Current Affairs Study PDF Capsule - February 2017 by AffairsCloud PDF

Current Affairs February 2017
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Current Affairs PDF: February 2017
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Contents
INDIAN AFFAIRS............................................................................................................................................................ 3
PLACES IN NEWS .........................................................................................................................................................30
FOREIGN VISITS ..........................................................................................................................................................38
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ......................................................................................................................................39
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES .....................................................................................................................................46
RANKING & REPORTS ...............................................................................................................................................54
BANKING & FINANCE .................................................................................................................................................58
BUSINESS .......................................................................................................................................................................77
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS.....................................................................................................................................84
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS....................................................................................................................................94
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS .................................................................................................................................. 104
MoUs ............................................................................................................................................................................ 105
SCHEMES ..................................................................................................................................................................... 109
MoUs ............................................................................................................................................................................ 113
COMMITTEE............................................................................................................................................................... 121
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 124
DEFENCE ..................................................................................................................................................................... 134
ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................................................................... 136
SPORTS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 143
OBITUARY .................................................................................................................................................................. 157
BOOKS & AUTHORS ................................................................................................................................................ 163
IMPORTANT DAYS ................................................................................................................................................... 164
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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union budget 2017-2018
Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley presented his fourth Union budget 2017-2018 in Lok Sabha
on February 1, 2017. This is the fourth budget by the Narendra Modi government.
What is Budget?
The Union Budget of India is also referred to as the Annual financial statement in the Article 112 of
the Constitution of India.
• It is the annual budget of the Republic of India which is being presented by the
Government on the first day of February for 2017-18 so that it could be materialized
before the commencement of new financial year in April.
• Till 2016 it was presented on the last working day of February by the Finance Minister of
India in Parliament.
• The budget is presented by means of the Finance bill and the Appropriation bill and has to
be passed by both the Houses before it coming into effect from April 1.
• The first Union budget of independent India was presented by R. K. Shanmukham
Chetty on November 26, 1947.
Union Budget 2017-18
It is the first budget after major changes in Indian economy like Goods and Services
Tax and Demonetization in 2016.
The Budget for 2017-18 contains three major reforms.
1. Presented on Februray 1, 2017 instead of usual practice of being presented on last day of
February.
2. Merger of Railway Budget with the General Budget
3. Abolition of Planned & Non-Planned Expenditure
Agenda of Union Budget 2017-18
The agenda for the Union Budget 2017-18 is TEC India, where T stands for Transform, E stands for
Energize and C for Clean.
• The agenda seeks to transform the quality of governance and life of people; Energise various
sections of society especially the youth and the vulnerable to bring out the best in them and
Clean the country from the evils of corruption, black money and non-transparent political
funding.
10 Pillars of Budget 2017-18
The Budget 2017-18 is based on 10 distinct pillars to meet the TEC India agenda.
1. Farmers
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2. Rural Population
3. Youth
4. Poor and the Underprivileged
5. Infrastructure
6. Financial Sector
7. Digital Economy
8. Public Service
9. Prudent Fiscal Management
10. Tax Administration
Major Highlights of Union Budget of India 2017-18
The total Budget expenditure allocated for 2017-18 is Rs. 21.47 lakh crores.
DEMONETIZATION
Demonetisation move will not have a lasting impact on the economy.It would lead to higher,
cleaner and real GDP growth and tax revenues with elimination of corruption, black money,
counterfeit currency and terror funding.
• Potential to generate long term benefits by transfer of resources from the tax evaders to
the Government which can be used for the welfare of the poor and the deprived.
• Increased capacity of Banks to lend at reduced interest rates and a huge shift towards
digitisation among all sections of society.
FARMERS
The agriculture sector is expected to grow at 4.1% in the current fiscal with a better monsoon.
Important Allocations
Total Agriculture Credit to Farmers in 2017-18 Rs. 10 lakh crore
Allocation under Fasal Bima Yojana for 2017-18 Rs. 9000 crore
Long Term Irrigation Fund in NABARD created in 2016-17 Rs. 20000 crore
Dedicated Micro Irrigation Fund to be created in NABARD Rs. 5000 crore
Digital transformation of Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) in Rs. 1900 crore
the next 3 years by NABARD.
Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund in NABARD Rs. 8000 crore
NABARD would work to computerize and integrate all the 63,000 functional Primary Agriculture
Credit Societies (PACS) with the Core Banking System of District Central Cooperative Banks
• The budget aims to increase the coverage under Fasal Bima Yojana from 30% of
cropped area in 2016-17 to 40% in 2017-18 and 50% in 2018-19.
• Long Term Irrigation Fund in NABARD created in last year budget has been allotted Rs.
20000 crore for 2017-18 making total allocation of Rs. 40000 crore for the fund.
• Micro Irrigation Fund will be set up in NABARD to achieve the goal of ‘per drop more
crop’.
• The Diary Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund in NABARD with total corpus
of Rs. 8000 over 3 years would start with initial corpus of Rs. 2000 crore.
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• Interest Subvention of 60 days for farmers in respect of their loans from the cooperative
credit structure, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Government to set up new mini labs in Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) to test soil quality
under Soil Health Cards and ensure 100% coverage of all 648 KVKs in the country.
Additionally, 1000 mini labs to be set up by qualified local entrepreneurs for which
Government will provide credit linked subsidy.
• Coverage of National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) increased from the current 250
Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) to 585 APMCs. Each APMCs would get
maximum assistance of Rs. 75 lakh for establishment of cleaning, grading and packaging
facilities.
• Create model law on contract farming to integrate fruit and vegetable farmers with agro
processing units for better price realisation and reduction of post-harvest losses.
RURAL POPULATION
Total allocation for rural, agriculture and allied sectors Rs 1,87,223 crore
MNREGA Rs.48,000 crore
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Rs.27,000 crores
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) Rs. 23000 crore
Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana Rs. 4,814 crore
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana Rs. 4,500 crore
Total allocation for rural, agriculture and allied sectors for 2017-18 is Rs 1,87,223 crore which is
24 percent more than previous year’s allocation.
• Allocation under MNREGA increased to Rs.48,000 crore in 2017-18 from Rs 38,500
crore in 2016-17. This is highest ever allocation. Women participation in MGNREGA has
increased to 55% compared to less than 48% in the past.
• Allocation under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for 2017-18 is Rs.
19,000 crore by central government. Besides, with the contribution of the state
government under PMGSY, a total amount of Rs. 27000 crore will be spent on PMGSY in
2017-18.
• The pace of construction of PMGSY roads has accelerated to reach 133 km roads per day
in 2016-17, as against an average of 73 km during the period 2011-2014.
• Under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin), the allocation increased to Rs. 23,000
crore for 2017-18 compared to Rs. 15000 crore in 2016-17. Government proposes to
construct 1 crore houses by 2019 for houseless and kucha house residing people.
• Additional allocation of Rs. 4,814 crore has been proposed under the Deendayal
Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana in 2017-18. Government aims to achieve 100% village
electrification by May 1, 2018
• Allocations for Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (National Rural Livelihood Mission) for
promotion of skill development and livelihood opportunities for rural area people is Rs.
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4,500 in 2017-18. The allotment under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation

Programme (PMEGP) and credit support schemes has been increased more than 3 times.
• .Government will undertake Mission Antyodaya to make 1 crore households and 50000
gram panchayats poverty free by 2019, i.e. the 150th birth anniversary of
Gandhiji. For this a composite index would be developed to monitor the progress.
• Target of completing 5 lakh farm ponds and 10 lakh compost pits from MGNREGA funds
as announced in the 2016-17 Budget to be achieved by March 2017. Finance x.Ministry
expects 10 lakh farm ponds would be completed instead of 5 lakh by March 2017. For
2017-18, another 5 lakh farm ponds will be taken up for drought proofing of gram
panchayats.
• Sanitation coverage in villages increased from 42 percent in October 2016 to 60 percent
currently.
• Sub mission under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) to provide
safe drinking water to over 28,000 arsenic and fluoride affected habitations in the next
four years.
• Mason training to be imparted to 5 lakh persons by 2022 with an immediate target of
training at least 20,000 persons by 2017-18 to develop new skills among rural people.
• Human Resource Reforms For Results Programme to be launched during 2017-18 to
implement development programme in Panchayati raj institutions.
YOUTH
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK) has been extended to more than 600 districts across
the country. It is already promoted in more than 60 districts.
• 100 India International Skills Centres would be set up across the country to offer
advanced training and courses in foreign languages to help youths seeking job outside the
country.
• Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion programme
(SANKALP) to be launched in 2017-18 at a cost of Rs. 4,000 crore to provide market
relevant training to 3.5 crore youth.
• Next phase of Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) to be
launched in 2017-18 at a cost of Rs. 2,200 crore.
• Five Special Tourism Zones anchored on (Special Purpose Vehicle) SPVs would be set
up in partnership with the States. Incredible India 2.0 Campaign will be launched across
the world.
• For Higher Education, government would undertake reforms in UGC to give colleges and
institutions greater administrative and academic autonomy
• SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active –Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) platform would be
launched with at least 350 online courses and further link it to DTH channels, dedicated to
education to enable students to virtually attend the courses taught by the best faculty;
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access high quality reading resources; participate in discussion forums; take tests and
earn academic grades
• National Testing Agency to be set up as an autonomous organization to conduct all
entrance examinations for higher education institutions
THE POOR AND THE UNDERPRIVILEGED

• Mahila Shakti Kendra to be set up at village level with an allocation of Rs. 500
crores in 14 lakh Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Anganwadi Centres.
• Allocation for Women and Children welfare under various schemes across all Ministries
increased from Rs. 1,56,528 crores in 2016-17 to Rs. 1,84,632 crores in 2017-18.
• Under Maternity Benefit Scheme Rs. 6,000 will be transferred directly to the bank
accounts of pregnant women who undergo institutional delivery and vaccinate their
children
• National Housing Bank to refinance individual housing loans of about Rs. 20,000
crore in 2017-18.
• Action plan made to eliminate Kala-Azar and Filariasis by 2017, Leprosy by 2018,
Measles by 2020 and tuberculosis by 2025.
• Similarly, action plan prepared to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 39 in 2014 to
28 by 2019 and Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) from 167 in 2011-13 to 100 by
2018-2020.
• 1.5 lakh Health Sub Centres will be transformed into Health and Wellness Centres.
• Government to create additional 5,000 Post Graduate seats per annum in Medical
colleges.
• Two new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences to be set up in the States of Jharkhand
and Gujarat.
• Propose to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules to ensure availability of drugs at
reasonable prices and promote use of generic medicines
• Allocation for the welfare schemes of Scheduled Castes increased 35 percent from Rs.
38,833 crores in 2016-17 to Rs. 52,393 crores in 2017-18.
• Allocation for Scheduled Tribes is Rs. 31,920 crores and for Minority Affairs to Rs. 4,195
crores.
• Aadhar based Smart Cards to be issued for senior citizens containing their health details
with pilot service in 15 districts during 2017-18.
• LIC to implement scheme providing assured pension with a guaranteed return of 8% per
annum for 10 years to senior citizen.
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INFRASTRUCTURE
Total Infrastructure Allocation Rs. 3,96,135 crores
Allocation in Transportation Sector including rail, roads, shipping Rs. 2,41,387 crores
Railway Sector Rs. 1,31,000 crores
Allocation for Highway Rs. 64,900 crores
RAILWAYS
The total capital and development expenditure of Railways has been allotted Rs. 1,31,000 crores
out of which Rs. 55,000 crores would be funded by the Government.
The 4 major areas that Railways will focus on in 2017-18 includes
1. Passenger safety
2. Capital and development works
3. Cleanliness
4. Finance and accounting reforms
Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh to be created with a corpus of Rs. 1 lakh crores over a period
of 5 years for safety of Passengers.
• Unmanned level crossings on Broad Gauge lines to be eliminated by 2020
• It is proposed to feed about 7,000 stations with solar power in the medium term
• Railway lines of 3,500 kms to be built in 2017-18, as against 2,800 kms in 2016-17.
• 500 stations will be made differently-abled friendly with lifts and escalators.
• Coach Mitra facility to be launched to register all coach related complaints and
requirements. Indian Railways coaches to be fitted with bio-toilets by 2019.
• Railways to offer competitive ticket booking facility. Service charge on booking e-tickets
through IRCTC has been withdrawn.
ROAD TRANSPORT
• The total allocation for highways increased from Rs. 57,976 crores in 2016-17 to Rs.
64,900 crores in 2017-18.
• 2,000 kms of coastal connectivity roads have been identified for construction and
development
• Total length of roads, including those under PMGSY, built from 2014-15 till the current
year is about 1,40,000 kms which is significantly higher than previous three years
TELECOM SECTOR
• BharatNet Project allocated Rs. 10,000 crores in 2017-18.
• High speed broadband connectivity on optical fibre to be made available in more than
1,50,000 gram panchayats at low tariff by the end of 2017-18
• A DigiGaon initiative to be launched to provide tele-medicine, education and skills
through digital technology.
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ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURING
• Nearly 250 investment proposals for electronics manufacturing have been received in
the last 2 years with total investment of Rs. 1.26 lakh crores.
• Allocation for incentive schemes like M-SIPS and EDF increased to all time high Rs. 745
crores in 2017-18.
• Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) to be launched in 2017-18 to promote
export infrastructure
FINANCIAL SECTOR
Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to be abolished in 2017-18 Computer
Emergency Response Team for Financial Sector (CERT-Fin) will be established.
• The shares of Railway PSEs like IRCTC, IRFC and IRCON will be listed in stock exchanges.
• Rs. 10,000 crore allocated for recapitalization of Banks in 2017-18 in line with the
‘Indradhanush’ roadmap.
• Allocation under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana has been doubled in 2017-18 at
Rs. 2.44 lakh crore from previous 1.22 lakh crore with priority to Dalits, Tribals,
Backward Classes, Minorities and Women.
DIGITAL ECONOMY
Two new schemes would be launched under BHIM App. Referral Bonus Scheme for individuals and
a Cashback Scheme for merchants.
• Mission would be set up to undertake Rs.2,500 crore digital transactions in 2017-18
through UPI, USSD, Aadhar Pay, IMPS and debit cards.
• Banks to introduce additional 10 lakh new PoS terminals by March 2017 and 20 lakh
Aadhar based PoS by September 2017.
• Government to create Payments Regulatory Board in the Reserve Bank of India replacing
the existing Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems.
PUBLIC SERVICE
• Head Post Offices to function as front offices for rendering passport services.
• Centralised Defence Travel System developed to enable soldiers and officers to book
travel tickets.
• Tribunals with overlapping functions to be merged
• A High Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Honourable Prime Minister to be set
up to improve the standards of public service and transparent governance
• Centenary year of Champaran Satyagrah to be commemorated in 2017-18
• Government of India will support Government of Gujarat to commemorate 100 years of
Sabarmati Ashram in 2017.
• A comprehensive web based interactive Pension Disbursement System for Defence
Pensioners will be established.
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• Government proposes to introduce a system of single registration and two tier system
of examination.
• Government to introduce legislation to confiscate the assets of economic offenders
FISCAL MANAGEMENT
• The total expenditure in Budget for 2017-18 has been allocated Rs. 21.47 lakh crores.
• Capital expenditure increased by 25.4% compared to the previous year.
• Total resources being transferred to the States and the Union Territories with Legislatures
is Rs. 4.11 lakh crores as against Rs. 3.60 lakh crores in 2016-17.
• FRBM Committee has recommended 3% fiscal deficit for the next three years
• The fiscal deficit projected for 2017-18 is 3.2% of GDP and 3% in the following year.
• The Revenue Deficit of 2.3% in 2016-17 was reduced to 2.1% in the Revised Estimates.
• The Revenue Deficit is estimated at 1.9% in 2017-18 as against 2.1 percent in 2016-17.
• Net market borrowing of Government to be limited to Rs. 3.48 lakh crores in 2017-18
compared to Rs. 4.25 lakh crores in 2016-17
TAX PROPOSAL
Measures for Promoting Affordable Housing and Real Estate Sector
• The holding period for considering the Capital Gain Tax of immovable property has been
increased from 2 years to 3 years.
• Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) has been proposed to be carry forwarded for 15
years instead of 10 years.
• In MSME sector for companies with turnover upto Rs. 50 crore the income tax will be
reduced to 25%.
• Basic customs duty on LNG reduced from 5% to 2.5%.
Promoting Digital Economy
• For tax payers with annual turnover of less than Rs. 2 crore, the rate of 6% of annual
turnover will be used for calculating tax(presumptive income) instead of earlier 8%.
• Limit of cash donation reduced from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 2000.
• No cash transaction above Rs 3 lakh will be permitted.
Transparency in Electoral Funding
A political party can receive a maximum of Rs 2000 in cash per person.
Ease of Doing Business
• Business entity that will opt for presumptive income scheme the threshold of audit has
been increased from Rs 1 Crore to Rs 2 Crore.
• No TDS deduction on commission payable to individual insurance agents if their income is
below taxable limit.
Personal Income-Tax
• For individuals with income between Rs. 2.5 Lakh and Rs.5 lakh rate of taxation has
been reduced from 10% to 5%.
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• For individuals whose annual taxable income is between Rs. 50 lakhs and Rs. 1 crore a
surcharge of 10% of tax payable will be levied.
• Single Page Income Tax Return filing form for taxable income under Rs. 5 lakh
• Small firms with turnover up to Rs.50 crore will now only need to pay 25% tax instead
of 30%.
Union Cabinet Gives Green Signal to Amend Bill to Modify Scheduled Castes list in Odisha
i. The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minster Narendra Modi on February 1, 2017
gave its approval to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 Bill to make
changes the list of Scheduled Castes in Odisha.
ii. Besides, the cabinet also approved amending the Constitution (Pondicherry) Scheduled
Castes Order, 1964 to change the name of the Union Territory Pondicherry to Puducherry.
iii. The amended Bill will be shortly introduced in the parliament under the name Constitution
(Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
Introduction of Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in

Parliament Approved by Cabinet
i. The Union Cabinet approved introduction of the Indian Institutes of Information
Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Parliament on February 1, 2017.
ii. The Bill seeks to amend the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2014, which
defines the status of Institutions of National Importance on the IIITs and also provides for matters
connected with administering these IIITs.
iii. The amended Bill aims to include Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and
Manufacturing (IIITDM), Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh in the Act and declare it as an institute
of National Importance with the power to award degrees to students
Amitabh Kant Inaugurates India Innovation Index in New Delhi

i. The Indian Policy Think Tank, NITI Aayog together with Department of Industrial Policy &
Promotion (DIPP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)\has launched a first of its kind online
portal, India Innovation Index in India to rank the states on the basis of innovation.
ii. The Index has been developed by the Indian sides in consultation with the World Economic
Forum, the World Intellectual Property Organization, Cornell University, OECD, UNIDO, ILO,
UNESCO, ITU and others.
iii .The portal was inaugurated by Mr Amitabh Kant, CEO NITI Aayog on February 2, 2017 in New
Delhi.
iv. The Index would rank Indian states as per their innovation capability and provide them
necessary feedback to build their respective innovation ecosystems and further instill innovation
spirit among institutions and people.
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Neeti Mohan collaborates with United Nations for women empowerment

i. Noted Indian singer Neeti Mohan to collaborate with UN for women empowerment project titled
“Music To Inspire – Artists UNited Against Human Trafficking” which is managed by
the UNODC.
ii. Neeti is the first Indian female singer to collaborate with UN .She has joined the ranks of
Ashton Kutcher, Nicholas Cage, Demi Moore, Ashley Judd, Gillian Anderson .
iii. She has composed Udne De as a tribute to all the women and in support of equality for all.
India-Pakistan border to soon have smart fencing : Kiren Rijju

i. One of the India’s international border, 3,323-km-long India-Pakistan border runs through four
states, Jammu and Kashmir , Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat .will have smart fencing soon said
by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on February 3, 2017
ii. The fencing method will have a multi-tier security system in case of any infiltration bid or
attempts to cut the fence, security personnel will get an alarm.
iii. Apart from this, Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) is also
being worked out by the government where the security of Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Presents Demonetisation Bill in Lok Sabha

The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Bill, 2017 was introduced in the Lok
Sabha on February 3, 2017 by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.The Bill provides
for holding, transfer and receiving of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, which were
demonetized after November 8, 2016, as a criminal offence and punishable with a minimum fine of
Rs 10,000.
• It seeks to replace the ordinance on demonetization announced by the government in
December 2016.
• The ordinance was approved by the President Pranab Mukherjee on December 30, making it
illegal to hold transfer or receive demonetized Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.
• Besides, any Ordinance passed by a government should be replaced by appropriate Bill within
42 days of commencement of a session otherwise it will lapse.
India together with Norway Develops Body to Accelerate Research for Epidemics
i. A Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has been set up by India and
Norway to speed up the research and development for epidemics.
ii. The body was created after the World Health Organization published a document titled ‘An R&D
blueprint for action to prevent epidemics- funding and coordination models for
preparedness and response’ and asked all the member nations to develop research and
development plan to deal with epidemics.
iii. The CEPI has been set up by the Governments of India and Norway.
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President opens Rashtrapati Bhavan’s annual ‘Udyanotsav’

President Pranab Mukherjee opened the annual ‘Udyanotsav‘ of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on
February 4, 2017.
♦ The Mughal Gardens will remain open for general public from February 4, 2017 to March 12, 2017
Highlights:
i. The two varieties of roses named ‘President Pranab‘ and ‘Suvra Mukherjee‘ were developed
by Pranabir Kumar Maity and Ashok Kumar Maity of Pushpanjali Rose Nursery at Jakpur, West
Bengal.
ii. Vertical Gardens and Air Purifying Plants which absorb toxins from polluted air.
Kiren Rijiju Inaugurates Programme on ‘Inner Strength and D isaster Resilience’

i. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs inaugurated the programme on ‘Inner Strength
and Disaster Resilience’ on February 3, 2017 in New Delhi. The programme was organised
by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
ii. The Minister stressed NDRF force to focus on mental fitness along with physical fitness.
Bihar Introduces Third Gender Category in Board Exams

i. The Bihar government has introduced the transgender as a third category to opt for and appear
in the Board exams conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB).
ii. It is for the first time that the Board will conduct the exams for the transgender category in
2017 after it was recognized by Supreme Court in 2014.
SC asked the Centre to Prepare plan for eradication of leprosy

i. The Supreme Court bench consists of Chief Justice J S Khehar and justices N V Ramana and D
Y Chandrachud instruct the centre to prepare a policy for the eradication of leprosy within four
weeks on February 3, 2017
ii. It has sought a direction to the governments that drugs be made available at primary health
centres and health scheme should be formulated to bring people suffering from leprosy into the
national mainstream.
iii. Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are leprosy endemic states and efforts are being made
to eradicate the disease said by Standing counsel Bala Subramanium who is appearing for the
Centre
HRD Ministry to set up NTA to Conduct Exams for Higher & Secondary Education
i. The Union Human Resource Development Ministry led by under Prakash Javadekar is set to
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constitute a National Testing Agency (NTA) which will be responsible for conducting
examinations for higher and secondary education.
ii .The announcement was made in the Union Budget 2017-18 by the Finance Minister who
proposed to
set up NTA as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing agency to conduct all entrance
exams to higher education.
iii. The main aim of setting NTA is to ease the work of the bodies like CBSE, AICTE, from the
responsibilities of conducting exams, and eventually enable them to focus more on academics.
Railways Approves Rail Project in Andaman and Nicobar

i. The Railway Ministry is set to develop the first ever railway line in Andaman and Nicobar
Island that currently has no rail network.
ii .The Ministry of Railway is set to approve the project that will construct 240-km broad gauge
railway line connecting Port Blair with Diglipur, the largest town on Andaman Island. It will
connect the two islands with bridges and stations along the coast.
Supreme Court Directs Centre to Link Mobile Numbers to Aadhaar within a Year
i. The Supreme Court has directed the central government on February 6, 2017 to link the phone
numbers of the entire mobile users, with their Aadhaar Number within a period of one year.
ii. The verification decision by bench of Judges including Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and
Justice NV Ramana was needed as mobile phones are being used for banking purposes.
Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Presents Rs 2,350 crore Deficit Budget
2017-18
The Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the state Budget for the session
2017-18 on February 7, 2017 in the state assembly.The budget was based on the
theme “Resurgent Assam”.
• As per the Minister the state Budget 2017-18 was Rs. 2,349.79 crore deficit
Budget. The budget presented merged Plan and Non-Plan expenditures.
• The Government has redefined the role of Planning & Development Department. The
department has been rechristened to the Department for Development and
Transformation of Assam (DDTA).
Important Highlights of Assam Budget 2017-18
Revenue & Expenditure
The Budget Estimates of 2017-18, proposes to have a receipt of Rs 84,732.16 crore under
consolidated fund of the state. Out of this, Rs 70,719.61 crore is on Revenue account and Rs
14,012.55 crore is under Capital account.
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• Beside, adding the receipt of Rs 1,62,580.51 crore under Public account and Rs 100 crore
under Contingency fund, the aggregate receipts amount to Rs 2,47,412.67 crore
• Similarly, the total expenditure proposed from the consolidated fund of the state is estimated
at Rs 85,922.69 crore of which Rs 68,319.45 crore is on Revenue account and Rs
17,603.24 crore is on Capital account.
• While, taking into account the expenditure of Rs 1,61,757.17 crore under Public account and
Rs 100 crore under Contingency fund, the aggregate expenditure for the year is estimated at
Rs 2,47,779.86 crore.
Education Sector
The Assam government led by Sarbananda Sonowal, has proposed to bring appropriate legislation
to ensure that students of the State must be taught one local language as inscribed in the 8th
Schedule of the Constitution of India, by all schools including public, government, private up to
Class 8.
• Highlighting the importance of Sanskrit language as one of the oldest language in the
history, the government also proposed to make Sanskrit language compulsory in the
schools where ever a Sanskrit teacher exists.
• The government also aims to fill vacant posts of Sanskrit teachers soon.
Reservation
• The budget has proposed to increase Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation in the higher
educational institutions from 15 percent to 29 percent.
• The Government proposed to provide two wheeler to top 1000 girl students in 10+2
examinations in 2017.
Farmers
• Budget has proposed to introduce zero interest crop loans for farmers. They would get
100 percent interest subvention on agricultural loans up to Rs 1 lakh.
• Besides, the budget has proposed to provide Rs. 3000 per inactive Kisan Credit Cards
(KCC) as one time cash incentive to increase the flow of credit to farmers.
• The Minister informed that there are around 9.60 lakh KCCs, out of which 80 percent are
inactive.
Tea Garden Workers
• The budget has proposed to give Rs 5000 to each tea garden worker in his or her bank
account. Rs. 287 allocated for this.
• It also proposes to set up Pravasi Asomiya Department.Each pregnant woman of garden areas
would be given a one-time payment of Rs. 12000.
• Besides, the budget has proposed to set up substantial healthcare facility and schools in tea
garden areas.
• Government has proposed to spend 5 percent of the budget from all the departments on tea
garden areas.
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• It propose to introduce reservation of seats for tea garden students in all higher educational
institutions
• Around 670 students of the tea tribes who are pursuing engineering, medical or any other
technical course would be provided assistance under Financial Assistance for Higher Studies.
• Government will also consider the revival plan of the gardens of Assam Tea Corporation.
• Fleet of 40 mobile medical units would be provided across 850 tea estates to meet healthcare
needs of the plantation workers.
Other Allocation
• Rs 100 crore to increase Muga silk production in Assam.
• To encourage Khadi, Minister has proposed an annual assistance of Rs 1,000 to each
employee to spent on two sets of Khadi or handloom apparel
• In order to help the film industry of the State, the budget proposed a subsidy of Rs 50
Lakh for reopening of closed cinema halls and Rs 25 Lakh for renovation of
existing/functional cinema halls.
• A subsidy of 25% of the capital cost in case of establishment of new cinema halls will also
be given.
• Under Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment Yojana (SVAYEM), 1 lakh
youth would be given a financial support of Rs. 1 lakh for new business and Rs. 2 lakh for
existing business.
• Proposed Kanakalata Mahila Sabalikaran Yojana (KAMS) with an allocation of Rs.
250 crore to promote 1 lakh women SHG and give each a support of Rs. 5 lakh.
• Gene Bank for Indigenous Fish (GBIF) have been designed for the conservation of 82
endangered variety of fishes
• City Infrastructure Development Fund (CIDF) of Rs. 1200 crore in 6 cities including
Silchar, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, and Tezpur.
• Housing loan at 5.05 percent to all government employees upto Rs. 15 lakh without
collateral security.
• Rs. 100 crore to convert 1000 timber brides into permanent RCC bridges.
• Rs. 250 crore for Deen Dayal Divyang Sahajya Achani. Under this Rs. 5000 would be
given to each 4.5 lakh Divyang for their treatment.
• Rs. 32 crore allocated for Multilevel Care parking at Panbazar and Ganeshpuri
• Rs. 15 crore Joint Venture with Railway Ministry to bulid Ropeway from Kamakhya
Raliway station to Kamakhya Temple
• Government to start Mega business Summit under the name Vivacious in October-
November 2017 to attract investment.
Lok Sabha Passes Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017

i. The Lok Sabha passed the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 on February 7, 2017
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which allows for payment of wages digitally or through cheque directly into the account of workers.
The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill is in line with the government’s cash-less economy.
ii. The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 seeks to amend the Payment of Wages Act
1936. Once the bill is passed by the Rajya Sabha, it will also replace the Payment of Wages
(Amendment) Ordinance 2016 that was promulgated by the President on December 28, 2016.
iii. The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will enable the employers to pay wages via
cheque or bank transfer directly into worker’s account without the need for worker’s written
consent for the same.
Supreme Court Issues Contempt Notice to Calcutta HC judge CS Karnan

i. In a first of its kind move, the Supreme Court has issued a contempt notice on a sitting judge
of Calcutta High Court, Justice CS Karnan for making allegations of corruptions against
the Supreme Court and Madras High Court judges.
ii. A seven judge bench of the apex court also took away all the administrative and judicial
powers of Justice Karnan, directing him to return all judicial and administrative files in his
possession to Registrar General of Calcutta HC.
Railway Ministry Launches First Phase of the Station Redevelopment Program

i. The Ministry of Railways launched the first phase of Station Redevelopment Programme on
February 8, 2017 for commercial development of 23 stations across India. The total outlay of the
project in the first phase is expected to be worth Rs 9,000 crore.
ii .The 23 stations in the first phase of redevelopment includes Chennai Central, Ranchi, Udaipur,
Indore, Yesvantpur, Bangalore Cantonment, Visakhapatnam, Howrah, Kamakhya, Faridabad,
Jammu Tawi, Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Kozhikode and Bhopal.
iii .Under the Station Redevelopment Programme, the Railway will take up 400 A1 and A
stations for redevelopment through public private partnership (PPP) at an estimated cost of Rs 1
lakh crore.
Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar Introduces IIM Bill In Lok Sabha
i. The Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar introduced the Indian Institutes of
Management (IIM) Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha on February 9, 2017 to provide 20 prestigious
Management Institutes powers to grant degrees.
ii. As per the Bill, IIMs would be declared “institutions of national importance” and the Board of
Governors will be the principal executive body of each IIM. Till now IIM had been registered as
societies and were unable to grant degrees, including PhD, to their students.
iii. As per the Bill, the Director of each institute will be appointed by the Board of Governors out
of a panel of names recommended by a search-cum-selection committee, which too would be
constituted by the Board.
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Government Mandates Aadhaar for Receiving subsidised foodgrains from PDS Shops
i. The central government has made the Aadhaar mandatory for receiving the subsidised
foodgrains from the ration shops in a bid to better achieve the target of Rs. 1.4 crore subsidy
under the food security law.
ii. Those not having the biometric-based unique identification number can apply for the same
by June 30.
Bill Passed in Karnataka Assembly to allow ‘Kambala’

i .The Karnataka assembly unanimously passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017 on February 13, 2017 to legalize the conduct of “Kambala”
and bullock cart races in Karnataka.
ii. The Bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, (Central Act 59 of
1960) and exempt the two sports from the ambit of the Act keeping in mind their traditional
nature and also to protect native breeds of buffaloes.
Ananth Kumar Inaugurates Orientation Programme for Launching of 1000 PMBJKs

i. The Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri
Ananthkumar inaugurated the Orientation Progrmme for the district heads of National Yuva
Cooperative Society (NYCS) in New Delh on February 10, 2017 to launch the Pradhan Mantri
Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) in the country.
ii. The workshop was organized based upon the MoU signed earlier between Bureau of Pharma
PSUs of India (BPPI) and NYCS for establishing 1000 PMBJKs in the country. The basic details
regarding the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) were laid down during the
workshop for the effectiveness of the scheme.
Government to Open 56 More Post Office Passport Seva Kendras across India
i. With the successful operationalization of the two pilot projects of utilizing Head Post Offices as
the Passport Seva Kendra, the government has now decided to further launch the programmes
in 56 more facilities across India.
ii. The Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Posts are working to start the operation of the
new centers as early as possible in various states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
iii. The pilot projects were launched in Mysuru and Dahod (Gujarat), on January 25, 2017.
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Government to set up a Defence Procurement Organisation (DPO) to simply Purchase

Process
i. The Union Government has planned to up a Defence Procurement Organisation (DPO) in a
move to integrate and streamline the long and complex process of defence acquisitions.
ii .The committee would be headed by former Director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
Lucknow, Dr. Pritam Singh. DPO will function under the Defence Ministry.
Minority Affairs Minister Abbas Naqvi Inaugurates Second Edition of “Hunar Haat” in New
Delhi
i. The second edition of the Hunar Haat was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for
Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on
February 11, 2017 at State Emporia Complex, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place in New
Delhi.
ii. The theme of the 2nd Hunar Haat is Craft Aur Cuisine Ka Sangam. The festival will take place
from February 11-February 26, 2017.
iii. The exhibition is being organized by the Minority Affairs Ministry through National Minorities
Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) under USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in
Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) scheme.
Single Entrance Test for Engineering and Architecture across India from 2018
i. The Ministry of Human Resource Development on February 10, 2017 said that from 2018 there
would be a single entrance examination for admission in all engineering and architecture
colleges for undergraduate courses.
ii. The aim is to make the admission process more transparent and put a stop on heavy
capitation fee levied on students. At present, many states conduct their own engineering
examination or admissions are done on the basis of Class 12 marks.
National Career Services (NCS) and Jeevan Praman Facility for EPFO Pensioners
Launched in Hyderabad Post Office
i. The Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya launched
the National Career Service (NCS) for youths and Jeevan Praman facility to EPFO
pensioners through Post Offices at DakSadan in Hyderabad on February 12, 2017.
ii. The Post Offices will serve as an Employment Registration Centres for Unemployed rural
youth on behalf of the “National Career Service” Portal where youths can register themselves
for employment in 1,55,000 post offices established across the country for over 3000 occupations
offered under 52 sectors in NCS
iii. It would build a bridge between the net connected urban areas and non connected rural areas
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and help the youth to avail facility to register for employment at their doorstep hassle-free and
have access to a rich repository of career content.
Haryana Government Imposes Penalty on Liquor Consumption in Public

i. According to a notification by the Haryana government on February 14, 2017, no person shall
be allowed to consume liquor at a place which has not been licensed or authorised under
the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, except at one’s own dwelling.
ii. The state Excise and Taxation Minister Captain Abhimanyu informed that consumption
of liquor on or along the road, in a park/garden/market, along a river side as well as in a
vehicle, whether running or parked, shall now be an offence.
Jammu & Kashmir Government Launches e-Prison Project

i. The Jammu & Kashmir government launched an E-Prison project on February 13, 2017 at
NIC Centre Civil Secretariat Jammu to digitalize the record about the jail inmates.
ii. The project was inaugurated the state Minister for Information Technology, Technical Education
and Youth Service & Sports, Molvi Imran Raza Ansari. The projected is being implemented
by J&K e-Governance Agency.
iii .Currently the data about the jail inmates are maintained manually which is a time consuming
process. The e-prison project will enable to provide a centralized platform to avoid any data
redundancy, avoid delay in processing the information and manage all the jails efficiently and thus
reduce the time and cost of the process.
Madhya Pradesh government to set up Tourism Board

Shivraj Singh Chouhan lead by Madhya Pradesh government has decided to constitute Madhya
Pradesh Tourism Board for expansion of facilities at tourist spots and draw investment in the
sector.
About the Board :
i. MP Tourism Board would be a non-profit company and will be registered under the Companies
Act
ii. The board will take all responsibilities mentioned under Tourism Policy-2016.
Board Members :
♦ Chairman : Shivraj Singh Chouhan & Deputy chairman: Tourism minister of the state
♦ Directors: Chief Secretary and principal secretaries of finance, forests, urban development,
environment and culture departments
Cabinet approves award of contracts under Discovered Small Field Policy bid round in
2016
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave
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its approval to award contract in 31 contract areas under Discovered Small Fields Policy
2016 undertaken last year.
• Theses Discovered Small Fields (DSF) belongs to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
and Oil India Limited (OIL) out of which 23 are onshore and 8 are offshore.
• These fields were discovered long back but these discoveries could not be monetized due
to various reasons such as isolated locations, small size of reserves, high development
costs, technological constraints, fiscal regime etc.
Benefit from the Contract
The government estimates to monetize 40 million tonnes of oil and 22 billion cubic metres (BCM) of
gas reserves over 15 years.
• Contract will enable in faster development of fields and thus will facilitate speedy production of
oil and gas which will further help to increase the energy security aof the country.
• Besides, the production will also supplement the domestic production.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Inaugurates Campaign against Drug Addiction

i. The Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat inaugurated a Campaign againstDrug
Addiction on February 15, 2017 organized by Shimla Press Club in Shimla.
ii. The campaign aims to make the state drug free.
iii .The Governor has announced to grant Rs 1 lakh to the Press Club Shimla for organising the
campaign against drugs
Science Express’ Train Flagged off to Create Climate Change Awareness in India
i. A ‘Science Express’ train named ‘Science Express Climate Action Special’ was flagged off
from Safderjung Railway Station in New Delhi on February 17, 2017 on a seven-
month journey to spread awareness about climate change.
ii. The train was flagged off jointly by three minister including Minister of State (Independent
Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Anil Madhav Dave and Union Minister of
Science and Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan who were present at the railway station while Union
Railway Minister, Shri Suresh Prabhu, flagged off event through videoconferencing.
iii .The Science Express is on a seven-month journey and will cover 68 stations across the
country, including Agartala and Lumding in the northeast. The journey will conclude
at Gandhinagar station on September 8.
HRD Ministry Mandates Aadhaar to avail Scholarship Benefits by University and College
Students
i. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has made it mandatory for the
College and University students to have possession of Aadhaar Card issued by UIDAI to avail
benefits under the Central Sector Scholarship Scheme.
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ii .Further, the applicants eligible for these scholarships but not having an Aadhaar card can apply
for the enrolment by June 30, 2017. However, the rule will not apply to Jammu & Kashmir.
iii. Similarly, the Ministry has also notified that students who wish to avail the National Means-
cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme will also have to apply for Aadhaar by June 30. This will not be
applicable in the states of J&K, Assam and Meghalaya.
iv. The Ministry has also notified similar provision related to the Means-cum-Merit Scholarship
Scheme for schoolchildren.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami Wins Trust Vote In Assembly

i. The newly appointed Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi Palaniswami won the trust
vote in the Assembly on February 18, 2017 where 122 MLAs voted for him, while 11 voted for
O Panneerselvam.
ii .To win, a majority of 68 votes were needed. With this Palaniswami will continue to remain at
the position of CM.
Maharashtra Approves Rs. 250 crore Cloud Seeding Programme

i. The state government of Maharashtra has approved a Rs. 250 crore Cloud Seeding
Programme to experiment whether cloud seeding produces sufficient rain.
ii. Seeding is a technique which involves spraying chemicals into clouds.
iii. Under the programme, the weather scientists will fly airplanes loaded with silver iodide over
clouds above Solapur, Maharashtra during the monsoon 2017 beginning with a three year initial
investigation
iv. The programme is coordinated by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and will deal
to address the frequent drought in Vidarbha.
Mil Banche Programme held in all Government Schools of Madhya Pradesh

i. An initiative by the government of Madhya Pradesh, “Mil Banche MP” (Let MP read together)
programme was held in all the primary and middle government schools of the Madhya
Pradesh on February 18, 2017 to increase knowledge and the understanding about language among
students..
ii. Under the programme, all the district administrators, government officials, public
representatives, college students, retired officials, businessmen, media persons, doctors, engineers,
sports persons and including common man will teach and interact with students of all government
schools of the state.
iii .As a part of the programme, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan also
visited the Sanjay Gandhi Middle School in Bhopal where he had studied during his childhood.
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Bihar Government Prohibits State Officials from Consuming Liquor Anywhere In The
World
i. The Bihar Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ruled out a
newrule under which the no officials of the state government would be allowed to consume
liquor either in the state or outside the state and not even abroad.
ii. This makes Bihar the first state to have such restrictions for officials and judges.
iii. The cabinet amended the Bihar Government Servants’ Conduct Rules 1976 and approved
the Bihar Judicial Officers Conduct Rules, 2017.
Government approves 800 crore for coastal security surveillance

