services.

World Bank's report (Globalization Backlash)Analysis• India's GDP to grow by 7.2% in 2017-18 from

6.8% in FY-2016-17.• In FY-2019-20 GDP will be 7.7%.• Exports to grow by 6% and inflation by 5.2%.

- GDP : Gross Domestic Product; FY : FiscalYear (April-March)

Finance Ministry has approved 8.65% interestrate on EPF for 2016-17.

- EPF : Employees Provident Fund; EPFO :Employees Provident Fund Organisation; H.Q. : NewDelhi

According Nomura India's Current AccountDeficit (CAD) is expected to grow by 1.6% from0.5% of GDP.

- Nomura is financial services company of Japan.

SEBI to block participatory note route for NRI• Purpose : To prevent money laundering

(because Investment in P-Notes arewitnessing a f luctuating trend sincedemonetisation)

1 - Learn in Exam Point of View


- Participatory Notes/ P-Notes are instrumentsissued by FIIs (Foreign Institutional Investors) to overseasinvestors who wish to invest in Indian stock marketswithout registering themselves with SEBI (marketregulator).SEBI : Securities Exchange Board of IndiaHQ : Mumbai, Chairman : Ajay Tyagi

RBI proposes new norms for M-wallets• At present e-wallets and other PPI (Prepaid

payment Instruments) can only hold uptoRs.20,000 per user with minimum KYC (KnowYour Customer).

• As per the draft guidelines these PPIs will haveto move to full KYC details within 60 days ofPPI licence being used.

Government to bring 'One Group, One Tax'under GST• Government is planning to propose one rate

for each product group.• Purpose : To avoid complexities in tax structure.• Most economies have single tax structure

whereas India has four-tier tax structure of5%, 12%, 18% and 28%.

- GST : Goods and Services Tax; GST Council :Chairman : Union Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley)

NPIC to develop new security standards formobile payments to overcome any major lossof public money.

- NPCI : National Payments Corporation ofIndia; HQ : Mumbai, Chairman : Balachandran M.

Central Govt. will check status of MoUs signedby states to understand various roadblocksfaced by states during execution of the projects.

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) ofcompanies has considerably improved in Indiain FY-2015-16 with companies managing tospend about 92% of their slated CSRexpenditure.

100% FDI in Cash and ATM Managementcompanies• Govt. to allow 100% FDI as they are not

required to comply with PSARA (Act). - FDI : Foreign Direct Investment; PSARA :

Private Securities Agencies (Regulation) Act

BHIM-Aadhaar Payments platform launchedby PM Modi• It allows cash transfers with help of biometrics

without phones.• It enables realtime bank to bank transfer

without using phone at no additional cost.

The central government has proposed todismantle the finance ministry committeewhich gives approval to PPP projects to speedup the procedural delays and fostering ease ofdoing business.

- PPP : Public Private Partnership model

PoS Target achieved by Banks :• Banks have surpassed the PM's 10 Lakh

additional PoS Machines after demonetisationtill March end.

• According to RBI PoS terminals have gone upto 22.2 lakhs.

- PoS : Point of Sale

According to UN-FAO the world has harvestedthe largest Cereal Crop in history in 2016-17 toa total of 2.6 billion tonnes.

- UN-FAO: United Nations Food and AgriculturalOrganisation. H.Q. : Rome

President's nod to Four GST Legislations• President Pranab Mukherjee has given assent

to four supporting legislations on Goods andServices Tax (GST).

• The four legislations are:The Central GST Act, 2017,The Integrated GST Act, 2017,The GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017,andThe Union Territory GST Act, 2017.

• These bills will pave way for the roll-out ofGST regime from 1 July.

• GST regime will not be applicable to Jammuand Kashmir because of the fact that Article370 gives special status to the state.

Petrol and diesel prices to be revised everyday• Beginning from May 1, Oil PSUs have decided

to change petrol and diesel prices every dayin synchronisation with international ratessimilar to what is practiced in advancedmarkets.

• As per the plan, pump rates will be decidedbased on daily movement in international oilprices and rupee-US dollar fluctuations.


Inter-Disciplinary Committee to examineframework for Virtual Currencies• The Union government has constituted a time-

bound inter-disciplinary committee to comeup with an action plan for dealing with virtualcurrencies so as to fix the regulatory gaps inthe existing framework governing virtualcurrencies.

• The committee is required to submit its reportwithin three months.

• The nine-member inter-disciplinarycommittee will be chaired by Dinesh Sharma.

G20 Digital Ministerial Meeting on DigitalEconomy• Held in : Germany• It concluded with adaptation of declaration on

'Shaping Digitalisation for an InterconnectedWorld'.

BBB recommendations• The Bank Board Bureau (BBB) has

recommended that Government should bringin reforms in the compensation process inpublic sector banks (PSBs) on the lines ofCentral Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).

• Former Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) Vinod Rai is f irst and incumbentChairman of BBB.

Winners of Lucky Grahak and Digi DhanVyapar Yojana• President Pranab Mukherjee has picked up

lucky winners from the 100th draw of lots underthe digital payments promotion schemes LuckyGrahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana.

• Total the six winners were selected - threeconsumers and three merchants of LuckyGrahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana.

• Consumer section:The first mega prize of Rs. 1crore went to a customer of Central Bank ofIndia.The second prize of Rs. 50 lakh went toBank of Baroda customer and third prize ofRs. 25 lakh went to customer of PunjabNational Bank.

• Merchants Sections: Top three merchants wonprizes of Rs.50 lakh, Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 12 lakh,respectively.

WEF's 2017 Travel and TourismCompetitiveness Index• India was ranked 40th among the 136

economies across the world in 2017 Travel andTourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI)released by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

• In this edition of index, India has jumped 12places from earlier 52nd position in 2015.

• But it lagged behind its other Asian peers likeJapan (4th) and China (13th).

• The list is topped by Spain (1st), France (2nd).

EMEIA Fraud Survey• According to EY Europe, Middle East, India

and Africa (EMEIA) Fraud Survey 2017, Indiaranks 9th among 41 surveyed countries inbribery and corrupt practices in businesses.

• India's ranking has improved marginally fromthe survey findings in 2015 when India was atthe 6th position.

• It has improved due to better regulatoryscrutiny and emphasis on transparency andgovernance.

RBI keeps repo rate unchanged in firstmonetary policy review of 2017-18• Repo rate: 25%• Reverse Repo Rate: 6%• Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate: 5%• Bank Rate: 5%• Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): 4%• Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): 20.50%.

Japan has officially recognized bitcoin anddigital currencies as legal money along thelines of other fiat currencies with effect fromApril 1, 2017.

The board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)has cleared a proposal to introduce banknotesof Rs200 denomination.

Under the Central GST (CGST) Act, tax evasionof over Rs 5 crore under the GST regime willbe cognizable and non-bailable offence withthe police having authority to make an arrestwithout a warrant.

