June to September-2017

1-Appointments-June - Sep-2017

2-AWARDS-June - Sep-2017

3-Books-June - Sep-2017

4-COMMITTEES-June - Sep-2017

5-DEFENCE-June - Sep-2017

6-ECONOMY-June - Sep-2017

7-International-June - Sep-2017-Part-1.pdf

7-International-June - Sep-2017-Part-2.pdf

8-MEETING-June - Sep-2017

9-NATIONAL-June - Sep-2017-Part-1.pdf

9-NATIONAL-June - Sep-2017-Part-2.pdf

10-PERSONS-June - Sep-2017

11-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-June - Sep-2017

12-SPORTS-June - Sep-2017

13-INDEXES-June - Sep-2017

14-AGREEEMENTS-June - Sep-2017

15-DAYS-June - Sep-2017

APPOINTMENTS

1. BANKING AND FINANCE

June

1. K G Karmakar and Gauri Shankar are appointed as Independent Directors of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). Ashok Pal Singh is current CEO of IPPB.
2. SEBI approved appointment of Vikram Limaye as MD and CEO of National Stock Exchange, who was selected for said post In February 2017
3. Reserve Bank of India has appointed S. Ganesh Kumar as Executive Director

July

1. Government appointed Mukesh Kumar Jain as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Oriental Bank of Commerce
2. Rajkiran Rai G assumed charge as MD & CEO of Union Bank of India and Melwyn Rego assumed charge as MD & CEO of Syndicate Bank.
3. Kewal Handa has been appointed as non-executive chairman of Union Bank of India.
4. Subhash Chandra Garg (Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs) has been appointed as India’s Alternate Governor on Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB)

August

1. Ajay Vipin Nanavati has been appointed as chairman of Syndicate Bank
2. David Rasquinha has been appointed as Managing Director of Exim Bank of India
3. Dhirendra Swarup is appointed as chairman of board of directors of BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange)
4. Bombay Stock Exchange approved another 5 year term for its CEO Ashish Chauhan
5. Government appointed S. Aparna as Executive Director of World Bank, to represent India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka for 3 years.
6. Mamta Suri has been appointed as Executive Director of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)
7. Mohammad Mustafa has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Ditrector (CMD) of Small Industries Developent Bank of India (SIDBI)
8. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) appointed Dilip Asbe as its CEO

September

1. M. Nagaraja Sarma has been appointed as chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of United India Insurance Company.
2. R A Sankara Narayanan has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Vijaya Bank
3. Umesh Chand Asawa (CEO of A.P. Mahesh Co-operative Urban Bank ) is elected to managing committee of Indian Banks Association (IBA).
4. Unique Identification Authority of India’s (UIDAI) CEO A.B. Pandey has been appointed interim chairman of Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN)

2. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

June

1. New Indian Envoys Appointed -

1. European Union and Belgium - Gaitri Issar Kumar.
2. Italy- Reenat Sandhu.
3. Denmark - Ajit Vinayak Gupte
4. Slovania - Param Jit Mann
5. South Africa - Ruchira Kamboj
6. Greece - Shamma Jain

5. AA Pawar has been appointed as Director General Medical Services (Navy).
6. Actress Priyanka Chopra has been appointed as ambassador for government’s flagship Skill India campaign, implemented by National Skill Development Corporation.
7. Government appointed Rajesh V. Shah as Chairperson of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
8. Hoshiar Singh has been appointed as Registrar of Copyrights for a period of 5 years.
9. Narinder Nath Vohra (Jammu and Kashmir Governor) has been appointed as President of India International Centre (IIC).
10. New Appointments -
    1. Subhash C Garg - Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs Secretary (Finance Ministry).
    2. Rajiv Gauba - Secretary in Ministry of Home Affairs (Also called Home Secretary of India).
    3. N.K.Sinha - Secretary in Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
    4. Yudhvir Singh Malik - Secretary in Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
    5. Jagdish Prasad Meena - Secretary in Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
    6. Durga Shanker Mishra - Secretary in Ministry of Urban Development.
    7. Arun Kumar Panda - Secretary in Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
    8. Ravi Kant - Secretary in Ministry of Shipping.
    9. Anand Kumar - Secretary in Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.
    10. Ajay Prakash Sawhney - Secretary in Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
    11. Ajay Kumar Bhalla - Secretary in Ministry of Power.
    12. Deepak Kumar - Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
11. R K Pachnanda took charge as Director General of ITBP
12. Ramanathan Ramanan has been appointed as head of Atal Innovation Mission Under NITI Aayog
13. Sanjiv Singh appointed as Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation.
14. Shashi Shekar Vempati has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati.

 

July

1. Arbind Modi and Bajrang DassVishnoi appointed as members of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). CBDT is headed by a chairman (Currently Sushil Chandra) and can have max 6 members
2. Board of Control for Cricket in India's CAC (Cricket Advisory Committee) named former Indian Cricketer Ravi Shastri as new chief coach of Indian cricket team till ICC World Cup 2019.
3. Debi Prasad Dash has been appointed as Director General of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DG-DRI)
4. Government named Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti as next Chief Election Commissioner of India
5. John Joseph has been appointed as Director General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DG GSTI)
6. K K Venugopal has been appointed as new (15th) Attorney General of India.
7. TR Zeliang has been sworn in as 19th chief minister of Nagaland
8. Ram Nath Kovind has been elected as 14th President of India
9. Nitish Kumar took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for 6th Time
10. Pradeep Kumar Rawat is appointed as Indian Ambassador to Indonesia.
11. RP Sanjiv Goenka is named as Chairman of Board of Governors at IIT-Kharagpur.
12. Raninder Singh has been re-elected as president of National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
13. Sandeep Chakravorty has been appointed as head of Indian consulate in New York (USA). Note that he is also India's Ambassador to Peru.
14. Sanjay Gupta has been appointed as Chairman of Indian Institute of Management Amritsar.
15. Sanjay Kumar appointed as Director General (DG) of National Disaster Response Force
16. Vikramajit Sen has been appointed as Chairperson of Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC)

 

August

 

1. AIFF (All India Football Federation) appointed Ushanath Banerjee as chairman of a special committee to deal with players’ transfer disputes
2. Anita Karwal has been appointed as new Chairperson of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
3. Ashwani Lohani has been appointed as Chairman of Railway Board (Ministry of Railways)
4. Dharmendra Kumar has been appointed as Director General in Railway Protection Force (RPF)
5. Dipak Misra has been appointed as next (45th) Chief Justice of India
6. Government appointed Prasoon Joshi as Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification. Actress Vidya Balan has also joined CBFC as a Member.
7. Government appointed Rajiv Bansal as interim CMD of Air India
8. Government appointed Santosh Sharma as CMD of Hindustan Copper Limited and Emandi Sankara Rao as MD & CEO of IFCI Ltd (Industrial Finance Corporation of India)
9. Government appointed Sunil Arora as aan Election Commissioner of India.

• Election Commision has 3 members - 1 Chief EC and 2 EC.
• Currently, Achal Kumar Joti is CEC and Om Prakash Rawat is Other EC

10. Hemant Narayan Bhagwat appointed as Air Officer-in-Charge Administration of Indian Air Force
11. New Appointments -

• Asha Ram Sihag - Secretary in Department of Heavy Industries.
• Rajiv Kumar - Secretary in Department of Financial Services.
• Surina Rajan - Director General in Bureau of Indian Standards.
• N. Baijendra Kumar - Chairman & Managing Director in National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).
• Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi - Director General in National Skill Development Agency (NSDA).
• Satyajeet Rajan - Director General (Tourism).
• R.K. Raghavan - New Indian High Commissioner to Cyprus.
• Reenat Sandhu - New Indian Ambassador to Republic of San Marino
• Ashwini Attri, Anita Pattanayak and Ranjan Kumar Ghose - Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (Deputy CAG).

12. Nuclear scientist U Kamachi Mudali has been appointed as Chief Executive of Heavy Water Board (under Department of Atomic Energy)
13. Prabhat Kumar has been appointed as Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan
14. Rajiv Kumar has been appointed as NITI Aayog's new vice-chairman, and Vinod K. Paul has also been appointed as a Member of NITI Aayog.
15. Rajiv Mehrishi has been appointed as New (13th CAG Comptroller and Auditor General of India)
16. Sanjaya Baru has been appointed as Secretary General of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
17. Shashi Shekhar Vempati has been appointed as chief of Rajya Sabha TV. He is also CEO of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati.
18. Uttar Pradesh Government appointed Actor Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Mission in UP
19. Venkaiah Naidu has been sworn in as 13th vice president of India and rajya sabha chairman.

 

September

 

1. Abanti Sankaranarayanan has been elected as chairperson of board of The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
2. B Sambamurthy has been appointed as interim Chairman of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
3. Balraj Joshi has been appointed as Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NHPC (National Hydro Power Corporation).
4. Banaras Hindu University (BHU) appointed Royana Singh as its first woman Chief Proctor
5. Cabinet Changes -

• New Cabinet Ministers
  1. Nirmala Sitharaman - Ministry of Defence. Sitharaman is first woman after Indira Gandhi to hold portfolio of Defence Minister.
  2. Piyush Goyal - Ministry of Railways (also Minister of State for Coal Ministry (IC))
  3. Dharmendra Pradhan - Ministry of Petroleum and Natural. He will also hold Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
  4. Muqtar Abbas Naqvi - Ministry of Minority Affairs.
  5. Nitin Gadkari - Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (also holds Ministry of Road Transport and Highways)
  6. Uma Bharti - Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
  7. Narendra Singh Tomer - Ministry of Mines (Also Holds Ministry of Rural Development and Minsitry of Panchayati Raj)
  8. Suresh Prabhu -Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• New Ministers Of State
  1. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat - Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  2. Krishna Raj - Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  3. K J Alphons - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
  4. Satya Pal Singh - Ministry of Human Resource Development AND Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
  5. Virendra Kumar - Ministry of Women and Child Development AND Ministry of Minority affairs.
  6. Anant Kumar Hegde - Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
  7. Mahesh Sharma - Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  8. Sudarshan Bhagat - Tribal Affairs
  9. Rao Inderjit Singh - Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
  10. Arjun Ram Meghwal - Minsitry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation AND Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
  11. Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary - Ministry of Coal and Ministry of Mines
  12. Pon Radhakrishna - Ministry of Finance AND Ministy of Shipping
  13. Shiv Pratap Shukla - Ministry of Finance
• New Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
  1. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore - Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (IC)
  2. Hardeep Puri - Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (IC)
  3. RK Singh- Ministry of Power (IC) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (IC)
  4. K J Alphons - Ministry of Tourism (IC)
  5. Mahesh Sharma - Ministry of Culture (IC)
  6. Santosh Kumar Gangwar - Minsitry of Labour & Employment (IC)
  7. Giriraj Singh - Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (IC)
  8. Rao Inderjit Singh - Ministry of Planning (IC)
  9. Piyush Goyal - Ministry of State for Coal Ministry (IC)

6. Devendra Kumar Joshi has been appointed as Lieutenant Governor of UT of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
7. Government extended term of Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian by one year till October 2018
8. Inder Jit Singh has been appointed as Chairperson of National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC)
9. Mahendra Pratap Mall has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)
10. Ministry of Coal appointed Gopal Singh as CMD of Coal India Ltd
11. N Baijendra Kumar has been appointed as Chairman-Cum-Managing Director (CMD) of state-run National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).
12. New Indian Ambassadors Appointed -
    1. Gautam Bambawale - China
    2. Ajay Bisaria - Pakistan
    3. Harsh Kumar Jain - Slovakia
    4. Vani Sarraju Rao -Estonia
    5. Palau - Jaideep Mazumdar
13. Newly Appointed Governors of Various States -
    1. B. D. Mishra - Arunachal Pradesh
    2. Satya Pal Malik - Bihar
    3. Banwarilal Purohit - Tamil Nadu
    4. Jagdish Mukhi - Assam
    5. Ganga Prasad - Meghalaya
14. Shashi Shanker has been appointed as the chairman and managing director of ONGC
15. Rajni Kant Mishra has been appointed as new Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
16. T. Jacob has been appointed as Secretary in Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
17. Vivek Goenka has been elected as Chairman of Press Trust of India (PTI). N. Ravi is elected as Vice Chairman
18. Y C Modi has been appointed as new Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA)

 

 

3. INTERNATIONAL: (Government)

 

June

1. UN General Assembly elected Slovakia's Miroslav Lajcak as president of 72nd UN General Assembly      
2. Leo Varadkar has been elected as prime minister of Ireland
3. Aleksandar Vucic has been appointed as President of Serbia.
4. Ana Brnabic has been appointed as Prime Minister of Serbia.
5. Ganeshan Neelakanta Iyer became first Indian to be nominated as a member of Umpires and Referees Committee (URC) by International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
6. Indian Law expert Neeru Chadha became First Indian and First Woman Judge to be elected to International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (ITLOS)
7. International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Imran Khawaja as its deputy chairman
8. Kaushik Basu has been appointed as president of International Economic Association (IEA) for 3 years term.
9. Kenneth Juster has been appointed as new USA Ambassador to India
10. Mihai Tudose has been appointed as Prime Minister of Romania
11. Russian diplomat Vladimir Voronkov has been appointed as head of newly established UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT).
12. Sher Bahadur Deuba has been elected as 40th Prime Minister of Nepal. It is his 4th term as PM of Nepal
13. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) appointed 19-year-old education activist and Syrian refugee Muzoon Almellehan as its newest and youngest Goodwill Ambassador. Muzoon is first person with official refugee status to become an Ambassador for UNICEF

 

                                               

                                                                                                            

July

1. Brenda Marjorie Hale has been appointed as first female president of UK's Supreme Court, top Judicial Post in UK.
2. Gopal Prasad Parajuli has been appointed as new Chief Justice of Nepal
3. Khaltmaa Battulga has been appointed as President of Mongolia.
4. Saima Wazed Hossain has been appointed as WHO's Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in South-East Asia region
5. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been appointed as Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan
6.  

                August

1. Brazilian Soccer Player Neymar became Goodwill Ambassador for Handicap International
2. Hassan Rouhani has been appointed as President of Iran for second term
3. Indian noted sprinter Milkha Singh has been appointed as World Health Organisation’s goodwill ambassador for physical activity in South-East Asia Region (SEAR)
4. Joseph Yuvaraj Pillay has been appointed as Interim President of Singapore
5. Nikolay Kudashev has been appointed as Russia’s new ambassador to India.
6. Paul Kagame won Presidential Elections in african nation Rwanda.
7. Peter O'Neill has been re-elected prime minister of Papua New Guinea.
8. Sohail Mahmood has been appointed as Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India
9. Uhuru Kenyatta won re-election as President of Kenya for 2nd Term

 

September

 

1. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been elected as Chair of Ethics Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for 4 years term
2. Halimah Yacob has been appointed as 8th President of Singapore (and First female ever)
3. India TV Chairman Rajat Sharma elected as President of News Broadcasters Association (NBA) for 2017-18.
4. Indian Person Suresh Chitturi has been appointed as Vice-Chairman of International Egg Commission (Belgium)
5. Joao Lourenco appointed as Angola (South African Nation)'s first new President in 38 years.
6. Peter Thomson (Fiji; outgoing president of the UN General Assembly) has been appointed as UN's first Special Envoy for oceans

 

2. AWARDS

 

1. NATIONAL

June

1. 3 artists from Odisha - Ratikant Mohapatra, Satyabrata Raut and Laxmidhar Raut have been selected for prestigious Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi 2016 Awards
2. Defence public sector BEML won Raksha Mantri’s Award for Excellence for design and development of 180-tonne electric hydraulic excavator BE1800E
3. Dr. Sunil Kothari has been selected for coveted Akademi Ratna award by Sangeet natak Akademi
4. Haryana’s Manushi Chhillar won 54th Femina Miss India World Title 2017
5. Kannada poet H S Shivaprakash has been honoured with Kusumagraja Rashtriya Puraskar and Menka Dhumale has been presented YCMOUs Baburao Bagul story writing award for 2016 for her book Korda Paus
6. Ministry of Rural Development selected Vizianagaram among 17 districts for MGNREGA annual award, for its effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act during 2015-16.
7. Odia artists Anand Neelakantan, Haraprasad Das and Paramita Satpathy have been chosen for Kalinga Literary Awards.
   1. Anand Neelakantan - Kalinga International Literary Award.
   2. Haraprasad Das - Kalinga Literary Youth Award
   3. Paramita Satpathy - Kalinga Karubaki Award.
8. Odisha Government conferred Biju Patnaik Award for Scientific Excellence to Lalit Mohan Das for his outstanding contribution to science and research.
9. President Pranab Mukherjee presented CII President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement to Rahul Bajaj. CII foundation Woman Exemplar Awards were also presented.
10. Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2017

1. English - Manu S. Pillai
2. Hindi - Taro Sindik
3. Tamil - J. Jayabharathi (Manushi)
4. Sanskrit - Hemchandra Belwal

11. Vijaya Bank received Skoch Awards in 9 categories Including Best Bank in Public Secto, Inclusive Wallet – VPAYQWIK etc
12. ‘Project Jal Sanchay’, a water conservation model which is successfully adopted in Nalanda district of south-central Bihar, has been chosen for national award for excellence in the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee programme (MGNREGP) by the Ministry of Rural Development.

 

July

 

1. BJP leader L.K. Advani received Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions as a parliamentarian in Lok Sabha while JDU leader Sharad Yadav also received Lifetime Achievement Award as a Rajya Sabha representative. Awardess were selected by a jury headed by Shivraj Patil. Additionally, N.K. Premachandran was named Best Parliamentarian in lok sabha and Sitaram Yechury is named Best Parliamentarian in Rajya Sabha
2. Climate and energy efficiency solutions company Danfoss India has been conferred with Golden Peacock Award for Environment Management at 19th World Congress on Environment Management in Hyderabad (Telangana)
3. Indian Railways Organization for Alternate Fuel (IROAF) won Golden Peacock Award for Eco Innovation for 2017 for introducing eco friendly and cost saving Dual Fuel 1400 HP Diesel engines on DEMU trains.
4. Kishore Sansi (Vijaya Bank chief) has been named as Personality of the Year by Skoch Consultancy Services
5. V.O. Chidambaranar Port won National Award for Excellence in Cost Management for 2016 from The Institute of Cost Accountants of India under Transportation and Logistics.
6. West Bengal Goverment conferred 2017’s Mahanayak Samman 2017 to noted actress Shakuntala Barua. While, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Nusrat Jahan received Best Actor and Best Actress awards respectively.

 

August

1. Indian Medical Personality Nanda Kumar Jairam has been awarded Healthcare Personality of the Year award by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
2. NITI Aayog (in partnership with MyGov and United Nations) announced 12 winners of Women Transforming India Awards 2017.Winners are - Laxmi Agarwal (UP), Subasini Mistry (WB), Safeena Hussain (MH), Arunima Sinha (UP), Kamal Kumbhar (MH), Jamuna Tudu (JH), Rajlakshmi Borthakur (KN), Kiran Kanoji (HR), Harshini Kanhekar (MH), Shima Modak (Meghalaya), Sunita Kamble (MH), Kanika Tekriwal (MP)
3. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) conferred best performance award for 2015-16 and 2016-17 to Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) for its work in credit-linking joint liability groups (JLGs)
4. Noted Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail has been honored by Saraswati Samman 2016 for his novel Hawthan, that captures cultural lives of traditional potter community in Goa
5. Odisha Government granted Biju Patnaik Award for Scientific Excellence for the year 2016 to Digambar Behera of PGIMER (Chandigarh)
6. Sports Ministry announced National Sports Awards 2017 have been announced. Selection Committee for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award an Arjuna Awards was headed by Justice C. K. Thakkar. Selection Committee for Dronacharya Awards and Dhyan Chand Awards was headed by Pullela Gopichand. Winners -

1. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna - Winners receive a statuettes, certificate and cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh. 2017 winners are -
   • Para Athlete Devendra Singh Jhajharia
   • Hockey Player Sardar Singh
2. Dronacharya Awards - winners receive a statuettes, certificate and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. 2017 winners -
   • Athlete Late Dr. R. Gandhi
   • Kabaddi Player Heera Nand Kataria
   • Badminton Player G.S.S.V. Prasad (Lifetime)
   • Boxing Player Brij Bhushan Mohanty (Lifetime)
   • Hockey Player P.A. Raphel (Lifetime)
   • Shooter Sanjoy Chakraverthy (Lifetime)
   • Wrestler Roshan Lal (Lifetime)
3. Arjuna Awards - Winners receive a statuettes, certificate and cash prize of Rs. 5 Lakh. 2017 winners are -
   • Archer V.J. Surekha
   • Athlete Khushbir Kaur
   • Basketball Player Prasanthi Singh
   • Boxer Sub. Laishram Debendro Singh
   • Cricketer Harmantpreet Kaur
   • Footballer Oinam Bembem Devi
   • Golfer S.S.P. Chawrasia
   • Hockey Player S.V. Sunil
   • Kabaddi Player Jasvir Singh
   • Shooter P.N. Prakash
   • Table Tennis Player Amalraj
   • Tennis Player Saketh Myneni
   • Wrestler Satyawart Kadian
   • Para Athlete Mariyappan
   • Para Athlete Varun Singh Bhati
4. Dhyanchand Award - Winners receive a statuettes, certificate and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh. 2017 winners are -
   • Athlete Bhupendra Singh
   • Football Player Syed Shahid Hakim
   • Hockey Player Sumarai Tete

7. Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao has been selected for coveted Agriculture Leadership Award 2017, by a Committee headed by agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan

September

 

1. Badminton Player Prakash Padukone conferred with first Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by Badminton Association of India (BAI).
2. India’s first operational Smart City and IFSC, Gujarat International Finance-Tec City (GIFT City) won Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Services Excellence Award
3. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal (JNPCT) has been awarded Container Terminal of the Year Award at 10th The Gateway Awards 2017 at Mumbai.
4. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) won Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar for 2016-17 for its excellent implementation of Official Language. This is 11th consecutive year that JNPT has won this award
5. Karnataka Bank won Best Bank award among small banks for use of technology for financial inclusion at 13th IDRBT Banking Technology Excellence Awards 2016-17.
6. Karnataka Cop D Roopa has been conferred President’s Medal for her meritorious service
7. Raghunandan Industries Private Limited has been awarded with Krishi Pragati Award 2017 by National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX)
8. Vijaya Bank bagged first prize under Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar (Region C) for year 2016-17. Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has also been awarded National level Rajbhasha Keerti Award for 3rd consecutive year.

 

 

 

 

 

2. INTERNATIONAL

 

June

 

1. Indian agricultural microbiologist Shrihari Chandraghatgi has been conferred Ministry of Environment Award for 2017 in Japan for developing cutting edge technologies to address burning environmental problems.
2. 12-year-old Indian Girl Padmalaya Nanda from Odisha became youngest girl to win Little Miss Universe Internet 2017 and Little Miss Actress titles at Little Miss Universe Pageant 2017 held in Georgia. She will now participate in Little Miss World 2017 competition to be held at Greece in Sept - Oct 2017.
3. 2017 Orwell Prize (Britain's most prestigious prize for political writing) has been bestowed upon John Bew for his extraordinary biography Citizen Clem, which is about Clement Attlee (founder of NHS (National Health Service)).
4. David Grossman bacame First Israeli author to win Man Booker International Prize for his novel A Horse Walks Into a Bar. He will share the £50,000 award money with his translator Jessica Cohen
5. Bengali actor, Soumitra Chatterjee will be conferred by France's highest civilian honour - Legion of Honour
6. Health Ministry's mobile application for digitising vaccine logistics - eVIN has won GSMA Asia Mobile Award 2017 (AMO) in Shanghai (China) for outstanding contribution to UNs sustainable development goals in Asia
7. Hyderabad Based T S Vineeth Bhatt has been conferred with Best astrologer award at Russian-Indian economic dialogue round-table meet held in Moscow.
8. India's National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) received International Award of Asia Pacific Quality Network's APQN Quality Award 2017 for International Co-operation in Quality Assurance, In Moscow (Russia)
9. Indian Anti-hunger activist Ankit Kawatra will be among 60 receivers of UK's prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award from 53 Commonwealth countries
10. International Dublin Literary Award 2017 conferred upon Angolan writer Jose Eduardo Agualusa for his 14th novel - A General Theory of Oblivion. It is translated into English by Daniel Hahn.

• Dublin Literary Award is the world’s largest prize for a single novel published in English

11. Uttarakhand received award of excellence at the 2nd Global Skill Development Summit held in Paris for innovations and extensive use of IT for skilling state's youth
12. West Bengal received highest prize by United Nations Public Service Award for state government’s Kanyashree Prakalpa (Girl Child) scheme, held in The Hague (Netherlands)

 

 

 

July

 

1. 2017 Magsaysay Awards -

1. Winners -
   1. Lilia De Lima (PHILIPPINES) - For harnessing sustained, non-stop and credible public service.
   2. Yoshiaki Ishizawa (JAPAN): For restoring Cambodia’s treasured gift to world culture.
   3. Abdon Nababan (INDONESIA): For giving compelling face and voice to Adat communities and their rights.
   4. Philippine Educational Theater Association (PHILIPPINES): For empowering communities for development action through theater arts.
   5. Gethsie Shanmugam (SRI LANKA): For rebuilding lives from the psychosocial wounds of war and violence.
   6. Tony Tay (SINGAPORE): For mobilizing collective goodwill to address hidden hunger.
2. About Magsaysay Award -
   1. Ramon Magsaysay Awards' is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society
   2. It is a reputed honour and termed as Nobel Prize of Asia.

2. A group of seven Indian students won 2 awards at first Global Robotics Olympiad in US . Indian Students won gold for Zhang Heng Engineering Design Award and bronze for Global Challenge Match at international robotics challenge organised by FIRST Global in Washington (USA)
3. Former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar has been conferred with Japan’s imperial decoration ‘Order of the Rising Sun’ award for his contribution to fostering Japan-India ties
4. Indian Origin Person Guruswamy Jayraman has been awarded Order of Australia for community work, highest civilian award in Australia
5. Pune Based Swayam Shikshan Prayog has been awarded United Nations Development Programme’s Equator Prize for devising an ecologically sustainable agriculture model to combat the adverse impacts of drought

 

August

1. Portuguese Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo became First to be named Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Men’s Player of the Year for consecutive 3 seasons - 2014, 2015 and 2016.
2. Hugo Award for Best Novel 2017 was given to Nora K. Jemisin (USA) for her work The Obelisk Gate. It was presented at 75th World Science Fiction Convention in Helsinki (Finland).
3. Indian - origin actor Dev Patel chosen for Asia Society 2017 Asia Game Changers Award, for making a “transformative and positive” difference for future of Asia and world. He will be honored at UN Headquarters in New York in November 2017
4. National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) won 2 awards - Assocham Services Excellence Award 2017 and its Chairman and Managing Director H Purushotham won international recognition by International Association of Advanced Materials (Sweden).

 

September

 

1. Ghana-based Indian entrepreneur Birendra Sasmal won International Business Person of Year at Asian Achievers Awards in London, for for turning his company Subah Group into a thriving succes Through West Africa and employs around 350 people.
2. Indian Scientist Mahtab Bamji has been selected for Living Legend Award of International Union of Nutritional Sciences ((IUNS), to be presented at its General Assembly to be held in Buenos Aires (Argentina)
3. Pune-based NGO Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) that workes for women farmers, won 2017 UN Equator Prize
4. Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling has been honoured by Grand Prix Award for his work in field of organic farming, During a ceremony at Germany’s Lagau on the occasion of the One World Festival.
5. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced winners of 2017 International Literacy Prizes. These Prizes are divided into 2 categories - Confucius Prize (sponsored by China) and King Sejong Literacy Prize (sponsored by South Korea). All winners will each receive a medal, a certificate and USD 20000, on International Literacy Day on 8 September 2017.

 

• Confucius Prize 2017 (recognises projects that benefit rural populations and out-of-school youth, particularly girls and women). Winners are -
  1. AdulTICoProgram - Initiative of Secretariat of Information and Communications Technologies of Armenia (Colombia) for teaching digital competencies to seniors.
  2. Citizens Foundation (Pakistan) - For its Aagahi Literacy Programme for Women and Out-of-School Girls.
  3. FunDza (South Africa) - It launched a project to develop a culture of reading and writing for pleasure through an online platform.
• King Sejong Literacy Prize 2017 - Dedicated to mother-tongue literacy education. Winners -
  1. Centre for the Study of Learning & Performance (Concordia University (Canada)) - For its ‘Using Educational Technology to Develop Essential Educational Competencies in Sub-Saharan Africas project’.
  2. We Love Reading (Jordan) - It offers online read-aloud trainings for parents, mobilizes volunteers to read aloud in community spaces to children.

6. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO) announced winners of 2017 UNESCO Prize for Girl’s and Women’s Education. Each of 2 winner organisations received prize money of USD 50000. Winners are -

• Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities Centre in Greater Mekong Sub-Region (DEPDC/GMS) in Thailand - For its project Education and Life Skills Training Programme to Help Stateless Children and Women Migrating from Shan State to Thailand.
• Mini Academy of Science and Technology (MaCTec Peru) - For its project Mobile MaCTec Bus Labs/Mini Academy of Science and Technology.

7. Zannah Mustapha won annual Nansen Refugee Award for his crucial mediating role and efforts to help children affected by insurgency in Nigeria. His Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School provides free Islamic education to orphaned children

 

 

 

3. BOOKS

June

 

1. Who has seen the Wind book has been written by Canadian author W.O. Mitchell.
2. Beren and Luthien, book by Lord of the Rings British author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (JRR Tolkien) has been published after 100 years of its first conceiving.
3. Book Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature, authored by Jairam Ramesh has been released.
4. Book Lalan Shah Fakir Ke Geet, written by Muchkund Dubey has been released, along with DVD of selected songs of Lalan Shah Fakir.
5. Book The Crisis Within Knowledge and Education in India authored by Ganesh Devy has been released.
6. Book The Emergency - Indian Democracy’s Darkest Hour, authored by Surya Prakash.
7. Book The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, authored by Arundhati Roy has been released.
8. Book Yug Purush, Bharat Ratna, Atal Ji, authored by Former Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal has been launched.
9. Sarod Platyer Amjad Ali Khan's book Master on Masters has been released, based on lives of 20 greatest icons of Indian Classical Music

.

 

July

 

1. Amit Bhardwaj launched his third e-book Cryptocurrency for Beginners after Cryptocurrency Trading for Beginners and Cryptocurrency Mining for Beginners.
2. Book Dalhousie…Through My Eyes, authored by Kiran Chadha has been released.
3. Book Future of Indian Universities: Comparative and International Perspectives , written by C. Raj Kumar has been released.
4. Book Mann Ki Baat – A Social Revolution on Radio has been released, including transcripts of first 23 episodes of Prime Minister’s monthly address on radio ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
5. Book Narendra Damodardas Modi : The Making of a Legend, authored by Sulabh International chief Bindeshwar Pathak has been released.
6. Book President Pranab Mukherjee – A Statesman has been released.
7. Book President’s Lady (Pranaber Preyosi), based on President Pranab Mukherjee's wife Late Smt. Suvra Mukherjee has been released. It has been written by Sangeeta Ghosh.
8. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley released book Ganga Avahan, which is a 2,800 km exploratory open-water swim expedition on Ganga river.

 

August

 

Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has written a book I Do What I Do: On Reform, Rhetoric & Resolve, explaining economic concepts and talks of issues like tolerance and connection between political freedom and prosperity

 

September

 

1. Book Bhartiya Kala Mein Salil Kridayen Evam Sadyahsnata Nayika authored by Kshetrapal Gangwar and Sanjib Kumar Singh has been launched.
2. Book How India Sees the World: Kautilya to the 21st Century, written by Shyam Saran has been launched.
3. Book India: Priorities for the Future, authored by Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan has been launched.
4. Book The Shershah of Kargil, is a biography of Kargil war hero Late Captain Vikram Batra has been released. It has been written by Deepak Surana.
5. Book Unstoppable: My Life So Far, authored by Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has been Launched.
6. Book titled A to Z of Financial Management in Autonomous Institutions, authored by Rajat Bhargava and Deenanath Pathak has been released.
7. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's first book Hit Refresh has been launched.
8. Noted Author Amish Tripathi's new Book Immortal India has been launched.
9. Recently released book The Golden House by Noted Indian Writer Salman Rushdie is named as New York Times Bestseller

 

4. COMMITTEES

1. FINANCE and  BANKING SECTOR ORIENTED:

 

June

 

1. Market Regulator SEBI formed a Committee under chairmanship of Uday Kotak, to suggest measures for improving standards of corporate governance of listed companies.
2. Reserve Bank of India reconstituted Oversight Committee that was formed to examine process to resolve mounting bad loans in banking sector. Pradeep Kumar will now head reconstituted 5-member panel.

 

August

1. Reserve Bank of India appointed committee on Household Finance, headed by Tarun Ramdorai has suggested that banks must link their home loan rates to the RBI's repo rate (rate at which RBI slends to banks), instead of Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR), which banks follow now.
2. SEBI formed a committee on fair market conduct that which will suggest measures for improving surveillance of the markets and strengthen rules for trades. It will be headed by T K Viswanathan and would suggest measures for improvement in PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) norms, PFTUP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) regulations.

 

September

1. An advisory committee of Securities and Exchange Board of India, headed by Jayanth R Varma will decide on proposal for extending stock market trading hours from 3.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m (starting 9 am)
2. Insurance regulator IRDAI formed committee Under Pournima Gupte, to help in implementing new risk-based capital (RBC) regime.

• RBC Committee was headed by Dilip C Chakrabortyand it suggested that industry should move ahead with RBC to ensure that capital held by a company will take into account its overall risk profile, rather than current solvency regime.
• New RBC Regime is expected to be implemented by March 2021

 

2. GENERAL COMMITTEE

June

 

1. Government has set up a GST facilitation cell in Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) to facilitate rollout of Goods and Services Tax. The cell is headed by Economic Advisor Sudhansu Sekhar Das.
2. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) constituted a committee to analyse few contentious Lodha panel reforms which are being opposed by state units. Committee will be headed by Rajeev Shukla.
3. HRD ministry constituted a new nine-member committee under space scientist K Kasturirangan to frame a new National Education Policy (NEP).
4. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis formed committee under Chandrakant Patil, to look into various demands of farmers, including loan waiver. Maharashtra Government also announced loan waiver for farmers with land under 5 acres.

 

July

 

1. A Committee led by Ved Prakash Mishra submitted its report regarding measures for upgrading healthcare infrastructure at major ports under PPP mode to provide world class health services, along with affordable medical and paramedical education.
2. Department of Science and Technology constituted a National Steering Committee to initiate a National Programme on “Scientific Validation and Research on Panchgavya” (SVAROP).
3. GST Council formed a Selection Committee under Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary (Currently Pradeep Kumar Sinha) to recommend eligible persons for appointment as Chairman and Members of National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAPA) under GST. NAPA ensures that full benefits of a reduction in tax on supply of goods or services flow to consumers.
4. Karnataka Government constituted a committee to study possibility of designing a separate state flag and providing it a statutory standing.
5. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology constituted a Committee under Chairmanship of B N Srikrishna (Former SC Judge) to study and identify key data protection issues and recommend methods for addressing them as Protection of Data is expected to provide big boost to Digital economy of the country.

 

August

 

1. Committee under Justice B.N.Srikrishna submitted its report regarding measures to be undertaked for speedy resolution of commercial disputes and to make India an international hub of Arbitration and a Centre of robust ADR mechanism catering to international and domestic arbitration at par with international standards.
2. Information and Broadcasting Ministry constituted a 40-member preview committee for International Film Festival of India 2017 to be held in Goa, with filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri as convenor of committee.
3. Ministry of Commerce and Industry constituted a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for India’s Economic Transformation, to be headed by V. Kamakoti of IIT Madras. Task force will explore possibilities to leverage AI for development across various fields.
4. Nagaland Government constituted a committee (to be headed by Temjen Toy), to review Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 by consulting all tribal hohos and stakeholders for reviewing Municipal Act and submit its report
5. Parliamentary Committee led by B C Khanduri suggested that 100 % pension should be given to widow of the deceased soldier, rather than current system of 60 % of his pension.

 

September

 

1. A Parliamentary Committee has been formed to examine Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 in New Delhi. It has been chaired by Bhupender Yadav.
2. Expert committee headed by TK Viswanathan to deal with cybercrimes especially online hate speech submitted its report. Committee recommended appointing cybercrime coordinators in all states and establishing cybercrime cells in each district.
3. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi to monitor and resolve IT challenges faced in implementation of GST.
4. National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog constituted Expert Task Force to provide major thrust to job creation by enhancing India’s exports. It will be headed by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar. It will give sector-specific recommendations in key employment sectors for policy interventions and suggest measures to enhance trade in services with high employment potential.
5. PM Narendra Modi reconstituted Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to assist on economic issues, with Bibek Debroy appointed as its chairman. EAC was defunct since former C Rangarajan resigned as its chairman.