Union Defence Ministry has approved 38 additional coastal radar stations with the cost of Rs
800 crore to enhance coastal surveillance on India’ over 7500 km long line.
• The Defence Acquisition Council led by Defence minister Manohar Parrikar approved the
acceptance of the necessity of 38 radar stations aimed to give gap less electronic surveillance
of Indian coastline.
• Besides the deciding body also gave it nod to set up an integrated engine repair facility for
Naval Mig-29K fighter jets at naval aircraft yard in Goa.
Cabinet approves investment proposal for 3-Hydro Electric Project in Nepal

The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved investment proposal for generation
component of 900 MW Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project in Nepal by state owned SJVN Limited.
• The project culminated as Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government of
Nepal located in the Sankhuwasabha Distt.
• SJVN has been entrusted to plan, promote, organize & execute the Arun-3 Hydro-electric
Project.
Gujarat Govt Presents Budget With No New Taxes In Poll Year

i. The BJP Administration in Gujarat presented a main stream budget with overall layout of Rs
1,72,179 crore for 2017-18, which is Rs 20,327 crore more than last year.
ii. This budget comes ahead of Poll is due in the state this year that comes with a slew of welfare
initiatives and no new taxes.
iii. While Presenting Budget Finance Minister Nitin Patel in the Assembly the minister stated that
the state has overall surplus of Rs 239.16 crore while the revenue surplus is estimated at Rs
6,065.60 crore.
iv. As far as Tax is concerned he keeps it with a pause as he did not propose any
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increase, especially in the Value Added Tax (VAT), as GST will be implemented shortly.
v. The Minister Kept Agriculture, irrigation and rural development with highest share of 21.88 per
cent in the developmental expenditure, followed by education and sports (21.17 per cent), water
supply, housing and urban development (16.72 per cent) and energy, industry and minerals (10.42
per cent).
vi. In the backdrop of Demonetization besides keeping Tax rates unchanged he also emphasized
Education sector with allocations this time with Rs 25,000 crore.
India aims to bring broadband to every village by 2018

i. Union government aims to bring high-speed digital connectivity to every village by
2018 and is profound to share proficiency in the area with other nations.
ii. Union Department of Telecom, under the Universal Services Obligation (USO) fund, is
working to bring highs peed broadband to every village in the country by 2018.
iii. The Centre is working to bring the game changing impact of technology to all our six lakh
villages and the optical fibre network to all rural areas.
Suresh Prabhu unveils Antyodaya rail coaches for unreserved passengers

i. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had unveiled the new Antyodaya Express, a fully
unreserved train for the common man with specially designed colourful coaches.
ii. The first Antyodaya Express will be plied between Mumbai and Tatanagar, and the second
will be between Ernakulam and Howrah shortly.
iii. As stated in the Union budget these Antyodaya was meant for Aam Aadmi (common man)
provided in Antyodaya coaches are similar in first class that will have cushioned seats with
aluminium composite panels. The fare structure will be between 10 per cent and 15 per cent
more than the regular fare.
Maneka Gandhi Announces Compensation Fund For Children

i. Union Women and Child Development Minister Sanjay Maneka Gandhi has unveiled the setting
up of a compensation fund under Nirbhaya scheme to make available financial help to children
who are victims of sexual crimes.
ii. The money for this fund will be drawn from Nirbhaya Scheme and will be watched directly by
the Women and Child Development Ministry and on the total amount of money to be set aside for
this scheme is yet to be decided.
Ministry of Urban Development Approves Development of 6 km long Bet Dwarka Darshan

Circuit in Gujarat at a cost of Rs.16.27 cr under HRIDAY
i. As a part of the Central Scheme ‘Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana
(HRIDAY)’, the Ministry of Urban Development has approved development of 6 km long Bet
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Dwarka Darshan Circuit in Gujarat at a cost of Rs.16.27 crore.

ii. The circuit was approved by the HRIDAY National Empowered Committee chaired by Rajiv
Gauba, Secretary (UD) Government of India.
iii. The Circuit will connect the famous Dwarkadish Haveli and Hanuman Dandi, the only
temple housing Hanumanji and his son Makardhwaj, in Dwarka district of Gujarat.
iv. There are two important water bodies along the circuit including Ranchod Talav and
Shankhudhar Lake.
Gujarat Assembly Passes COTP Amendment Bill to Ban Hookah Bars

i. The Gujarat Assembly passed the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and
Distribution)(Gujarat Amendment), Bill, 2017 on February 23, 2017 to put a total ban on all
the hookah bars in the state.
ii. The bill seeks to amend the present ‘Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act-
2003’ (COTP) and has replaced the Ordinance passed by Gujarat Government in December 2016
for the same.
AYUSH Minister Inaugurates the World Integrated Medicine Forum on Regulation of

Homeopathic Medicine in New Delhi
i. The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated
the World Integrated Medicine Forum on Regulation of Homeopathic Medicinal Products:
National and Global strategies in New Delhi on February 23, 2017.
ii. The two day event that concluded on February 24, 2017 was organized by Ministry of
AYUSH and Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH) and supported by Pharmacopoeia
Commission for Indian Medicine & Homeopathy (PCIMH) & Central Drugs Standard Control
Organization (CDSCO).
iii. The first-of-its-kind forum is expected to increase the perception of the international world
towards India as a key player in the progress of the homeopathy drug industry.
iv. Besides, an MoU was also signed between Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention of the
United States (HPCUS) and Indian bodies including Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian
Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) and Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH) on
cooperation in the field of Homeopathic Medicine.
Government Allows Tamil Nadu to Raise Number of Workdays under MGNREGA

i. The Central government has granted permission to raise the number of workdays under
the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee scheme in Tamil Nadu from the existing
100 days to 150 days.
ii. The increase in workdays aims to help rural laborers who are facing job loss as a result of the
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severe drought affecting the state.

iii. The scheme is being implemented in 12,524 villages of Tamil Nadu. Works like desilting of
waterbodies in rural areas and maintenance of other rural assets are being undertaken under the
scheme.
Gujarat Assembly Passes COTP Amendment Bill to Ban Hookah Bars

i. The Gujarat Assembly passed the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and
Distribution)(Gujarat Amendment), Bill, 2017 on February 23, 2017 to put a total ban on all
the hookah bars in the state.
ii. The bill seeks to amend the present ‘Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act-
2003’ (COTP) and has replaced the Ordinance passed by Gujarat Government in December 2016
for the same.
iii. Despite restriction, if any hookah bar is found to be operational would be considered as an
offence and subjected to punishment ranging from maximum of Rs. 50,000 fine to jail term of
up to three years.
Delhi Government Approves 37 Percent Hike in Minimum Wages

i .The Aam Aadmi Party led Delhi government approved a hike of around 37% in
the minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled persons on February 24, 2017 in
New Delhi.
ii. The Cabinet Committee chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sanctioned the increase
based on the recommendation of a 15-member committee set up by former Lieutenant Governor
Najeeb Jung in 2016.
iii. The minimum wages for unskilled persons has been raised to Rs. 13,350 per month from the
existing Rs. 9,724 per month.
iv. For semi-skilled, the wage has been raised from Rs. 10,764 to Rs. 14,698 per month while for
skilled persons from Rs. 11,830 to Rs. 16,182 per month
v .Kejriwal government will send the committee’s recommendations to Lt Governor Anil Baijal on
February 26, 2017 for final nod so that workers are benefited.
School buses must have CCTVs, GPS, speed governors: CBSE

The Central Board of Secondary Education headed by Rakesh Kumar Chaturvedi has issued
comprehensive guidelines on safety of children in school buses.
♦ This guidelines should be followed by all affiliated schools
New guidelines :
i. The Board divided the guidelines into seven broad categories which include exterior and interior
of the bus, manpower and facilities on the bus, permits, arrangements by school authorities and
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advisory to parents.
ii. Speed governors with 40 km per hour, GPS and CCTV mandatory for school buses.
iii. The word ‘School bus‘ should be written prominently on the back and front of the vehicle
iv. One mobile phone number should be written in each school bus and ensure that the buses
are not permitted to overtake any four-wheeler while carrying the school children.
Centre frames infrastructure policy to check challenges of urbanisation

i. The Centre has formulated the infrastructure policy to promote living close to mass public
transport corridors like metro, monorail and bus rapid transit (BRT) on February 26, 2017
ii. Aim: To addressing the challenges of urbanisation.
iii. The new Policy seeks to promote Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).
iv. The Ministry of Urban Development is also incentivising the TOD under new Metro Policy and
Green Urban Mobility Scheme that seeks to create non-motorised transport infrastructure in cities
like footpaths and cycle-tracks.
v. The Ministry’s initiative comes in the context of over 300 km of metro lines being operational in
seven cities, while another 600 km of metro line projects being under construction in 12 cities and
over 500 km projects under consideration.
vi. TOD policy is being taken up in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Naya Raipur, Nagpur and Navi Mumbai.
Rajasthan Inaugurates Medical Project RAHAT for Prompt Treatment of Heart Disease
i. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated a medical project Rajasthan Heart
Attack Treatment programme (RAHAT) on February 25, 2017 at the Eternal Heart Care
Center Hospital in Jaipur.
ii. Raje also flagged off an ambulance fitted with equipment and trained paramedical staff required
for treatment of heart disease.
iii. RAHAT programme aims to provide people in remote and rural areas with timely treatment
during heart attacks. It has been launched by the private hospitals in the state.
iv. Under the programme, the patients facing heart attack would be provided with emergency
ambulance service and telemedicine service through Eternal Heart Care Centre Hospital.
v. Patient would be given the basic treatment in the ambulance on the way to the nearest Heart
Hospital and the same would be shared with the Hospital’s Command centre through GPS.
vi. Rajasthan has become the second state in India after Tamil Nadu to launch proragmmes against
Heart Diseases.
Suresh Prabhu flagged off the first Antyodaya clan of trains

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu flagged off the fourth Humsafar clan of
trains and first Antyodaya clan of trains through video conferencing from Rail Bhawan on
February 27, 2017
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1.Sri Ganganagar – Tiruchirappalli Humsafar Express (Weekly) (via Krishnarajapuram, Pune,

Ahmedabad)
2.Ernakulam – Howrah Antyodaya Express (Weekly) (via Salem, Katpadi, Visakhapatnam)
He also launched the New Catering Policy 2017:
New partnership in Parcel Business with Department of Post and New Catering Policy 2017.
i. The new policy will replace the seven year old policy and has separated food production and
food distribution. The policy has been finalised after consultation with all stakeholders.
ii. The onboard catering responsibility has been given to the IRCTC for majority of trains, including
all the new ones, while the food will be prepared at state-of-the-art base kitchens.
iii. Railway catering policy-2017 also empowers the IRCTC to fix menu and tariff in consultation
with Railway Board.
MEITY to promote digital transactions in place of NITI

i. The Ministry of IT and Electronics (MEITY) has taken the the responsibility NITI Aayog
to promote the digital transactions in India.
ii. MEITY is responsible for promotion of e-governance for empowering citizens as well as
promoting inclusive and sustainable growth of electronics and IT in the country.
iii. It is also responsible for encouraging the growth of IT-enabled services industries.
iv. Now NITI Aayog will focus on monitoring and suggesting ways to improve various
government schemes rather than getting involved with implementation.
Bihar State Government Presents Rs 1.60 lakh crore Budget for 2017-18
i. The Bihar State finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui presented the Rs 1.60 lakh crore budget
for 2017-18 with no proposals of any fresh tax on February 27, 2017.
ii. A Rs 14,555 crore revenue surplus budget of Rs 1,60,085.69 crore is Rs 15389.42 crore
more than 2016-17 budget estimate of Rs 1,44,696.27 crore.
iii. The state’s fiscal deficit has been estimated at Rs 18,112 crore which is 2.87 percent of the
Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) estimated at Rs 6.32 lakh crore.
iv .Of an estimated revenue receipt of Rs 1,37,158.41 crore of the state government in 2017-18,
state’s own tax revenue is estimated at Rs 32,001.12 crore which is Rs 2,270.85 crore more than
Rs 29,730.27 crore in 2016-17.
v. The state plans to borrow Rs 23,862 crore in 2017-18 and expects a share of Rs 65,326.37 crore
in central taxes and Rs 36,956 crore in the form of grants-in-aid.
Allocations under Different Sectors
♦ Education Sector (Highest Allocation): Rs 14,217 Crore
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♦ Rural Development: Rs 9,725 Crore

♦ Rural Works: Rs 8,516 Crore
♦ Energy: Rs 6,795 Crore
♦ Social Welfare: Rs 5,949 Crore
♦ Road Construction: Rs 5,703 Crore
♦ Health: 3,567 Crore
♦ Urban Development: Rs 2,734 Crore
Orissa Legislative Assembly Presents State Budget 2017-18

The state Finance Minister of Odisha Pradeep Kumar Amat presented the State Budget for 2017-
18 fiscal in the session of Orissa Legislative Assembly on February 27, 2017.
♦ Total Budget Outlay: the state presented a total budgetary outlay of Rs. 1,06,911 crore while
merging non-plan and plan expenditure.
♦ Merging planned and non-planned expenditures, the new allocations have been made for the
schemes and programmes.
i. Of the total outlay, the largest outlay of Rs. 18,404 crore was allocated for education and skill
developments while an outlay of Rs. 14,930 crore for agriculture.
ii. Sectors such as agriculture, health, rural electrification, establishment of five new medical
colleges, education and tribal development were the most prioritized in the Budget.
iii. The government has allocated Rs. 5000 crore for the implementation of the Seventh Pay
Commission recommendations.
iv. Besides, another Rs. 4000 crore has been allocated for the implementation of the scheme to
convert kutcha houses to pucca.
v. Allocations have also been made for the completion of the ongoing projects and increase in social
sector spending.
vi. The state announced revised pay structure for 4 lakh employees and nearly 3 lakh pensioners
for which the State Government will have to depend on market borrowings to meet requirements in
all the sectors.
India-Israel Celebrates 25 Years of Diplomatic Relations in New Delhi

i. India and Israel celebrated 25 years of establishment of their diplomatic relations on
February 28, 2017.
ii. Marking the occasion, a logo was unveiled jointly by Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relation)
and Daniel Carmon, lsraeli Ambassador to India, at the lndira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in
New Delhi.
iii. A series of events took place on a variety of subjects to celebrate the silver jubilee of their
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diplomatic relations. These include exchange of high-level political visits and visits by business
delegations.
PLACES IN NEWS
31st Surajkund International Crafts Mela being held in Faridabad

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurates the 31st Surajkund International Crafts
Mela in Faridabad, Haryana on February 1, 2017.The mela will end on 15th February, 2017.
Highlights of Mela :
i. 2017 Surajkund International Crafts Mela is known as ‘Cashless Mela’ because all stakeholders
have been provided option to opt for cashless transactions
ii. A team of volunteers called ‘Mela Mitra’ are appointed to help and guide visitors for Mela
iii. The freedom fighter Jharkhand Birsa Munda’s statue has been constructed and people from
21 countries are expecting to participating at the mela.
19th Edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav Begins in New Delhi

i. The 19th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav or International Drama Festival kicked off on
February 1, 2017 in New Delhi.
ii. The 21 days annual theatre festival will conclude on February 21, 2017 and would take place at
five different cities including New Delhi, Kurukshetra, Pune, Agartala, Hyderabad and Patna during
the course of time.
iii. The festival would see 94 performances from 12 Countries & 16 Indian States.
iv. The 2017 Bharat Rang Mahotsav would also have Living Legend Series, Master Classes, Youth
Forum and Director’s Meet. Besides, 3 Tributary Plays, 6 Diploma Productions, 7 Plays by Living
Theatre Luminaries would be part of the International event.
Centre of Integrative Oncology inaugurated in New Delhi

i. The Centre of Integrative Oncology (CIO) was inaugurated by Dr. Saumya Swaminathan,
Secretary, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare & Director General,
Indian Council for Medical Research and Shri Ajit M. Sharan, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH at the
National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR) at Noida on the 3rd February, 2017.
ii. Sharan also launched the fellowship programme, under this Senior Research Fellowships and
5 Post-doctoral fellowships will be released every year (in both modern medicine and Ayurveda) to
facilitate quality research in the country in the area of cancer research.
iii. The aim of the CIO is to build collaborations in the areas of cancer prevention, research and
care in an integrated approach involving both modern and traditional medicine.
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Gujarat Technological University Sets Up Centre Of Excellence In Automation

Technologies
i. India’s first Centre of Excellence in Automation Technology was inaugurated by the Gujarat
Technological University at its campus at Vishwakarma Government Engineering College in
Ahmedabad on February 3, 2017.
ii. The center has been funded by a German technology major, Bosch Rexroth. The excellence
centre has four laboratories including Pneumatic Lab, Hydraulic Lab, PLC Lab, Robotic &
Mechatronics Lab and Sensor Lab.
iii. The centre was inaugurated by Bosch Rexroth managing director, Hans Bangert jointly by the
Gujarat government’s minister of state for higher and technical education, Jayadrathsinh Parmar.
Goa Distributes Pink Teddy Bears to First-Time Female Voters

i. In a move to encourage active participation in the assembly poll especially by women voters, the
government of Goa on February 4, 2017 conducted a unique experiment, which involved giving
away 600 pink teddy bears to first time women voters across the state.
ii. The teddies were distributed at 40 model polling booths from each of the 40 assembly
constituencies in Goa. These polling stations were decorated with pink balloons, pink table cloths,
pink walls, while polling officials were also seen wearing pink clothes.
Andhra Pradesh Gets its First Smart Police Station

i. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurates the State’s first Smart
Police Station at Nagarampalem in Guntur city in Amaravati on February 6, 2017.
ii. The Smart station has been built within two months at a cost of Rs 91 lakh as a pilot project.
The Andhra Police administration has formulated plans to build another 100 Smart Police
Stations across the state.
iii. The main motive behind such smart police station is to bring a sense of pride among the
officers and satisfaction among the public.
India’s first social innovation centre Launched in Nizamabad by Telanagana Government

i. The Telangana government launched India’s first social innovation centre the ‘Kakatiya Hub
For Social Innovation’ in Nizamabad on February 6, 2017.
ii .The launch was announced at the one-day Development Dialogue, an international social
entrepreneurship ecosystem conference hosted by Kakatiya Sandbox.
iii. The social hub has been funded by the Telangana government and will be implemented
through Kakatiya Sandbox which is a centre that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation
modelled after Deshpande Foundation’s Hubli Sandbox.
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Arunachal first NE state to implement e-Cabinet solution

i. Arunachal Pradesh became the first state in the northeast to implement e-Cabinet solution for
the state cabinet members.
ii. Using this system, the cabinet members can access the cabinet notes before the meeting. The
entire business of the Cabinet can be conducted using the e-Cabinet solution.
iii. “e-Cabinet is a powerful tool that the Arunachal Pradesh government plans to use to streamline
its decision-making process,”
Gujarat Become India’s First State to Establishes Cashless System for PDS
i. Gujarat has become the first state in India to establish Cashless system for distribution of
food grain to the beneficiaries under NFSA (National Food Security Act).
ii. The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on
February 8, 2017 appreciated the efforts of the state government which has installed Aadhaar
Enabled Payment System in 17,250 Fair Price Shops (FPS) much before the target of March
31 as decided by the state
iii .The beneficiaries would just need to carry their Aadhaar cards for getting their food grain
in Gujarat. This will help in establishing their identity, stop the leakages of grain at shop level and
eradicate corruption in the Public Distribution System (PDS).
2017 Desert Festival Begins in Jaisalmer

i .The three day long International Desert Festival 2017 started with great enthusiasm on 8
February 2017 in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
ii .The festival was inaugurated by Jaisalmer MLA Chhotu Singh Bhati and district
collector Matadin Sharma by flagging-off the shobha yatra. The procession traveled from
Gadisar Lake to Shaheed Poonam Singh Stadium.
iii. Famous folk artists coming from different parts of the country performed as the procession
moved further. A cavalcade of 48 camels of Border Security Force (BSF) was the major attraction
on first day of the festival.
IIT Kharagpur to launch India’s first School on Quality and Reliability

i. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur is starting India’s first inter-
disciplinary School on Quality and Reliability (Q&R) in India.
ii. The main of the establishing the school is to improve the quality of life for the people of India as
well as develop quality conscious global citizens.
iii. The Q&R school, in collaboration with other academic units in the Institute will offer academic
courses, research and mission-mode programmes in the area of Quality and Reliability for social
transformation.
iv. The school is being named after an IIT Kharagpur alumnus Quality guru Subir Chowdhury as
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the Subir Chowdhury School of Quality and Reliability. He is the patron of the school who has
offered $1 million fund for school.
GNFC township becomes India’s first cashless Township

i. India’s first cashless township “Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals (GNFC)
township”was inaugurated by Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani on February 13, 2017
ii. Nearly 10,000 residents in GNFC have embraced various digital mode of payments instead of
cash.
iii. In the township, residents are making cashless payments at shopping centres, schools, colleges,
hospital, stadium, laundry and even at tea stalls.
India’s first floating elementary school inaugurated on Manipur’s Loktak Lake

i. India’s first floating elementary school particularly for drop outs has been inaugurated on
Loktak lake at Langolsabi Leikai of Champu Khangpok floating village in Manipur on the
occasion of World Wetlands Day on February 2, 2017.
ii. The school named as Loktak Elementary Floating School has been opened under an initiative
of All Loktak Lake Fishermen’s Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) with the support of NGO, People’s
Resources Development Association (PRDA) under a programme of ActionAid India.
iii. The need to establish such a school was felt considering sudden high dropout rate of children
living in the Champu Khangpok floating villages
iv. PRDA will pay the volunteers under the project called ‘Empowering vulnerable local
communities for sustainable development’, which is funded by Action Aid India.
UNESCOs Nature Fest held in Himachal Pradesh

France based UNESCO organised the two-day Nature Fest at the World Heritage Site Great
Himalayan National Park (GNHP) at Sairopa in Kullu district from February 11, 2017.
Highlights:
i. The festival was organised in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and would
be attended by prominent conservationists.
ii. A media workshop held on the sidelines and Discussion on nature conservation to discuss various
aspects of environmental journalism.
IMF Launches South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Center in New Delhi
i. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) launched its first fully integrated capacity
development centre, South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) in New
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Delhi on February 13, 2017.

ii. The SARTTAC was inaugurated by Shaktikanta Das, Secretary of India’s Ministry of Finance.
iii. SARTTAC will help to assist the local member countries of South Asia including Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
iv. It has been financed jointly by the IMF, the member countries, and development
partners (Australia, South Korea the EU and the UK).
iv .The main objective of SARTTAC is to help its member countries strengthen their institutional and
human capacity to design and implement macroeconomic and financial policies that promote
growth and reduce poverty.
Mamata Banerjee declares Kalimpong as separate district

i. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee declared Kalimpong as 21st district of West Bengal on
February 14, 2017. The new district is from Darjeeling.
ii. On the same day Banerjee announced two projects for the development of newly created
Kalimpong
1.Rs 220 crore road link project to connect Kalimpong with Sikkim via the old Silk Route
2.Rs 50 crore water supply project to address Kalimpong’s water scarcity problem.
The Union Cabinet Approves Establishment of Food Legumes Research Platform (FLRP) at
Amlaha, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh
The Union Government chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 15, 2017
approved setting up of Food Legumes Research Platform (FLRP) at Amlaha, Sehore in Madhya
Pradesh for meeting the emerging food security challenges.
• FLRP would be set up by the by International Center for Agricultural Research in
Dry Areas (ICARDA) with satellite hubs in West Bengal (for pulses) and Rajasthan (for
natural resource management).
• The Cabinet has also approved signing of lease deed with Madhya Pradesh
government for the land provided by them (70.99 hectare, 175.42 acre) at Amlaha Farm,
Sehore on land rent of Re 1 per acre per year for 30 years on lease and to further lease it
to ICARDA to establish the FLRP in the state.
• Besides, the cabinet gave in principle approval for conferring an international
status on the Food Legume Research Platform of ICARDA as contemplated in Clause
3 of the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947.
Indian Panaroma Film Festival Begins in Port Blair

i. The Indian Panorama Film Festival kicked off in Port Blair on February 15, 2017.
ii. The five day film festival has been organized by the Directorate of Information, Publicity &
Tourism, Andaman & Nicobar Administration in association with the Ministry of Information
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& Broadcasting and Directorate of Film Festivals/IFFI, New Delhi, Govt of India.
iii .The festival was inaugurated by the Chief Secretary, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Shri
Anindo Majumdar at DBRAIT Auditorium, Dollygunj, Port Blair.
iv. The inauguration was followed by screening of the film Bahubali (Telegu) directed by SS.
Rajamauli.
Kerala cabinet Gives In-Principle Approval for Greenfield Airport at Sabarimala

i. The Kerala cabinet gave its in-principle approval on February 15, 2017 for setting up
a Greenfield Airport at pilgrim centre Sabarimala located at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the
Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.
ii. The state government has also directed Kerala State Industrial Development Corp
(KSIDC) to conduct a study on the proposed airport.
iii. Lakhs of devotees visits the Sabarimala hill shrine each year and in recent years the number of
pilgrims visiting the temple had gone up especially during November-January Mandala-
Makaravilakku pilgrim festival season.
Khajuraho Dance Festival Starts in Madhya Pradesh

i. The Khajuraho Dance Festival kicked off at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh from February 20,
2017. The seven day festival will conclude on February 26, 2017.
ii. The dance festival is conducted every year by the Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad.
iii. This cultural festival showcases various Indian classical dance styles such
as Kathak, Bharathanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuriand Kathakali with performances of some
of the best exponents in the field.
International Ayurvedic Research Institute Planned At Kannur

i. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to set up Ayurvedic research
institute and Kerala Blood Bank society of International standards in Kerala during the 13th five
year plan.
ii. Ayurvedic research institute will be set up at the cost of Rs 300 crore at Kannur.
iii. It will be set up jointly by Thiruvananthapuram Citizens India Charitable Trust, Health
Department with technical assistance of WHO.
Kerala to launch sex offenders registry, first in the country

i. The Kerala government also plan to launch the country’s first sex offenders
registry which will contain all identification details of sex offenders and would be kept in public
domain
ii. A comprehensive victim relief fund will be set-up by the state government to provide interim
relief for victims of sex crimes, both children and adults.
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Punjab bans manufacture, sale of gutkha, pan masala for one year
i. Punjab government lead by Parkash Singh Badal has imposed the one year ban on the
manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of food products containing tobacco or nicotine
like gutkha and pan masala
ii. The decision has been taken in view of the orders issued by Supreme Court
iii. The ban also applicable to processed, flavoured, scented, chewing tobacco.
National Folk Festival of Kerala 2017 Begins in Thiruvananthapuram

i. The first of its type festival, the National Folk Festival of Kerala (NFFK 2017) has been
organized in Kerala starting from February 24, 2017 to be held for three days in three different
locations in the capital city Thiruvananthapuram.
ii .The NFFK 2017 has been organised by the state Youth Welfare Board, in association
with Bharat Bhavan and the Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan.
iii .The event will see over 500 artists showcasing the centuries old folklore culture and tradition
of the country through different art forms.
Annual 2-day long Liker & Leh Dosmochey Festival Held in Ladakh
i. The centuries old two-day long Liker and Leh Dosmochey festival started in Ladakh
Region of Jammu and Kashmir on February 24, 2017.
ii. Dosmochey is the major monastic festival held annually in the Ladakh region during the winter
season to mark the destruction of evil spirit.
iii. The main focus of the festival includes mask dances with different monastic religious musical
instruments.
PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates 112-foot Shiva Statue in Coimbatore

i. On the occasion of Mahashivratri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 112-feet-tall
Lord Shiva statue at Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on February 24, 2017.
ii. The statue is dedicated to “Adiyogi”, an incarnation of Lord Shiva who is considered to be the
first of yogis.
iii. The bust of Lord Shiva is made of steel and weighs 500 tonnes. It took 2.5 years to design
and eight months to build the statue.
iv. As a part of the occasion, PM Modi also released the book ‘Adiyoga: The source of Yoga’,
which deals with yogic sciences.
India’s First Hill Station Bicycle Path Unveiled in Darjeeling

i. India’s first hill station bicycle path was inaugurated in Darjeeling on February 25, 2017.
ii. The 20 km long cycle route is developed at an altitude of over 2,000 metres and runs
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through thick pine forest and Senchal wildlife sanctuary. The path also provides a view of the
third-highest mountain in the world, Kanchenjunga.
iii .The route starts from near Jorebunglow, south of Darjeeling and ends at a small local eco-
village resort in Chatakpur.
Online payment of court fees introduced in Goa

i. The High Court of Bombay has joined hands with Goa Government and National Informatics
Centre (NIC) has launched online payment of court fees through e-payment gateway in Goa.
ii. An e-payment of court fees would be available for District and Sessions Courts as well as all
subordinate Courts in the coastal state.
iii. Now all the court fees are paid by way of impressed and adhesive stamps.
Festivals of Goa :
Carnival, Shigmotsav, Sabado Gardo, Beach Bonanza, Konkani Drama Fest, Chavoth, Diwali,
Christmas, Easter, Shigmo, Dasehra
India’s First Integrated Heliport Inaugurated at Rohini in North Delhi

i. India’s first integrated Heliport was inaugurated by the Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi
Raju on February 28, 2017 at Rohini in North Delhi.The Heliport is the first of its kind facility in
South Asia for rotor wing aircraft including their landing and takeoff and has been built by state-
owned Pawan Hans Ltd.
ii. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Pawan
Hans CMD B P Sharma among others were present at the ceremony.
iii. The newly developed heliport has been built over an area of 25 acres with a total investment
of Rs. 100 crore
iv. The heliport consists of a terminal building having a capacity of 150 passengers, 4
hangars with the parking capacity of 16 helicopters and 9 parking bays.
Haryana Launches Online Sex Ratio Monitoring System For Panipat

i. The state government of Haryana has set up an online system called the Sex Ratio Monitoring
Dashboard to monitor the sex-ratio in Panipat district as part of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti
Padhao’ programme.
ii. The system will have the data of child sex-ratio collected from all villages by the Health and
Women and Child Welfare Departments every month.
iii .It will also include the data about the critical villages where more attention was required
regarding child sex-ratio and important steps needed to be taken to tackle the problem.
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iv. The dashboard had been developed in association with National Informatics Centre (NIC) as
a pilot project. It would act as an effective tool for better coordination between the Health
Department and the Women and Child Welfare Departments.
FOREIGN VISITS
Vice President Hamid Ansari’s 5-day Visit to Rwanda & Uganda
Vice President of India, Mohammed Hamid Ansari was on a five-day visit to Rwanda and
Uganda from February 19 to February 23, 2017 to enhance bilateral engagement among the
nations.
• Ansari was in Rwanda from February 19-20 while reached Uganda on February 21.
• During his visit, Vice President Ansari held discussions with leaders in the two east African
nations on issues of bilateral interest.
India & Rwanda sign MoUs in innovation, aviation and visa requirements
During the visit, India and Rwanda signed three MoUs on February 21, 2017 in the field
of innovation, aviation and visa requirements.
The three MoUs signed includes:
Air service agreement between India and Rwanda with direct flight to Mumbai
• Establishment of an Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Rwanda duly financed by
Government of India for promoting innovation.
• Agreement for exemption of visa requirements for diplomatic and service passports.
• The agreements were signed during a business forum meet in the presence of Vice
President Mohammed Hamid Ansari and Rwandan Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi.
Ansari Launches India-Rwanda Innovation Growth Programme

During his 2 day visit to Rwanda, Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari launched the India-
Rwanda Innovation Growth Programme to strengthen ties in Science, Technology and
Innovation between the two nations.
• Under the programme, a technology expo would be organized in Rwanda of India’s low cost
innovations. After the pilot project in Rwanda, the programme would be expanded to other
countries of the East African Community.
VC Ansari Addresses India-Rwanda Business Forum
Vice President Ansari along with the Prime Minister of Rwanda also addressed India-Rwanda
Business Forum.
• The India-Rwanda Business Forum was jointly organized by the Federation of Indian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Rwanda Development Board in
Kigali.
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• During the forum, the Indian Vice President proposed to offer scholarships and fellowships
to Rwandan students to enable them to pursue higher education and training courses in
India.
• In Kigali, Ansari also paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 massacre at the
Kigali Genocide Museum.
India & Uganda Agrees to Cooperate in Space, Atomic Energy Sectors
Vice President Ansari was in Uganda from February 21-23, 2017. During the visit India and Uganda
approved to expand cooperation in the field of energy sector and training of personnel for space
programme and peaceful use of atomic energy.
• Vice President Hamid Ansari also held bilateral talks with Uganda President Yoweri
Museveni at the State House on February 22, 2017 and reviewed the bilateral cooperation
between the two.
• The two nations also committed to work together in trade, investment, development
cooperation, agriculture, IT, defence cooperation domains.
• Uganda President offered Indian companies to manufacture automobiles locally in Uganda
to discourage import of cars.
• On the concluding day of the visit to Uganda, Vice President, Ansari paid floral tribute to
the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Jinja, a town about 80 km from Kampala.
• He also attended a meeting of Indian diaspora in the capital city Kampala on the last day
of the visit on February 23, 2017.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
USD 3.3 billion assistance Launched by UNICEF
i. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched an appeal for the year 2017 on January 31, 2017
for USD 3.3 billion to help over 48 million children across the globe who are driven from their
homes due to conflict, disasters and climate change.
ii. The appeal was made with regards to the fear that US may cut down its funding which is the top
donor contributing about 40 percent to the international organizations.
iii. Among the UNICEF appeal for 2017, nearly 42 percent, USD 1.4 billion, would be used to
support children from Syria living as refugees across the borders in neighboring states. Besides, the
assistance would also focus on countries like Yemen, South Sudan and Nigeria which heavily
affected children due to wars.
Right to Information(RTI) Act of Sri Lanka comes into effect.

i. Right to Information (RTI) Act has come into effect in Sri Lanka from February 3, 2017. RTI
was one of the major announcements made by the present Sri Lankan government ahead of the
2015 election.
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ii. RTI Commission which comprises of 5 persons namely Mahinda Gammanpila, Kishali Pinto-
Jayawardena, S. G Punchihewa, Judge A. W. A. Salam and Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran , is vested with
a variety of powers and is responsible for ensuring people can utilize the Right to Information
effectively.
iii. The public authorities under which the RTI request falls are liable to respond to these requests
within the specified timelines, subject to a maximum of 28 days.
World’s Largest Battery Storage Plant Unveiled in California

i. Tesla Motor Inc. and Southern California Edison have jointly launched World’s largest
energy storage facilities on January 30, 2017 at the utility’s Mira Loma substation in Ontario,
California.
ii. The facility was unveiled as part of the massive deployment of grid-connected batteries
agreement made between the two companies in September 2016.
iii. The facility would reduce dependence on fossil fuels for generating energy and take advantage
of wind and sun to deliver clean energy to power homes, businesses among other things.
iv. It is the largest lithium-ion battery storage project in the world consisting of 396 stacks of
Tesla Powerpack units spread across 1.5 acres. Each unit is fitted with 16,000 lithium-ion
battery cells. The battery can store upto 80 megawatt hours to power 2,500 homes for a day or
15,000 homes for four hours.
Israel sanctions to build 3000 new settlements

i. Israel Government decided to build 3000 units for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and in
occupied East Jerusalem.
ii. An Israeli official stated that Israel will be constructing the buildings in settlements located in
the West Bank, and in occupied East Jerusalem.
India to be Guest Country at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

i. India is invited as the Guest country for the upcoming 2017 St. Petersburg International
Economic Forum which was scheduled to be held from June 1 to 3, 2017
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum
(SPIEF). India & Russia are working on the “bilateral aspect” during Modi’s visit o Russia
iii. The SPIEF is an international economics and business event held annually with the participation
of the President of the Russian Federation
Kuwait Suspends Visa for 5 Muslim-majority Countries

i. Kuwait has banned the Visas for five Muslim majority countries on February 1, 2017 over
security issues. The five countries include Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
ii. The suspension of the Visas was taken to stop illegal entry of Islamic terrorists in the country.
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iii. The ban would apply on any reason of visit ranging from tourism, visit and trade visas as well as
visas sponsored by spouses.
U.K. Parliament Clears Brexit Bill with 498 Votes

i. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May successfully held the first stage of passing the Bill in the
Parliament on February 1, 2017 to pull Britain out of the European Union.
ii. British MPs approved passing the bill with 498 to 114 votes empowering May to start the
process of pulling Britain out of the European Union.
iii. The Bill would now allow the government to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon
Treaty which the Supreme Court ruled that she could not take that decision alone.s
Iran Bans U.S. Wrestlers to Compete Freestyle World Cup

i. Iran government on February 3, 2017 banned the United States wrestlers from participating
in the freestyle World Cup to be held in February 2017 as a counter-move against President
Donald Trump’s executive order suspending visas for Iran.
ii. This decision is seen as the first step by Iranian government in response to Trump’s executive
order banning visas for seven Muslim-majority countries.
United States Imposes New Sanctions on Iran

i. The United States President Donald Trump imposed a new sanction on February 3, 2017
on Iran in a move to punish Tehran for its latest ballistic missile test.
ii. US have imposed sanction on more than two dozen Iranian entities after Islamic republic
dismissed President Donald Trump’s warnings over the missile test saying it as baseless and
provocative.
iii .The missile test carried out by Iran violated the UN Security Council Resolution 2231,
which said that Tehran cannot test missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.
Qatar Airways Launches World’s Longest Flight

i. The Qatar Airways has launched the World’s longest scheduled commercial service to ply
between Doha to Auckland.
ii. The inaugural service of Flight QR920 took off on February 5, 2017 from Doha and will take 16
hours and 20 minutes to travel 14,535 kilometers to reach Auckland in New Zealand.
iii. However, during the return flight, the Boeing 777 flight would take 17 hours and 30
minutes due to high-altitude winds.
Mexico & Turkey Agrees to Speed Up Negotiations for Free Trade Agreement
i. Mexico and Turkey on February 3, 2017 agreed to speed up negotiations on bilateral free
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trade agreement facing US President threat to leave North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA).
ii. Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and visiting Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu held
seven rounds of talks in Mexico City.
UN Agency Calls for International Collaboration on Wheat Rust to Curb Threat to Global
Supplies
i. According to a new study conducted by scientists in collaboration with the UN Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO), two new groups of wheat rust have been identified that posed
threat to wheat produced in Africa, Asia and Europe in 2016.
ii. As per the data, the two new groups have been identified as yellow rust and stem rust. The
finding calls for the need for early detection and rapid action to keep the fungus under control.
iii. The study was published in the Journal Nature. It said that wheat rusts spread rapidly over
long distances by wind.
Indian Coast Guard to have Joint Exercise with UAE Coast Guard
i. In an effort to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and UAE, the Indian Coast
Guard Ship (ICGS) Samudra Pavak made a goodwill visit at the Mina Al Rashid (Dubai Port)
from February 4 to 7, 2017.
ii. The Indian Ambassador in UAE Navdeep Suri visited the Indian Navy ship on February 5, 2017.
During the stay at port Rashid, a series of activities is scheduled to take place between Indian and
UAE coast guard.
iii. As a part of the visit, a joint exercise is scheduled to take place between Indian coast guard
and UAE coast guard to enhance co-operation and exchange of operational expertise.
iv. Besides, training and sporting events between the coast guards of both the countries will
also take place.
Israel Passes Law Legalising 4000 Settlements in Occupied West Bank

i. Israel passed a controversial law retroactively on February 6, 2017 to legalize about 4,000
settler homes built on privately owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
ii. The law was passed by 60 votes to 52. However it had raised international concern and
Palestinian anger.
iii. The law states that the original Palestinian landowners will be compensated with money or
alternative land.
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China becomes world’s largest producer of solar power

i. China has surpassed Germany to become the world’s largest producer of solar energy after
nearly doubling its installed photovoltaic capacity in 2016.
ii. With the increased capacity, China generated 66.2 billion kilowatt-hours of energy last year,
which however accounted for only 1% of its electrical output. The country further plans to double
its current solar energy capacity by 2020.
Dubai Gets first Women Commercial Pilot from Royal Family

i. Shaikha Mozah Al Maktoum, one of the female members of the ruling family of Dubai, has
become the first woman commercial pilot of Dubai.
ii. The announcement was made by her family members on Instagram saying that she was on her
first assisted flight as a commercial pilot for Emirates.
iii. However it is not yet clear that for which airline the female pilot is currently working for but the
pictures on the Instagram suggests that the uniform looks similar to the one worn by Emirates
pilots.
Shawna Pandya set to Become Third Indian-Origin Women to Fly to Space

i. Shawna Pandya an Indian-origin woman will become the third woman after Kalpana Chawla and
Sunita Williams to go into space in 2018.
ii. A neurosurgeon by profession, 32-year-old Shawna Pandya is one of the only two candidates
selected from 3200 brilliant people to fly into space through the Citizen Science Astronaut
programme in Canada. She will fly with eight other astronauts in space missions slated to take
off by 2018.
India Proposes Global Services Accord Pact to WTO Chief Azevedo

i. India presented the proposed Trade Facilitation in
Services (TFS) Agreement to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Roberto
Azevedo and India Inc. on February 9, 2017 in an event organized by Confederation of Indian
Industry in New Delhi.
ii. The WTO chief was on a two day visit to India from February 8-9, 2017.
iii. The global pact proposed by India to boost services trade at the WTO-level aims to ease
norms including those relating to movement of foreign skilled workers and professionals across
borders for short-term work.
China releases theme for BRICS Summit 2017

i. 2017 BRICS association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to be held in Xiamen,
China in September 2017
ii. The summit will be held under the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter
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Future “
5 key priorities:
1.Deepening cooperation
2.Strengthening global governance
3.Carrying out people-to-people exchanges
4.Making institutional improvements and
5.Building broader partnerships.
Longest elevated cycle path in the world opens in China

i. The world’s longest elevated cycle path has been opened in Xiamen, China which can handle
about 2,023 cyclists with a speed limit of 15 miles per hour.
ii. The path is five miles long and 16 feet wide having 11 entrances and connects to 11 bus stops
and two underground rail stations.
India Joins UN Network to Prevent Maternal, Newborn and Child Deaths by 2030.
i. India has become one of the nine members of the new ‘Network for Improving Quality of
Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health’ that aims to improve the quality of care for new
mothers and babies.
ii. The global health network is supported by World Health Organisation (WHO), UN International
Children’s Fund (Unicef) and other partners.
iii. Besides India the other member nations of the network includes, Bangladesh, A Cote
d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.
iv. The main aim of the network is to strengthen national efforts to improve the quality of care for
new mothers and babies so that countries can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
targets to end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths by 2030.
UNICEF Makes $110 Million Appeal for Sudan Children

i. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a $110 million appeal on
February 15, 2017 to help two million acutely malnourished children across Sudan including
hundreds of thousands living in conflict areas
ii. Sudan is home to around 13 percent of all children suffering from acute malnutrition across
Africa. Two million children under five in Sudan are acutely malnourished.
iii .They have been displaced due to violence in Darfur, Regions of South and North Kordofan, Blue
Nile and Abyei while many separated from their relatives and affected by grave violations.
UAE Unveils Plan to Build First City on Mars by 2117

i. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled plans to build the first city on Mars by 2117.
ii. The announcement was made by Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-
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President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Mohammad Bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of
the UAE Armed Forces on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 14,
2017.
iii. As a part of the long term Mars Plan, the UAE engineers presented a virtual
presentation depicting a preliminary concept for the city on Mars for guests to explore which is
expected to be about the size of Chicago.
India Approves USD 340 million Loan to Nepal for Development Programmes
i. India has sanctioned a soft loan of US dollar 340 million to Nepal for various infrastructure
development programmes on February 19, 2017.
ii. The approval paper was handed over by the Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae to Physical
Infrastructure and Transport Minister of Nepal Ramesh Lekhak in the presence of Railway Minister
Suresh Prabhu.
iii. Under this programme Mahalaki bridge and 15 roads will be constructed in various parts of
Nepal.
Venezuela & Libya Suspended from voting in UNGA over Dues Debts
i. Venezuela and Libya have been suspended from voting in the UN General Assembly in for
the second time in two years due to huge sum of unpaid dues by the nations to the UN Body.
ii. The UN General Assembly has barred six countries from casting votes in the 2016-2017
session because they are over two years in indebtedness.
iii. As per the data, Venezuela would have to make a minimum USD 24 million payment to get
under the two-year threshold for getting its voting rights restored. On the other hand Libya has to
make a minimum payment of USD 6.5 million.
Iran and Russia Agrees Roadmap to Jointly Produce Nuclear Fuel

i. Russia and Iran have agreed a roadmap to jointly produce nuclear fuel. The announcement
was made by the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi on February
25, 2017.
ii. A preliminary agreement with Russia on the joint production of nuclear fuel was reached during
the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the major world powers in 2015.
iii.Besides, Iran also plans to buy 950 tonnes of uranium ore (yellow cake)
from Kazakhstan over the next three years which is part of Iran’s international nuclear deal
known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Australia and Indonesia Restore Full Military Ties

i. Australia and Indonesia restored their full military ties on February 26, 2017 during the visit
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of Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Australia to boost ties with the country.
ii. The announcement was made by Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Earlier in January
2017, Indonesia’s military suspended cooperation with Australia after insulting training material
was found at a special force’s base in the west Australian city of Perth.
iii. The material allegedly ridiculed Indonesia’s founding principles known as Pancasila, and its
military.
Georgia Granted Visa-Free Travel to EU by Member State

i. The European Union member states have approved the visa-free travel for Georgia on
February 28, 2017 to facilitate cooperation of Georgia with the European Union.
ii. The approval was granted after agreeing safeguards to prevent any upsurge in illegal arrivals
from the Georgians.
iii. Under the accord, Georgian citizens will be able to travel visa-free for 90 days in the EU during
any 180-day period.
iv. The accord does not apply to the United Kingdom or Ireland.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

