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National News
Power transmission line between India & Bangladesh
- A transmission line from Tripura that will supply 100 MW power to Bangladesh
- Aims to strengthen the relationship between India and Bangladesh
Fasal Bima Yojana launched
- It is an insurance scheme for the farmers which provide relief to the farmers when crops are affected by Natural calamities
- Different from the other schemes in that it provides a higher sum compared to other insurance schemes and also it requires low premium
India & France sign MoU to create 6 Nuclear Reactors
- Proposed MoU will enable the building of six new nuclear reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra
- Agreement was signed between Electricite de France and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd
Cabinet approves agreements with other Nations
- India and Lithuania signed a MoU in the field of agriculture and the agreement proposes to include horticulture, post-harvest management, etc.
- India signed an agreement with UAE in fields of Infrastructure development with the NIIF
- Ashgabat agreement which facilitates transport of goods between Central Asia and Persian Gulf.
- India and Russia will join hands to minimize the consequences of Natural calamities like Flood and Earthquake.
Himachal, Mumbai to have electric buses
- Zero-emission retrofitted electric buses under the flagship scheme Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India).
- The department will fund up to 75% cost and the department of heavy industry has granted in-principle approval.
- 25 buses will be rolled out in each state.
Udaan scheme approved till 2019-20
- Udaan Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir extended till 2019-20 from the earlier time period of 2015-16.
- Udaan is a national integration scheme with the goal to mainstream J&K youth with rest of the country
- Targeting to train and enhance employability of 40,000 graduates, post graduates and three year engineering diploma holders, will be achieved by 2019-20.
National Highway project worth Rs 6,284 cr approved
- 11 highway projects with a total length of about 453 km
- Include two four-laning of BRT Tiger Reserve boundary to Bengaluru section of NH-209 in Karnataka at a cost of Rs 1,253.51 crore.
- Four-laning of Nerchwok-Pandoh project of NH-21 on EPC mode in Himachal Pradesh at a cost of 1273 .71 crore.
- Four-laning of Takoli-Kullu section of NH-21 on EPC mode in Himachal Pradesh under NHDP phase-IV B at a cost of Rs 742.40 crore.
Rashtrapati Bhavan among the cleanest buildings
- Under Swachh Bharat Mission the assessment workout was carried out by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD)
- Cleanliness survey was based on three distinct parameters sanitation infrastructure in the office and overall cleanliness
110 villages in Chhattisgarh declared ‘open defecation’ Free
- Total number of such villages in the state is now 1,849.
- This is under the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan scheme.
New gen NBFCs to target smaller cities
- Tier-I cities are comfort zones. But due to compression in interest rates and increasing competition in tier-I cities, NBFCs are looking at tier-2 and 3 cities.
- Repayment capacity of professionals, such as doctors, in tier–II and -III cities is better, as there is less competition for their skill.
- Lending to them is more beneficial as they can recommend more borrowers/customers.
- NBFCs are also trying to expand their reach to smaller cities as they see business opportunities in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector and plan to tap the needs of the self-employed.
International
Nepal to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
- It is a Beijing based security organization established in 2001.
- The member nations are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
PM Modi, Sania Mirza among contenders for TIME’s Most Influential people
- Editors of the Magazine will remain the final deciders
- It has asked people to vote for their favorite leader among the 127 contenders
- Indian born CEO’s of top firms Google and Microsoft- Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella also occupy the honorary position
OECD released Standardized e-format for Exchange of Country-by-Country reports
- To ensure swift and efficient implementation of the BEPS measures and to assist tax administration
Bill introduced in US Congress to help India join APEC
- An economically prosperous India benefits the US’ strategic goals in Asia.
- Legislation notes that US-India partnership is vital to the US strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific region and across the globe, and is an integral aspect to the Administration’s Rebalance to Asia.
- India enjoys a location within the Asia- Pacific region which provides an avenue for continued trade and investment partnerships with APEC member states.
Business and Economy
World Bank to support Swachh Bharat Mission
- World Bank proposed a $1.5 billion dollar as funding to the clean India campaign
- The fund will be incentivized based on the performance based indicators like DLi’s
RBI makes it easier for banks to improve liquidity
- Liquidity Coverage Ratio need not include the retail deposits whose maturity value is beyond a month
- The calculation also excludes the pledged deposits over 30 days maturity date
Lakshmi Vilas Bank ties up with NBHC for collateral management & warehousing
- Primary objective of these services will allow industry traders and farmers in financing their capital requirements at all stages of supply chain
- Would allow the bank to provide financial flexibility to farmers, minimizing the seasonal price fluctuations and distress sales during crop harvest season.
- Services to the needs of the members of the commodities future exchange for strong commodities and delivery through designated warehouses.
South Indian Bank gets ISO 9001:2008 certification
- Kerala based South Indian Bank has disseminated that its personnel department has achieved the ISO 9001:2008 certification.
- Established in 1929 spread across more than 26 states and 3 union territories in India
Science and Technology
Telephone feedback mechanism for Grievance Redressal
- Will allow the people to come in direct contact to register their complaints about various departments
- On the inauguration ceremony randomly selected 3 persons and contacted them directly over phone and sought clarification about the clearance of their grievance
Environment & Ecology
Asia most exposed to disasters, Africa most vulnerable: Study
- Asia has the largest number of people affected by natural disasters,
- African countries are most vulnerable largely because of political instability, corruption, poverty and inequality, a new global assessment shows.
- Over 4 billion people in South Asia such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan face at least one major threat from nature.
- In the case of Bangladesh, 100% of its population is exposed, compared to 82% for India and 70% in Pakistan.
People in News
Justice Permod Kohli appointed as Chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal
- He is a retired Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court.
- Kohli as Judge has provided services to the High Courts of Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Punjab & Haryana.
‘Kadhaprasangam’ famous V D Rajappan died
- a famous comedian in Malayalam cinema and acted over 50 movies
- was in peak in 1970’s & 1980’s for his unique satirical style of ‘Kadhaprasangam’
- Famous Kadhaprasangams include ‘Kumari Eruma’, ‘Mak Mak’, ‘Priye Ninte Kura’, ‘Amittu’, ‘Pothu Puthri’ and ‘Ennennum Kurangettandeh
Sports
Shane Watson to quit international cricket after World T20
- He has not featured in the one-day team since September 2015,
- He debuted for the Australian cricket team in 2002
- He retired from Tests last year after Australia’s unsuccessful Ashes campaign in England
- Shane Watson is the only player to win Australian Player of the Year award across all formats of the game.