Myanmar became the 7th member of SouthAsia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation(SASEC) program of Asian Development Bank(ADB).

Five State Banks, Bharatiya Mahila Bankmerged with SBI• With this merger, SBI joins the league of top

50 banks globally in terms of assets.• The five associate banks are: State Bank of

Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad,State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patialaand State Bank of Travancore.

• With this merger, SBI's market share hasincreased to 22.5-23% from 17% with totalbusiness of over 37 lakh crore rupees.


India to launch South-Asia satellite• The "South Asia satellite" for use by countries

of the SAARC region will be launched on May 5.• During the 2014 SAARC summit that held in

Nepal, the plan for the satellite was announcedand subsequently all SAARC countries havejoined it except Pakistan.

• Beneficiaries of the satellite will be Nepal,Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lankaand Maldives.

• The 2,230 kg satellite called GSAT-09 was builtby the ISRO.

• The satellite will provide full range ofapplications and services in the fields oftelecommunication and broadcastingapplications.

- SAARC - South Asian Association for RegionalCooperation; ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation

May 2, 2017 will be observed as GangaSwachhta Sankalp Divas by National Missionon Clean Ganga (NMCG)

'Digi Yatra' initiative• The Ministry of Civil Aviation under the

proposed "Digi Yatra" initiative is lookingforward to make boarding pass and securitycheck-ins digital at airports using Aadhaar andmobile phones.

• Under this initiative, a digital mode for airportentry and verification of passengers would beused.

• The move is aimed to ease the security andboarding procedure.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiledtranslated volumes of Vachana in 23 Indianlanguages on the occasion of Basava Jayanti.

First book village• Bhilar, a tiny hamlet in Satara district of

Maharashtra is all set to become India's first'book village'.

• The concept of book village is inspired byBritain's Hay-on-Wye, which is a Welsh townlocated in the United Kingdom, famous for itsbookstores and literature festivals.

Test and Treat policy for HIV• Union Health Minister JP Nadda has launched

the Test and Treat policy for HIV patients.• As per this new policy, anyone who is tested

and found positive will get the necessarytreatment free of cost.

Core sector growth falls to 13 month low inFebruary 2017• Growth of the country's eight core sectors

slipped to an over one-year low of 1% inFebruary 2017.

• This was mainly due to a fall in output of crudeoil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser andcement.

India becomes associate member of IEA• India, world's 3rd largest energy consumer

has joined International Energy Association(IAE) as associate member.

• India will also now have a greater say in globalenergy issues.

• With India as a associate member, IEA nowformally covers 70% of the world's energyconsumption, thus increasing its relevance.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decidedto set up a separate enforcement department tooversee possible breaches of rules and takepunitive actions against those who violatethem.

Coal India Limited was slapped with the penaltyof ` 591.01 Cr. for violating the CompetitionAct.

- CCI: Competition Commission of India, is afair trade regulator in India. H.Q. : New Delhi, Chairman: Devendra Kumar Sikri (First)

Airtel has acquired 4G business of TikonaNetworks including the Broadband WirlessAccess (BWA) business for ̀ 1600 cr.

Mera i-Mobile App• It was launched by ICICI Bank.• It is the India's first one stop banking app for

a range of digital services for rural customers.

Real Estate Act comes into effect• It aims to protect the interests of homebuyers

by ensuring transparency.• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty

Alleviation (HUPA) has asked all the states andUnion Territories to implement the Act withletter and spirit. Land is a state subject.


• Anyone found positive will be provided withART (Anti- Retroviral Therapy) irrespective ofhis CD count.

• The scheme will be a centrally sponsoredscheme.

- HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus

India's Forex reserves increase by $1.25 billion• According to the Reserve Bank of India's

weekly statistical supplement, India's foreignexchange (Forex) reserves have increased by$1.25 billion to reach $371.13 billion from $369.88billion as on April 21, 2017.

• The current reserves are just short of alifetime high of USD 371.99 billion reached inthe week to September 30, 2016.

The US Trade Representative's (USTR) officehas once again placed India on the 'prioritywatch' list in this year's Special 301 reportdespite the country rolling out National IPRPolicy last year.

All-woman India Reserve Battalion (IRB)• It will be raised in Jammu and Kashmir.• The decision has been taken in the wake of

girl students throwing stones at security forcesin Srinagar a few days ago.

UDAN Scheme• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched

the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) schemefrom Jubbarhatti, an airport on the outskirtsof Shimla.

• 'Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik' means 'the commonman flies'.

• He flagged of the first UDAN flight underRegional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) onShimla-Delhi sector.

The IOC has planned to build a new oil terminalat Motihari in Bihar to supply fuel to Nepal viathe planned pipeline up to Amlekganj inNepal.

- IOC : Indian Oil Corporation, Headquarters :New Delhi, Chairman - B. Ashok.

Swachh iconic places initiative• The government has announced the names

of ten new Iconic places under the Phase II ofSwachh Iconic Places initiative.

• The ten new iconic places that will be undertakenin Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiativeare: Gangotri, Yamunotri. Mahakaleshwar

Temple (Ujjain), Char Minar (Hyderabad),Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi(Goa), Adi Shankaracharya's abode Kaladi inErnakulam, Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola,Baijnath Dham (Devghar), Gaya Tirth (Bihar)and Somnath temple in Gujarat.

Cows to have Aadhaar like ID• The central government has informed the

Supreme Court that it intends to provideunique identif ication number for cows assuggested by an expert committee to trackcattle and prevent their trafficking.

• The unique ID will have the details like cattle'sage, breed, sex, height, body colour, horn type,tail switch, lactation profile (in case of milchcattles) and other special marks.

India's first sea ropeway• India's first and longest ropeway is planned

to be constructed by the Mumbai Port Trust tolink Mumbai with the famous Elephanta Islandin the Arabian Sea.

• Elephanta Island has got global recognitionfor its famed Elephanta Caves, a UNESCOWorld Heritage site.

• The 8-km long ropeway will start from Sewri inMumbai's east coast and end at ElephantaIsland at Raigad district.

India becomes world's fifth largest militaryspender• According to Stockholm International Peace

Research Institute (SIPRI), India has becomeworld's fifth-largest military spender spendingat $55.9 billion in 2016.

• The US remains the world's largest militaryfollowed by China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.

• The other prominent spenders in the top 15include Japan, South Korea, and Australia.

President of Nepal, Bidya Devi Bhandari visitedIndia• She is the first female President of Nepal.• During the visit both the countries have

reviewed MoUs for development of Arun 3power projects in Nepal and Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar high capacity transmission line.

- NEPAL : Capital - Khatmandu, Currency -Nepalese Rupee; PM : Pushpa Kamal Dahal

Ministry of Rural Development achieved amilestone by successfully geo-tagging 1 croreassets.