SAARC Programming Committee Meeting Concluded in Kathmandu
i. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’s (SAARCs) 53rd Programming
Committee Meeting began on February 1, 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The two day meeting
was attended by joint secretary/director general of the eight member nations.
ii. The meeting that concluded on February 2, 2017 was organized as a part of the annual activities
of the group that mandates to have at-least two meeting of the committee in a year.
iii. The main area of discussion revolved around Budget allocation for the management of SAARC.
iv. The meeting hosted by Nepal was in the name of 19th Summit which was earlier scheduled to
be hosted by Pakistan in November 2016. However, the country postponed the Summit over Nepal.
v. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan too declined attending the Summit. As a result Pakistan
announced postponing summit to Nepal.
17th session of BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting Held in Kathmandu

i. The 17th session of the senior officials’ meeting of the BIMSTEC was held on February 7,
2017 in Kathmandu.
ii. The session of the BIMSTEC-SOM was chaired by Shanker Das Bairagi, Foreign Secretary and
Head of Nepali Delegation. India was led by Secretary (East) Ms. Preeti Saran.
iii. The meeting adopted a report on various activities of the group. The date for the 4th BIMSTEC
Summit to be held in Nepal in 2017 was also discussed during the meeting.
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4th BIMSTEC Summit to be Held in Nepal in 2017

The Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal informed during the 17th BIMSTEC-SOM
meeting in Kathmandu on February 7, 2017 that the 4th BIMSTEC Summit would be hosted
by Nepal in 2017.
High-Level Consultations on Counter-Terrorism Held Between India & Russia in New

Delhi
i. A high-level consultation was held between India and Russia on January 31, 2017 in New
Delhi to share views on threats posed by terrorism.
ii. Indian side was led by Preeti Saran, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs while Russia
was led by H.E. Oleg V. Syromolotov, Deputy Foreign Minister.
iii. Both sides shared views on issues related to terrorism including state-sponsored, cross border
terrorism faced by India.”
iv. The two sides agreed to comply with the UNSC 1267 Sanctions List processes for blacklisting
various terrorists and entities.
Venkaiah Naidu Inaugurates Digital Radio Round Table Conference

i. Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu was inaugurated the Digital
Radio or All Round Table Conference in New Delhi on January 31, 2017
ii. Organiser: Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) and Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited
(BECIL)
iii. Aim: To stimulate the interests of the key Indian stakeholders in the public phase launch of the
project to digitise radio in India, following the successful installation of DRM digital radio
transmitters by All India Radio (AIR).
India hosts Implementation and Assessment Group Meeting of the Global Initiative to
Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT)
i. The Ministry of External Affairs in coordination with the Department of Atomic Energy is
hosting the Implementation and Assessment Group Meeting of the Global Initiative to
Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) from February 8-10, 2017 at the Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra,
New Delhi.
ii. Nearly 150 delegates from various member countries and international organisations will
participate in the event.
iii. India is committed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and technology and promote
cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and global nuclear non-proliferation.
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iv.The meeting was inaugurated by the Foreign Secretary of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar while the
concluding part would be addressed by Dr. R. B. Grover, Member, Atomic Energy Commission of
India.
2017 National Women’s Parliament held in Andhra Pradesh

i. In a first of its kind initiative, National Women’s Parliament was organized by the Andhra
Pradesh Legislative Assembly in association with MAEER’s MIT School of Governance at Pavithra
Sangamam in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh with an aim to empower women.
ii. The three day conclave that began on February 10, 2017 was based on the
theme: ‘Empowering Women — Strengthening Democracy’.
iii. The conclave was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference in the
presence of AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament, Shirin
Sharmin Chaudhury.
iv. The NWP is set to come out with the Amaravati Declaration on women empowerment at the
end of the three-day deliberations on February 12, 2017
Second edition of International Spice Conference Begins at Thiruvanantapuram

i. The second edition of the International Spice Conference began at Kovalam
in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala from February 12, 2017.
ii .The three days conference has been hosted by All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) in
association with the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The conference was
inaugurated by the Nestle India Limited Chairman and Managing director Suresh Narayanan.
iii .The theme of the conference is “21st Century Spic Industry-Disrupt or be Disrupted”
iv .The main aim of the event is to deliberate on effective strategies and innovative technologies to
improve the livelihood of spice farmers, address spice industry challenges, food safety concern,
demand supply disparity and foster sustainable growth.
India Decides to Host Counter-Radicalisation Conference with ASEAN

i. India has decided to conduct Conference with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) to share experiences and ideas from the member countries on preventing
radicalization and promoting deradicalisation.
ii. The Conference may be held in October 2017.
iii. The event will deal with the growing IS threat and make effort to counter radicalization and
misuse of religion by groups and countries for inciting hatred and terrorism
MEA & Gateway House Co-Hosts 2nd Gateway of India Geoeconomic Dialogue
i .The Ministry of External Affairs and Gateway House are co-hosting the Second Gateway of
India Geoeconomic Dialogue from February 13-14, 2017 in Mumbai.
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ii. The theme of the conference is “Where Geopolitics meets Business”.

iii. This is India’s premier geo-economics conference with the focus on building synergies between
business and foreign policy
iv .The conference will have various several panel discussions on topics like Sovereign Funds,
Global Taxation, Digital Economy, Indo-Pacific, India’s Defence-Industrial Base etc.
Aero India 2017 Begins at Air Force Station, Bangalore

i. The 11th biennial edition of International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition – Aero
India 2017 kicked off at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February
14, 2017.
ii. The five day event was inaugurated by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. It has been
organized and conducted by the Defence Exhibition Organisation (DEO) and will conclude on
February 18, 2017.
iii. For the first time in the Aero India event, China will also participate with a five member team.
Besides, two more delegates from china would also be attending the event.
iv. One of the major event of Aero India 2017 on February 14, 2017 was the handing over
of Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) to the Indian Air Force by
the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).
BEL Unveils Communication Radio for Indian Army
i. The Indian aerospace and defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has launched a
new communication radio for the Indian Armed Forces, called STARS-V Mk III, at the Aero
India 2017 show on February 16, 2017.
ii. The radio is completely designed, developed and made in BEL.
iii. The state-of-the-art radio is a multi brand, high data rate, software intensive IP radio with
mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) functions supporting up to 64 notes
MoUs Signed at Aero India 2017
Alpha Design Enters $30 million deal with Elbit to Upgrade IAF’s MI-17 Helicopter
i. Bangalore based defence manufacturer and technological services provider Alpha Design
Technologies Pvt. Limited (ADTL) signed a USD 30 million deal with Israel’s
Elbit Systems on February 17, 2017 at Aero India 2017.
ii. The contract was signed between the two to jointly upgrade 90 MI-17 ‘Hip’ helicopters of
the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Reliance Aerostructure Limited Forms JV with Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd
i. Reliance Aerostructure Limited (RAL) has entered into a Joint Venture with Rafale fighter
jet manufacturer Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL) to become the key player in the
execution of offset obligations between India and France for the purchase of Rafale jets.
ii. The Joint Venture was announced at the Aero India 2017. RAL will have 51percent shareholding
in the JV while DRAL will have the remaining 49 percent.
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Raytheon Company Signs MOU with Tata Advanced Systems to Co-Produce Stinger Air
Defence Missiles
i. US-based defence technology and research leader Raytheon Company has signed
a Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Advanced Systems on February 17, 2017 to
jointly produce Stinger air defence missile components.
ii .As part of this new collaboration agreement, Tata Advanced Systems could produce components
of the Stinger missile in India.
International Coin Fair Begins in Thiruvananthapuram

i. The International Coin Fair was inaugurated at Kanakakunnu Palace
in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on February 13, 2017 by the Kerala state Minister for Tourism,
Cooperation and Devaswoms Kadakampally Surendran.
ii. The three day exhibiton has been organized by the District Tourism Promotion Council
(DTPC) and will conclude on February 15, 2017.
iii. The exhibition has been organized to showcase more than 2,500 coins from around 500
regions including those from the time of empires and princely states.
iv .It would also feature the collection of Justin Gilbert Lopez who holds a Guinness world record
for the largest coin collection of nearly 310 countries.
Shri Radha Mohan Singh Inaugurated 2017 Indian Seed Congress in Kolkata
i. The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated
the Indian Seed Congress 2017 in Kolkata on February 12, 2017.
ii. The theme of Seed Congress is “Seed of Joy”.
iii. The theme is in line with vision of PM Modi government to bring happiness and prosperity in the
lives of farmers by doubling their farm income by 2022.
iv. The minister emphasized that to enhance the productivity of good quality seeds the centre has
directed the state governments to prepare variety wise seed rolling plants to meet year wise,
season wise requirements of quality seeds.
International Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel Industries-

NxGnMiFu-2017 inaugurated in New Delhi
i. Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Science Dr. Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated
the three day International Conference on “NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel
Industries” (NxGnMiFu-2017) in New Delhi on February 15, 2017
ii. Aim : To innovate new techniques, technologies and applications for clean, safe, symbiotic
sustenance of society, environment and industries in post-2020 era.
iii. The conference was organised by CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad
as a part of CSIR-Platinum Jubilee Celebration to commemorate 75th year of its foundation.
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Two Day ‘Momentum Jharkhand’ Global Investor Summit 2017 Concluded in Ranchi
The two day Global Investors’ Summit (GIS) 2017 was held at Khelgaon in Ranchi,
Jharkhand from February 16-17, 2017 with the brand name ‘Momentum Jharkhand’.
• Aim: To promote industrial activity in Jharkhand and establish the state as one of the prime
investment destination of Eastern India.
• The “Global Investor Summit” 2017 was organized by the Jharkhand government in
partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). This is the first time that
Jharkhand held the Investors Meet.
• The Summit was inaugurated by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while Prime
Minister Narendra Modi addressed the summit through video-conferencing.
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the brand ambassador of the event.
Mascot
A Flying Red Elephant was the mascot for the Jharkhand’s Global Investors Summit (GIS) 2017.
• It was designed by AdFactor, a public relation and advertising company based in
Mumbai.
About the Summit
The two-day global investors’ summit (GIS) saw the participation of over 9500 foreign and
domestic delegates.
• Delegates from four partner countries namely Japan, Czech Republic, Tunisia and Mongolia as
well as those from 28 countries such as Australia, the US, Britain, Russia, China, Singapore,
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Italy, and Pakistan, among others attended the meet.
• On February 16, 2017, a sectoral sessions was held on infrastructure development, Make in
Jharkhand Urban Development & Smart city and Mining & Mineral Development.
• On the February 17, the sectoral sessions was held on IT/ITeS, ESDM & Start-ups, high
education & healthcare, agro & food processing and textile & footwear.
• Some leading industrialists and Ambassadors and High Commissioners of other countries were
also present at the gathering.
• Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das also announced that the state would hold a three-
day Pravasi Jharkhand Divas on November 28, 29 and 30 in 2018 and another Global
Investor Summit in 2019-20.
Jharkhand Signs 209 MoU with different companies at Concluding Day of Global Investors
Submit
On the concluding day of the 2017 Global Investors Summit on February 17, 2017, 209
MoUs were signed between nine departments of the Jharkhand government worth Rs 3,03,987
crore with different companies.
• The 209 proposals is expected to create 2,09,176 direct employment
and 3,92,150 indirect employment as per the state government.
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Other departments which signed MoUs include

1. Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperative worth Rs 1,900
cores
2. Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare worth Rs 2,060 crore
3. Department of Higher and Technical Education worth Rs 3,231 crore
4. Department of IT and e-Governance worth Rs 8,499 crore
5. Besides, the Chief minister Raghuvar Das also handed over lands rights to a number of
companies which had signed MoUs some two three months before on the concluding day
of the summit.
6. The government handed over 66 acres of land to Lafarge India for setting up a
cements plant with 300 crore rupees.
7. Similarly Hindustan Petroleum was handed over 58.86 acres of land for setting up
LPG bottling plant with an investment of 85 crore rupees promising jobs to 85 people.
2-Day South Asian Speakers’ Summit Begins In Indore

i. The two-day South Asian Speakers’ Summit was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra
Mahajan in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on February 18, 2017
ii. Speakers of six countries includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka,
Maldives and Nepal attended the meeting to deliberate on ways to achieve sustainable
development goals.
iii. The summit will have a plenary session on ‘Identifying Resources for SDGs Implementation in
South Asia: Opportunities for Parliamentary Cooperation’
iv. A working session on ‘Gender Equality As A Critical Factor For Sustainable Development’ will
discuss opportunities that the SDGs present to strike a better gender balance and to determine the
gender impact of sustainable development policies.
v. This will conclude with the adoption of an ‘Indore Declaration‘ at a closing ceremony on
February 18, 2017
India Participates in Moscow Meet on Afghanistan’s Future

i. India on February 15, 2017 participated in a conference organized to discuss Afghanistan’s
future in Moscow along with 5 other nations.
ii. The six nations in the conference included Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, China and
Afghanistan.
iii. The conference was led by Russian President Putin’s special envoy on Afghanistan Zamir
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Kabulov while India was represented by Gopal Baglay.

iv .Earlier, Russia organized similar conference two months ago but only with China and Pakistan.
National Biodiversity Congress 2017 held in Kerala

Third National Biodiversity Congress (NBC) 2017 held Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on February 22,
2017
♦ Aim: To identify practical evidence based case studies at regional level to support the plan of
action
♦ Theme: “Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development” with four sub-themes.
Highlights of events :
i. NBC is hosted by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board
ii. This year event is comprises of programmes including conference, exhibition, capacity building
workshops and Childrens Biodiversity Congress.
India, China to hold strategic dialogue to boost bilateral ties

i. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar attended the first India-China Strategic Dialogue to be held
in Beijing to reinforce bilateral ties amid hectic meetings to resolve differences over Beijing’s
reluctance to support India’s NSG bid as well as a UN ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar.
ii. The two sides discussed all issues of mutual concern and interest including friction point and
expressed strong commitment to develop positive relations despite differences..
iii. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar along with China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui
held the strategic dialogue and also held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
BRICS summit’s 1st Sherpas Meeting held in China

i. China is hosting the first official BRICS Sherpas Meeting in Nanjing -Jiangsu Province on February
23 and 24 under its chairmanship.
ii. The meeting is focusing on the theme of “Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future” upon
considering the current international situation.
iii. After the country assumed Sherpas group chairmanship this January, subsequently hosting this
event which will discuss BRICS cooperation in 2017, particularly in the political, economic, and
cultural sectors.
2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC) Begins in Barcelona

i. The 2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC) began in Mobile World Capital Barcelona on
February 27, 2017 and will conclude on March 2, 2017.
ii. MWC is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry, organised by the GSMA. The global
tech industry gathers to get participate in new smartphone launches, VR and AR developments,
chipsets and wearables.
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iii. Some of the leading industry participating in the event includes BlackBerry, Motorola, Google,
Nokia, HTC, Huawei, LG, Samsung, Sony, ZTE among others.
iv. During the event, Nokia re-introduced the iconic Nokia 3310 handset in a new design along with
the Snake game at the Mobile World Congress (MWC). Besides, it also re-launched Nokia 5 and 3.
RANKING & REPORTS

Indian School of Business Ranked Top Indian B-School in FT Global MBA Ranking 2017
The 2017 Financial Times Global MBA ranking was released on January 30, 2017. This year 4
Indian Business Schools have been listed in Top Five B-Schools
the World’s 100 best Full Time MBA 1 INSEAD, (France/Singapore)
2 Stanford Graduate School of Business
Programme List. 3 University of Pennsylvania, (Wharton/US)
• The Four Schools listed includes: Indian 4 Harvard Business School
5 University Cambridge Judge Business School
School of Business (ISB), Indian Institute
of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC)
India Ranks 43 Among 45 Nations in International Intellectual Property Index

i. In the 5th Annual International Intellectual Property Index released by US Chambers of
Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) on February 8, 2017, India has been
ranked very poor at 43rd position out of 45 countries.
ii. The 2017 International Intellectual Property Index titled ‘The Roots of Innovation’ revealed
that though India showed slight improvement its performance, still it continued to lag behind the
rest of the world in IP protections.
iii. This is for the fifth consecutive year that India has been ranked at the bottom in the index. It
was ranked last or next-to-last in the previous four years.Last year, India was placed 37 out of 38
countries and scored a low 7.0 out of maximum 30 points.
Top 3 Countries in International IP Index
Rank Country Score
1 United States 32.6
2 United Kingdom 32.4
3 Germany 31.9
JLL Named to FORTUNE’s 2017 World’s Most Admired Companies List

i .Leading professional services firm JLL has once again been named to FORTUNE magazine’s
World’s Most Admired Companies list of 2017 based on their reputation for innovation, top
talent and global competitiveness.
Top 5 Companies in the List
1 Apple
2 Amazon.com
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3 Starbucks
4 Berkshire Hathaway
5 Disney
India Ranked 143 in the 2017 Index of Economic Freedom Index

India has been ranked 143 out of 186 economies in the annual Index of Economic Freedom
2017 released by top US based Think Tank, The Heritage Foundation.The Index measures the
degree of economic freedom in the countries of the world.
• Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand are the top three nations in the Index
respectively.
• The 2017 Index is the 23rd edition of the index.
Key highlights of the 2017 Index of Economic Freedom
As per the Washington’s No. 1 think tank, out of 186 economies India has been ranked at 143rd
position with an overall score of 52.6 points, which is 3.6 points less than compared to 2016
when India ranked 123rd.
• India has been placed in the category of “Mostly Unfree” Economies in which the
points ranges from 50.0-59.9.
• Among South Asian countries, only Afghanistan (163) and Maldives (157) were
ranked below India. Nepal (125), Sri Lanka (112), Pakistan (141), Bhutan (107), and
Bangladesh (128) surpassed India in economic freedom.
• China with a score of 57.4 points was placed at 111th position which is 5.4 points
above the last year. United States has been ranked 17 with a score of 75.1 points.
India in the Index
The report has said that the bad performance of India is due to its uneven progress in the
market oriented reforms.
• Though India has seen an average annual growth of about 7 percent over the last 5
years, but still the growth is not seen in the policies framed to preserve the economic
freedom.
• The report stated that India has made significant presence in many areas through public-
sector enterprises but in terms of private sector, it has a restrictive and burdensome
regulatory environment that discourages the entrepreneurship which could otherwise
have provided a broader private-sector growth.
• It said that though India has one of the most advanced technology and
manufacturing sectors than any other in the world, it also has a less developed
traditional sector that do not provide necessary freedom to the sector for growth.
• India is characterized by both, extreme wealth as well as too much poverty. The co-
existence of the two different nature of the economy on the one hand leads India towards
modernization, while on the other hand struggles to find path for inclusive development
for its large and diverse population.
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• India has a significant position in the global trade but the existence of corruption,
underdeveloped infrastructure, and poor management of public finance weaken the
overall development.
National Regulatory Authority of India Gets Highest WHO Ratings

The National Regulatory Authority of India (NRAI), the vaccine regulating authority of India,
has been given the highest ratings by global health body World Health
Organization for vaccine regulations on February 17, 2017.
• A team of international experts led by the World Health Organisation, declared that the
National Regulatory Authority of India (NRA) and its affiliated institutions meets the WHO
Global Benchmarking Tool requirements for a functional vaccine regulatory system.
• The WHO team of international experts conducted a comprehensive review from February 13
to 17 to measure the maturity of the system in India against WHO NRA Global Benchmarking
Tool (GBT).
• India has a major role in the global pharmaceutical industry covering vaccines, medical
devices and traditional medicines. India currently supplies several vaccines to the UN
agencies (UNICEF, WHO and PAHO).
Overview of the Assessment
WHO carried out assessment of the NRA of India comprising the Central Drugs Standard Control
Organisation (CDSCO), State Drug Regulatory Authorities, Pharmaco-vigilance Programme of
India (PvPI) and Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) structures at the Central and
States level.
• The assessment was based on nine different functionalities in the WHO Global
Benchmarking Tool. These nine functions included National Regulatory System;
Registration and Marketing Authorization; Vigilance; Laboratory Access and Testing;
Regulatory Inspection; Clinical Trial Oversight; NRA Lot Release; Licensing Premises; and
Market Surveillance and Control.
• The Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) of WHO has 63 indicators and 288 sub-indicators,
out of which 150 are critical.
• Based on the assessment, the Indian NRA has been declared ‘functional’ with a maturity
level of 4 in respect of 5 functions while maturity level 3 in respect of 4 functions.
• Maturity level 4 is the highest level as per currently evolved definitions. It indicates
good results and sustained improvement trends.
• Maturity level 3 indicates systematic process based approach, early stage of systematic
improvements, data availability regarding conformance to objectives and existence of
improvement trends.
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Report Finds India as the World’s Largest Arms Importer in the Last Four Years
According to a report released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI) on February 20, 2017, India emerged as the world’s largest importer of major arms
during 2012–16.
• As per the report, India accounted for 13 percent of the global total sales.The total volume of
international transfers of major weapons has grown continuously since 2004 and increased by
8.4 per cent between 2007–11 and 2012–16
Key Highlight of the Report
According to the data, in Asia, India increased its arms imports by 43 percent between 2007–11
and 2012–16 which is far greater than the imports by its rivals China and Pakistan.
• Between 2007 and 2011, India accounted for 9.7% of global imports which is still more
than any other country.
• Major arm suppliers to India include Russia, USA, European states, Israel and South
Korea.
• The report said that India faces serious geopolitical threats from its nuclear-armed rival
Pakistan and China’s rising military strength.
• Though the ‘Make in India’ program has been launched by the Indian government to
encourage local arms production, India’s domestic defence sector is not capable of
meeting growing requirements.
Largest Exporters According to the Report
Among the leading exporters of arms, the United States of America was the top arms exporter in
the world which increased its exports by 21 percent compared with 2007–11.
• Out of the total exports made by USA almost half of its arms exports was made to the
Middle East.
• Russia was placed as the second largest exporter that increased its exports by 23
percent selling its arms to four countries of India, Vietnam, China and Algeria.
• China also increased its sale of arm exports which supplies to France and Germany.
TCS Ranked Among Top Three IT Services Brands Globally by Brand Finance
i. India’s largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been rated as one
of the top three most-valuable brands in the information technology (IT) service sector
by Brand Finance, the leading global brand valuation firm.
ii. However, the overall global position of the company dropped down by one spot to 25th from
2016 when it was 24.
iii. TCS was also rated as Tata Sons highest brand strength of AA+ and generates 69 percent of the
total revenue of the parent company.
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Goa ranks first in having lesser infant mortality rate

i. According to the recent data, infant mortality rate in the country has been registered at 42
deaths of kids per 1000 births while Puducherry was having 11 deaths of children per 1000
babies born said by Director of Health and Family Welfare Services K V Raman on February 27,
2017.
ii. Top 3 states : Goa ranked first, followed by Kerala and Puducherry
iii. Puducherry government hospitals had necessary infrastructures to address the health issues of
young children including cardiac surgeries.
iv. The that Union Territory is operating a Medical Relief Society through which assistance was also
available to patients to get specialist treatment for critical ailments.
Mumbai Named Richest Indian City with Total Wealth of $820 bn According to New World
Wealth Report
i. According to the New World Wealth report released on February 21, 2017, Mumbai, the
financial capital of India has been named as the Richest Indian city with a total wealth of $ 820
billion.
ii. The South Africa-based market research group, New World Wealth has reported that Mumbai is
home to 46,000 millionaires and 28 billionaires
iii. Mumbai is followed by Delhi at second place with a total wealth of $ 450 billion and having
23,000 millionaires and 18 billionaires.
iv. Besides, Bengaluru stands at third place with a total wealth of $ 320 billion and houses
7,700 millionaires and 8 billionaires.
BANKING & FINANCE

India’s fiscal deficit reaches 94% of the budget estimate in December
i. Fiscal deficit in the first nine months of 2016-17 touched 93.9 per cent of the Budget target
against 87.9 per cent for the same period a year ago.
ii.In value terms, the April-December fiscal deficit stood at Rs 5.01 lakh crore, or 93.9 per cent, of
2016-17 Budget estimates (BE).
iii. The fiscal deficit stood at 87.9 per cent in the corresponding nine months a year ago, as per
2015-16 Budget estimates.
HSBC Estimates India’s GDP Growth at 7.1% in 2017-18

i. HSBC has estimated the GDP growth rate of India at 7.1 percent for the year 2017-18 which
is up from the 6.3 percent in the year 2016-17.
ii. The main reason for this increase is cited to sufficient remonetization by April end, thus
boosting the consumption level in the country to normal. Besides, the schemes announced in
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Budget 2017-18 are also seen to play major role in the growth rate.
iii. Besides, the investment is projected to remain weak within a range of 7.5-8 percent.
NABARD Sanctions Rs 157 crore Loan to Haryana for Drinking Water Project
i. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on February 2, 2017
sanctioned a loan amount of Rs. 157 crore to the Government of Haryana to undertake drinking
water project.
ii. Under the project, the government would undertake drinking water supply scheme in 84 villages
of districts Palwal and Faridabad.
iii. As per the project, portable drinking water would be supplied in selected villages in blocks
Prithla, Palwal and Ballabhgarh from Yamuna flood plain by constructing ranney wells and deep
tubewells.
iv .The project is likely to benefit 3,06,814 persons. The loan amount has been sanctioned from
the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).
v. Till date NABARD has provided Rs 5,794 crore assistance to Harayana government under RIDF
since its inception in 1995-96.
India and World Bank signs Financing Agreement Worth US$ 201.50 Million for TEQIP III
i. The Government of India has signed a USD 201.50 million credit agreement with the World
Bank on February 1, 2017 to improve the quality and equity of engineering education across
several states in India.
ii. The agreement was signed by Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs,
Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India and Junaid Ahmad, Country
Director, World Bank India, on behalf of the World Bank.
iii. The agreement signed was for the third phase of the Technical Education Quality
Improvement Project (TEQIP III).
iv. The project aims to strengthen engineering education in low-income group, hill states and states
of the North East. TEQIP III will support nearly 200 engineering education institutes across India to
produce higher quality engineers.
Gross NPA of PSBs Strikes 9.83% in FY16 and 11.82% by September 2016
i. As per the data released by the Minister of State for Finance Santosh Gangwar in the Lok
Sabha on February 3, 2017, Public Sector Banks (PSBs) witnessed a bad loan at 9.83percent of
the gross advances in the financial year (FY) 2015-16, while the bad loans for Private sector banks
were capped at 2.70 percent of the advances.
ii. For the FY16, PSBs had gross advances of Rs. 51,04,915 crore. Out of this Rs 5,02,068 crore
was categorized as gross non-performing assets (GNPA) which accounts for 9.83 percent
iii. In case of the Private sector bank of the total Rs 17,91,681 crore gross advances made in FY16,
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only Rs 48,380 crore were gross NPA means only 2.70 percent.
iv. Further, till September 2016, PSBs gross NPA hiked to Rs 5,89,502 crore which is 11.82 percent
of the total advances made till date. Besides, when the gross NPAs were combined with the
restructured advances, they rose to 15.88 percent as on September 30, 2016.
Reserve Bank of India Allows NRIs access to ETCD market

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on February 2, 2017 permitted the NRIs to have access to
the exchange traded currency derivatives (ETCD) market. This will enable the NRIs to hedge
the currency risk due to making investment in India.
ii. Till date NRIs were allowed to hedge their currency risk through Over-The-Counter (OTC)
transaction with the Authorized Dealer (AD) banks.
iii. Access to ETCD market will provide them an additional hedging option though subjected to
certain conditions.
iv .Firstly NRIs would have to nominate a bank that will monitor and report the position of the
NRI concerned in the OTC and ETCD segments.
RBI Directs Banks to Waive off Transactions Charges and Decrease Interest Rate for
Credit Cards
i. The Reserve Bank of India has directed banks on February 3, 2017 to waive off transaction
charges and lower interest rates on credit cards as a move to encourage digital transaction.
ii. RBI has decided that customers would not be levied any charges by banks and prepaid payment
instrument issuers for transactions up to Rs. 1,000 settled on Immediate Payment Service (IMPS),
Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) till March
3, 2017.
iii. It has also directed banks to lower the interest on credit card dues. Interest rates are
determined by banks with the approval of their respective Board of Directors subject to regulatory
guidelines on the interest rate on advances issued by RBI from time to time.
iv. Transaction settled on IMPS and UPI above Rs. 1000 would not be levied any fee charge
however the service tax will be charged at actual. For USSD transactions above Rs. 1,000 a further
50 paise discount is provided.
HDFC Bank Hikes Cash Transaction Fees on Savings Accounts

i. India’s second largest private sector bank, HDFC, has planned to increase the fee for savings
account holders doing cash transaction in order to encourage digital mode of payment.
ii. The bank on has reduced the third party transaction limit to Rs. 25000 a day. Earlier this limit
was Rs. 50000. Besides, it has also reduced the number of free transactions at branches from 5 to
4.
iii. The fee for non free transaction has been increased to Rs. 150. For the free transaction, the
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bank has limited the cash transaction to Rs. 2 lakh, above which customers will have to pay a
minimum of Rs. 150 or Rs. 5 per thousand.
iv. The free transaction for non-home branches is only Rs. 25,000 after which fees set in at the
same level would be levied.The applicable restrictions would come into effect from March 1, 2017.
Bank of Maharashtra ties up with Cigna TTK

i. Public sector lender Bank of Maharashtra has partnered with insurance company Cigna TTK
Health to market the insurer’s products in the bank’s branches across the entire country
ii. Under the agreement, the bank will offer the all of Cigna TTK’s superior health insurance
products to its 2 crore customers through its network of over 1,896 branches, its 14,000 bank
employees across the country as well as through its digital platforms.
Axis Bank ties up with Earthport

i. India’s third largest private bank, Axis Bank has tied up with Earthport Plc, a cross-border
payment network, to enable faster outbound cross-border payments for its customers through
Earthport’s state-of-the-art global payments network.
ii. Axis Bank has become the first bank in India to connect with Earthport’s global payments
network, which spans over 60 countries.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Starts Pilot Operation in Bengaluru

i. The Ujjivan Small Finance Bank officially started its operation on February 6, 2017 with 5 pilot
branches in Bengaluru. Samit Ghosh is the MD and CEO of the Ujjivan Small Finance Bank.
ii. The five pilot branches of the Ujjivan SFB would offer full services to its customers. The Small
Finance Bank will test its technology, channels, people and processes for a period of one month as
a part of its pilot launch.
iii. The Bank aims to launch about 14 branches by March 2017 and extend services across 457
branches in 24 states in a planned and phased manner over the next few months.
PNB Housing Finance limited & CREDAI-West Bengal Signs MoU to train construction
workers in West Bengal
i. The PNB Housing Finance Limited (PNBHFL) and CREDAI West Bengal, has signed an MoU
on February 6, 2017, wherein CREDAI-Bengal would train 1000 construction workers in Kolkata
and nearby villages.
ii. The MoU aims to address the need to speed up the construction pace for quicker delivery and
hand-overs.
iii. For providing the training CREDAI-Bengal would set up permanent skill development centres in
Medinipur and Murshidabad. These places have huge concentration of construction workers.
iv. Half of the training cost would be borne by the West Bengal State Government and PNBHFL
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while remaining half would be borne by the developer of the construction site from where workers
would be trained.
v. CREDAI would provide training that would include both ‘Classroom’ and On the job training’.
It will provide training in collaboration with National Skill Development council Bengal.
IDFC Bank, IndiaLends tie-up for loan services to 1st timers

i. Private sector lender IDFC Bank has collaborated with fintech startup IndiaLends to enable first
time borrowers who do not have a credit history to take loans.
ii. Loan requests by salaried applicants without credit history will now be processed on a real time
basis. The unique solution is being offered through a tie-up with IndiaLends, a financial technology
startup.
Sixth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Review of RBI for 2016-17

The Reserve Bank of India announced its sixth bimonthly monetary policy review for 2016-
17, on February 8, 2017 and has maintained its status quo with key policy rate unchanged.
• On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation in the
country, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the key rates
unchanged.
• The RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 6-0 in favor of the key rates, which is
the third unanimous decision in a row since it was first set up in September 2016.
• The next meeting of the MPC under the chairmanship of RBI governor Urjit Patel is
scheduled on April 5 and 6, 2017.
Key Policy Rates
1. Repo Rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF):6.25 percent (Unchanged)
2. Reverse Repo Rate under the LAF: 5.75 percent (Unchanged)
3. Marginal Standing Facility (MSF): 6.75 percent (Unchanged)
4. Bank Rate: 6.75 percent (Unchanged)
5. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): 4 percent (Unchanged)
6. Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): 20.50 percent (Unchanged)
RBI Key Projection
Inflation
RBI had projected the headline inflation at 5 percent in Q4 of 2016-17 in December.
• In sixth bimonthly monetary policy review, RBI has projected the inflation to be in the range
of 4% to 4.5% in the first half of 2017-18 and in the range of 4% to 4.5% in the second half
of 2017-18.
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• The MPC aims to achieve consumer price index (CPI) inflation at 5 percent by Q4 of 2016-17.
GDP Growth
The RBI has projected GDP growth in the current fiscal at 6.9 percent. It expects the growth to
recover sharply in 2017-18 and reach 7.4 percent.
GVA Growth
• RBI has projected the GVA growth for 2016-17 at 6.9 percent from the existing 7.1
percent.
• Growth is expected to recover sharply in 2017-18 and accordingly, GVA growth for 2017-
18 is projected at 7.4 percent.
Current Account Deficit
RBI has proposed the current account deficit (CAD) to remain below 1 percent of GDP in 2016-17.
Cash withdrawal Limit
• RBI has announced that from March 13, 2017, there would be no limit on cash withdrawal.
• Besides, with effect from February 20, the withdrawal limit from savaing accounts will increase
from Rs 24,000 a week to Rs 50,000 a week.
RBI to Set up Enforcement Department to Monitor Bank
The Reserve Bank of India on February 8, 2017 informed about its decision to set up a
separate Enforcement Department to effectively monitor bank in case they violate regulations.
The Enforcement Department will start operations from April 1, 2017.
• Presently, each department of RBI takes action against banks for violations of rules. With
Enforcement Department, a centralized department would be set up to deal with the
issue.
• Besides, RBI has also proposed to set up a separate committee on cyber security. The
committee has been set up based on the recommendations of the expert panel on
information technology examination and cyber security headed by Meena Hemachandra
Federal Bank Inks Pact with Commodity Online for Loans Against Warehouse Receipts
i. Private sector lender Federal Bank Limited has partnered with Commodity Online, a leading
online data and information portal for the distribution of loans against warehouse
receipts and collateral management services across the country.
ii. Commodity Online will launch an agri-commodity financing platform through its
portal www.commodityonline.com.
iii. The partnership will enable Federal Bank to digitally provide financing for agri-commodities with
collateral management across India.
iv .The farmers and traders with the help of the portal can track commodity markets and
warehouses online as per their convenience and eventually get financing for their commodities
quickly.
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HDFC & Kotak Mahindra Bank Goes Live on Bharat Bill Payment System
i. The Private sector lenders HDFC Bank started operating its Bharat Bill Payment System
(BBPS) on February 7, 2017 to ease the bill payment service for the customers.
ii .Along with HDFC, Kotak Mahindra Bank also went live with the BBPS service.
iii. BBPS was introduced by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It is a centralized
payment platform that offers speed and convenience to pay all types of bills.
iv .A customer can pay multiple bills from a single platform without the need of visiting multiple
websites or issuing individual cheques, or also registering billers with her bank for standard
instructions for debit.
v. The BBPS offers integrated and interoperable bill payment service with security, certainty and
reliability of transactions.
vi. The service is available in multiple payment modes, online and through a network of agents. An
instant confirmation is generated for the bill payments. The BBPS will transform the society from
cash to electronic payment system, making it less dependent on cash.
Bank of Baroda & IFFCO Signs Pact to Launch Co-Branded Debit Card
i. Fertiliser major IFFCO and Bank of Baroda have signed an MoU on February 7, 2017 to
launch co-branded debit cards for farmers in a bid to promote cashless transactions in the rural
area.
ii. The MoU was signed by Yogendra Kumar, General Manager (Marketing), IFFCO and GB Panda,
General Manager (government relationships), Bank of Baroda.
iii .Under the MoU, Bank of Baroda will open Aadhaar-enabled accounts of farmers and issue co-
branded debits card to the specified farmers with overdraft facility of Rs 2,500 per card.
iv. Besides, IFFCO would take the guarantee of the total outstanding amount of any of the farmers
default due to various reasons.
v. The MoU aims to issue 2 lakh co-branded debit cards to selected farmers on the basis of the
recommendation of its authorised representative. Initially, the co-branded cards will be given to the
farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh after which rest of the states would
be covered.
Bank of America opens Automated Branches in Select Markets

i. Bank of America Corp has opened three completely automated branches over the past
month with no working employee wherein customers can use ATMs and have video conferences
with employees at other branches.
ii. Many US banks are making efforts to reduce its overall branches number to cut costs even as it
opens new branches in select markets.
Government Sells 2% stake in ITC to Raise Rs. 6,690 Crore

i. As a part of its disinvestment plan for 2016-17, the central government sold 2 percent of its
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stake in ITC to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on February 7, 2017 and earned Rs
6,690 crore.
ii. Held under the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), the stake was sold
at Rs 275.85 per share through block deals.
Cabinet approves Acquisition of Subsidiary Banks by State Bank of India