 

 

5. DEFENCE

 

June

1. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired anti-tank ‘Nag’ missile in Rajasthan.
   1. Anti-tank Nag missile is one of the 5 missile systems developed by DRDO under integrated guided missile development programme (IGMDP). 4 other missiles under this programme are - Agni, Akash, Trishul and Prithvi.
   2. Nag missile is a third generation anti-tank guided missile which works on “fire and forget” principle.

2. India successfully test-fired indigenous first all weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM). QR-SAM has been jointly developed by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics Limited. It has range of 30 KMs.
3. Indian Army received its first batch of bullet-proof helmets, manufactured by Kanpur-based MKU Industries at cost of INR 180 crores. These bullet proof helmets are capable of withstanding the impact of 9mm ammunition fired from a short range.
4. Indian Army will possibly do away with colonial-era Sahayak System and considers recruiting civilian staff in peace stations, in wake of rising cases of jawans coming out against Sahayak system as Some jawans have been treated as servants by their attached officers.
5. Sahayak system is when a soldier is attached to officers to help them carry out their responsibilities, including - protecting officers, maintaining their weapons and equipment etc. Approx 50,000 sahayaks serve in Army where Air Force and Navy do not have sahayak system.
6. Indian and Australian Navies will hold AUSINDEX 17 Joint Naval Exercise in Mid June 2017.
7. India’s Reliance Defence Ammunition partnered with Serbia’s Yugoimport to manufacture ammunition in India.
8. Land version of the short range surface–to–surface ballistic missile Prithvi-II successfully test-fired. Missile is capable of carrying 1,000 kg of nuclear as well as conventional warheads, upto range of 350 km.
9. Larsen & Toubro launched first indigenously built Floating Dock (FDN-2) to repair Indian Navy ships at its Shipyard at Kattupalli (Chennai).
10. National Board of Wildlife has approved Rutland Island in South Andaman to be the site for the country’s long-range missile test facility.
11. Noted USA Defence Firm Lockheed Martin and India’s Tata Advanced Systems signed pact to produce F-16 fighter planes in India, during an Airshow at Paris.
12. Second Scorpene-class submarine INS Khanderi is ready for surface sea trials, built by Mazagon Dock Limited (Mumbai). It is 2nd of 6 submarines being built at MDL in collaboration with France’s DCNS as part of Project 75 of Indian Navy. First was INS Kalvari.
13. USA Approved sale of state-of-the-art Guardian 22 unmanned Guardian drones to India, in a deal valued between 2 - 3 Billion USD. Guardian UAV technology will strengthen India in protecting areas under Indian Ocean.
14. USA approved selling one Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft to India at approx USD 366.2 million cost.

 

July

 

1. 14 day long joint military exercise Maitree 2017 between Indian and Thailand Armies commenced in Himachal Pradesh.
2. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) launched ut Muntra (Mission UNmanned TRAcked) as India’s first unmanned, remotely operated tank at its Chennai lab. It has been launched in 3 variants - Muntra-S, Muntra-M and Muntra-N for surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and biological threats.
3. Government has empowered Army to directly procure critical weapons systems and military platforms to maintain combat readiness for short duration intense wars.
   1. It was needed as Army is facing severe shortage in ammunition, mainly for artillery guns, air defence, tanks and certain infantry weapons.
   2. Under new scheme, Vice Chief of Army has been given full financial powers to procure ammunitions.
4. India, Japan and USA navies completed 2017 MALABAR trilateral naval Exercise near Chennai in Bay of Bengal. This is 21st edition of Malabar naval exercise.
5. Indian Army signed MoU with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to raise 5 regiments of advanced Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles (MRSAM) with 60 Missiles. MRSAM air defence system can shoot down enemy missiles, aircraft at range of over 50 km. It is land-based variant of long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) or Barak-8 naval air defence system.
6. Indian Navy’s second LCU (landing craft utility) Mark IV L52 ship built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) Kolkata has been launched. These vessels are designed for multipurpose amphibious operations carried out Indian Navy and Army to ensure maritime security of Andamans and Lakshadweep islands.
7. New Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels Shachi and Shruti launched at Pipavav Shipyard in Gujarat. These are first set of warships that have been manufactured by a private defence sector entity - Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited.

 

 

August

1. Defence Ministry approved a proposal to procure six AH-64-E Apache attack helicopters along with weapons systems from American aerospace giant Boeing for Indian Army.
2. Anil Ambani led Reliance Defence and Engineering changed its name to Reliance Naval and Engineering Ltd (RNEL), in line with company’s focus on building capabilities for Indian Navy and Coast Guard.
3. Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved implementation of first phase of reforms pertaining to Indian Army based on recommendations of Lt Gen Shekatkar Committee. It ais to enhance combat capability and optimize defence expenditure of Indian Army by December 2019. It is first ever reform exercise to be undertaken in Indian Army since independence. Major reforms are -
   1. Redeployment and restructuring of approximately 57,000 posts of Armymen.
   2. Optimisation of signals establishments - To include Radio Monitoring Companies, Air Formation Signal Regiments, Corps Air Support Signal Regiments, Composite Signal Regiments and merger of Corps Operating and Engineering Signal Regiments.
   3. Restructuring of repair echelons in Army - To include Base Workshops, Advance Base Workshops and Station Workshops in field Army.
   4. Redeployment of Ordnance echelons - To include Vehicle Depots, Central Ordnance Depots and Ordnance Depots apart from streamlining inventory control mechanisms.
   5. Other Reforms - Better utilization of Supply and Transport echelons and Animal Transport units, Closure of army postal establishments and military farms in peace locations and Improving efficiency of National Cadet Corps (NCC) etc.

4. Central Government has approved INR 32,000 crore five-year action programme for Indian Coast Guard to enhance its capability in maintaining vigil on coastal waters.
5. DRDO signed Rs.17,000 crore deal with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for producing advanced medium—range surface to air missile (MRSAM) system for Indian Army by 2020. The deal envisages develping 40 firing units and around 200 missiles. MR-SAM is land-based version of long range surface to air missile (LRSAM) of Indian Navy, with strike range of up 70 km.
6. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley handed over Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) jointly developed by India and Israel, to Indian Navy.
7. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated production of indigenous design Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). In November 2016, defence ministry cleared INR 2900 crore procurement of 15 LCHs from HAL.
8. IN LCU L52 ship has been Inducted into Indian Navy, as 2nd Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV class vehicle to be inducted into Indian Navy.
9. India and Russia for first time will conduct Indra tri-services exercise (Indra 2017), involving their armies, navies and the air forces in October 2017 to further ramp up military ties.
10. India is deploying smart Israel-developed fencing systems along its volatile borders with Pakistan, which have quick response teammechanism that strikes when CCTV-powered control room detects an infiltration attempt. BSF is implementing it under project comprehensive integrated border management system (CIBMS).
11. Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya has been commissioned, fifth in series of six 105-metre Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).
12. Indian Coast Guard Ship Varuna has been decommissioned.
13. Indian Ocean Naval Symposium’s (IONS) maiden International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) will be held in November 2017 in Bay of Bengal under chairmanship of Bangladesh. IONS is a regional forum of Indian Ocean littoral states launched by India in February 2008, which now has 35 members.
14. India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility (a 51:49 joint venture between Kalyani Group and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems) inaugurated near Hyderabad (Telangana).
15. Six-member all-woman team of Indian Navy will set sail to circumnavigate globe on sailing vessel INSV Tarini, making it first-ever Indian circumnavigation of globe by an all-woman crew.
16. Indian Navy's Band participated in International Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower" held in Moscow (Russia). A 66-member Indian Navy band also joined historic Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in the UK.

 

September

 

1. 13th edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2017, joint military exercise between Indian and USA armies commenced in Washington (USA).
2. 12th India-Nepal joint military exercise - Surya Kiran XII held in Saljhandi (Nepal).
3. 7th India-Sri Lanka joint maritime naval exercise SLINEX 2017 held near Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) in Bay of Bengal.
4. Pralay Sahayam Multi Agency disaster preperedness exercise conducted on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad (Telangana).
5. Advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS, Developed Jointly by DRDO and Bharat Forge Limited of Kalyani Group) with special ammunition high explosive – base bleed (HE – BB) has set world record in terms of range by hitting targets at distance of 48 km during trial firings at Pokhran (Rajasthan).
6. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) signed contract with Research Centre Imarat (RCI) for the supply of Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM) to Indian Army.
7. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) test-fired 3rd generation Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) NAG. It has operational range of 500m to 4km (Land version) and 7-10km (when air-launched).
8. INS Tarasa (T94), fourth and last ship in series of Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) commissioned into Indian Navy.
9. Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted developmental trials of indigenously developed Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).
10. Indian Army organized Operation Sadbhavana for National Integration in Jammu & Kashmir and North East states respectively
11. Indian Army will induct women in military police, bringing in 800 women at yearly intake of 52.
12. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commissioned two high-speed interceptor boats C-433 and C-434 boats. Interceptor boat V-409 has also been launched.
13. India’s first all-women crew circumnavigation expedition Navika Sagar Parikrama flagged off in Goa, onboard Sailing Vessel INSV Tarini. It will circumnavigate globe in approximately 165 days and is expected to return to Goa in April 2018.
14. India’s first indigenous sniper rifle launched at rifle factory in Ishapore (West Bengal). Its total cost is INR 2.5 lakh and weighs 6.7 Kg. It has shooting range of 800 meters.
15. India’s first ingenuously built INS Kalavari submarine handed over to Indian Navy, built by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. INS Kalavari is first of six Scorpion class submarines built in India under Project-75 by Mazagon Docks Limited with technology transfer from France’s DCNS (Direction des Constructions Navales Services).
16. Ministry of Home Affairs launched full-fledged intelligence wing of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), paramilitary force that guards India’s borders with Bhutan and Nepal. It will have 650 field and staff agents to gather actionable information. Intelligence wing of and Welfare and Rehabilitation Board App (WARB) was also launched.

 

6. ECONOMY

1. BANKING SECTOR ORIENTED

June

 

1. According to Code Compliance Rating of banks done by Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI)
   1. IDBI Bank is Only Bank out of 26 public sector banks to Get High Rating.
   2. 8 out of 17 private sector banks got high rating and 3 foreign banks (Citibank, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank) Received High Rating.
   3. Code compliance rating is based on 5 parameters - information dissemination, transparency, grievance redressal, customer-centricity, and customer feedback.
2. According to Handbook of Statistics on States 2016-17, gross fiscal deficits of all states has increased to INR 4,93,360 crores in 2016 from INR 18,790 crore in FY1991. This is 2nd edition of RBI’s statistical publication.
3. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s current account deficit (net difference between inflows and outflows of foreign currencies) narrowed during 2016-17 to 0.7% of the GDP, from 1.1% in 2015-16.
   1. CAD came down due to India's trade deficit narrowing down to $112.4 billion in 2016-17 from $130.1

      billion in 2015-16.

3. 2. Net FDI inflows in 2016-17 also got narrowed to $35.6 billion from $36 billion during 2015-16.
4. According to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2017, US, China and India are top 3 FDI Receiving Destinations. FDI inflows into India remained USD 44 billion.
5. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved $150 million equity investment loan for India Infrastructure Fund as AIIB’s first equity investment to fund private projects. IIIF will invest this amount in mid-cap infrastructure companies in India.
6. Bank of India conducted a mass-contact programme Star Mahotsav, to contacting every customer at their doorstep for several activities including recovery of bad loans, disbursement of loans such as housing and vehicle loan, disbursement under MSME and agriculture etc.
7. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved strategic disinvestment of Air India and five of its subsidiaries.
8. Canara Bank inked Bancassurance pact with the The New India Assurance Company Ltd, to sell NIACL policies through its branches.
9. Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) signed MoU with Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) to enable members of its housing scheme to avail subsidy and interest subvention under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Under housing scheme, EPFO allows its subscribers for withdrawing up to 90 % of their EPF accumulations to buy homes.
10. Axis Bank in association with Kochi Metro Rail Corporation (KMRL) has launched KMRL Axis Bank Kochi1 Card as India's first open loop EMV contactless metro card to make travel a convenient and hassle free
11. Government approved Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to enter into 2 separate MoUs with Securities market regulators of the European Union and Iran.
12. Government approved introducing Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill 2017 that will provide resolution framework for financial sector entities to deal with bankruptcy situation in banks, insurance companies, and other entities.

• It will also result in repealing of the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961 to transfer the deposit insurance powers and responsibilities to the Resolution Corporation.

13. Government made Aadhaar mandatory for Opening bank accounts and Carrying out financial transactions above of Rs 50,000. All existing Bank accounts are to be linked to Aadhaar numbers by December 31, 2017.
14. HDFC Bank will impose new transaction charges on all outward UPI transactions from July 10, 2017. Transactions from Rs 1 - 25000 will be charged Rs 3 and transactions above Rs 25,000 to 1 lakh will be charged Rs 5.
15. HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) Predicted India's GDP Growth To Remain 7.1 % In 2017-18. As per Official Data, India's GDP grew 6.1 % during January-March Quarter (Q4 2017) and GDP growth rate for full year (2016-17 ) remained 7.1 %.
16. India signed $275 Million Loan agreement with Manila (Philippines) based Asian Development Bank (ADB) for improving urban services in 64 small towns in State of Madhya Pradesh.
17. India signed loan agreement of USD 35 million with World Bank for Assam State Public Financial Institutional Reforms Project.
18. Indian Overseas Bank (Lead Bank for Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala) has launched Retail Mart as a retail lending concept in Thiruvananthapuram.
19. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) took over management of Sahara India Life Insurance Company as it was not acting in customer friendly manner. IRDAI appointed RK Sharma as administrator of Sahara India Life Insurance Company.
20. Largest Indian Bank State Bank of India has cut interest rate on home loans above Rs 75 lakh by 10 basis points (bps) to 8.60 percent (8.55 % For salaried women borrowers).
21. Leading bourse National Stock Exchange (NSE) launched its international exchange in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). NSE IFSC Ltd (global exchange promoted by NSE) will remain operational for a longer period than NSE during a trading day.
22. Markets regulator SEBI has barred USA Firm Cypress Money from acting as Investment Advisor as it was found guilty of providing unauthorized trading tips to investors.
23. NHB (National Housing Bank) approved merger of Wadhawan Family Owned Entities Aadhar Housing Finance and DHFL Vysya Housing Finance.
24. RBI extended scope of Banking Ombudsman Scheme by enabling customers to lodge a complaint against defaulting bank for its non-adherence to RBI instructions with regard to mobile banking/ electronic banking services. Pecuniary jurisdiction of Banking Ombudsman to pass an award has been also doubled to 20 lakh rupees.
25. RBI has placed Central Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra under prompt corrective action (PCA) which puts restricts on banking activities such as from lending, hiring and expanding branches. RBI has so far triggered PCA for 6 banks – IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Dena Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Central Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra.
26. RBI identified 12 bank accounts constituting nearly 25% of gross bad loans for immediate referral and resolution under the bankruptcy law. Each of 12 identified accounts was having more than 5,000 crore rupees of outstanding loans.
27. RBI second bi-monthly monetary policy review of 2017 -
    1. Only change in Monetary Policy is that RBI has cut Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) by 50 basis points to 20% (To be applicable from June 24, 2017). RBI reduced growth projection for the current fiscal to 7.3% from 7.4%.
    2. Monetary policy decision has been taken by the 6 member monetary policy committee headed by RBI Governor (Currently Urjit Patel).
28. Reserve Bank of India initiated prompt corrective action (PCA) for Dena Bank in view of high net non-performing assets. In May 2017, RBI initiated PCA for IDBI Bank and UCO Bank for similar reasons.
29. Reserve Bank of India will release new batch of Rs 500 currency notes whose design will be similar to Rs 500 rupee banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series which were released post demonetisation. New batch of Rs 500 banknotes will have inset letter “A” in both the number panels.
30. SEBI allowed options trading on futures contract of commodities. However, capital market regulator allowed commodity derivatives exchanges to initially launch options on futures of only one commodity. Eligibility critreia for commodity exchanges to start trading in options contract of commodities -
    1. Only top 5 commodities in terms of total trading turnover value of previous 12 months will be allowed.
    2. Average daily turnover of underlying futures contract of such commodities over past 12 months should be minimum 200 crores for agricultural and agri-processed commodities, and 1,000 crore for other commodities.
31. SEBI asked Commodity derivatives exchanges to compulsorily set up investor protection and service funds, along with separate bank accounts for maintaining corpus of IPF and the ISF.

• Investor Service Fund (ISF) - It is aimed at providing minimum facilities at various investor service centres. Initially, commodity exchange has to contribute at least Rs 10 lakh towards ISF. Subsequently, commodity exchanges will be required to transfer 1% of turnover fees charged from its members on monthly basis towards the ISF.
• Investor Protection Fund (IPF) - It must have maximum 5 trustees. IPF will comprise of all penalties levied and collected by the commodity exchanges except for the settlement related penalties.

32. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved Telenor India's Merger with Bharti Airtel. The deal is now pending final approval by other authorities such as CCI (Competition Commission of India).
33. State Bank of India (SBI) announced financing of solar rooftop projects worth 400 crores, adding over 100 MW of solar rooftop capacity. It is a significant step towards meeting India’s target for 40 GW of solar rooftop installations.
    1. SBI had earlier availed loan of USD 625 million from World Bank for lending to Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar PV (GRPV) projects.
34. Uttar Pradesh Government signed agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for loan of 1950 crore rupees for strengthening of roads in different districts.
35. Vijaya bank developed 5 villages into Digital Villages and plans to develop as many as 100 digital villages in various States.
36. World Bank approved USD 250-million loan for Skill India mission, aimed at making Indian youth more employable through reskilling. SIMO is a 6 year programme in support of National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2017-23). Under this, persons in age group of 15-59 will acquire skill training irrespective of their employment status.
37. World Bank's Global Economic Prospects (GEP) projected GDP growth rate of 7.2% for India in 2017-18 as against 6.8% growth in 2016-2017. World bank also expects India’s growth rate to remain at 7.5% in 2018 and 7.7% in 2019. Global growth forecast in 2017 and 2018 at 2.7% and 2.9% respectively.
38. According to Handbook of Statistics on States 2016-17, gross fiscal deficits of all states has increased to INR 4,93,360 crores in 2016 from INR 18,790 crore in FY1991. This is 2nd edition of RBI’s statistical publication

 

July

 

1. 36th National Bank For Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) Foundation Day and Silver Jubilee of SHG Bank Linkage Programme held in New Delhi. Self Help Group Bank Linkage Programme (SHG BLP) is a Financial Inclusion initiative of NABARD.
2. According to 2nd National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) State Investment Potential Index (N-SIPI 2017) report -
   1. Gujarat retained top position in list of 21 states and UTs with most investment potential, followed by Delhi and Andhra Pradesh.

3. According to Asian Development Bank, India will achieve GDP growth rate of 7.4 % in 2017-18 and 7.6 % in 2018-19.
4. According to BMI Research, India is expected to register a growth of 6.9% in financial year 2017-18. While RBI predicted 7.3 % GDP Growth Rate for current fiscal year (2017-18).
5. Bank of Baroda signed agreement with Directorate General of Supplies & Disposal (DGS&D) for extending various banking services to Government e-Marketplace (GeM). e-GeM is an initiative intended to bring transparency and efficiency in public procurements.
6. Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2017 presented in Lok Sabha, seeking to amend Banking Regulation Act 1949 and replace Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance 2017. It authorises RBI to -
   1. Direct banking companies to resolve the problem of stressed assets and Initiate insolvency resolution process on specific stressed assets.
   2. Issue other directions for resolution, appoint or approve authorities or committees to advise banking companies for stressed asset resolution. Recovery proceedings will be carried out under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.
7. Canara Bank launched its first ‘Digital Banking Branch’ named ‘CANDI’ in Bengaluru, to provide end-to-end digital experience to customers.
8. Chhattisgarh government will merge all district cooperative central banks (DCCBs) of state into a single State Cooperative Bank, to serve farmers with better and efficient banking facilities.
9. China based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved USD 329 million loan to build access roads to 4,000 villages in Gujarat.
10. Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) signed agreement with 4 private banks (ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank) and Bank of Baroda for collecting provident fund dues from employers and payments to its subscribers.

1. This is the first time that EPFO has joined hands with private banks for this purpose. It will save INR 300 crores annually for EPFO as these five banks have agreed up on zero transaction charges.

11. Credit rating agency ICRA launched a new system for rating of infrastructure projects in association with India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL), to focus on overall recovery of dues by investor and lender over lifecycle of project
12. Government approved revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) Scheme, which is aimed at converting part of 300 tons of physical bars and coins purchased every year for Investment into ‘demat’ gold bonds. Mobilisation target was 15,000 crore in 2015-16 and at Rs.10,000 crore in 2016-17. But, amount credited so far in scheme's account is approx 4700 crores, triggering need for changes in guidelines.

1. Specific changes in attributes of scheme to make it more attractive, mobilise more and reduce economic strains caused by imports of gold and reduce Current Account Deficit (CAD).
2. Flexibility to design and introduce variants of SGBs has been given to Ministry of Finance.
3. Investment limit per fiscal year has been increased to 4 kg for individuals, 4 Kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and 20 Kg for Trusts and similar entities

13. Government lowered interest rate on small saving schemes by 0.1 % for July- September quarter. However, Interest on savings deposits has been retained at 4 % annually. New Rates are -

1. PPF - 7.8%
2. KVP (Kisan Vikas Patra) - 7.5% (mature in 115 months)
3. Sukanya Samriddhi - 8.3%
4. Five-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme - 8.3%

14. India signed $220 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for improving connectivity as well as transport efficiency and safety on State Highways of Rajasthan.
15. Indian Overseas Bank started offering Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) services introduced by National Payments Corporation of India. BBPS is an integrated bill payment system that offers inter-operable online bill payments to customers. IOB is among 4 government banks (apart from Bank of Baroda and Union Bank of India) to get approval from RBI for providing BBPS services.

1. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) recebntly received final nod from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to function as Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit and operate Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
2. BBPS pilot project started on 31 August, 2016 with 8 BBPS operating units, which now stands at 24 certified units.

16. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) notified rules for inspection and investigation of service providers registered with it (professional agencies, entities, professionals and information utilities). Now, investigation authority has to serve a notice intimating entity concerned about probe at least 10 days in advance.
17. International Monetary Fund (IMF)', World Economic Outlook (July 2017 Update) -
    1. India - GDP growth rate will be 7.2% for 2017-18 (up from 7.1% in 2016-17). India’s growth would accelerate to 7.7% in 2018-19. India’s economy will still be the fastest growing among large economies. World bank also predicted 7.2 % GDP Growth rate for India in current Year and also stated that India will remain World's 4th Fastest Growing Economy.
    2. Global economic growth rate will be 3.5% in 2017 and 3.6% in 2018.
    3. China’s - projected to grow by 6.7% in 2017 and 6.4% in 201
18. Karnataka Bank in association with PNB MetLife launched Met Loan and Life Suraksha (MLLS) as a single premium plan covering loan liability of a customer.
19. Karnataka Bank launched KBL-Image Debit Card, that will enable its cardholders to personalise their Debit card with an image of his/her choice
20. National Multi Commodity Exchange (NMCE) will merge with Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX) to form India's third biggest commodity exchange.

• This is first merger in commodity exchange space in India. In merged entity, ICEX will hold 62.8% stake and NMCE will own the rest.
• New exchange will offer a wide range of contracts and will also offer world’s first diamond futures contract, which has already received approval from SEBI.

21. Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance have signed an agreement for the distribution of insurance products through the branches (Bancassurance).
22. Punjab National Bank (PNB) will block all Maestro debit cards from 31st of July 2017 if card holders do not replace it with a more secure EMV chip based card by end of July.
23. RBI imposed penalty of Rs. 3 crore on Union Bank of India for non-compliance with directions on Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.
24. RBI issued revised directions on Customer Protection in case of authorised / failed online Transactions -
    1. It aims at Limiting Liability of Customers in unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions.
    2. In cases of negligence caused by the customer by sharing of payment credentials, the customer is liable to bear the entire loss.
    3. Customers will be entitled to zero liability when authorised transaction occurs due to contributory fraud/negligence/deficiency on part of bank irrespective of whether or not unauthorised transaction has been reported by customer.
    4. If Fault is at Third Party End -
       1. If customer reports to bank within 3 days - All amount involved will be credited to their accounts within 10 days by bank.
       2. If customer reports to bank within 3 - 7 days - All Amount or INR 25000 (whicheever is less) within 10 days by bank.
       3. If customer reports to bank after 7 days - as per bank's policy.
25. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) to sell and market new pension scheme (NPS). Profit Making NBFCs with asset size of Min 500 crores are now permitted to sell NPS after registration with pension regulator.
26. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up Supervisory Colleges for 6 Scheduled Commercial Banks which have sizeable international presence - State Bank of India, ICICI Bank., Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank and Punjab National Bank.
27. Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue bank notes of denomination Rs 20 in Mahatma Gandhi series 2005 with inset letter ‘S’.
28. SBI (State Bank of India) slashed interest rates given on savings bank accounts from 4 % to 3.5 % on deposits below Rs. 1 crore.
29. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) started merchant banking operations to benefit expanding number of growth-oriented micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), especially those with a strong technology and innovation quotient.
30. State Bank of India (SBI) and Carlyle Group acquired 26 % stake of American Financial major GE Capital in SBI Card. SBI Card is operated through two joint-ventures - SBI Cards & Payment Services (SBICPSL) and GE Capital Business Process Management Services (GECBPMSL).
31. State Bank of India (SBI) launched SBI Realty as a dedicated portal to help home buyers to choose flats from its 3,000 approved projects across country (over 9.5 Lakh Home Units).
32. State Bank of India Online Funds Transfer Fee Rates Reduced -
    1. IMPS -
       1. INR 0 for fund transfer up to INR 1,000.
       2. For More Funds, charge will be Rs 5 for fund transfer in range 1,000 to 1 lakh and Rs 15 for transactions of Rs 1-2 lakh.
    2. NEFT / RTGS -
       1. 75 % Reduction in Fees attached with all NEFT / RTGS Fund Transfers.
    3. GST of 18 per cent on Processing fee is applicable on all financial transactions.
33. United Forum of Bank Unions observed July 19 (48th anniversary of nationalization of major banks) as ‘Save public sector banks’ day.

 

 

August

1. Shubh Aarambh Home Loans scheme has been launched by Axis Bank, which will see 12 equated monthly installments (EMIs) waived off (4 EMIs each after 4th, 8th and 12th year from the of disbursement) on regular repayments of loans of up to Rs 30 lakh.
2. Airtel Payments Bank partnered with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to boost to enanle 14,000 HPCL fuel stations to act as banking points for Airtel Payments Bank.
3. As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report of Return of SBN (Specified Bank Notes), 99 % of demonetised notes (Worth INR 15.28 lakh crores) have been returned to bank. Value of Specified Bank Notes (SBNs). Approx INR 16000 crores worth of demonetised notes have not come back to RBI so far.
4. As per report, SBI accounts for over 27 % of total amount owed to public sector banks by wilful defaulters, with 1,762 wilful defaulters owing SBI INR 25,104 crore. Punjab National Bank (PNB) is 2nd with 1,120 wilful defaulters Owing INR 12,278 crores.
5. Canara Bank launched 2 new digital services for online payments - payment settlement mechanism Bharat QR (Quick Response) and Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
6. Canara Bank will raise $400 million as part of its $2 billion medium-term note programme, by issuing a benchmark dollar bond with tenor of 5 years. Bond sale will be drawn through London branch of Canara Bank and bonds will be listed on Singapore Stock Exchange. Rating agency Moody’s assigned a Baa3 rating to the issue.
7. Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company (CHOICE) launched ‘Point-of-Sale’ product targeted at mass-market segment - PoS - Easy Bima Plan. It is first PoS product for company and is a pure term insurance plan.
8. Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) extended deadline for linking of Aadhaar with PAN till 31 December 2017. Aadhaar - PAN linkage is mandated through Section 139 AA (2) of Income Tax Act 1961 which says that person having PAN as on 1 July 2017 and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to the tax authorities.
9. City Union Bank offered instant credit cards for its Net banking customers. Customer is allowed a credit limit of up to 80% of the deposit or a maximum of 3 lakh.
10. Commodity derivatives bourse Multi Commodity Exchange Ltd (MCX) received Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) approval to launch India’s first gold options contract with bi-monthly duration. The option will also have existing gold kilo futures contract as its underlier.
11. Corporation Bank won best performance awards for SHG-bank linkage program for Karnataka for 2015-16 and 2016-17 from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). It formed more than 1.32 lakh self-help groups (SHGs).
12. Cryptocurrency trading platform BitBay launched dedicated platform for trade and exchange of digital currencies (bitcoin, litecoin etc.) in India. It will also work towards creating awareness about digital currencies and also removing misconceptions about them in India.
13. Government approved raising Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) of upto Rs. 9020 crore during 2017-18 by NABARD through issuance of Bonds for ensuring lending at 6% per annum under borrowings for implementation of Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) works of 99 ongoing prioritized irrigation projects under PMKSY.

• Several irrigation projects taken up under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) were languishing due to inadequate provision of funds. To cater to large fund requirement and ensure completion of these projects, Government created Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) in NABARD with an initial corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore for funding of Central and State share for identified ongoing projects under PMKSY (AIBP and CAD).
• To make loan from NABARD attractive for states, rate of interest was kept around 6% by providing requisite cost free funds to NABARD every year during 2016-17 to 2019-20 on which interest cost would be borne by Govt. of India.

14. Government ruled that Banks importing gold and precious metals will have to pay 3 % tax under GST which can be claimed as input tax credit.
15. In 3rd Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Review by RBI, Repo rate has been cut by 25 basis points. New Monetary Policy rates stand at-

1. Repo Rate - 6.00 %
2. Reverse Repo - 5.75 %
3. Bank Rate - 6.25 %
4. Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate - 6.25 %
5. CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) - 4 %
6. SLR(Statutory Liquidity ratio) - 20 %

16. India signed Global Environment Facility (GEF) Grant Agreement with World Bank for USD 24.64 Million for “Ecosystems Service Improvement Project”.
17. India signed US$ 329 million Loan agreement with Beijing (China) based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for Gujarat Rural Roads Project.
18. India's GDP growth declined to 5.7 % in Q1 (April - June) of FY 2017-18, with growth in manufacturing sector declining rapidly. This is slowest quarterly GDP growth since January-March quarter in 2014. GDP Growth was 7.9 % Strong in Q1 of FY 2016-17 and 6.1% in Q4 of FY 2016-17.
19. Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX) launched world’s first diamond futures contracts to provide exporters with a hedging tool, enabling companies involving in cut and polished gems business to better hedge price risks. ICEX has started trading in 1 carat/100 cent contracts and eventually in future will add 50 cent and 30 cent contracts.
     
    1. Note that India is a global diamond polishing hub where 14 out of every 15 rough diamonds in the world are polished.
20. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) launched a Central Database of all Insurance Sales Persons in country, Named as Envoy
21. Karur Vysya Bank became First Private Sector Bank to roll out an Aadhaar Enrollment Centre, at its Nelson Manickam Road Branch in Chennai.
22. Lok Sabha passed Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2017 to replace Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance 2017 and amend Banking Regulation Act 1949 to insert provisions for handling cases related to stressed assets or non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks. Key Features -
    • It enables Central government to authorize Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct banking companies to resolve specific stressed assets by initiating insolvency resolution process, as per Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.
    • It empowers RBI to issue directions to banks for resolution of stressed assets from time to time.
    • It inserts provision to make above provisions applicable to the SBI and its subsidiaries and also Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
23. Lok Sabha passed National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill 2017 that amends NABARD Act 1981. Key features -
    • Capital of NABARD is increased to INR 30000 crores from 5000 crores. Government is also allowed to increase it to over INR 30000 crores in consultation with RBI.
    • Government must hold at least 51% capital share of NABARD. and .04% shares of NABARD held by RBI (valued 20 crores) will be transferred to Government.
24. Lok Sabha passed State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill 2017 that repeals State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act 1959 and State Bank of Hyderabad Act 1956. It also amends State Bank of India (SBI) Act 1955 to remove references to subsidiary banks and powers of SBI to act as an agent of the RBI for subsidiary banks.
25. National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) sanctioned Loan of INR 1349.55 crores to Rajasthan government for creation of rural infrastructure in the state under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).
26. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) approved Spice Digital Ltd. for processing bill payments under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU).
    • NPCI launched a pilot project for BBPS with eight BBPS operating unit, Spice Digital was one of them.
27. PNB (Punjab National Bank) customers will have to pay charges for depositing cash above Rs. 5,000 (down from 25000 Currently) in a non-base branch even if it is located in same city. Customer will have to pay Re 1 per Rs 1,000 for above Rs 5,000 cash deposit or part thereof with a minimum of Rs 25 per transaction.
28. Power transmission utility Powergrid received loan of USD 500 million from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for its various projects.
29. Private Sector's Axis Bank and Government Owned Indian Bank reduced interest rate on savings bank accounts to 3.5 % for deposits up to Rs 50 lakh (4 % on deposits of above Rs 50 lakh). It has came after SBI slashed interest rate on savings accounts to 3.5% on balance of under INR 1 crore.
30. Public procurement portal Government eMarketplace (GeM) and industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have signed a MoU to establish GeMSamvad, a GeM -Industry forum. GeMSamvad aims to create awareness about online purchase of goods and services by government agencies and departments.
31. Punjab National Bank (PNB) introduced biometric attendance, to enforce punctuality among employees. Timings will be uploaded in HR system automatically.
32. RBI Stated that out of 56 regional rural banks (RRBs), Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank and Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank recorded net profit of more than Rs 150 crore during 2016-17. Overall, 49 RRBs recorded net profit in 2016-17.
33. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will pay INR 30,659 crore dividend to government for year ended June 30, less than half of what it paid in 2016 (65,876 crores).
34. Reserve Bank of India advised banks to make Aadhaar linkage mandatory for availing short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh in 2017-18, To ensure hassle-free benefits to farmers under Interest Subvention Scheme.
    • To provide short-term crop loans to farmers at an interest rate of 7 % during 2017-18, RBI decided to offer interest subvention of 2 % to lending banks on use of their own resources.
35. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) directed companies that fail to disclose any default on payment of interest or repayment of principal to banks or financial institutions within a day, from October 1 Onwards.
36. State Bank of India (SBI) announced waiver of up to 100% of processing fee on car loans, personal gold loans and personal loans for 2017 festive season. Bank has waived processing fee on car loans till 31st December 2017 and half of he processing fee on personal gold loans till 31st October 2017.
37. State Bank of India has launched a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative SBI Gram Seva, which will work in areas of health, education, environment and rural infrastructure. SBI Foundation will partner with NGOs to carry out CSR initiatives under which it adopt 5 villages each from 10 village panchayats with each village getting around Rs 2.40 crore over 3 years.
38. State Bank of India held Home Loan Utsav in Bengaluru, in association with several sponsors. SBI offered 0.25% concession in interest rate from 4th year of home loans availed at SBI Utsav.
39. State Bank of India will raise INR 2,000 crores by allotting Basel-III compliant bonds to various investors. It will allot 20,000 AT1 Basel-III compliant non-convertible, perpetual, subordinated bonds in the nature of debentures. Bonds will carry a coupon rate of 8.15% per annum with a call option after 5 years.
40. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Ltd (subsidiary of Ujjivan Financial Services) has been given scheduled bank status by RBI. Currently, Ujjivan SFB has 65 branches in 10 states / UTs.
41. Union Bank of India signed Bancassurance agreements with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Cholamandalam MS General Insurance for distribution of their insurance products. Similar Bancassurance tie up has been signed between DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Company and Dhanlaxmi Bank.