- Union Minister for Rural Development :Naredra Singh Tomar


India-Indonesia Energy Forum :• Held in : Jakarta, Indonesia• An MoU has been signed between both the

countries in the field of Oil and Gas. - Union Minister of State for Power, Coal, New

& Renewable Energy and Mines : Piyush Goel

Three new legal aid initiatives launched byUnion Law Minister• Purpose : For providing legal aid to

marginalised and vulnerable communities• (1) Pro bono Legal Services : Volunteer

lawyer services at free of cost.(2) Legal Aid Scheme : Providing legal advicefrom experts via video conferencing.(3) Naya Mitra : To reduce pendency in lowercourts (priority clearance for 10 yr old cases)

- Union Law Minister : Ravi Shanker Prasad

The Supreme Court of India has set a alimonybenchmark for maintenance to be paid by ahusband to his former wife as 25% of his salary.

- Chief Justice of India : Jagdish Singh Khehar(44th); First CJI of Inida : H. J. Kania

Union Cabinet Approvals• Union Cabinet approved signing of a protocol

amending the convention between India andPortugal for avoidance of double taxation.

• Union Cabinet given its approval forprocurement of Voter Verifiable Paper AuditTrail (VVPAT) units for use in GeneralElections, 2019.

• The Union Cabinet has decided to impose aban on the use of red beacons atop vehiclesof govt. officials and VIPs. It will be effectivefrom May 1, 2017.

According to a govt. report "Youth in India",the sex ratio in India falls to 898 girls for 1000boys in 2031 from 939 in 2011.

Training program for Women Panchayatleaders• Purpose : To skill them on efficient usage of

funds for achieving their overall development.• Conducted by NCW and NIRD & PR.

- NCW : National Commission for Women;Chairman : Lalitha Kumaramangalam;NIRD & PR : National Institute of Rural Developmentand Panchayati Raj; H.Q. : Hyderabad

IIT Kharagpur to introduce Vastu Shastraclasses for its architecture students fromAugust, 2017.

Vistadome Coaches• Suresh Prabhu flagged off trial run of these

coaches between Vishakapatnam and Araku.• Special features of coaches include glass roof,

LED lights, rotatable seats, GPS, infotainment,lounge.

• These coaches are specially designed for wideview to passengers.

• Two coaches run in A.P. and two in J & K.

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar haslaunched RUSA App and web portal to keeptrack educational projects.

- RUSA : Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyan

India has put on hold all talks with Pakistan'swater secretary because of technical issues onIndus River Hydel projects.

President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted therecommendation of Committee of Parliamenton official languages for all speeches by thedignitaries to be only in Hindi if they can readand speak the language.

12 major ports posted Record profit in 2016-17• They posted profit of `5000 crore.• Mormugao port in Goa has registered highest

growth of 60%.

Centre has alerted vulnerable states(Maharashtra, Telangana, Bihar, UP, Haryana,MP, HP, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh) onupcoming water shortage.

Central Processing Centre (CPC) gets new PinCode• The Department of Post has allotted a unique

pin code for the Income Tax Department'sCentral Processing Centre (CPC) based inBengaluru so as to ensure that the letters andmails sent by taxpayers to the CPC are notlost or reach the centre late.

• The new pin code given to CPC is 560500.• Earlier, the CPC was using the pin code 560100

which was marked for the entire city area ofBengaluru.

India, Australia Sports Partnership (IASP)launched• IASP was launched jointly by the visiting

Australian Prime Minister Mr Malcolm


Turnbull and the Union Minister for YouthAffairs & Sports Mr Vijay Goel in the presenceof Sachin Tendulkar.

• Under IASP, India and Australia will cooperatein four areas:- athlete and coach training and development,- sport science,- sport governance and integrity, and- grassroots participation.

Union Cabinet Approvals• The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of

Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy(IIPE) at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh asInstitute of National Importance through anAct of Parliament.

• The Union Cabinet has approved setting up ofa Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) forprocurement of goods & services required byCentral & State Government organizations.

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) has approved increase in theMinimum Support Price (MSP) of 3500/- perquintal for 2017-18 season,for raw Jute for 2017-18 season in order to protect the economicinterests of the farmers.

SAMPADA scheme• The Union Ministry of Food Processing is going

to launch Scheme for Agro-Marine ProduceProcessing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA) for foodprocessing sector.

• The scheme will integrate current and newschemes aimed at reducing food wastage anddoubling farmers' income by 2022.

• It will help to create infrastructure for linkageof entire supply chain.

URJA MITRA app• The Union Ministry of Power has launched

URJA MITRA app for empowering citizens byreal time information sharing on power supply.

• The app is a first of its kind which provides acentral platform, web-portal(www.urjamitra.com) as well as mobile app forstate power Distribution utilities.

Parliament passes HIV and AIDS (Preventionand Control) Bill, 2017• The Bill seeks to safeguard the rights of people

living with HIV and affected by HIV.

• It aims to prevent social stigma anddiscrimination against people living with HIV(PLHIV).

- HIV : Human Immunodeficiency Virus, AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Government reduced number of centrallysponsored schemes• The Union Government has reduced the

number of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS)from 66 to 28 umbrella schemes, effective fromthe financial year 2016-17.

• These schemes were reduced based on therecommendation of the sub-group of ChiefMinisters on rationalisation of centrallysponsored schemes.

• Government has categorised 6 schemes asCore of the Core, 20 schemes as CoreSchemes and remaining two as OptionalSchemes.

The Survey of India (SOI) has launched newweb portal called Nakshe to make open seriesmaps available to Indians for free.

Pakistan's Field General Court Martial hassentenced to death Indian national and allegedRAW (Research and Analysis Wing) agentKulbhushan Jadhav (46) who was arrested lastyear on charges of spying.

Exhibition marking 100 years of ChamparanSatyagraha inaugurated• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an

exhibition titled "Swachhagraha - Bapu KoKaryanjali - Ek Abhiyan, Ek Pradarshani" inNew Delhi mark the 100 years (centenary year)of Champaran Satyagraha.

• The exhibition will showcase ChamparanSatyagraha and it will connect essentialprinciples of Satyagraha with Swachhagraha.

• Champaran Satyagraha was MahatmaGandhi's first experiment of Satyagraha.

The twelfth edition Indo-Mongolian JointMilitary Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2017 heldat Vairengte in Mizoram.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs haslaunched web portal and mobile applicationnamed "Bharat ke Veer" to enable people tocontribute towards family of martyrs fromcentral paramilitary forces.


India to give Rs 35 cr to children of freedomfighters in Bangladesh• Fund will be given under the new 'Muktijodha

scholarship' scheme.• Under the scheme, students at higher

secondary level will get a one-time grant ofTk 20,000 (Rs 15,370) and students at theundergraduate level will get a grant of Tk50,000 (Rs 38,430).

- BANGLADESH : Capital - Dhaka, Currency- Bangladeshi taka, PM - Sheikh Hasina.

North Korea once again test-fires ballisticmissile• North Korea has test-fired a ballistic missile

defying global pressure and warnings fromthe United States and its main ally, China.