The Union Cabinet approved the merger of the State Bank of India with its 5 subsidiary
banks namely State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur; State Bank of Hyderabad; State Bank of Mysore;
State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore.
• Besides, the Cabinet has also approved the introduction of a Bill in Parliament
to abolish the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 and the State Bank of
Hyderabad Act, 1956.
BoB to Finance MSME in Diamond Sector at Concessional Rates

i. Bank of Baroda is planning to launch a supply chain financing product for the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the diamond industry to boost their existence in the sector.
ii .The bank will begin the supply chain financing on pilot basis in Surat. Cutting and polishing
units, which procure roughs from large companies and supply finished products back, will be
provided finance at a competitive rate of interest.
iii. This move is expected to give a boost to MSMEs as well as the corporate segment within the
diamond industry.
Government to launch Indradhanush 2.0 for Recapitalization of PSBs

i. Union Government has decided to launch ‘Indradhanush 2.0’ for recapitalisation of public
sector lenders so that the banks remain solvent and fully comply with the global capital
adequacy norms namely Basel-III.
ii. The Indradhanush 2.0 programme will be finalised by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after
completion of Asset Quality Review (AQR) being undertaken and is likely to be completed by
Centre Allocates Rs. 500 crore to India Post Payments Bank for FY18
i. Government has allocated an amount of Rs 500 crore to India Post Payments Bank for the
financial year 2017-18 to help it in setting up 650 branches across country by September 2017.
ii. As per Output-Outcome Framework for Schemes 2017-18 for the Department of Posts
released on February 13, 2017, out of the allocated amount, Rs. 125 crore has been allocated as
“capital infusion into corporate entity for India Post Payments Bank” and Rs 375 crore as “grant in
aid to India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)”.
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Nomura Projects India’s GDP at 5.7 % in January-March quarter

i. According to the global financial services major Nomura, the GDP growth of India is estimated
to remain low at 5.7 percent in the January-March quarter due to the effect
of demonetization of high value currency.
ii. Nomura expects the economic growth to slow from 7.3 per cent GDP growth in the July-
September 2016 to 6 percent in the October-December 2016 quarter and further to 5.7 per cent in
the first quarter of 2017 ending March 2017.
World Bank Group, IFC to Conduct Training Programmes for NBFCs

i. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a part of the World Bank Group has
partnered with Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) to conduct training programmes
for Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs).
ii. For this two engagement letters have been signed between IFC and FIDC on February 13,
2017 in New Delhi between Jun Zhang, IFC India Country Head and Raman Aggarwal, Chairman
of FIDC, a representative body for NBFCs, especially those engaged in asset financing.
iii. The training programmes will focus on ‘movable asset financing’ and ‘commercial credit
reporting’. It would be held at various centres across the country under the guidance of leading
consultants from the World Bank Group.
IDFC Asset Management Company launches Open-Ended Fixed Income Fund

i. IDFC Asset Management Company launched an open-ended fixed income fund named Credit
Opportunities Fund on February 13 in Mumbai which is expected to raise the revenue of the
company in the range of Rs 300 crore-500 crore within the NFO period itself.
ii. A new fund offer (NFO) is the first time subscription offer for a new scheme launched by the
asset management companies (AMCs). A new fund offer is launched in the market to raise capital
from the public in order to buy securities like shares, govt. bonds etc. from the market.
iii. The Credit Opportunities Fund will open for subscription on February 14 and close on February
27. It will reopen for continuous sale and repurchase from March 6, 2017.
HDFC Life Launches ‘Pragati’ Plan For Low Income Group

i. Life insurance firm, HDFC life launched a traditional life insurance plan, Pragati, on February
15, 2017 for low income group people.
ii. The plan has been designed especially to empower low income families by making the plan
available at affordable rate to every person who has the desire to secure his family.
iii. Pragati will offer dual benefit. Firstly a systematic savings with guaranteed premium returns and
secondly a wholesome life protection making it an ideal financial product for every Indian
household.
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RBI will Reimburse Banks MDR Charges Effective January 1, 2017

i. The Reserve Bank of India has decided to reimburse banks Merchant Discount Rate (MDR)
charges on debit cards used by citizens for payment with effect from January 1, 2017.
ii .In December 2016, the government had decided to absorb the merchant discount rate (MDR)
charges in respect of debit card transactions for making payments to it to encourage people to use
digital payments post demonetisation.
iii. RBI has directed the banks to forward their claim for reimbursement of MDR along with
statutory auditor’s certificate to RBI’s Nagpur office on a quarterly basis.
iv .For the quarter ending March 2017, the banks have been asked to file claim by April 30.
Citi Bank launches instant chat service for customers

i. Mumbai based Citi Bank has launched instant chat services for customers named Citibank
Online (CBOL) on February 16, 2017. With this India become the first country in Asia Pacific
within the Citi network to have this kind of service.
ii. CBOL will focuses on resolving queries instantly regarding cards,loans, domestic and non-
resident accounts, and online transactions.
RBI Doubles Gold Loan Limit for Regional Rural Banks to Rs. 2 lakhs
i. The Reserve Bank of India increased the gold loan limit for RRBs (Regional Rural
Banks) to Rs 2 lakh from the current Rs 1 lakh on February 16, 2017 to help the farmers and
artisans have access to credit who are willing to pledge gold as collateral.
ii. The limit has been doubled for the loans not exceeding 12 months from the date of sanction.
Name and Shame Campaign of Catholic Syrian Bank Starts Paying Dividends
i. The Name and Shame Campaign initiated by Catholic Syrian Bank Employees and Retirees
against willful Defaulters in Kerala have started paying dividends.
ii. As per the bank, of the 30 defaulters identified with dues of more than Rs. 50 lakh each,
about 10 borrowers have approached the bank with settlement proposals and the bank has also
received firm assurance for payments worth Rs. 25 crore from defaulters.
Government Increases the Cash Credit Limit For MSMEs To 30 %

i. The Union government has increased the Cash Credit (CC) limit for Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) to 30 percent of turnover from the existing 20 percent to encourage
them to conduct businesses digitally.
ii. Through digital means of conducting the business, the balance sheet of companies would be
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clean and this would help MSMEs to get loans from banks and promote Ease of Doing Business.
iii. Presently the taxes for MSMes are calculated at 8 percent for revenue of up to Rs 2 crore. With
digital transaction, tax liability will be reduced from 8 percent to 6 percent.
Canara Bank Inks MoU with HRD Ministry to Start Higher Education Financing Agency
i. Bangalore based Public sector Canara Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry on February 17, 2017 to
operationalize the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA).
ii. The establishment of the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) was approved by the Union
Cabinet in September 2016.
iii. Through this MoU, HRD Ministry and Canara Bank will jointly promote the HEFA with an
authorised capital of Rs. 2,000 crore.
Mastercard to Provide Payments Processing Solution for Airtel Payment Bank

i. Leading global payments and technology firm, Mastercard is set to provide payments
processing solution to Airtel Payments Bank.
ii. The payment processing platform will enable the Airtel Payment Bank in providing various
payment services like switching, card management along with support for reconciliation and dispute
management processes.
iii. As per the announcement by Mastercard on February 17, 2017, Mastercard and Airtel Payments
bank have also launched India’s first online debit card along with a prepaid card, both of
which is accessible through the Myairtel App.
Karnataka Bank Launches National Pension System in Mangaluru

i. Mangaluru based private sector lender Karnataka Bank Ltd launched National Pension
System (NPS) at its corporate office in Mangaluru on February 16, 2017.
ii. Aim: To provide financial security at old age by giving regular income in the form of pension.
iii. Under the scheme, one can contribute to NPS while earning and eventually start receiving
pension on his/her attaining the age of 60 years to meet their financial needs.
iv .To avail the benefit, any individual between the ages 18-60 years can register their name with
the bank branch to contribute and to get pension benefit.
SBI ties up with Greenply to offer financial services to its dealers

i. Mumbai based State Bank of India(SBI) has signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with
India’s largest interior infrastructure company Greenply Industries to grow its channel financing
business of Greenply Industries on electronic platformon February 18, 2017.
ii. SBI will extend financial services to Greenply dealers to grow further on a very competitive
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pricing.
iii. It has also taken initiative to stop use of paper from its branches for end-to-end digitisation.
RBI Permits Multilateral Financial Institutions to Invest in Masala Bonds

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted Multilateral Financial Institutions (FIs) to
invest in rupee denominated bonds commonly known as ‘Masala Bonds’ issued by Indian entities.
ii. As per the notification by RBI on February 16, 2017, the move will enable the Indian entities
issuing rupee denominated bonds abroad to have wider choice of investors.
OMA Emirates Enters Indian Market, Acquires MobiSwipe

i. In an effort to extend the services to neighboring countries and enhance market share,
leading United Arab Emirates (UAE) payments solutions provider OMA Emirates has entered the
Indian Market, beginning with the acquisition of mobile point of sale (mPOS) firm MobiSwipe.
ii. MobiSwipe allows merchants to accept payments via Credit and Debit card by using the mobile
application. The acquisition will help MobiSwipe to be offered in countries outside India also.
iii. As per the announcement made by OMA Emirates on February 17, 2017, the company will
begins the Indian operations from Mumbai and eventually plans to open offices in other parts of
the country beginning with Metros and Tier 1 cities.
iv. Presently, OMA Emirates have presence in Middle East, Europe and select parts of Asia. In
India, the firm will begin with providing services like business development, sales and marketing.
v. The aim of OMA Emirates is to increase its sales and market share in by extending its operations
to neighboring countries. It will also help to increase the product line of the firm by way of
partnerships, alliances and investments.
Oriental Bank of Commerce Launches Mobile Wallet ‘Batuaa’

i. The Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) launched a series of digital offerings for its customers
on February 19, 2017 which also marks the 75th Foundation Day of the bank.
ii. The OBC bank introduced a new version of mobile banking in the form of mobile app under the
name ‘Oriental Batuaa’ to provide banking services through app.
iii. Besides, OBC also launched two new RuPay cards, Oriental Premium card and Oriental
Prepaid Card.
iv. Oriental Premium card is a RuPay based Platinum international debit card with airport lounge
access. Oriental Prepaid Card is a RuPay card for individuals and corporates’.
v. The bank also launched two MSME schemes ‘Oriental Sanjeevani’ and ‘Oriental Budget
Hotels and Restaurants’.
vi. Oriental Sanjeevani is a specialised scheme for doctors for setting up new hospitals and clinics.
The Oriental Budget Hotels and Restaurants scheme is for individuals, proprietors, companies etc
for setting up new hotels, restaurants, lodges, motels etc.
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GST Council Approves Law to Compensate States for Revenue Loss

i .The GST Council approved a law to compensate states for any loss of revenue from the
implementation of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) in the first five years, on February 18,
2017 at the 10th GST Council Meet at Udaipur.
ii. The compensation bill will be taken to Parliament in 2nd half of Budget Session to be held
from March 9, 2017.
iii. The next meeting of the council will be held on March 4-5, 2017 at New Delhi and will aim to
approve the draft laws on Central GST, Inter State GST as well as State GST.
SBI Rebrands Corporate Website as bank.sbi

i. The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) rebranded its
corporate website as “bank.sbi” from the earlier “sbi.co.in” on February 19, 2017.
ii. Now bank.sbi is the highest domain protocol commonly known as generic top level domain
(gTLD).
iii. With this, SBI has become the first banking organization in India to adopt gTLD for its internet
presence.
iv .The adoption of gTLD will enable SBI to use its corporate name .sbi as their website’s top-level
identifier instead of using “.com” or “.co.in” as domains.
SEBI Approves IRB InvIT Fund to Raise Fund Through IPO

i. Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given its approval
to IRB InvIT Fund, to raise Rs 4,300 crore through an initial public offering (IPO).
ii. IRB InvIT Fund is an investment trust sponsored by IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited, an
Indian highway construction company headquartered in Mumbai.
iii .Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) are like mutual fund schemes which pool in money
from individual investors for investing in infrastructure initiatives.
Karnataka Bank Signs MoU with Daimler India

i. Magaluru based Karnataka Bank Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd (DICV) on February 20, 2017 to
extend finance to customers for the purchase of commercial vehicles manufactured by the
company.
ii .The deal will benefit the customers belonging to sectors such as MSME (Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises) to purchase commercial vehicles.
EPFO introduces Single Page Composite Claim Form

i. Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), the retirement body of India introduced single
page composite claim form that enable its subscribers to withdraw money from their PF account at
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an ease.
ii. The form does not require employers’ attestation, but the facility can be availed only for
those subscribers whose Aadhaar number and bank account details are seeded with their Universal
Account Number (UAN).
iii. The new single-page form can be submitted with the attestation of employers. In this new
form, no revenue stamp of Re 1 is required in both the cases whether you are filling Aadhaar-
based composite form or the non-Aadhaar based composite form.
Bharat Financial Launches Instant Microloan Facility

i. Hyderabad based non-banking finance company Microfinance institution Bharat Financial
Inclusion Ltd launched an instant loan approval at a village near Bassi in Jaipur district,
Rajasthan
ii. The objective of this initiative to help rural areas embrace cashless transactions. The loan
amount will be deposited directly to the loanees bank account.
iii. The loan facility based on a three-step verification process of Aadhar-based eKYC, credit bureau
authentication and eSign and non collateral loans up to Rs 60,000 for one year to rural women.
iv. It will be rolled out by June 2017 in all microfinance companys nationwide network with several
being in Rajasthan, Bihar and Delhi.
SIDBI, Vijaya Bank combine to provide concessional loans to micro, small units
i. Lucknow based Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru based Vijaya Bank for providing concessional finance to
micro and small enterprises (MSEs).
ii. Aim: To promote and strengthen the units in the MSE segment
iii. The MoU also expect joint financing/co-financing of MSMEs for meeting capital expenditure
under the ‘SIDBI Make in India Soft Loan Fund for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises’
scheme at concessional rate of 9.60 per cent, along with working capital from Vijaya Bank.
ICRA says GVA growth to decline by 70 bps to 6.2% in Q3

i. Guragon based Domestic rating agency ICRA reported that the gross value added (GVA) is set
to slip to 6.2 per cent in the third quarter from 6.9 per cent and GDP growth will decline to 6.5
per cent from 7.2 per cent.
ii. Services sector is expected to ease to 8 per cent from 9.1 per cent in line with moderation in
fuel demand following the note ban.
iii. Industrial growth is set to more than halve to 4 per cent from 8.6 per cent, led by
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manufacturing, construction and mining and quarrying.

iv. The annual growth of systemic deposits improved to 15.2 per cent as of December 23, 2016
from 10.2 per cent.
Oriental Bank Ties Up With Chola MS To Sell Insurance Products

i. Haryana based Oriental Bank of Commerce has signed a corporate agency agreement with
Chennai based general insurance provider Cholamandalam General Insurance Company for
distribution of insurance products on February 22, 2017
ii.The partnership will benefit our customers and through this ties up
iii. The insurance products includes motor, health, home and travel
India’s GDP projected to slow to 6.6% post-demonetisation, says IMF

i .International Monetary Fund come up with India’s growth projection which predicted slow 6.6
per cent in 2016-17 fiscal due to “temporary disruptions” caused by demonetisation.
ii. The IMF has noted that demonetisation would have only short term impact on the economy and
it would bounce back to its expected growth of more than 8% in the next few years.
iii. The IMF said in its annual country report on India mentioned that growth is projected to slow to
6.6 per cent in FY2016/17, then rebound to 7.2 per cent in FY2017/18, due to temporary
disruptions, primarily to private consumption as a result of cash shortage
India Signs $375 Mn Loan Pact with ADB for Industrial Corridor
i. The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a 375-million-
dollar loans and grants on February 23, 2017 in New Delhi to develop 800-km
Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor.
ii. The project is the first phase of a planned 2,500–kilometer long East Coast Economic
Corridor (ECEC) having total cost of 846 million dollars.
iii. The MoU was signed between LB Sondjaja, Deputy Country Director of ADB’s India Resident
Mission on behalf of ADB and Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), in the Ministry
of Finance, on behalf of Government of India.
Government to Provide Rs. 3000 crore Bailout Package to IDBI Bank

i. The government has announced to bailout IDBI Bank with Rs. 3,000-crore capital infusion to
enable the bank to have better capital-adequacy ratio and further enhance credit growth.
ii. The financial assistance will help the bank to maintain stability.
iii. IDBI Bank’s lending portfolio is mostly in corporate segment and that is one of the major
reasons for increase in its bad loans.
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Dena Bank Unveils RFID-Enabled Cards For Better Customer Service

i. Dena Bank has unveiled a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) enabled
banking card on February 23, 2017 at its Mumbai branch.
ii. The RFID card will help the branch manager to identify a valued customer entering the bank
having RFID card by displaying the complete information about that customer on the managers
desktop.
iii .The facility will help the bank branch to take better care of the client’s requirement and offer the
services promptly.
iv. The RFID card is being introduced in select branches of Dena bank with the first branch with
RFID enabled technology has been launched at the Dena Bank JVPD branch, Mumbai.
UBI ties up with IRCTC to launch railway booking facility

i. Public sector banks United Bank of India (UBI) has signed agreement with Indian Railway
Catering and Tourism Corporation(IRCTC) for railway ticket booking facility.
ii. This new facility was available from February 21 2017
iii. Now UBI customers can now book railway tickets seamlessly through IRCTC website using
the bank’s debit card.
NCAER Lowers India’s GDP Growth Forecast to 6.9 per cent for FY17
i. An economic think-tank, National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has
lowered India’s GDP growth to 6.9 percent for the fiscal 2016-17 compared to previous estimation
of 7.6 percent.
ii. The decline in the growth forecast is based on the demonetization effect.
iii. According to NCAER, the growth rate would rebound to 7.3 percent for 2017-18.
iv .Besides, it also predicted the Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic price would grow at 6.3 percent
in 2016-17 and 7 percent in 2017-18.
v .Real Agriculture GVA is estimated to grow at 3.7 percent, Real Industry GVA at 5.5 percent and
Real Services GVA at 7.3 percent in 2016-17.
vi. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation is projected at 3.6 percent for 2016-17. However, the
inflation is projected to accelerate in 2017-18 due to rising crude oil inflation.
India To Remain Fastest Growing Economy Among G-20 Nations Despite Demonetization:
Moody’s
i. Moody’s Investors Service report released on February 23, 2017 states that despite the
currency demonetisation drive by Government of India, the country will continue to be the fastest
growing economy among G-20 countries in 2017.
ii. As per the report titled ‘Modest Acceleration in the Global Economy, but Shifting US
Policies Inject Uncertainty’, India is expected to have the fastest-growing economy among all
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G-20 countries with growth rate at 7.1% for 2017, though lower as compared to previous
expectation of 7.5%.
iii. With respect to the global growth, G-20 countries is expected to have a growth rate of 3 percent
in 2017 and 2018 from 2.6 percent in 2016.
DIPP Reports FDI Inflow Grows by 18% to USD 46 billion in 2016

i. According to the data by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP),
the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India grew 18 percent during 2016 to attract $46
billion as compared to $39.32 billion in 2015.
ii. The main sectors which attracted the maximum foreign inflows include services, telecom,
trading, computer hardware and software and automobile.
iii. Besides, the major FDI contributing countries were Singapore, Mauritius, the Netherlands
and Japan.
Foxconn and SoftBank Forms $1.2B Joint Venture

i. Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (SBG) on February 24, 2017 entered into a definitive agreement
with Foxconn Technology Group (Foxconn) of Taiwan to establish a joint venture through
Softbank Group Capital Apac Pte Ltd at an estimated cost of $1.2 billion.
ii. Softbank Group Capital Apac Pte Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of SBG. The deal is expected
to take effect on March 1.
iii. Under the agreement, Foxconn would buy 54.5% stake in SoftBank Group Capital Apac Pte Ltd
for $600 million while the remaining would be controlled by SBG.
iv. Under the partnership, investments would be made in initiatives that will integrate SoftBank’s
expertise in investments and the Foxconn’s manufacturing and technology services to maximize the
profitability of the venture. Foxconn will also be responsible for management of the operation as a
whole
Government Issues Sovereign Gold Bonds 2016-17-Series IV

The Government of India launched the 7th tranche of the Sovereign Gold Bonds on February 27,
2017 and it will be the last offering for 2016-17.The Sovereign Gold Bonds 2016-17–Series
IV will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of Government of India.
♦ Applications for the bond will be accepted from February 27, 2017 to March 03, 2017 and the
Bonds will be issued on March 17, 2017.
Features of the Bond
i. The bonds will be issued in denominations of one gram of gold and multiples thereof and be
available in both demat and paper form.
ii .Minimum investment in the bonds shall be 1 gram per person while maximum limit of 500
grams per person per fiscal year.
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iii. Price of the bonds shall be fixed in Indian rupees on the basis of simple average of closing price
of gold of 999 purity as published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited (IBJA) for
the week preceding the subscription period. The issue price shall be Rs 50 per gram less than the
nominal value.
iv. The bonds shall bear a fixed interest rate of 2.50 percent per annum on the amount of initial
investment.
v. Payment shall be accepted in Indian rupees through cash up to a maximum of Rs 20,000 or
demand drafts or cheque or electronic banking.
vi .The holding period of the bond has been fixed for a period of 8 years. Pre-mature
redemption of the bond is also permitted from 5th year of the date of issue on the interest
payment dates.
SIDBI sanctions Rs.1,112 crore this Fiscal to Startups

i. An expert committee set up by SIDBI, Venture Capital Investment Committee (VCIC) has
sanctioned Rs 300 crore to fund managers who would invest in startups, thus taking the total
sanctions in 2016-17 to over Rs 1,100 crore.
ii. In its 7th meeting on the February 11, VCIC examined requests from 11 fund managers and
cleared sanction requests from 9 Funds aggregating Rs 300 crores.
iii .SIDBI’s VCIC comprises of former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, former Nasscom chief Kiran
Karnik, Indian Angel Network Founder Saurabh Srivastava, Founder ofInfo EdgeSanjeev
Bikhchandani, among others..
iv. During fiscal year 2014-15 sanctions were made to 11 funds (Rs 314 crores) while in 2015-16
sanctions were made to 16 funds (Rs 607 crores).
v. During the current financial year, till date Rs 1,112 crores has already been sanctioned to 30
funds
Apollo Munich and Dena Bank Enters Into Bancassurance Tie-Up

i. In order to expand its business across the country, Apollo Munich Health Insurance
Company has tied up with Mumbai-based Dena Bank on February 27, 2017 to provide its
insurance product to the large customer base of the bank.
ii .Under the tie-up the bank will distribute customised Apollo Munich Health insurance and
personal accident policies to the bank’s 20 million customers across India.
iii. Apollo Munich Health has also developed specialised health insurance solutions with distinctive
benefits exclusively for Dena Bank customers.
iv .The health insurance policies will be available in the form of individual, as well as family floater
plans beginning with Rs. 2 lakh up to a limit of Rs. 10 lakhs.
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RBI Establishes Committee To Review Cyber Threats

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up an 11 member Inter-disciplinary Standing
Committee on Cyber Security on February 28, 2017.
ii. The committee will be chaired by RBI Executive Director Meena Hemchandra.
iii .The panel has the freedom to co-opt more experts in future and also operate through a
framework of sub-committees to examine specific issues.
iv. The committee will be responsible to review the threats emerging from the use of technology,
study adoption of new technology standards and suggest appropriate policy interventions to
strengthen cyber security and resilience.
SIDBI, CSFB pact to help MSMEs avail loans at cheaper rate

i. Lucknow based Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and India’s first small
finance bank Capital Small Finance Bank (CSFB) signed Memorandum of Understandingto enable it
to provide loans at a concessional rate to MSMEs.
ii. Aim: To promote and strengthen the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
iii. Th MoU will envisages joint financing/co-financing of MSMEs for capital expenditure under
‘SIDBI Make in India Soft Loan Fund for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises’, popularly known
as SMILE at a concessional rate of 9.60 per cent by SIDBI
Lakshmi Vilas Bank Signs MoU with Centrum for its HNI Clients
i. Chennai-based private sector lender Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) has tied up with Centrum
Group on February 27, 2017 in which the bank will refer its High Net Worth Individuals
(HNI) to Centrum for wealth management and family office services.
ii. Centrum will conduct the business through its wealth management arm, Centrum Wealth
Management and will offer its existing portfolio of wealth management services to the bank’s HNI
clients.
iii. The agreement was signed between Parthasarathi Mukherjee, managing director & CEO, LVB
and Jaspal Bindra, executive chairman, Centrum Group.
American Express Launches ‘Buyer Initiated Payments’ to Avoid Cheque, Draft Payments
i. American Express, a global leader in payment solutions has launched an electronic payment
platform linked to corporate card, Buyer Initiated Payments (BIP) on February 27, 2017 to
eliminate payment through cheques or drafts.
ii. The BIP card will help organizations and their vendors by reducing the processing cost and offer
extended payment terms compared to traditional invoice payments.
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iii. BIP enables companies to increase the Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) while still paying
vendors on time.
OECD Predicts India’s GDP Growth at 7% for 2016-17

i. The Economic Survey Report by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) has estimated the India’s GDP growth at 7 percent for 2016-17 on February 28, 2017.
ii. Besides, the global think tank has also estimated the growth rate of 7.3 percent for the 2017-
18 and 7.7 percent for 2018-19.
iii. As per the report, though demonetisation may have impacted short term growth in 2016-17,
but the long term effects would see gains going upward.
Canara, HSBC and OBC Banks launched iSelect Term Plan

i. Canara, HSBC and Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance launched iSelect term plan to
expand its online product suit
ii. iSelect term plan provides enhanced protection cover for the family at an affordable
premium.
iii. It will cover insured person’s spouse as well as family’s future income with an option to
automatically increase insurance coverage as per changing life stage needs
BUSINESS
Arnab Goswami’s Republic changes its name to Republic TV
i. Arnab Goswami, managing director and editor-in-chief of ARG Outlier Media has changed the
name of his proposed news channel Republic into Republic TV.
ii. This changes after BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy raised issue against usage of the
word ‘Republic’
Health Ministry Notifies Medical Devices Rules to Ease Manufacturing

i. The Union Health Minister, JP Nadda, notified the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 on February
2, 2017 to ease the norms related to manufacturing medical devices in India and promote domestic
industry.
ii. The new rules will separate the norms for manufacturing medical devices from those applicable
on drugs. It will do away with the clinical trials that the medical devices need to undergo to four
phases as do the drugs.
iii. The new rules aims to ease the norms for obtaining license and conducting clinical trials as well
as reduce manufacturer-regulator interface by promoting digital platform.
iv. The framed rules are in line with the Global Harmonisation Task Force (GHTF) framework
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and follow best international practices. It would help to standardise and regulate medical devices
manufacturing industry.
LIQVD ASIA launches online exhibition portal-ExFirst.com

i. A premium digital marketing agency LIQVD ASIA collaborate with iKarmik.com, has launched
India’s First Ever Online Exhibition gateway – ExFirst.com
ii. Aim: To provide designers and retailers an opportunity to reach out to consumers across the
country
iii. It will be an open platform where an exhibition from any industry can be conducted by any
organization.
Tata Motors Launches new Sub-Brand TAMO as an Incubator to Develop Futuristic

Vehicles
i. Automotive manufacturing company Tata Motors has come up with an innovative plan to
strengthen its market share in the country. It is set to expand its passenger vehicle manufacturing
segment by creating a new sub-brand under the name TAMO which will act as a start-up to
develop new and innovative products.
ii. TAMO will involve partnership with global start-ups and technology companies to have
access to trends, innovations for developing new technologies and business models to design
exciting future products and services.
Ministry of Coal to Open Coal-Mining Market for First Time in Four Decades
i. The Susheel Kumar, Coal Secretary, Ministry of Coal, has informed that India has planned to
allow the non-state mining companies for the first time in four decade to mine and sell coal.
ii. The Ministry of Coal is set to auction four mines to both state-run and private
companies during the year 2017-18 starting April 1.
iii. The winner of the auction would have the freedom to sell the coal. Earlier this freedom vested
only to a handful of state-run companies.
Uber Launches Taxi Hiring Service UberHIRE

i. San Francisco-based taxi-hailing platform Uber has launched a new service under the
name UberHIRE on February 6, 2017 that will enable the customers to hire the taxi for the day on
hourly basis.
ii. The pilot service was launched in Kochi after which it was made available in New Delhi,
Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Vizag and Nagpur.
iii. Users can make use of the service for a maximum of 12 hours a day between 6 am and 10
pm. Initially the service will accept only cash payment.
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Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signs 4 more Unilateral Advance Pricing
Agreements (APAs)
i. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under the Department of Revenue entered
into four more unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) on February 6, 2017 with the tax
payers so as to provide them a certainty regarding transfer pricing.
ii .The APAs would provide certainty to taxpayers about transfer pricing by specifying the methods
of pricing and determining the prices of international transactions in advance.
iii. The four APAs signed belong to the Manufacturing, Financial and Information Technology
sectors of the economy. Besides, the international transactions covered in these agreements
include Contract Manufacturing, IT Enabled Services and Software Development Services.
Hindustan Motors Sells iconic Ambassador car brand to French Company Peugeot
i .C K Birla Group-owned Hindustan Motors have signed a deal with French carmaker Peugeot
SA Group on February 10, 2017 to sell its iconic Indian car brand “Ambassador” to Peugeot
for Rs. 80 crore.
ii. The production of Hindustan Ambassador car was discontinued in 2014 as sales dropped
continuously and it could not keep up with the new generation of cars in the Indian market.
iii. Kolkata based Hindustan Motors would sell the car brand as well as the trademarks and use the
proceeds to clear the dues of the employees and lenders.
Post Demonetization Industrial Production Contracts 0.4% in December

i. As per the data released by the Central Statistics Office, the India’s Industrial
Output contracted by 0.4 Percent in December 2016 as compared to previous year due to
demonetization.
ii. In November 2016, the index of industrial production (IIP) grew 5.7% recording a 13-month
high growth as against a contraction of 1.8% in the previous month.
iii. The data showed that mining and electricity output grew 5.2% and 6.3% respectively in
December 2016 as compared to 4% and 9% respectively in the previous month while
manufacturing contracted by 2% in December as compared to 5.5 percent in November.
Government Approves Setting Rs. 6,831 crore Electronics Development Fund

i. The centre on February 10, 2017 approved setting up the Electronic Development Fundwith a
total corpus of Rs. 6,831 crore to support entrepreneurship and innovation in electronics and IT.
ii. The Minister of Law and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad approved a seed capital of Rs 681 crore on
the basis of which more venture capital will be raised.
iii .The Electronic Development Fund will help to contribute to various other funds under it for
those who invest the money in companies for creation of intellectual property rights in the field of
electronics and IT.
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L&T and MBDA Missile Systems Forms JV to Develop Missiles in India

i .Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T), an Engineering and construction major has entered into a
Joint Venture with European defence major MBDA Missile Systems on February 13, 2017.
ii. The main aim of the JV is development of missiles in India under the Make in India initiative
while procuring the missile systems from abroad.
iii. As per the agreement, L&T will own 51 percent stake in the JV named L&T MBDA Missile
Systems while the rest 49 percent the European partner.
iv. L&T is targeting an annual turnover of Rs 10,000 crore from the JV by 2021.
First Ever Indian Genomics Beacon Launched in UK

i. The Global Gene Corp and Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) launched
an Indian Beacon on February 14, 2017 for Indian genomics data to enable the scientists in
developing more effective drug delivery systems.
ii. It was launched by the Indian deputy high commissioner to the UK, Dinesh Patnaik
at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire.
iii. A beacon is an online web service that allows researchers to determine whether an institution
has particular genomic data in its data set. Genomics is the science that will define healthcare in
our lifetime.
Srinagar Airport Gets Its First Foreign Airline Service

i. AirAsia became the first foreign airline to begin its operations from Srinagar international
airport in Jammu and Kashmir on February 19, 2017.
ii. Srinagar has The Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport since last five years, but no foreign
airlines had yet operated services from there.
iii. The flight operation by AirAsia is expected to give a boost to tourism in the valley.
iv. The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti waved the flag to clear the landing
for the AirAsia flight at Srinagar airport in presence of Tourism department officials and top
management of AirAsia India operations.
Microsoft-Flikpkart Announce Strategic Tie-Up

i. US based IT giant Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Indian electronic commerce company
Flipkart Group CEO Binny Bansal has announced a “strategic partnership” on February 20, 2017.
ii. Aim : To provide consumers in the country the best online shopping service.iii. As per the deal,
Flipkart, will adopt Microsoft Azure as its exclusive public cloud platform.
iv. Microsoft Azure will add a layer of advanced cloud technologies and analytics to Flipkart’s
existing data centres.
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Britannia signs MoU with Greece’s Chipita for joint venture in India
i. Bangalore based Indian food-products corporation Britannia has signed an MoU with Greece’s
cakes and confectionery major Chipita for exploring certain business opportunities on February 22,
2017.
ii. This is the first joint venture after Britania’s tie-up with New Zealand’s Fonterra Dairy and and
dairy giant Groupe Danone SA dissolved in 2009
Oricon to set up Rs 100-crore facility for packaging products in Odisha

i. Oricon Enterprises Ltd (OEL) is planned to build a manufacturing facility in Odisha with an
investments of Rs 100 crores
ii. This facility will be used to manufacture new packaging products.
Nasscom signs MoU with ITAC Japan

i. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the IoT Acceleration Consortium (ITAC) Japan on
February 22, 2017
Aim: To collaborate to address digital technology shifts and accelerate IoT (Internet of Things)
adoption at a global level across the industry.
ii. NASSCOM and ITAC will exchange statistics and dynamic practices related to the respective IoT
industries and will look at facilitating exchange programs for association members.
Government notifies protocol amending tax treaty with Israel

i. Centre has notified the protocol amending the India-Israel tax treaty to provide for exchange of
information on tax matters including bank details with a view to check black money flows which will
come into force effect in India from fiscal year beginning April 1.
ii. The amended treaty will pave provision for sharing information which received from Israel in
respect of an Indian resident to other law enforcement agencies like the Enforcement Directorate,
the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and CBI with authorization of Competent Authority.
iii. The treaty enforces for levy of capital gains tax in India on sale of shares or interest in a
partnership, trust or other entity if it derives more than 50 per cent of the value directly or
indirectly from immovable property situated in the country at the time of the sale of any time
during preceding 12 months.
India Approves Rs 17,000crore Missile Deal with Israel

i. A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
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February 22, 2017 approved Rs. 17,000 crore missile deal with Israel to protect India’s
airspace from enemy aircraft and drones.
ii. Under the deal, India and Israel will jointly develop a Medium Range Surface-To-Air Missile
(MR-SAM) system for the Indian army.
iii. The project will be implemented by the DRDO (Defence Research and Development
Organisation) and Israeli Aircraft Industry (IAI).
iv. The MR-SAM is a land-based version of the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) for the
navy. It will have a strike range of up to 50km to 70km.
Trade Facilitation Agreement of WHO Comes into Effect

i. The World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) came into
force on February 22, 2017 which required two-third of the member nation to ratify the agreement
to be into effect.
ii. Ratified by 112 nations including India out of 164 member countries, the agreement is
expected to give a boost to global trade with easier trade movement.
iii. The agreement seeks to enhance the movement, release and clearance of goods across borders.
iv .It also includes faster clearance procedures, enhanced conditions for freedom of transit for
goods improvements, improved appeal rights for traders as well as reduced fees and formalities
connected with the import and export of goods.
Rajasthan Becomes 2nd Largest Crude Oil Producer in India

i. Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh announced on February 23, 2017 that Rajasthan has become
the second largest crude oil producer in India.
ii .The oilfields in the state were producing nearly 90 lakh tones oil annually which accounted for
24 percent of the total domestic crude oil production.
iii. On the other hand, the Bombay High, an offshore oilfield of Mumbai is the largest producer of
crude oil in India which accounts for half of the domestic oil production.
Gorb Partners with Ola Cab to Offer Food at Discounted Rates to Riders
i. Food technology start-up Gorb has partnered with online cab aggregator Ola on February 24,
2017 to offer food to consumers at discounted rates in Mumbai.
ii. Under the deal, with every booking of Ola cab, the rider will receive a code via SMS and mail
which can be availed on the Gorb app or website to order food at discounted rate.
iii. The offer will be valid till April 30. Under it a discount of Rs 100 would be provided on a
minimum order value of Rs 200.
Paytm Unveils Online Shopping App Paytm Mall

i .Leading E-Commerce firm, Paytm launched its new application on Android under the
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name Paytm Mall and a website called paytmmall.com on February 27, 2017.
ii. The Paytm Mall app aims to offer a combination of the Mall and Bazaar concepts to Indian
consumers for online shopping.
iii. Paytm Mall will focus on structured categories and brand authorised stores. It will also be
focusing on electronics, top fashion brands and FMCG categories.
iv. Paytm Mall would also have a section called Paytm ‘Bazaar’ that will focus on fashion, home
furnishing and goods from small sellers.
HPE Ties with Tata Communications to Roll-Out its LoRa Network

i. American IT MNC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has announced its partnership with Tata
Communications on February 27, 2017 at the World Mobile World Congress 2017 organized
in Barcelona.
ii. Under the partnership, Tata Communications will support Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to
roll-out its Internet of Things platform, “the LoRa network”.
iii. Tata Communications will also provide HPE with a range of domestic and cross-border IoT
connectivity and management services particularly for applications requiring elements of mobility,
such as connected cars, fleet management and transportation services.
GIFT-City partners with Dubai International Financial Centre

GIFT City has signed a pact with Dubai International Financial Centre for exchanging views
and expertise in the fields of banking and financial services as well as regulatory practices on
February 28, 2017
Highlights :
i. The partnership will enable both organisations to share exchange of information on banking,
financial service and securities, legislation and regulation, cooperation in the area of training,
assistance in organising seminars and conferences on selected issues enhancing mutual
development of the centres.
ii. It will help in exchange of information on trends in relevant international financial services
activities and products, in particular within the FinTech field.
iii. It will also help to establish a programme of International Exchange for entities based in
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and GIFT enabling them to set up entities in
Gujarat/Dubai on mutually agreed terms.
Cisco, Reliance Jio to build largest all-IP services platform

i. LTE mobile network operator Reliance Jio has announced a collaboration with the networking
giant Cisco to expand Jio’s existing multi-terabit capacity with the first All-IP converged
network in India.
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ii. With this Jio can offer a combination of high-speed data, mobile video, VoLTE, digital commerce,
media, cloud and payment services.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Lucideus Wins Best IT Startup At National Entrepreneurship Awards 2016