 

September

1. Fitch declared that Indian banks will need an additional capital of $65 billion in order to satisfy all banking rules of global Basel III norms,by March 2019.
2. ADB (Asian Development Bank) signed Loan deal worth $200 Million with India's IndusInd Bank to provide loans for low income women in rural areas.
3. As per survey by Brand Finance, State Bank of India (SBI) is India’s most trusted and popular bank, followed by HDFC Bank and Central Bank of India. On popularity charts, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank take 2nd and 3rd spots respectively.
4. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved loan of $80 million (about Rs 524 crore) for modernization of Himachal Pradesh’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.
5. Asian Development Bank (ADB) will increase its annual lending to India to maximum of $4 billion between 2018 and 2022, much higher than average $2.65 billion a year in loans extended during 2012 and 2016.
6. Bandhan Bank appointed Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Axis Bank, JM Financial and Kotak Mahindra Bank as lead managers to manage its proposed initial public offering (IPO). Bandhan Bank will look to raise INR 5000 crores by IPO in 2018.
7. GDP Growth Rate Forecasts -

1. Japanese financial services company Nomura stated that India’s GDP growth will be around 7.1 % in 2017-18.
2. Asian Development Bank (ADB) predicted 7 % for India in 2017 - 18 and 7.4 % in 2018 - 19.
3. OECD (Paris based think tank) announced that Indian economy will grow at 6.7 % in 2017-2018.

8. Government notified that Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) platforms will be treated as non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and thus regulated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

• It will help P2P lenders to gain official recognition and opens new avenues for fund-raising and business expansion.
• P2P lending is a form of crowd-funding used to raise loans which are paid back with interest. It enables individuals to borrow and lend money, without use of an official financial institution as an intermediary.

9. IDBI Bank launched ‘Project Nishchay’ in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to accelerate its turnaround program and improve financial performance.
10. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) approve online non-life insurance company Acko General Insurance Ltd. and it will start operating in December 2017. It will sell multiple insurance products through online channel.
11. International Finance Corporation (Member of World Bank Group) invested $10 million in Indian Power Sector startup firm Power2SME.
    • IFC will also invest USD 50 million (about Rs 320 crore) in realty firm Mahindra Lifespace Developers industrial park projects.
12. Multilateral funding agency ADB approved USD 300 million loan for carrying forward fiscal reforms in West Bengal.
    • West Bengal for the first time in 2012 received a USD 400 million from ADB.
13. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) sanctioned loan of Rs.119 crore for Haryana to construct 7 bridges and improvement of one rural road project in five districts.
14. Paytm partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch a RuPay-powered digital debit card for its Payments Bank users. Ccustomers will be able to transact at merchants accepting credit / debit cards.
15. Punjab National Bank and BSNL partnered to roll out open mobile wallet Speedpay across 10 states
16. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that Masala bonds (rupee-denominated overseas bonds) will be treated as External Commercial Borrowings (ECB), thereby freeing up more investments by FPIs. Current limit for investment by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in corporate bonds is Rs 244323 crore (including masala bonds of 44,001 crores).
17. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its 2017 list of the Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) and added private lender HDFC Bank Ltd as a D-SIB. Now, HDFC has joined State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI bank, that are tagged as D-SIBs or too-big-to-fail for consecutive 3rd year.
18. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated that it uses sophisticated Currency Verification & Processing (CVPS) Machines for checking numerical accuracy and genuineness of currency notes including Specified Bank Notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 instead of counting machines.
19. Reserve Bank of India will introduce 100 rupees coin to mark 100th birth anniversary of AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran, weighing 35 grams.
20. SBI (State Bank of India) launched its new Management Institute in Kolkata (overall 6th) named as State Bank Institute of Management (SBIM).
21. SBI Life Insurance received approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India for an IPO (Initial Public Offering) of up to Rs 8,400 crore ($1.3 billion). SBI owns 70.1 % of SBI Life Insurance and BNP Paribas Cardif holds 26 % stake.
    • SEBI also allowed ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company to launch its approx INR 6,000 crores initial public offer (IPO).
22. SEBI allowed Real Estate Investment Trusts (Reits) and Infrastructure Investments Trusts (InvITs) to raise capital by issuing debt securities. REITs now require to have 50% stake in holding company, marginally less from earlier limit of 51%. REITs have been allowed to lend to an underlying holding company or a special purpose vehicle (SPV).
23. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed Rs 2,423 crore fine on PACL Ltd, as highest ever Sebi penalty on a defaulter for illegal fund mobilisation through various schemes.
24. Singapore Based DBS Bank received RBI approval to convert its existing India franchise to a locally incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary (WOS) in India.
25. State Bank of India (SBI) launched FTSE SBI Bond Index series in partnership with global index provider FTSE 100, which will give tools to investors from India, the UK and globally to analyse India’s government bond market, and drive growth in market.
26. State Bank of India (SBI) launched its first ever chatbot called SBI Intelligent Assistant or SIA, which would be powered by AI and will assist customers. It has been developed by Artificial intelligence banking platform Payjo.
27. State Bank of India lowered Minimum Average Monthly Balance (MAB) requirement in a savings account to Rs 3,000 from Rs 5,000 and also revised downwards penalties for not maintaining such balance.
28. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) ruled that banks without Aadhaar enrolment centres in 10 % of branches will pay Rs.20,000 fine for per uncovered branch from October 2017.
29. United Bank of India removed 100% processing fee for retail home loans, car loans and two-wheeler loans.

 

 

2. GOVERNMENT

 

June

1. European Union released final tranche of Euro 25 million of its euro 80 million grant to the Indian government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).
2. Finance Ministry asked all ministries tasked with clearing foreign direct investment proposals in the 12 sectors that require government’s nod to take a decision on such proposals within 60 days. It is being done to speed up the FDI Process.
3. GST Council constituted 18 Sectoral Groups representing various sectors of economy to ensure smooth implementation of GST by timely responding to the issues and problems of the respective Sector. GST Council also reduced the GST Rates of 66 items.
4. GST Council decided to set up a five-member anti-profiteering authority to decide on levying the penalty if businesses do not pass on the benefit of price reduction to consumers under GST regime.
5. Government approved Initial Public Offer of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited, for issuing 139000000 fresh equity shares of Rs.10 each to the public.
6. Government has cut interest rates on farmers' loans by 5 % (earlier 9% to now 4%), on loan up to Rs 3 lakh. Farmers who do not pay interest in time, will have to pay interest at rate of 7 %.
7. Government has made Aadhaar card mandatory for government subsidy on purchase of kerosene and benefits of Atal Pension Yojana.
8. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) introduced “APY@eNPS” as a digital enrolment processfor Atal Pension Yojana (APY).

 

 

July

 

 

1. Aiming to eliminate all subsidies by March 2018, Government ordered oil companies to raise subsidised cooking gas, LPG prices by 4 rupees per cylinder every month.
2. Consumer Affairs Ministry amended Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 (PCR), To benefit consumers and protect them from paying different prices at different locations. Rules will be known as Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules 2017.

• In accordance with new rules to come into effect from 1 January 2018, price of packed goods would no longer depend on where the product is purchased - A mall / five-star hotel / airport or a local Kirana store.
• Retail sale price of any packed product will be Maximum Retail Price (MRP) inclusive of all taxes, with provision to round off price to nearest rupee or 50 paise.
• New legal provision will make sure that no person is able to declare different MRPs on an identical pre-packed commodity, curbing possibility of any vendor charging differential prices for same product.
• e-commerce marketplaces will ensure that declarations (except month and year of manufacturing) shall be displayed on digital and electronic network used for e-commerce transactions. It include companies like Grofers and BigBasket, who stock the inventory. Other e-Commerce entities like Amazon and Flipkart who do not own an inventory, responsibility of correctness of declarations will be of manufacturer / seller / dealer / importer.

3. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released National Trade Facilitation Action Plan that gives a time bound map for implementing WTO-Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and also includes India’s initiatives for trade facilitation and ease of doing business which goes beyond TFA.
4. Goods and Services Tax (GST) Came into Effect, bringing in One Nation, One Indirect Tax.

1. GST simplifed Indirect Taxes by abolishing set of Different Indirect Taxes at State and Central Level. Tax Slabs are - 0 %, 5%, 12 %, 18% AND 28%.

5. Government Launched “Aaykar Setu” as a new tax payer service module, To enhance mobile access experience for Taxpayers.
   1. It is aimed at reducing physical interface between assesses and tax assessing authorities and thereby minimizing chances of any tax harassment.
   2. The module compiles various tax tools, live chat, dynamic updates, and important links to various processes within Income Tax Department in a single module.
6. Government Stated that Gifts up to a value of Rs 50,000 per year by an employer to his employee are outside ambit of GST. Gifts of value over INR 50000 made without consideration are subject to GST.
7. Government approved Labour Code on Wages Bill which will ensure a minimum wage across all sectors by integrating existing labour related laws. The Labour Code on Wages Bill consolidates the Minimum Wages Act 1948, Payment of Bonus Act 1965, Payment of Wages Act 1936 and Equal Remuneration Act 1976.
8. Government approved selling government’s entire 51.11% stake in Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd to Oil and Natural Gas Corp.
   1. Government is 51% owner of HPCL and 68% owner of ONGC. HPCL's addition will make ONGC third-largest refiner in country after IOC and Reliance Industries.
9. Government exempted import of aircraft, aircraft engines and its parts via leasing route from the purview of Goods and Services Tax (GST), providing relief to aviation industry as it was facing dual levy of 5 % at import and another 5 % at the time of payment of lease rent.
10. Government has set up Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management (DGARM) as a new wing to provide intelligence inputs taking action against tax evaders. It has been has been set up will be under the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). DGARM was set up on 1 July 2017, coinciding with rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
11. Government imposed 10% basic customs duty (BCD) on Cellular mobile phones and specified parts of cellular mobile phones like charger, battery, wire headset, Microphone and Receiver, Key Pad, USB Cable etc.
12. Government launched GST Rates Finder appn to verify accurate tax rate on commodity and services under Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
13. Government saved around INR 57,000 crore in 2016-17 through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme under which subsidies are given directly to beneficiaries.
    1. In 2017-18, beneficiary base rose from 10.71 crore in 2013-14 to 35.62 crore. Total of 485 schemes have been identified for DBT.
    2. LPG subsidy scheme ‘Pahal’ alone accounted for Rs 29,769 crore savings, followed by 14,000 crores savings in Public Distribution System (PDS).

14. Home Ministry will examine Structure and Operations of Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN) before giving it security clearance.
    3. GSTN is IT backbone of Goods and Service Tax (GST). It is a not for profit and private limited company incorporated in 2013.
    4. Government holds 24.5% equity in GSTN. It has been set up primarily to provide IT infrastructure and services to the Central and State Governments, tax payers and other stakeholders for implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
15. Lok Sabha passed Companies (Amendment) Bill 2016 to amend Companies Act 2013, to strengthen corporate governance standards, initiate strict action against defaulting companies and help improve the ease of doing business in India. Threshold for easy compliance scheme has been raised to Rs 100 crore from Rs 20 crore, making more companies eligible for simple compliance regime.
16. Ministry of Power announced that approx 97% of outstanding debt of all state power distribution companies (approx 3.95 lakh crores) has been covered under the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY).
    1. As of now, 26 states and 1 UT which have joined UDAY scheme, accounting for total outstanding debt of Rs. 3.82 lakh crores.

 

 

 

August

 

1. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) launched bespoke mobile wallet to enable its existing 10 crore customers to make Bill payments, developed by Mobikwik on behalf of BSNL.
2. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Scheme of providing Budgetary Support under Goods and Service Tax (GST) Regime for eligible industrial units in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and North Eastern States including Sikkim.
   • Budgetary support of INR 27,413 crore for said Scheme has been approved for period from 1-7-2017 till 31-03-2027 for industrial units located in aforesaid States which availed benefit of Central Excise exemption prior to GST implementation.
3. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved revision in the procedure and mechanism for strategic disinvestment, recommended by Department of Investment and public Asset Management (DIPAM). It will enable completion of strategic disinvestment transactions.
   • Setting up an Alternative Mechanism (AM) to decide on matters relating to terms of sale from stage of inviting of Express of Interests (Eols) till inviting of financial bid.
   • Enabling Core Group of Secretaries (CGD) to take policy decisions with regard to procedural issues and consider deviations for effective implementation of decisions of CCEA.
4. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved closing of loss making Central PSU Bharat Wagon and Engineering Company Limited (BWEL), under Ministry of Railways.
5. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved renaming Central Sector Scheme - SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
   • SAMPADA was approved in May 2017, to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease Agri-Waste.
   • PMKSY with an allocation of Rs. 6,000 crore is expected to handle 334 lakh MT agro-produce valuing over 1 Lakh Crores INR, benefit 20 lakh farmers and generate over 5 lakh employment by 2020.
6. Cabinet approved proposal of Finance Ministry to amend Schedule of Section 8 of GST (Compensation to a State) Act 2017, allowing GST Council to hike maximum rate of compensation cess levied from current cap of 15% to 20%.
   • Final decision to increase compensation cess will be taken by GST Council. Hike in rate of compensation cess will be levied on SUVs, mid-sized, large and luxury cars.
7. Defence Ministry approved delegation of administrative and financial powers to Border Roads Organisation (BRO), to improve functioning of BRO and speed project works.
8. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) (Commerce and Industry Ministry) will release a new industrial policy by October 2017, to replace National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) released in 2011.
   1. It will review existing foreign direct investment (FDI) policy regime to facilitate greater technology transfer. Policy will aim to attract $100 billion of FDI in a year, up from $60 billion in 2016-17.
   2. DIPP has adopted consultative approach for formulating industrial policy by setting up six thematic focus groups - Manufacturing and MSME, Technology and Innovation, Infrastructure, Investment, Trade and Fiscal Policy, Ease of Doing Business and Skills and Employability for Future.
9. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented 2nd volume of Economic Survey 2016-17 on last day of monsoon session of Parliament. It has been authored by Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian and his team. Key Highlights are -

1. Transparency of Rules Act (TORA) has been proposed, to help citizens overcome an opaque mesh of complicated rules that often leads to corruption and endless litigation.
   1. TORA is needed as At present due to opaque mesh of regulations prevalent in India make life of ordinary citizens (as well as businesses) difficult as it is not easy for ordinary citizens for them to navigate the multitude of rules, regulations, forms, taxes and procedures imposed by various tiers of government.
2. Fiscal Developments -
   1. Fiscal Deficit -
      1. Kept Under 3.5 % of GDP in 2016-17 and expected to decline to 3.2 % of GDP in 2017-2018. Fiscal deficit target of 3 % of GDP under FRBM framework is projected to be achieved in 2018-19.
   2. Reforms undertaken in Budget 2017-18 are Integration of Railway Budget with Union Budget, advancing of date of the Budget to February 1, elimination of the classification of expenditure into ‘plan’ and ‘non-plan’ etc. Introduction of Goods and Services Tax from July 01, 2017 has been most highlighted reform among all.
3. Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Energy -
   1. India ratified Paris Agreement on 2nd October 2016. India’s actions for the post-2020 period are based on its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). NDC targets to lower the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 - 35 % by 2030 from 2005 levels, to increase share of non-fossil based power generation capacity to 40 % of installed electric power capacity(cumulative) by 2030, and to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 Gt CO2e through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
   2. India has ambitious targets of increasing renewable energy capacity to 175 GW by 2022. This includes 100 GW of solar, 60 GW of wind, 10 GW of biomass, and 5 GW of small hydro power capacity.
   3. A number of initiatives have been taken in the Indian financial sector also. In the renewable energy segment, bank loans of up to Rs.15 crore for solar-based power generators, biomass-based power generators, wind mills, micro-hydel plants, etc. will be considered part of Priority Sector Lending. External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) norms have been further liberalized so that green projects can tap this window for raising finance across the borders.
4. External Sector
   1. India’s balance of payments improved in 2016-17, as a result of low and falling trade and current account deficits and moderate and rising capital inflows, resulting in further accretion of foreign exchange reserves.
   2. India’s exports increased 12.3 % in 2016-17 and a marginal decline in imports by 1.0 % resulted in narrowing down of trade deficit to US$ 112.4 billion (5 % of GDP) in 2016-17 as compared to US$ 130.1 billion (6.2 % of GDP) in 2015-16.
   3. Current account deficit (CAD) narrowed down to 0.7 % of GDP in 2016-17 from 1.1 % of GDP in 2015-16
   4. Net capital inflows were slightly lower at US$ 36.8 billion (1.6 % of GDP) in 2016-17 as compared to US$ 40.1 billion (1.9 % of GDP) in the previous year, mainly due to fall in NRI deposits.
   5. Gross FDI inflows to India increased to US$ 60.2 billion in 2016-17 from US$ 55.6 billion in 2015-16. FDI equity inflow of 43.4 Billion USD in Financial Year 2016-17, which is highest ever FDI Equity inflows.
   6. Mauritius, Singapore and Japan have been top three source countries of FDI inflows to India contributing 36.2%, 20% and 10.8%, respectively, during 2016-17, according to survey.
   7. Among major economies running current account deficit, India is second largest foreign exchange reserve holder after Brazil with reserves at US$ 386.4 billion as on 7th July, 2017.
   8. India’s aggregate external debt stock at end-March 2017 stood at US$ 471.9 billion registering a decline of US$ 13.1 billion (2.7 %) over end-March 2016. Ratio of external debt to GDP fell to 20.2 % from 23.5 %.
5. Agriculture and Food Management - Several multi-dimensional Agricultural and Food Management Reforms Measures have been suggested -
   1. Challenges Include -
      1. Small Operational Land Holdings - Average farm size in India is small and declining since 1970-71.
      2. Credit - Predominance of informal sources of credit for farmers is a concern. Moreover, there is regional disparity in the distribution of agricultural credit.
      3. Problems like Post - harvest losses, availability of quality planting material and lack of market access for horticultural produce of small farmers.
   2. Reforms suggested -
      1. Price risks in agriculture and allied sectors - Strengthening and building marketing infrastructure along the entire value chain.
      2. Production risks - Share of irrigated area should be expanded by increasing the coverage of water saving irrigation systems like micro irrigation systems.
      3. To Increase productivity of crops, Standards should be set and enforced for better quality, pest and disease resistant seeds.
      4. Trade and domestic policy changes should be announced well before sowing and should stay till arrivals and procurement is over.
      5. Enhance women’s involvement in the dairy projects.
      6. Formal and institutional credit should be provided in timely and affordable manner to small and marginal farmers.
6. Industry and Infrastructure -
   1. Industrial performance moderated from 8.8 % during 2015-16 to 5.6 % in 2016-17. Industrial growth as per Index of Industrial Production (IIP) new series of 2011-12 shows overall IIP growth at 5 % in 2016-17 as compared to 3.4 % last year. Index of Eight Core Industries growth during 2016-17 was 4.8 % as compared to 3.0 % in 2015-16.
   2. Steps taken by government have borne fruit since imports of Steel by India have declined by 36.2 % while exports have risen by 102 % in 2016-17. It has been helped by imposition of Minimum Import Price (MIP) to counter dumping of Steel into Indian markets.
   3. Apparel sector is a highly employment intensive industry especially for women. Government in June 2016 approved Rs.6,000 crore special package for textile & apparel sector.
   4. Indian Railways registered freight earnings at Rs.104339 crore (P), registering negative growth of 4.5 % over 2015-16 due to carrying larger volume of low fare freight in 2016-17. Passenger earnings were Rs.46280 crore (P) registered an increase of 4.5 % during 2016-17.
   5. Government launched the UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) for financial turnaround of power distribution companies in November 2015. 26 states and 1 UT which have joined UDAY scheme account for outstanding debt of Rs. 3.82 lakh Cr. So far, 15 states have issued UDAY bonds totaling Rs.2.09 lakh Cr. and DISCOMs have issued Bonds worth Rs. 0.23 lakh Cr.
   6. After introduction of UDAY, National average (all UDAY states) of AT&C loss has come down to 20.2 % in FY 2017 from 21.1 % in FY 2016.
   7. Under Smart Cities Mission, 57 projects worth Rs.941 crore have already been completed as of April 2017. An estimated additional 462 projects worth Rs.15307 crore are likely to be completed through 2018.

10. GST Council recommended increasing maximum ceiling of cess leviable on motor vehicles falling under headings 8702 and 8703 including SUVs, to 25% instead of present 15%. Such vehicles Include mid-segment, large cars, SUVs and motor vehicles which can carry 10 - 13 Persons.
11. Goods and services tax (GST) collections exceeded revenue target for first month (July 2017) with INR 92,283 crores collections. Different Components (Approx) CGST - 15000 Crores, SGST - 23000 Crores, IGST - 47000 Crores, Cess - 7000 Crores.
12. Government approved 100% disinvestment through strategic sale of Central Electronics Limited (CEL), with net worth approx 50 crores.
13. Government banned exports of gold jewellery, medallions and other articles above 22- carat purity in a bid to check round tripping of Gold.
14. Government disinvested 6.83% of its stake in Hindustan Copper Limited through Offer for Sale (OFS), raising approx 400 crores.
15. Government formulated National Trade Facilitation Action Plan (2017-20) as a detailed action plan with timelines for smooth implementation of WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Implementation of the plan has been divided into short term (0-6 months), medium term (6-18 months) and long term (18-36 months).
16. Government imposed anti-dumping duty on 93 Chinese products to protect profitability of domestic industry from import of cheap Chinese goods. Also, 40 cases concerning imports from China initiated by Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD).
17. Government launched a new Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) named BHARAT 22, consisting 22 stocks of CPSE's, PSB's & strategic holding of SUUTI.

1. It is more diverse as Compared to energy heavy CPSE ETF, and has a Diversified portfolio with 6 sectors (Basic Materials, Energy, Finance, FMCG, Industrials & Utilities).
2. Bharat 22 Index will be rebalanced annually. ICICI Prudential AMC will be the ETF Manager and Asia Index Private Limited (JV BSE and S& P Global) will be the Index Provider.

18. Ministry of Commerce and Industry will shut down over 100-year-old Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), government's procurement arm. Now public procurement of goods and services will be managed by Government’s e-market platform (GeM).
19. Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) and Mahindra Agri Solutions signed MoU to provide agriculture related price information, through their recently launched mobile application MyAgriGuru.
20. NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) signed loan agreement for Rs. 3,000 crore with ICICI Bank for partially funding its capital expenditure, with tenure of 15 years.

 

September

 

1. Finance Ministry imposed 18.95% countervailing duty (CVD) on certain Chinese flat steel products for 5 years to protect domestic players from cheap subsidised imports.
2. Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) wlll become 8th Maharatna company, upgrading from its Navratna status.

• Maharatna category for CPSEs was introduced in 2009, to empower them to expand their operations globally.
• At present, there are 7 Maharatna companies — Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL), Coal India (CIL), GAIL (India), Indian Oil Corporation, NTPC, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Steel Authority of India (SAIL).
• Criteria for grant of Maharatna status Include annual turnover of Over INR 25000 crores, annual net worth of Over 15000 crores and annual net profit after tax of Over 5000 crores, during last 3 years.

3. Finance Ministry will launch Project Insight in October 2017 to monitor high value transactions and detect tax evaders using technology, in partnershop with IT Major Infotech. Linking of Aadhaar and PAN will be key mechanism in this project.
4. GST Network (GSTN) reopened registration for composition scheme for small taxpayers with turnover of up to Rs.75 lakh, that offers easy compliance for business as returns are to be filed only quarterly (not monthly).
5. Government approved releasing additional 1 % Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from 1 July 2017. It will benefit about 49.26 lakh Central Government employees and 61.17 lakh pensioners.
6. Government extended deadline for obtaining Aadhaar to avail benefits of government schemes and subsidies by three months to 31 December 2017. Extension would cover 135 Government schemes.
7. India signed a loan deal worth $76 million with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to upgrade environment management plan at Alang-Sosiya ship recycling yards in Gujarat.
8. Law ministry approved Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2017 to empower government to confiscate property of economic offenders and defaulters who flee India.

• A fugitive economic offender is any individual against whom warrant for arrest in relation to economic offence has been issued and person has left India to avoid criminal prosecution.

9. Ministry of Commerce and Industries has set up Contact@DGFT online service for effective resolution of foreign trade-related issues of importers and exporters. It will enable traders to raise all trade related matters to Directorate or other agencies of Centre and States.
10. Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signed MoU for automatic and regular exchange of tax information, to curb menace of shell companies, money laundering and black money.
11. Ministry of Development of Northeast invited start-ups from across country to avail benefits of Northeast Venture Fund. NVF is first dedicated venture capital fund for North-Eastern region, set up by North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFI) to encourage entrepreneurship in North-eastern region.
12. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MHUA) ordered review of Floor Space Index (FSI) and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) norms in mega cities.
    • FSI is ratio of building’s total floor area to size of piece of land on which it is built. It will be taken up in all 53 cities with population above 1 million.
13. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has cut mobile termination charges (MTC) by 57% to 6 paise per minute (currently 14 paise per minute) with effect from October 1, 2017. MTC would be completely cut by January 1, 2020.

• MTC is paid by operator whose subscriber makes a call to the operator whose subscriber receives the call.
• This will lead to reduction in call rates and will benefit subscribers further.
• This decision has originated from a dispute between Reliance Jio and other top telecom operators.

 

7. INTERNATIONAL

June

1. A new wave of cyber-attacks with Name Petya Ransomware has infected computer servers across world.
   • In India, This ransomware crippled operations at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, operated by AP Moller-Maersk.
   • Petya ransomware is a ransomware, similar to Wannacry ransomware. The attack is believed to have originated against an update used on a third-party Ukrainian software called MeDoc. This explains why Ukraine is the worst affected
2. According to Fitch group's Firm BMI Research - India is among top 5 consumer markets in Asia offering retailers the strongest consumer spending growth of an average of 6.1% over next 5 years. Other four - China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia. Fitch also estimated that India’s GDP growth will rise from 7.4% to 7.5% in 2018-19 and to 7.6% in 2019-20.
3. As per One Family at a Time study conducted by UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) -

• 20 Crore million migrants across world sent over USD 445 million in 2016 as remittances to their families.
• Top Remittance Receivers - India (USD 62.7 billion), China (USD 61 billion), Philippines (USD 30 billion) and Pakistan (USD 20 billion).
• Top Remittance Sending Countries - US, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

4. As per United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 6.56 crore people are either refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced across globe by end of 2016.
5. Australia will launch online facility for filing visa applications by Indians from 1 July, 2017.
6. Automotive Manufacturer Toyota has been developing a new system that would be able to predict if a car driver is about to have a heart attack.
7. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) signed agreement with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (KHI) of Japan for manufacturing of stainless steel coaches for metro trains.
8. Bi-annual Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey of US-based CBRE -
   • India - Delhi's Connaught Place is India's First and Globally ninth most expensive office market with occupancy cost of $153.89 per square feet.
   • Hong Kong (Central) is world’s highest-priced office market with occupancy cost of $302.51 per sq ft per annum.
9. BrandZ top 100 Report 2017 -
   • Google named as most valuable brand US with Brand Value of $235 Billion, Followed by Apple and Microsoft.
10. Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping established a 1 million USD fund for boosting media cooperation, During BRICS Media Forum held in Beijing (China).
11. British PM Theresa May won confidence vote in parliament, winning her first major test as PM of a minority government in UK. She is now finally confirmed as British Prime Minister.
12. China and Asia Development Bank (ADB) launched a green financing platform to cut pollution in the smog-hit Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
13. China is constructing world’s first “Forest City “ in Liuzhou, to be situated at 175 hectare land along Liujiang River. It is planned to be completed in 2020.
14. China launched a research project aimed at compiling historical data obtained during earlier expeditions conducted by its teams to disputed South China Sea since late 1950s.
    • South China Sea is part of Pacific Ocean spreading an area of some 35 lakh square km with eight littoral countries - China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Vietnam.
    • It is located in international shipping route that sees passage of world’s half merchant ships and is rich in energy reserves including petroleum, mineral and fishing resources.
    • The Dispute is around the fact that China has been aggressively claiming entire South China Sea as its own.
15. China launched its first X-ray Space Telescope named 'Insight' to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts. This 2.5-tonne telescope will allow Chinese scientists to observe magnetic fields and the interiors of pulsars and better understand the evolution of black holes.
16. China launched its first X-ray space telescope - Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts. It weighs 2.5 tonne and was sent to space using China’s Long March-4B rocket.
17. China launched its first self-developed 'next-generation' bullet train 'Fuxing' with maximum speed of 400kmh.
18. China launched its most powerful naval destroyer - Type 055, as one among largest warships in world.
    • Type055 vessels will weigh more than 12,000 tonnes when fully armed, more than 8200 Tonnes Project- 15B Visakhapatnam class destroyer of Indian Navy which is yet to be commissioned.
19. China launched world’s largest floating solar farm in Anhui province. This 40-megawatt power plant has 160,000 panels resting on a lake that emerged after the collapse of a coal mine in central Anhui province.
20. China unveiled world’s first train that are battery powered and runs on a virtual track making use of sensor technology instead of metal rails.
    • This train can reach top speed of 70 kmph. The train which is only about 32 metres long can carry up to 307 passengers.
    • It has sensors that are capable of detecting thedimensions of the road permitting it to follow the routes without the need for metal rails. This new technology has been copyrighted by Chinese rail corporation.
21. China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved membership of Argentina, Madagascar, and Tonga at its second annual meeting of Governors held in South Korea. It was attended by Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on India's Behalf.
22. Chinese archaeologists discovered Fugan Temple, which had been lost for over 1000 years in China's south-western Sichuan province.
23. Chinese scientists have developed world’s most powerful submarine detector which could find hidden metallic objects, including minerals and submarines - superconductive magnetic anomaly detection array.
24. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley visited Russia for 17th India-Russia intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation meet and 1st India-Russia Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation.
25. Denmark Government repealed a 334-year-old blasphemy law that forbids public insults of a religion. Denmark was only Scandinavian country with a blasphemy law that provisioned 4 months imprisonment for such acts.
26. Department of Science and Technology launched VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research) Faculty scheme that enables NRIs and overseas scientific community to participate and contribute to research and development in India.
    • It was announced during 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in January 2017.
    • Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology will implement it.
    • Foreign researchers abroad of Indian origin or otherwise can collaborate with faculties in public funded Indian institutionsThey would be given USD 15,000 in the first month of residency and USD 10,000 for remaining months.
27. EU and France will give 3.5 million euros to 3 Indian cities- Nagpur, Kochi and Ahmedabad as part of EU’s commitment under Paris Climate agreement to curb emissions and promote sustainability in 100 cities globally under Moblise Your City initiative of French and German governments.
28. Environmental Impact Survey 2017 released by MoneySuperMarket (UK-based financial services firm). This list ranks countries in terms of the human impact on environment per person.
    • India has been ranked 75th out of 102 countries. USA has been placed second last as its per capita carbon dioxide emissions are 17 tonnes and USA generates 2.58 kgs of municipal solid waste per person, energy consumption is 312.79 BTU per capita and its reliance on renewable sources are even lower than India at 12.56%.
    • Top 5 - Mozambique (1st), Ethiopia (2nd), Zambia (3rd), Latvia (4th), Kenya (5th).
    • Bottom 5 - Trinidad and Tobago (102nd), USA (101st), Sri Lanka (100th), Ireland (99th), Canada (98th).
29. Estonia and Luxembourg signed agreement on housing data and information systems between two countries. It will create world’s first data embassy that will serve in field of transnational digital cooperation both in Europe and throughout the world.
30. European Nation Germany’s parliament legalised same-sex marriage.
31. European Union has fined Google a record 2.42 billion euros for breaching anti-trust rules by illegally favouring its shopping service.
    • Google has reportedly abused its market dominance by offering an illegal advantage to its another comparison shopping service. This fine exceeds 1.06-billion-euros slapped on Intel in 2009.
    • EU has asked Google to stop its anti-competitive practice in 90 days or be prepared to pay 5% of Alphabet’s average daily worldwide turnover.
32. Forbes list of world’s highest-paid celebs 2017-
    • Indians - Shah Rukh Khan ranked 65th ($38 million), Salman Khan ranked 71st ($37 million) and Akshay Kumar ranked 80th ($35.5 million).
    • Top 3 - Sean Combs ($130 Million), Beyoncé Knowles ($105 Million), J.K. Rowling ($95 Million).
33. Fortune magazine’s annual list of America’s top 500 companies 2017 -
    • Walmart topped the list for fifth year in a row.
    • Elon Musk led electric car startup Tesla debuted on List for first time (ranked 383rd).
    • Combined revenue of all companies in list stayed $12.1 trillion, which is 65% of USA GDP. This year’s entry threshold was at least $5.1 billion in annual revenue.
34. France and Britain announced an anti-terror action plan to crack down on radicalisation through social media.
35. Government approved MOU with USA for co-operation in Homeland Security.
36. Government approved MoU between Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) and Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) for export credit of USD 9 billion for infrastructural development in India and for supply of goods and services as part of projects in third countries.
    • South Korea also signed agreement for $1 billion in Official development assistance (ODA). With this, South Korea became first non-G-7 countries to become an ODA contributor in India.
37. Government approved MoU with Israel on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India.
38. Government approved amending bilateral Social Security Agreement (SSA) with Netherlands, by incorporating 'Country of Residence' Principle into SSA.
39. Home Ministry stated that Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians traveling to Nepal and Bhutan.
    • Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan for which they don't need visas, provided that they possess a valid national passport or election ID card of India.
40. India and Russia celebrated 10 years of establishment of science and technology co-operation. Note that 2017 marks as 70th year of establishment of Diplomatic ties between India and Russia.
41. India became 71st nation to join United Nations TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) Convention. UN confirmed that TIR Convention will enter into force in India in 6 months.
    • Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets 1975 (TIR Convention) is an international customs transit system under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) with widest geographical coverage.
    • TIR facilitates movement of goods under customs control across international borders without the payment of the duties and taxes.
    • Accession to TIR will help India in -
      • Implementing World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement which it has already entered into this year. It is very important for India, keeping in view China’s ambitious ‘One Belt One Road’ (OBOR) project.
      • On eastern front, It will help India in integrating with Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal . On western front, it will help in transporting cargo along the International North-South Transport Corridor via Chabahar port in Iran.
      • It will also give access to landlocked Afghanistan and the energy-rich Eurasian region.
42. India made voluntary contribution of USD 100000 to United Nations Trust Fund for International Cooperation in Tax Matters (UN Tax Fund).
43. India moved to World Trade Organisation (WTO) against USA as it has not yet complied with rulings of WTO pertaining to imposition of high import duty on certain Indian steel products.
    • In December 2014, WTO pronounced a ruling against USA which imposed high import duty on certain Indian steel products.
44. India signed agreement with Sri Lanka to provide USD 318 million as line of credit for developing Sri Lanka’s railway sector.
45. India won its re-election to the UN’s principal organ on economic, social and environmental issues for another three-year term. India was one among the 18 nations to win election to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
    • India obtained Large Number of votes (183 Total). Pakistan also went for re-election but received a huge set back as it received only 1Vote.
46. India's CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) signed agreement with Ethiopia's Metal Industries Development Institute (MIDI) to implement a twinning programme, aimed at MIDI's capacity augmentation.
47. Indian Government awarded a Rs 1600 crores contract for constructing 109 km road connecting Paletwa river terminal to Zorinpui in Mizoram border as a part of the $484-million Kaladan multi-modal transport (KMTT) projects in Myanmar which will offer connectivity to Mizoram.
48. International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tech Firm Intel announced long-term technology partnership (upto 2024) under The Olympic Partner (TOP) worldwide sponsorship programme.
49. Japan launched Michibiki - 2 satellite to help build a high-precision geolocation system that will complement the US-operated GPS, onboard A 'H-IIA' rocket. Satellite system is capable of covering Asia-Oceania region.
50. MOUs Approved -
    1. With Netherlands for Cooperation in field of water resources management.
    2. With Portugal for Cooperation in Public Administration and Governance Reforms.
    3. With Portugal for Cooperation in for Cooperation in - Textiles, clothing and fashion sectors.
    4. With Armenia for cooperation in peaceful use of outer space.
    5. With Sri Lanka for cooperation in Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy.
51. MOUs Signed -
    6. With Cyprus on Merchant Shipping.
    7. MOU Bertween Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Securities and Exchange Organization of Iran for matters pertaining to securities markets.
    8. MoU between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Direction Nationale De Industries of Mali on Standardization and Conformity Assessment.
    9. Agreement on Transfer of sentenced persons between Indi and Somalia.
    10. mou in Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) for Mutual Co-operation.
52. MOUs aproved -
    11. With Palestine on agriculture cooperation.
    12. With Armenia on cooperation on youth matters.
    13. With Bangladesh for cooperation in Information Technology and Electronics
    14. With Mauritius for cooperation between Parliaments of two countries.
53. Ministry of Food Processing Industries signed MOU to participate in ANUGA - an international business platform for Food Industry to be held in Cologne, Germany.
54. Ministry of Home Affairs constituted an expert committee to examine rules which allow free movement of people near Indo-Myanmar border.
    1. Indian and Myanmarese citizens are permitted free movement within 16 km of 1643 KM Long international border, but these rules are widely exploited by militants for smuggling arms, drugs, and fake Indian currency.
55. Mongolia's First university satellite named after Mongolian Gobi bear Mazaalai sent off into space from USA. It is overall second mongolian satellite after Mongol Sat-1.
56. Montenegro officially joined as 29th Member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
57. NASA completed preliminary design review (PDR) of its Quiet Supersonic Transport or QueSST aircraft design, as a significant milestone in its effort to make supersonic passenger jet travel over land a real possibility. QueSST is initial design stage of NASA’s planned Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) experimental airplane (known as an X-plane).
58. Nepal signed major deal with China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) for developing a 1,200 MW Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project, which will be the biggest hydro project in Nepal. Hydro project would be built under engineering, procurement, construction and finance (EPCF) model.
59. PM Narendra Modi Completed His Tri Nation Visitn to Portugal, USA and Netherlands -
    1. Portugal -
       1. 11 MOUs for cooperation in areas including double taxation avoidance, science and technology, trade and investment, nanotechnology, space research, administrative reforms and culture were signed.
       2. India and Portugal agreed to set up a joint Science and Technology fund of 4 million euros. MoUs for creation of an India Portugal Space Alliance for advancing collaborative research were also signed.
       3. Both Nations jointly launched India-Portugal International StartUp Hub (IPISH).
    2. USA -
       1. India and USA released a Joint Statement (JS) titled United States and India: Prosperity through Partnership. This visit aso marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and USA.
       2. PM Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump agreed to continue strengthening coordination for ensuring peace and Fighting Global Terrorism.
       3. US designated Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist.
    3. Netherlands -
       1. 3 MOUs on water management, cultural cooperation and on amending social security arrangement were signed.
60. PM Narendra Modi Visited France, as Last Leg of his Four Nations Visit - Germany, Spain, Russia and France. Highlights -
    4. Germany -India and Germany signed 12 agreements during visit of PM Narendra Modi to Germany. 12 agreements include 9 joint declarations of intent (JDIs) and 3 memoranda of understanding (MoU).
       1. JDI -
          1. Establishment of a Indo-German Centre for Sustainability.
          2. Cooperation in cyber policy
          3. Advanced training of corporate and junior executives from India
          4. Vocational education and skill development for machine tools.
          5. Collaboration between Foreign Service institutes of both countries.
          6. Cooperation in railway safety.
          7. Cooperation for sustainable urban development
       2. MOU -
          1. Collaboration for facilitation of training of Indian skill development officers and cluster managers.
          2. Cooperation in health sector and alternative medicine.
    5. Spain - PM Narendra Modi's Visited Spain. It was first visit by an Indian PM to Spain 30 years, since Rajiv Gandhi's visit in 1988. 7 MOUs Signed Between India and Spain -
       1. Agreement for Transfer of Sentence Persons.
       2. Cooperation in Organ Transplantation, Cyber Security, Renewable Energy, Technical Cooperation in Civil Aviation, Visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports and MoU between Foreign Service Institute and Diplomatic Academy of Spain.
    6. Russia - PM Narendra Modi Visited Russia. 18th Annual India Russia Summit held at St. Petersburg. MOUs signed are -
       1. Agreement for Cultural exchanges for 2017-2019.
       2. Agreement for the Construction of the third stage of the Kudankulam NPP (KK5 & KK6) along with Credit Protocol.
       3. Contract between Railways for implementation of high-speed service at Nagpur-Secunderabad section.
       4. MOU for Export of Precious Stones and Jewellery of India.
       5. Indian and Russia also completed 70 Years of Diplomatic Relations on this occasion. 2017 also marks as 10th Year of Partnership in Science and Technology between India and Russia.
61. Portugal handed over digital copies of 62 volumes of collection known as ‘Moncoes do Reino’ (Monsoon correspondence), under recent agreement signed Between India and Portugal for co-operation in field of Archives.
62. Russian military test-fired a submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile - Bulava. It can carry 6 nuclear warheads and has a range of up to 9,300 kilometers (about 5,770 miles).
63. Saudi Arabia signed MOU with India's EESL, to Implement Energy Efficiency Programmes.
64. Saudi Arabia will impose a family tax of 100 riyals (approx 1700 INR) per dependent per month on expatriates, from 1st July Onwards. It will pose a financial burden on over 41 lakh Indian families living in UAE.
65. Saudi Arabia’s king Salman appointed his son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince and heir to throne.
    • King replaced his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef as Throne's heir.
66. Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) has been named as the World Book Capital for 2019 by UNESCO, for quality of its literary and cultural activities and its efforts to make books accessible to entire population.
67. Sweden committed to become net-zero carbon emission emitter (greenhouse-gas emissions) by 2045.
68. Switzerland has ratified automatic exchange of financial account information with India and 40 other countries.
    • According to Swiss Federal Council, implementation of the exchange sharing agreement is planned for 2018 and first set of data will be exchanged in 2019.
69. To save struggling steel manufacturers in Europe, European Union imposed anti-dumping duties (up to 35.9 %) on steel products from China.
70. UN Security Council approved a resolution for reducing joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan’s Darfur region by 44 %.
71. UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre released first global scientific assessment of climate change impacts on World Heritage coral reefs. It stated that 29 World Heritage coral reefs across globe (including Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Papahānaumokuākea in USA, Lagoons of New Caledonia in France and Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles) will cease to exist by the end of this century.
72. USA President Donald Trump announced that USA will withdraw from historic 2015 Paris Accord for Climate Change, that was signed by 195 countries in 2015.
    • Trump stated Reasons that deal would adversely impact paper, cement, iron and steel, coal, and natural gas sectors of the American economy. It would inflict a loss of $3 trillion in GDP, loss of 6.5 million industrial jobs and $7,000 less in annual income for Americans.
    • USA is world’s second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases (14.3 %).
73. USA handed over hundreds of anti-terror weapons including machine guns, pistols and grenade launchers to Philippines, worth 150 Million USD. Note that Philippines has been Fighting terrorist organization ISIS, who have taken over city of Marawi in southern Philippines.
74. USA issued annual report on the global state of human trafficking and marked China among worst offenders of human trafficking, grouping it with Tier 3 offenders such as Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea. China has been downgraded to Tier 3 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) because it has not taken steps to end its own complicity in trafficking, including forced labours from North Korea that are located in China.
75. USA issued new criteria for visa applicants from six Muslim nations (Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen) that all refugees will require a close family or business tie to USA.
76. United Nations General Assembly Members elected Sweden, Bolivia, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan to UN Security Council for 2 years term.
    • Voting could not yield a clear winner among Italy and Netherlands, for 1 seat. They agreed on sharing 2 year term as one-year each.
77. United Nations General Assembly establishment of new United Nations office of counter-terrorism to help Member States implement UN’s global counter-terrorism strategy.
    • Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force Office (CTITF) and the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) currently under DPA (Department of Political Affairs) will be transferred to new office together with existing staff and associated budgetary resources.
78. World Bank approved 520 million dollars for Afghanistan to support a various projects to boost Its economy and support Afghan refugees sent back from Pakistan.
79. World Health Organization (WHO) revised protocol for antibiotics, to curb antibiotic resistance. It is biggest revision of antibiotics section in 40 - year history of the essential medicines list (EML). WHO has divided drugs into 3 categories - access, watch and reserve.
    • Commonly used antibiotics will be placed under the ‘access’ category.
    • Slightly potent Antibiotics will be placed under ‘watch‘ category.
    • Highly potent drugs which should be used only as a last resort will be placed under the ‘reserve’ category.
80. World's fastest elevator with speed of 1260 metres per minute will be installed in CTF Finance Center, a 530-meter, a skyscraper complex building in China.
81. World’s first ATM (automated teller machine) celebrates its 50th anniversary.
    • ATMs were invented by Scottish inventor Shepherd-Barron. First ATM was opened on June 27, 1967 by Barclays Bank in Enfield (England).
82. World’s largest festival of light, music and ideas - Vivid Sydney entered into Guinness World Book of Records for Largest interactive lighting display. Vivid Sydney installation Dreamscape has been made up of 124,128 lights.
83. World’s smallest and cheapest single engine private jet Vision Jet launched in USA -
    • It can carry 5 adults up to 1,150 miles at 28,000 feet.