• The test was conducted from the Pukchangregion present in the north of the North Koreancapital, Pyongyang.

India, Bangladesh sign numerous agreements• India and Bangladesh have signed 22

agreements in various fields such as defence,nuclear cooperation, judicial sector, earthsciences, navigation, peaceful uses of outerspace, to boost bilateral cooperation.

• India also announced concessional Line ofCredit (LoC) of $4.5 billion to Bangladesh forprojects in priority sectors gave LoC of $500million to Bangladesh for defence purchases.

National Children's Film Festival• Held in : Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.• It was the largest film festival for children in

the country that gave the audience quality andwholesome entertainment.

• The aim of the 3-day film festival was to exposechildren to quality cinema and to introducenovel elements beyond films.

Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana wasclosed• The Union Cabinet has approved closure of

the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana(MGPSY).

• The scheme was launched in 2012 to addressthe social security-related issues of theEmigration Check Required (ECR)-categoryworkers going abroad for employment to ECRcountries.

India's longest road tunnel in Jammu &Kashmir inaugurated• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated

Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, country's longest roadtunnel that links Kashmir Valley with Jammuby an all-weather route.

• The 9-km-long tunnel passes through the lowerHimalayan mountain range on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway 44.

• It cuts the distance between Jammu andSrinagar to around 250 km from the current350 km.

PowerTex India scheme for powerloomslaunched• The Union Ministry of Textiles has launched

PowerTex India, a three-year comprehensivescheme for Powerloom Sector Development.

• The PowerTex India scheme aims to boostcommon infrastructure and modernisation ofthe powerloom sector in the country.

The second unit of Kudankulam NuclearPower plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu has startedcommercial generation of power.

India becomes third largest aviation market• It is in terms of domestic passenger traffic.• India's domestic traffic reached 100 million in

2016.• Top 4 Aviation markets : USA (719 mn); China

(436 mn); India (100 mn); Japan (97 mn).

Union Government has imposed 10% importduty on Wheat and Turdal with immediateeffect.

Govt. to redefine blindness to meet WHOstipulation• It is to ensure Indian data on blindness meets

the global estimates.• In India a person is blind if he is unable to

count fingers from a distance of 6 metres.• According to WHO it is 3 metres.

The Supreme Court has held that the AadharCard cannot be made mandatory by the govt.for extending the benefits of its welfareschemes to the people.


Times's 100 most influential people list - 2017• Two Indians featured in the list are : PM Modi,

PayTM founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma• Donald Trump (US President), Valdimir Putin

(Russian President), Teresa Mey (UK PM) alsofeatured in the list.

China has launched first unmanned cargospacecraft named Tianzhou 1.

Malaysia has become first to use new satellitebased realtime global aircraft tracking.

China has announced its official names for sixplaces in Arunachal Pradesh on its official map.

Gandhi stamps sold at highest ever price• A set of rare stamp having portrait of Mahatma

Gandhi has fetched 5 lakh pounds, whichhighest ever price for Indian stamps.

• Auction was held in UK.

United Nations to issue CommemorativeStamps for International Yoga day on June 21,2017.

India contributed USD 250000 to UN• The amount was given to election assistance

division of UN.• It helps countries to hold elections and

develop their electoral systems. - UN : United Nations; H.Q. - New York, Estd. -

1945, First Secretary - India's Mission to UN - EenamGambhir

US President Donald Trump has signedexecutive order to tighten H-1B Visaprogrammes.

Australia has abolished 457 visa programmeswhich are largely used by Indians to tacklegrowing unemployment in the country.

- AUSTRALIA : Capital : Canberra; Currency :Australian Dollar, PM : Malcolm Turnbull

Rodrigo Duterte, the President of Philippineshas won 2017-Time Magazine's Reader's pollof the 100 most influential people in the world.

- PHILIPPINES : Capital - Manila; Currency -Peso

• However, according to the US and SouthKorean officials, the test has failed and it isNorth Korea's fourth successive unsuccessfulmissile test since March.

- NORTH KOREA : Capital - Pyongyang,Currency - North Korean won, Premier - Pak Pong-ju

Kazakhstan opens new consulate in India• Kazakhstan has opened its honorary consulate

in Chennai.• It will be headed by well-known businessman

Suraj Shantakumar.• This year marks the 25th anniversary of the

establishment of diplomatic relations betweenIndia and Kazakhstan.

- KAZAKHSTAN : Capital - Astana, Currency- Kazakhstani Tenge.

Poland has assured its support for India's bidfor membership in the elite Nuclear SuppliersGroup (NSG) and a permanent seat in theexpanded UN Security Council.

Trump has introduced biggest tax reform planin US history• As per the proposals of the new plan, major

cuts have been made in the income tax rate.• The income tax rates have been slashed from

39.6% to 35%.• The new plan has also sharply slashed the

business taxes.

China has launched its first indigenously builtaircraft carrier following the 68th-anniversarycelebrations of the founding of the Chinese navy.

- CHINA : Capital - Beijing, Currency -Renminbi, President - Xi Jinping

Belgium opened new consulate in GIFT City• Belgium has become the first country to open

an honorary consulate off ice in GujaratInternational Finance Tec-City (GIFT City),Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

- BELGIUM : Capital - City of Brussels, Currency- Euro

18th World Road Meeting• The IRF has named India to be the host of the

18th World Road Meeting (WRM 2017).• WRM 2017 will be held on November 13, 2017.• Theme-2017 : 'Safe Roads and Smart Mobility:

The Engines of Economic Growth'. - IRF - International Road Federation

Pakistan's Gadwar port has been leased toChinese company for the period of 40 years.


KERALA - First ever Transgender Athletic meet• Kerala has conducted the country's first-ever

transgender one-day athletic meet inThiruvananthapuram.

• The event saw the participation of 132participants belonging to 12 districts of thestate.

• No participant representing Idukki andPathanamthitta districts participated in theevent.

- Kerala : Capital - Thiruvananthapuram, CM -Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor - P Sathasivam

Maharashtra - taxi trial run to begin in Nagpur• The country's first electric taxi trial in the

country would be launched in Nagpur fromMay 24.

• The first project of its kind will be undertakenby Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

• Mahindra and Mahindra is set to provide 200taxis for the initiative.

Uttar Pradesh has cancelled 15 governmentholidays• Alternatively, on these days, the school and

college students would be taught about thesepublic figures through various programmes.

• Out of the 42 public holidays observed by thestate, 17 pertained to birth anniversaries.

• The move was taken at the backdrop ofincreasing concern over the shrinkingacademic session due to increased holidays.

- Uttar Pradesh : Capital - Lucknow, CM - YogiAdityanath, Governor - Ram Naik

Northeast India's largest IT hub opens inTripura• Northeast's sixth and largest hub for

information technology has been inauguratedin Agartala.