An IT Risk Assessment and Digital Security Services Providing Firm, Lucideus, was
awarded the best IT Startup under the IT (Information Technology) and ITES (Information
Technology Enabled Services) category on January 30, 2017 during the National
Entrepreneurship Awards 2016.
♦ The award function was organized at the DRDO auditorium in New Delhi by the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship.
Rajasthan, Telangana bag eGov awards

i. Rajasthan and Telangana are bagged the eGovernance awards for Excellence under the
state category at the CSI -Nihilent eGovernance Awards held in Coimbatore on January 31, 2017.
ii. Odisha and Nagaland bagged the Award of Recognition for the year 2016
iii. eGovernance Awards are Instituted by the Computer Society of India’s (CSI) Special Interest
Group with sponsorship from Nihilent Technologies
India’s SpiceJet Honored at Asia One Awards in Singapore

i. Gurgaon based airline, SpiceJet made record by winning awards in three prime categories at
the Asia One Awards held in Singapore.
ii. The low-cost airline was honoured as the ‘Asia’s Greatest Brands – 2016’ at the function. The
selection process was supervised by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
iii. Among others, Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet, Mr. Ajay Singh, was honored with
the title of the ‘Global Asian of the year’, 2016.
iv. The Chief Financial Officer Mr. Kiran Koteshwar won the award for ‘Asia’s Greatest CFO
2016’.
Alastair Cook Rewarded Top British Honor By Prince Charles

i. The England Test captain Alastair Cook was honored with the Commander of the Most
Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, London
on February 4, 2017.
ii. CBE is one of the highest Order of honors among a series of top 5 British honors. It is rewarded
for contributions made in the field of arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare
organizations, and public service outside the Civil Service.
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Indian-Origin British Sculptor Anish Kapoor Wins $ 1 Million Israeli Prize

i. Renowned Indian-origin British sculptor Anish Kapoor was honored with the prestigious $1
million 2017 Genesis Prize on February 6, 2017 by Israel for his utmost contribution for Jewish
community.
ii. However, the money received by the innovative artist would be contributed by him to help the
Syrian refugees and expand Jewish engagement in the global effort to reduce the refugee crisis.
iii. The 62-year-old Anish was chosen by the prize committee headed by Jewish Agency
Chairman Natan Sharansky.
Arunachal Pradesh Launches ‘Arunachal Civil Service Awards’

i. The state government of Arunachal Pradesh launched the Arunachal Civil Service
Awards on February 6, 2017 in a bid to encourage good governance in the state.
ii. Through the award, the government aims to improve the work culture and boost the morale of
government employees by recognising their hard work and innovation.
iii. The award consists of a medal, a scroll and cash awards of Rs 1 lakh for an individual and Rs
5 lakh for an organization or a group.
Hyderabad Surgeon Raghu Ram Honored with B C Roy Award

i. Hyderabad based Dr P Raghu Ram, President of Association of Breast Surgeons of India
(ABSI) has been honored with the prestigious Dr B C Roy National Award for ‘outstanding
service in the field of socio medical relief’ for the year 2016.
ii. The award will be conferred upon Ram by President Pranab Mukherjee on July 1, 2017 which
is also observed as National Doctors Day.
GMR Hyderabad Airport Receives CAPA Order of Merit

i. GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which operates Rajiv Gandhi
International Airport, has been honored with the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA)
Chairman’s Order of Merit for its focus on environmental sustainability.
ii. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport was also awarded for becoming the first airport in Asia
Pacific to become carbon neutral.
iii. GHIAL received the award during the CAPA 12 Annual India Aviation Summit held in
Mumbai on February 8, 2017.
Sudarsan Pattnaik Creates Guinness Record by Making World’s Tallest Sand Castle
i. Famous Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a Guinness World Record on February
10, 2017 by building World’s tallest Sand Castle at the Puri beach in Puri.
ii. The castle is 48 feet and 8 inches (14.84 metre) in height. The sand sculpture was built with
theme of World Peace.
iii. 39-year old Sudarsan broke the previous such record held by American sand artist Ted
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Siebert who had built a 13.97 metre high (45 feet and 10 inch) sand castle at Miami beach
in USA in 2015.
70th British Academy Film Awards Winner List

The 70th British Academy Film Awards commonly known as the BAFTA Awards was held on
February 12, 2017 at the Royal Albert Hall in London to honour the best British and international
contributions to film in the year 2016. The awards are presented by the British Academy of Film
and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Complete List of Winners
Award Winner
Best Film La La Land
Best Director Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Best Actor Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
Best Actress Emma Stone (La La Land)
Best Supporting Actor Dev Patel (Lion)
Best Supporting Actress Viola Davis (Fences)
Best Original Music La La Land
Best Original Screenplay Manchester by the Sea
Best Adapted Screenplay Lion
Best Cinematography La La Land
Best Editing Hacksaw Ridge
Best Production Design Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Best British Short Film Home
Best British Film I, Daniel Blake
Best Debut by a British Writer, Director or Babak Anvari (Writer/Director), Emily Leo, Oliver
Producer Roskill, Lucan Toh (Producers) for Under the
Shadow
Best Film Not in the English Language Son of Saul
Best Documentary 13th
Best Animated Film Kubo and the Two Strings
Best Costume Design Jackie
Best Make Up & Hair Florence Foster Jenkins
Best Sound Arrival
Best Special Visual Effects The Jungle Book
Best British Short Animation A Love Story
EE Rising Star Award Tom Holland
BAFTA Fellowship Mel Brooks
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Curzon Cinemas
59th Annual Grammy Award Winners List

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017 at the Staples
Centre in Los Angeles.The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of
the eligibility year from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016.
Complete List of the 2017 Grammy Award
Award Category Winner
Album Of The Year Adele for ’25’
Record Of The Year ‘Hello’ by Adele
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Song Of The Year Hello by Adele and Greg Kurstin

Best Rap Album ‘Coloring Book’ by Chance The Rapper
Best Urban Contemporary Album ‘Lemonade’ by Beyonce
Best Country Solo Performance Maren Morris for ‘My Church’
Best Rock Song ‘Blackstar’ by David Bowie
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance ‘Stressed Out’ by Twenty One Pilots
Best Pop Vocal Album ’25’ by Adele
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album ‘Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin’ by
Willie Nelson
Best Pop Solo Performance Adele for ‘Hello’
Best Alternative Music Album ‘Blackstar’ by David Bowie
Best Rock Album ‘Tell Me I’m Pretty’ by Cage the Elephant
Best Rock Performance ‘Blackstar’ by David Bowie
Best Metal Performance- ‘Dystopia’ by Megadeth
Best New Artist Chance The Rapper
Best Rap Performance Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
for ‘No Problem’
Best Rap/Sung Performance Drake for ‘Hotline Bling’
Best Rap Song ‘Hotline Bling’ by Drake
Best R&B Performance Solange for ‘Cranes In The Sky’
Best Traditional R&B Performance Lalah Hathaway for ‘Angel’
Best R&B Song ‘Lake By The Ocean’ by Maxwell
Best R&B Album Lalah Hathaway for ‘Lalah Hathaway Live’
Best Country Album Sturgill Simpson for ‘A Sailor’s Guide to Earth’
Best Country Song ‘Humble And Kind’ by Tim McGraw
Best Country Duo/Group Performance Pentatonix feat. Dolly Parton for ‘Jolene’
Best Jazz Instrumental Album ‘Country For Old Men’ by John Scofield
Best Jazz Vocal Album Gregory Porter for ‘Take Me to the Alley’
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album ‘Culcha Vulcha’ by Snarky Puppy
Best Dance/Electronic album Flume for ‘Skin’
Best Dance Recording The Chainsmokers for ‘Don’t Let Me Down’
Best Music Film ‘The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years’
by The Beatles
Best Music Video Beyonce for ‘Formation’
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album ‘Love Remains’ by Hillary Scott & The Family
Best Gospel Album ‘Losing My Religion’ by Kirk Franklin
Best Americana Album ‘This Is Where I Live’ by William Bell
Best Latin Pop Album ‘Un Besito Mas’ by Jesse & Joy
Best Song Written for Visual Media Justin Timberlake for ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media John Williams for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media ‘Miles Ahead’
Best Musical Theater Album ‘The Color Purple’
Best World Music Album ‘Sing Me Home’ by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road
Ensemble. Indian musician Sandeep Das was also a
part of the Ensemble.
Usain Bolt honored with ‘Sportsman of the Year’

i. Jamaica’s sprinter Usain Bolt won the ‘Sportsman of the Year’ award at the Laureus World
Awards or the ‘Oscar of Sports’ held in Monaco on February 14, 2017. Bolt received his award
from legendary Michael Johnson.
ii. This is the fourth time that the world’s greatest sprinter has won the honor. Earlier in 2009,
2010 and 2013 too he won the award.
iii. In women’s category, Simone Biles won the ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ trophy for her
outstanding performance in Rio Olympics 2016 winning 4 gold and 1 bronze medal.
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v. Other winners
1.Michael Phelps: ‘Comeback of the Year’ award
2.Nico Roseberg: ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ award
3.American Baseball side Chicago Cubs: Laureus Team of the Year award
4.English Premier League champions Leicester City: Special Laureus Spirit of Sport award
5.Italy’s Beatrice Vio: Disability award
Sandeep Singh Indian International Hockey Player Receives Honorary Doctorate

i .Indian professional hockey player Sandeep Singh has been honored with an Honorary
Doctorate Degree by Desh Bhagat University, a private educational institution in Amloh,
Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab on February 14, 2017.
ii. He is the second Indian hockey player to receive this award. The only first player was Dileep
Tirkey, former captain and sitting Member of Parliament, to receive an honorary degree for
sporting excellence from Sambalpur University in 2010.
AIIMS, New Delhi Wins First Prize for Sanitation & Hygiene under Kayakalp Awards
i. India’s premier health institute the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New
Delhi was awarded the first prize of the Government’s Kayakalp Award under the Central
Government Hospitals category on February 15, 2017 in New Delhi for maintaining high
standards of sanitation and hygiene.
ii .The award was presented by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P
Nadda and the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi received a cash prize of Rs. 5
crore.
iii. The second prize was received by North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of
Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, which got a cash prize of Rs 3 crore.
iv. Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh,
received the third prize of Rs 1 crore.
v. Besides, commendation awards of Rs 50 lakh each were given to AIIMS, Raipur, AIIMS,
Jodhpur and National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD), Delhi.
Indian-origin Shand Panesar Wins UK’s Bravery Award

i. An Indian-origin Scotland Yard officer Shand Panesar along with his colleague Craig
Nicholson was honored with the 2017 Outstanding Bravery of the Year Award on February
10, 2017 in central London during a special award ceremony of the Total Excellence in Policing
Awards.
ii. The duo were honored the top bravery award in the United Kingdom for risking their own
life to save a family trapped in a burning house in Hillingdon in September 2016
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Veteran Hindi Scholar and Novelist Surendra Verma Selected for 2016 Vyas Samman
i. Renowned Hindi litterateur and playwright Surendra Verma has been selected for 2016 Vyas
Samman for his novel Kaatna Shami Ka Vriksha Padma Pankhuri Ki Dhar Se. This novel was
published in the year 2010.
ii. Mr Verma would be presented a cash prize of Rs. 3.50 lakh a citation and a logo for the
prestigious award instituted by K K Birla Foundation.
South Indian Bank bags award for tech security practices

i. Thrissur based South Indian Bank(SIB)’s MD and CEO of the bank, V.G. Mathew has received
the ISO 27001: 2013 certification from Venkataram Arabolu, Managing Director, BSI Group India
for Information Security Management System (ISMS) of SIB on February 16, 2017
ii. SIB had already received ISO 9001 Quality Management certification for its Credit Department,
Personnel Department and Data Centre.
Corporation Bank Bags 2017 National MSME Excellence Award

i. Mangalore based public sector lender Corporation Bank was awarded the 2017National MSME
Excellence Award on February 10, 2017 at a function in New Delhi.
ii. D V Subramanya Varma, General Manager of Corporation Bank received the award from Union
Minister of State for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Haribhai P Choudhary.
iii. The award is instituted by the Federation of Industry, Trade and Services (FITS).
Lata Mangeshkar Honored with 2017 Legendary Award by Brand Laureate

i. Melody Queen and Nightingale of India, b has been conferred with the 2017 Legendary
Award by the Brand Laureate for giving a unlimited memorable hits and soulful melodies in Hindi
film music.
ii. The Brand Laureate Awards recognize world-class achievement in branding amongst individuals
and companies. It is presented by the organization jointly with the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation.
Indian Movie Newton Wins top Honour at Berlin Film Festival

i. Indian Cinema movie “Newton” directed by Amit Masurkar was honored with the Art Cinema
Award in the Forum Segment at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival held from February 9-18,
2017 in Berlin, Germany.
ii. Rajkummar Rao and Anjali Patel starrer political comedy Newton had its world premiere
during the film festival. The film revolves around a clerk placed on election duty in a conflict-ridden
area of Chhattisgarh.
iii. Over 43 films were screened in the Forum segment out of which 29 had their world premiere.
iv. The film is produced by Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films, company best known for
bankrolling critically-acclaimed projects such as Masaan, Ankhon Dekhi and Umrika.
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Tata Steel owned Katamati Iron Mine Wins Best Green Organization Award
i. Katamati Iron Mine, owned by Tata Steel, was conferred with the Best Green Organisation
of the Year Award on February 18, 2017 at the Global Green Future Leadership Awards in
Mumbai.
ii. The Global Green Future Leadership Awards, organized by World CSR Day, was honored to
Katamati Iron Mine in recognition of its environmental protection measures.
iii. The award was received by Rahul Kishore, Head of Mining Operations, Katamati Iron Mine on
behalf of Tata Steel from Jordan Reeves, Consul General of Canada in Mumbai.
Karnataka Bank bags two awards at IBA Banking Technology Awards

i. The commerical banking company Karnataka Bank has won two ‘IBA-Banking Technology’
awards in Mumbai on February 21, 2017
ii. IBA-Banking Technology awards:
1.‘Best financial inclusion initiatives (small bank)’ category – Winner
2.‘Best use of digital and channels technology (small bank)’ – Runner
iii. The award recognises and rewards individuals, professionals and banks who have recorded
noteworthy technology and business benefits in 2016
iv. Mahabaleshwara MS, Chief General Manager of the bank, and Raghavendra Bhat M,
General Manager of the bank, received the awards from Viral V Acharya, Deputy Governor
of Reserve Bank of India, and Raghunath Mashelkar, Jury Chairman for the awards, respectively.
Indian-Origin British MP Receives Stya Paul Memorial Award

i. Virendra Sharma, an Indian-origin British MP was conferred with the first Dr Stya Paul
Memorial Award on February 22, 2017 for his outstanding contribution to India-UK ties.
ii. The Labour party MP from Ealing Southall received the award at the third annual Indo-
UK Thought Leadership Awards in London from NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul, the younger
brother of Indian educationist Dr Stya Paul.
iii .Besides, Rajesh Agrawal, an Indian-origin Deputy Mayor for Business in London received the
Global Icon Award for 2017.
Vivek Chaand Sehgal, Chairman Motherson Sumi Systems Named EY Entrepreneur Of The
Year 2016
i. Vivek Chaand Sehgal, Chairman of auto parts maker Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd, has
been named as the Indian Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 by consulting firm, EY formerly
known as Ernst & Young.
ii. Sehgal will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Monte
Carlo from June 7-11 2017 where he will compete with business leaders from around the world.
iii. Besides, Infosys Ltd co-founder Nandan Nilekani was honoured with the Lifetime
Achievement Award for heading the UIDAI for the Aadhaar project.
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John-John Dohmen & Naomi Van named Best Hockey Players of 2016 by FIH
Belgium’s Hockey Captain and Olympic silver medalist John-John Dohmen was awarded the Best
Male Player of the Year Award (2016) by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) at the
gala FIH Hockey Stars Awards Ceremony on February 23, 2017 in Chandigarh.
• In the Women’s category, Netherlands’ Naomi van As won the International Hockey
Federation’s (FIH) Best Female Player of the Year (2016) awards.
Other Awards
• Best Male Goalkeeper of the Year: David Harte
• Best Female Goalkeeper of the Year: Maddie Hinch
• Rising Male Star of the Year: Arthur Van Doren
• Rising Female Star of the Year: Maria Granatto
• Male Coach of the Year: Danny Kerry
• Female Coach of the Year: Karen Brown
• Male Umpire of the Year: Christian Blasch
• Female Umpire of the Year: Laurine Delforge
Three Poets From Maharashtra Conferred with Vishakha Awards

i. Three poets from Maharashtra have been conferred with the Vishakha Awards on February 26,
2017 at the Kalidas Kalamandir Hall in Maharashtra during the occasion of Marathi Bhasha
Gaurav Din.
ii. The first prize of Rs 21,000 was given to Dr Yogini Satarkar-Pande from Nanded for her
book ‘Janivanche Hirve Komb’. She is an English professor at Swami Ramanand Teerth
Marathwada University.
iii .The second prize of Rs 15,000 was given to Mohan Kumbhar from Sindhudurg for his
book ‘Jagnyache Gatha’. He is a professor at B V Desai College, Kankavli.
iv .The third prize of Rs 10,000 was given to Vishnu Thore of Nashik for his book ‘Dhulpera
Usvata’. He is a farmer and an artist from Chandwad tehsil town and has designed over 450 book
covers.
Japan Creates Guinness Record by Launching World’s First Robot Table Tennis Tutor
i. Japan has unveiled the world’s first robot table tennis tutor FORPHEUS (Future Omron
Robotics Technology for Exploring Possibility of Harmonised automation with Sinic Theoretics) which
has the ability to play the game better than humans.
ii. It has been listed in the Guinness World Record for being the First robot table tennis tutor for
its unique technological intelligence and educational capabilities.
iii. The robot has been developed by the team led by Taku Oya from Omron Corporation. The
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FORPHEUS aims to create a harmonious environment between humans and robots through teaching
the game of table tennis to human players.
Complete List of the 89th Academy Award (Oscar Award)

i. The 89th Academy Awards commonly referred to as Oscar took place on February 26, 2017, at
the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.The award presented by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2016 in 24 categories.
ii. La La Land won the most number of awards at the ceremony totaling to six after being
nominated into 14 categories.
iii. It was followed by Arrival and Moonlight with each being nominated in eight categories.
iv. Mahershala Ali won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his portrayal of a drug
dealer in Moonlight. With this he became the first Muslim to be nominated and awarded a golden
statuette for acting.
Complete List of Winners
Award Category Winner Movie
Best Picture Moonlight
Best Actres Emma Stone La La Land
Best Actor Casey Affleck Manchester By The Sea
Best Director Damien Chazelle La La Land
Best Supporting Actress Viola Davis Fences
Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali Moonlight
Best Original Screenplay Kenneth Lonergan Manchester By The Sea
Best Adapted Screenplay Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin Moonlight
McCraney
Best Cinematography Linus Sandgren La La Land
Best Original Score Justin Hurwitz La La Land
Best Original Song Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and La La Land
Justin Paul
Best Sound Editing Sylvain Bellemare Arrival
Best Foreign Language Film Asghar Farhadi The Salesman
Best Film Editing John Gilbert Hacksaw Ridge
Best Visual Effects Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, The Jungle Book
Andrew R. Jones and Dan
Lemmon
Best Production Design David Wasco and Sandy La La Land
Reynolds Wasco
Best Sound Mixing Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Hacksaw Ridge
Robert Mackenzie and Peter
Grace
Best Documentary-Feature Ezra Edelman and Caroline O.J.: Made in America
Waterlow
Best Animated Feature Film Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Zootopia
Clark Spencer
Best Animated Short Film Alan Barillaro and Marc Piper
Sondheimer
Best Documentary-Short Orlando von Einsiedel and The White Helmets
Subject Joanna Natasegara
Best Live Action Short Film Kristof Deak and Anna Udvardy Sing
Best Make-Up and Hairstyling Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Suicide Squad
Gregorini and Christopher
Nelson
Best Costume Design Colleen Atwood Fantastic Beast and Where To
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Find Them
Kohli named captain of the year at ESPNcricinfo Awards
i. Indian international cricketer Virat Kohli has named as the ‘Captain of the Year‘ at the 10th
annual ESPNcricinfo Awards.
ii. Kohli led India to nine wins out of 12 Tests in the year 2016.
Winner list
Category Winner
‘Captain of the Year Virat Kohli
Test Batting Performance of the Year Ben Stokes
Test Bowling Performance of the Year award Stuart Broad
ODI Batting Performance of the Year Quinton de Kock
ODI Bowling Performance of the Year award Sunil Narine
T20 Batting Performance of the Year award Carlos Brathwaite
T20 Bowling Performance of the Year award Mustafizur Rahman
Batting Performance of the Year award Hayley Williams
Bowling Performance of the Year award Leigh Kasperek
Rangaswamy Becomes First Woman to Be Honored BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award

i. As a part of delivering recognition to Women’s in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI), has for the first time introduced a separate category of Lifetime Achievement
Awards for Women in the upcoming BCCI Annual Awards 2016-17.
ii For the award, BCCI has chosen former Indian skipper Shanta Rangaswamy on February 28,
2017 who has become the first receiver of the award under the category.
iii. Besides, BCCI has nominated Mr. Rajinder Goel and Mr. Padmakar Shivalkar for the Col CK
Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016 to be given at the BCCI Annual Awards.
iv. The two non test cricketers were nominated by the Col. C.K. Nayudu Awards Committee of BCCI
consisting of Mr. N. Ram, Mr. Ramachandra Guha and Ms. Diana Edulji.
v. All the three winners would be felicitated during the BCCI Annual Awards ceremony to be held
in Bengaluru on March 8, 2017 which also marks the International Women’s Day.
Radhanagar beach in Andaman Islands Features in Top 10 Beaches of the World

i. The Radhanagar beach on the Havelock Island in the Andamans and Nicobar Islands has
featured among the top 10 in the ‘World’s Travellers’ Choice Award-Winning Beaches’
by TripAdvisor.
ii .The Radhanagar beach has secured 8th position in the world and 1st spot in Asia.
iii. TripAdvisor honoured a total of 343 beaches. Winners were determined based on the quantity
and quality of travelers reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor, gathered over a 12-month
period.
iv. The first spot was gained by Baia do Sancho Fernando de Noronha in Brazil followed by Grace
Bay Providenciales in Turks and Caicos at second, while Eagle Beach in Aruba was placed at third
position.
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v. White Beach, Boracay, Aklan Province was ranked second in Asia while Ngapali Beach, Ngapali,
Myanmar was ranked third.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
Anushka appointed ambassador of Swachh Bharat campaign

i. Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma was appointed the first female ambassador of the
campaign ‘Swacch Bharat Abhiyan’ by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD).
ii. Anushka will works with bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan for a nationwide health and
sanitation campaign
Godrej Properties elevates Pirojsha Godrej as Chairman, Adi Godrej to be Chairman

Emeritus
i. Mumbai based Real estate company Godrej Properties elevated Pirojsha Godrej as Executive
Chairman and Adi Godrej assuming the charge as Chairman Emeritus position of the company. It
will be effective from April 2017
ii. Pirojsha Godrej is currently working as the Managing Director and CEO. He will replace Mohit
Malhotra.
Rex Tillerson sworn-in as US secretary of state

i. Former Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson(64) has taken the oath of office as US
secretary of state by Vice President Mike Pence in the presence of President Donald Trump in
the White House’s Oval Office.
ii. Rex’s appointment is confirmed by the Senate after he secured 43 votes out of 56
CAG Suman Saxena and two others appointed as whole-time members in IBBI
Former Deputy CAG Suman Saxena, Mukulita Vijaywargiya and Navrang Saini have been
appointed as whole-time members for 5 years or or till completion of 65 years in Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) on February 3, 2017
IDFC MD Vikram Limaye Named New CEO & MD of National Stock Exchange (NSE)
i. Managing Director of IDFC, Vikram Limaye has been named as the new Managing Director &
CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on February 3, 2017.
ii. The position was lying vacant after Chitra Ramakrishna quit the exchange on December 2
citing personal reasons. Thus the stock exchange set up a four-member panel on December 5, to
look for the next MD of the bourse.
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Gopinathan Re-Appointed To UN Joint Inspection Unit

i .Top Indian diplomat, Achamkulangare Gopinathan has been re-appointed by the UN General
Assembly to the Joint Inspection Unit for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2018.
ii. Along with him, Sukai Prom-Jackson of Gambia, Jean Wesley Cazeau of Haiti and Nikolay
Lozinskiy of Russia have also been appointed members of the Joint Inspection Unit.
Noted Economist Sanjeev Sanyal appointed Principal Economic Adviser

i. Noted economist Sanjeev Sanyal has been appointed as the Principal Economic Adviser in
the Ministry of Finance by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on February 3,
2017.
ii. Sanjeev Sanyal, former Global Strategist and Managing Director of Deutsche Bank will serve as
the Principal Economic Adviser in the Department of Economic Affairs.
iii. He will serve as the second in command in the economic division of the finance ministry
currently led by the chief economic adviser in the finance ministry Arvind Subramanian.
Anand Kumar Gupta appointed as Director of NTPC

i. Anand Kumar Gupta(56) has been appointed as director of NTPC for commerical operation on
February 3, 2017
ii. Gupta will be responsible for the activities relating to commercial, international and
domestic business development and consultancy business of NTPC.
iii. He also headed business development department of NTPC and plant operations & maintenance
at power stations.
Arun M Kumar Appointed as the Chairman and CEO of KPMG India

i. Leading professional services firm KPMG India has appointed the former US government
official Arun M Kumar as the Chairman and CEO to lead KPMG India operations.
ii. He succeeds Richard Rekhy who was re-appointed to the post in January 2016 for a period of
four years. However in November 2016 he stepped down.
iii. The KPMG India Board elected Kumar who took the charge from February 5 for a five-year
term.
Sasikala Sworn in as AIADMK Legislature Party Leader

i. Tamil Nadu’s political party AIADMK has elected Sasikala Natarajan as the Legislative Party
leader on February 5, 2017.
ii. Sasikala, the general secretary of AIADMK was unanimously elected by the AIADMK MLAs at a
party meeting in Chennai. Her name was proposed by O. Panneerselvam.
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SoftBank’s COO quits boards of Ola, Snapdeal and Housing

i. SoftBank Group’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jonathan Bullock has resigned from the boards
of Ola and Snapdeal due to “personal reasons and other obligations”.
ii. He also resigned from the board of Housing, citing a regulatory filing. SoftBank’s Managing
Director David Thevenon is likely to replace Bullock and join the boards of Ola and Snapdeal.
Kings XI Punjab appoint Satish Menon as CEO

Kings XI Punjab have appointed Satish Menon as Chief Executive Officer and Rajeev Khanna as
the Chief Operating Officer of the franchise for the upcoming season of Indian Premiere League
(IPL).
Arundhati Bhattacharya Becomes the Ambassador for its SBI PO recruitment ad

i. State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman, Arundhati Bhattacharya has been selected as the
ambassador for the advertisement seeking probationary officers for SBI bank.
ii. Half the advertisement has a smiling picture of Arundhati Bhattacharya, who herself was part of
the 1977 batch of probationary officers.
Government Appoints 3 Non-Official Directors On RBI Central Board

i. The central government appointed three part-time Non-Official Directors on the Central
Board of the Reserve Bank of India for a four-year term on February 9, 2017 after an
approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
ii. The Cabinet has appointed economist Ashok Gulati, Manish Sabharwal, chairman of services
provider Teamlease and Rajiv Kumar, economist and former FICCI secretary general as part-
time Non-Official Directors on the Central Board.
iii. Earlier, government had appointed former Gujarat chief secretary Sudhir Mankad, current Tata
chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and Mahindra & Mahindra non executive chairman Bharat
Doshi as non official directors in March 2016.
iv. Further, the ACC has also approved the proposal of Department of Financial Services for
appointment of three Members on the Local Board of RBI.
v. Therefore Prasanna Kumar Mohanty (Southern Local Board), Vallabh Roopchand Bhanshali
(Western Local Board) and Sunil Mitra (Eastern Local Board) have been appointed for four years on
the local board of RBI.
Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo Elected New President of Somalia

i .Former Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo was declared the new President of
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Somalia on February 8, 2017.

ii. He won the seat after two rounds of voting and quickly took the oath of office.
iii. The dual Somali-US citizenship holder Farmaajo defeated the incumbent President Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud with 184 to 97 vote in the second round.
UNO ropes in Satinder Sartaaj for campaign against trafficking

i. Folk singer from Punjab Satinder Sartaaj (34) has been selected for the awareness project
against human trafficking “Blue Heart Campaign” by the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC).
ii. Sartaaj will works with Indian musicians like AR Rahman and Sonu Nigam to spread awareness
about the illegal practice through Music to Inspire album.
iii. The album also includes songs by famous artistes such as Ozark Henry, Karmin, Joss Stone,
Jack Atlantis, Tisha Campbell, Steve London and Lee England.
Hemant Bhargava appointed as LIC’s Managing Director

i. Hemant Bhargava has been appointed as one of the three managing director of Mumbai
based Life Insurance Corporation(LIC) of India till July 31, 2019 by the Cabinet Appointments
Committee on February 10, 2017
ii. Prior to this, Bhargava was working as the zonal manager (I/C) Delhi
Ajay Tyagi to Succeed UK Sinha as SEBI Chairman

i. According to a government notification on February 10, 2017, senior IAS officer Ajay Tyagi has
been selected to take over as the next Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of
India(SEBI). He will replace incumbent Chief UK Sinha who retires on March 1, 2017.
ii. Tyagi, a 1984-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre is currently serving as
an additional secretary (investments) in the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of
Finance. Tyagi will be the 9th SEBI chairman.
Subir Dutta appointed as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Madagascar

i. Subir Dutta has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic
of Madagascar.
ii. Dutta is currenty working in the Embassy of India, Vientiane
Frank Walter Steinmeier Elected New President of Germany

i. Germany’s former Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been elected as the
new President of Germany on February 12, 2017.
ii. The 61-year old won by 931 votes out of 1,239 valid votes cast by the members of the
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Federal Assembly.
iii. He is due to take office as the 12th Federal President of Germany on 19 March 2017.
Sandeep Jajodia Appointed New President of Assocham

i. Sandeep Jajodia, the CMD of Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd. Has been appointed the new
president of industry chamber Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of
India (Assocham) on February 13, 2017.
ii. Jajodia has replaced Sunil Kanoria, the vice-chairman, Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited.
iii. Besides, Balkrishan Goenka, Chairman, Welspun Group has been appointed as the senior
vice-president while Kiran Kumar Grandhi, vice-chairman of GMR Infrastructure Ltd, has been
appointed as the vice-president of the industry body.
Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey appointed new President of ICAI

i. Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey was elected as the new President of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of India (ICAI) for the year 2017-18 on February 12, 2017.
ii. The 40-member Central Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) also
elected Naveen N D Gupta as the Vice-President for the year 2017-18.
iii .Prior to this, Vikamsey served as vice-president and has been the member of ICAI since 1985
while Gupta was Chartered Accountant of ICAI for more than 20 years.
Ravi Shankar concurrently accredited as High Commissioner of India to the Republic of

Rwanda
i. Former IFS officer Ravi Shankar has been concurrently accredited as the High Commissioner of
India to the Republic of Rwanda on February 14, 2017
ii. Now he is working as the high Commissioner of India to the Republic of Uganda.
Shigenori Shiga Steps Down as Toshiba’s Chairman

i. Toshiba Corporation’s Chairman Shigenori Shiga announced his resignation from the
multinational conglomerate with effect from February 15, 2017 as the company faced huge
losses of multi-billion-dollars.
ii. Shiga is stepping down accepting his responsibility for his company’s financial challenges and
operating losses.
Tehmina Janjua Appointed First Women Foreign Secretary of Pakistan

i. Pakistani Career diplomat Tehmina Janjua was appointed as the Foreign Secretary of
Pakistan on February 13, 2017 by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
ii. She is the first women to be appointed on the post and will serve as the 29th Foreign
Secretary of Pakistan.
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iii. Tehmina Janjua will replace outgoing foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and assume
office in the first week of March 2017.
France’s Jean-Pierre Lacroix named new UN peacekeeping chief

i. Jean-Pierre Lacroix from France has been appointed as the head of UN peacekeeping for a
year pending a review of the world body’s functions and structure by the UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres on February 14, 2017.
ii. Lacroix will replace Herve Ladsous. He is currently working as the director for the United
Nations at the French foreign ministry.
Edappadi K Palaniswami Appointed as the New Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

i. The Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao appointed Edappadi K Palaniswami as
13th chief minister of the state on February 16, 2017. His appointment is in acceptance of the
letter submitted by Palaniswami on February 14, 2017 that he was elected as the leader of the
AIADMK legislature party at a meeting of the party MLAs.
ii. The Governor has invited him to form the ministry at the earliest as well as requested him to
seek the vote confidence of the assembly within 15 days.
Vikas Swarup appointed India’s next envoy to Canada

i. The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Vikas Swarup was appointed as India’s High Commissioner to
Canada on February 16, 2017. He will replace Syed Akabarudddin who is who is moved as
serving as India’s Permanent representative in the United Nations
ii. Vikas is currently working as the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).He had
served the country’s in several embassies including US and Turkey.
Government appoints 5 new judges to Supreme Court

Five new judges are appointed to the Supreme Court by the President Pranab Mukherjee. Now
the total number of judges in the Supreme Court raised to 28 from 23
New Judges are :
1.Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul
2.Rajasthan HC Chief Justice Naveen Sinha
3.Kerala HC Chief Justice Mohan M Shantanagouder
4.Chhattisgarh HC Chief Justice Dipak Gupta
5.Karnataka HC judge S Abdul Nazeer.
FIBA Appoints Norman Isaac as its First Indian Technical Delegate

i. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has promoted Norman Isaac as
the Technical Delegate (TD) of the sport’s worldwide governing body.
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ii. He has become the first Indian to be ever appointed to the post. In 2006, FIBA appointed him
as the FIBA Commissioner at Muscat, Oman.
iii .Isaac has been appointed as the Technical Delegate (TD) after he along with a select few
aspirants from across the globe successfully cleared a series of tests in Doha, Qatar.
iv. He will be responsible to prepare the preliminary rounds of matches in the qualifiers to kick
off in November 2017 and then the first ever FIBA World Cup in China in 2019.
Banks Board Bureau Appoints Eight Executive Directors in Various Banks

Eight Executive Directors (EDs) have been appointed in various public sector banks on the
recommendations of Banks Board Bureau on February 17, 2017.
♦ Initially, they have been appointments for a three-year period.
List of Appointed Executive Directors
i. Neelam Damodharan and Atanu Kumar Das have been appointed as EDs in Bank of India.
Presently, Damodharan serves as the General Manager in Bank of Baroda and Das is General
Manager in Vijaya Bank.
ii. K Swaminathan, the General Manager in Indian Overseas Bank, has been appointed as ED
in Indian Overseas Bank.
iii. Ashok Kumar Pradhan has been appointed as the ED in United Bank of India. Presently he
serves as the Chief General Manager with State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur.
iv .P Ramana Murthy will be Executive Director of Central Bank of India. He is GM of Allahabad
Bank.
v. Fareed Ahmed Khan, General Manager of Corporation Bank, has been appointed as the ED
in Punjab and Sind Bank.
vi. M K Bhattacharya, Chief General Managers of State Bank of Mysore has been appointed as the
EDs of Indian Bank
vii. S Harishankar who serves as Chief General Managers of State Bank of Travancore has been
appointed EDs of Allahabad Bank.
Government Cuts SEBI’s Chairman-Designate Ajay Tyagi’s Tenure by Two Years

i. The Union Government on February 17, 2017 reduced the tenure of the next Chairman
of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Ajay Tyagi by two years without giving
any reason behind the decision.
ii .Now the 58-year-old Tyagi will join as the SEBI Chairman for an initial period of three
years instead of five years after the tenure of Sinha ends on March 1, 2017.
Renu Pall concurrently accredited as Ambassador of India to Montenegro

i. Former IFS officer Renu Pall has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of lndia
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to Montenegro, with residence in Vienna (Austria)

ii. Currently he is working as the ambassador of lndia to Austria.
Ranganathan, Mehta appointed Non-Official Director in IOB, PNB

i. T C A Ranganathan and Sunil Mehta were appointed as Non-Official Directors in Indian
Overseas Bank and Punjab National Bank on February 19, 2017 by the Appointments Committee of
Cabinet.
ii. Both appointed for a period of three years. It is announced by Personnel Ministry.
iii. Prior to this, T C A Ranganathan has worked as the CMD of Exim Bank while Mehta is
currently Chairman & Managing Director at SPM Capital Advisors Pvt Ltd.s
Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang Resigns, NPF Supremo Shurhozelie Liezietsu elected
as next CM
i. Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang stepped down from the post on February 19, 2017 facing
revolt from his party MLAs against the decision to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in urban
local bodies.
ii. Accompanied by several of his senior Cabinet colleagues, Zeliang submitted his resignation to
the Governor of Nagaland P.B. Acharya who accepted the resignation and asked Zeliang to
continue in office till alternative arrangements are made.
iii. Finally after meeting, Shurhozelie Liezietsu was unanimously elected as the legislature party
leader of the ruling Democratic Alliance to be the new Nagaland Chief Minister. He will be sworn in
as the Chief Minister on February, 22, 2017
Diego Maradona Gets Ambassador Role at FIFA.

i. The FIFA governing body has named Argentina’s former soccer player Diego Maradona as the
new Ambassador of the FIFA on February 9, 2017.
ii. The 56 year old will have major role in FIFA’s activities to promote the game across the globe
and will also be be involved in relevant development projects
Dr Neelu Rohmetra, First Woman Indian Institute of Management Director

i. The government has appointed 10 heads of IIMs includes IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Sirmaur, IIM
Visakhapatnam, IIM Trichy, IIM Nagpur, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Raipur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Ranchi and
IIM Bangalore for five years or until they turn 65 years of age.
ii. Dr. Neelu Rohmetra of Jammu University has been appointed as one of heads of IIMs. Now
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she became the first woman director of Indian Institute of Management Sirmaur, Himachal
Pradesh
Narinder Chauhan appointed as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Philippines

i. Former IFS officer Narinder Chauhan has been appointed as the next Ambassador of lndia to the
Republic of the Philippines on February 11, 2017.
ii. Currently Narinder is working as the Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Serbia.
Azerbaijan Prez named Mehriban Aliyeva as country’s First Vice President

i. Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev has named his wife Mehriban Aliyeva(52) as
Azerbaijan’s first vice-president on February 21, 2017
ii. Prior to this, Aliyeva has served previously as a lawmaker and headed a charity.
iii. She become the country’s first powerful lady and second most powerful person in Azerbaijan.
FreeCharge CEO Govind Rajan Quits

i. The chief executive officer of Jasper Infotech-owned digital payments platform
FreeCharge, Govind Rajan has submitted his resigned. It was accepted by the company on
February 22, 2017.
ii. Snapdeal’s chief strategy and investment officer, Jason Kothari will oversee the business
operations of FreeCharge.
Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre to head Cauvery Tribunal

i. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre has been appointed as the chairman of Cauvery Water Disputes
Tribunal (CWDT) on February 22, 2017.
ii. Manohar is the succeedor of Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan. He was nominated by Chief Justice
J.S. Khehar.
iii. Prior to this, he has served as chief justice of Gauhati High Court and the High Court of Manipur.
He also served as judge at Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan High Courts.
U.K. named Cressida Dick as first woman to lead Scotland Yard

i. Cressida Dick(56) was appointed as the new commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police. With
this, she become the first woman to lead Scotland Yard in 188 year UK history.
ii. Dick replace Bernard Hogan-Howe, who is stepping down from the position previous week.
Abhijit Sarkar appointed Vice President of Asian Hockey Federation

i. Malaysia headquartered Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has appointed Abhijit Sarkaras as vice
chairman and also the chief of AHF commercial and TV committee on February 21, 2017
ii. He had led the group in promoting various sports in India by sponsoring both the Indian National
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Cricket Team as well as the Indian National Hockey Team.
Somali president names Hassan Ali Khaire prime minister

i. Somali-born Norwegian national Hassan Ali Khaire has been appointed as prime minister
of Somalia by Mohamed Abdullahi, President of Somalia on February 23, 2017
ii. Hassan was a former executive of British energy explorer Soma Oil & Gas.
Govt Ropes In Shilpa Shetty As Swachh Bharat Brand Ambassador

i. Indian film actress, producer, former model Shilpa Shetty was roped as the Brand
Ambassador for cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission by the central government.
ii. It was announced by Urban Development Ministry Joint Secretary and director of Swachh Bharat
Mission (Urban) Praveen Prakash.
iii. Aim : Swachh Bharat Mission is to make India open defecation free by 2019.
Birender Singh Yadav concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Republic
of Togo
i. Birender Singh Yadav has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the
Republic of Togo, with residence in Accra (Ghana).
ii. Yadav is presently working as the High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Ghana
Kabir Bedi appointed honourary brand ambassador of Sightsavers

i. India’s most famous international actors Kabir Bedi was appointed as the honourary brand
ambassador of Sightsavers India to prevent avoidable blindness by RN Mohanty, CEO of
Sightsavers on February 17, 2017
ii. Kabirs’s association would help the organisation towards a focused journey with amplified impact
in the coming days.
Author Neil Gaiman Named U.N. Goodwill Ambassador

i. The author Neil Gaiman has been appointed as a global Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Refugee
Agency,UNHCR by Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
ii. Aim: To raise awareness about the plight of forcibly displaced people and to generate much
needed funds.
iii. Neil will play an important role in creating better public understanding and support for
refugees
Normani Kordei Named American Cancer Society Global Ambassador