 

July

 

1. UNESCO World Heritage Committee's 41st session held in Krakow (Poland) -
   1. During this session, 21 new sites have been included into UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The 5.5 km walled city area in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) has been declared India’s first World Heritage City by UNESCO. Historic Centre of Vienna (Vienna) is also included in List.
   2. Apart from this, UNESCO World Heritage Committee has amended list of world heritage sites in danger -
      1. West Bank city of Hebron has been included in list, triggereing a new Israeli-Palestinian spat at international level.
      2. Australia's Great Barrier Reef has been removed from List.
      3. Gelati Monastery of Georgia has been removed from List.
2. 21st India-Myanmar National Level Meeting held in Myanmar, attended by Indian Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
3. A global treaty that bans nuclear weapons was adopted at United Nations by 122 Nations, with Netherlands voting in against.

1. None of 9 countries that possess nuclear weapons - USA, Russia, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel took part in negotiations or vote. Nuclear states argue Nuke Weapons serve as a deterrent against a nuclear attack and say they remain committed to nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
2. Treaty will be open for signature to Nations at UN Headquarters in New York (USA) on September 19, 2017. It will enter into force 90 days after 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession has been deposited.

4. According to Country Report on Terrorism released by US State Department -
   • Countries that faced highest number of terrorist attacks in 2016 - Iraq (2,965 terrorist attacks), Afghanistan (1,340), India (927), Pakistan (734), Philippines (482), Nigeria (466).
5. According to OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026,
   • India will be world’s largest milk producer by 2026, with 49 % Increase from current Milk output.
   • World’s population will increase from 7.3 to 8.2 billion, with India’s population growing to 1.5 from 1.3 billion. India will overtake China as most populous country by 2026.
   • Global production of wheat will increase by 11% with registering largest Increase in Production - 15 million metric tonnes.
6. According to OECD-FAO's Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026 report, India is world’s third-biggest exporter of beef (Cattle Meat) after Brazil and Australia.
7. According to the Zurich-based SNB, money parked by Indians in Swiss banks has nearly halved to 676 Swiss francs (approx INR 4,500 crores) in 2016. Data release comes ahead of a new framework for the automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and India to check menace of black money.
8. African Nation Zimbabwe's Parliament amended the constitution to give President sweeping powers to appoint country's top judges without consulting any other institution.
9. American Aerospace Firm SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully delivered super-heavy commercial communications satellite Intelsat 35e.
   • With mass of 6,761kg, Intelsat 35e communications satellite is heaviest payload SpaceX has ever launched toward geostationary orbit, approx 36,000km above Earth’s surface.
10. American fashion luxury brand Michael Kors accquired British global luxury footwear and accessories brand Jimmy Choo for USD 1.2 billion.
11. An Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA) signed between Green Climate Fund (GCF) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in Delhi, making NABARD second entity from India (after SIDBI) to be accredited as Direct Access Entity (DAE) that will be able to access GCF resources to help safeguard livelihoods of millions of people against climate change impact.
    • Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a fund established under UNFCCC to assist developing countries in countering climate change. GCF is based in the new Incheon (South Korea) with Howard Bamsey as current Chief.
    • GCF acts as a centrepiece of efforts to raise Climate Finance under UNFCCC, and raise $100 billion a year by 2020.
    • So far, one project from India on “Installation of Ground Water Recharge System” in Odisha has recently been approved by the GCF for $34 million India has nominated 5 direct access entities for accreditation by GCF - NABARD, SIDBI, YES Bank, IDFC Bank and IL&FS Environmental Services.
12. An Indian Army team with T-90 tanks participated in Tank Biathlon 2017 in Russia.
13. As per Global Infrastructure Outlook by Global Infrastructure Hub (GIH), India will need investments around USD 4.5 trillion till 2040 to develop infrastructure for better economy and community wellbeing and will need additional USD 888 billion by 2030 to provide universal household access to electricity and water.
14. As per Latest Data by Zurich based SNB (Swiss National Bank) -
    • India is now ranked 88th place in terms of money parked by its citizens with Swiss banks. Indians' Money in Switzerland's banks is now only 0.04% of total funds kept by all foreign clients in Swiss banking system.
    • Top 2 - United Kingdom (CHF 359 billion (25%)), US (CHF 177 billion (14%).
    • BRICS - Russia 19th (CHF 15.6 billion), China 25th (9.6 billion), Brazil 52nd (2.7 billion) and South Africa 61st (2.2 billion).
    • Neighbours - Pakistan 71st place (CHF 1.4 billion), Bangladesh 89th (667.5 million), Nepal 150th (312 million), Sri Lanka 151st (307 million).
15. As per UK’s Department for International Trade, India is now 4th largest foreign investor into UK in 2016-17.
    • Top 4 foreign investor into UK in 2016-17 - US (577 new projects), China (160 new projects), France (131 new projects), India (127 new Projects).
    • Australia and New Zeland share the 4th spot with India.
16. As per research by Centre for International Development at Harvard University (CID) -
    • Economic pole of global growth has moved from China to India and it is likely to remain over India in coming decade. India’s exports base now includes more complex sectors such as chemicals, vehicles and certain electronics and India is also well-positioned to continue diversifying into new areas. Study also found decline in China’s exports and Its economic complexity.
17. Australia became 35th country to join International Solar Alliance (ISA) initiative jointly launched by India and France. ISA aims to support developing countries to boost their solar production capacity.
    • India through Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is contributing $1 million to ISA fund. ISA aims to mobilize over $ 1000 billion by 2030 towards promoting solar power on all fronts.
18. Australia sent its first uranium shipment to India for testing purposesahead of possible commercial sales. India and Australia signed an agreement for civil nuclear cooperation in 2014 to meet India’s growing energy needs.
19. Bilateral Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan came into force, aiming to strengthen bilateral trade relations between both countries.
20. British government launched Grand Trunk Road project to mark 70th anniversary of India’s Partition in August 1947, aimed at bringing British Asians of all faiths and backgrounds together.
21. Cabinet Approvals -
    • MoU with Palestine on cooperation in youth affairs and sports.
    • Joint Declaration with Germany on Indo German-Centre for Sustainability.
22. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved upgradation of 65 kms of Imphal-Moreh Section of NH-39 in Manipur, a vital link in providing road connectivity up to Thailand and Malaysia.
    • This project is being developed with Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) loan assistance under South Asian Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connectivity Investment Program. It aims at upgradation of road infrastructure in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India (BBIN) to improve regional connectivity.
23. China and Russia held their large-scale naval exercise Joint Sea 2017 in Baltic Sea.
24. China has set up its first overseas military base in Djibouti in Horn of Africa, as part of China’s rapid global military expansion.
25. China successfully produced natural gas from methane hydrate (also known as flammable ice) in South China Sea (SCS). A drilling platform produced a total of 309,000 cubic metres of natural gas from gas hydrate in 60 days.
26. Chinese Mobile Maker Xiaomi signed agreement for business collaboration and patent licencing with Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, to acquire key patent assets from Nokia.
27. Chinese spiritual practice Falun Gong celebrated in India, that combines meditation and qigong exercises with a moral philosophy.
28. European Nation Malta became 24th Overall and 15th European Union Member to allow same-sex marriages.
29. European Parliament approved Its first-ever cooperation deal between European Union and Cuba.
30. FIFA lifted ban on Sudan Football Association (SFA), making it eligible to benefit from FIFA development programs.
31. French Government approved controversial legislation to further strengthen France’s anti-terror laws in country.
32. German Autombile Maker BMW opened its new R&D centre in China, which is also its largest outside Germany.
33. Germany passed Network Enforcement Act law, under which social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube could face a hefty fine of 50 million if they fail to remove hate speech within 24 hours.
34. Government approved Joint Interpretative Notes (JIN) on Agreement between India and Bangladesh for Promotion and Protection of Investments. JIN approval will impart clarity to interpretation of existing agreements between India and Bangladesh for Promotion and Protection of Investments (BIPA).
35. Government approved Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in respect of tax matters between India and BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa).
36. In a major recognition of India’s efforts to benchmark global spices trade, the International food standards-setting body Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted three Codex standards for black, white and green pepper, cumin and thyme, paving way for universal agreement on identifying quality spices in various countries.
    1. The member-countries CAC met in Geneva for its 40th session. Codex standards for spices were adopted after India's efforts for the same. Spices have now been included for the first time as commodities with such universal standards.
37. India - China Current Military Standoff in Sikkim at Doko-La (called Donglong by Chinese) -
    2. Doko-La region lies at tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan. Tensions esclated when China started Building a strategic road in this region which is claimed by Bhutan as its territory. Both countries have deployed around 3,000 troops each in region.
    3. This area has huge strategic significance for both India and China as it is in close proximity of sensitive Chicken’s Neck (Siliguri Corridor), the extremely narrow stretch of land that connects north-eastern region to the rest of India.
38. India and Bangladesh signed pact to connect both countries by waterways, for better movement of passengers and goods.
39. India and Bangladesh will construct a bridge over Mizoram's Khawthlangtuipui river (also known as Karnaphuli river) to improve trade and communication.
40. India and European Union (EU) have established Investment Facilitation Mechanism (IFM) for EU Investments in India. It will help in identifying and solving problems faced by EU companies and investors with regard to their operations in India.
41. India and Pakistan will hold talks on 2 hydrpower projects - Kishenganga and Ratle, under 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at World Bank headquarters in Washington (USA). Water Resources Secretary Amarjit Singh will lead Indian delegation during talks.
42. India and Sri Lanka signed MoU to develop a village in Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka at cost of 30 crore Sri Lankan rupees. Village is in name of famous Buddhist monk Sobitha Thero.
    • India also recently launched a solar project to electrify a remote village in Egypt named Agaween.
43. India contributed USD 500,000 to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, expressing hope that more funding by nations will boost efforts by world body to build and sustain peace.
44. India contributed additional $1 million to India-UN Development Partnership Fund launched to support sustainable development projects across the developing world.
    • Earlier, India contributed $1 million when the fund was createdin on 9 June 2017 (on World Oceans Day 2017) as a partnership between India and United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
45. India for first time will import crude oil from USA, as agreed upon during recent visit of PM Narendra Modi to USA.
    • Indian Oil Corp bought 1.6 million barrels of US Mars crude (a heavy, high-sulphur grade) and 400,000 barrels of Western Canadian Select that will be delivered onboard a Very Large Crude Carrier.
46. India granted aid of USD 500000 to Philippines for rehabilitation and relief efforts in war-torn Marawi City and confronting ISIS. It is first time that India is sending financial aid to another country affected by terrorism.
47. India will soon join Global Foreign Exchange Committee (GFXC), a newly-constituted forum of central bankers and experts working towards promotion of a robust and transparent foreign exchange (Forex) market. It has been set up under guidance of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). GFXC was established in London during a meeting in May 2017.
48. India's first high-speed rail training center will be functional in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) by 2020. It is Being constructed over land measuring 4,400 metres at cost of approx INR 600 crores. It will enable testing of bullet trains that will run on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route by 2023.
49. India-Japan civil nuclear deal came into force, enabling Japan to export nuclear power plant technology as well as provide finance for nuclear power plants in India. It will also assist India in Other nuclear energy activities.
50. Indonesia banned Islamic organization Hizb-ut Tahrir under a contraversial presidential decree, to safeguard existence of Its pluralist state ideology Pancasila and 1945 Constitution.
    • Hizb ut-Tahrir has been banned as it compaigns for country to adopt Islamic law and become a caliphate0, that is against Indonesia’s unity.
51. Indonesia named waters in its exclusive economic zone that overlap with China’s expansive claim to South China Sea as North Natuna Sea. Part of the renamed area falls in China’s nine-dash line waters extending to south and east of China’s island province Hainan.
52. International body Financial Stability Board (FSB) has placed India in league of countries that are compliant or largely compliant on implementation of priority area reforms, in FSB reform report card to G20.
    • Report listed India as compliant with regard to Basel III reforms in risk-based capital and largely compliant on liquidity coverage ratio.
53. Iran and Iraq signed MoU to step up military cooperation and the fight against terrorism and extremism. It is valuable as Iraq has been badly affected by terrorism over past few years and Iran has been under international scanner due to is Nuclear weapons program.
54. Iran successfully launched its most advanced satellite-carrying rocket called ‘Simorgh’ into space, capable of carrying a satellite weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds).
55. Italy passed a bill making torture a crime under national law, making torture punishable by 4 - 10 years in prison and 12 years for members of security forces.
56. Lulu Exchange (a foreign exchange and remittance company set up Kerala based Businessman Yusuff Ali) has acquired Al Falah Exchange Company in UAE for INR 95 crores.
57. MOUs Signed -
    • With Palestine on cooperation in field of Health and Medicine, Information Technology and Electronics.
    • With Germany on cooperation in field of Health.
    • With Bangladesh for cyber security cooperation.
58. NASA launched Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket that created colourful artificial clouds visible in skies. Rocket during 8-minute flight had released 10 canisters about the size of a soft drink into space. Canisters deployed blue-green and red vapour that formed artificial clouds visible in the skies of USA.
59. NASA's Langley Research Centre (LRC) completed 100 years of its establishment. It has so far contributed exceptionally in the way astronauts fly, explore space and how they study Earth.
60. NATO military exercise in Eastern Europe held in Bulgaria with 25,000 military personnel from over 20 partner countries.
61. Neil Armstrong's bag containing approx 500 gm moon dust has been sold at an auction for USD 1.8 million in New york (USA), to an anonymous buyer.
62. Nepal SBI Bank, a subsidiary of State Bank of India launched its fully automatic digital banking services in Nepalese capital Kathmandu, called sbiINTOUCH. This is first time that State Bank of India has expanded paperless banking system outside India.
63. North Korea successfully test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-14 into Sea of Japan. It is North Korea’s most successful missile test since its ballistic missile programme gathered pace in 1990s.
    • To qualify as an ICBM, a missile must have a minimum range of 5,500km.
64. One of biggest icebergs ever recorded has broken away from Larsen C Ice Shelf of Antarctica that covers area of roughly 6000 square kilometres.
65. PM Narendra Modi Visited Israel -

1. It is First Visit of an Indian Head of State to Israel Since Indian Independence. This visit also marks 25 years of establishment of diplomatic relationship between India and Israel.
2. 7 Important MOUs Signed -
   1. To help grow business relationship between both countries, $40 million Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund (I4F) has been launched.
   2. Conservation of water in India
   3. State Water Utility Reform in India India-Israel Development Cooperation- 3-year work program in Agriculture (2018-2020)
   4. Cooperation in atomic clocks
   5. Cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link.
   6. Cooperation in electric propulsion for small satellites.

66. Pakistan test-fired short-range (70 KMs) surface-to-surface ballistic missile Nasr.
67. President of USA Donald Trump announced that US government will not allow transgender individuals to serve in USA Military.
68. Russia asked 755 US diplomats to leave after USA approved sanctions against Russia for allegedly meddling in 2016 US Presidential election and for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
69. Saudi Arabia approved physical education program at girl’s schools. Program will be complaint with stringent Islamic rules and will be implemented in 2017-2018 school year.
70. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) signed MoU with European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) for exchange of information concerning Central Counterparties (CCPs) under European Markets Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR).
71. South American Nation Bolivia’s President Eva Morales declared that his nation has achieved total independence from IMF and World Bank.
72. Sri Lanka signed a US $1.1 billion deal to sell a 70% stake of Hambantota port (A deep-water port in the southern tip of Sri Lanka) to China's China Merchants Port Holding Co. (CMPort) Under a 99-year lease agreement. CMPort will be only responsible for commercial operations, while SLPA will handle port’s operations, security and services.
73. Standard Chartered Bank launched a Multi-currency Forex Card for overseas travelers. The card will allow customers to load up to 20 widely used currencies on 1 card with an online reload facility during overseas travel.
74. Typhoon Haitang struck China’s eastern Fujian Province with continual rain blows on different parts of the region.
75. US Navy commissioned world’s largest aircraft carrier - USS Gerald R Ford.
    1. 1. USS Gerald R. Ford is named after 38th President of USA Gerald Ford and is built by Newport News Ship Building Company.
       2. This massive 1,106-foot-long carrier displaces 100,000 tons fully loaded and is powered by 2 new generation nuclear reactors.
76. USA Navy tested world’s first-ever active Laser Weapons System (LaWS), aborad USS Ponce amphibious transport ship. LaWS operates within an invisible part of electromagnetic spectrum and absolutely silent and incredibly effective.
77. USA and Australia jointly test-fired a hypersonic missile capable of moving at a speed 8 times faster than sound as part of a $54-million research project - Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation Program (HIFiRE).
78. USA imposed new economic sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile programme and for contributing to regional tensions. NOW, USA targeted 16 entities and individuals from Iran citing them as illicit Iranian actors or transnational criminal activity.
79. USA rolled out pre-approved expedited entry clearance for low-risk Indian travellers under its Global Entry programme (GEP).
    1. 3. India became 11th country whose citizens are now eligible to enroll in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initiative.
       4. Under this, International GEP member traveller can enter in US through automatic kiosks, rather than queueing up to clear immigration check by meeting an immigration officer at selected airports.
80. USA successfully tested Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in Alaska by launching a ballistic missile over Pacific Ocean, after North Korea conducted an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) test that could possibly hit USA.
81. USA urged other members of Nuclear Suppiers Group to support India’s membership bid to NSG that controls international nuclear trade.
82. United Nations selected Dubai (UAE) as data hub for Middle East North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region, due to city’s integrated initiatives to mine and manage its data.
83. United States House of Representatives passed an amendment to National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA), 2018, a $621.5 billion defence expenditure bill to advance defence cooperation with India.
84. Vietnam granted India's ONGC Videsh a 2 year extension to explore oil block 128 in South China Sea.
    1. 5. Part of the oil block 128 is in U-shaped ‘nine-dash line,’ which is claimed by China. This area is also route for over $5 trillion in trade every year and is also claimed by Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.
85. World Bank stated that India is emerging as a frontrunner in fight against climate change, replacing coal energy with solar power as a source of energy. World Bank observed that India has made sweeping commitment to solar power and energy efficient innovative solutions to provide round the clock electricity to its people by 2030.
86. World Health Organization (WHO) declared end of most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in African Nation Congo.
87. World Health Organization (WHO) relased Global Tobacco Epidemic Report 2017, stating that 63% of world’s population are covered by at least one comprehensive tobacco control measure.
88. World’s first Saola breeding centre is being built in Vietnam. ’s central region for . Saola, a critically endangered hoofed mammal is identified by two parallel horns with sharp ends, which can reach 51 centimetres in length and are found on both males and females.
89. World’s first floating windfarm has been put on trial in Scotland, to unlock ocean's potential for generating renewable power. The project is called Hywind, costing approx £200m. It will bring power to 20,000 homes.
90. World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge (Europe Bridge) opened in Randa (Switzerland). It measures 1,620 feet (494 Metres) long and rises as high as 278 feet above Grabengufer ravine.
91. World’s oldest emergency helpline number 999 completed 80 years of its services in United Kingdom.
92. World’s oldest emoji discovered on 3700-year-old pot in Turkey by archaelogists working on a site in Southern Turkey. The site depicts era of Hittities, an ancient civilisation that existed in north-central Anatolian region.
93. Writer Preeti Shenoy has been honoured with Indian of the Year Award by Brands Academy, a reputed branding company in India.

 

August

 

1. India's Essar Ports signed 30-year concession agreement with Government of Mozambique to develop a 20 million tons per annum (MTPA) coal terminal at Beira Port as part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. First phase will be developed at a cost of $275 million.
2. A new representative body US- India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is being set up to enhance business relations between India and USA. Mukesh Aghi will serve as a USISPF President while Gaurav Verma will serve as Chief Operating officer.
3. A team of researchers led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen discovered wreckage of World War II warship USS Indianapolis 18000 feet below the surface in Pacific Ocean, after 72 years of its drowning by Japanese Soldiers.
4. According to a report by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), island of Tuvalu is least visited country in 2016. Approx 2,000 people visited Tuvalu in 2016, while 1000 people visited it in 2014. Located in South Pacific Ocean, Tuvalu has a population of 11,000 people.
5. According to report by UN Body International Telecommunication Union (ITU), India and China are home to 39% of the 830 million young people worldwide who use Internet.
6. African country Chad will released limited edition Lord Krishna silver coin on Janmashtami in commemoration of 5,244th birth anniversary of Hindu God.
7. After Hindi version, Oxford University Press (OUP) launched online dictionaries in Tamil and Gujarati as part of its special focus on Indian languages, under Oxford Global Languages (OGL) initiative Launched in September 2015.
8. Arab Nation Qatar government announced that citizens belonging to 80 countries including India can now enter Qatar without a visa.
9. As per Bloomberg Billionaires Index, India's Mukesh Ambani Became Asia’s second-richest man with Worth of Approx 35.7 Billion USD, getting past Hong Kong Businessman Li Ka-shing. Mukesh added $12.1 billion to his wealth in 2017, mainly owing to Jio Infocom, that roped in Over 11 Crore users in Under an year.
10. As per Forbes' Magazine, Chinese e-Commerce Firm Alibaba's CEO Jack Ma is back as Asia’s richest man with worth of $37.4 billion. He is followed by China's Ma Huateng (Chairman of Tencent) with worth $36.7 billion.
11. As per data by U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2016 was warmest on record for planet as a whole and it also surpassed temperature records dating back 137 years.
12. As per speed tester Ookla, Norway has fastest mobile Internet in the world with 52.6 Mbps speed, followed by Netherlands and Hungary.
13. Australian government will build world’s biggest single tower solar thermal power plant (150-megawatt capacity) in South Australia by 2020. Solar thermal technology uses mirrors to concentrate the Sun’s light at the top of a tower, heating stored molten salt and heat is used to operate steam turbines.
14. Bangladesh will open a new diplomatic station in Chennai, to focus on medical tourism and educational centres that drew thousands of Bangladesh citizens to India every year.
15. Bank of England would not change the way its new plastic banknotes are made, that have small amounts of animal fat used in their production.
16. Biggest X-ray laser gun on earth named, European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) in German federal states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, will begin operating in September 2017.
    • XFEL will shoot 27000 laser pulses per second, 200 times more per second than next highest-performing gun in California (USA).
    • 1.5 billion-euro laser replaces its predecessor, FLASH, in Germany.
    • European XFEL is constructed such that electrons produce x-ray light in synchronisation, resulting in high-intensity x-ray pulses with properties of laser light and at intensities much brighter than those produced by conventional synchrotron light sources.
17. Brazil Government abolished a vast national reserve in the Amazon to open up area to mining, covering 46000 sq km. This area straddles northern states of Amapa and Para and is believed to be rich in gold, zinc, phosphate, manganese and other minerals.
18. Cabinet Approved MoU with Sweden on cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property (IPRs).
19. Cabinet approvals -
    • MOU with Spain on cooperation in renewable energy.
    • Establishment of BRICS Agriculture Research Platform (BRICS-ARP), as a natural global platform for science-led agriculture-based sustainable development for addressing the issues of world hunger, under-nutrition, poverty and inequality.
    • India and Somalia signed agreement for transfer of sentenced persons, to deepen humanitarian cooperation between two nations.
    • Proposal to extend proxy voting to overseas Indians by amending electoral laws has been cleared. NRIs will also be allowed to use option of proxy, which as of now is only available to service personnel.
20. Canadian government announced to allow Transgender citizens to obtain gender neutral passports, by marking X in space of gender on their passports and other identity documents.
21. China and Nepal have signed three pacts to further boost their ties. Areas of co-operation are gas resources exploration, economic and technological cooperation and promotion of investment.
22. China launched its first cyber court specialising in handling internet-related cases in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou, amid a spike in number of online disputes.
23. Chinese electronics company TCL Corporation will launch a full touchscreen, waterproof Smartphone under BlackBerry name in October 2017.
24. East African Nation Kenya has put Toughest laws against use of Plastic Bags, with imprisonment of up to four years or fines of $40000.
25. Facebook acquired artificial intelligence (AI) startup Ozlo, aimed at building more elaborate personal assistant for Messenger users.
26. Facebook rolled out Watch video platform to take on Google-owned YouTube. It is a platform for all creators and publishers to find an audience, build a community of passionate fans, and earn money for their work.
27. Finance Ministry imposed anti-dumping duty on certain textured toughened (tempered) glass imported from China (for five years), to protect domestic industry from cheaper imports.
28. First Israeli satellite for environmental research - Venus has been launched from French Guiana (France), as a joint effort by the Israel Space Agency and the French Space Agency (CNES).
29. First meeting of Japan-India Coordination Forum (JICF) for Development of North-Eastern Region held in New Delhi.
30. First regional centre of New Development Bank has been opened in SouthAfrica. NDB has been set up by India and other BRICS nations with anauthorized capital of USD 100 billion. Its headquarters is in Beijing (China).
31. Five Indian-origin persons featured in Fortune’s annual list of 40 young and influential people in business globally.
    • Indian Origin Persons - Leo Varadkar (Irish Prime Minister), Divya Nag, Rishi Shah, Shradha Agarwal and Leila Janah.
    • List is topped by 39-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron (France’s youngest leader since Napoleon).
32. Google launched its version 8.0 of operating system as Android Oreo. It boasts of a double faster boot speed, autofill option, and a longer battery life. The new update comes with a Picture-in-Picture feature that allows the user to see two apps simultaneously.
33. Government imposed a five year anti-dumping duty on Sodium Nitrite imports from China, amid injury caused to domestic industry by the same.
34. Government restricted imports of gold and silver items from South Korea in a bid to contain rise in inbound shipments of precious metals from South Korea.
35. India and China agreed to disengage 2 month old border standoff at Doklam (Bhutan), brining end to possibilities of an armed conflict Between India and China over the matter.
36. India and China jointly submitted a proposal to World Trade Organisation (WTO) calling for the elimination of the most trade-distorting form of farm subsidies, known as Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS).
    • It has come ahead of upcoming 11th Ministerial Conference of WTO (to be held in Buenos Aires (Argentina)) in December 2017.
    • It counters efforts of some countries to target subsidies of developing countries while letting developed countries retain their huge farm subsidies.
    • Developed countries have more than 90 percent of the global AMS entitlements amounting to nearly US$ 160 bn. While, Most of developing countries including India and China do not have AMS entitlements.
37. India and European Union (EU) agreed to strengthen cooperation between their security and intelligence agencies to combat threat of terrorism, during 10th India-European Union Counter Terrorism Dialogue held in New Delhi.
38. India and Germany signed agreement on technical cooperation under Indo-German Energy Programme – Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC). Green Energy Corridor Project aims to synchronise electricity produced from renewable sources (solar / wind), with conventional power stations in grid.
39. India and US established new two-by-two (2 by 2) ministerial dialogue to enhance strategic coordination maintaining peace and stability in Indo-Pacific region, replacing earlier India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue. It will be similar to India-Japan 2+2 dialogue format between foreign and defence secretaries of two countries.
40. India became 80th country to ratify second commitment period (2013- 2020) of Kyoto Protocol (or Doha Amendment) that commits countries to contain emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
41. India granted US pharmaceutical company Pfizer a patent for its pneumonia vaccine Prevnar 13. .Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine is used for prevention of pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive diseases caused by 13 Streptococcis pneumoniae strains. There are currently 3 types of PCV available on global market - Prevnar, Synflorix and Prevnar 13.
42. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Ministry of Health inked MoU with International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to collaborate on vaccine research and development, committing annual contribution of US $5,00,000 to IVI.
43. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) (Ministry of Earth Sciences) inaugurated Ocean Forecasting System for Indian Ocean countries Comoros, Madagascar, and Mozambique, during 3rd Meeting of Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Asia and Africa (RIMES) held in Papua New Guinea.
    • Ocean Forecast System will offer, high wave alerts, port warnings, forecast, oil spill advisory services along the ship routes in addition to tsunami and storm surge warnings and help in search and rescue operations.
44. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) bought 1.9 million barrels of U.S. crude in its second import tender making it first Indian refiner to purchase Eagle Ford shale oil. IOC bought 950,000 barrels of light sweet Eagle Ford shale oil and 950,000 barrels of heavy sour Mars crude oil.
45. Indian Pharma Company Natco Pharma received approval from US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market Lanthanum Carbonate chewable tablets in various strengths. These tablets are used in treatment of patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
46. Indian Software services firm Infosys acquired London-based firm Brilliant Basics for Rs 62 crores (£7.5 million).
47. Indian Space Research Organistaion (ISRO) and USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are working to develop and launch a dual frequency synthetic aperture radar satellite in the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission 2021.
    • It will be first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequency and it is planned to be used for remote sensing purposes, to observe and understand natural processes of the Earth.
    • NASA will be responsible for development of L-band SAR, a 12m unfurlable antenna & its deployment elements, GPS system and data recorder. ISRO will be responsible for development of S-ban SAR, Spacecraft Bus, data transmission system, Spacecraft integration & testing, launch using GSLV and on-orbit operations.
48. Institute of Charteted Accountants of India (ICAI) signed MoU with Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN).
49. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) opened world’s first low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank in Oskemen in Kazakhstan. It will be the first of its kind LEU bank not to be under control of any individual country.
50. International Seabed Authority (ISA) in its 23rd session recently held at Kingston (Jamaica) has extended India’s exclusive rights to explore polymetallic nodules from seabed in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB). Estimated polymetallic nodule resource potential of this area is around 380 million tonnes, containing nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese.
51. Iran’s IDRO and the privately owned Negin Group signed Iran’s biggest-ever car deal ($778 million) with French automobile manufacturer Renault to produce 150,000 cars, beginning in 2018.
52. Japan launched Michibiki No. 3 satellite of its new quasi-zenith satellites to improve the global positioning system (GPS) navigation services in Japan.
53. Mastercard and Tufts University released Digital Evolution Index 2017, ranking 60 nations in terms of developing their digital economies and integrating digital connectivity among people. India has been categorised under the break out segment that refers to countries with relatively lower absolute levels of digital advancement, yet remain poised for growth and are attractive to investors by virtue of their potential.
54. Mumbai Based Engineering conglomerate Larsen & Tourbo accquired INR 3375 crores metro order from Mauritius government to design and build an Integrated Light Rail-based Urban Transit System in Mauritius.
55. NASA launched Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-M) aimed at ensuring efficient communication of astronauts at International Space Station with Earth. TDRS-M is last of 13 such satellites that have been launched since 1983.
56. Nepal launched climate-smart snow leopard landscape management plan to safeguard endangered species of snow leopard, as first climate-smart landscape management plan for snow leopard conservation in world.
57. Nepal’s Parliament passed a law that criminalises an ancient practice called Chhaupadi that banishes women from home during mensuration and after childbirth.
58. Nepal’s Parliament passed a law that criminalises an ancient practice called Chhaupadi that banishes women from home during mensuration and after childbirth.
59. Newly established Constitutional Assembly of South American Nation Venezuela announced itself superior to all other governmental institutions, including opposition-controlled congress. It prohibit opposition-held National Assembly and other government bodies from taking any action that would interfere with constituent assembly's laws.
60. Noted Software Firm Microsoft launched Project Brainwave as a deep learning acceleration platform for real-time artificial intelligence (AI), amid AI becoming increasingly important . Project Brainwave uses massive field-programmable gate array (FPGA) infrastructure deployed by Microsoft over past few years.
61. ONGC Videsh will invest $150 million in exploration to drill more wells in Colombia, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh.
62. Online entertainment platform Netflix made its first ever acquisition after it acquired comic book company Millarworld.
63. Powerful Hurrinaces Harvey and Irma struck USA, triggering huge Financial and Human Losses.
64. Qatar approved law for making permanent residency available to some non-citizens like children of Qatari women married to foreigners, people who offered valuable services to the country and those with special skills. This has made Qatar first Gulf Arab state to make permanent residency available to some non-citizens.
65. Qatar launched a new direct route between Qatar’s Hamad Port and Pakistan’s port of Karachi.
66. Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran, disregarding demands of other Arab Nations.