• The hub has been set up at a cost of Rs 50crore to boost employment and e-governancebesides export of software technology.

• This will be the largest hub in the region.

Uttarakhand has deployed drones to monitorforest fires• This is the first time that drones are used to

monitor forest fires in India.• Besides monitoring of forest fire, drones are

already in use for wildlife conservation for neststatus, aviation ethology, crocodile and waterbirds counting and monitoring.

Turkey Referendum• Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has

won the Turkey Referendum.• It will abolish the office of the Prime Minister

and replace the parliamentary system withPresidency.

- TURKEY: Capital - Ankara; Currency - TurkishIra

First ever joint military exercise between Nepaland China, 'Sagarmatha Friendship 2017'began in Kathmandu.

North Korean medium range ballistic missilelaunch has failed in early few seconds of thelaunch.

World's first country to neutralise gender paygap• Iceland is set to become the first country in

the world to neutralise gender pay gap.• In this regard, a bill was introduced in Iceland's

parliament that makes mandatory for publicand private businesses to prove they offerequal pay to employees.

The Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc),Bengaluru was adjudged as the best Indianuniversity in the 2017 National InstitutionalRanking Framework (NIRF) released by UnionHuman Resource Development Ministry.

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana• The Union Ministry of Social Justice &

Empowerment has launched RashtriyaVayoshri Yojana in Nellore District of AndhraPradesh.

• The Scheme aims at providing physical aidsand assisted-living devices for senior citizensbelonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL)category.

Pakistan has started building a fence along theAfghanistan border in high threat zones.

- The line between Pakistan & Afghanistan isknown as Durand Line (2,400 Km).

British Parliament has passed motion hailingthat Gilgit-Baltistan region is a legal andconstitutional part of the Indian state of Jammu& Kashmir.

- The region is illegally occupied by Pakistansince 1947.


Haryana - Operation Durga• Haryana government has launched

'Operation Durga' to ensure women safety inthe state.

• Under this operation, teams formed by theChief Minister's Flying Squad visited publicplaces such as schools, colleges, bus standsand railway stations and caught personsindulging in crime activities against womenlike eve-teasing, stalking, harassment andother such activities.

Jharkhand - Tare Zameen Par programmeinitiative• Jharkhand Police has initiated Tare Zameen

Par programme to enlighten children in Naxal-affected areas in the Palamau district ofJharkhand.

• This programme is aimed to restoreconfidence in the state police force and toencourage children to lead happy lives.

- Jharkhand : Capital - Ranchi, CM - RaghubarDas, Governor - Draupadi Murmu

Madhya Pradesh> Antyodaya Rasoi Yojana• Madhya Pradesh Government has launched

Deendayal Antyodaya Rasoi Yojana , apopulist subsidised meal scheme for poor inthe state.

• The scheme has been named after the BJPideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya.

• The first phase of the scheme was launchedby Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Haryana• The sex ratio in state for the first time in the

history has touched the 950 mark in March,2017.

Madhya Pradesh• Government-run Maharshi Patanjali Sanskrit

Sansthan will launch one-year diploma courseon Hindu priesthood 'Purohityam' from July2017.

Assam - Gunotsav programme• Assam Government conducts Gunotsav

programme.• Government had conducted four-day long

Gunotsav programme to improve quality ofschool education in the state.

• The quality improvement programmecovered over 9 lakh students of 12320 primaryschools.

- Uttarakhand : Capital - Dehradun, CM -Trivendra Singh Rawat, Governor - Krishan Kant Paul

Haryana: Govt. Launched New Mobile app• National Health Mission in Haryana launched

new mobile app Kilkari.• Purpose : To create awareness among

pregnant women, parents and health workers. - Haryana : Capital - Chandigarh, CM - Manohar

Lal Khattar, Governor : Kaptan Singh Solanki

Punjab - Govt. to setup 'Book Banks' in schools• Purpose : Old students would be asked to

submit their old books which would be offeredto needy children at free of charge.

Haryana• Government has extended Accident

Insurance cover to all residents under'Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bhima Yojana'(PMSBY).

UP : Government renames airports and adepartment• The Gorakhpur Airforce Station renamed as

'Mahayogi Gorakhanath Airport'.• Agra Airport to be renamed as Pandit

Deendayal Upadhyaya Airport.• Dept. of Disabled Welfare will now be known

as Divyang Jan Vikas Empowerment.

Maharashtra• 'Advanced Farming - Enriched Farmer' scheme

announced.• Purpose : To increase farmers' income by

cutting production cost and increasing theoutput.

- Maharashtra : Capital : Mumbai, CM :Devendra Fadnavis, Governor : Ch. Vidyasagar Rao

Kerala• Government has decided to provide pension

to former circus artistes in the state.

Telangana - The bill to hike reservations forMuslims and STs passed• Reservation for Muslims increased to 12%

from 4%.• Reservation of STs (Scheduled Tribes)

increased to 10% from 6%.• Total quota of reservation in state has gone to

62%. - This will be included in 9th Schedule of the

Constitution.


Haryana• Government has decided to provide one-time

grant of Rs 21,000 to all those families whosethird girl child was born on or after August 24,2015 under the 'Aapki Beti , Hamari Beti 'scheme.

Telangana - First 'Giga-enabled' city in India• Hyderabad became first 'Giga-enabled' city

in India after The Atria ConvergenceTechnologies (ACT) Fibrenet launched 1Gigabit per second (Gbps) wired broadbandinternet service in the city.

• The ACT Fibrenet uses fiber optic technologyand its 1 Gbps offers 400 times faster internetspeed than the average speed of 2.5 megabitsper second (mbps) in India.

• Hyderabad, has highest internet penetrationin India.

Karnataka• India's first vertical garden was set up at the

Hosur Road Electronics city flyover inBengaluru.

Bihar• State govt. has launched an ambitious

programme to provide free wi-fi facilities incolleges and universities on the occasion ofBihar Divas.

- Bihar Divas : It is celebrated on March 22. Onthis day in 1912 British Government had carved out thestate from Bengal presidency.

Vinay Shah• He was appointed as new MD & CEO of LIC

Housing Finance.

Devendra Kumar Sharma• He was appointed as Bhakra Beas

Management Board (BBA) Chairman. - BBA manages release of water in Punjab,

Haryana and Rajasthan.

Justice Gita Mittal• Justice Gita Mittal, the senior-most judge of

Delhi High Court, has been appointed as theacting Chief justice of Delhi High Court witheffect from April 14.

Neomi Rao, Vishal Amin• US President Donald Trump has nominated

prominent Indian-American law expertNeomi Rao as Administrator of the Office ofInformation and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)(regulatory czar and Indian-American VishalAmin as Intellectual Property EnforcementCoordinator in the Executive Office of thePresident (IP czar).

Raman Roy• Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of

Quatrro Raman Roy was appointed as the newchairman of the National Association ofSoftware and Services Companies (NASSCOM)for the year 2017-18.