Fifth Harmony star from USA, Normani Kordei has been named a global ambassador for the
American Cancer Society on February 26, 2017
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Aim : To raise awareness about breast cancer screenings and HPV (human papillomavirus)
vaccines.
Former CM T R Zeliang appointed Finance Advisor to Nagaland government

i. Former Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang was appointed as Finance Advisor to the Nagaland
government in the rank of a cabinet minister by the Nagaland governor P B Acharya on February
25, 2017
ii. Zeliang has resigned from the chief ministership on February 19, 2017.He was replaced
by Shurhozelie Liezietsu.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Bharti Airtel To Acquire Telenor India

i. India’s largest domestic telecom operator Bharti Airtel has signed an agreement with Telenor
South Asia Investments to acquire Telenor India Communications.
ii. The amount of the deal is not yet finalised. Telenor’s operations and services will continue as
normal, until the transaction is completed. The transaction is expected to complete within a year.
iii. It will give it an access to 7 circles including Gujarat, Maharashtra, UP East and UP West
Google to Sell its Satellite Imaging Company to Startup Firm Planet Labs
i. Technology giant Google has announced to sell its Terra Bella business which includes a group
of SkySat Earth imaging satellites to an imaging start-up, Planet Labs on February 3, 2017.
ii. Google had acquired Terra Bella in 2014 for $ 500 million and that time it was known as
Skybox Imaging.
iii. The deal will help Planet Labs to widen its potential customer base and broaden its available
data. Once the deal closes, Google will enter into multi-year contract to purchase Earth-imaging
data from Planet Labs.
Nokia to acquire Finnish telecom software company Comptel for $371 million
i. Finland multinational communications and information technology company Nokia announced to
buy telecoms software firm Comptel for 347 million euros ($370 million) on February 9, 2017.
ii. The aim of the acquisition to help phone carriers manage their networks as mobile b more and
more rely on software to improve their networks.
iii. It is part of Nokia’s strategy to build a standalone software business at scale by expanding and
strengthening its software portfolio and go-to-market capabilities with additional sales capacity and
a strategic partner network.
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Infibeam to merge CCAvenue with itself, valuing online payments co at Rs 2000 crore
i. Ahmedabad based India’s first listed ecommerce startup Infibeam has announced to merger
agreement with India’s largest payment aggregator company CC Avenue on February 14, 2017.
The value of the deal is expected to value the online payment gateway at about Rs 2,000 crore
ii. Infibeam, which already owns a 3.85% stake in CC Avenue through subsidiary NSI Infinium
Global, has agreed to acquire another 7.5% stake in it by investing Rs.150 crore.
Havells India to buy Lloyd Electric’s consumer business for Rs 1500 crore
i. An electrical equipment company, Havells India has announced to acquire Lloyd Electric &
Engineering for its consumer durables business for around Rs 1200 -1500 crore on February 17,
2017
ii. Lloyd’s other business divisions includes heat exchangers, original equipment manufacturing and
packaged AC business
Apple acquires Israeli start-up RealFace

i. An American multinational technology company Apple has announced to acquire Israel-based
start-up “RealFace” for an undisclosed amount on February 20, 2017
ii. The amount of the deal will be ‘several million dollars’.
iii. This acquisition will help to add facial recognition to the upcoming Apple’s iPhone 8. Apple
can use the technology from the Israeli start-up for its own facial recognition software.
MoUs
India & Sri Lanka signs MoU for multi-ethnic tri-lingual Secondary School
i. India and Sri Lanka has signed an MoU on February 2, 2017 for the construction of a multi-
ethnic tri-lingual school in a north central district of the island nation.
ii. The school would provide an opportunity to Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim students to learn in a
multi-cultural environment and thus promote reconciliation and unity in Sri Lanka.
iii. The MoU was signed between India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu
and Secretary to the Ministry of Education Sunil Hettiarachchi.
iv. The Indian Government would provide a grant of SLR 300 million for the island school to be
constructed in Polonnaruwa district.
India and Italy Sign an MOU in Rail Sector for Technical Cooperation
i. The Union Ministry of Railways has signed an MoU with an Italian Firm Ferrovie Dello
Stato Italiane Group (FS Group) for technical cooperation in rail sector on February 2, 2017 with
focus on safety operations.
ii. The MoU was signed between Shri Vinod Kumar, Executive Director/Safet(coordination),
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Railway Board on behalf of Ministry of Railways and Shri Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of FS Group,
Italy.
iii. The main aim of the MoU is cooperation in safety audit of Indian Railways, measures required
for enhancing safety in train operation, Assessment and certification of advanced technology
based safety products and systems to Safety Integrity Level (SIL4), Training and competency
development with focus of safety, Modern trends in Maintenance and diagnostic etc.
iv. The FS Group is an Italian Government Company that manages the Italian railway sector. It has
technical and managerial railway expertise due to which it is widely recognised at international level
and is one of the most advanced worldwide players in design and realisation of High Speed and
Conventional Lines, Safety Systems, Certification, Training and Operation and Maintenance.
Tripartite MoU signed among M/o of Tourism, M/s NPCC & NBCC and Govt of J&K for
Implementation of Tourism Projects In J&K
i. A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed among the Ministry of
Tourism, M/s NPCC & NBCC and Government of J&K on February 6, 2017 for the
implementation of Tourism projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
ii. As a part of the new initiative, Development of Tourism in the State– New Projects, the Ministry
of Tourism has sanctioned two projects, one each to NPCC and NBCC in the J&K which will be
implemented by September 2017.
iii. The first project sanctioned to M/s NBCC includes Integrated Development of Tourist
facilities at Gulmarg – Baramulla – Kupwara – Leh. The total outlay of the project is Rs.
96.62 Crore.
iv. The project under M/s NPCC includes Integrated Development of Tourist facilities at
Mantalai – Sudhmahadev – Patnitop in Jammu & Kashmir. The total outlay of the project is Rs.
97.82 Crore.
v. The main focus of these projects includes developments of Yoga centre, wellness SPA, Log Huts,
heliports, Open air theatre, walking trail, landscaping, solar lighting, solid waste management &
public amenities etc.
India & Austria Signs Protocol to Amend Bilateral Taxation Treaty

i. India and Austria signed a protocol on February 6, 2017 to amend the existing bilateral
taxation treaty for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion.
ii. The protocol was signed between Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Sushil
Chandra on behalf of India and Embassy of Austria Charge d’ Affaires Georg Zehetner on behalf
of Austria.
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iii. The protocol will broaden the scope of the existing framework of exchange of tax related
information. This will help to curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two nations as well
as enable mutual assistance in relation to collecting taxes.
International Conference & Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite Broadcasting held in New
Delhi
i .The 23rd session of the International Conference & Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite
Broadcasting was held at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, New Delhi from February 2-
February 4, 2017.
ii .The event was organized by the Broadcast Engineering Society (India).
iii. The theme of the event was Hybrid Technologies in Broadcasting – New Opportunities.
iv. Over 300 companies from 25 countries participate to display their products in BES EXPO
2017.
v. The trade show displayed products of the Telecom & Equipment industry to promote
advancement of knowledge and practices of broadcasting in the field of Radio, Television and other
media.
Union Cabinet apprised of Framework Agreement between India and Vietnam on

cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of
the Framework Agreement between India and Vietnam on cooperation in the exploration and
uses of outer space for peaceful purposes.
• The Framework Agreement on cooperation in the exploration and usage of outer space for
peaceful purposes was signed during the Prime Minister’s visit to Vietnam on September
03, 2016.
• The agreement would enable the two countries to explore the potential interest areas of
cooperation in the space science, technology and applications like remote sensing,
satellite communication and navigation and other areas.
• Cooperation with Vietnam through this Framework Agreement would lead to the
development of joint activity in the field of application of space technologies for
the benefit of humanity
Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and France in the field of Science, Technology
and Innovation
The Union Cabinet was also informed about the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) of Cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovation between India and
France to ensure exchange of best practices and technology.
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• The agreement would be signed between Technology Development Board

(TDB), Department of Science & Technology and Bpifrance, a Public Investment Bank,
France.
• The agreement will ensure exchange of best practices and setting up of coordinated
measures to foster technological exchanges in the field of Science, Technology and
Innovation through collaboration between companies, organizations and institutions of
France and India through the TDB and Bpifrance.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Senegal in the field of Health and Medicine
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 8, 2017 approved
signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Senegal in the field
of Health and Medicine.
• As per the decision of the Union cabinet, a working group will be set up to further
elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of the pact.
• The main areas of cooperation between the two nations include Integrated Disease
Surveillance, medical research, Emergency Relief, hospital management, drugs and
pharmaceutical products and hospital equipments, traditional medicine, AIDS Control and
other areas of mutual interest.
India and United States Agree to Sustain Defence Partnership

i. India and the United States have agreed to maintain the pace of their partnership especially
in the area of the defence ties.
ii. The Defence Secretary James Mattis held a telephonic conversation with the Indian Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar with the commitment to further strengthen the bilateral defence
cooperation made in recent years.
iii .This was the first bilateral talk between the two ministers after Mattis was swron in as Defence
Secretary in January 2017.
iv. With emphasis on the strategic importance of the US-India relationship and India’s role in
advancing global peace and security, the two defence ministers also affirmed their commitment to
sustain the momentum on key bilateral defense efforts to include the Defense Technology and
Trade Initiative.
India-UK sign MoU to allow more flights to boost tourism and trade
i. Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lord Ahmad from
U.K. have signed a MoU to ease restrictions on the number of scheduled flights between the
two countries to trade and tourism.
ii. Limits on flights from Chennai and Kolkata have been scrapped, allowing for a greater range of
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flights for passengers while providing a boost to trade and tourism for the UK and India
iii. This will pave the way to new export markets and creating jobs and economic growth
SCHEMES
Government Clears that Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has no provision for cash transfer
component
i. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has clarified that there is no provision
for individual cash transfer component in Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme.
ii. The Scheme simply focuses on generating awareness about girl child and changing the mindsets
and deep rooted patriarchy of the society and improve the efficiency of welfare services for girls.
iii .The clarification came after the report that some unauthorised sites, organisations, NGOs and
individuals were distributing forms in the name of cash incentive under the scheme.
iv. The centre said that there is no cash incentive associated in any form for B3P scheme and
distribution of such forms was completely illegal.
Cabinet approves Extension of tenure of loans under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme
(CLSS) of PMAY from 15 to 20 years
i. The Union cabinet led by PM Modi has given its approval on February 1, 2017 to extend the
tenure of loans under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) under Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana (Urban) Mission from the current 15 years to 20 years.
ii. Besides the scheme has been introduced for the middle income group (MIG) category and an
initial allocation of Rs. 1000 crore has been made at Budgetary Estimate stage in 2017-18 for the
proposed CLSS for MIG.
iii. For economically weaker sections of society/Lower Income Group (LIG), the scheme
has been named as CLSS.
iv. The Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) that have signed an MoU with the Central Nodal
Agencies (CNAs), under the CLSS of PMAY (Urban) have also been directed to extend the necessary
conditions of their MoU to CLSS for MIG with appropriate changes as applicable.
v. The schemes aim to ensure greater participation amongst the Economically Weaker Section
(EWS), LIG and MIG segment of the society to provide Housing for All by 2022.
vi. The interest subsidy would be disbursed to the home loan account of the beneficiaries by the
PLIs.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Launches Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan
Yojana (CMSGUY) in Assam
Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, launched Chief Minister Samagra Gramya
Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) in a function held at Sri Sri Madhavdev International Auditorium of
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Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati on February 5, 2017 with an aim to develop all the
villages to Assam in the next five years.
Aim: The CMSGUY scheme aims to bring a revolutionary change in the state by doubling the
farm income by 2022 which also marks the 75 anniversary of India’s Independence.
• The total financial outlay of the CMSGUY scheme is Rs. 30,000 crore. It will be
implemented in phased manner in the villages of Assam till 2021-22.
About the CMSGUY Project
For the propoer implementation of the scheme a Mega Mission Society has been constituted
under the chairmanship of Sarbananda Sonowal.
• As per the Situation Assessment Survey done during 2002-03 to 2012-13, the report
estimated that the farm income in Assam was only 0.88 percent as against national
average of 5.2 per cent.
• The CMSGUY scheme would be launched in a time bound manner. It would cover
each village of the state for complete rural transformation though massive investment so
as to enhance rural productivity.
• It would include focused interventions in direct economic activities, logistic support
including market linkages, and community support.
• Under the 5-year scheme, five teams will be constituted in each block which will work as
a base to implement different missions of the programme. These teams will prepare
development plans for them to be implemented in each village.
• A village knowledge centre will also be set up in each village as a part of the scheme.
Besides, MGNREGA play ground will be built in each village.
• Out of the total outlay of Rs. 30,000 crore of the project, Rs. 1.20 crore has been
planned as average investment to be made on each revenue village of the state.
• In the Union Budget 2017-18, an initial amount of Rs. 500 crore has already been
provided by the Finance Minister to Assam Chief Minister.
• Assam Minister has proposed Rs 1000 crore as a Supplementary Demand and by the end
of the financial year 2017 the CMSGUY will have Rs 1500 crore.
Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das launches UJALA scheme

i. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das launched energy efficient fans and LED tube lights
under the ‘Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All’ (UJALA) scheme in the
state.
ii. The UJALA scheme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a JV
under the administration of Ministry of Power, Government of India.
iii. In Jharkhand, EESL plans to distribute more than 25 lakh LED tube lights and one lakh energy
efficient fans to people on upfront payment. It is estimated that over 5.5 lakh consumers will
benefit from the scheme.
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Commerce Ministry approves Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops

i. The Union Ministry of Commerce under Nirmala Sitharaman has approved the pilot Revenue
Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops (RISPC) on February 8, 2017 to protect the growers of
plantation crops from the twin risks.
ii. Firstly the risks of yield loss due to adverse weather parameters, pest attacks etc and
secondly income loss caused by fall in international/domestic prices.
iii. The Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops (RISPC) is an improved version of Price
Stabilization Fund (PSF) Scheme, 2003 which was closed on September 30, 2013.
iv .RISPC will be implemented on a pilot basis for two years covering tea, coffee, rubber,
cardamom and tobacco in eight districts in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
Assam, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu by the commodity boards.
v. On the basis of performance of the pilot project the Ministry will consider for extension of the
scheme to other districts.
Cabinet approves Rs. 2,351.38 crore ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’
for digital literacy
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the ‘Pradhan
Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’ (PMGDISHA) on February 8, 2017 to make 6 crore
rural households digitally literate by March 2019.
• The outlay for PMGDISHA is Rs.2,351.38 crore.The project will be carried out in a
phased manner. In the FY 2016-17, 25 lakh candidates will be trained under the
programme. Further 275 lakh in the FY 2017-18 and 300 lakh in the FY 2018-19 would be
trained.
• The programme would be implemented under the overall supervision of Ministry of
Electronics and IT in active collaboration with States/UTs through their designated State
Implementing Agencies, District e-Governance Society (DeGS), etc.
• To ensure that the programme covers overall geographical area, each of the 250,000
Gram Panchayats have been directed to register an average of 200-300 candidates.
• The scheme will enable the rural people to operate computers and other digital devices
like tablets, smart phones, send and receive emails, browse internet, access Government
Services, undertaking cashless transactions, etc.
Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar Adopts Donja Village in Maharashtra For Transformation

i. Indian Cricket Icon Sachin Tendulkar is set to adopt his second village in Maharashtra for
transformation after successfully transforming the lives of villagers in Puttamraju
Kandriga in Andhra Pradesh which he adopted in 2016 at an investment of about Rs. 6 crore.
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ii. The Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar is adopting Donja village in Osmanabad,
Maharashtra under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna to transform the undeveloped village into a
model one.
iii. Tendulkar has sanctioned over Rs 4 crore from his Members of Parliament Local Area
Development (MPLAD) fund for development of Donja. The total amount will be spent on
the development of a school which is over 70-years-old.
iv .The school will also be replaced with a new school building, a water supply scheme, concrete
roads, banking services, to set up micro cash-recycler ATMs and a sewage line attached to the
same.
v. Five special village level meetings have been held since the village was adopted by
Tendulkar in which the women were also given the opportunity to give their suggestions for the
village transformation.
vi. Out of 610 households in Donja, 400 did not have toilets but after Tendulkar’s adoption, nearly
231 toilets have been built and are in use.
SC Introduces Middle Income Group Scheme to Provide Legal Services at Affordable Rate
i. The Supreme Court has introduced the Middle Income Group (MIG) Scheme for the middle
income group people whose gross income is not exceeding Rs. 60,000 per month or Rs. 7.5
lakh per annum.
ii. The MIG Legal Aid Scheme is a self-supporting scheme which aims to provide legal services to
the middle income group who cannot afford the expensive litigation in the Supreme Court.
iii. Under the scheme, middle class people who have the desire to avail the benefit of the Scheme
shall have to fill up the form prescribed and accept all the terms and conditions contained within
and thus can avail the services of the society for a nominal amount.
Key Features of the Scheme
♦ Under the scheme a Supreme Court Middle Income Group Legal Aid Society
(SCMIGLAS) would be set up as a governing body.
♦ The society will have Chief Justice-of-India as Patron-in-Chief, Attorney General for India as
Ex-officio Vice-President, Solicitor General of India as Secretary and other senior advocates of
the Supreme Court as its members.
♦ The applicants will have to pay a sum of Rs 500 to the Supreme Court Middle Income Group
Legal Aid Society (SCMIGLAS) as service charges.
♦ Besides, the applicant shall also have to deposit the fee as indicated by the Secretary which will
be in accordance with the schedule attached to the scheme.
♦ The Secretary will also be responsible to register the case under the MIG Legal Aid Scheme
and further proceed to forward the papers to the Advocate-on-Record or the Arguing Counsel or
Senior Counsel for opinion.
♦ If Advocate-on-Record is satisfied with the case to be proceeded forward then only the Society
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will consider that the applicant is entitled to legal aid.

♦ If the advocate who is appointed under the scheme is found negligent in the conduct of the case
entrusted to him then he will be required to return the brief together with the fee received by him
from the applicant under the scheme.
♦ The society will not be responsible for the negligent conduct of the case and the entire
responsibility will be that of the advocate. The name of the Advocate will be struck off from the
panel prepared under the scheme.
CCEA approves 40,000-mw solar park scheme

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) okayed revised norms for the Scheme
for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects with the production
target enhancement to 40,000 MW from the present 20,000 MW.
• The enhanced target capacity would ensure development of at least 50 solar parks each
with a capacity of 500 MW and above in various parts of the country.
• In the recent development smaller parks in Himalayan and other hilly States where
contiguous land may be difficult to acquire in view of the difficult terrain, will also be
considered under the scheme.
Sikkim becomes 22nd State to join UDAY

i. India’s first fully organic state Sikkim has joined the union government’s Ujwal DISCOM
Assurance Yojana (UDAY) as 22 nd state , the so called UDAY will in turn hand it an overall
benefit of Rs 356 crore.
ii. Upon this decision Sikkim has inked MoU with the union government under the Scheme Ujwal
Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) for operational improvement of the state’s Power Distribution
Department.
iii. The MoU will help in improving operational efficiency of the power distribution and reduction in
AT&C and transmission losses to 15 per cent and 3.50 per cent, respectively, is possibly to bring in
added revenue of around Rs 328 crore.
MoUs
India & Sri Lanka signs MoU for multi-ethnic tri-lingual Secondary School
i. India and Sri Lanka has signed an MoU on February 2, 2017 for the construction of a multi-
ethnic tri-lingual school in a north central district of the island nation.
ii. The school would provide an opportunity to Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim students to learn in a
multi-cultural environment and thus promote reconciliation and unity in Sri Lanka.
iii. The MoU was signed between India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu
and Secretary to the Ministry of Education Sunil Hettiarachchi.
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iv. The Indian Government would provide a grant of SLR 300 million for the island school to be
constructed in Polonnaruwa district.
India and Italy Sign an MOU in Rail Sector for Technical Cooperation
i. The Union Ministry of Railways has signed an MoU with an Italian Firm Ferrovie Dello
Stato Italiane Group (FS Group) for technical cooperation in rail sector on February 2, 2017 with
focus on safety operations.
ii. The MoU was signed between Shri Vinod Kumar, Executive Director/Safet(coordination),
Railway Board on behalf of Ministry of Railways and Shri Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of FS Group,
Italy.
iii. The main aim of the MoU is cooperation in safety audit of Indian Railways, measures required
for enhancing safety in train operation, Assessment and certification of advanced technology
based safety products and systems to Safety Integrity Level (SIL4), Training and competency
development with focus of safety, Modern trends in Maintenance and diagnostic etc.
Tripartite MoU signed among M/o of Tourism, M/s NPCC & NBCC and Govt of J&K for
Implementation of Tourism Projects In J&K
i. A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed among the Ministry of
Tourism, M/s NPCC & NBCC and Government of J&K on February 6, 2017 for the
implementation of Tourism projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
ii. As a part of the new initiative, Development of Tourism in the State– New Projects, the Ministry
of Tourism has sanctioned two projects, one each to NPCC and NBCC in the J&K which will be
implemented by September 2017.
iii. The first project sanctioned to M/s NBCC includes Integrated Development of Tourist
facilities at Gulmarg – Baramulla – Kupwara – Leh. The total outlay of the project is Rs.
96.62 Crore.
India & Austria Signs Protocol to Amend Bilateral Taxation Treaty

i. India and Austria signed a protocol on February 6, 2017 to amend the existing bilateral
taxation treaty for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion.
ii. The protocol was signed between Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Sushil
Chandra on behalf of India and Embassy of Austria Charge d’ Affaires Georg Zehetner on behalf
of Austria.
iii. The protocol will broaden the scope of the existing framework of exchange of tax related
information. This will help to curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two nations as well
as enable mutual assistance in relation to collecting taxes.
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International Conference & Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite Broadcasting held in New
Delhi
i .The 23rd session of the International Conference & Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite
Broadcasting was held at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, New Delhi from February 2-
February 4, 2017.
ii .The event was organized by the Broadcast Engineering Society (India).
iii. The theme of the event was Hybrid Technologies in Broadcasting – New Opportunities.
iv. Over 300 companies from 25 countries participate to display their products in BES EXPO
2017.
Union Cabinet apprised of Framework Agreement between India and Vietnam on

cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of
the Framework Agreement between India and Vietnam on cooperation in the exploration and
uses of outer space for peaceful purposes.
• The Framework Agreement on cooperation in the exploration and usage of outer space for
peaceful purposes was signed during the Prime Minister’s visit to Vietnam on September
03, 2016.
Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and France in the field of Science, Technology
and Innovation
The Union Cabinet was also informed about the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) of Cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovation between India and
France to ensure exchange of best practices and technology.
• The agreement would be signed between Technology Development Board
(TDB), Department of Science & Technology and Bpifrance, a Public Investment Bank,
France.
• The agreement will ensure exchange of best practices and setting up of coordinated
measures to foster technological exchanges in the field of Science, Technology and
Innovation through collaboration between companies, organizations and institutions of
France and India through the TDB and Bpifrance.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Senegal in the field of Health and Medicine
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 8, 2017 approved
signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Senegal in the field
of Health and Medicine.
• As per the decision of the Union cabinet, a working group will be set up to further
elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of the pact.
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• The main areas of cooperation between the two nations include Integrated Disease
Surveillance, medical research, Emergency Relief, hospital management, drugs and
pharmaceutical products and hospital equipments, traditional medicine, AIDS Control and
other areas of mutual interest.
India and United States Agree to Sustain Defence Partnership

i. India and the United States have agreed to maintain the pace of their partnership especially
in the area of the defence ties.
ii. The Defence Secretary James Mattis held a telephonic conversation with the Indian Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar with the commitment to further strengthen the bilateral defence
cooperation made in recent years.
iii .This was the first bilateral talk between the two ministers after Mattis was swron in as Defence
Secretary in January 2017.
India-UK sign MoU to allow more flights to boost tourism and trade
i. Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lord Ahmad from
U.K. have signed a MoU to ease restrictions on the number of scheduled flights between the
two countries to trade and tourism.
ii. Limits on flights from Chennai and Kolkata have been scrapped, allowing for a greater range of
flights for passengers while providing a boost to trade and tourism for the UK and India
iii. This will pave the way to new export markets and creating jobs and economic growth
Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Rwanda
The Cabinet approved the signing of Air Services Agreement between India and
Rwanda which will enable the airlines of the two countries to operate services in each others’
territory.
• The Agreement has the potential to better develop the civil aviation sector of both the
nations and hence boost greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange
between India and Rwanda and also strengthen.
ICAI’s Accounting Research Foundation signs pact with Railways

i. The CA Institute’s Accounting Research Foundation (ARF) has signed an agreement with
Indian Railways for the national rollout of accrual accounting in Railways on February 19,
2017. The agreement will be valid for 18 months.
ii. The agreement was signed by V. Sagar, Director, ICAI ARF and Secretary, ICAI and Sanjeev
Sharma, Deputy Chief Project Manager (Accounting Reforms), Northern Railway in the presence of
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Shahzad Shah, Financial Commissioner, Indian Railways and Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey, Chairman,
ICAI ARF and President, ICAI.
iii. According to the agreement accrual accounting will be introduced at 17 Railway zones and 8
production units across the country.
India, Croatia signs agreement to boost bilateral trade & enhance economic cooperation
i. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Martina Dalic, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of the Economy,Republic of Croatia have signed an agreement to boost
bilateral trade and enhance economic cooperation on February 14, 2017 in Zagreb, Croatia
ii. Aim : To promote and develop bilateral trade and economic relations.
iii. This Agreement would be a step in continuity of the previous agreemebt which expired in
November, 2009.
iv. India’s bilateral trade with Croatia during 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 stood at USD 148.86
million, USD 205.04 million and USD 148.44 million respectively.
Reliance Defence Signs Master Ship Repair Agreement with US Navy

i. The Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd (RDEL) has signed a Master Ship Repair
Agreement (MSRA) with US Navy on February 13, 2017 to perform repair and alteration services
for US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels.
ii. The Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) controlled RDEL will perform complex repair and
alternation services for the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels operating in the Western Pacific and
Indian Ocean
iii. The Reliance Shipyard was qualified by US Navy as an approved contractor to perform complex
repair for the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels in January 2017.
Airbus signs MoU for setting up centre of excellence in Hyderabad

The multinational Airbus Group division Airbus joined hand
with Telangana government, National Skill Development
Corporation India and AEROCAMPUS France for establishing a Centre of Excellence at
at Begumpet Airport for aerospace skill development in Hyderabad
Objective: To enhance the employability of young aspirants by imparting the required skills to
them
Highlights of the Centre
i. To train candidates ranging from high school graduates to experienced aviation personnel on
aircraft manufacturing, logistics, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), ground handling and
special aviation processes
ii. To offer short-term refresher modules as well as long-term certificate and diploma courses that
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will find acceptability within the industry

iii. To provide training on aerospace manufacturing and assembling
Tata Motors Signs Strategic Technological Agreement with Microsoft

i. Tata Motors Ltd and Microsoft India entered into strategic agreement on February 16, 2017
to collaborate on the technology front for making driving a more personalized experiences for the
customers.
ii. As per the agreement, Microsoft will make use of its IoT (internet of things), AI (artificial
intelligence) and machine learning technologies to develop a highly personalized, smart vehicle for
the customers.
iii. The first vehicle showcasing such technological advancements will be unveiled at the Geneva
International Motor show on March 7, 2017.
MCX signs MoU with Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange

i. Mumbai based Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and Singapore Diamond Investment
Exchange have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore areas of cooperation on
February 16, 2017.
ii. The agreement will to facilitate cooperation between the two exchanges in areas such as
knowledge sharing and research, standardisation of the product for Indian markets
iii. It will enhancing transparency in pricing, besides exploring further areas of collaboration.
NALCO signs MoU with TERI for sustainable rehabilitation

i. Odisha based National Aluminium Company Limited(NALCO) has signed Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi on February
16, 2017
ii. Objective of the agreement: Scientific, technological and educational activities in the area of
mining rehabilitation.
iii. The agreement will further strengthen initiatives being undertaken under Sustainable
Development Framework (SDF).
AirAsia signs MoU with Odisha Government for two-ways Direct Flights
i. Malaysia-based low-cost airline AirAsia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the Odisha government on February 17, 2017 to start two-way direct international
flights from Bhubaneswar to Kuala Lumpur.
ii. The agreement was signed between Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Director of Tourism Department in
Odisha and AirAsia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aireen Omar.
iii. The airline will begin its flight service from the Biju Patnaik International Airport by end of
March 2017.
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Cabinet approves MoU between India and Australia for promotion and development of
cooperation in civil aviation security
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between India and Australia for promotion and development of cooperation in civil aviation
security.
• The MoU will provide an opportunity to Indian aviation security authorities to share the
expertise of their Australian counterparts and enhance the overall aviation security
environment in India.
Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Greece
Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and
Greece which has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange
also in line government’s developments in the civil aviation sector.
• The MoU will provide a way for seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities
to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security.
Cabinet approves signing of an Agreement between India and Poland on cooperation in

the field of agriculture and allied sectors
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Agreement between India and Poland on
cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
• The agreement includes various activities in the field of agriculture and allied sector
including exchange of information on the current situation in agriculture, the
phytosanitary conditions of crops, threats posed by harmful organisms and the threats
posed by animal infectious diseases.
India and Japan ink pact on rail safety

Indian Railway Board Chairman A.K.Mittal and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and
Tourism of Japan Vice-Minister Hiroshi Tabata has signed Memorandum of Cooperation on February
21, 2017
i. Aim of the MoU :
To enhance railway safety in the Indian Railways with focus on railway track and rolling stock
safety, a press statement said on Tuesday.
ii. Areas of cooperation:
Rail inspection, rail wielding and providing automatic railway track safety inspection, maintenance
of rolling stock.
iii. The Delhi – Mumbai and the Delhi – Howrah lines are will be taken up first for the technology
upgrade plan.
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India & Ukraine to strengthen bilateral cooperation through Cinema

i. Minister for Information & Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu and Member of the Parliament of
Ukraine and Chairman of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine Mr.
Iurii Artemenko have agreed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries
through the medium of Cinema in New Delhi on February 27, 2017
ii. The cooperation would be helpful to showcase films through the medium of Film Festivals and
utilizing the Film Facilitation Office platform established by India.
India and Germany Ratify 2011 Agreement on Social Benefit

i. India and Germany ratified a comprehensive Social Security Agreement (SSA) on February
24, 2017 to improve investment flows between the two countries.
ii. The SSA which was signed on October 12, 2011 while the instruments of ratification were
exchanged on February 24 will be effective from May 2017.
iii. The agreement is expected to reduce the operational costs of Indian and German companies
operating in either of the countries.
iv. The agreement will provide the rights and obligations to Nationals of both countries for their
equal treatment and unrestricted payment of pensions even in case of residence in the other
contracting state.
India Signs MoU with Bangladesh to provide financial assistance of Taka 240 mn for
development of Sylhet city
i. India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh on February 24,
2017 to provide financial assistance to Bangladesh for the sustainable development of Sylhet, a
north-eastern Bangladeshi city.
ii. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) three development projects would be taken
up in Sylhet. The total cost of the project would be Taka 240 million.
iii .The MoU was signed between Shah Md Aminul Haque, Additional Secretary of the Economic
Relations Division, Enamul Habib, CEO of Sylhet City Corporation and Indian High Commissioner
in Sylhet, Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
Pakistan and Turkey Signs 10 Agreements to Enhance Bilateral Ties

i. Pakistan and Turkey has signed 10 agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation in various
fields, including exchange of financial intelligence relating to money laundering, hydrocarbon and
defence cooperation.
ii. The agreements and MoUs were signed during the visit of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif to Turkey from 22-24 February, 2017 to co-chair the 5th Session of Pakistan-Turkey
High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC)
iii. At the conclusion of the 5th Session of HLSCC, the two countries signed 10 Agreements/MOUs
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in a number of areas of bilateral cooperation including the Joint Declaration.

iv. The different areas in which agreements and MoUs were signed includes hydrocarbons,
environment, forestry, information, exchange of financial intelligence relating to money laundering
and exchange of armed forces personnel.
Visa-AP Sign MoU To Make Vishakhapatnam ‘Less-Cash’ City

i. The world’s second largest card payment organization Visa has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh government to make Vishakhapatnam as India’s
first ‘less-cash’ city
ii. Aim : To provide 500 million underserved with a payment account by 2020
iii. This is the first step to design India’s ‘Fintech Valley’ that will act as a facilitator for
information flow. It will provide support to FinTech start-ups by providing access to Visa’s APIs,
providing subject matter expertise, and participating in boot camps and hackathons.
iv. It will increase increase customer adoption of electronic payments by 75 per cent to 100 per
cent.
For the first time in the world, Microsoft to deploy Azure Stack in Andhra Pradesh
i. Technology giant Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu
Naidu has signed agreement to utilise Microsoft Azure Stack for AP government state data centre
at the ‘Microsoft Future Decoded’ held in Mumbai on February 22, 2017
ii. For the first time in the world, Microsoft Azure Stack will be used to migrate 340 live
applications of AP government from Hyderabad State Data Centre (SDC) to Vizag data centre.
COMMITTEE
Centre Forms Six-Member Committee to Look into Haj Subsidy Issue
i. A six-member committee has been formed by the government to look into the matter of how
to improve the Haj Poilcy of India and also deal with the issue of reducing and abolishing the
subsidy to the pilgrims.
ii. Former Consulate General of India (CGI), Jeddah, Afzal Amanullah will be the head of the
committee. Besides, Ministry Joint Secretary J Alam will serve as member secretary.
iii. Other in the committee includes, Bombay High Court judge (retd) SS Parkar, ex-Haj Committee
of India chairman Qaiser Shamim, former Air India CMD Michael Mascarenhas , Muslim scholar-
chartered accountant Kamal Faruqui.
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Ministry of AYUSH Constitutes a 16-member Committee to Prepare a Yoga Protocol for

Diabetes Control
i. The Ministry of AYUSH has constituted a 16-member committee under the chairmanship of Dr.
H.R. Nagendra, Chancellor, S-Vyasa University, to prepare a Yoga Protocol for Diabetes Control.
ii. The Ayush Minister Shri ShripadYesso Naik said that regular yoga practice can help reduce the
level of sugar in the blood, along with lowering blood pressure, keeping a weight check, reducing
the symptoms and slowing the rate of progression of diabetes, as well as lessening the severity of
further complications.
iii .Besides, this the Ministry has also launched a programme to integrate Ayurveda, Homoeopathy
and Unani with National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular
Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).
HRD Ministry Constitutes Sub-Panel of CABE to Boost Girls’ Education

i. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has constituted a sub-
committee of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) under Chairmanship of Telangana’s
Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari to look into issues related to girls education
ii. With the consultations of the Central/state governments and other stakeholders, the sub-
committee will submit its report to the Union government within one year from the date of its
constitution.
iii. The other members of the sub-committee include: Minister for Finance and Planning Assam,
Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Dr. Neera Yadav, Minister for Social Education and Literacy
Development, Jharkhand. Besides, Rina Ray, Additional Secretary, School Education, MHRD, will be
the member secretary.
iv .The sub-committee would be responsible to examine the reasons for low participation oz girls in
education including the socio-economic factors and suggest ways to reduce gender disparity
Water Resource Ministry Forms Committe to Expedite Namami Gange programme

i. A committee has been formed by the government to accelerate the process of the
implementation of Namami Gange programme under which it plans to make the River Ganga
free from waste by 2018.
ii .The announcement regarding the committee was made by the Union Minister of Water
Resources Uma Bharti on February 8, 2017 in New Delhi while chairing the first meeting of the
empowered task force on Ganga.
iii. The committee would comprise of Ministers of Water Resources, Environment and Forest,
and Drinking Water and Sanitation as its members and will be responsible to meet at least once
every fortnight.
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Andhra Pradesh Government constitutes 33 member committee for Sagarmala Project

i. A 33 member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh’s
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the speedy implementation of the Sagarmala Project
in Andhra Pradesh. Sagarmala project aims to improve the state’s coastline and inland
waterways.
ii. The committee will be responsible for overseeing the entire project and will bring together all the
concerned departments and review their work on a daily basis for timely completion of the project.
A nodal officer has also been appointed from every department who would represent the
department.
iii. The first meeting of the committee took place on February 8, 2017. During the meeting,
Naidu stressed on the opportunities that Andhra Pradesh has to develop a coast-led industrial
economy. He also stressed on the need for an action plan and requested all the officials concerned
to create one for their respective projects.
Centre Sets up Inter-Departmental Task Force to Crack Down Benami Firms

i. In an effort to pull out black money from shell companies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has constituted a task force comprising members of various regulatory
Ministries and enforcement agencies.
ii. Shell companies are those which do not conduct any operations and indulge in large scale money
laundering and tax evasion in India.
iii .The task force would work under the co-chairmanship of the Revenue Secretary Hasmukh
Adhia and the Corporate Affairs Secretary Tapan Rayto monitor the actions taken by various
agencies.
iv. The task force would review the functioning of shell companies to prevent their misuse for
money laundering and tax-evasion.
v. The agencies involved in the task force would invoke the stringent Benami Transactions
(Prohibition) Amendment Act against the shell companies and further freeze their accounts and
strike off the names of dormant companies.
FSSAI sets up 11 member panel to finalize Food Fortification Laws

i. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set up a 11
member scientific panel to frame final regulations on fortification of foods and prepare
strategies to address malnutrition problem.
ii. Fortification means deliberately adding or increasing the content of essential micro nutrients in
food items to improve quality.
iii .The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already issued the draft
guidelines on fortification for five food items including salt, milk, wheat flour, rice and edible oil to
boost production and consumption of fortified foods.
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iv. Based on the comments received on the draft Regulations by various stakeholders, the Panel
will finalise the Regulations
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