 

67. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) signed agreement with its Iran's counterpart Securities & Exchange Organization (SEO), to promote technical assistance and facilitate cross-border co-operation in area of securities regulations.
68. Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister of Nepal Visited India. 8 MOUs were signed during his visit -
    1. 1. MoU on Modalities for Utilization of India’s Housing Grant Component to support Reconstruction of 50,000 Houses.
       2. MoU on Implementation of India’s Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Package in Education, Cultural Heritage and Health Sectors in Nepal
       3. MoU for Implementation Arrangement on Cost Sharing, Schedules and Safeguard Issues for Construction of Mechi Bridge under ADB's SASEC Road Connectivity Programme.
       4. MoU on Drug Demand Reduction and Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemical and Related Matters
       5. Agreement on Cooperation in Field of Standardization and Conformity Assessment
       6. MoU between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal.
69. Sri Lankan Navy commissioned SLNS Sayurala, an India-built state-of-the-art Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), first-ever purchase from a foreign ship builder, to boost its search and rescue capabilities.
70. Swedish defence firm SAAB and Indian conglomerate Adani group signed collaboration agreement, mailny aiming at a contract for single- engine fighter jets for Indian Air Force.
71. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) signed letter of intent (LoI) with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) deepen cooperation. It was signed during ITU-TRAI Asia-Pacific Regulators’ Roundtable jointly organised by International Telecom Union (ITU) and TRAI in New Delhi.
72. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved first gene therapy treatment that uses patient’s own immune cells to fight acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, that may bring new approach to treatment of cancer and serious and life-threatening diseases.
    1. 7. Gene therapy was identified as CAR-T cell therapy (CTL019) or tisagenlecleucel and now is called Kymriah, completely different as compared to present immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors that treat variety of cancers by helping body’s natural T cells better spot tumors.
       8. CAR-T treatment is not a pill or chemotherapy. It uses gene therapy techniques not to fix disease-causing genes (cells) but to turbocharge T cells, immune system cells that cancer can evade.
73. US and South Korea began 10-day-long annual military exercise - Ulchi Freedom Guardian drill.
74. USA Space Exploration Firm Space X successfully launched Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) Spaceborne Computer towards International Space Station using Falcon 9 rocket, as part of HPE’s joint experiment with NASA.
75. USA named Pakistan based Kashmiri terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a “Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO)”, the list that has Other organizations like Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
76. USA will install radar systems in independent nation Palau. It is located in south-west of Guam, the US territory that North Korea has threatened to target.
77. Unicity International (USA) launched world's first ever Genomeceutical (gene controlling) range of products to India. DNA contains DNA undergoes a process called transcription or gene expression that creates a "messenger" molecule, telling body to make a specific protein.
78. United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons, particularly small arms and light weapons. It came after witnessing a continuous flow of weapons, unmanned aircraft systems and improvised explosive device (IED) components between terrorist oerganizations.
79. World Bank allowed India to construct hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of Jhelum and Chenab rivers with certain restrictions under 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
80. World Health Organization (WHO) declared Somalia free of polio as it had not recorded any case of polio disease in last 3 years.
81. World breastfeeding week 2017 is being celebrated from 1st - 7th August 2017 with theme Sustaining Breastfeeding Together.
82. World’s largest data center - Kolos facility is being developed by a US-Norwegian partnership in Ballangen, a small town in Northern Norway. It will draw on a record-setting 1000 megawatts of power.

 

                                                                        September

 

1. 9 metre (30ft) statue of Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of AK-47 assault rifle unveiled in Russian capital Moscow.
2. A tomb belonging to a royal goldsmith who lived more than 3500 years ago has been discovered in Luxor (Egypt).
3. According to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List, Hui Ka Yan (chairman of Chinese real estate giant Evergrande Group) is now Asia’s richest man with net worth of $41.1 billion. Asia’s second and third richest persons are Tencent Holdings Chairman Ma Huateng ($39.1 billion), Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma ($38.9 billion).
4. According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s Trade and Development Report (TDR) 2017, India and China at their current levels of growth will not serve as “growth polls” for global economy in near future.
   • Global Growth will reach 2.6% this year, well below pre 2008 financial crisis average of 3.2%.
   • India’s Growth will slow down to 6.7% in 2017 from 7% in 2016.
   • China’s Growth has been retained at 6.7%, same as in 2016. China’s estimated debt-to-GDP ratio is 249%, so it needs to introduce measures to contain its rising debt as domestic demand could be squeezed, with adverse consequences.
5. Air India launched its direct flight from New Delhi to Copenhagen (Denmark), as 11th destination for Air India in Europe (described as connecting Maharaja with the Mermaid’.
6. Airbus Perlan 2 Engineless aircraft has set a new altitude world record for a glider, climbing to 52,172 feet in El Calafate (Argentina)
7. American Chipmaker AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) presented new line of microprocessor chips called ‘Ryzen Pro’ for commercial desktops to be available in India by end of 2017.
8. Apple and Google respectively took 2 top spots in list of world’s 100 most valuable brands, as per report by consultancy group Interbrand. This is the fifth consecutive year with Apple and Google at top of the list.
9. Arab Nation Jordan, that is 90% desert, has launched Sahara Forest Project near Aqaba City to turn desert land into farming land to produce food using sun and sea water. It is funded by Norway and European Union.
10. As per Data by Forbes, based on a recent research by Transparency International (TI) -
    • India beats Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar inn terms of corruption, making India most corrupt asian nation with 69 % bribery rate.
11. As per HSBC, India ranks 14th in terms of best country for expats to live and work in. The list is topped by Singapore.
12. Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide USD 152 million to Nepal for implementation and enhancement of its power transmission and distribution.
13. Australia and East Timor (Known as Timor - Leste) agreed on a maritime boundary and revenue sharing agrement from a natural gas field beneath seabed between them.
14. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina floated a five-point peace proposal at United Nations to find a permanent solution to Rohingya crisis (Over 430,000 refugees fleeing violence in Bangladesh's Rakhine State from Myanmar since August 2017). These Points Include UN Intervention to ensure safe return of all displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh to their homes in Myanmar and implementing Kofi Annan Commission Recommendations immediately.
15. Bengaluru based IT Firm Mindtree inaugurated its first international Digital Pumpkin innovation hub in New Jersey (USA).
16. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) signed agreement with USA's networking solutions provider Coriant to study possibilities of bringing and expanding 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) in India.
17. Britain launched a new plastic 10-pound note featuring Jane Austen (renowned British Author), To tackle counterfeiting. Apart from Queen, Austen is 3rd woman (after Florence Nightingale and Elizabeth Fry) to feature on a modern-day British banknote.
18. Cabinet Approvals -
    • MoU with Morocco on cooperation in the field of health.
    • MoU with Armenia on Cooperation in field of Disaster Management.
    • Approval for hiving off mobile tower assets of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) into a separate company, fully owned by BSNL.
    • MoU with Japan for collaborative research in field of silkworm and silk industries.
19. Cabinet Approvals-
    • Approved enhancement of age of superannuation of doctors other than Central Health Service (CHS) doctors to 65 years.
    • MOU with Ethiopia in field of Information, Communication and Media.
    • MoU with Belarus in the oil and gas sector
    • MoU with Afghanistan on Technical Cooperation on Police Training and Development
    • Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed a Letter of Intent with Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to extend cooperation in health sector.
    • Letter of Intent (LoI) with Norway to extend cooperation within health sector through Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) for 3 years starting from 2018.
20. China and Australia joint military training exercise Panda-Kangaroo 2017 concluded in Kunming (China).
21. China and Pakistan Joint Air Exercise Shaheen VI has been organized.
22. China commissioned its first radar-evading J-20 stealth fighter jets into military service.
23. China displayed its first unmanned combat helicopter AV500W for foreign buyers. The aircraft’s length is 7.2 meters.
24. China launched world’s fastest bullet train Fuxing between Beijing and Shanghai at 350 kms per hour, covering 1,250-km in 4 hours and 30 minutes.
25. China opened a dual-use highway in Tibet to Nepal border which could be used for civilian and defense purposes in China.
26. Chinese authorities blocked Anti-Islam terms used by Chinese internet users to stigmatise Muslims, to prevent worsening online hatred towards Islam.
27. Cuba began a five-month political transition expected to end with Raul Castro’s departure from Presidency, due to his family’s dominance in country’s political system for 60 years.
28. Denmark launched USA based global alliance to manage Climate change in Copenhagen. It is called Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G).
    • P4G is supported by China, Indonesia and C40(group of more than 90 large cities of world that represent 25% of global economy).
29. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) of India launched UJALA (Unnati Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All) Scheme in Melaka State of Malaysia. Malaysia became 2nd country after United Kingdom (UK) where EESL launched UJALA scheme. Under this, each household in Melaka will get 10 high quality 9-watt LED bulbs at a cost of only RM 10.
30. Fiji, Niger, Tuvalu and Seychelles ratified ISA Framework Agreement and became members of ISA framework agreement.
    • ISA will need the ratification of just 4 more countries to become a recognized inter-governmental body (Total 15 were needed). After which, ISA can embark on its task to channelise $300 billion in 10 years to promote renewable energy globallly.
31. First project funded BRICS New Development Bank has started operations in Shanghai (China), that was set up using $76 million loan granted to Shanghai Lingang Distributed Solar Power Project from NDB.
32. Forbes Highest Paid TV Actresses 2017 -
    • Modern Family’ star Sofia Vergara earned USD 41.5 million (Rs 271 crore), topping the list for the sixth consecutive year.
    • India's Priyanka Chopra ranked 8th, as she made USD 10 million ( INR 65 crore).
33. Force Motors signed agreement with Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG (UK) to produce engines for power generation and rail application and complete power generation systems.
34. Foreign ministers of India, US and Japan held a trilateral meeting in New York on sidelines of 72nd annual session of UN General Assembly. It was attended by Sushma Swaraj on India's Behalf.
    • Miroslav Lajcak (Slovakia) is president of 72nd UN General Assembly.
35. Fortune Most Powerful Women in Business List -
    • USA - Indian Origin PepsiCo chairman Indra Nooyi ranked at 2nd, led by General Motors chairman and CEO Mary Barra.
    • Outside USA - Chanda Kochhar (ICICI Bank CEO) ranked 5th and Axis Bank CEO Shikha Sharma ranked 21st. List is topped by Banco Santander group executive chairman Ana Botin.
36. French anti-doping laboratory of Chatenay-Malabry provisionally suspended by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), upon self-reported analytical issues to WADA by laboratory.
37. Google acquired a part of electronics company HTC Corporation’s engineering and design teams for $1.1 billion. Bought team of approx 2000 engineers are the ones that worked on Pixel smartphones.
38. Gulf airline Etihad Airways appointed former Abu Dhabi airport chief Tony Douglas as its Group Chief Executive Officer. Etihad also launched Fly Now Pay Later Scheme, allowing fare repayment in EMIs.
39. HP (Hewlett-Packard) launched its new all-in-one point-of-sale (POS) system ElitePOS at India Retail Forum 2017 in Mumbai, priced at Rs.59,999.
40. Hinduja Group's Ashok Leyland signed MoU Russian Firm Rosoboronexport for supplying tracked vehicle solutions to armed forces.
41. Hindustan Shipyard Ltd partnered with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd of South Korea for construction of fleet support ships (FSS) for Navy in both countries.
42. India & Sri Lanka signed MoU to upgrade Thondaman Vocational Training Centre in Srilanka. India would provide LKR 199 million to upgrade training facility.
43. India announced collaboration with Russia to build a nuclear plant in Bangladesh, as first initiative under Joint deal to undertake atomic energy projects in third-world nations. It is also India’s first atomic energy venture abroad.
    • Rooppur Nuclear project (capacity of 2*1200 MWs) is Bangladesh’s first atomic energy project.
44. India handed over Varuna off-shore patrol vessel to Sri Lanka as a part of stepping up co-operation between coast guards of 2 nations.
45. India is planning to launch major connectivity initiative, connecting Chennai with Russian port Vladivostok via sea route with an aim to harness natural resources from Northeast Asia and Western Pacific region. It will enable to transfer cargo between Chennai and Vladivostok in 24 days in comparison to over 40 days currently taken to transport goods from India to Far East Russia via Europe.
46. India launched Incredible India campaign in Cairo (Egypt Capital) to woo Egyptian travellers and make them aware of magnificent holiday options in India.
47. India opened 2nd second Indian Workers’ Resource Centre (IWRC) in Sharjah (UAE), To provide support and counseling to Indians in distress. It will help overseas Indian community in any matter. Indians may call 80046342 from anywhere in UAE to get help.
48. India received its first High Horsepower Locomotive with bodyshell of 12000 HP loco from Alstom France at Kolkata port,to be used to haul freight trains at twice the existing speed by 2018 (120 KM/H)
    • It is first major FDI project in rail sector and each such locomotive costs approx INR 30 crores.
49. India refused to be a part of Bali Declaration adopted at conclusion of World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development held in Bali (Indonesia), to show solidarity with Myanmar. It was not adopted because it carried inappropriate reference to violence in Rakhine State from where 1,25,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh.
50. India replaced China as the top retail destination in 2017 as part of global retail development index. Change in ranking was an outcome of four factors increased consumer spending beyond essentials, rising mobile and internet penetration, favorable foreign investment climate and bold action on cashless transaction and GST.
51. India's Numaligarh Refinery that supplyies High Speed Diesel to Bangladesh, despatched first diesel consignment of 30 MT to Myanmar through NH 37. It is to enhance hydrocarbon synergy with neighbouring countries as well as promoting India’s Act East Policy.
52. India's TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) raked 30th in Fortune’s annual list of Top 50 companies that are changing the world. TCS’s mKRISHI® App is one of important reasons that got TCS into list, that lets farmers to access customised expert advice, market information and weather data. Top 3 - JP Morgan Chase, DSM, Apple.
53. Indian Firm Mahindra & Mahindra entered into strategic alliance with US car major Ford Motor Company to explore cooperation in products, technologies, and distribution.
54. Indian IT Major HCL acquired automation driven data management platform Datawave (UK) to accelerate data integration and migration for clients.
55. Indian startup Kheyti won prestigious award in Israel for developing an affordable modular greenhouse that aims to give farmers steady & dependable income. It was chosen in MassChallenge Israel contest that saw participation from over 500 companies.
56. Japanese PM Shinzo Abe Visited India, arriving in Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
    • He participated in 12th India - Japan Annual Meeting.
    • 15 MOUs signed during Mr. Abe's Visit to India, Including -
      1. Disaster Risk Management
      2. Japanese Language Skills Development
      3. India Japan Act East Forum will be established to enhance connectivity and promote developmental projects in northeastern region of India.
      4. Arrangement between Postal departments for implementation of cool EMS service, through which fresh food can be sent from Japan to India in cool boxes for Japanese expatriates in India.
      5. India-Japan Investment Promotion Road map to facilitate Japanese investments in India.
      6. MoC between Japense Trade Ministry and Gujarat State on Japan-India special programme for Make In India in Mandal Bechraj-Khoraj.
      7. Civil Aviation
      8. Science and technology
      9. Life sciences and biotechnology.
      10. Sports
      11. India and Japan signed open sky arrangement to allow airlines from both countries to operate unlimited number of flights.
    • Foundation stone of India’s first high-speed rail project (bullet train) project has been laid. This 508km-long Mumbai to Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project will be built at cost of Rs 1.10 lakh crore. It is expected to be completed by 2022. (It was recently advanced by year from earlier deadline of 2023). An INR 600 Crores high-speed rail training centre for first bullet train project will be set up in Vadodara (Gujarat), to become operational by December 2020.
57. Japanese postal department released postage stamps on Indian Yoga Expert Mr.Bishnu Charan Ghosh and his family members.
58. Lebanon approved country’s first animal welfare bill into law, to ensure that domestic and wild animals will be legally protected from abuse.
59. London Administration cancelled License of Cab Aggregator Major Uber. Affecting 40,000 drivers using Uber in London.
60. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. signed MOU with Turkey’s Armagan family for acquiring 100% of Erkunt Traktor Sanay (4th largest tractor manufacturer in Turkey) for approx $70 Million.
61. Mahindra & Mahindra and USA Based Ford Motor Company signed a MoU that ensures an alliance to explore electric vehicles, for three years.
62. Middle asean Nation Tajikistan banned women from wearing veils and asked women to stick to traditional national clothes and culture.
63. Ministry of External Affairs started Operation Insaniyat to provided assistance to Bangladesh in response to humanitarian crisis being faced by it due to large influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.
64. National Highway Authority of India awarded its first international project in Myanmar to a joint venture of Punj Lloyd-Varaha, for upgradation of Yagyi-Kalewa section in Myanmar.
65. National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and International Road Federation (Geneva) signed Statement of Intent (SoI) to cooperate in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). ITS Policy will be covering Traffic Management, Parking Management, Electronic Enforcement of Traffic Rules and Regulations, Fleet Management and Monitoring, Innovation in field of ITS.
66. Nepal began its first-ever survey to remeasure Mount Everest to check if Its height was altered by 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck in 2015.
    • Official Height of Mt. Everest is 8,848 metres (29,029 feet), first recorded by an Indian survey in 1954.
67. Nepal signed USD 635 million UN assistance package for 2018-2022 to lay out country’s development strategy for next 5 years. The package involves 26 individual UN agencies.
68. New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) imposed fine of USD 225 million on Pakistan's Habib Bank Limited (HBL) for failure to comply with New York laws and regulations designed illicit financial transactions.
69. North African country Tunisia abolished decades-old ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims.
70. North Korea successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, placable on an intercontinental ballistic missile. It triggered a 6.3 magnitude earhquake in area, marking it biggest test so far.
    • In Response, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed new sanctions against North Korea over its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. It was 9th sanctions resolution adopted by UNSC since 2006 over North Korea’s missile programs.
71. Norway's sovereign wealth fund (Largest in world) just reached value of $1 trillion for the first time. It means $189,000 for everyone of 5.3 million Norwaighns. With stakes in over 9,000 companies, it owns 1.3 % of world's market capitalization and 2.3 % in Europe.
72. Pakistan inaugurated It’s 5th nuclear power plant (C-4 plant) in Mianwali (Punjab). This 340 MW Chasma – IV (C – 4) nuclear power plant is developed in collaboration with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
73. People’s Bank of China (PBC) banned raising funds through initial coin offerings (ICO), where unregulated means of crowd funding for project are used via use of cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin etc. Ownership or royalties of project is offered to investors in form of digital coins. It allows entrepreneurs create their own digital currencies and selling “coins” on web under ICO route, allowing them to raise millions of dollars quickly.
74. President Ram Nath Kovind will make his first foreign trip to African Nations Ethiopia and Djibouti in October 2017.
75. Qatar Airways became first in world to launch double beds in business class sections of Flights from London to Doha in Qatar, called Qsuites.
76. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is world’s 3rd biggest energy company behind Russian gas firm Gazprom and German utility E.ON, according to Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings.
    • Indian Oil Corp (IOC) climbed to 7th position, Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) placed 11th and Coal India Ltd ranked 45.
77. Russia and Iraq restored commercial airline services for first time since 2004.
    • Russia had suspended flights to Iraq after 2003 US-led invasion pushed Iraq into war.
78. Russia and USA space agencies (Roscosmos and NASA) will jointly build a deep space gateway as first astronaut-tended space station around Moon. It would help prepare for manned missions to deep space destinations including Mars.
79. Russia launched world’s largest and most powerful icebreaker ship, Sibir. It is designed to transport cargo via Northern Sea Route in Arctic Ocean.
80. Russia liquidated last arsenals of its chemical weapons, 3 years ahead of schedule (2020).
81. Saudi Arabia and Britain signed framework deal for military cooperation, as Britain seeks to explore lucrative trade deals outside Europe after leaving European Union.
82. Saudi Arabia issued a decree that allows women to drive cars. Women are now also allowed to enter national stadiums in national sports events.
83. Saudi Arabia lifted ban on voice and video calling apps such as WhatsApp and Skype and will make them widely available to users, to improve business confidence as reduce dependence on oil revenues.
84. Sweden hosted large scale war exercise named Aurora, with NATO.
85. Tata Steel and Thyssenkrupp of Germany signed MoU for creating 50:50 Joint Venture as one of Europe's largest steel companies.
86. Telecom services provider Bharti Airtel and SK Telecom of Korea partnered for leveraging the SK Telecom's expertise to build advanced telecom network in India.
87. Three Indian entrepreneurs - Ratan Tata, Lakshmi Mittal and Vinod Khosla have been included in Forbes’s special list of world’s ‘100 Greatest Living Business Minds.

 

 

 

 

8. MEETINGS

 

                                                                          June

1. 106th Session of International Labour Conference (ILC) held in Geneva (Switzerland). Minister of State for Labour and Employment (IC), Bandaru Dattatreya participated on India's Behalf.
2. 16th North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) Conference held at Imphal (Manipur).
3. 2017 Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) International Convention held in San Diego (USA), attended by Y S Chowdary on India's Behalf (Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences).
4. 2ndMission Innovation Ministerial and 8thClean Energy Ministerial held at Beijing (China). Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change) represented India.
   1. During This meet, India announced mounting a National Mission on advanced ultra supercritical technologies for cleaner coal utilisation at a total cost of US $ 238 million and setting up of two Centres of Excellence on Clean Coal Technologies at US $5 million each.
5. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley attended 5th International Forum for Technological Development TECHNOPROM in Russia.
6. Group of Seven (G7) Environment Ministers Meeting held in Bologna (Italy).
   2. G7 Nations - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
7. Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated 2-day national level conference on Capacity Building of SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) -2017, organised by National Disaster Response Force in Delhi.
8. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh attended BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meet in Beijing (China).
9. Shanghai Co-operation Summit (SCO) 2017 -
   3. It was 17th SCO Summit, hosted by Astana (Kazhakhstan). India was represented by PM Narendra Modi.
   4. India and Pakistan are now included as Full members of SCO.
   5. SCO Headquarters is in Beijing (China). All 8 Members are - China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.
10. World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2017 held in Geneva (Switzerland). It represents world’s largest annual gathering of the ICT for development community.

 

                                                                                                             July

 

1. 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Artists Camp and Exhibition of Paintings held at Kathmandu (Nepal).
2. 19th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) meetings held in Hyderabad (Telangana).
   1. RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and six states with which ASEAN has existing free trade agreements (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand).
3. 2017 BRICS National Security Advisors (NSAs) meeting held in Beijing (China), with Ajit Doval (NSA) representing India.
4. 2017 BRICS Youth Forum opened in Beijing (China) to discuss the development of youth in BRICS countries with theme Enhance BRICS Partnership, Promote Youth Development.
5. 22nd World Petroleum Congress held in Istanbul (Turkey), attended by Dharmendra Pradhan (Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas) on India's Behalf.
6. 4th National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices and Innovations in Public Health Care Systems held at Indore (Madhya Pradesh).
7. 8th meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Ministers of Law and Order (Interior/Home Affairs) held in Colombo (Sri Lanka).
8. BRICS countries’ Heads of Revenue Meeting held in Hangzhou (China), with Hasmukh Adhia (Revenue Secretary) attending on India's behalf. A An Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in respect of tax matters signed by BRICS nations on this occasion.
9. Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK) conducted 2nd edition of United Nations Peacekeeping Course for African Partners (UNPCAP-02) in New Delhi.
10. First edition of WINGS 2017 - Sab Uden, Sab Juden Expanding Regional Connectivity Event hosted in New Delhi.
11. India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) and International IDEA conducted 2 day International Consultative Workshop on Leveraging Electoral Training Facilities for Global Democracies in New Delhi.
12. India will host Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) 2017, world’s largest conference on cyber space and related issues in New Delhi in November 2017. GCCS will take place outside Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations for the first time. Theme for 5th GCCS 2017 is Cyber4All: An Inclusive, Sustainable, Developmental, Safe and Secure Cyberspace.
13. Indian Chamber of Commerce and West Bengal government will host Horasis Asia Meeting (a global business meet) in Kolkata in November 2017.
14. Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers Held in China's Beijing (attended by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar) and 2nd Meeting of BRICS Culture Ministers held in Tianjin (China).
15. Minister of State (IC) for Labour & Employment Bandaru Dattatreya participated in BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meet in Chonqging (China).
16. Model United Nations (MUN) Regional Conference held at Kathmandu (Nepal), organised by US Embassy in partnership with Youth Thinker’s Society. Conference simulate four UN committees - UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN), UN Security Council (UNSC) and UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
17. PM Narendra Modi Visited Germany, after 3-day visit to Israel.
    2. In Germany, he attended 12th G20 Summit held in Hamburg (Germany) with theme Shaping an Inter-connected World. 5 BRICS nations also had an informal meeting on sidelines of G20 Summit in Hamburg (Germany). Note that 9th BRICS Summit will be held in September 2017 in Xiamen (China).
18. Tax authorities of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Nations met in China and signed BRICS Taxation Cooperation Memorandum to establish a mechanism for taxation cooperation. It is BRICS’s first document that elevates taxation cooperation to institutional level.

 

August

 

 

1. 15th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Ministerial Meeting held in Kathmandu (Nepal), attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on India's Behalf.
2. 17th Meeting of Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) held in New Delhi under Chairmanship of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
3. 7th Meeting of BRICS Trade Ministers held in Shanghai (China) with Indian delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
4. 8th Mekong Ganga Cooperation Ministerial Meeting held in Manila (Philippines), attended by V.K. Singh (Minister of State for External Affairs) on India's Behalf.
   1. 1. MGC is an initiative by India and five ASEAN countries, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications. It is named after Ganga and Mekong which both are civilisational rivers.
5. 8th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress & Expo 2017 Organized in New Delhi, with Theme Renewable Energy: What Works.
6. 8th meeting of Regional Technical Group of Confidence Building Measure on Trade, Commerce & Investment Opportunities under Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process held in New Delhi.
7. 9th Meeting of Heads of Governments of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Kyrgyzstan. Home Minister Rajnath Singh Attended on India's Behalf.
8. India and USA will co-host Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at Hyderabad (Telangana) from 28-30 November, 2017.
9. India-ASEAN Youth Summit 2017 held in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). It marks 25th anniversary of ASEAN-India dialogue partnership with theme Shared Values, Common Destiny.
10. International Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Forum (Summit 2017) held in Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek, Attended by Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on India'a Behalf.
11. Italy will host summit of Group of Seven Interior Ministers on security issues in October 2017.
12. Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) organized Business and Climate Change Summit 2017.

 

                                                                        September

 

1. 12th Edition of ASEAN Computer Emergency Response Team Incident Drill (ACID) held in Hanoi (Vietnam), amid growing cyber challenges witnessed in recent years.
2. 3 day International Hindu Conference held in Kathmandu (Nepal), with theme Emerging spiritualism: Renaissance of Hinduism.
3. 5th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers Meeting held in Pasay City (Philippines.
4. 61st IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) General Conference held at Vienna (Austria). It was attended by Sekhar Basu (Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission & Secretary in Department of Atomic Energy) on India's Behalf.
5. 70th Regional Committee Session of WHO South East Asia Region concluded in Male (Maldives). It called for complete Tuberculosis elimination by 2030.
6. 7th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Economic Ministers’ Meeting held in Seoul (South Korea) with Theme Innovative Partnership for Inclusive Prosperity.
7. 9th BRICS Summit 2017 in Xiamen (China) with Theme BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future. Documents signed -
   1. Strategic Framework of BRICS Customs Cooperation
   2. BRICS Action Plan for Innovation Cooperation(2017-2020)
   3. BRICS Action Agenda on Economic and Trade Co operation.
   4. MoU between BRICS Business Council and New Development Bank on Strategic Cooperation.
   5. Five banks of BRICS Nations (Brazilian Development Bank, Vnesheconombank, Export-Import Bank of India, China Development Bank and Development Bank of South Africa) established credit lines in national currencies and cooperate on credit ratings. Also, New Development Bank (NDB) approved 1.4 billion US dollar loans for sustainable development projects in India, Russia and China.
   6. China will give $76.4 million for a BRICS economic and technology cooperation plan, and another $4 million for projects at BRICS countries' New Development Bank.
8. Conference on Sustainable landscapes and forest ecosystems: Theory to Practice held in New Delhi.
9. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Russian port city of Vladivostok, to attend 3rd Eastern Economic Forum. Eastern Economic Forum includes representatives from Russia, Pacific Region and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
10. First ever Mobile, Internet and Technology event in India - India Mobile Congress 2017 held at Pragati Maidan, Led by Department of Telecom and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI),.
11. India will conduct first BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017 (DMEx-2017) in October 2017 in New Delhi.
12. India will host 11th World Congress on Adolescent Health in October 2017 with theme Investing in Adolescent Health : the Future is Now.
13. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan visited Astana (Kazakhstan) to co-chair 13th Meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) with Kazakhstan.
14. National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog in partnership with USA will host 8th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES 2017) in Hyderabad (Telangana) in November 2017 with theme Women First, Prosperity for All. This is the first time GES is being held in South Asia.
15. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Rajaswa Gyan Sangam at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, organised by Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Excise and Customs.
16. Second World Congress of Optometry began in Hyderabad (Telangana) with theme Accessible, quality vision and eye health.
17. South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF) organized Across Barriers-International Business Women’s Summit at Kathmandu, (Nepal).