• He succeeded CP Gurnani, MD & CEO of TechMahindra.

Malvika Sinha• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed

Malvika Sinha as new Executive Director (ED)following the appointment of B P Kanungo asDeputy Governor.

Rajiv Kumar Chander• He was appointed as India's new Ambassador

and permanent representative of India to theUnited Nations (UN) Offices in Geneva.

K Prithika Yashini• K Prithika Yashini became India's first-ever

transgender person to become a police official,after she took charge as sub-inspector inDharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu.

Prof. David R. Syiemlieh• He took the Oath of Office and Secrecy as

Chairman of the Union Public ServiceCommission (UPSC).

Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar• IPS officer Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar has been

appointed as the Director-General of theCentral Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Nita Ambani• She has been made member of two important

commissions of IOC's governing body.• She has been made as a member of the

prestigious Olympic Channel and OlympicEducation Commission.

- Nita Ambani already holds the distinction ofbeing India's first woman International OlympicCommittee member.

B. N. Mahopatra• He was appointed as Financial Commissioner

for Indian Railways.


BP Kanungo• He took over as the Deputy Governor of the

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Mumbai.• He was appointed by Government in March

2017 for a period of three years.• Prior to this appointment, he was holding the

position of Executive Director of RBI.

Geeta Johari• She was appointed as new Director General of

Police (DGP) of Gujarat.

Vanaja N. Sarna• She was appointed the new Chairman of the

Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).

Sunaina Singh• She was appointed the new Vice Chancellor of

Nalanda University (NU). Currently, she is vicechancellor of the English and ForeignLanguage University (EFLU), Hyderabad.

Justice Pradeep Nandrajog• He was sworn in as Chief Justice of Rajasthan

High Court.

Vanita Gupta• This Indian American is appointed as

President and CEO of "The LeadershipConference on Civil and Human Rights".

• She is the first woman to be appointed for thepost.

Randeep Guleria• He was appointed as Director of AIIMS (All

India Institute of Medical Sciences).

Tanushree Pereek• She became the first woman Field Officer in

the BSF. - BSF : Border Security Force; H.Q. : New Delhi;

Chief (DG) : K. K. Sharma

Madhabi Puri Buch• She is the first women to be appointed whole

time member of SEBI (Securities ExchangeBoard of India).

Upendra Tripathy• He was appointed as Interim Director General

(IDG) of ISA (International Solar Alliance).

Ankur Khanna• He was appointed as CFO (Chief Financial

Officer) of ICC (International Cricket Council).

International Conference on Dara Shikoh• The international conference on "Dara Shikoh:

Reclaiming Spiritual Legacy of India" will beheld on April 27 and 28.

• The conference will be organised by the IndianCouncil Of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

• Dara Sikoh was an intellectual, wise and aparagon of harmonious coexistence of variousreligions.

International Conference and Exhibition onSteel Industry• 3rd edition was named as 'India Steel-2017'.• Held in Mumbai.• Inaugurated by Union Steel Minister

Choudhary Birender Singh. - Steel sector contributes - 2% to India's GDP;

India is 3rd largest producer of crude steel in the world.

Textiles India 2017• This mega event will be held in Gandhinagar,

Gujarat.• Objective : To provide a platform to connect

and collaborate with global manufacturers,investors and buyers in the textile sector.

14th edition of UN International Day of Vesak-2017• It will hosted by Sri Lanka (in May).• Chief Guest : Narendra Modi.• Theme : Buddhist Teachings for Social Justice

and sustainable World Peace. - SRI LANKA : Capital - Colombo, Currency -

Sri Lankan rupee, PM : Ranil Wickremesinghe

BRICS envoy meet• Special envoys of five BRICS member states

who are specialized in West Asian Affairs metin Vizag.

• Purpose : To discuss the volatile situation inSyria and US air strikes.

- BRICS is the association of five emergingnational economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, SouthAfrica)


Signed Between About (Purpose)

BBNL & BSNL To provide broadband connectivity of BharatNet to Post Offices inrural areas.

- BharatNet is Centre's rural internet connectivity programme which is implemented by Bharat Broadband NetworkLimited (BBNL). It is world's largest rural broadband connectivity programme using Optical fibre.

India and Cyprus have signed four agreements following delegation-level talks between Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in New Delhi.

RBI & Bank of Guyana For Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of SupervisoryInformation

- GUYANA : Capital - Georgetown, Currency - Guyanese dollar, Bank of Guyana Governor : Dr. Gobind N. Ganga

India and South Korea For defence industry cooperation in ship building. - SOUTH KOREA : Capital - Seoul, Currency - South Korean Won

HPCL Oil and Rajasthan Govt. For barmer refinery revival. - HPCL - Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited; Rajasthan : Capital - Jaipur, CM - Vasundhara Raje, Governor

- Kalyan Singh

RBI & Central Bank of Bhutan Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information.The MoU was signed by RBI Deputy Governor S S Mundra and RMADeputy Governor Phaja Dorjee

- Bhutan's Central Bank is known as RMA - Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan; BHUTAN : Capital - Thimphu,Currency - Bhutanese Ngultrum.

ISRO & BHEL To develop low cost lithium batteries for electric vehicles. - ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation; BHEL : Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

India and Australia Six agreements in various fields such as terrorism, sports, health,environment, aviation sector to boost bilateral cooperation.These agreements were signed in presence of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and his visiting Australian counterpart MalcolmTurnbull after delegation level talks.

FSSAI & Coca-Cola India To train 50,000 street food vendors (It is part of FSSAI's clean streetfood initiative)

- FSSAI : Food Safety and Standard Authority of India.

Assam govt. & SBI SBI to provide Housing and Education loans at subsidised interestrates to employees of state government [Interest rates - 3.5% (Houseloan); 4% (Education loan)].

- Assam : Capital : Dispur, CM : Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor : Banwarilal Purohit


World Press Freedom Day• May 3 is celebrated as World Press Freedom

Day every year• To celebrate the fundamental principles of

press freedom as well as to evaluate thefreedom of press around the world.

• Theme 2017 - "Critical Minds for Critical Times:Media's role in advancing peaceful, just andinclusive societies".

National Panchayati Raj Diwas• April 24th is celebrated as National Panchayati

Raj Diwas every year.• This day marks the passing of the Constitution

(73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came intoforce with effect from 24 April 1993.

International Earth Day• It is celebrated on April 22 every year.• Purpose : To carryout activities that will benefit

the Earth such as recycling, using solar poweretc.

• Theme-2017 : Campaign is Environmental &Climate Literacy.

Civil Services Day• It is observed on 21st April every year.• PM Modi relased two books on Civil Services

Day. They are (1) New beginning (2) FosteringExcellence.

World Heritage• It is celebrated on 18th of April every year.• Theme (2017) : Cultural Heritage & Sustainable

Tourism.

Operation Meghdoot• Operation Meghdoot was an Indian armed

forces operation launched 33 years ago on 13April 1984.