World’s First Heat-Driven Transistor created by researchers at Linköping University
i. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden have created the world’s first heat-driven
transistor. The transistor is first in the world that changes its state by a heat signal rather than
conventional electrical signal.
ii. The transistor is made up an electrolyte-gated transistor and an ionic thermoelectric super
capacitor. The heat is first converted into electricity and then stored in the super capacitor. Even
a fractional change in temperature is sufficient to cause a detectable current modulation in the
transistor.
iii. The results have now been published in the journal “Nature Communications”.
Chinese Scientists Develop New TB-resistant Cows

i. Scientists from China’s Northwest A&F University have developed a genetically modified form
of cows that are more resistant to bovine tuberculosis (TB).
ii. The cloned cattle were created using a genome editing tool known as CRISPR. They inserted a
new TB resistance gene called NRAMP1 into 20 cows out of which 11 of survived past the age of
3 months.
UIDAI Shuts Down 50 Fraud Sites Offering Aadhaar Services

i. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has dismissed 12 websites and 12
mobile applications available on Google Play store that were offering Aadhaar-related services
illegally.
ii. Besides, the authorities have been directed to further shut down 26 websites and mobile
applications.
iii. The decision comes after some websites and app were providing unauthorised Aadhaar related
services such as downloading online Aadhaar card, providing status of Aadhaar generation, PVC
Aadhaar Card etc., to residents.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft completes fourth flyby of Jupiter

i. Juno spacecraft sent by US space agency NASA , orbiting the planet Jupiter has completed a
close flyby of Jupiter for the fourth time on February 2, 2017
ii. Juno is currently in a 53-day orbit and its next close flyby of Jupiter will occur on March 27,
2017
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iii. During this period, Juno is studying the gas giant’s auroras to learn more about the planet’s
origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere.
World’s Smallest Pacemaker Unveiled in US

i. Oncologists in United States successfully implanted World’s smallest pacemaker,Micra
Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS), in a patient in US.
ii. The pacemaker TPS is as much as a vitamin capsule in size and provides the most advanced
pacing technology.
iii. The TPS system was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently and
unlike other traditional pacemakers it does not require any cardiac wires (leads) or a surgical
pocket under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy.
ISRO Indigenously Develops Telemetry and Telecommand Processor

i .The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) informed that the indigenous development
of Telemetry & Telecommand Processor (TTCP) has been realised and now with the help of
Indian industry its productionisation will be initiated.
ii. The indigenously developed Processor was successfully deployed in checkout of GSAT-19 which
is scheduled to be launched shortly.
iii. The processor will replace the expensive imported equipment. Its indigenous development was
taken up by ISRO as part of ‘Make in India’ campaign
iv. The TTCP processor will be used in Integrated Spacecraft Testing of Low Earth Orbit,
Geostationary Orbit and Interplanetary Spacecraft.
Researchers Forms Stable Compound Na2He of Helium and Sodium

i. An international team of researchers from China, Russia, and the United States conducted
computer modeling to create a thermodynamically stable compound of sodium and the noble gas
helium, Na2He, which has a fluorite-type structure and is stable at high pressures.
ii. The result was published in the journal Nature Chemistry.
iii. Noble gasses got their name because they were thought not to mix with the other elements and
forming no compounds. However, with this experiment, the study of chemistry gets a big change in
noble gas theory.
iv .Prof. Boldyrev and his colleagues performed a large-scale computational search for possible
stable compounds of helium with a variety of elements (H, O, F, Na, K, Mg, Li, Rb, Cs and so on).
ISRO Collaborates with Drishti Lifesaving to Study Killer Rip Tides

i. A team of scientist at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) along with a private
lifeguard agency appointed by the Goa government is conducting a new study to understand the
phenomenon of ‘killer rip tides’ to safeguard beaches in Goa.
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ii. ISRO Scientists have collaborated with Drishti Lifesaving, a private agency appointed by the
state tourism ministry to conduct a study titled Ripex 2017 at Space Applications Centre, ISRO
Ahmedabad.
iii. A Rip Tide is a strong sea current which pulls the water away from the shore often catching
unawares swimmers and people too along with it.
Piyush Goyal Launches TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application for Transparency in
Statutory Clearances for Mining Operations
i. The Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri
Piyush Goyal launched the TAMRA (Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource
Augmentation) portal and Mobile Application in New Delhi on February 10, 2017.
ii. TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application aims to enhance the transparency and accountability in
the mining sector as a part of the Ease of Doing Business.
iii. The initiative will speed up mining activity in India and enable all the stakeholders to track
the status of the statutory clearances associated with mining blocks for getting mines to reach till
operationalization for the same.
Litchis Contains Toxins that May kill Children

i. A team of Scientists from the United States and India in a study found that
consuming litchi and then skipping the dinner can cause a very low blood glucose level, lower
than 70 mg/dL, which may eventually lead to death especially in children.
ii. The study was published in the Journal Lancet Global Health. The group of scientist made the
study after over 100 children from the northern India’s Muzaffarpur, Bihar died mysteriously after
eating litchi’s and skipping the evening meal.
iii. As per the study, Litchi’s contain toxic materials known as Hypoglycin A and
methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG). It blocks the enzymes in the normal glucose metabolism.
Intech DMLS Launches India’s First Indigenously Developed Jet Engines Series
i. India’s first Metal 3D printing provider Intech DMLS Limited has launched the country’s first
indigenously developed Jet Engine Series under the brand name Poeir Jets.
ii. Poeir Jets Pvt Ltd, an R&D subsidiary of Intech DMLS, has unveiled the first series of Jet engines
for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) & Remote Controlled (R/C) Aircraft.
iii. The engine MJE 20 is indigenously designed & manufactured with a thrust of 20 Kgf. It is
currently undergoing testing at the company’s Bangalore facility. Another Jet engine SJE-
350 with a thrust of 350kgf, designed for strategic applications is currently being manufactured. In
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future, the company also plans to expand into the Turbo Shaft/Fan category.
iv. With this India has become the first country in Asia and the fourth country after the US,
Europe and Israel to indigenously develop such an engine in the private space.
US and Japan Successfully Conducts Test Flight of New Ballistic Missile Defence System
i. The United States and Japan successfully conducted a flight test of a Standard Missile-3
(SM-3) Block IIA from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kauai, off coast Hawaii on February 3,
2017.
ii. The next-generation SM-3 Block IIA Interceptor has been jointly developed by the U.S. defense
firm Raytheon and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to destroy an incoming ballistic missile
target and is launched from US warship.
iii. The two nations have been working together since 2006 and America has so far spent about
$2.2 billion on the system and Japan about $1 billion.
iv. The US warship USS John Paul Jones, a Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
detected and tracked the target missile with its onboard radar using the Aegis Baseline 9.C2
weapon system.
ISRO Successfully Launches Record 104 Satellites in One Go from the Satish Dhawan
Space Centre in Sriharikota
Setting a new record in the space mission, the Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO) successfully launched 104 satellites in one go from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre
in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on February 15, 2017.
• The satellites were launched on Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37 which
marked its 39th flight.
• The mission was ISRO’s first space mission for the year 2017 apart from being the most
complicated mission ever carried out.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated the space
agency for the historic event that significantly boosts India’s space programme.
About the Mission
The 104 satellite included a 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series satellite for earth observation, two Indian
nano satellites INS-1A and INS-1B and 101 international nano satellites. Of the 101
satellites, 96 of these belong to USA and one each belongs to Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands,
Switzerland and United Arab Emirates.
• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37 took off firstly to launch the 714 kg Cartosat-2 series
satellite for earth observation, followed by two of India’s nano satellites, INS-1A and INS-1B,
weighing 30 kg and finally the 101 co-passenger satellites together weighing about 664 kg.
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• In total, the entire launch carried a satellite mass of about 1,378 kg.The satellites were placed
in the 520 km distant polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) in a gap of about 30 minutes
after separations.
• So far, ISRO has launched 226 satellites, including 179 belonging to foreign countries.
THE PAYLOAD
INS1-A and INS 1-B
The two Indian nano satellites INS-1A and INS-1B were developed as co-passenger satellites to
accompany bigger satellites on PSLV.
• The primary objective of INS (ISRO Nano Satellite) is to provide an opportunity for ISRO
technology demonstration payloads, provide a standard bus for launch on demand services.
• INS-1A and INS-1B carries total of four different payloads from Space Applications Centre
(SAC) and Laboratory for Electro Optics Systems (LEOS) of ISRO for conducting various
experiments.
• INS-1A carries Surface Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function Radiometer and INS-1B
caries Earth Exosphere Lyman Alpha Analyser as payloads.
101 International Satellites
The 101 international customer nano-satellites are being launched as part of the commercial
arrangements between Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of ISRO and the
international customers.
• A majority of the satellites of US have earth-imaging capability and belong to a US
company named Planet.
Scientists Develops Stretchable Rubber Material “Thubber” for Stretchable Machines

i .Scientists from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a thermally conductive rubber
material which is an innovative discovery for creating soft, stretchable machines and electronics.
ii .The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
iii. As per the report, the material named as ‘thubber’ is an electrically insulating composite which
represents a combination of metal-like thermal conductivity and elasticity. It can stretch over
six times its initial length.
iv .It can be used in applications such as wearable computing and soft robotics, which require
mechanical compliance and stretchable functionality.
v. The major ingredient in thubber is a suspension of non-toxic liquid metal microdroplets.
Scientists ‘Unmask’ Protein Shielding Superbug Against Antibiotics

i. The Scientists from University of Western Australian have mapped the molecular structure of
a protein that protects the superbugs from all the antibiotics including Colistin, which is an
antibiotic used when all other treatments fail.
ii. The scientist found that the protein EptA provides resistance to the bacteria even against last
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resort antibiotic Colistin.

iii. Using a technique called X-ray Crystallography scientists mapped the three-dimensional
structure of EptA.
Scientists Develops High-Quality Graphene Using Soybean

i. A team of Scientists at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in
Australia have developed the world’s strongest material, Graphene using soyabean to make it
commercially more viable.
ii. The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
About the Research
i. Till now graphene production was very costly process. It required highly controlled environment
with explosive compressed gases and long hours of operation at high temperatures and extensive
vacuum processing for its production.
ii. However, the CSIRO scientist used a novel “GraphAir” technology which eliminated the need for
such a highly-controlled environment thus making the process of the production very cost effective.
iii. GraphAir transforms soybean oil which is a renewable, natural material into graphene films in a
single step.
iv. The technology grows graphene film in ambient air with a natural precursor, making its
production faster and simpler.
ISRO Successfully Tests C25 Engine for GSLV Mark III rocket
i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the final ground
testing of its indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage engine (C25) for GSLV Mark III
rocket at ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu on
February 17, 2017.
ii. The ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar informed that the test was last in the series before going
for an actual rocket launch. The engine will be put into use in April 2017.
iii. The C25 stage is the most powerful upper stage developed by ISRO and uses Liquid Oxygen and
Liquid Hydrogen propellant combination.
iv .It will better serve the next generation GSLV rocket to launch 4-tonne class satellite in the
Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
India Vetiver Network (INVN) launched in Tamil Nadu

i. India Vetiver Network (INVN) has been launched at Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University in Coimbatore .
ii. Aim: To protect the environment using vetiver
iii. INVN is a not-for-profit scientific network to promote vetiver in India. Vetiver has worldwide
application to tackle many environmental issues like soil erosion, mitigation of soil and water
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pollution.
iv. Promotion of research in vetiver — identification of varieties, improved production technologies
and distillation techniques.
NASA to create Space Technology Research Institutes for Deep Space Exploration
i. In order to focus on deep space missions, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) has proposed to set up of two multi-disciplinary, university-led
research institutes that will work to develop technologies having potential to extend human
presence deeper into the solar system.
ii. The Space Technology Research Institutes (STRIs) will be created in the two institutes
namely Centre for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES) and Institute
for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design (US-COMP) with expected outcome
within 5 years.
iii. The new STRIs created under the proposals will bring together researchers from various
disciplines and organizations to collaborate on the advancement of cutting-edge technologies in bio-
manufacturing and space infrastructure.
iv. Through the new institutes NASA aims to shift the focus from low-earth orbit to deep space
missions by way of developing technologies that will allow long-duration mission crews to
manufacture the products they need rather than relying on the current practice of resupply
missions from Earth.
Iran Launches Advanced Rockets During Military Exercises in Desert

i. The Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard launched sophisticated rockets during a military exercise
that started on February 20, 2017 in Iran’s central desert.
ii. The three day maneuvers called ‘Grand Prophet 11’ will last on February 22, 2017.
iii. The model of the small and advanced rockets or their capabilities have not been revealed.
iv. The launch comes despite warnings from the United States and the sanctions over the previous
ballistic missile test.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Successfully Launches From NASA launch Pad

i. The California-based SpaceX onboard its Falcon 9 rocket launched a robotic Dragon cargo
ship with about 5,500 pounds (2,500 kg) of supplies and science experiments toward
the International Space Station on February 19, 2017 from Launch Complex 39A of NASA’s
Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
ii. After the launch, the rocket’s first stage separated and touched down on a landing pad at the
nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
iii .It marked the eighth successful landing for SpaceX Rocket Company. The company became
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the first private space firm to launch a rocket from a NASA facility.
iv. This was the first time that SpaceX is using the LC-39A launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center
since it leased it from NASA in 2014. It was originally built for the 1960s-era Apollo moon program.
AAI, IATA launch e-billing solution SKYREV360 for airport operators

i. The state run Airports Authority of India, along with International Air Transport Association
(IATA) launched its e-billing solution for airport operators and air navigation services providers
across the world.
ii. The e-billing solution, SKYREV360 developed by in-house experts the electronic billing solution
for data, e-invoicing and collection of tariff from the airlines is being used by the AAI for several
years now.
iii. The solution launched by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapthi Raju, comprises data gathering,
invoicing and collection.
iv. This solution will also help in the reduction in disputes, easy integration with all external
systems and curtailing the debt collection period to the minimum.
Russian supply ship launched to International Space Station

i. Russia successfully launched an unmanned spacecraft taking food and equipment to the
International Space Station after the previous such ship crashed to Earth shortly after launch in
December.
ii. A Soyuz-U booster rocket carrying the Progress cargo ship MS-05 spacecraft blasted off
as scheduled from the Russian-leased Baikonur launch complex in Kazakhstan.
iii. Russia’s launch went ahead without a snag and the spacecraft go into a designated primary
orbit en route to the space outpost.
CBEC launches mobile app for GST

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has launched a mobile application for Goods
and Services Tax (GST) to inform the taxpayers of the latest updates on GST among others
♦ Taxpayers can also provide feedback and contact CBEC’s 24×7 helpdesk “CBEC Mitra” through a
toll-free number or email, at the touch of a button
GST app will provide the information like
i. Migration to GST-Approach and guidelines for migration
ii. Draft Law-Model GST Law, IGST Law and GST Compensation Law
iii. Draft Rules-Rules related to Registration, Returns, Payment, Refund and Invoice
iv. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on GST
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v. Various resources on GST such a videos, articles etc.

vi. Related Website Links and Helpdesk/Email Contact
Nasa finds 60000-year-old living microbes in Mexico’s Naica mine

i. The NASA scientists have accidently made finding of living microorganisms stuck inside crystals
for as long as 60,000 years in a Naica mine, a working lead, zinc and silver mine in the northern
Mexican state of Chihuahua.
ii. These microbes about 100 different kinds of microorganisms — most of them bacteria — have
been found locked in Naica crystals for periods ranging from 10,000 to 60,000 years have
apparently evolved so they can survive on a diet of sulfite, manganese and copper oxide.
iii. This findings will throw some light on effects on how we try to understand the evolutionary
history of microbial life on this planet.
Mahindra Agri launches digital platform MyAgriGuru for farmers

Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd (MASL), a part of Mahindra & Mahindra has launched a mobile app
‘MyAgriGuru‘ for farmers on February 24, 2017
♦ It is launched as a part of Government’s target to double the farmer income by the year
2022.
Features of ‘MyAgriGuru’ :
i. ‘MyAgriGuru’ is 24×7 advisory platform for farmers.
ii. This app will provide information about crop, agri-buzz, market
price and weather in English and Hindi.
iii. Mahindra is working with Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to provide weather forecast
for a five-day period.
Researchers at IIT Kharagpur Develops Prototype to Protect IoT Devices

i. A team of researchers at the Indian Institute Of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kgp) have
designed ‘Physically Unclonable Functions’ (PUF) based on fingerprint generator circuits to
protect Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure from being hacked.
ii. The PUF are light weight and require little power. They can be easily installed in any electronic
device.
iii. The fingerprint generator circuits will enable the receiving device to read the command, verify
the authenticity of the sender and then operate.
iv. It will help to uniquely identify each object and thus enable authenticating the commands sent
to connected IoT devices
Air India’s New Fuel-Efficient Airbus A320 Neo Makes Maiden Flight
i. Government owned airline firm Air India started the maiden flight of its newly leased
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aircraft, Airbus A320 Neo on February 23, 2017 which took off from Indira Gandhi International
Airport, New Delhi to reach Chennai International Airport with 161 passengers on board.
ii. The latest fuel-efficient aircraft was leased by the national carrier from European
aviation major Airbus on February 16, 2017.
iii. The A320 New Engine Option (Neo) aircraft consists of total 162 seats including 12
business class seats.
iv. The Airbus A320 Neo aircraft is fuel-efficient and highly environmental-friendly. It has reduced
noise levels and emits 50 percent less carbon.
v. Air India has plans to induct a total of 29 A320 Neos into its fleet by March 2019 out of which it
has planned to induct 13 planes by 2017 calendar year.
ZTE launches world’s first 5G IT baseband unit (BBU) in partnership with Intel
i. Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment company ZTE made an announcement that
it has launched a next generation 5G IT baseband unit (BBU). The announcement was made at
the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on 26 February 2017.
ii. ZTE has partnered with Intel Corporation for this technology. The architecture of this
technology has been provided by Intel. This is the world’s first software-defined network (SDN) or
network function virtualisation (NFV) 5G radio access network (RAN) solution.
iii. This IT BBU is compatible with all 2G, 3G and 4G platform. It also supports cloud-radio access
networks (C-RAN) and distributed-RAN (D-RAN). These technologically advance feature makes a
space for future development. Due to the highly advanced algorithms and mechanisms used in the
system, the energy consumption will also be reduced.
NASA Plans to Send Robotic Spacecraft to Sun in 2018

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has planned to send its first
robotic spacecraft to the Sun in 2018 which will get as close as within six million kilometers to
investigate its atmosphere
With this mission, NASA aims to answer three important questions.
i. First, the mission will unveil why the surface of the Sun, called the photosphere, is not as hot as
its atmosphere, called the corona.
ii. How solar wind gets its speed
iii. Why the Sun occasionally emits high-energy particles that are a danger to unprotected
astronauts and spacecraft.
iii. For the mission, NASA has designed a 11.4 centimeter carbon-composite shield which can
withstand temperatures of 1,370 degrees Celsius outside the spacecraft.
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DEFENCE
China tests missile DF-5C with 10 nuclear warheads
i. China has tested successfully a new version of a missile Dongfeng-5C missile which can carry
up to 10 nuclear warheads from the Taiyuan Space Launch Centre in Shanxi province, and flew
to a desert in western China
ii. The flight test of the DF-5C missile was carried out in January 2017 using 10 multiple
independently targetable reentry vehicles, or MIRVs.Earlier versions of the DF-5 have either a
single warhead or from six to eight MIRVs.
iii. It is an intercontinental ballistic missile that first went into service in the early 1980’s.
Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence & Surveillance System Launched in Mumbai

i. Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding- in-Chief, Western Naval Command
inaugurated the Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) on
February 3, 2017 in Mumbai.
ii. The system has been developed to strengthen Harbour Defence and Security at Mumbai. It
will enhance the security of the valuable assets against surface and underwater threat.
iii. UUHDSS has been designed and developed by Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) ELTA. It
consists of integrated radars, electro-optic cameras and sonars.
Multinational Naval Drill Aman-17 Begins in Karachi

i. The five days multinational Aman-17 naval exercise kicked off in Karachi on February 10, 2017
where 37 countries took part.
ii. The aim of this multi-national exercise is to display united resolve of the countries
against terrorism and crimes in maritime domain. The exercise will also help in enhancing
Pakistan Navy’s interoperability with regional and extra-regional navies.
iii. Aman-17 was inaugurated by Commander of the Pakistani naval fleet Vice Admiral Arifullah
Hussaini.
iv .Out of 37 countries participating in ‘Aman 17’, 9 countries are participating with naval assets
including Australia, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, UK, USA, Japan and Russia.
v. The Aman-17 is the fifth such exercise hosted by Pakistan every alternate year since 2007.
2017 Cobra Gold Exercise Begins in Thailand

i. The 2017 Cobra Gold Military Exercise kicked off at the Sattahip Royal Thai Marine Corps
Base in Chonburi Province, Thailand on February 14, 2017.
ii .Cobra Gold 2017 is the 36th edition of the multinational drill and is co-organized by United
States and Thailand. It will expand regional cooperation and collaboration for disaster relief.
iii .The ten day exercise would continue till February 24, 2017 and the closing ceremony of the
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event will take place in Phu Lamyai Training area in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.
iv. As many as 30 nations are participating in the drill including China, India, Singapore, South
Korea and Malaysia, who are either involved in or are observing the exercises.
India Successfully Test-Fires Home Grown Interceptor Missile in Odisha coast

i. India successfully test-fired its Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile from launching
complex-IV of Dhamara Abdul Kalam defence base off Odisha coast on February 11, 2017 under
its Ballistic Missile Defence Programme
ii. The successful testing leads India towards achieving a robust two layered Ballistic Missile
Defence (BMD) system. It will strengthen India’s position in the exclusive club of US, Russia and
Israel.
iii. The Advanced Air Defence interceptor named as Ashwin has the capability to destroy the
incoming enemy missile in the endo-atmospheric region at a low altitude of less than 30 kilometres.
iv. The AAD interceptor is a 7.5-metre-long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile
equipped with a navigation system and a high tech computer and electro-mechanical activator
totally under command by the data uplinked from the ground-based radar.
INS Sarvekshak Becomes India’s First Ship to be Installed with Solar Power System
i. Indian Navy’s survey class vessel INS Sarvekshak has become the first ship in India to be fitted
with solar power system on board.
ii .The ship has been equipped with 18 sheets of solar panel of 300 Watt which is capable of
generating 5.4 kW power.
iii .As per the Navy, if the system is used even for 25 days in one year, it can repay its costs in less
than 10 years. The estimated profit generated by the system during the ship service life of 25 years
is Rs. 2.7 crore.
Sailboat INSV Tarini Inducted into Indian Navy on 18 February 2017

The second ocean going sailboat of Indian Navy “Tarini” was successfully inducted by the Navy on
February 18, 2017 at a ceremony held at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool in presence of Admiral Sunil
Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff.
• It is the second sailboat after INS Mhadei of Indian Navy. INSV Tarini had been
conceptualized to promote ocean sailing activities and to encourage women
empowerment.
• Tarini provides a platform for the first Indian circumnavigation of the globe by all women
team of the Indian Navy.
• INSV Tarini has been built by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa.The trials of
the newly built INSV Tarini were successfully completed on 30 January 2017.
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• The Defence Minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar laid the keel of the vessel on 27 March
2016 at the Aquarius Shipyard.
Fast Patrol Vessel of Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH Commissioned at Kochi
i. Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS AYUSH built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) was commissioned at
the Naval Base in Kochi on February 18, 2017 by the AVSM Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of
Southern Naval Command, Vice-Admiral A R Karve.
ii. The ICGS AYUSH is intended to help in anti-smuggling and search and rescue operations to
secure the Indian waters by patrolling within the Exclusive Economic Zone and also help in fisheries
protection.
iii. With this, the CSL Shipyard has completed construction of 20 Fast Patrol Vessel series for
the Coast Guard.
Pakistan Army Launches Military Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad to Eliminate Terrorism

i. A nationwide military operation ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’ was launched by Pakistan Army on February
22, 2017 to eliminate terrorists and ensure security of Pakistan’s borders.
ii. As per the Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) wing of the Pakistan
Army, the operation aims to eliminate threat of terrorism, consolidate gains of operations made
so far and ensure strengthened security of Pakistan’s borders.
iii. To eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country, the Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy,
Civil Armed Forces as well as other security and law enforcement agencies will work actively to
support the efforts of the Pakistan Army.
iv .Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad will include Broad Spectrum Security and counter-terrorism
operations by Rangers in Punjab, continuation of ongoing operations across the country and focus
on more effective border security management.
v .The operation will also include a countrywide de-weaponisation and explosive control
programme.
ENVIRONMENT
Researchers Discovers Bag-like Fossil with Indications of Early Human Ancestors

i. A team of researchers has discovered a fossil in the Shaanxi Province of China, which they
believe is the prehistoric ancestor of humans that existed about 540 million years ago.
ii. The team included those from the University of Cambridge in the UK and Northwest University in
Xi’an China, with support from other colleagues at institutions in China and Germany.
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iii .The little creature has been named as Saccorhytus due to its small and sack-like feature. The
research was published in the Journal Nature on January 30, 2017.
iv. The Saccorhytus is a very old example of biological class “Deuterostome” which existed about
510-520 million years ago. These groups were ancestors to many species of animals including
humans. Scientis say that this class of species has begun to diversify into different species in
present day.
Scientists Finds Evidence of 2 Billion Years Volcanic Activity on Mars

i. Based on an analysis done by the scientists of a Martian meteorite in Africa, evidence of
existence of at-least 2 billion years of volcanic activity on Mars have been uncovered.
ii. The meteorite known as Northwest Africa 7635 was discovered in 2012. The scientist from
United States found it to be a type of volcanic rock called a shergottite.
iii. As per the scientists most of the composition of rocks from volcanoes on Mars comes from
meteorites found on Earth.
iv. This study confirms that some of the longest-lived volcanoes in the solar system may be found
on the Red Planet. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
Scientists Finds Evidence of Lost-Continent Mauritia Submerged Under Indian Ocean

i. Scientists from University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa have found a small continent
submerged deep under the Indian Ocean that was once located between India and Madagascar.
ii. The team of scientist lead by Lewis Ashwal noticed strong gravitational fields in some parts of
the Indian Ocean than others due to thicker crusts in some areas of the ocean especially in
Mauritius.
iii. On researching the piece of rocky crust on the island of Mauritius created by volcanic eruption,
scientists discovered a material Zircon that is known to be nearly 2 billion years old. However,
Mauritius is only 8 million years old.
Scientists Discovers a New Ghost Shark Species

i. Scientists have discovered a new species of Ghost Shark in Belize, which was previously
unknown.
ii. It is the 50th species of ghost shark discovered and has rabbit-like teeth with bulky head.
iii. It is 3 feet (1 meter) in length and the second largest species of ghost shark ever discovered.
iv. The scientists have named the new species as Erithacus which is the genus name for robin
birds. They have put it in the genus Hydrolagus which means water rabbit or water hare
Qatar Suffers Lowest Ever Temperature of 1.5 Degree Celsius

i. Qatar recorded the lowest ever temperature in the history of the country on February 5, 2017
with a temperature of 1.5 degree Celsius (35 degree Fahrenheit).
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ii. The Qatar Meteorology Department informed that the Gulf state was facing low temperature
for the past several days due to an area of high pressure.
iii. The lowest temperature was recorded at the weather station in Abu Samra in the southwest of
the country.
Scientists Discovers Neurocalyx Calycinus Plant to Possess High Medicinal Values

i. Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research
Institute (JNTBGRI) confirmed through clinical testing that Neurocalyx calycinus, a medicinal
plant has multiple curative properties.
ii. Based on the knowledge of the tribal group, Cholanaickan tribe, in Kerala, who used the plant to
treat inflammations and wounds, scientists discovered the healing properties of the plant.
iii. The Neurocalyx calycinus are generally found in the southern parts of Western Ghats and Sri
Lanka.
iv .The test was conducted on animals which proved that the medicinal property possessed by the
plant was comparable to the standard drugs for wound healing. It contains high Vitamin E
content and potent cytoprotective activity in its cell.
Odisha Census by Forest Department Sighted 181 Irrawaddy dolphins

i. According to a new census carried out by the Odisha State Forest and Environment
department on January 20, 2017 in, the team has sighted as many as 181 endangered
Irrawaddy dolphins in the state.
ii. Besides, 34 Humpback dolphins, 31 bottlenose dolphins and 5 pantropical spotted dolphins were
also sighted.
iii. However, the total dolphins sighted are significantly lower compared to prior census conducted
in 2015 when the team found 450 Dolphins. Out of this the Irrawaddy dolphins accounted to 206.
Large Uranium Reserves found in Meghalaya

i.Reserves of Uranium have been found in Meghalaya over a large area around Domiasiat,
Wahkyn, Lostoin among others.
ii. The information was provided by Dr Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent
Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances &
Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space on February 8, 2017.
Kerala’s Nilambur Teak set to be inducted in the List of Products with GI tag
i. The famous Nilambur teak which is internationally known for its superior quality and elegant
appearance is soon to get added to the list of the Kerala produces that have Geographical
Indication (GI) tag.
ii. Apart from having aesthetic appearance, the Nilambur teak has superior mechanical and physical
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properties. It was identified by the Britishers from Nilambur plantations and forests.
iii .As the Nilambur teak became famous worldwide, fake products with false tags started flooding
the wood and furniture markets. So in order to protect the legal rights of the teak, it has been
decided by the concerned authorities to register the unique product as a Geographical Indication
under the GI Act.
Assam to Raise a Wild Sanctuary to Grow Muga Cocoon

i .The state government of Assam has decided to set up a Wild Sanctuary to grow Muga
cocoon in an effort to give more exposure to Muga, Eri and Silk Products.
ii .The programme have been launched under the Assam Silk Outreach Mission to promote
products made of Muga, silk and Eri.
iii. The government would plant about 25 lakh trees to get the Eri and Muga cocoons.
New bird species Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush found in Nepal

i. A Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush has been spotted in the high mountainous region of Nepal
by Friends of Nature (FoN) reasearchers and then confirmed by the bird experts Carol Inskipp
and Hem Sagar Baral.
ii. Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush is considered an autumn passage migrant bird species in Pakistan and
India.
iii. With this the total number of avian species in the Himalayan country to 866.
Scientists Finds Toxic Chemicals Banned in 1970s, Deep Inside Ocean Fauna
i. Scientists from United Kingdom have discovered high levels of human-made pollutants,
including chemicals that were banned in the 1970s in the tissues of the marine creature that lives
deep inside the Pacific Oceans.
ii. In the study, the scientist sampled amphipods from the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana trench as
well as from Kermadec trench. To their surprise, the researchers found extremely high level
of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the organism’s fatty tissue.
iii. These chemical includes polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl
ethers (PBDEs) which are commonly used as electrical insulators and flame retardants. They are
unable to degrade naturally.
iv. As per the study, the pollutants may have found their way to the trench through contaminated
plastic debris and dead animals sinking to the bottom of the ocean, where they are then consumed
by amphipods and other fauna.
Study Reveals India’s Air May Surpass China as Deadliest in the World
i. India is on its way to catch up with China in terms air pollution related deaths and even can
surpass China if necessary steps are not taken.
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ii. This was concluded by the 2017 State of Global Air report released on February 14, 2017 by
the Health Effects Institute (HEI) and Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at
University of Washington and University of British Columbia.
iii .As per the report, almost 1.1 million people died in India in 2015 because of air pollution.
That was slightly below China’s record but could surpass the neighbour.
iv. The report suggests that the fine airborne particles known as PM2.5 are rising in India, but it
appears to have stabilised in China.
v. The primary killer PM2.5 are micro dust particles that stick to people’s lungs and air passage,
causing serious health problems and even death.
vi . The report found that India has recorded a nearly 50% increase in premature deaths linked to
PM2.5 between 1990 and 2015.
NASA Scientists Record January 2017 as Third Warmest January in 137 years
i. According to the Monthly Analysis of Global Temperatures report published by the NASA
scientists at Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), New York, January 2017 has been
recorded as the third warmest January in 137 years of modern record-keeping.
ii. As per the report, January 2016 was the hottest month with a temperature of 1.12 degree
Celsius warmer than the mean January temperature from 1951-1980.
iii. This was followed by January 2007 at 0.96 degree Celsius and finally January 2017 with a
temperature of 0.92 degree Celsius warmer than mean January temperature.
Sea Ice in Antarctica reaches record low value.

i. The sea ice floating around the Antarctica has contracted to the smallest value as compared to
the past years. This area is smallest when compared to all available data in satellite records dating
back to 1979.
ii. As per the data received from U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) the sea ice
area contracted to 2.287 million square kilometres on 13 February 2017. This area is a bit
smaller than the previous low of 2.290 million square kilometres that was recorded on Feb 27,
1997.
iii. Every year towards the end of February the floating ice melts to its lowest value. But this year it
reached all time low. However the director of NSIDC, Mark Serreze said that he would wait for a
few more days to confirm the record low measurement.
Scientists Discovers Lost Continent Zealandia Hidden Submerged in Pacific Ocean

i. A Lost Continent that sunk about 100 million years ago has been discovered underneath New
Zealand by the scientists. Zealandia, a lost continent submerged in the southwest Pacific
Ocean, is large enough to be recognized as a separate continent.
ii. The report was published “GSA Today”, the journal of the Geological Society of America.
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iii. Zealandia covers nearly 5 million sq. km (1.9 million sq miles) out of which 94 percent is
under water and surrounds New Zealand, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, the Lord Howe Island
group and Elizabeth and Middleton reefs.
India’s only Volcano in Andaman & Nicobar Island Active Again

i. A team of scientists led by Abhay Mudholkar, from CSIR-National Institute of
Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) in Goa on February 17, 2017 informed that India’s only live
volcano in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has started erupting smoke and lava again.
ii. The volcano of Barren Island last erupted in 1991 after lying dormant for 150 years. Again the
volcano has started showing sporadic activity in small intervals of 5-10 minutes.
iii. As per the scientists, during the day only ash clouds were observed, but after sunset red lava
foundations were erupting from the crater into the atmosphere and hot lava streamed down the
slopes.
Four New Species Of World’s Smallest Frogs Discovered In The Western Ghat
i. Noted Scientist also called Frogman of India as professor SD Biju from Delhi University (DU)
and his team discovered four new miniature species, now listed among the smallest known frogs in
the world.
ii. This findings surprised the scientists as the relative abundance of these new miniature species of
seven new frog species belonging to the genus Nyctibatrachus, commonly known as Night Frogs
in the Western Ghats global biodiversity hotspot in India.
iii. Among the findings four out of seven of the new species are miniature-sized frogs (12.2-15.4
mm), which can comfortably sit on a coin or a thumbnail.These are among the smallest known
frogs in the world.
Astronomers discover 7 new Earth-sized exoplanets that may sustain life

i. Astronomers have spotted at least seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the same star 40 light-
years away from the sun with similar size to earth.
ii. This discovery of our solar system have low temperate, meaning they could have water on their
surfaces and potentially support life.
iii. The seven exoplanets were spotted around dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1. The findings helps
that their mass also indicate that they are rocky planets, rather than being gaseous like Jupiter.
iv. Of these seven planets, three of them are in the fit for human habitation of the star, known as
TRAPPIST-1e, f and g, and may even have oceans on the surface.
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World’s First International Zip Line Created to Connect Spain And Portugal
i. In a first of its kind development of a cross-border zip line in the world, a an international
zip line named as Limite Zero has been created to connect Spain and Portugal.
ii. The 2,362-foot-long zipline will connect Sanlucar de Guadiana, in Andalucia, Spain, to
Alcoutim, in Algarve, Portugal whose time zone is an hour behind than that of Spain.
iii. The zipline crosses Guadiana River at 50 feet above sea level to connect the villages in two
countries which are separated by the 150 metres wide river.
Pests Destroys 35% of India’s Total Crop Yield: ICAR scientist

i. As per the data by Indian Council of Agricultural Research scientists, over 30-35 percent of
the annual crop yield in India is destroyed because of pests.
ii. Among these pests, the major threat to the crops in India is posed by nematodes which have
caused loss to about 60 million tonnes of crops annually or 10-12 percent of crop yield each year.
iii. The huge crop loss is having an adverse effect on the agricultural bio-safety as it forms a vital
portion of Indian food security.
iv. The researcher cited that Potato Cyst Nematode, a particular kind of nematode had affected
plants such as potatoes and tomatoes. It was first discovered in the Nilgiris and had now spread to
various parts of the country.
ICFRE Approval to Release 20 High-Yielding Varieties of Plant Species

i. 20 high-yielding varieties of plant species have been developed by three different institutes under
the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) Dehradun.
ii. The Variety Releasing Committee (VRC) of ICFRE under the chairmanship of Director
General, Forest and Special Secretary, Dr SS Negi, granted approval for the release of
these varieties of plant species at a meeting held in Dehradun on February 27, 2017.
iii. The three institutes that have developed the varieties are Forest Research Institute (FRI)
Dehradun; Institute of Forest Genetic and Tree Breeding Coimbatore and Tropical Forest
Research Institute, Jabalpur.
iv. The Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, has developed ten improved varieties of Melia dubia
or Malabar Neem and three clones of Eucalyptus, which are in high demand in the plywood and
timber industry.
v. The Institute of Forest Genetic and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, has developed five inter-specific
hybrids of Casuarina equisetifolia X Casuarina junghuhniana, a type of pine tree, also to be
used as timber.
Madras HC orders TN Govt to Enact Law to Eradicate Seemai Karuvelam Trees

i. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justices A.Selvam and
P.Kalaiarasan directed the Tamil Nadu government on February 27, 2017 to enact a Law with
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prohibitory and penal clauses within two months to remove prosopis juliflora (Seemai
Karuvelam) trees in the state.
ii. The bench also directed the State government to release perennial funds to all the district
collectors for removing of the seemai karuvelam trees.
iii. The Judges would make surprise inspection throughout the State and if any lapse is found on
removing these trees, stringent actions would be undertaken.
iv. The next hearing of the case will be taken up on March 20.
SPORTS
West Indies All rounder Andre Russell gets one-year ban for doping breach
i. Jamaican cricketer Andre Russell(28) has been banned from all cricket for a year over a
doping code violation by the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission on February 1, 2017.
ii. Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines, elite athletes must file his/her details of
whereabouts.
India Defeats England 2-1 to Win T20 International Series

i. India defeated England by 75 runs to clinch the Twenty20 International series 2-1 on February
1, 2017 played at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. England lost their last 8 wickets for 8
runs.This is India’s first win in a bilateral T20 International series against England.
ii. 23-year-old Yuzvender Chahal was named the man of the series for taking eight wickets and
giving away only 85 runs.
iii. With this, Yuzvender Chahal has also became the first Indian bowler to record a five-
wicket haul in the history of Indian cricket.
Lakshya Sen of Uttarakhand Becomes World No. 1 Player in BWF Junior Rankings
i. Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen has created history after he attained World No. 1
Rank in the latest Junior Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking on February 2, 2017.
ii. The 15-year-old player is the youngest ever player and the first ever from Uttarakhand to win
the title at senior level. Earlier, his brother Chirag Sen was ranked number 2 in the world junior
badminton rankings.
iii. Lakshya has outclassed Chia Hao Lee of the Chinese Taipei to attain the World no. 1 ranking.
Former Chelsea midfielder from England Lampard Retires at 38

i. English professional footballer Frank Lampard announced his retirement from
professional soccer on February 2, 2017 ending his 21-year-old career.
ii. The 38-year old Chelsea midfielder has won major honor at club level to establish himself as
the Premier League’s highest-scoring midfielder.
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2020 Tokyo Olympic Games medals to be made from recycled mobile phones
i. Olympic game medals will be made from recycled mobile phones for the year 2022 to promote
sustainability said by 2020 Olympic Games organizers, Japan
ii. For this, the Japan government asked public to donate unwanted mobile phones and other
electronic items to help make 5,000 medals.
India Defeats Pakistan to win Pool in Asian Junior Squash Championship

i. Indian Squash Team outclassed Rival Pakistan 2-0 in the lost in the second round match of
Pool A at the 18th Asian Junior Team Squash Championship 2017 in Hong-Kong on February 2,
2017.
ii. Earlier in the Day India beat Iran 3-0 while Pakistan beat Korea 3-0.
iii. In the first match Indian Senthilkumar Velaven beat Pakistan’s Mehran Javed 3-1 and I the
second round Abhay Singh outclassed Abbas Zeb 3-0 to clinch the tournament.
Pankaj Advani Wins 29th the National Snooker Championship title

i. Indian cueist Pankaj Advani clinched his 29th Indian National Snooker Championship title
on February 2, 2017 at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana, Pune.
ii. The World Champion defeated Pandurangaiah of Railways 6-0 in a one-sided final.
iii. With this win, Advani has become the only Indian player to win all the national titles in both
the long and short formats of snooker, 6-red Snooker and 15-red Snooker.
Virat Kohli Tops T20 batsman list in the Latest ICC rankings
i. As per the latest ICC Ranking of the Men’s batting, Virat Kohli is still on the top spot with 799
points. He is followed by Aaron Finch of Australia at second position with 771 points and Glenn
Maxwell of Australia is third.
ii. Virat is ranked Second in Tests and Third in ODIs. This makes him the only Indian batsman
to be raked in top five among all formats.
iii. Among the T20 Team Ranking, India stood at second spot with a rating of 124. New
Zealand was first and West Indies at third.
iv. Imran Tahir from South Africa was placed first in the T20 Bowlers ranking while Jasprit
Bumrah was second and Samuel Badree of West Indies third.
Vijay Goel lays foundation stone of CoE for Para Sports in Gujarat
i. Sports Minister Vijay Goel laid the foundation stone of the India’s first Center of Excellence
for Para Sports to help para athletes in showcasing their skills and talent further both at the
national and international level in Gujarat on February 5, 2017
ii. Budget outlay: Rs.50 Crores.
iii. The Center will have a fully air conditioned indoor hall, fully air conditioned elite hostel of 100
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beds, 20 VIP accommodation for foreign guest which will also be air conditioned and open land for
warm-up.
iv. Goel also inaugurated the SAI Training Center (Para) at SAI NSWC Gandhinagar on February
4, 2017.
India to host FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in July 2017 in Bengaluru

i. Basketball Federation of India on February 5, 2017 announced that India will host FIBA
Women’s Asia Cup basketball tournament in July 2017 in Bengaluru
ii. India also set to host the FIBA U-16 Women’s Asian Championship from October 22 to 28 in
Hyderabad
iii. This will be the first time since 2009 that India will host a major FIBA (International Basketball
Federation) event.
iv. Fourteen teams will compete in both the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup and the U-16 Women’s Asian
Championship, with eight teams in Division A (which include new Oceania teams Australia and New
Zealand) and six in lower Division B(India)
Sharath Kamal wins his 7th natl crown at the 11Even Sports Senior Table Tennis
Nationals
i. Veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal won the men’s singles title after defeating Soumyajit Ghosh.
This is Kamal’s seventh national crown at the 11Even Sports Senior Table Tennis
Nationals hels at the Manesar Sports Club in Haryana
ii. Madhurika Patkar won the women’s singles title against six-time national champion Poulomi
Ghatak.Now she became the first-time champion in the women’s singles at the 11Even Sports
Senior Table Tennis Nationals in Haryana
Indian Team Defeats Malaysia to Win Gold in Asian Junior Squash

i. India’s boy team defeated Malaysia 2-0 on February 5, 2017 in Hong Kong to clinch the gold
medal at the Asian Junior Squash championship.
ii. The team won the game in second round with to seed Velavan Senthilkumar besting Malaysia’s
Ong Sai Hung, 12-10, 11-0, 11-2 and Abhay Singh beat Darren Rahul Pragasam, 10-12, 7-11, 11-
5, 14-12, 11-6.
Alastair Cook steps down as England Test captain

i. Alastair Cook has resigned as England Test captain after a record 59 matches in the role, the
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on 05-02-2017.
ii. Cook, England’s leading scorer in Tests with 11,057 runs, became the captain in August 2012
and led his country to Ashes glory on home soil in 2013 and 2015 as well as series wins in India
and South Africa.
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Iran Lifts Ban on American Wrestling Team