 

9. NATIONAL

 

                                                                                                             June

1. Goverment approved setting up 100 Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) hospitals across country.
2. ISRO’s First interplanetary mission - Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM),completed 1000 Earth days in orbit, well beyond its designed mission life of six months. MOM completed 388 orbits of Mars in this period. India will launch Mangalyaan 2.0 and new mission to Venus after 2020.
3. Indian Airline Spicejet named as world’s best-performing airline stock (124% stock gain in 2017) with $26 billion in plane orders to boot.
   • Recently, SpiceJet announced to purchase 50 Q400 turboprop aircraft worth $1.7 billion (over Rs 10,900 crore) from Bombardier (Canadian Aerospace Firm).
4. Shipping Corporation of India (Under Ministry of Shipping) organised ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas sammelan in Mumbai (Maharashtra).
5. 22nd APEDA Export awards held in New Delhi. Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia stated that -
   • India is now 7th largest exporter of agri-products globally, with India representing over 12 % of total exports.
   • Total merchandise exports during 2016-2017 are approx 276 billion USD, out of which agricultural exports are nearly 33 billion USD.
   • 82 APEDA awards were presented for 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.
6. 22nd edition of European Union Film Festival (EUFF) started in Delhi with screening of Filmmakers Katrin Maimik and Andres Maimiks Estonian film "Cherry Tobacco".
7. 2nd edition of National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga held in New Delhi.
8. 31st anniversary of the signing of the historic Mizo peace accord on June 30, 1986 celebrated in Mizoram. Mizo Accord was signed by Mizo National Front (MNF) and Mizoram State Government. It bought peace in state after 20 years of violence and disturbance.
9. Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh - National Human Milk Bank and Lactation Counselling Centre has been opened at Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi, as largest public sector human milk bank and lactation counselling centre in North India. It has been opened in collaboration with Norwegian government.
10. According to NGO Child Rights and You (CRY) Over 8 Lakh children are engaged in Child labour in India -
    • Top 3 States with Most Children (aged 5 - 6) engaged in Child labour - Uttar Pradesh (2.5 lakh), Bihar (1.3 lakh) and Maharashtra (83000 Thousand).
11. According to Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Report - about 31% of the world’s multidimensionally poorchildren live in India (approx 2 crore). This is followed by Nigeria (8%), Ethiopia (7%) and Pakistan (6%). A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of ten indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.
12. Adani Group commissioned 50 megawatts (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Mahoba (Uttar Pradesh). The plant has been set up with an investment of 315 crores under National Solar Mission Scheme.
13. An MoU signed between National Skill Development Corporation and Bird Academy for skilling of unemployed youth in the aviation and aerospace Sector. Under This, 30000 unemployed youth across various states including North Eastern states with special focus to train and empower minimum 5,000 women & tribal youths will be trained.
14. Andhra Pradesh government launched the AP MSME Development Corporation with a corpus fund of Rs 100 crore to promote micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) in State.
15. Arunachal Pradesh Government demanded for a separate time zone for northeastern states to improve work efficiency and save electricity in region.
    • Recently, Bengaluru-based National Institute of Advanced Studies concluded that separate time zone for the northeastern region could help in saving 2.7 billion units of electricity every year.
16. Arunachal Pradesh government decided to increase retirement age of regular state government employees from 58 years to 60 years, to be implemented from 1st of January 2018.
17. As per Forbes, Aamir Khan starrer Dangal became first Indian movie to earn INR 2,000 crore qqworldwide. It also became 5th highest-grossing non-English film ever. Note That Major portion of Dangal's Finances came from China where it earned over 1300 Crores. Baahubali 2 is India's second highest grosser ever with 1700 Crores.
18. Bengaluru became first city where one can have fuel delivered at one's doorstep, owing to a Startup Mypetrolpump. Deisel can be received at doorstep with One rupee additional per litre.
19. CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (Chennai) developed a cost-effective toilet, weighing under 500kg, life span of 25-30 years and can be assembled in 5 hours. It has been built with the help of textile reinforced concrete prototyping technology (TRCPT). TRC panels can be used as doors, roofing, walls and even flooring.
20. Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCRYN) under Ministry of AYUSH initiated a Yoga Awareness Drive through Mascots and Flash Mobs (YogMob) prior to International Yoga Day (21st June).
21. Central Government will soon replace Higher Education Bodies University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) with one Higher Education Regulator - HEERA (Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency).
22. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) signed MoU, aimed at increasing employability of youth.
23. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched 24×7 helpline Madadgaar to help Kashmiri citizens at toll free number (14411).
24. Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched Startup India Virtual Hub as an online platform for all stakeholders of entrepreneurial ecosystem in India to discover, connect and engage with each other.
25. Competition Commission of India (CCI), imposed fine of $13.6 million on South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor's India Unit, accusing it of anti-competitive behaviour by imposing certain arrangements upon its dealers including monitoring maximum permissible discount level and mandating use of recommended lubricants and oils.
26. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended flying licence of Coimbatore-based carrier Air Carnival, which has not operated a single flight since early April.
27. Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that election for post of Vice-President of India will be held on 5 August 2017. Note that Elections for Post of President of India will be held on July 17.
28. Election Commission of India joined hands with Facebook to launch nationwide voter registration reminder, Between July 1- 4, 2017. Facebook will activate a unique ‘Register Now’ button reminding all the eligible Indian users to enrol themselves as voters.
29. Elections for Electing 14th President of India will be held on 17 July 2017.
30. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated Know India Programme (KIP) for NRI and PIO youth, to provide them with an exposure to origin country.
31. First 50 MW unit of 100 MW Sainj Hydro Power project of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) has been commissioned with northern grid through Parvati-Kol Dam transmission line.
32. First Mega Food Park in state of Odisha - MITS Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at Rayagada.
33. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued draft regulations for organic food products to ensure the authenticity of organic foods, in view of rising demand for organic food products.
    • Organic foods will have to comply with the government’s provisions under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) or the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India) run by Agriculture Ministry.
34. Goa CM Manohar Parrikar inaugurated 3 day MODI (Making of Developed India Festival) Fest in Panaji. Similar MODI fest was organized in Andhra Pradesh in First Week of June 2017.
35. Government launched a revamped oil and gas bidding mechanism named Open Acreage Licensing Process (OALP) and National Data Repository (NDR) for major oil field auctions to be held from 1 July. Auctions will be held under a new Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP).
    • New bidding mechanism will allow interested firms to bid for blocks of their choice at any time of the year with the help of National Data Repository. NDR is a comprehensive database of India’s key sedimentary basins that will provide the bidders data on contract areas that will be available for auctioning.
36. Government Owned Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) will implement first project for rural LED street lighting in country under Government's Street Lighting National Project (SLNP). In first phase, 10 lakh conventional street lights with LED lights in Gram Panchayats of 7 districts in Andhra Pradesh. This will lead to reduction of 12 crore tonnes of CO2 and Approx 90 Crore INR Savings. Project is being funded by French Development Agency Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
37. Government approved constitution of Indian Naval Material Management Service (INMMS) as an organized Group ‘A’ Engineering Service.
38. Government approved setting up a new airport in Jewar in Greater Noida, which will cater 3 - 5 crore passengers per year over next 10 - 15 years.
39. Government launched SPARROW-ITS (Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window) to enable Indian Trade Service (ITS) officers to fill their Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) online for 2016-17 onwards.
40. Government launched a new training program Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training (COMMIT) aimed at training State Government officials and improving public service delivery mechanisms. COMMIT will be launched in 6 States Initially - Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.
41. Government launched digital travel experience initiative - Digiyatra. Digiyatra aims to digitally link unique IDs such as Aadhaar, passport or PAN card to the airlines' booking PNR to facilitate a seamless experience of passing through airports for the traveller that would also relieve queues and congestion.
    • Essentially, system involves linking unique ID digitally at the time of booking to airline PNR. This would allow the passenger to have all the information required for smooth passage digitally.
42. Government notified that people suffering from tuberculosis will now have to submit their Aadhaar details to avail cash benefits for their treatment, under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).
43. Government will appoint Nyaya Mitras to speed up the hearing of cases that have been pending in the lower courts for the last 10 years across country's courts.
44. Government's policy think-tank NITI Aayog drafted a New Energy Policy (NEP) and recomended to split 7 units of state-controlled Coal India Limited (CIL) into independent companies, to bring in more competitiveness.
    • About 70 percent of India's power generation is fired by coal. India is world's third-largest producer and third-biggest importer of coal.
45. Gujarat Government flagged off Astha Tourist Train, a special Gandhi Darshan train from Sabarmati railway station, On occasion of centenary celebrations of the historic Sabarmati Ashram founded by M K Mahatma Gandhi.
    • Train will travel for 10 days (to and fro ) to Bihar’s Betitah and Motihari, formerly known as Champaran. Champaran was first place where M K Gandhi staged a satyagraha in 1917 in order to remove misery of indigo farmers.
46. Habibganj Railway Station (Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh) became India’s first railway station to be redeveloped in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
47. Haryana Govermemt approved extension of Metro Rail from Narela in Delhi to Kundli in Sonepat district of Haryana with 3 new stations.
48. Hindi words Chana and Chana Dal are added to coveted Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Chana means Chickpeas and Chana Dalstands for split chickpea lentils.
49. India Meteorological Department (IMD) will launch forecasting system to give 15-day warnings on likelihood of a malaria or chikungunya outbreak across country.
50. India ratified 2 fundamental Conventions of the International Labour Office (ILO) concerning elimination of child labour - Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No 138) and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).
51. India signed Loan Agreement for part funding of USD 240 million from World Bank (IBRD) and USD 160 Million from AIIB (60:40 ratio) for 24X7 Power for All in Andhra Pradesh Project.
52. India signed USD 39.2 Million Loan agreement with World Bank for Assam Citizen Centric Service Delivery Project.
53. India's textile and fashion heritage became part of Google project 'We Wear Culture'. India's Such vast fashion heritage can now be explored through Google's latest virtual exhibition project We Wear Culture.
54. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur developed a wireless technology called AmbuSens, meant for remote monitoring of condition of patients who are ferried in ambulances. Patients will be fitted with wireless body sensors, which will enable monitoroing parameters like ECG, heart-rate, temperature and blood-pressure at a remote location.
55. Indian Railways started final location survey of 498 km long Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line at Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.
    • Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line at Leh in Jammu and Kashmir at height of 3,300 metres will be highest rail track in world, overtaking China’s Qinghai–Tibet Railway.
56. Indian Railways will reduce emission by 33 % by 2030, by involving several green initiatives and promoting low carbon mass transportation system -
    • Railways aims to achieve 1000 MW of solar power and 170 MW of wind power installed capacities.
    • Another mainstream target is to Fit bio-toilets in its strong fleet of 55,000 coaches by 2019.
57. Indian Railways' 1st HR Round Table Conference held in New Delhi.
58. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched heaviest rocket ever made by India, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk- III) on 5 June 2017.
    • It is called Fat Boy, as it is India's heaviest (640 tonnes) but smallest rocket (43 metres).
    • It will enable India to send Manned missions to Space. Only 3 Other nations are currently able to do so - US, Russia and China.
    • It will be able to place 4-tonne class satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits (much more than previous rocket's capacity of 2-tonne class).
    • It will have New indigenous cryogenic engine, developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of ISRO. A cryogenic engine provides more thrust for every kilogram of cryogenic propellant (liquid hydrogen or liquid oxygen) that it burns.
59. Indore (Madhya Pradesh) became first city in India where robot is being used on an experimental basis to control its ever growing and unruly traffic.
60. Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will develop country's first 'freight village' spread over around 100 acres in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
61. J P Nadda (Minister for Health and Family Welfare) launched Skill for Life, Save a Life initiative, to promote skill development in the health sector.
62. Karnataka Goverment launched India’s first public bicycle sharing (PBS) initiative 'Trin Trin' in Mysuru, jointly funded by World Bank, Global Environmental Fund and state govt. Mysuru is the first city in India to have a public bicycle sharing system.
63. Kerala State government announced a green protocol to make weddings in state more nature-friendly. Under This, plastic and other non-biodegradable articles including disposable glasses and plates and thermocol decorations will not be permitted to be used in weddings.
64. Madhya Pradesh government launched debt relief scheme Krishi Rin Samadhan Yojana for farmers, allocating INR 1000 crores for this. It Provisons -
    • Interest Subsidy.
    • Compensation - 1 crores for passed away farmers and 5 Lakh for injured.
65. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis launched web portal Mahaswayam, to cater to job seekers, employers, entrepreneurs, and training institutes who can avail details regarding skill development and employment.
66. Maharashtra Government announced launching of a mobile app named ‘My Plant’, that would help in recording data regarding tree plantations in state. Maharashtra state government also appealed its employees to contribute a day's salary to provide financial assistance to families of farmers in suicide-prone regions.
67. Mahesh Sharma (Minister of State (IC) for Culture & Tourism) launched National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh). It is part of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat program and aims at converting widespread cultural canvas of India into an objective cultural map.
68. Manipur CM Biren Singh launched a toll free 24/7 helpline number 181 for women in state .
69. Meghalaya Assembly passed a resolution demanding immediate withdrawal of Centre's notification banning sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, calling it an infringement of rights of states.
70. Meghalaya government signed 2 MoUs with State Bank of India as part of migrating government transactions to digital mode. State government will now escalate its transactions for the collection of tax and non-tax revenue through the online system - Government Receipt Accounting System (GRAS) covering all departments in a phased manner.
71. Minister for Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation M. Venkaiah Naidu announced new batch of 30 smart cities under Smart City Mission, taking number of total cities picked up under Smart City Mission up to 90.
72. Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu launched Mission Retro-Fitment to enhance passenger experience by upgrading 40000 existing coaches.
    • Refurbished coaches will have better amenities and safety features, aimed at providing comfortable travel to railway passengers.
    • 40,000 coaches will be refurbished and retrofitted over 5 years. Mission also aims to induct 40,000 new coaches with upgraded interiors by 2022-23.
    • It is estimated that cost of refurbishing per coach to be approximately Rs 30 lakhs.
73. Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari launched INAM-Pro + web portal, for Sale and Purchase of Construction Material and Service.
74. Minister of State for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines launched Energy Conservation Building Code 2017 (ECBC 2017).
    • This updated version of ECBC prescribes energy performance standards for new commercial buildings to be constructed across India.
    • ECBC provides present as well as futuristic advancements in building technology to cut down building energy consumption and promote low-carbon growth. It sets criteria for builders, designers and architects to integrate renewable energy sources in building design through inclusion of passive design strategies.
    • To be ECBC-compliant, the new buildings should be able to demonstrate minimum energy savings of 25%. Energy savings of 35% and 50% will enable the buildings to achieve higher grades like ECBC Plus or Super ECBC status respectively.
    • Adoption of ECBC 2017 will achieve 50% reduction in energy use by 2030 which will translate into energy savings of about 300 Billion Units by 2030.
75. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) to intensify efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrhoea. Aim is to mobilize health personnel, State Governments and other stakeholders to prioritize investment in control of diarrhoea.
76. Ministry of Law and Justice approved Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2017, to allow Kambala Sport in Karnataka State that Involves Bulls. Karnataka high court November 2016 banned kambala along with bull-cart race in state.
77. Ministry of Law and Justice has launched Tele-Law initiative in collaboration with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to provide legal aid services to citizens living in rural areas through Common Service Centres (CSC) at panchayat level. With this, people can seek legal advice through video conferencing facility at Common Service Centres (CSC).
78. Ministry of Rural Development confrred 144 awards under various categories to states and other organisations, to highlight commendable work done under various schemes of Rural Development Ministry. Notable awards included Bihar that was awarded for constructing most number of rural roads and Madhya Pradesh was awarded for use of non- conventional construction material in road construction under 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana’ (PMGSY).
79. Mizoram Government launched Test and Treat Strategy of Mizoram state AIDS Control Society (MSACS) to improve treatment for HIV affected people in state. Under this, HIV-affected people would be given free Anti Retrovira Therapy (ART) irrespective of CD4 count.
80. Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel acquired image trademark under Trademark Act 1999, making it first building in India to acquire intellectual property rights protection for its architectural design. Henceforth, image of Taj Mahal Palace hotel’s dome and exterior can be used only with consent of Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris.
81. NITI Aayog chosen CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Hyderabad) for hosting the Atal Incubation Centre for biotechnology start-ups. CCMB is one of 10 organisations identified to host Atal Incubation Centres. Government will release aid of 10 crores for upto 5 years.
    • Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog is aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in India. Under It, Atal Incubation centres would encourage start-ups in various sectors.
82. NITI Aayog launched SATH Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital with State Governments for strengthening agenda of cooperative federalism. Under this, Government will identify and build 3 future ‘role model’ states for health systems.
    • For Health Sector, shortlisted states are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Karnataka and Gujarat. For Education Sector, shortlisted states are Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.
83. Nalanda University (Bihar) signed MOU with South Korea’s Academy of Korean Studies for academic cooperation. Two universities have agreed to enhance the bilateral ties through joint research programme.
84. Narmada Control Authority (NCA) approved final raising of Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) in Gujarat by lowering of gates and impounding of water in reservoir up to its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of EL 138.68 meters.
85. National Aviation University (NAU) signed MoU with Bird Worldwide Flight Services (India) Private Limited to develop professional aviation and aerospace education programmes for benefit of Indian civil aviation industry.
86. National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) launched Web Application for freelegal services to prisoners and Legal Services Management System.
    • NALSA has responsibility to provide legal aid inter-alia to all persons in custody.
87. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved projects worth INR 1900 crores for creation of sewage treatment infrastructure in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Vrindavan, Varanasi, Allahabad and Delhi.
88. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) launched India's first 150 kWp canal top solar PV System on cooling water (CW) channel at 2,320 MW Mouda Thermal Power Project in Maharashtra.
89. National Workshop on Empowerment of Farmers of Tribal Areas in delhi.
90. Odisha became first state to open a blood bank for cattle, which is to be set up soon onpremises of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).
91. Odisha state government approved 53 urban projects with a total investment of Rs 538 crore under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
92. Odisha will commission Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) in July, as First Such system in country to warn state's residents along its 480 km-long coast in the event of natural disasters like a tsunami / cyclones.
    • Warning will be issued just by pressing a button from a control room in event of occurrence of natural disasters. It would trigger loud sirens simultaneously from towers at 122 locations including tourist destinations.
93. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) carried joint survey for conservation of Chilika Lake (Odisha), to make it gain world heritage site tag.
94. On Occasion of completion of 3 Years of NDA Government, Making of Developed India (MODI) festival held in Andhra Pradesh.
95. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Kochi Metro as 8th Inter-City Metro rail Project in India (first in Kerala).
    • DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corp) completed its construction in 4 years.
    • First phase is 13.2 km long and is India’s first integrated multi-mode transport system. System will also provide boat rides with water transport as a feeder service to rail corridor.
    • Kochi Metro is first public transport system to have reserved jobs for transgenders.
96. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated centenary celebrations of Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad (Gujarat). He also released the coin and postal stamp in the honour of Jain saint and philosopher Shrimad Rajchandra on his 150th birth anniversary.
97. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated various irrigation and water-related initiatives at Aji Dam in Rajkot (Gujarat), including filling of Aji dam with Narmada waters under Sauni Yojana.
98. Piyush Goyal (Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal , New & Renewable Energy and Mines) launched -
    • Weather Portal for Power Sector in association with POSOCO and IMD. Information in Portal regarding weather forecast shall help State Discoms to take pro-active steps regarding short term and medium term management processes.
    • Portal MERIT (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency) to store and display information regarding merit order of Electricity procured by State(s) such as daily state-wise marginal variable costs of all generators, daily source-wise power purchases of respective states/UTs.
99. President Pranab Mukherjee launched mobile Application Selfie with Daughter. The Selfie with Daughter campaign was started by Sunil Jaglan in June 2015 in Haryana.
100. Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum will set up world’s largest refinery and petrochemical complex in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.
     • Indian Oil will hold 50% stake and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) will each hold a stake of 25% each in the new complex.
     • Refinery will be set up at estimated cost of Rs 3 lakh crore and will completed by 2022. It will have 60 million tonnes refining capacity.
101. Punjab Government announced free education for girls in government schools and colleges from Nursery to Ph.D. Note That Reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies has already been increased from 33 to 50 %.
102. Punjab Government presented state budget of Rs 1.18 lakh crore for FY 2017-18 -
     • It focuses on reducing crushing debt burden and restoring fiscal stability.
     • Total waiver of crop loans for small and marginal farmers has been announced by Punjab Government.
103. Punjab government and United Kingdom join hands for imparting skill training and technical education to the students to provide better employment opportunities in abroad.
104. Punjab government launched Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme, aiming to provide cheaper and quality technical education to the meritorious and poor students of the state.
105. Railways launche Operation Swarn (gold) aimed at improving services in premium trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express. It has been initiated after several complaints received from passengers about services rendered in these premium trains. In first phase, Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express will be upgraded.
106. Railways will soon implement satellite-based chips in Trains, Devveloped by ISRO.
     • These Chips will enable sending alert people and Train Drivers at unmanned rail crossings. Initially these will be installed in Mumbai and Guwahati Rajdhani trains. Hooters will be installed at unmanned level crossings and will warn road users once a train approaches unmanned level (under 500 metres).
107. Rajasthan government raised insurance cover by 1 lakh to 6 lakh for farmers who avail crop loan from cooperative banks in State. State government also raised the insurance amount by 1 lakh in the Raj Sahakar Personal Accident Insurance Scheme.
108. SIERRA ODC building of Coimbatore-based IT Solutions Company is recognised as world’s second highest ranking Green Building, with a score of 103 out of 110 under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
109. SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth)'s 5th International Convention held at IIT Delhi.
110. Samsung signed MoU with Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for setting up 2 new Samsung Technical Schools in Bengaluru and Jamshedpur as well as to renew partnership for 10 existing schools across country.
     • As part of government’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, Samsung announced MSME-Samsung Technical School Scholarship programme for girls and differently-abled trainees. Under this, 1,000 girls and differently-abled trainees will be given grant of up to Rs. 20,000.
111. Sikkim government signed MoU with British Council to enhance the quality of education in the state.
112. Special Commemorative stamp released on occasion of completion of 50 years of Passport Act (passed on June 24, 1967).
113. State Bank of India tied up with Tirumala Milk Products that was acquired by French Firm Groupe Lactalis in 2014, to provide loans to dairy farmers who supply milk.
114. State-run oil marketing companies -Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) will revise prices of petrol and diesel daily from June 16 throughout country. It is aimed at countering undercutting by private retailers as well as to bring India at par with the US oil market.
115. Sulabh International founder and chief Bindeshwar Pathak has announced that an open defecation-free (ODF) village(Dhanduka village) in Mewat will be named after US President Donald Trump.
116. Syama Sanju has been declared as Queen of Dhwayah, winner of Kerala’s first ever beauty pageant for transgender women.
117. Tamil Nadu government announced free education for transgender community in all colleges of state’s Manonmaniam Sundaranar University.
118. Telangana government launched single-women pension scheme across state. Under this, pension of about 1000 / month would be given to single women on humanitarian grounds. This is the first such welfare scheme by any state in India.
119. Telangana government launched website to facilitate online sale or purchase of cattle - pashubazar.telangana.gov.in. It will help farmers as the cattle need not be brought to shandies every time and farmers can save on transportation cost on cattle.
120. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched 3 new apps to help customers rate quality of services, speed and performance - Mycall, MySpeed and 'Do not disturb (DND 2.0)' app.
121. To attract more passengers to buy online train tickets, Indian Railways introduced a service ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ which allow passengers to make payment for tickets booked online within 15 days. IRCTC tied up Fintech Firm ePayLater for this service.
122. Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) in Imphal (Manipur), aimed at Hilly areas of Manipur, Tripura and Assam.
123. Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu launched Pune Municipal Corporation's municipal bond programme. It is first such municipal bond Programme in India.
     • AA+ rated PMC’s municipal bonds raised Rs 200 crore at 7.59 per cent rate at Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). This is first issuance since publication of ‘Issue and Listing of Debt Securities by Municipalities Regulations, 2015 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). These 10-year bonds will be used by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for a Rs 2,300-crore water project.
     • Municipality bonds can be issued by city corporations to fund developmental projects, selling them to Institutional investors and public.
124. Urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu launched City Liveability Index, which will rank country’s 116 major cities on basis of quality of life.
     • Index will assess cities based on 79 various and rankings based on index would be released in 2018.
     • Government will Soon select agency for undertaking assessment and data collection for rankings.
125. Uttar Pradesh state government will replace textbooks meant for Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board with ones published by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), to bring curriculum of UP Board at par with CBSE from academic year 2018-19. NCERT books would be made compulsory from Class IX to Class XII.
126. Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul launched Vidya-Veerta Abhiyan in state, presenting Vice Chancellors of universities with portraits of Param Vir Chakra recipients.
127. Uttarakhand and rural Haryana declared themselves 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free (ODF) States of India, after Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.
128. Vice President Hamid Ansari launched MPower programme under 'Anuyatra' campaign of Government of Kerala. Anuyatra or walking together campaign is for the persons with special needs.

 

                                                                                                             July

 

1. New ATC tower at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport will be tallest structure in Delhi and Highest ATC Tower in India, with Height of 101.9 metres.
2. 10th Slum Yuva Daud flagged off at Khichripur in New Delhi as part of Adopt a Slum campaign of the Sports Ministry and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.
3. 4th North East Connectivity Summit will be held in Nagaland in September 2017 and 5th North East Connectivity Summit 2018 will be held in Arunachal Pradesh.
4. 5 States (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh) and a UT (Puducherry) formally adopted Centre’s Government e-Marketplace (GeM) initiative, an Online Market platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services by various Ministries and agencies of Government. It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement of goods and services and eliminate corruption.
5. 9th edition of Delhi Dialogue held With Theme India-ASEAN relations: Charting the Course for the Next 25 Years. Under this, annual track 1.5 event to discuss multi dimensional engagement between India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Delhi.
6. A Delhi-based start-up has launched a BillionAbles app that aims to assist people with disabilities to find accessible restaurants, tourist locations and other public places across India.
7. A massive plantation campaign of planting 6 Crore Plants in 12 Hours organized Madhya Pradesh, to save environment and conservation of the Narmada river.
8. According to NITI Aayog, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Gujarat are the three best-performing states in ease of doing business.
9. Agricultural Festival Dree celebrated by Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
10. Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed an MoU with Government of Uttarakhand , to accelerate development of civil aviation infrastructure in Uttarakhand and assess seveal issues confronting the same.
11. American tech firm Oracle opened its first ‘Digital Hub’ in Asia Pacific region in Bengaluru (Karnataka).
12. An indigenously developed S-band doppler weather radar (DWR), manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BHEL) has been commissioned at Kochi (Kerala). Doppler weather radar is an observational tool for monitoring and predicting severe weather events.
13. Arunachal Pradesh civil secretariat became first secretariat in country to be fully covered under Wi-Fi Local Area Network (LAN) coverage.
14. As per Government data, India’s food grain production increased by 8.7% to a record high 273.38 million tonne during 2016-17, better than previous best of 265.04 million in 2013-14.
15. Assam government will raise a new Special Rhino Protection Force (SRPF) for better protection of one-horned rhinos in Assam. Local youths hailing from the fringe areas of the Kaziranga national park will be considered for recruitment into proposed force.
16. BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) signed partnership agreement to explore opportunities in solar rooftop, electric vehicles, energy storage systems, energy efficiency and smart grid technologies.
17. Bicentenary (200th anniversary) celebration of Paika Rebellion of Odisha (1817) organised by Ministry of Culture in New Delhi.
    • Paika Rebellion of 1817 is an armed rebellion against British colonialism, in response to tinkering of revenue system by British in 1803. At that juncture, Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar, military chief of King of Khurda, led the army of Paikas and forced the British to retreat.
18. Bihar state Government and MoU Central Civil Aviation Ministry signed MOU for promoting regional air connectivity in Bihar.
19. Border Security Force (BSF) signed MoU with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for skill development of its personnel and people living in Border Areas.
20. Cabinet Approvals -
    • Cadre Review of Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), for an increase of 23 posts at various levels.
    • MoU with Netherlands for cooperation in space technology.
    • IRDAI's admission as a signatory to International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMoU). IAIS is a global framework for cooperation and information exchange between insurance supervisors.
    • Revision of Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) guidelines. ICWF was set up in 2009 and is aimed at assisting Overseas Indian nationals in times of distress and emergency in most deserving cases on means tested basis.
21. Central Railways Matunga Railway Station in Mumbai Became India's First Station to have an all-female work staff.
22. Chhattisgarh topped list in issuance of soil health cards among all states with over 43 lakh soil health cards (SHCs) to farmers in past 2 years and 7.90 lakh samples of soil were collected and examined during this period.
23. Civil Aviation Ministry appprved anti -hijacking law, replacing a 1982 - vintage law. New law covers offences against an aircraft or personnel even when it is on ground. Defaulters of hijacking would now be punishable with Death penalty where such act results in death of any person. In other cases of hijacking, guilty will be punished with life imprisonment.
24. Count of tigers in Uttarakhand came up to 242 in uttarakhand in 2017, second only to Karnataka that has over 400 tigers.
25. Delhi Developement Authority (DDA) signed MoU with National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for preparation of Master plan for Delhi (MPD) 2041.
26. Delhi Government announced Free Surgery Scheme for its residents, which will enable them to get Free surgery in private hospitals at government’s cost if government hospitals fail to operate within a month.
27. Delhi Metro became world’s first completely ‘green’ Metro system after secured platinum rating for adherence to green building norms for its 10 residential colonies from Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
28. Delhi became 2nd state to launch e-RTI portal that will enable citizens to file online Right to Information (RTI), after Maharashtra.
29. Delhi government constituted state Names Authority as a seperate body mandated to name government roads and institutions under state purview. It will be headed by deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
30. Delhi police will be the first state police in India to get super cop belt, a specially designed belt widely used by Police in various Foreign Lands. It will help cops to keep things like Gun, Mobile Pouch, Security Batten, Wireless Set Pouch & ammunition pouch.
31. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) signed agreement with Punjab State Council of Science and Technology to establish India’s first Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at Patent Information Centre (Punjab), under World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) TISC program.
32. ESIC and Directorate General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) signed MOU for collaboration in occupational health and prevention of occupational injuries and diseases.

 