• Operation Meghdoot was an operationlaunched by Indian Armed Forces to capturethe Siachen Glacier in Kashmir.

World Homoeopathy Day• The World Homoeopathy Day is observed

every year on April 10 to pay tribute to Dr.Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann,founder and father of Homeopathy system ofmedicine.

HRD Ministry has constituted a committee toreview UGC recommendations on 7th PayCommission in educational institutes underHigher Education Secretary, Kewal KumarSharma.

- UGC : Union Grants Commission; HRD : HumanResource Development; HRD Minister : PrakashJavadekar

• Theme 2017: "Enhancing Quality Research inHomoeopathy through scientific evidence andrich clinical experiences".

International Day of Sports for Developmentand Peace• The International Day of Sports for

Development and Peace (IDSDP) is observedevery year on April 6 to recognize the powerof sport in promoting peace and its ability toinspire.

• To celebrate this day, United Nations Office onSport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP)has launched digital campaign#WePlayTogether.

World Health Day• The World Health Day (WHD) is observed

every year on 7 April to mark the anniversaryof the founding of the World HealthOrganization (WHO).

• 2017 theme: "Depression: Let's talk".

National Maritime Day• The National Maritime Day (NMD) is observed

every year on 5th April to commemorate themaiden voyage of the first Indian owned ship"SS Loyalty" sailed from Bombay to Londonon 5th April 1919.

• Theme 2017 : "Connecting India throughShipping".

World autism Awareness Day• The World autism Awareness Day is observed

every year on 2 April across the world to raiseawareness about autism and problems facedby people suffering from it.

• The theme for year 2017 is 'Toward Autonomyand Self-Determination'.


President Pranab Mukherjee has inauguratedKempegowda festival in New Delhi which wasorganised by Nadaprabhu Kempegowdafoundation.

3rd World Congress on Environment• Held in : New Delhi• Organised by : NGT (National Green Tribunal)• Inaugurated by : President Pranab Mukherjee.

105th Indian Science Congress• To be hosted by : Osmania University

(Hyderabad) in January, 2018.• Theme : Science & Technology - Reaching the

Unreached.

9th World Environmental Education Congress(WEEC)• To be hosted by : Canada; (September, 9-15)• Theme : Culture/ Environment : Weaving New

Connections.

Conference of Auditors General ofCommonwealth Countries and BritishOverseas Territories• Held in : New Delhi.• Theme : "Fostering Partnerships for Capacity

Development in Public Audit".

5th Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM)• Held in : Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.• Organised by : Union Ministry of Culture.

- Minister of State (Independent Charge)Ministry of Tourism & Culture : Mahesh Sharma

Indian Institute of Information Technology andManagement-Kerala (IIITM-K) has launchedan application named Kaapi Soil HealthManagement and Monitoring (Kshemam) appto provide soil nutrient information andfertiliser recommendation for coffee plantationowners.

First Malaria vaccine to be tests• The WHO has announced that it is ready to

test the first malaria vaccine in the real worldsetting in 2018.

• Kenya, Ghana and Malawi have been chosenfor taking part in the pilot project.

• The vaccine, RTS, S, also known as Mosquirix,was produced by GlaxoSmithKline in 1987

- WHO - World Health Organization

New space record by Astronaut Peggy Whitson• Astronaut Peggy Whitson has set a new space

record for most days in space by a USastronaut.

• She has broken the previous record set byJeff Williams who had spent a total of 534 daysin space.

• At present, is serving as the Space StationCommander of Expedition 51.

• She was recently launched to the ISS inNovember 2016 using a Russian Soyuzcapsule.

• At the time of her launch, she had alreadyaccumulated 377 total days in space.

• At the time of her return back to Earth, shewould have accumulated more than 600 daysin space.

The wax worm, the larvae of insect Galleriamellonella, is found to possess the ability tobiodegrade polyethylene, which is one of thetoughest and most used plastics.

Brahmos - Supersonic missile successfully testfired• Its range is 450 Km and capable of carrying

300 Kgs.• It was designed and developed by Brahmos

Aerospace.

First wildlife DNA bank in North India• North India will soon get its first DNA

(Deoxyribonucleic acid) bank for wildlife at theIndian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI)in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

• In this regard, scientists at IVRI in Bareillyare in the process of collecting the DNAsamples of all kinds of wildlife to set up thebank.

• It is expected to help in wildlife research andalso bring down poaching.


Award/ Recognition Recipient Notes (Imp. Points)

Cyprus to award its highest civilian honour, the Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III, on PresidentPranab Mukherjee.

Pierre L'enfant International Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar has become the firstPlanning excellence award-2017 Indian city to win the award.

- Orissa : Capital - Bhubaneswar, CM - Naveen Patnaik, Governor - S.C. Jamir

Miss Teen Universe pageant Srishti Kaur of India She has been crowned Miss TeenUniverse 2017 at Managua, the capitalof Nicaragua.She won after beating 25 contestantsfrom across the world. The pageant isorganized by the Miss Universeorganisation for teens aged 15 to 19.

Golden Globe Tigers award Gujarat Narmada Valley For Excellence and Leadership in CSRFertilisers and Chemicals for the year 2017 in the category ofLtd (GNFC) 'E-Payment Leadership'.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award Kasinadhuni Viswanath Veteran filmmaker and actor has beenconferred this award for 2016 by theMinistry of Information &Broadcasting.The award consists of a Swarn Kamal(Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs. 10lakhs and a shawl.

Hindi film 'Newton' has won the Jury Prize for Best Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Padmashri Dr. Bhakthi Yadav She is the first woman doctor toreceive the award.

2017 - Traveler's Choice Award Bali (Island in Indonesia) Awarded by Trip Advisor

Dinanath Mangeshkar Award 1) Aamir Khan (Actor) It is the 75th edition of Award.2) Kapil Dev (Cricketer)

Golden Peacock Award for Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. (GNFC)Innovation of Cashless Township

Raj Kapoor Awards-Lifetime Achievement Award Saira BanuSpecial Contribution Award Jackie Shroff

UNESCO Peace Prize Giuseppina Nicolini She is a mayor in Italy.

Sahitya Academy Award Aniruddhan Vasudevan Chosen for his novel 'One part woman'.



Shambhavi Puraskar, 2017 Hari Shanker Rout It was the 4th edition of ShambhaviPuraskar.

Gururaja Bhat Award A V Narasimha Murthy He was an Historian and archaeologist.

UN Messenger of Peace Malala YousafzaiUnited Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres hasbestowed the highest honour UN Messenger of Peace upon NobelPeace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.She was described as a symbol of the most important thing in theworld-education for all. With this, she became youngest ever UNMessenger of Peace.Earlier UN has declared 12 July as 'Malala Day' in her honour.

2017 Pulitzer Prize Colson Whitehead's celebrated novel The Underground Railroadhas won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.The novel is about an escaped slave that combined liberatingimagination and brutal reality.Earlier in November 2016, the novel had received the National BookAward of US.