i .On February 5, 2017, Iran lifted up the ban it had imposed on United States Wrestlers, thus
allowing them to participate in the Freestyle World Cup to be held in Iran in February 2017.
ii. Iran had banned the American team on February 3, 2017 after the decision of US President
Donald Trump to temporarily suspend Visas to seven Muslim majority countries including Iran.
iii. However, the United States Federal Judge suspended the ban imposed by US Government on
Iranian Nationals travelling to the U.S. But the Trump administration is again appealing to reinstate
the travel ban.
iv. The Freestyle World Cup is to be held in the Iranian city of Kermanshah from February 16 to
February 17, 2017.
India Set to Host World Billiards Championship For Next Four Years
i. The Billiards and Snoooker Federation of India (BSFI) on February 6, 2017 informed
that India will host the World Billiards Championship for the next four years.
ii. In 2016, the World Billiards Championship was held in Bengaluru.
iii .In the prestigious tournament, Pankaj Advani won in the 150-UP format beating Peter Gilchrist
of Singapore.
iv. The Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) is the central authority that deals with the
growth and development of cue sports in India.
IAAF Bans Russia From 2017 London World Athletics Championships

i. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the World Governing Body
for Track and Field events, on February 6, 2017 informed that Russia has been barred from the
2017 summer World Athletics Championships in London.
ii. Russia has been barred from international competition since November 2015 following a
damaging report alleging that state-sponsored doping was prevailing in the country.
iii. Further, the ban was extended in March 2016 and again in June 2016, preventing Russia’s
athletes from competing at the Rio Olympics.
iv. The country again has been banned until November 2017, after recommendations made by the
IAAF task force investigating Russia’s efforts at reform following a series of doping
scandals recommended
Results of 81st Senior National Badminton Championship

i. Sourabh Verma defeated Lakshya Sen 21-13, 21-12 to clinch the Men’s Singles title in the 81st
Senior National Badminton Championships held in Patna on February 7, 2017.
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ii. In the women’s singles category, second seed Rituparna Das beat Reshma Karthik 21-12, 21-
14 to clinch the championship.
iii. The duo of Aparna Balan and Prajakta Sawant defeated Shikha Gautam and Sanyogita
Ghorpade 21-9, 21-11 to clinch the women’s doubles title.
iv .In the men’s doubles final, Satwik Sai Raj and Chirag Shetty surpassed Nanda Gopal K and
Sanyam Shukla 17-21, 21-16, 14-21 to win the title.
v. Besides, in the mixed doubles, the pair of Satwik Sai Raj and Maneesha K defeated Venkat
Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan 21-14, 21-18 to claim the title.
Delhi batsman Mohit Ahlawat becomes first to score 300 in T20s

i. 21-year-old Mohit Ahlawat became the first batsman in the world to score a 300 in a T20
match on February 7, 2017.
ii. While the match had no official status and was only a local match played in Delhi.
Genzebe Dibaba Breaks World Record to Win Women’s 2000 Metres

i. Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba created the world’s record by becoming the fastest athlete
to complete the women’s indoor 2,000 metres at the indoor Miting Internacional de Catalunya
meeting in Sabadell, Spain on February 7, 2017.
ii. The 25-year-old Dibaba completed the race in 5:23:75 seconds. With this she not only broke
the previous indoor world record of 5:30.53 set by Romania’s Gabriela Szabo in 1998 but also
surpassed the outdoor record of 5:25.36 set by Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan in 1994.
Cheteshwar Pujara Breaks Record for Most Runs in an Indian first-class season
i. Cheteshwar Pujara broke the long-standing record on the first day of the Hyderabad Test
match against Bangladesh on February 9, 2017 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium,
Hyderabad, by taking his season tally to 1,605 in just 21 innings.
ii. Earlier the record was made by Chandu Borde in 1964-65 by scoring 1604 in 28 innings.
iii. Besides, Pujara also features twice in the top three on the list for most runs in an Indian season.
He had made 1585 runs in 23 innings in 2012-13.
Official Mascot for FIFA Under 17 World Cup India 2017 Unveiled
i. The official Mascot for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup India tournament was revealed on
February 10, 2017 in New Delhi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The mascot was unveiled during
the launch of Mission XI Million programme.
ii. A clouded leopard named Kheleo with young and charismatic face has been launched as the
Mascot. it will participate in numerous activities during the first FIFA tournament to be hosted by
India, from October 6 to 28, 2017.
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Virat Kohli Breaks Record to Become First Indian Captain to score Four Double Centuries
in 4 straight series
i.Virat Kohli became the first player to score double century in four consecutive Test series on
February 10, 2017 while playing against Bangladesh in Hyderabad.
ii. He also became the second captain to score four double centuries for his country
Sports Ministry Launches Mission XI Million in New Delhi

i. The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goyal launched the Mission
XI Million, the biggest school sport outreach programme, in New Delhi on February 10, 2017 in
the presence of President of AIFF Shri Praful Patel.
ii. The programme has been launched with an aim to make football a sport of choice in
India and encourage children to play the football games on regular basis.
iii. It also involves school principals and sports teachers to encourage and incentivize students to
opt for football and at the same time gain healthy habits and learn important life lessons in
teamwork and sportsman spirit.
iv .The Mission XI Million has an objective to instill the passion for football in 11 million children
from every part of the country. This also involves schools and parents. The programme will provide
necessary equipments and the knowledge to the parents and schools about how to make regular
play a reality for students.
Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the fastest bowler to take 250 Test wickets
i .Indian off-spin specialist Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest cricketer to take 250
wickets in Test matches. He achieved this feat in his 45th test match against Bangladesh on 12
February 2017, when he dismissed captain of Bangladesh team Mushfiqur Rahim at
the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad.
ii. Ashwin surpassed Australian fast bowler Dennis Keith Lillee, who played 48 matches to reach
the milestone of 250 Test wicket.
India Beat Pakistan to Win T20 World Cup for Blind

i. India defeated Pakistan by 9 wickets to clinch the T20 World Cup for Blind tournament on
February 12, 2017 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
ii. Pakistan set a target of 198 runs for India to win. India chased the total with a loss of one
wicket and 14 spare balls.
iii. India’s opening batsman Prakash Jayaramaiah was named as the Man of the Match.
iv. Badar Munir was named as the Man of the series who made the highest core for Pakistan.
v. Rahul Dravid, the former Indian Cricketer and Captain was the brand ambassador for 2017
T20 Blind Cricket World Cup.
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NBA & Take Two to Launch NBA 2K E-League

i. The National Basketball Association (NBA), an American professional basketball league, is
creating a brand new e-sports league called NBA 2K e-League in partnership with Take-Two
Interactive Software Inc., the developers of the popular NBA 2K video games.
ii .This is the first time that a professional sports organization will operate an e-sports league.
The competitive gaming league will be launched in 2018.
iii. The e-League will be similar to the typical NBA tournament. Each team will have five players,
and play in a real league format complete with a regular season, playoffs, and a championship
matchup.
Dutch Women Germaine De Randamie crowned first UFC Women’s Featherweight

Champion
i. Netherland native Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm (7-3) to claim the UFC
Women’s Featherweight Champion at the UFC 208 in Brooklyn, New York on February 11,
2017.
ii. The featherweight division was newly introduced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in
2016.
iii .The 32-year-old de Randamie became the first women to clinch the victory in the first fight of
the newly introduced 145lb division.
Joe Root Becomes New Test Captain of England

i. The England and Wales Cricket Board named Joe Root as England’s Test captain on February
13, 2017 who will take over Alastair Cook.
ii. Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named as the vice-captain.
iii. Alastair Cook resigned on February 6, 2017 after captaining England for four and a half years
in 59 Tests.
Australia’s Adam Voges Announces Retirement from International Cricket

i. Australian cricketer Adam Voges has decided to retire from all formats of international
cricket after playing his last match as captain of the team Prime Minister’s XI against Sri
Lanka in Canberra on February 15, 2017.
ii. Voges has played only 20 Tests for Australia after debuting at the age of 35 in 2015 and
became the oldest debut centurion when he scored an unbeaten 130 against West Indies in
Dominica.
Jehan Daruvala Wins 2017 New Zealand Grand Prix

i. Jehan Daruvala became the first ever Indian to claim the New Zealand Grand Prix at the Chris
Amon Circuit in Manfeild, New Zealand on February 12, 2017.
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ii. With this win, Jehan, a Force India F1 team racing driver, scored 781 points in the Toyota Racing
Series having 15-race held in January-February and was placed in fifth position.
iii .Australia’s Thomas Randle became the first Australian to win the Toyota Racing
Series with 855 points followed by Brazilian Pedro Piquet (850 pts) at second and Dutch driver
Richard Verschoor (843) at third.
Haryana Beats Railway to win Rs 1 crore Kabaddi Championship

i .Haryana defeated Railway (33-27) to win the first edition of the three-day Pandit Deen Dayal
Updhyay All India National Style Kabaddi Championship held at Motilal Nehru School
of Sports, Rai, District Sonipat, Haryana on February 11, 2017.
ii .Besides, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) stood third by beating Air India 45-37.
iii. The three winners were felicitated with cash prize worth Rs 1 crore, Rs 50 lakh and Rs 25
lakh respectively by the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. This is the highest prize
money for any kabaddi event in the country.
Mumbai Boy Kush Bhagat Awarded CM Title by World Chess Federation

i. Mumbai based Kush Bhagat has been awarded the Candidate Master (CM) title by the World
Chess Federation body, FIDE on February 14, 2017 for his outstanding performance in Western
Asian Youth Chess championship 2016 at UAE.
ii. Kush, a second grade student from Hill Spring International School has presented tremendous
performances in the past 6 months.
Pakistani Batsman Jamshed Suspended from all forms of Cricket

i .The Left-handed opening batsman of Pakistan Nasir Jamshed on February 13 has been
provisionally suspended from all forms of cricket by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for
violating its anti-corruption code.
ii. PCB is investigating into the corruption scandal that hit the Pakistan Super League.
iii. Earlier PCB had suspended Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, the two Islamabad United players for
being involved in the PSL corruption scandal.
PV Sindhu Attains Career-Best Rank at No. 5 in BWF Rankings, Saina Placed at No. 9
i. Indian ace shuttler PV Sindhu achieved her career best Badminton World Federation (BWF)
women’s single ranking by being placed at 5th spot on February 15, 2017.
ii. Previously the top seeded player was placed at sixth position. She has moved a place ahead of
Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, to attain her career best ranking.
iii. The only second Indian to be placed among the top 10 spots is Saina Nehwal who has been
placed at No. 9.
iv .The BWF women’s single ranking has been topped by Tai Tzu Ying of the Chinese Taipei.
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India Bags Silver Medal At The Asian Women’s Rugby Sevens Trophy
i. India won the silver medal at the Women’s Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy on February 18, 2017
held at Vientiane, Laos.
ii. South Korea won gold medal by beating India 29-0 in the finals. India won five matches
and lost in one.
iii. The Indian team participated under the aegis of the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) the
governing body for the sport of Rugby in India and supported by Societe Generale, the financial
partner of Rugby India.
iv .Total seven countries from across Asia including South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal,
Pakistan, India and Laos participated in the Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy.
India to Host Next Davis Cup tie in Bangalore in April

i. Bangalore has been chosen to host the next Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone group-1 tie
against Uzbekistan from April 7 to 9, 2017.
ii. As per the announcement made by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) on February 16,
2017, the tie clash will be held on the hard courts of Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association
(KSLTA) in Bangalore.
Akhil and Jitender Kumar Signs Deal to Turn Professional Boxers

i. Following the path of Indian boxing sensation Vijender Singh, Olympic quarterfinalists
boxers Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar are also stepping up to enter professional boxing.
ii. The former Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold medalist boxer Akhil Kumar and Asian
medallist Jitender Kumar signed a multi-year deal with IOS Boxing Promotions on February
18, 2017 confirming
turning professional boxers.
iii. IOS Boxing Promotions also manages Vijendra Singh’s pro boxing career.
Haryana’s Sandeep Kumar Breaks his Own Record to Win Gold in 50km Race Walk
i. Athelete Sandeep Kumar of Haryana won the gold medal in the Men’s 50km event of
the National Race Walking Championships held in New Delhi on February 18, 2017.
ii. Sandeep finished the race in 3:55:59.05 seconds to break his own earlier record at 3:56:22
which he made at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup at Taicang, China in May 2014.
Virat Kohli first Indian sportsperson to ink Rs 100-cr deal with Puma
i. Indian international cricketer Virat Kohli became the first Indian sports person had signed an
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eight-year deal worth Rs 100-crore endorsement deal with a sports apparel brand Puma on
February 20, 2017
ii. Kohli now join the list of global ambassador for the brand likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and
Thierry Henry.
iii. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been in the Rs 100-crore club
through multi-year contracts with talent management agencies, but they have never been signed
by a single brand for such a big amount.
Afghanistan Cricketers Nabi & Rashid Khan to Make Debut in IPL

i. For the first time in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction, two Afghanistan
players were selected by the franchise on February 20, 2017 during the IPL Auction 2017.
ii .Mohammad Nabi became the first player from Afghanistan to be picked by Sunrisers
Hyderabad for Rs. 30 lakhs.
iii. On the other hand his teammate Rashid Khan was signed by Mumbai Indians for an amount
of Rs. 4 Crores.
iv. Five out of the 352 players listed for the auction in Bangalore were from Afghanistan for the first
time.
Frenchman Tsonga beats Goffin to Win Rotterdam Open

i .Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won the 44th edition of the ABN AMRO World Tennis
Tournament by defeating Belgian David Goffin 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 on February 19, 2017 in
Rotterdam.
ii. Tsonga is the fourth Frenchman to win the title in Rotterdam Open. Before him Cedric Pioline
(2000), Nicolas Escudé (2001 and 2002) and Michael Llodra (2008) did the same.
iii .With this, the sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (31) claimed his first ATP title since 2015 and will
move up to 11th position in the World Ranking.
Pakistan Cricket Legend Shahid Afridi Announces Retirement from International Cricket
i. Legendary Pakistani cricket Shahid Afridi announced his retirement from all forms
of international cricket on February 19, 2017 putting an end to 21-year career.
ii. Afridi had already quit the Test and ODI cricket earlier but still continued with T20.
iii .The 36-year-old star played for Pakistan Twenty20 team at the 2016 world championships in
India. After that he stepped down as the captain and continued to play as a player.
iv .During his cricket career Afridi played just 27 Test matches with 1,176 runs and the highest
score of 156 and 48 wickets.
v. In One-Day International he played 398 matches with 8,064 runs, a highest score of 124
while taking 395 wickets with his leg spin.
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India to host 2019 Combined World Cup for shooting

i. The National Rifle Association of India(NRAI) announced that India will be hosting
the Combined World Cup for shooting in 2019 during the meeting held in New Delhi.
ii. Combined World Cup will a qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It will comprises all
the three categories — shotgun, rifle and pistol.
India pip South Africa in thrilling Women’s World Cup qualifier final
i. Indian Women’s team pipped South African Women’s by one wicket in a crunch Women’s
cricket World Cup qualifier final at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo after All round show
from Harmanpreet Kaur that helped the side to deliver the victory.
ii. South elected to bat first after winning the toss notably Mignon du Preez (40), Lizelle Lee (37),
skipper Dane Van Niekerk (37)scored to post decent 244 in 49.4 overs.
Adidas Ties Up With FIFA U-17 World Cup For Mission XI Million
i. German Sportswear giant Adidas announced its ties up with FIFA U-17 World Cup Local
Organising Committee for the Mission XI Million programme.
ii. Adidas will help to reach out to the youth across India to increase participation in football and
create a platform for them to develop their skills.
iii. It will conduct exclusive master-classes for the participants at the Mission XI Million festivals,
featuring a 360 degree approach to improve their skills in the sport.
South African High Court Rejects ICC Withdrawal

i. In a blow to South African Communist Party led by Jacob Zuma administration South Africa’s
High Court obstructed the government’s attempt to withdraw from the International
Criminal Court (ICC).
ii. The country high court judge ruled the government to withdraw its notice of withdrawal from the
ICC based in The Hague, Netherlands.
iii. Though the country signaled for withdrawal from Hague-based tribunal last October also it
informed UN Chief about it intend, UN rebutted to reconsider the decision.
iv. The South Africa is court observed that the government has not passed the process through its
parliament, this likely to hold the process for some time now.
Mithali, Harmanpreet in top-10 of ICC rankings

i. After nail biting World Cup qualifier match Indian Women Captain added another feather by
claiming no 2 position in the ICC batswomen’s rankings. The top batter Harmanpreet
Kaur was placed in the tenth spot after clinical performance in the recent past.
ii. The rankings is topped by Meg Lanning of Australia with with 804 points while Raj with 733
points and Harmanpreet is 574 in the list.
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iii. In the Bowling chart Jhulan Goswami, placed at the third behind Marizanne Kapp of South Africa
and Stefanie Taylor of West Indies. The all-rounder’s list featured with only in top 10 as Jhulan is at
seventh spot.
Former Sri Lankan Batsman Kumar Sangakkara becomes 2nd Asian to Play 1000 Matches
i. Former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara created record on February 23, 2017 to
become the 16th player worldwide and 2nd Asian Batsman to play 1000 matches across all
forms of Cricket.
ii .The only Asian to become the first to achieve the feat was former Sri Lankan player Mahela
Jayawardene.
iii. Currently Sangakkara is leading the Karachi Kings in the ongoing second edition of
the Pakistan Super League. The player made the record while playing against the Quetta
Gladiators.
Sports Ministry to Organize 1st Gramin Khel Mahotsav in New Delhi

i. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on February 22, 2017 Union Sports Minister Vijay
Goel announced that the first Gramin Khel Mahotsav will be held from March 25-31, 2017
in New Delhi.
ii. The Khel Mahotsav will have 5 sports discipline comprising of Athletics, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho,
Volley Ball and Wrestling.
iii .The festival provide a platform to promote sports in rural areas across the country and
encourage rural youths to participate in sports and achieve excellence and adopt healthy life style.
61 Cavalry Defeats Army Service Corps to win Army Polo Championship

i. The 61 Cavalry won the Army Polo Championship on February 24, 2017 by defeating Army
Service Corps (ASC).
ii .The Army Polo Championship was started on January 31, 2017 and concluded on February 23,
2017 at the Delhi Cantt’s Army Equestrian Centre Polo Ground.
iii. Lt Gen RV Kanitkar, the Quarter Master General, presented the Army Polo Championship
Trophy to 61 CAVLARY.
iv. The Championship saw participation from Corps of Artillery, Remount, Veterinary Corps and
Armoured Corps.
India Bags All Three Medals At 6th Asian Para-Road Cycling Championship
i .India made historic start at the sixth Asian Para-Road Cycling Championship by winning all
the three medals in the 12.8 Km Individual Time Trial on the opening day of the tournament
at Bahrain on February 25, 2017.
ii. Abhishek from Chandigarh won the gold medal, Divij Shah from West Bengal
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won silver and Harinder Singh from BSF bagged the bronze medal.
iii. Total nine members of Indian Para Cycling team are participating in the event under the aegis
of Cycling Federation of India.
iv. The players has been trained and sponsored by Aditya Mehta Foundation, Hyderabad.
R Ashwin Breaks Kapil Dev’s Record to Become Highest Test Wicket Taker in Home
Season
i. Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin surpassed India’s former legendary allrounder Kapil
Dev to become the highest wicket-taker in a home Test season
ii. Ashwin has scored 67 wickets from 10 Tests in 2016-17 season played in India. Former
Indian captain Kapil Dev took 63 wickets from 13 matches in the 1979-80 season.
iii. Ashwin achieved the feat when he dismissed Mitchell Starc of Australia in their first innings on
the second day of the ongoing first Test against Australia in Pune at the Maharashtra Cricket
Association Stadium on February 24, 2017.
iv. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan holds both the No.3 and No.4 spots with
54 wickets in 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons respectively.
Gopi & Athare Wins Men’s and Women’s Full Marathon in New Delhi
i. Rio Olympian Thanackal Gopi won the Men’s Full Marathon title in the second edition of
the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon on February 26, 2017. He finished the
marathon in 2:15:37.
ii. Bahadur Singh Dhoni clocked 2:16:09 to finish second while T H Sanjith was third by
covering the 42.195 km distance in 2:17:20.
iii. All of them have also qualified for the World Athletics Championships to be held in London in
August 2017.
iv. In Women’s category, Monika Athare from Nashik won the full marathon by completing the
distance in 2:39:08 to bag her maiden title. She too has qualified for the World Championship.
v. Besides, Jyoti Gawate finished second with a timing of 2:53:48 and Ranjan
Kumari clocked 3:08:04 to finish third.
Saina Nehwal to Represent IOC Athletes’ Commission in BWF

i. Indian Badminton ace Saina Nehwal has been named to represent the panel of International
Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission (AC) in the Badminton World Federation
(BWF).
ii. She would join the BWF Athletes’ Commission as a representative of the IOC AC.
iii. Saina was appointed as a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission soon after the Rio
Olympics in 2016.
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iv. The IOC Athletes’ Commission is chaired by Angela Ruggiero and it comprises nine vice
presidents and 10 other members.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Outclasses Frenchman Lucas Pouille to win 2017 Open 13

i. Second-seeded French tennis player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated his fellow mate Lucas
Pouille 6-4, 6-4 to win the finals of Open 13 Marseille in France on February 26, 2017.
ii. This was his 14th career title at the indoor event and 2nd title of the year 2017. Earlier on
February 20, 2017 he won the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam by defeating
David Goffin.
iii. With this win, the 11th-ranked Tsonga has climbed 4 spots in the ranking to be placed in the
top 10 at number 7.
iv. Besides, for Tsonga it was his ninth victory in a row and his 3rd Open 13 Marseille title. He
claimed the Open 13 Marseille title in 2009 and 2013 as well.
Kalinga Lancers beat Dabang Mumbai to Clinch Maiden Hockey India League
i. Bhubaneswar-based team Kalinga Lancers beat Dabang Mumbai 4-1to win their
maiden Hockey India League title in Chandigarh Hockey Stadium on February 26, 2017.
ii. Kalinga Lancers captain Moritz Fuerste from Germany converted two penalty corners in the 30th
minute and 58th minute while Australian forward Glenn Turner struck a field goal in 18th minute.
iii. Kalinga Lancers were rewarded prize money worth Rs 2.5 crore and the runners-up received Rs
1.25 crore.
iv. Earlier, Kalinga Lancers defeat Uttar Pradesh Wizards via penalty shootout in the semi-
finals 4-3 to enter the finals.
v. Fuerste Moritz was awarded as the ‘Man of the Match’. Last year Kalinga Lancers lost in finals
to Jaypee Punjab Warriors
Indian Badminton Duo Tarun Kona and Alwin Francis Wins Uganda International Series
Doubles Title
i. Top seeded Indian shuttler duo Tarun Kona and Alwin Francis won the Men’s Double title at
the 2017 Uganda International Series by defeating Aatish Lubah and Georges Julien Paul of
Mauritius, 21-8, 21-14 on February 26, 2017 at MTN Arena Lugogo, Kampala.
ii. The Uganda International Badminton Tournament 2017, sanctioned by the Badminton World
Federation, was held from 23rd to 26th of February 2017.
Other Winners
Title Winner Runner
Men’s Single George Julien Paul (Mauritius) Edwin Ekiring (Uganda)
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Women’s Single Shamim Bangi (Uganda) Domou Amro (Jordan)

Women’s Double Doha Hany/Hadia Hosny (Egypt) Evelyn Siamupangila/Ogar
Siamupangila (Zambia)
Mixed Doubles Bahaedeen Ahmad Alshannik/ Ahmed Salah/ Menna Eltanany
Domou Amro (Jordan) (EGYPT)
OBITUARY
Former Union Minister E Ahmad passes away

i. Former Union minister and Indian Union Muslim League leader E Ahamed has passed away in
New Delhi on February 1, 2017.He was 78.
ii. Ahamed was first elected as MLA in 1967 and was member of the house in 1977, 1980, 1982
and 1987.
iii. He was sent to GCC countries as an Emissary of the then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi in
1984
iv. He is widely considered as India’s ‘unofficial ambassador‘ to Gulf countries and he had
represented India in United Nations 10 times.
Veteran theatre personality Asim Basu passes away

i. Eminent stage craft director, theatre personality, actor, director, artist, painter and writer Asim
Basu passed away in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
ii. Basu is well known for his beautiful and graphic stage craft direction and he has received the
state Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998.
iii. He had acted in some Odia films and directed a few plays.
Former CBI Director Joginder Singh passes away

i. Former CBI Director Joginder Singh passed away on February 3, 2017 after a prolonged illness
in New Delhi. He was 77.
ii. The 1961 batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre served as the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) chief between 1996 and 1997.
iii. During his tenure as CBI officer, he dealt with various investigation cases like Bofors
scam and Bihar’s fodder scam etc.
iv. Before joining the CBI, he served as Superintendent of Police in Bihar, Deputy Inspector General
and Inspector General in Karnataka, Director of Youth Services in Karnataka, Special Home
Secretary to the government of Karnataka among other things.
Bangladesh Awami League Leader Suranjit Sengupta Dies

i. Suranjit Sengupta Das, the Hindu politician in the ruling Bangladesh Awami League died on
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February 5, 2017 in Dhaka. He was 72.

ii. Sengupta played a significant role in framing the first post-independent Constitution of
Bangladesh in 1972. He was a former Railway Minister of Bangladesh.
iii. He was also a member of Awami League Advisory Council and chairman of parliamentary
standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry.
Eminent litterateur Pathani Patnaik passes away at 89

i. Eminent educationist and litterateur Pathani Patnaik passed away on February 4, 2017 at his
residence at Kanika Chhak in Cuttack. He was 89.
ii. Patnaik had written more than 50 books on different aspects of literature, including short stories
and poems. Besides, he has written hundreds of books on children literature, short stories,
journalistic articles and translation books.
Renowned Pakistani Urdu Author Bano Qudsia Dies at 88

i. Renowned Urdu novelist and playwriter from Pakistan, Bano Qudsia, passed away on February
4, 2017 in Lahore. She was 88.
ii. Qudsia was born in Ferozepur, India in 1928 and migrated to Pakistan after partition. She did
her masters in Urdu Literature from Government College Lahore in 1951.
Freedom fighter Racharla Samrajyam Dies at 98

i. Freedom Fighter Racharla Samrajyam, died on February 6, 2017 in Visakhapatanam. She was
98.
ii. Samrajyam was born on April 26, 1919 at Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. She was the younger
sister of the social reformer Gora.
iii. In 1942, while undergoing her Hindi Pracharak training at Anantapur, she was inspired by the
Quit India Movement. Therefore, she quit the training programme and joined the Quit India
Movement.
iv. She received the ‘Tarmra Patra’ from the Government of India in 1972.
Indian National Army Veteran Nizamuddin Passes Away at 116

i. Indian National Army veteran ‘Colonel’ Nizamuddin died in his native village of Dhakwa in
Azamgarh on February 6, 2017. He was 116
ii. Nizamuddin had also served as the driver and guard of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
iii . ‘Colonel’ Nizamuddin was one of the most trusted lieutenants of Netaji. He had served in the
Indian National Army from 1943-45.
Script-Writer Alan Simpson dies at 87

i. Veteran screenwriter Alan Simpson, who co-wrote the landmark British comedy
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series “Hancock’s Half Hour” and “Steptoe and Son”, with writing partner Ray has died at the
age of 87.
ii. He was famous for his writing partnership with Ray Galton. The duo has written several scripts
for TV, films and stage stars such as Peter Sellers, Leonard Rossiter and Frankie Howerd.
MRI pioneer and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield passes away at 83
i. UK physicist and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield has died in UK on February 9, 2017 He
was 83.
ii. Peter led a team of experts who revolutionised science and worked on MRI scans.
iii. He had won the Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine for developing magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) in 2003.
Eminent journalist and Laughter Persona Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi Dies

i. The eminent thinker, writer and journalist Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi passed away on
February 11, 2017 in Sir Sunderlal Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
ii. The Hindi Kavi Pt. Dharmsheel Chaturvedi was considered ‘Swayam Mein Benaras’ means
‘Banaras in Himslef’ in elite circle.
iii. The laughter bursting persona of Kavi Sammelan, Pt. Dharmsheel Chaturvedi was nicknamed
as Akkhad Banarasi all over India for being the star at the Hasya Kavita Enthusiasts.
Former Dutch Football Player Piet Keizer Dies at 73

i .Former professional Dutch football player Piet Keizer passed away on February 10, 2017 at
the age of 73.
ii .From 1961 till 1974 he played for the football club AFC Ajax. He played total 490 matches and
scored 189 goals.
iii. He won several awards including European Champions Cup in 1971, 1972 and 1973, the club
World Cup in 1972 and a total of six national titles.
Jiro Taniguchi, a Japanese manga legend Dies at 69

i. Jiro Taniguchi, a Japanese manga writer died in Tokyo on February 11, 2017. He was 69.
ii. Taniguchi began his career as an assistant to the artist Kyota Ishikawa. His own first piece of
manga was published in the year 1970 named “A Desiccated Summer.”
iii. Taniguchi first shot to fame in Japan at the end of the 1980s with the first volume of “The Times
of Botchan”
iv. His other works include Icarus, A Distant Neighborhood and Quartier Lointain. He was well
known for his exquisite line drawing of scenes from everyday life.
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Veteran Journalist T V Parasuram Passed Away

i. Former correspondent of the Press Trust of India, T V Parasuram passed away on February 14
,2017. He was 93.
ii. Parasuram has won a Harvard Niemen Fellowship in journalism. He had served as the
correspondent for The Indian Express for two decades.
iii. He has authored two books -‘ A Medal for Kashmir’, and ‘Jewish Heritage in India‘.
Winning Legendary Jazz Singer Al Jarreau Dies at 76

i. Legendary American jazz singer Al Jarreau passed away on February 12, 2017 in Los Angeles.
He was 76.
ii. Al Jarreau was nicknamed as “Acrobat of Scat” for his unique singing style and was best
known for his 1981 album Breakin’ Away and singing the theme song to the popular 1980’s TV
show Moonlighting.
iii. During his course of career the pop, jazz singer has released more than 20 albums and
won seven Grammy Awards besides being nominated for over a dozen more.
Senior Journalist Yudhisthir Joshi Passes Away

i .Veteran Marathi journalist Yudhisthir Joshi passed away on February 17, 2017 at his
residence in Mira Road in Mumbai. He was 81
ii. He was editor with leading Marathi publications such as Lokmat, Nagpur Patrika, Janawad and
Gavkari.
iii. Joshi was also a former member of the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh.
Former MP Jambuvantrao Dhote passes away

i. Former Nagpur MP and firebrand leader Jambuwantrao Dhote passed away at
Yavatmal, Maharashtra on February 18, 2017. He is 78.
ii. Dhote is Popularly known as “Lion of Vidarbha” because he always stood for the cause of
separate Vidarbha
iii. He was also a legislator for two terms from Yavatmal district. Ge started his political career
with the Forward Bloc and later moved to the Congress in the late 70s before joining the Shiv Sena.
Veteran RSS Activist Gangadayal Awasthi Passes Away

i .Eminent social worker and RSS activist Gangadayal Awasthi passed away on February 17,
2017 at his residence in Thane, Mumbai. He died at the age of 100.
ii .Awasthi belongs to Uttar Pradesh. He moved to Thane nearly 30 years ago.
iii. He was recently honoured by Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Kashi Sumeru Peeth Swami
Narendrananda Saraswati.
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Former Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir Dies at the age of 68

i. Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir passed away on February 19, 2017 in
Kolkata at Apollo Hospital after suffering from kidney ailment. He was 68.
ii. He was the 39th Chief Justice of India who held office from September 29, 2012 to July 18,
2013.
iii. During his tenure as a Supreme Court judge, Justice Kabir delivered several important
judgments, particularly relating to human rights and election laws.
Dick Bruna Creator of the Cartoon Rabbit Miffy Dies at 89

i. The Dutch author, artist, illustrator and graphic designer Dick Bruna died on February 16, 2017
in the Dutch city of Utrecht. He was 89.
ii. Bruna was best known for his more than 200 children’s books which he authored and
illustrated. The most notable creation was Miffy, known as Nijntje in Dutch, the cartoon
rabbit drawn with heavy graphic lines, simple shapes and primary colors.
Bengali singer Banasree Sengupta passes away

i. Noted Bengali singer Banasree Sengupta was passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal on
February 19, 2017. She was 71.
ii. She is well known for some of the most popular modern songs likes Aaj Bikeler Daake Tomar
Chithi Pelam, Amar Ange Jawle Rangmashal and Chhi Chhi Chhi Eki Kando Korech
Norway Nobel Committee Chairwoman Kullmann Dies At 65

i. Chair-woman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Kaci Kullmann Five, died on February 19,
2017. She was 65.
ii. Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible to select the Peace Prize laureates.
iii. Former businesswoman of Norway, Kullmann served as trade and shipping minister from 1989-
1990 and was the leader of the Conservative Party from 1991-1994.
Hindi novelist Ved Prakash Sharma passes away

i. Famous Hindi novelist Ved Prakash Sharma was passed away in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh on
February 18, 2017 . He was 62.
ii. Sharma has written nearly 176 novels includes “Qaidi No 100” and “Vardi Wala Gunda“.
iii. He had also written scripts for about half-a-dozen Hindi movies.
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Former Mohun Bagan Goalkeeper Shibaji Banerjee Passes Away

i. Former Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Shibaji Banerjee passed away in Kolkata on February 19,
2019 after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 68.
ii. The soccer legend Shibaji had played for the club for 11 years. Banerjee won 34 trophies with
the club.
iii .He is also well known for stopping a free kick taken by Pele during the 1977 exhibition match
against New York Cosmos.
iv. Banerjee was part of Mohun Bagan’s three-man technical committee at the time of passing
away.
Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin dead at 64

i. Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin has died in New York City. He was
64.
ii. Churkin has been Russia’s envoy at the United Nations for a little over a decade and was
considered Moscow’s great champion at the UN.
iii. He had served as foreign ministry spokesman in the early 1990s and as special envoy to the
former Yugoslavia.
Noted bureaucrat V. K. Srinivasan passes away

i. Noted bureaucrat, columnist and director of the Institute of Economic Studies, V. K.
Srinivasan was passed away in Hyderabad. He was 76.
ii. Srinivasan is a 1963-batch IAS officer, he was known for his outspokenness, and had played in
league division in Cricket in Chennai, the then Madras State.
iii. He served as Collector of Karimnagar and Anantapur districts and also served in Ministry of
Finance
Nobel-Winning Economist Kenneth J. Arrow Dies At 95

i. Nobel-winning economist, mathematician Kenneth J Arrow has died in USA on February 23,
2017 . He was 95.
ii. Kenneth received the Nobel memorial prize in economic science for their pioneering
mathematical work on general equilibrium theory in 1972
iii. He spent most of his career at Stanford University and Harvard University. He also was known
as a mentor. Five of his former students went on to become Nobel winners.
iv. Arrow came to prominence in 1951 with a book, “Social Choice and Individual Values,”
which used mathematical logic to discuss collective decision-making.
Former Union Minister P Shivshankar Passes Away

Former Union Minister P. Shiv Shankar passed away in Hyderabad on February 27, 2017. He was
162 | P a g e
89
About P.Shivshankar :
i. Shivshankar contested the by-election to the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency in 1979 on
the Indian National Congress party ticket for the first time
ii. He won the election and went on to retain the seat in 1980 too. He became Law Minister in the
Indira Gandhi Cabinet in 1980.
iii. He represented the Congress as Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat from 1985 to 1993
iv. He has served as External Affairs and Human Resource Development Minister. He first
became Governor of Sikkim in 1994 and later was shifted to Kerala in 1995.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

I&B Minister to release annual book ‘India-2017’ & ‘Bharat-2017’
i. Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu will release the annual year
book ‘India-2017’ and ‘Bharat-2017’ at a function in New Delhi on 6th February 2017. Minister of
State for Information and Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore will also be present on the
occasion.
ii. These books give comprehensive information about the country and various States and Union
Territories including functioning of the Government and the economy.
Rajnath Singh releases the book ‘Veerappan, Chasing the Brigand’ by Shri Vijay Kumar
i. The book titled “Veerappan, Chasing the Brigand”, authored by Shri K. Vijay Kumar, Senior
Security Adviser, Ministry of Home Affairs, was released by the Union Home Minister Shri
Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on February 8, 2017.
ii. The book is a source of inspiration to understand the tactics used for wiping out the most
dreaded forest brigand Veerappan on whom a prize money of Rupees 5 crores had been declared.
World’s first Braille Atlas for visually impaired persons Launched by NATMO in New Delhi
i. The Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan released the
world’s first comprehensive Braille atlas for nearly 50 lakh visually challenged people in India on
February 10, 2017 in New Delhi.
ii. This is for the first time that such atlas has been prepared for physically challenged with such
minute details. The Braille Atlas has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping
Organisation (NATMO) under Department of Science & Technology.
iii. Aniruddha Bhattacharya, scientific officer with NATMO and Amitava Chakraborty and Devnath
Sengupta, research officers, played a key role in preparing the atlas. Bhattarcharya passed away
last month.
iv. The Braille atlas has 20 maps on different themes like physical, socio-economic, river
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system, crops pattern, natural vegetation, cultural, metropolitan areas, roads and railways, soil
types and crops.
Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl penned by Ram Kamal Mukherjee
i. An actor turned politician Hema Malini’s journey from an actor and filmmaker to a politician is
being chronicled as an authorised biography titled ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl‘ .
ii. The biography is written by author-columnist Ram Kamal Mukherjee.
iii. The book will be published on her birthday on October 16 by the publisher HarperCollins India
Amarinder Singh’s Biography ‘The People’s Maharaja’ Released

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh’s biography, ‘The People’s Maharaja‘, written
by Khushwant Singh was released on February 21, 2017 in Chandigarh.
About Amarinder Singh :
i. Captain Amarinder Singh is an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress.
ii. He was Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007.Presently, he is the sitting President of the
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
PM releases the book “Judicial Reforms – Recent Global Trends”

i. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was released the book titled “Judicial Reforms – Recent Global
Trends” published by EBC in association with IIFL at Rashtrapati Bhawan on February 22, 2017
ii. President Pranab Mukherjee received first copy of book from PM modi
iii. The book is compilation of essays written by eminent persons on Judicial Reforms. These were
delivered at a conference on Judicial Reforms, which was inaugurated by the President of India.
iv. This is compiled and edited under the stewardship of Justice Dalveer Bhandari, Judge of the
International Court of Justice and the President of the Indian International Law Foundation (IIFL)
IMPORTANT DAYS
Feb 1 2017
Remember Day:40th Indian Coast Guard Day
Purpose:To protects India’s maritime interests and enforces maritime law, with jurisdiction over
the territorial waters of India, including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.
Organization:GOI
Feb 2 2017
Remember Day:World Wetland Day
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Purpose:To marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar
Convention, on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Theme:Wetlands for disaster risk reduction
Feb 4 2017
Remember Day:World Cancer Day
Purpose:To raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.
Organization:WHO
Theme:We can I can
Feb 6 2017
Remember Day:International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
Purpose:To raise awareness about the female genital mutilation (FGM) and to promote its
eradication
Organization:UNICEF
Theme:Building a solid and interactive bridge between Africa and the world to accelerate ending
FGM by 2030
Feb 10 2017
Remember Day:National Deworming Day
Purpose:To deworm children between the ages of (1-19) at schools and anganwadi centres.
Organization:GOI
Feb 11 2017
Remember Day:International Day Women and Girls in Science
Purpose:To highlight female achievement, equal access and participation in the science field
Organization:UN
Theme:Gender, Science and Sustainable Development: The Impact of Media
Feb 12 2017
Remember Day:National Productivity Day
Purpose:To encourage all stakeholders to implement productivity tools & techniques with
contemporary relevant themes
Organization:National Productivity Council
Theme:From Waste to Profits through Reduce, Recycle, Reuse
Feb 13 2017
Remember Day:World Radio Day
Purpose:To remember the contribution of radio in our life.
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Organization:UNESCO
Theme:Radio is You
Feb 20 2017
Remember Day:World Day of Social Justice
Purpose:To promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment
Organization:UN
Theme:Preventing conflict and sustaining peace through decent work
Feb 21 2017
Remember Day:International Mother Language day
Purpose:To promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism
Organization:UN, UNESCO
Theme:Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education
Feb 22 2017
Remember Day:World thinking day
Purpose:A day when they think about their “sisters” (and “brothers”) in all the countries of the
world, the meaning of Guiding, and its global impact.
Organization:WAGGGS(World Association For Girl Guides and Girl Scouts).
Theme:Connect Activity Pack
Feb 24 2017
Remember Day:74th Central Excise Day
Purpose:To encourage the employees of excise department to carry out the central excise duty all
over the India in better way in order to prevent the corruption
Organization:GOI
Feb 27 2017
Remember Day:Chandra Shekhar Azad‘s 86th death anniversary or Martyrdom Day
Organization:GOI
Feb 28 2017
Remember Day:National Science day
Purpose:To commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C.V.Raman in 1928
Organization:GOI
Theme:Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons
166 | P a g e
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