33. Environment Ministry approved 3 projects for climate change adaptation in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Sikkim for funding under National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
    • Sikkim - Addressing issue of water security which are directly identified as climate resilience building interventions under SAPCC.
    • Rajasthan - Bolstering water security in villages under Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan.
    • Gujarat - Enhancing adaptive capacity of natural resource dependent communities to climate change in targeted villages of Kachchh district.
34. Erode (Tamilnadu) based Five P Venture India and Central Silk Board (CSB) signed agreement for development and commercialization of handloom silk products.
35. Finance Ministry launched Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), a pension scheme exclusively for senior citizens aged min 60 years. Under this, senior citizens will get guaranteed interest of 8% for 10 years depending upon investment made by them.
36. First ever Kargil International Marathon ‘Run for Sarhad’concluded with over 800 runners from all over the world participating in event.
37. Food Safety and Authority of India (FSSAI) banned stapler pins in tea bags from January 2018, in view of safety risks.
38. Global Conglomerate Siemens opened its first digital factory in India in Thane, (Maharashtra). Its Siemens' third digital factory globally after one each in Germany and China.
39. Goa Government has set up GST facilitation centres in ward offices across state, to assist taxpayers in resolving their technical issues related to migration to GST - registration, amendments, return filing and payments.
40. Google launched recruiting app Hire for small and medium sized businesses that integrates with G Suite, to compete with Microsoft-owned LinkedIn. Hire is an efficient app for managing recruitment prcesss from identifying talent to managing end-to-end interview process.
41. Goverment Approved Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)'s raising INR 660 crores in bonds for extra budgetary resources (EBRs) in 2017-18.
42. Government allotted INR 100 crores to Goa under phase II of Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
43. Government allowed Reliance Aerostructure to develop Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park at Mihan SEZ in Nagpur (Maharashtra).
44. Government approved enhancement of age of superannuation of Medical Officers of Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles from 60 to 65 years.
45. Government approved establishment of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). It will be named as IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) and will be set up at campus of National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC).
    • For this purpose, Agreement has been signed between India and IRRI Philippines. Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA) will be also established in Varanasi.
46. Government extended 2nd phase of BharatNet project that aims at covering remaining 1.50 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPS), with expenditure of Rs.42,068 crores.
    • Government modified strategy of BharatNet project for providing broadband connectivity to all Gra Panchayats by March 2019.
    • Government is still working on completing phase I of project for which deadline was March 2017. It was able to lay optical fibre in nearly 1 lakh GPs, however, only 22,000 GPs are provided Internet connectivity as of now due to equipment procurement issues.
47. Government for first time approved 3 infrastructure proposals to address infrastructure problem under Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES). Projects are - Integrated Cargo Terminal at Imphal Airport, Modernisation of infrastructure facility for marine exports in Karnataka and construction of a Standard Design Factory building at Cochin Special Economic Zone.
    • TIES replaces Assistance to States for creating Infrastructure for the Development and growth of Exports (ASIDE) scheme to enhance export competitiveness by bridging gap in export infrastructure. It is being implemented from FY18 till FY20 with budgetary allocation of 600 crores.
48. Government has merged Ministries of Urban development and Housing and urban poverty alleviation. Merged Ministry will be known as Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). With this, Central Government now has 51 ministries.
49. Government laid Foundation stone of India’s biggest Global Skill Park was laid in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). It park will come up on 37 acre land allotted in Narela Shankari area of Bhopal, with support of Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education and Education Services (ITEES).
50. Government launched Aarambh Mobile App for Road Maintenance, aiming to useGIS based mapping for making road inventories, condition surveys, and producing cost estimates etc. for preparation and monitoring of annual road maintenance plans.
51. Government launched Swachh Survekshan-2018 to rank all 4,041 cities and towns of country in terms of cleanliness with slogan Swachhata Ki Jyot Jagi Hai.
52. Government of Chhattisgarh has set a target of planting over eight Cr plant saplings by end of August 2017, under Harihar Chhattisgarh campaign.
53. Government released grant-in-aid of 51.3 crores to State Government of Arunachal Pradesh, for rescue and relief operations required on account of flash floods.
54. Government will open residential schools for scheduled caste girls in educationally backward districts. Schools will have classes from VI to XII and 70 % seats will be reserved for SC girls and remaining for Girls from BPL families in other categories.
55. HRD Ministry will remove no-detention policy from Right to Education Act 2009 from next academic year.
    • Under this, no child is detained or held back in any class or expelled till completion of elementary education covering classes 1 to 8.
    • As per records, this policy has resulted in improvement in enrollments but has brought down academic standards.
56. Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Minister of Food Processing Industry) laid foundation stone for First Maize based Mega Food Park in Kapurthala (Punjab).
57. Haryana food and drugs administration department banned mixing of liquid nitrogen with any drink or food article, under section 34 of Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS) 2006. It came after a cocktail accident (due to mixing of liquid nitrogen in cocktail) at Gurgaon pub in April 2016 burnt a hole in a man’s stomach.
58. Haryana government will set up a modern ornamental fish hatchery in Jhajjar district.
59. Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda unveiled National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Malaria Elimination (2017-22). It has set malaria elimination deadline as 2027, three years ahead of global deadline (2030). NSP is based on 2016 National Framework for Malaria Elimination framed with support of WHO’s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, 2016-2030.
60. Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired first meeting of the newly constituted Islands Development Agency (IDA) that was set up on June 01, 2017. 10 islands in Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep have been identified for holistic development in first phase.
61. Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise for Jute (Jute – ICARE) was launched in 2015 to popularize better agronomic practices and recently developed microbial-assisted retting among farmers intensively in a few blocks in West Bengal and Assam on pilot basis. It Resulted in increase of earnings of jute farmers by over INR 10,000 per hectare.
62. India declared itself free from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 and H5N8).
63. India launched its first petroleum Research & Development (R&D) facility for testing high-end BS-VI quality fuel emissions in Faridabad (Haryana). This facility is designed to test all types of fuel products, to ensure that it meets superior BS-VI norms to be implemented by April 2020.
64. India will host 51-day Long 8th International Theatre Olympics in February 2018. It will be first ever Hosting of greatest carnival of theatre in world by India. It be organised by National School of Drama (NSD) and Union Culture Ministry.
65. India will invite 10 leaders of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as Chief Guests for 2018 Republic Day celebrations. Republic Day 2018 would be the first Republic Day event that will have so many leaders as the chief guests.
66. India's Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) partenred with with Egyptian Exchange (EGX) for cooperation in exchange of information across business areas.
67. India's Taj Mahal named in top 10 landmarks in world by securing fifth position in top 10 Travellers' Choice awards for Landmarks. Angkor Wat in Siem Reap (Cambodia) topped the list followed by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center in Abu Dhabi (UAE).
68. Indian Railways launched India’s first solar powered diesel multiple unit (DEMU) broad gauge train with a 1600 Horse Power (HP) Engine. Train will run from Sarai Rohilla in Delhi to Farukh Nagar in Haryana.
    • Solar energy system fitted in DEMU train would result in saving 5.25 lakh litres of diesel per train over 25 years. It will also help in reducing 1350 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per train over 25 years.
69. Indian Railways launched Rail SAARTHI (synergised advanced application rail travel help and information) mobile application to cater to various passenger requirements including ticket booking, inquiry, on-board cleaning and ordering meal on a single platform.
70. Indian Railways launched RailCloud, a virtual server with an inbuilt security system that will enable faster connectivity at a reduced cost.
    • RailCloud works on Cloud Computing system, an emerging technology for faster and on demand commensurate deployment of server resources which results in reduced cost.
    • RailCloud has been developed by rail PSU RailTel as part of Railways strategic IT initiative, IR—OneICT.
    • NIVARAN (Grievance Portal) Became First IT application to be hosted on RailCloud.
    • Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE) also launched to provide Comprehensive Health Care Facilities through in-house health Institutions, supplementing with referrals to recognized hospitals whenever necessar.
71. Indian city of Ahmedabad (Gujarat) has been declared as India’s first World Heritage City by UNESCO, recognising heritage value of walled city’s unique heritage.
72. Indian government will organize a global food fair in Delhi in November as World Food India 2017, to provide a platform to Indian farmers and manufacturers to showcase their products and explore partnerships with foreign companies.
73. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) announced exemption of fees for its transgender students of all programmes.
74. International Migration Outlook report 2017 released by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
75. Jammu and Kashmir Government Hosted first ever ‘Cultrue of Cruise’ cultural programme at Dal Lake (Srinagar), aimed to bring artists from various fields on one stage.
76. Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das inaugurated India’s largest fresh water aquarium Ranchi Machchli Ghar in Ranchi. It is spread in over 36,000 sq feet area with 58 fish tanks.
77. Karnataka government launched Elevate 100 scheme to identify and nurture innovative start-ups. It aims to identify 100 most innovative start-ups in state and elevate them to higher success.
78. Karnataka hosted International Conference on Reclaiming Social Justice, Revisiting Ambedkar to mark 126th birth Anniversary of B R Ambedkar.
79. Kerala Government launched G-Ride app as a digital ride sharing platform. It will aim at bringing down number of vehicles used by people.
80. Kerala government will set up stray dog zoos to keep them off streets in the State.
81. Kerala hosted 5th edition of South India Writers Ensemble (SIWE) literary festival with tolerance as core theme.
82. Lok Sabha passed Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill 2017 to amend Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) 2009 to extend deadline for teachers to acquire minimum qualifications for appointment. Inadequately qualified teachers as on March 31 2015, working after enactment of RTE Act 2009 will have to acquire minimum qualifications by March 31, 2019 to hold their jobs as teachers.
83. Lok Sabha passed Indian Institute of Information Technology Public Private Partnership (IIIT-PPP) Bill 2017 to allow 15 IIITs established on a PPP model to grant degrees and get statutory status. IIITs will also be given status of Institute of National Importance, Like IITs and NITs.
    • Government initiated opening 20 IIITs with private partnership of which 15 are already operational, at Cost of INR 128 crores each. Centre contributed 50% of amount, states 35% and private partners remaining 15%.
84. Lok Sabha passed Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Bill 2017 to -
    • Declares IIMs as institutions of national importance and empower these institutions to attain standards of global excellence in management, management research and allied areas of knowledge.
    • It also grants complete administrative, academic and financial autonomy to these B-Schools and allow them to grant degrees.
85. Madhya Pradesh’s school education department is implementing Hamari Shala Kaisi Ho and Shala Siddhi Karyakram in all government schools of the state in order to provide qualitative education to students.
86. Madras High Court ruled that Vande Mataram should be sung in all schools and colleges across Tamil Nadu atleast once in a week and in government and private offices atleast once in a month.
87. Maharashtra become first state to provide women an injectable contraceptive for free, Medroxyprogesterone acetate (a birth-control hormone).
88. Maharashtra government approved revised Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree scheme that benefits families with yearly income under INR 7.5 lakh. It aims at improving skewed girl child ratio in state and was launched by state government on April 1, 2016 in place of ‘Sukanya’ scheme.
89. Maharashtra state government will create cycle tracks through'streets with cycle track project to encourage use of bicycles, to ease congestion and reduce air pollution.
90. Maharashtra’s women commission signed agreement with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for rescue and rehabilitation of women who are victims of sex trafficking, acid attack and domestic violence.
91. Manipur Government declared present Flood situation in State as a Severe State Calamity.
92. Meghalaya Government launched flagship program Livelihood Intervention and Facilitation of Entrepreneurship (LIFE), aiming at state's 2144 villages in 2017 - 18. It will focus on capacity building of SHGs (Self-Help Groups).
93. Microsoft launched Kaizala productivity designed to enhance collaboration and communication experience for Indian enterprises. It will enable organizations to interact with people within organization and outside like partners and vendors more conveniently.
94. Microsoft signed an agreement with National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) to offer Microsoft Aspire School Program (MASP) Pro Plus to over 55,000 member schools in India. It aims to equip schools with technology and innovative learning solutions.
95. Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu released new version of National Housing Bank's NHB RESIDEX, that captures movements in prices of residential real estate prices.
96. Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change Harshvardhan launched 2 useful apps on occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
    • Sagar Vani app -
      1. It will provide ocean information services of ESSO-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) directly to end user, to remove delay in dissemination of valuable information.
    • India Quake App -
      1. It will provide Earthquakes related information compiled by National Centre for Seismology (NCS) directly to end user, to remove delay in dissemination of valuable information. It will also help in reducing panic amongst people during an earthquake. For example, if an earthquake occurs in Afghanistan and is strongly felt in Delhi, then people in Delhi will know in less than 2 minutes that earthquake has actually occurred in Afghanistan and not in Delhi.
97. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju inaugurated Research Institution of World Ancient, Traditional, Culture & Heritage (RIWATCH) Museum at Roing in Arunachal Pradesh.
98. Minister of State for Minority Affairs (IC) & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi inaugurated first Gharib Nawaz Skill Development Centre in Hyderabad (Telangana) -
    • Government will establish Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centres in 100 districts of country, aimed at implying employability skills in youth belonging to Minority communities.
99. Ministry of AYUSH has constituted a National Board for Promotion and Development of Yoga & Naturopathy (NBPDYN) for regulation of education & practice of Yoga & Naturopathy.
100. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released Operational Guidelines for Planning and Implementation of Family Participatory Care (FPC) for improving newborn health.
     • FPC is an important concept of health care as it provides partnership between health care staff and families in care of sick newborns admitted in Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU). FPC are needed as Sick and newborn are highly vulnerable and require careful nurturing in order to survive neonatal period and first year of life.
101. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed MOU with Government of West Bengal to to set up a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine at Kolkata.
102. Ministry of Housing and Urban Development approved construction of 30,000 affordable houses in Maharashtra’s Sholapur district for urban poor on private land under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). It is first such project to be taken up on private land under PMAY(U).
     • Earlier approved projects for affordable housing projects were built on lands belonging to state government / municipal corporations.
103. Ministry of Power launched a portal for optimum utilization of domestic coal by independent power producer (IPP), that would estimatedly save the consumer close to Rs. 20,000 crore in 5 years.
104. Ministry of Rural Development will launch Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY), a sub-scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). AGEY aims to provide alternative source of livelihood to members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) by facilitating them to operate public transport services in backward rural areas.
105. Ministry of Science & Technology launched National Biopharma Mission as first ever Industry-Academia mission to accelerate biopharmaceutical development in India. Under this mission, ministry also launched Innovate in India (i3) program to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in sector.
     • Innovate in India (i3) program i3 is a flagship program of India that will witness an investment of $250 million with $125 million as a loan from world Bank. It is committed to make India a hub for design and development of novel, affordable and effective biopharmaceutical products and solutions.
     • It will strive to increase India’s global biopharmaceutical market share from current 2.8% to 5%.
106. Ministry of Women and Child Development launched an online patform ‘SHe-box (Sexual Harassment Electronic Box) to enable women employees of the Central government to file complaints related to sexual harassment at work place.
107. Minority Affairs Ministry has launched Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 in Mumbai, aimed at containing declining population of Parsi communityin India.
108. Mumbai Metro launched India's first Mobile Ticketing System 'OnGo' which will help commuters pass the AFC gates using their mobile phones.
     • Additionally, Lucknow metro will be India’s first metro network to offer free drinking water and toilet facilities and will have its own FM radio station.
109. NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog approved 6 transport proposals of transport ministry to improve public transport. It includes high-tech mass rapid transportation technologies such as metrino, hyperloop, pod taxis, stadler buses, hybrid buses and freight rail road.
110. NITSER (National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research) Amendment Bill has been passed in Rajya Sabha, to introduce 2 new Institutions namely Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati and IISER Berhampur in Second Schedule of NITSER Act 2007.
111. Nagaland has been declared as disturbed area for 6 more months under Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere without any prior notice to civil administration.
112. National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) and Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) launched a joint venture company to set up an aluminium park at Angul (Odisha) with Investment of INR 180 crores. Odisha currently contributes about 54% of India’s total aluminium smelting capacity.
113. National Book Trust (NBT) launched Har Haath Ek Kitaab (One Book for Every Hand) scheme, that allows people to make donations to children between age 6 - 12 in the form of books with a simple method. NBT has tied up with e-Commerce site Smapdeal for this purpose.
114. National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) launched its own quality mark logo for dairy products in country, aimed at bringing improvement in entire value chain from producer to the consumer to ensure availability of safe and quality of milk and products.
115. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) conducted national-level Conference on Crowd Management at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
116. National Green Tribunal (NGT) declared 100 metres from edge of the Ganga river between Haridwar and Unnao as “No-Development Zone”.
117. National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed nationwide ban on use of kite strings (manja), made of nylon or any synthetic material, as it poses threat to animals and humans.
118. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in its 4th meeting approved 7 projects (worth approx 425 crores INR) in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
119. National Security Guard (NSG) organized First International Aviation Security Seminar in Manesar (Haryana).
120. New Delhi-based The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) is ranked 2nd among world’s best climate think tank by International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG) in category 2016 Top Climate Think Tanks in the Rest of the World-Absolute Global Rankings. It was announced during ICCG’s 23rd annual conference of European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) in Athens (Greece).
121. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik dedicated to nation the state’s longest bridge and named it after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The 2.88 km bridge connects Barang on outskirts of Bhubaneswar with Judicial Academy Chhak in Cuttack.
     • Odisha Governmwnr will also set up an international standard sports city in state.
122. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated computerisation of PACS (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies) and launched RuPay Kisan Credit cards.
     • Odisha is first state to implement an integrated Core Banking Solution Project for farmers, to ensure transparency. It will cover all 3 tiers of short term cooperative credit structure - state cooperative bank, district central cooperative banks and 2,708 primary agriculture cooperative societies.
123. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Textiles India 2017 as India’s first ever mega textiles trade fair at Gandhinagar (Gujarat). This 3 day fair will aims to showcase India as a global sourcing hub and investment destination for manufacturers world-wide.
124. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated a memorial for former Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam at his birthplace near Rameswaram (Tamilnadu).
125. Parliament passed Collection of Statistics (Amendment) Bill 2017 after it was approved by Rajya Sabha. It amends Collection of Statistics Bill 2008 that facilitates collection of statistics related to social, economic, demographic, scientific and environmental aspects by central, state and local governments. Changes are -
     • Bill extends jurisdiction of the parent act to the state of Jammu and Kashmir for collection of statistics.
     • It adds provisions for appointment of a nodal officer by government, who will coordinate statistical activities.
     • The Bill removes provision dealing with information collected under it only is used for statistical purposes and allows government to determine manner in which such information collected will be used for statistical purposes.
126. President Pranab Mukherjee approved Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2016. Maharashtra is first state to formulate a law to punish social boycott.
127. President Pranab Mukherjee approved a bill banning hookah bars in Gujarat, provisioning max Jail term of 3 years for violators.
128. President Pranab Mukherjee approved promulgation of The Prevention of cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 by Governor of Karnataka in pursuance of Article 213 of Constitution.
     • It now legalises Kambala, bullock cart races and bull runs as traditional sports involving animals and exempt them from Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
129. President Pranab Mukherjee dedicated BML Munjal University to nation.
     • BML Munjal University (BMU) is based in Haryana. It was founded by promoters of Hero Group and is named after group's chairman and founder Brij Mohan Lall Munjal.
130. President Pranab Mukherjee launched 2 programmes to take education to remote areas with help of technology - Swayam and Swayam Prabha.
     • Under Swayam, courses would be offered through digital classrooms with online study material available free of cost in videos
     • SWAYAM Prabha is set of 32 DTH channels operationalised for telecasting high quality educational content free of charge using the GSAT-15 satellite transponders.
     • Prez also launched a National Academic Depository where verified educational records would be digitally stored by universities or a board to counter forgery. National Digital Library is also launched as large online library containing 6.5 million books.
     • Prez also inaugurated Ashiana Annexe In Dehradun (Uttarakhand), comprising 12 low cost dwelling units to accommodate officers and staff of Rashtrapati Bhavan during Presidential visits to Retreat at ‘Ashiana’.
131. Punjab Government approved new transport policy that abolishes system of district transport officers (DTO) and restructures transport department. A special task force has been set up and the state police to crack down on all illegall buses. Permits will be valid for a 5 years from date of issue.
132. Punjab Government launched flagship care companion health scheme, aiming to improve patient outcomes through better family engagement and education.
133. Punjab government launched Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar scheme by flagging off over 100 uber MOTO bikes. Under this, state government will provide commercial two wheelers and four wheelers to unemployed youth at subsidized rates.
134. Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) signed MoU with National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) for redevelopment of 10 railway stations on global standards - Tirupati, Nellore, Puducherry, Sarai Rohilla (Delhi), Madgaon, Lucknow, Gomtinagar, Kota, Thane (New) and Ernakulam. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed as a Joint Venture (JV) company between RLDA and NBCC on 50:50 basis.
135. Raipur’s Swami Vivekananda Airport ranked first in Customer Satisfaction among 49 airports in country with score of 4.84 score out of 5. Raipur airport is followed by Udaipur, Amritsar and Dehradun airports.
136. Rajasthan became first State to set minimum educational qualifications for contesting elections to village cooperative societies and various other cooperative bodies, amending State Cooperative Societies Rules 2003.
     • Required educational qualifications - Class 5 to 8th for members of governing boards of various cooperative societies, 8th for primary committee members, 10th for district-level committees and graduation for state level committees.
     • Rajasthan will also be first state to establish Recruitment Board by Cooperative Committees, to ensure more and efficient employment in cooperatives.
137. Rajya Sabha passed Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill 2017 that repeals laws such as Admiralty Court Act 1861 and Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act 1890. It was passed by Lok Sabha in March 2017.
138. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited and Cement Corporation of India signed MOU to set up 2 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum) Fly Ash and Blast Furnace Slag based Cement Plant in Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) as a Joint Venture in 2 phases of 1 million tonne capacity each.
139. Reliance Jio Infocomm launched Asia-Africa-Europe (AAE-1) submarine cable system as world’s longest 100 Gbps technology-based submarine system. It stretches over 25,000km from Marseille (France) to Hong Kong, with 21 cable landings across Asia and Europe.
     • A submarine cable system is a cable system that consists of telecom and internet cables, which are laid on the seabed between land-based stations. These cables carry telecommunication and data signals across stretches of oceans.
     • AAE-1 is a combination of leading telecom service providers from Europe, Middle East and Asia. It will link with other cable systems and fibre networks to deliver direct access to all global markets.
140. Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Ministry announced assistance of INR 200 crores to assam for repairs of National Highways damaged due to heavy rains and INR 400 Crores for dredging work in Brahmaputra river.
141. Scientists from Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered presence of millions of tonnes of precious metals and minerals deep under waters within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of peninsular India. GSI for first time has identified huge presence of marine resources off Mangaluru, Mannar Basin, Chennai, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
142. State government of Madhya Pradesh appointed a four-member food commission headed by Rajkishore Swain, in accordance with National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013. It has came in line with supreme court's recent announcement that National Food Security (NFS) Act 2013 has not been implemented properly and has been postponed by various states.
143. Student- scientist connect programme Jigyasa has been officially launched in Delhi, jontly by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).
144. Supreme Court allowed Government to replace oversight committee set up to supervise functioning of Medical Council of India (MCI) with a fresh panel of five eminent doctors.
     • Oversight committee was set up by SC in May 2016 to oversee MCI’s functioning. It was led by former Chief Justice R.M. Lodha.
145. Supreme Court asked Union government to formalise appointment of election commissioners through law.
     • SC stated that there is expectation in Constitution that Election Commissioners, who are charged with important duty of conducting free and fair elections must be appointed through a process formalised by a law enacted by Parliament.
     • At present, there is no transparency in the eligibility, criteria required for a person to be appointed as an election commissioner.
146. Supreme Court exempted Arunachal Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands from ban on sale of liquor within 500 metres of National and State Highways.
147. Supreme Court imposed ban on use of 5 harmful heavy metals - lithium, antimony, mercury, arsenic and lead in manufacturing firecrackers due to air pollution caused by them.
148. Supreme Court ruled that police cannot arrest accused family without conducting a preliminary inquiry under dowry harassment cases filed under Section 498A of Indian Penal Code (IPC), in view of misuse of anti-dowry harassment law framed in 1983.
149. Supreme Court will set up a nine-judge bench to decide whether Right to Privacy in India can be defined as a fundamental right under Constitution or not.
150. Telangana government imposed a cap on weight of bags carried by school children in order to prevent any physical disorders. Max Permissible weight is -
     • Class 1 & 2 => 1.5 kg
     • Class 3 - 5 => 2-3 kg
     • Class 6 -7 -> 4 kg
     • Class 8 - 9 => 4.5 kg.
     • Class X => 5 kg.
151. Telangana government launched grievances redressal portal called Janahitha, as a fast and single window facility for all public grievances.
152. Telangana will be First Indian state to have eco-friendly bridges for easy movement of tigers, over a canal cutting across tiger corridor linking Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with forests in Telangana’s Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.
153. Telangana will be first state to build India’s first university exclusively for Dalit students in 2018.
154. Telangana will present a separate agriculture budget for state from next year (2018 - 19), aiming to boost Agriculture sector with more focus and funds.
155. UP Government launched Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP RERA) website - http://www.up-rera.in, putting details of all real estate projects and builders in public domain and accessible for all.
156. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched mAadhaar mobile application for syncing Aadhaar data on mobile phones. It will allow users to carry their unique Aadhaar information including name, DOB, address, linked photograph etc. on their smartphones. App will also allow users to lock or unlock biometrics data.
157. Uttar Pradesh Government launched free power connection scheme for BPL card holders in state, initially at 624 places.
158. Uttar Pradesh Government re-named Kanpur and Bareilly airports after freedom fighter Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi and as Nath Nagri respectively.
159. Uttar Pradesh Government will launch ‘Pink’ air-conditioned buses installed with CCTV cameras exclusively for women, with all women staff.

 

 

August

 

1. 19 acres of land housed around 70 government office buildings in Chattisgarh’s Raipur is being converted into India’s first micro forest to create an oxy-zone, aimed at creating an oxyzone in midst of packed houses in Highly populatedRaipur city.
2. 2030 Water Resources Group (2030WRG) will help Maharashtra Government raise $270 million from Green Climate Fund, which will be invested in integrated watershed programmes such as Jalyukt Shivar Yojana.
   • • GCF is a new fund under UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and 2030WRG is hosted by the International Finance Corporation. It is a public-private-civil society collaboration for water resources reform in developing economies.
3. 3 day annual cultural festival named Fete de Puducherry organised by government in Puducherry in association with South Zone Cultural Centre. It aims to bring to multi-faceted cultural features of various states.
4. A Supreme Court Bench (led by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar) pronounced that individual privacy is a fundamental right protected by Constitution. It Comes under under various fundamental freedoms in PART III of Indian Constitution. With this now India has total seven fundamental rights. Which are -
   • • Right to equality
     • Right to freedom
     • Right against exploitation
     • Right to freedom of religion
     • Cultural and Educational rights
     • Right to constitutional remedies
     • Right to Privacy
5. Aadi Perukku Festival celebrated in Tamilnadu, marking begining of month of Aadi. During this month, Thai and Aadi sun changes directions so it is celebrated Aadi Perukku festival celebrated in Tamilnaduin that way.
6. According to report by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), population estimation of Asian elephant in India is around 27,312. It was first-ever synchronised all-India Elephant Population census that covered 1.10 lakh square kilometres and spanned four regions of - northeast, south, east-central and north.
   • • Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054).
7. Amazon India signed MoU with Telangana Department of Handloom and Textiles, to train and enable weavers and artisans to directly sell their products to Amazon customers across country.
8. An Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) and CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL), to provide for time and frequency traceability services to ISRO by CSIR-NPL.
9. Andhra Pradesh’s Eastern Power Distribution Company (EPDCL) and Southern Power Distribution Corporation of AP (SPDCL) became first state-owned distribution companies in India to accept payments through Bharat QR, As part of ‘Vizag less–cash city’ initiative by Visa and Andhra Pradesh government.
10. Assam Government will launch Scheme for Compassionate Family Pension (CFP), in place of Compassionate Appointment. It is being done as Compassionate Appointment didn’t serve objective due to practical difficulties (Incuding Under qualification and other issues of compassionate Appointee).
11. Bangalore International Airport Ltd and private helicopter service Thumby Aviation partnered to launch HeliTaxi services from Bengaluru Airport, Making Bengaluru Airport first in India to get HeliTaxi service.
12. Bengaluru based social education start-up Meghshala Trust launched Meghshala (‘School on the Cloud’) offline mobile app, supported by Tata Trusts. It empowers teachers with tools to create classroom learning experiences and is preloaded with over 2,500 of Meghashala’s ‘TeachKits’.
13. Bihar government will enforce retirement of non-performing educational personnel above age of 50 years, in view of poor perforamance of academics in state.
14. Cabinet Approvals -
    • • MoU with Myanmar for the Conservation of Earthquake-Damaged Pagodas at Bagan.
      • MOU with Israel on India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F). India and Israel will make contribution of US $4 million (Rs.25 crore) each for Fund, both equivalent amount, annually for 5 years. The fund will be governed by joint Board which will consist of 4 members from each country.
      • MoU with Brazil for cooperation in Zebu Cattle Genomics and Assisted Reproductive Technologies.
      • Joint issueof 2 Commemorative Postage Stamps on India-Canada: Joint Issue on theme "Diwali".
15. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved closure of Andaman & Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation Limited (ANIFPDCL) in Port Blair, to help stop unproductive loans to ANIFPDCL from Gol and would enable a more productive utilization of assets.
16. Congress Government launched subsidized food scheme named Indira Canteen scheme in Bengaluru (Karnataka). In This, Breakfast available for Rs 5, lunch and dinner for Rs 10.
17. Defence Accounts Department (DAD) organized its first Synergy Conference on Defence Pensions in New Delhi.
18. Delhi Assembly passed two amended Bills - Minimum Wages (Delhi) Amendment Bill 2017 and Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) Bill 2017.
    • • NSIT Bill 2017 gives University status to Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology.

Minimum Wages Amendment Bill 2017 hikes minimum wages of workers and puts strict penalties on employers failing to pay minimum wages to workers. It enhances penalty for non-payment of minimum wages from INR 500 to 50000 and increased jail term of 3 years.

19. Delhi Metro opened a facility to recycle waste produced during its demolition and construction work.
20. Delhi Police partnered with cab Aggregator UBER to intensify safety of women in city, enabling Passengers to access Delhi Police’s women safety mobile application ‘Himmat’ via Uber’s Mobile application.
21. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) approved 2 projects for development of industrial clusters at Hindupur and Bobbili in the Andhra Pradesh, under ‘Modified Industrial Infrastructure Up gradation Scheme (MIIUS)’.
22. Drug price regulator National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped the prices of orthopaedic knee implants upto 70% lower than current market rates. It came after World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that osteoarthritis will be 4th largest cause of immobility in globally by 2020.
23. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) signed MoU with Oil Marketing Companies (IOCL, HPCL and BPCL) for distribution of energy efficient appliances under flagship Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and appliances for All (UJALA) scheme. Under this MOU, Consumer can purchase high quality 9W LED Bulbs for Rs 70, 20W LED Tubelight for Rs 220 and Five-Star Rated Ceiling Fan for Rs 1,200.
24. First 3 of 24 fast track courts for Maharashtra in two of its most popular cities - one in Mumbai and 2 in Thane.
25. Gabriel Chundan won 65th edition of Nehru Trophy Boat Race held at Punnamda Lake in Kerala.
26. Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) granted geographical indication (GI) status to Gobindobhog rice, a speciality from Burdwan district of West Bengal. It derives its name from principal ingredient usage in preparation of offerings to Govindajiu, family deity of Setts of Kolkata.
27. Global e-Commerce Firm Amazon partnered with Akshaya Patra Foundation to implement Karnataka Government’s Ksheera Bhagya Scheme. Under this, school children of city would be provided a glass of milk each five days a week.
28. Goa Legislative Assembly passed Goa, Daman and Diu, Preservation of Trees Act 1984. It seeks to reclassify coconut as a tree and ensure legal protection to it.
29. Goverment approved Proposal for Completion of balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project in Bihar stalled since 1993 has been approved. Under revived project, storage of water in Mandal dam to be constructed under it will be will be restricted at lower level than envisaged earlier to reduce submergence and to protect Betla National Park and Palamau Tiger Reserve. 24 MW power project as part of the original design also has been scrapped.
30. Government approved Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal to rename Mughalsarai railway station as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) station.
31. Government approved creation of a single corpus fund known as Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh (MUSK), in which all secondary and higher education cess will be credited and utilised for government’s schemes in education sector.
    • • MUSK will be operationalised as per present arrangements under Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh (PSK) wherein the proceeds of cess are used for Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Schemes.
      • Expenditure on ongoing schemes of the HRD Ministry will be initially incurred from the gross budgetary support (GBS) in any financial year and expenditure will be financed from MUSK only after GBS is exhausted.
32. Government approved norms for establishing equivalence of posts in Government Organizations (PSUs), for claiming benefit of OBC reservations. This will ensure that children of lower category workers in PSUs and other institutions can get benefit of OBC reservations and will prevent treatment of children of OBC individuals in senior positions as non Creamy Layer by wrong interpretation of income.
    • • Cabinet also approved increase inCreamy Layer ceiling of OBCs from Rs 6 lakh per annum to Rs 8 lakh per annum, with increase in Consumer Price Index.
33. Government approved setting up a Commission under article 340 of Constitution to examine issue of sub-categorization of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
34. Government doubled Child Care allowance from Rs 1500 to Rs 3000 for women employees with disabilities, payable will child is 2 years old and shall be payable for maximum of 2 eldest surviving children. Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) also issued orders for the reimbursement of children education allowance, which will be Rs 2,250 per month.
35. Government finalised a new policy for cadre allocation for IAS, IPS and other officers. Now, officers of these services will choose cadres from a set of zones instead of states. Existing 26 state cadres have been divided into 5 zones now.
36. Government has fixed target of installing 60 giga watt (GW) wind power capacity by 2022, up from 32.5 GW capacity currently.
37. Government is developing Tirupati and Vijayawada Airports in Andhra Pradesh as green airports (solar powered).
    • • Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) in Kerala is first airport in the world to be completely powered by solar energy.
38. Government launched e-RaKAM portal as a joint initiative by MSTC and Central Warehousing Corporation. It is a digital initiative that aims to bring together farmers, PSUs, civil supplies and buyers on a single platform to ease selling and buying process of agricultural products.
39. Government will provide 40 5 reservation for girls at 100 Navodaya-type schools and will set up 5 higher education institutes for minority community students.
40. Gujarat became First State to Implement Coal Utilisation after it issued tender for power developers to receive cheap coal marked for state in return for selling coal-based power at less than Rs 2.82 a unit. Through auction, coal allocated to state government's power generating stations will be transferred to more fuel-efficient private power plants. It will reduce cost of fuel for distribution companies and ensure effective distribution of domestic coal.
41. Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated YUVA – Skill Development Programme, an initiative by Delhi Police under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
42. Home Ministry declared entire Assam state as a disturbed area under Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for one more month, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB, and others.
43. Home Ministry merged National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) with Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), to improve administrative efficiency and optimal utilisation of resources for development works related to policing.
44. Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry will conduct National Assessment Survey (NAS) for students of class 3, 5, and 8 on November 13, 2017. Approx 30 lakh students will be assessed in 2017-18,making it world’s largest sample survey of student learning achievement.
45. India's First World Peace University opened in MIT Pune,Following a Global Summit Science and Spirituality for World Peace.
46. India's largest telecom services provider Bharti Airtel partnered with leading global cyber security company Symantec Corp, to serve growing cyber security requirements of businesses in India.
47. Indian Army developed Humraaz mobile application, that allows serving soldiers to track details like postings and promotion.
48. Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad’s (IIM-A) incubator Center for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE)announced AGRI UDAAN - Food and Agribusiness Accelerator 2.0 as a 6 month program to help innovative startups in scaling up their operations in agri value chain for effective improvement in agriculture.
49. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will invest INR 52,000 crores in expanding Paradip refinery in Odisha and setting up petrochemical complex after Odisha State Government agreed to restore part of tax incentives and give INR 700 crore per annum of an interest-free loan for 15 years.
50. Indian Railways announced ePaylater scheme, enabling people to book now & pay later for tickets booked under tatkal quota on IRCTC website. Users may pay the fare within 15 days, with a service charge of 3.5 %.
51. Indian Railways has signed its first EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) contract with Larsen and Toubro (L&T) for electrification of railway lines, valuing INR 1050 crores.
52. India’s first railways disaster management village will come up near Bengaluru (Karnataka) by December 2018, where situations like trains falling into rivers and coaches catching fire will be replicated and mock rescue operations will be carried out in real time.
53. India’s policy think-tank NITI Aayog organized event called Champions of Change, aimed at bringing together young businessmen at a place and share ideas.
54. Infusion Nurses Society (INS) India launched country’s first online course on Infusion Therapy for nurses, during its 6th National conference. Under this, INS aims to train over 3000 nurses in vital medical procedures.
55. Jammu and Kashmir government will State's first Eco-Park on over 34 acres of land reclaimed from encroachers in Rajouri district.
56. Jammu and Kashmir government will spend Rs 1 lakh Cr on development works with special emphasis on education and road connectivity over the next five years.
57. Jharkhand approved Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Bill 2017, that seeks to bring stringent anti-conversion law in place under which forceful or allurement induced religious conversion will be a non-bailable criminal offence.
58. Karnataka Government has launched clouding seeding Project Varshadhari in Bengaluru under which an aircraft will spray chemicals to induce rainfall. Flight for cloud seeding – BQ-100 Beechcraft will spray Silver Iodide, Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride to condense water particles.
59. Karnataka Government signed MoU with software giant Microsoft to develop a unique “farm price forecasting model, as a first-of-its-kind initiative in country. It will aid farmers from states to predict farm prices in advance and deal effectively with the unpredictable market.
60. Kerala government began e-waste disposal project in its state schools with about 12500 kg being disposed on a single day, as an initiative of Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) and Clean Kerala Company.
61. Launch of IRSO’s eight navigation satellite IRNSS-1H onbaord PSLV-C39 from Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) has been unsuccessful.
    • • Heat shield did not separate as a result of which satellite did not complete the 4th stage.
      • IRNSS-1H was being sent to space to replace India’s first navigation satellite IRNSS-1A (launched in July 2013) as its three rubidium atomic clocks on board had stopped functioning.
      • Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is an independent regional system developed by India on par with the US-based GPS, Russia’s Glonass and Galileo developed by Europe. It offers wide services like terrestrial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management visual and voice navigation for drivers. It was named “Navic” (Navigation with Indian Constellation) by PM Narendra Modi.
62. Maharashtra Government launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra initiative aimed at providing job opportunities to unemployed youth in Mumbai.
63. Maharashtra Government launched MahaDBT and MahaVASTU portals to streamline process of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
    • • MahaDBT portal is an Aadhaar-aunthenticated electronic mechanism that will enable direct transfer of benefits for over 40 schemes implemented by various departments.
      • MahaVASTU is an Online Building Permission Management System with an electronic workflow for sanctioning building approvals with full transparency.
64. Manipur’s Nungthaang Tampak village has emerged as India's 2nd and North East's 1st 100 % computer literate village. Kerala’s Chamravattom village is the country’s first 100 % computer literate village.
65. Microsoft tied up with Telangana Government to use its artificial intelligence-based MINE (Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare) platform to screen children for eye problems and prevent avoidable blindness.
66. Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal launched Common Food Processing Incubation Center for Shallots (Small Onions) in Chettikulam village in Perambalur District of Tamil Nadu.
    • • Perambalur is the hub for small onions (Shallots) cultivation in over 8000 hectares producing around 65,000 to 70,000 tonnes every year. Farmers reported massive losses due to conventional methods of handling and storage.
67. Minister of State for HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey launched Indian National Anthem video in sign language, Directed by filmmaker Govind Nihalani (3 mins duration), Featuring Actor Amitabh Bachchan.
68. Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers constituted a committee of joint secretaries for ensuring enhanced affordability, availability and accessibility of drugs for the citizens. It will suggest ways to make pricing policy in favour of poor patients.
69. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation released Swachh Survekshan Gramin 2017 to assess progress Swachh Bharat Mission in rural India, undertaken by Quality Council of India (QCI). It covered 4626 villages across nation.
    • • Report stated that 62.45% of the households have access to a toilet and Sanitation Coverage has increased from 39% in October 2016 to 66% in August 2017.
      • Big States - Kerala, Haryana and Gujarat are top performers while Bihar (30% coverage) and Uttar Pradesh (37%), Jharkhand (37%) are worst performers in terms of rural sanitation.
70. Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will launch Deep Ocean Mission by January 2018 to spur research activities in ocean science and develop technology to harness ocean resources.
71. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) launched first phase of National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) , to scan country’s web traffic to detect cyber security threats.
    • • NCCC is implemented by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and works as per provisions of section 69B of Information Technology Act 2000.
72. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign aimed at reducing adverse environmental conditions especially pollution in country after post Diwali celebrations due to excessive bursting of crackers.
73. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) launched country’s first Videsh Bhavan by assimilating all Regional Passport Offices and allied departments under a single roof at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai (Maharashtra). It will cut operating costs and increase efficiency.
74. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched second phase of measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign to reduce measles morbidity and mortality. This phase covers 8 states and union territories.
75. Ministry of Home Affairs launched digital police portal under Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems Project (CCTNS), as a smart policing initiative to aid efficient police investigation. Digital police portal is a platform for citizens to file online crime related complaints and also request for antecedent verification.
76. Ministry of Shipping will expand Logistics Data Bank (LDB) project to southern region, that is So far being used only in western part since its launch at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Mumbai) in July 2016.
    • • LDB project uses Information Technology to make logistics sector more efficient. Under this, every container is attached to a Radio Frequency Identification Tag (RFID) tag and tracked through RFID readers. LDB project covers entire movement of containers through rail or road till Inland Container Depot and Container Freight Station.
77. Ministry of Women and Child Development organize Women of India Festival at Dilli Haat in New Delhi in October 2017.
78. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports launched National Sports Talent Search Portal, to ease up process of finding sporting talent from across nation. It will enable any person to upload their information through a simple procedure.
79. NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog partnered with 3 states each to radically transform their Health and Education sectors under its Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital (SATH) initiative. Shortlisted states for health sector are Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka while Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha are selected for transforming their education sector.
80. NITI Aayog launched Ease of Doing Business report based on an Enterprise Survey of 3,500 manufacturing firms across India, to assess business regulations and enabling environment across India from firms’ perspective. Major findings -
    • • Economic Performance and Reforms - More economic activity and better performance in several business indicators are correlated.
      • Improvements over time - Younger firms (established after 2014) report more favorable business environment as they take less time in obtaining approvals than older firms
      • Informational gaps - States need to enhance awareness of steps being undertaken by them to improve ease of doing business. For Exaple, only 20% of start-ups use single window facilities introduced by state governments for setting up a business.Even only 41 % of experts know about such facilities.
      • Labor regulations as bigger constraint for labor intensive firms - Labor intensive sectors that create comparatively more jobs per unit of capital investment, are more constrained by labor related regulations
      • Barriers to firm growth - The experience of firms with fewer employees is different from that of larger firms. Sometimes, large firms face more regulatory barriers than smaller firms.
81. National Conference on Insolvency and Bankruptcy: Changing Paradigm held in Mumbai, aimed at facilitating better understanding of intricacies of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
82. National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) launched a web portal (ncertbooks.ncert.gov.in) to enable schools and individuals to place orders for their books online. Portal will ensure better distribution of NCERT textbooks across country.
83. National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed ban on use of non-biodegradable plastic bags which are less than 50 microns in national capital Delhi.
84. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched mobile Apps MyFASTag and FASTag Partner to facilitate availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) project.
85. National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has launched Mentor India Campaign, a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders for guiding and mentoring students at Atal Tinkering Labs. Under this, NITI Aayog is looking for leaders who can spend one to two hours a week in Atal Tinkering labs, to enable students learn future skills of computational thinking.
86. National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog suggested establishment of judicial performance index (JPI) to check delay in finalisation of cases in lower judiciary (district and subordinate courts). It was suggested As part of ‘Three Year Action Agenda (2017-20) recommendations for reforms to expedite justice delivery system. Note that approx 3 crore cases have been pending for years in lower courts.
87. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Google launched Android Skill Development Programme to impart mobile app development training on Android and Web platform and improve quality of mobile app development ecosystem in India.
88. New Metro Rail Policy has been approved, based on Make in India and with several key features -
    • • Policy promotes private investments across a range of metro operations making PPP component mandatory for availing central assistance for new metro projects.
      • It will be Necessary to provide last mile connectivity to metro Stations through feeder services, Non-Motorised Transport infrastructure like walking and cycling pathways and para-transport facilities.
      • To ensure that least cost mass transit mode is selected for public transport, new policy mandates evaluation of other modes of mass transit like BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System), Light Rail Transit, Tramways etc Setting up Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) has been made mandatory which is to prepare Comprehensive Mobility Plans for cities.
      • Policy stipulated a shift from present ‘Financial Internal Rate of Return of 8%’ to ‘Economic Internal Rate of Return of 14%’ for approving metro projects, in line with global practices.
      • New policy empowers States to make regulations and set up permanent Fare Fixation Authority for timely revision of fares.
      • Policy envisages private sector participation in O & M of metro services in different ways -
        1. Cost plus fee contract - Private operator is paid a monthly/annual payment for O&M of system. Operational and revenue risk is borne by the owner
        2. Gross Cost Contract - Private operator is paid a fixed sum for duration of the contract. Operator to bear O&M risk while the owner bears the revenue risk.
        3. Net Cost Contract - Operator collects complete revenue generated for services provided.
      • At present, metro projects with a total length of 370 kms are operational in 8 cities - Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Gurugram.
89. Nuakhai Agriculture Festival observed by people of Western Odisha, aimed at welcoming new rice of season. It is also observed in adjoing areas of Simdega in Jharkhand
90. Odisha Government launched a grid-connected rooftop solar programme through net-metering system at State Secretariat in Bhubaneswar, aimed at harnessing renewable solar capacity through people’s participation to further strengthen grid and benefit public.
91. Odisha Government will launch Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMON) as a special programme to prevent spread of malaria in remote areas of Ganjam district.
92. Odisha government and Facebook launched ‘SheMeansBusiness’ programme to train women entrepreneurs in state under Project Mission Shakti.
93. PM Narendra Modi announced INR 100 crores corpus to find a permanent solution to Flood issues in North-Eastern states. He also announced INR 2350 crores as an immediate aid, after reviewing flood situations in North Eastern states.
94. PM Narendra Modi announced launching of 15-days 'Cleanliness is Service' campaign ahead of Gandhi Jayanti 2017 (October 2, 2017).
95. PM Narendra Modi dedicated to nation 11 completed highway projects in Rajasthan, covering a total length of about 873 kilometres and total expenses approx INR 15000 crores.
96. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture observed that Impact of Climate change on agriculture includes -
    • • Decrease in Productivity of major crops such as wheat, rice, oilseeds, pulses, fruits and vegetables.
      • Food Security - By 2030, India may need 70 million tonnes more of foodgrains than the expected production in 2016-17.
      • Projected food demand of 345 million tonnes (MT) by 2030, 30% higher than in 2011.
      • Economic Losses of about $9-10 billion annually due to extreme weather events.
      • Improve in Yields - Though most crops will see reduced production, but climate change may also help improve yields of soyabean, chickpea, groundnut, coconut (western coast) and potato (in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh).
97. Punjab government joined hands with World Bank to set up India’s first ever official Partition museum at Amritsar.
    • • Note that central Government also recently announced to establish National Sports Museum at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
98. Rajasthan government and HPCL will form a joint venture company - HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL), for Barmer petroleum refinery and petrochemical complex. State government will have 26% and HPCL will have 74 % of partnership. Refinery would be set up in 4,813 acres of land and 270 MW power would be generated from waste petcoke generated from refinery.
99. Smriti Irani inaugurated Jharkhand’s first textiles manufacturing and export unit ‘Orient Craft Ltd’.
100. State government of Assam will distribute 13 lakh Soil Health Cards among farmers.
     • • Soil Health Card Scheme is launched by Government of India in February 2015. Under this, government issues soil cards to farmers which will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilisers required for the individual farms to help farmers to improve productivity through judicious use of inputs.
101. State government of Bihar released INR 1935 Crores to undertake relief operations in flood affected areas of state.
102. Supreme Court ruled that insurance companies will not renew insurance of a vehicle unless owner provides pollution under control (PUC) certificate.
103. Tata Memorial Centre partenered with Indian Dental Association (IDA) to initiate India’s first digital initiative for prevention and early detection of oral cancer.
104. Telangana Government and World Resources Institute (WRI) launched Smart Streets Lab program aimed at carving out innovative road and women safety solutions in Hyderabad.
105. Telangana Government initiated an INR 2000 crores project to modernize Sriram Sagar project that has potential to serve several districts in state.
106. To end issue of Triple Talaq in Muslim community, five judges bench (of five faiths) of Supreme Court struck down validity of triple talaq by a majority of 3:2, stating that Triple Talaq violates fundamental right of Muslim women as it irrevocably ends marriage without any chance of reconciliation.
107. To prevent adulteration and revenue leakage, Assam government has decided that country liquor would be grain-based, undergo chemical tests and be branded and make it mandatory for bottles to sport a hologram as in the case of IMFL.
108. To promote cruise tourism in India, The dawn of cruise tourism in India event held in Mumbai.
109. UIDAI partnered with CSC India for launching door step enrolment facility in DELHI for elderly and patients who cannot travel to Aadhar centers.
110. Uttar Pradesh Government launched Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra awareness driver, to focus on cleanliness along 1025 KMs long banks of Ganga river. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) also approved 10 projects in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal of approx INR 2033 crores.
111. Uttar Pradesh government ended interviews for selection of candidates for government jobs in all non-gazetted posts of Group B, C and D categories. However, for recruitment of gazetted officers in Class II category, Interview will be a must.
112. e-Commerce Firm Amazon launched virtual customer service (VCS) as an initiative to create cost efficient employment prospects for skilled candidates seeking more flexible work opportunities. It will help many people resume their career and find an earning with comfort of being at home.