64th National Film Awards The 64th National Film Awards for year 2016 were announced on07 April 2017.Best Feature Film: Kasaav (Marathi).Non-Feature Film: Fireflies in the Abyss.Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: SathamanamBhavathiBest Direction: Rajesh (Ventilator)Best Actor: Akhay Kumar (Rustom)Best Actress: Surabhi Lakshmi (Minnaminungu)

Kirti Chakra Lance Havildar Prem Bahadur Resmi MagarPresident Pranab Mukherjee has posthumously conferred KirtiChakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award on LanceHavildar Prem Bahadur Resmi Magar of Gorkha Rifles.

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli was honoured as the Wisden's Leading Cricketer in the World forthe year 2016.

NTR National Film Award Renowned playback singer, actor and music director S.P. BalaSubramanyam was awarded the NTR National Film Award for2012.Hindi film actress Hema Malini was awarded the same award forthe year 2013.

American singer and song writer Bob Dylan has finally accepted 2016 Nobel Prize for literature sinceDecember 2016 awards ceremony.

Dawit Isaak an imprisoned Eritrean-Swedish journalist was awarded the 2017 UNESCO/Guillermo CanoWorld Press Freedom Prize.


Vinod Khanna• Veteran actor and politician Vinod Khanna has

expired at the age of 70.• Born on 6 October 1946, Khanna has featured

in as many as 146 films.

Nora Chopra• He was a noted journalist in India.

Narayan Sanyal• He was a top moist leader. He has played

important role in merger of Naxalite factions.

Devineni Rajashekhar (Nehru)• He was TDP (Telugu Desham Party) leader and

former A.P. Minister.

Allan Holdsworth• He was guitar pioneer from USA.

Ajey Jhankar• Noted author and filmmaker Ajey Jhankar

passed away. He was 67.

Kishori Amonkar• Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist

passed away.

Gilbert Baker• The creator of the rainbow flag as a symbol

for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, andtransgender) community passed away inKansas, US.

James Rosenquist• He was a pioneer of Pop Art passed away in

New York.

Arun Sharma• Renowned play writer.

Ahmed Kathrada• South Africa's revered Indian-origin anti

apartheid activist.

Ashokamitran• Prominent Tamil Writer.


Glenfiddich's Emerging Artist Sitaram Swain He is the Sixth recipient of the honour.of the year - 2017

B.C. Roy Awards 49 Physicians received the B. C. Roy National Award is the highestawards for the year 2014, recognition for Medical Practitioners2015 and 2016 in India

2017 Sikh Jewel Award Gurindher Chadha She was awarded for her contributionto British Cimema

LTA (Life Time Achievement Raghu Rai Awarded at 6th National PhotographyAward) by ISB (Information & (Photo Journalist) Awards (NPA) - 2017.Broadcasting Ministry)

Kuldip Nayar Journalism Award Ravish Kumar It was the inaugural award.(NDTV Editor)

Aizawl FC has won its maiden I-League titleagainst Shillong Lajong in their final game ofthe league season to become the first ever clubfrom the northeast to win the I-League title.

The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) willconduct 'Oorja' - CAPFs Under-19 FootballTalent Hunt Tournament - 2017, throughout thecountry from May 1-15, 2017.

Manpreet Kaur wins shot put gold at AsianGrand Prix• Shot putter Manpreet Kaur broke her own 2015

national record at the Asian Grand Prix inJinhua, China.

• Her throw was 32 centimeters more than theRio Olympic gold medallist Michelle Carter.


Monte Carlo tennis tournament• Rafael Nadal has won the Monte Carlo Masters

for a record 10th time.• With this win, he has made history by

becoming the first man in the Open era to winthe same event 10 times.

• Rohan Bopanna and his Uruguayan partnerPablo Cuevas had won the men's doublescrown.

Golf Industry Awards - 2017• Golfer Aditi Ashok has won outstanding

achievement as a player Award.• Golfer Chowrasia has won Award for the Mens

player of the year.

Cricket has been removed from 2018 AsianGames.

- 2018 Asian Games Host : Indonesia (Jakarta& Palembang)

BWF rankings of Indian Shuttlers (Top 20)• P. V. Sindhu : 3rd• Ajay Jayaram : 13th• Saina Nehwal : 8th

Video gaming has been included in 2022 AsianGames by OCA (Olympic Council of Asia).

Chris Gayle (West Indies) became the firstplayer to score 10,000 runs in T20 Cricket.

Sagar Bahati, became the first visually impairedIndian runner to complete the historic IndianMarathon.

Pullela Gopichand's daughter, Gayathri haswon both single and double crown in Jakartain under 15 category.

Sebestial Vettel (Ferrari) has won BahrainGrandprix by defeating Lewis Hamilton(Mercedes).

India's first Basketball School• US based National Basketball Association (NBA)

has launched its first basketball school in Indiain Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra.

• The school was opened as part of a multi-yearagreement with India On Track (IOT).

• The school's syllabus has been framed by theNBA's Elite Basketball Development team withcurrent and former NBA coaches, playerdevelopment experts and former NBA players.

Indian boxer K Shyam Kumar has won goldmedal at the Thailand International Tournamentin the 49- kilogram category held in Bangkok.

Boxing Federation of India gets IOA affiliation• The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has

granted affiliation to the Boxing Federation ofIndia (BFI).

• With this, the BFI now becomes the fullyrecognised body for Indian boxing.

• It already has been granted affiliation by AIBAand the Union Sports Ministry.

Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel has approvedappointment of two foreign coaches and twosupport staff for athletics.

Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu (21)jumped three places to achieve a career-bestworld number two ranking in the latestBadminton World Federation (BWF) rankingsby earning 75759 points.

PV Sindhu wins India Super Series tournament• Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu won

the India Open Super Series title in women'ssingle category.

• In the final match, she defeated Rio Olympicchampion Carolina Marin of Spain by 21-19,21-16 score.

• Denmark's Viktor Axelsen had won men'ssingles title.

Tamil Nadu won the Deodhar Trophy bydefeating Parthiv Patel-led India 'B' by 42 runsin the match held at Vizag.

Gauri Singh (14) from Rajasthan became thefirst Indian girl to swim from Sea link toGateway of India in Arabia Sea.

Bhubaneswar, Capital city of Odisha will host2017 Men's Hockey World League final and2018 Men's Hockey World Cup.

Indian shuttlers Purva Barve, Varun Kapurhave won International titles at Li Ning - IsraelOpen.

Sebestian Vettel (Germany) of team Ferrariwon the 2017 Australian Grand Prix held inMelbourne.

India's Special Athletes have won 73 Medals inthe recently held 2017 Special Olympics inAustria.

Australian Cricketer Shaun Tait has retired fromall forms of Cricket.

sbi - became most valued public sector affairs capsule - april... · delhi, estd. : 12th april,...

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