 

                                                            September

 

 

1. 10th Medical Technology Conference organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi.
2. 13th Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) celebrated in New Delhi with theme School Safety.
3. 3 Government PSUs - National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Hindustan Copper (HCL) and Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) signed MoU to form a joint venture Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (Kabil) -
   • KABIL will identify, explore, acquire, develop and process minerals overseas for commercial use and to meet domestic supply needs. It will deal with 12 strategic minerals that are not available in India or available in a very low quantity.
4. 3rd India International Science Festival (IISF-2017) will be held in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) in October 2017, organised by Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).
5. 3rd Women of India Organic Festival held at Dilli Haat in New Delhi, aimed at promoting women entrepreneurs and farmers in organic sector.
6. 600-year-old Walled City in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad has been formally accorded status of India’s first World Heritage City by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
   • Walled city was founded in 15th century by Ahmed Shah of Gujarat Sultanate, on eastern bank of Sabarmati River. It presents rich architectural heritage from sultanate period.
   • It is India's first city to get World Heritage status, 3rd in Asia after Bhaktapur (Nepal) and Galle (Sri Lanka). India now has total 36 World Heritage Inscriptions 28 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed site.
7. 6th Edition of 4-day international textile and apparel fair named VASTRA organized in Jaipur (Rajasthan).
8. Bandhan Tod app launched by Bihar Government as a unique initiative of Gender Alliance’s strategy to end child marriage and dowry in state.
9. Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment launched Divyang Sarathi mobile app for easy dissemination of information to ‘Divyangjans’.
10. According to recently released SRS bulletin, India has registered a significant decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). IMR has declined by 3 points (8% decline), from 37 per 1000 births in 2015 to 34 per 1000 births in 2016.
11. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority(APEDA) developed Hortinet mobile app for farmers to facilitate registration, testing and certification of certain fruits and vegetables.
12. American e-commerce company Amazon opened its largest fulfillment center (FC) in India at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad (Telangana).
13. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu declared Friday as Day of Helping Hand, when he will meet with poor and underprivileged people and hear their grievances and try to resolve them.
14. Andhra Pradesh Government announced new programme Jala Siriki Haarati, aimed at offering prayers to water bodies and to create awareness among public regarding water preservation.
15. Andhra Pradesh Government declared 2017 as e-Pragati year, to promote real-time governance.
16. Andhra Pradesh Government released People First mobile grievance redressal app, to enable people to register complaints about government services and schemes by dialing 1100.
17. Andhra Pradesh Governmet announced that transgender community can avail government schemes and Andhra Pradesh will be declared ODF by March 2018.
18. Andhra Pradesh government signed MoU with USA-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT)to build India’s first Hyperloop system, aimed at connecting Amaravati and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh by covering 35 km in just 5 minutes.
19. Andhra Pradesh state Government will build 5.4 lakh affordable houses in urban areas of State under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in next 15 months.
20. Archaeologists discovered an ancient Buddhist site dating back to 1st century AD, in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
21. As per reports, Parali I island (Lakshadweep) has disappeared due to coastal erosion and another four such islands in Lakshadweep sea are shrinking fast.
22. Assam Government extended term of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and declared entire state a Disturbed Area for six more months. This is first time that a state government has extended AFSPA and Disturbed Area provision on its own. Previously, AFSPA provisions were always extended by Central Government.
23. Assam government has set up a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Cell for implementation of DBT across various schemes, to coordinate efforts at the state level in taking DBT initiative forward.
24. Assam government signed MoU with Google India to take Internet connectivity to remote areas. Google will provide Internet connection to 26,000 villages and 1,500 tea garden areas to increase digital literacy. Gujarat government also signed MoU with Google for ‘Digital Gujarat’ movement.
25. Assam government will provide skill development training to around 30,000 surrendered militants and over 24000 Assamese youth under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojna.
26. Assam passed Industrial Disputes (Assam Amendment) Bill 2017 regarding lay off of employees. It enables employers to lay off up to 300 employees without prior permission from government. Government also increased compensation of a labourer from 15 days salary to up to 60 days salary, in case of lay off.
27. Assam state Assembly passed PRANAM(Parental Responsibility And Norms for Accountability and Monitoring ) bill, making it mandatory for state government employees to take care of their parents and needy siblings. Assam is the first state to approve such a legislation. Government will deduct 10-15 % of salary of employee and give it to the parents for their survival, if not taken care by employee.
28. Assam state government will set up a well-equipped skill city with a capacity of 10000 training seats in state, to give skill development training to 30000 former militants as announced earlier. Assam government will upgrade employment exchanges to Modern Career Centres.
29. Ayurveda sytudents from across country have set a new Guinness World Record for maximum number of people receiving ‘nasya panchakarma’ treatment at 1st Rashtriya Ayurved Yuva Mahotsav organised by National Ayurveda Student Youth Association (NASYA) at National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) in Jaipur.
30. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) signed MoU with Chinese gear maker ZTE to work on Pre5G and 5G wireless systems to make a virtual network architecture of a 5G ecosystem for research and commercialization in India.
    • BSNL also signed MOU with Aeris Communications to provide packaged Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services to small, medium businesses and public sector undertakings (PSUs) in India.
31. Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) approved implementation of umbrella scheme of Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) for 2017 - 2020 It is biggest ever internal security scheme in country and has financial outlay of INR 25,060 crore out of which Central Government share will be Rs.18,636 crore and states’ share will be Rs.6,424 crores.
32. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved surveying 48,243 Line Kilometer (LKM) 2D seismic data for appraisal of Indian sedimentary basins where limited data is available.
    • Sedimentary basin is a low area in the Earth’s crust, of tectonic origin, in which sediments accumulate. India has total 26 sedimentary basins covering area of 3.14 Million Sq Km (MSK). 48% of total sedimentary basin area (about 1.502 MSK) does not have adequate geo-scientific data.
    • project will be implemented by Oil India Limited (OIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and is to be completed by 2019-20.
33. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) extended period Special Industry Initiative for J&K” (Sll J&K)- Udaan Scheme till December 2018. UDAAN Scheme is national integration scheme with goal to mainstream J&K youth with rest of country.
34. Cell for IPR Promotions & Management (CIPAM) under Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) launched social media campaign to promote Indian Geographical Indications (GIs) with Has tag #LetsTalkIP, to make more people aware about importance of Intellectual Property Rights.
    • A Geographical Indication is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin., eg. Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur etc. GIs are important as they are an integral part of India’s rich culture and collective intellectual heritage.
35. Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) launched monthly Jan Sampark program to enable public to interact with its officials to obtain information related to child adoption.
36. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) signed Agreement with Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru for Development of ground water flow models and preparation of aquifer management plans for parts of Karnataka.
37. Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh launched Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shram Anna Sahayata Yojna, under which nutritious meal will be provided to laborers at price of INR 5.
38. Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CGECB) ordered closure of1200 MW thermal power plant of Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) in Korba district, due to ash slurry water from damaged ash dam polluting water of a Belgiri nullah passing near plant that drains into Hasdeo river.
39. Chhattisgarh High Court ordered state government to grant books and uniform instead of cash to Below Poverty Line (BPL) students studying in private schools under Right to education, in place of current arrengement of prioviding INR 650 per year as cash grant.
40. Dabur India has tied up with e-commerce Firm Amazon for online Ayurveda marketplace which will house all ayurvedic brands and products of country.
41. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion organized second State Startup Conference in New Delhi.
42. Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) will procure 10,000 electric vehicles (EVs) from Tata Motors, as world’s largest single electric vehicle procurement. Tata Motors quoted lowest price of Rs 10.16 lakh exclusive of GST in the competitive bidding. Procurement will be in Phases - 500 e-cars in first phase in November 2017 and remaining 9,500 EVs in second phase.
43. FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal inaugurated Nestle Food Safety Institute in Manesar (Gurugram), as first such institute in India. Nestle already runs a similar Institute each in China and Lausanne, Switzerland.
44. First National Canine Seminar organized by National Security Guard (NSG) in Manesar (Haryana).
45. First e-court of Jammu and Kashmir insugurated in Srinagar, as first paperless court of Jammu and Kashmir. It will use digitised case records, thus paper usage and space requirements would be reduced to a great extent.
46. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched FoSCoRIS as an online platform to bring in transparency in food safety inspection and sampling. It will help in verifying compliance of food safety and hygiene standards by food businesses as per government norms.
47. Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launched Mission-24, a programme to improve quality of life in Mumbai’s poorest wards through collaborative efforts in next 24 months.
48. Government declared urban Maharashtra open defecation free (ODF) under he Swacch Bharat Mission. Maharashtra is third big state after Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh to become Open Defecation Free in urban areas.
49. Government allowed import of 3 lakh tonnes of raw sugar at a concessional duty of 25% import duty under Open General License (Tariff Rate Quota).
50. Government approved merger and modernization of 17 Government of India Press Units (GIPs) into 5 GIPs located at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Minto Road and Mayapuri in New Delhi, Nashik (Maharashtra) and Temple Street (Kolkata, West Bengal).
51. Government approved revamped Khelo India programme for period 2017-18 to 2019-20, aimed at mainstreaming sport as tool for development.
    • Pan India Sports Scholarship scheme - It will cover 1,000 most talented young athletes each year, with Each athlete receiving annual scholarship of INR 5 lakh for 8 consecutive years.
    • Sports Universities - 20 universities across country will be promoted as hubs of sporting excellence.
    • National physical fitness drive - It will cover about 20 Crore children in age group of 10-18 and will support their fitness related activities.
52. Government constituted High Level 5G India 2020 Forum to take on the global tech powers, constiting of high profile Goverment representatives and domain experts.
53. Government has undertaken drive to rationalize 38 Labour Acts by framing 4 labour codes viz Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Code on Industrial Relations and Code on occupational safety, health and working conditions. It will ease up the process by synchronizing varius labour Laws.
    • Code on Wages Bill 2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha recently and It repeals 4 existing Laws - Minimum Wages Act 1948, Payment of Wages Act 1936, Equal Remuneration Act 1976 and Payment of Bonus Act 1965.
54. Government released Swachta Ranking 2017 of Higher Educational Institutions -
    • University - O. P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat (Haryana)
    • Colleges - Kongu Arts and Science College, Erode (Tamilnadu)
    • Technical institutions - Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore (Tamilnadu)
    • Government institutions - G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand)
55. Government ruled that all mobile phones unlinked with Aadhaar numbers will be deactivated after February 2018.
56. Government will provide up to Rs 60000 crore to Maharashtra in next 2 years for river-linking and irrigation projects to tackle the recurring water crisis.
57. Government will safeguard fast-eroding Majuli island in Assam (world’s largest riverine island) using research carried out on floating Brahmaputra Biodiversity and Biology Boat (B4) labs along Brahmaputra River.
58. Government's Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued alert on spread of new malware “Locky Ransomware” that can lock computers and demand ransom for unlocking them.
59. Gujarat Government launched Gyakunj e-class project aimed at producing world-class students through interactive e-classes. Outlay of project is 36 Crores and 550 schools are covered In first phase.
60. Gujarat Government, Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and 3 leading dairies signed MOU to save children of Anganwadi from malnutrition. Nutritive food will be provided to over 42 lakh children of 53029 Anganwadies, pregnant-mothers, foster mothers and young girls under Take Home Ration scheme.
61. Gujarat will become first big state to use Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) equipped with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in coming Assembly elections to make election process more transparent.
62. Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh inaugurated first phase of 65 MW Kashang Hydel Project in tribal Kinnaur district. It is a 195 MW project ( three units of 65 MW each).
63. Himachal Pradesh Goverment will provide monthly honorarium of INR 2500 to 'Jal Rakshaks'. Additionally, Qualified Jal Rakshaks with ITI diplomas will be given quota for pump operators and fitters and Those with matric and 12 years of experience will be inducted against post of Chowkidar and pump attendants.
64. Himachal Pradesh government launched first-of-its-kind in Nation electric bus service in ecologically fragile 51 km – long stretch between Manali and Rohtang Pass.
65. Home Minister Rajnath Singh and UP CM Yogi Adityanath flagged off commercial operatios of Lucknow Metro, on 8.5-km corridor from Transport Nagar to Charbagh.
66. Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal at National Conference on Child Labour organised in New Delhi, aiming to achieve target of child labour free society
67. Home Ministry opened two Zorinpui and Kawrpuichhuah immigration check posts along borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh Respectively.
68. Home Ministry will soon grant citizenship to nearly 1 lakh Chakma and Hajong refugees, who came from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1960s and are living in northeast. Chakmas and Hajongs were residents of Chittagong Hill Tracts in erstwhile East Pakistan and had fleed after their land was submerged by Kaptai dam project in 1960s. Chakmas are Buddhists by faith and Hajongs are Hindus.
69. Hurun India Rich List 2017 -
    • Mukesh Ambani retains the richest Indian title for sixth year (worth of 257,900 crores).
    • Patanjali Ayurved CEO Acharya Balkrishna named among India’s top 10 richest people for first time, with wealth of over 70000 crores.
70. India started producing Civet Coffee as most expensive coffee in worldm in Karnataka.
    • It is made from feces of a species of cat called ‘Civet Cat’.
    • One kilogram of this coffee sells for Rs.8000 in India and at Rs.20,000 to Rs.25,000 in abroad.
71. Indian Army and Jamia Millia Islamia University (New Delhi) parttnered for academic collaboration, technical advancement and progression of Army Personnel.
72. Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM-L) and Yes Bank tied up, aiming to enhance Climate Literacy among people.
73. Indian Railways permitted passengers to show m-Aadhaar, digital version of Aadhaar card, as proof of identity in any reserved class. For this, Passenger has to open the app and enter password to show the card.
74. Indian Railways will introduce 100 additional local train services on its Mumbai suburban network of Western Railway (32 services) and Central Railway zones (68 services), giving major boost to suburban rail services in Mumbai area.
75. India’s Zero Hunger Programme through interventions in farm sector will be launched on occasion of World Food Day (October 16, 2017). It consists of organisations of farming system for nutrition, setting up genetic gardens for biofortified plants and initiation of ‘Zero Hunger’ training.
    • A genetic garden for biofortified plants contains germplasm of naturally biofortified crops through plant breeding. It has plants and crops that help supplement micro-nutrient deficiencies, including iron, zinc, vitamin A and iodine among others.
    • Programme will be launched in 3 districts – Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Koraput (Odisha) and Thane (Maharashtra).
76. India’s first Centre for Animal Law has been established at NALSAR University of Law (Hyderabad), inaugurated by Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi. It will create curriculum on animal welfare laws, including developing topics for research.
77. India’s first advanced virology laboratory inaugurated at Anjali Chatterjee Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy in Kolkata (West Bengal), for developing new drugs and technologies in Homoeopathy to combat emerging challenges of viral diseases.
78. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) registered National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) as first Information Utility (IU) under IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations 2017. S. Ramann is appointed as Managind Director of NESL.
79. International NGO Safe Water Network partnered with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to launch water ATMs, providing safe water access in Hyderabad. The initiative is supported by USAID under Urban WaSH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Alliance Partnership and funded by Honeywell India.
80. Jammu and Kashmir government inaugurated 2nd International Yoga Festival and International Yoga Sports Championship 2017.
81. Jharkhand Government launched Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana, aimed at developing villages of freedom fighters in state.
82. Karnataka Department of Information Technology (IT) and Biotechnology (BT) signed MoU with Finland, called Karnataka–Finland Innovation Corridor.
83. Karnataka Government launched Nava Karnataka 2025 or Vision 2025 for charting out a development roadmap for next seven years, covering 13 sectors identified for rapid development.
84. Karnataka became first state to roll out an Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy that looks not only at boosting sales of Electrical Vehicles, but also setting up charging infrastructure and special manufacturing zones.
85. Karnataka government merged existing 7 health schemes to launch a unified health scheme Arogya Bhagya, aiming at Treatment First and Payment Next.
86. Karnataka government will provide free eduation for all girls from Class 1 to graduation level in all public and aided private schools and colleges from next academic year.
87. Kerala Tourism department launched campaign called Yalla Kerala (Yalla means lets go). to target tourists from Arab Nations (Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar).
88. Kerala will soon open India’s first transgender-exclusive clinics at government medical colleges across state.
89. Kochi (Kerala) will host 5th Coastal Shipping and Inland Water Transportation Business Summit 2017.
90. Maharashtra Government and Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetables (subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board) signed lease agreement to set up a state-of-the-art milk and milk products processing plant.
91. Maharashtra Government launched Maharashtra Mission 1 Million initiative under which over 10 lakh students across state will be encouraged to play football.
92. Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad launched nation-wide hackathon #OpenGovDataHack, As part of Startup Eco-system Development program.
93. Minister of Railways announced various decisions for Transformation of Indian Railways -
    • Highest priority to passenger safety - Eliminating 5000 unmanned crossings by 2018, Shift to LHB coaches from ICF coaches, Use of MTRC (Mobile Train Radio Communication) and TPWS (Train Protection & Warning System). RPF staff will not be allowed to check tickets, which is the function of TTEs.
    • Transforming through technology - Use of mobile apps for monitoring passenger services, wi-fi connectivity and increase speed of around 700 trains, GPS based tracking of rail movement.
    • Energy efficiency - Complete electrification by 2022 to save INR 10,000 crores.
    • Faster Redevelopment of stations
    • Railway Stations with less trains to be developed as Multi-utility centres
    • Focus on welfare of field staff - Improving working conditions of Group D employees that work hard is to ensure track safety.
    • Railways will work with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to devise safety mechanisms to make travel by trains safer.
94. Minister of State (IC) for AYUSH, Shripad Naik inaugurated Regional Research Institute of Homoeopathy (RRI) in Agartala (Tripura).
95. Ministry of Civil Aviation issued rules to tackle misbehaviour by passengers, by forming national No Fly List of such unruly passengers. DGCA revised relevant sections of Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), in accordance with Tokyo Convention 1963. It defines three categories of unruly behavior -
    • Level 1 - Behaviour that is verbally unruly, calls for debarment upto 3 months
    • Level 2 - Physical unruliness and can lead to debarment for upto 6 months
    • Level 3 - Life-threatening behaviour would attract minimum 2 years ban.
96. Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched Wood is Good Campaign under Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-Plus). It was launched during conference on Sustainable landscapes and forest ecosystems: Theory to Practice held in New Delhi.
97. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2016, that will replace Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 to address issues related to conservation and development of wetlands in a comprehensive manner. Highlights of new rules -
    • Wetlands shall be conserved in accordance with the principle of ‘wise use’ for maintaining their ecological integrity.
    • Rules prohibit any diversion to natural water inflows and outflows of wetland.
    • Wetland Authority will be set up by State Governments or UTs (headed by State Chief Minister) to deal with wetland conservation, regulation and management.
98. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched 2 new free contraceptives Antara and Chayya in 10 states under Mission ParivarVikas. Antara is injectable contraceptive (effective for 3 months) where Chayya is contraceptive pill (effective for 1 week).
99. Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises extended Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) - India scheme by 6 months to promote electric and hybrid vehicles. Phase 1 was effective from April 2015 to March 2017, but received 6 month extension till September 2017. Now it has been further extended till up to March 31, 2018.
100. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched country-wide Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat scheme to distribute LPG connections among rural areas where conventional fuel is used for domestic purposes.
101. Ministry of Science & Technology launched Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana to implement appropriate S&T interventions for sustainable development through cluster approach in Uttarakhand.
     • Under This, Department of Science and Technology (DST) will adopt few clusters of villages in Uttarakhand and transform them to become self-sustainable in time bound manner.
102. Ministry of Shipping renamed Kandla Port Trust (Gujarat) as Deendayal Port Trust, using powers conferred on it under Indian Ports Act 1908.
103. Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation constituted task force for speedy implementation of various ongoing Namami Gange programme.
104. Ministry of Women and Child Development held first National Conference on Mission Mode to address Under-Nutrition in country in New Delhi, keeping in mind goal of Malnutrition Free India-2022.
105. Music video prepared by Telangana Jagruthi to celebrate 9 day Bathukamma festival has been released.
106. NBCC obtained license by World Trade Centre (New York) to develop a commercial project as ‘World Trade Centre’ at Nauroji Nagar in New Delhi .This project would be completed by 2020.
107. NITI Aayog launched National Nutrition Strategy aimed at Kuposhan Mukt Bharat (terminating malnutrition), by bringing nutrition to center-stage of National Development Agenda.
108. National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute signed MoU with Ludhiana based Bonn Food Industries to promote coloured wheat with antioxidant qualities beneficial for control of diabetes, cholesterol and obesity.
109. National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s SATH (Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital) Program was launched in Assam. SATH program aims to provide structured support to Assam in identifying key health priorities and implement solutions towards transforming the health and improving the well-being of people of state.
110. National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) signed MoU with Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) to encourage start-up in manufacturing & technology driven sectors.
111. Nationwide health campaign to sensitise women about early screening and the preventive care for cancer has been launched with Theme Nurturing the Nurturer. It is launched by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) in partnership with Apollo Hospitals.
112. Newton will be India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at Oscars 2018, starring Raj Kumar Rao and directed by Amit Masurkar.
     • It was chosen by Film Federation of India’s selection committee headed by Telugu producer C V Reddy.
113. North East Calling festival held in New Delhi, aimed at increasing investment opportunities in North East.
114. North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) will commision important hydro-electric projects in Arunachal Pradesh in 2018 - 600 MW Kameng Hydro Electric Project and 110 MW Pare Hydro Electric Project.
115. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik states 4th Government medical college, as Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLNMCH) in tribal-dominated koraput district of southern Odisha.
116. Odisha Government launched Sampurna (Sishu Abond Matru Mrityuhara Purna Nirakaran Abhijan) Yojna for pregnant women. Under this, government will provide INR 1000 as transport cost for pregnant women to travel to hospital.
117. Odisha approved establishment of Handlooms and Handicrafts Development and Promotion Council in capital Bhubaneswar, to improve growth of handlooms and handicrafts sectors.
118. Odisha government approved launching first Odia language university for post-graduation in literature and linguistics among other subjects. It will be established in Bhubaneswar and will also carve out ways to make Odia script more adaptable to technology.
119. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) discovered oil in WO-24-3 well located west of Mumbai High fields in Arabian Sea, estimated to hold reserve of 20 million tonnes. Mumbai Oil Field currently produces 205,000 barrels of oil per day (just over 10 million tonnes per annum).
120. PM Narendra Modi launched Sardar Sarovar Dam, (world’s second biggest and India's Biggest Dam) on the river Narmada in Gujarat.
     • It is 1.2-km-long and 163 metres deep. It will irrigate over 18 lakh hectares in state.
     • Before this, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani had flagged off a statewide Narmada Mahotsav Yatra from Surendranagar district.
     • Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra and Rajasthan will receive water and electricity supplied from dam.
     • Grand Coulee Dam in USA is world's biggest Dam.
121. PM Narendra Modi released a postage stamp on different aspects of Lord Ram’s life at historic Tulsi Manas Mandir Varanasi.
122. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) enhanced upper age limit for joining National Pension Scheme (NPS) to 65 years (from 60 currently).
123. President Ram Nath Kovind launched nation-wide campaign Swachhata Hi Sewa from Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh).
124. President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated Shirdi airport in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and flagged off inaugural flight of Alliance Air from Shirdi to Mumbai.
125. President Ramnath Kovind laid foundation stone for link-4 of Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation Scheme (SAUNI) Yojana .
     • SAUNI is multipurpose project that aims to solve water problems of parched Saurashtra region of Gujarat. It was launched by PM Narendra Modi during his tenure as Gujarat CM.
     • It aims to fill up 115 major dams in Saurashtra by diverting overflow of water from Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada River.
     • Its unique feature is making pipe canals instead of conventional open canals which led to no acquisition of land and less loss of water.
     • It has network of canals comprising 1,125-km network of pipelines that will help to channel water into farms.
126. Puducherry Government banned use of plastic packaging materials of less than 51 microns as these were found to be injurious to health.
127. Railway board ruled that passengers in reserved coaches can only sleep between 10 pm and 6 am to allow others to sit in seats for rest of the time (earlier 9 pm and 6 am).
128. Rajasthan government announced Rs 20000 crore farm-loan waiver and waive as it agreed to waive of loans for farmers up to INR 50000.
129. Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution launched Web Portal of Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) & Electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-NWR) System
     • e-NWRs would have no chances of any tempering, mutilation, fudging, loss or damage and with no possibility of any multiple financing.
     • e-NWRs will save expenditure in logistics as stocks could be traded through multiple buyers without physical movement and can be even split for partial transfer or withdrawal.
130. Reliance Energy launched digital assistance robot ELEKTRA, that provides automated responses to customers for their queries and requests.
131. Restaurant discovery and food delivery firm Zomato acquired logistics startup Runnr.
132. Sep 25, 2017 - Birth Anniversary of Social Reformer Deendayal Upadhyaya. Known for his role in shaping up present day Bharatiya Janata Party. Uttar Pradesh government released 100 inmates from various jails of state on this occasion. PM Narendra Modi launched SAUBHAGYA scheme On this occasion. With details -
     • Saubhagya (Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) aims at bringing electricity for every household in country by March 31, 2019. No price will be charged for the poor to get an electricity connection and the government will bear expected INR 16,320 crores cost of giving electricity connections to the 4 crore households in country. Electricity connections will be given to APL (Above Poverty Line) families for Rs 500, which will be payable in 10 equal monthly instalments.
     • PM Narendra Modi also inaugurated Deendayal Hastkala Sankul trade facilitation centre and Crafts Museum for handicrafts at Varanasi. It will facilitate weavers/artisans/exporters in promotion of handlooms and handicrafts in domestic and international markets.
     • He also flagged off Varanasi-Vadodara as country’s third Mahamana Express.
133. Seven North-East Indian states will launch Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) to focus on select urban areas and other pockets where immunization coverage has been low. Under it, Government aims to reach every child under 2 years and pregnant women with all available vaccines under Universal Immunization Programme by 2018.
134. Suzuki Motors will invest over INR 1150 crores along with Japanese partners Toshiba and Denso to set up India’s first lithium-ion battery facility in Gujarat.
135. Telangana Forest Department re-introduced endangered species mouse deer in forests of Nallamalla in Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) at Nehru Zoological Park (Hyderabad).
136. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended delicensing of chunk of spectrum in few bands to facilitate smooth roll-out of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.
     • Unlike person-to-person (P2P) communication, M2M technologies involve communication between two devices. It acts as basis for automated information exchange between machines and enables wired and wireless devices to talk to each other using sensors.
     • M2M communications can be deployed in new-age infrastructure projects and various industry verticals such as smart cities, smart grids, smart homes, smart transportation and smart heath sectors.
137. Telecom equipment provider Vihaan Networks Limited (VNL) signed MoU with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to launch Relief 123 service to provide disaster management in India. Relief 123 service is an integrated disaster response solution for first responders and public safety agencies.
138. Traditional Bonderam festival held in Divar Island of Goa.
139. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari launched fleet of 1000 E-rickshaws in Gurugram named SmartE. These e-rickshaws were manufactured in India and are fitted with GPS and tracking system.
140. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) signed MoU with e-commerce firm Amazon for selling tribal products online, to promote various tribal products. TRIFED already has tied-up with Snapdeal.
141. Tripura became first state to set up family welfare district committees, to deal with fake and biased complaints by women against their husbands and in-laws.
142. Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated first ‘Pension Adalat’ in India Held in Delhi.
143. University Grants Commission (UGC) launched 90 days application process for higher education institutes (public / private) seeking institutions of eminence status, aiming to bring more Indian higher education institutions to get into top 100 global rankings in coming years. Shortlisting will be completed by March-April 2018.
     • Eligible Institutions will be Top 50 of National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings, those securing ranks among Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Shanghai Ranking Academic Ranking of World Universities or QS University Rankings.
     • 20 Institutions of eminence will be selected (10 public and 10 private, will get provision of INR 10,000 crore over 10 years and will be free from usual regulatory mechanism to choose their autonomous path to become institutions of global repute.
144. Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu became first woman minister in Mizoram in 30 years (since 1987 state assembly elections).
145. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid foundation stone for Ranchi Smart City, tagged as country’s first ‘green-field’ smart city. It is coming up on 656 acres of Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) land which would be equipped with severa advance tech features..
146. West Bengal government cleared a proposal to rename state as Bangla and sent a proposal to Centre for approval. Note that WB government had earlier too sent a proposal for change of name, but it was rejected by central government.
147. World Quality Congress (WQC) ranked Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai has been recognised as best service in this domain.
148. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) published first ever exhaustive compendium of animal species in Indian Sundarban and threats it faces, titled Fauna of SundarbanBiosphere Reserve. As per publication, ZSI estimates that there are 2626 of animal species in sunderbans.
     • Sundarbans is a vast forest in coastal region of Bay of Bengal. it was recognised in 1997 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is Located in delta region of Padma, Meghna and Brahmaputra river basins.

 

10. PERSONS

 

                                                                                  June

1. 11 year old Indian origin boy in UK Arnav Sharma secured top possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ test, 2 points higher than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
   1. 1. Last Month, 12 years old Indian Raj Gauri Pawar also scored 162 on same IQ TEST
2. Actress Vidya Balan has been named ambassador of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) to be held in August 2017.
3. Ananya Vinay, 12-year-old Indian-American girl won 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee competition of the USA. Ananya became 13t Indian-American in a row to win this spelling bee competition.
4. Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao Visited India and Committed USD 10 billion support for infrastructure building and immediate development needs of less-developed states in India over next 5 - 6 years.
5. Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind has been chosen by Rulling National Democratic Alliance as its Presidential Candidate.
6. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley visited Paris (France) to participate in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meetings and bilateral talks.
7. Former Chancellor of Germany, Helmut Kohl passed away. He is known as father of German unification as he was responsible for unifying Germany after 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall despite facing stiff resistance.
8. Former Indian powerlifter and medalist Kavita Devi will become first Indian woman to compete in USA'S WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).
9. Former UN General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann (Nicaragua) passed away.
10. Government appointed Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan as ambassador for promotion of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the sweeping tax reform which is to be implemented from July 1, 2017.
11. Hollywood Singer Katy Perry became first person to reach 100 million followers on Twitter.
12. Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will be among several global celebrities for UNICEF’s ‘Super Dads’ campaign that highlights critical role played by fathers in children’s early development. This initiative is a part of UNICEF’s #EarlyMomentsMatter campaign.
13. Indian Girl Sahithi Pingali will get a minor planet in Milky Way named after her as a reward for developing an integrated mobile phone app and lake monitoring kit to monitor pollution in water bodies.
    1. 2. Sahithi Pingali presented her paper An Innovative Crowdsourcing Approach to Monitoring Freshwater Bodies at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). She got 2nd position and 3 special awards in Earth and Environment Sciences category.
       3. She also won a gold medal at International Sustainable World Engineering Energy Environment Project (ISWEEEP) for her research work on Varthur lake.
14. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur awarded doctorate degree to PT Usha (called Golden Girl of India) at its 50th convocation.
15. Indian Navy Chief Sunil Lanba visited Israel.
16. Jnanptih Awardee Telugu Poet, lyricist and writer Cingireddi Narayana Reddy passed away.
17. Justice Karnan of Calcutta High Court became First HC Judge to retire while absconding. He has been absconding from office since May 2017 to escape arrest after Supreme Court sentenced him to six months imprisonment for contempt of court.
18. Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs Shri Arun Jaitley visited South Korea.
    1. 4. He participated in India-Korea Strategic Economic Dialogue and the 2nd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank). AIIB is headquartered in Beijing (China) with Jin Liqun as its Chief.
       5. AIIB's third Annual Meeting of Board of Governors will be held in Mumbai, India in June 2018.
19. Minister of State (IC) Youth Affairs and Sports, Vijay Goel visited China.
20. Myanmar Commerce Minister Than Myint Visited India for participating in 6th India-Myanmar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) Meeting in New Delhi.
21. NASA selected 12 new astronauts including an Indian-American, Raja “Grinder” Chari. He is a commander of 461st Flight Test Squadron as well as director of F-35 Integrated Test Force in California. It is 22nd class of American spaceflight trainees since 1959.
22. Noted Former Cricketer Anil Kumble resigned as head Coach of Indian Cricket team. He will continue as chairman of ICC’s cricket committee.
23. Noted Hindi and Bengali singer Sabita Chowdhury passed away.
24. Noted Industrialist Desh Bandhu Gupta, founder and Chairman of Lupin (India’s second-largest pharmaceutical company) passed away.
25. Noted Malayalam filmmaker K.R. Mohanan passed away.
26. Noted Scientist Predhiman Krishan Kaw passed away. He was known as father of India's nuclear fusion reactor research program.
27. Noted Tamil poet S. Abdul Rahman (Known as Kavikko) passed away.
28. Noted historian and former ICHR chairman Basudev Chatterji passed away.
29. Noted policymaker Sam Pitroda resigned as Technical Advisor to Odisha Government.
30. Noted social activist Mehrunnisa Dalwai passed away. Her autobiography Mi Bharun Pawle (Marathi) is considered an inspirational piece for progressive movement.
31. P.N. Bhagwati (Former Chief Justice of India) Passed Away.
32. Panjab University and India Post released special commemorative stamp for Centenary Celebrations of Punjabi language artist Balwant Gargi.
33. Piyush Goyal (Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines) visited Germany.
34. Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission President Swami Atmasthananda passed away.
35. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka visited India.
36. Serving President of Vanuatu, Womtelo Reverend Baldwin Lonsdale has passed away.
37. Sushila Karki, first woman Chief Justice of Nepal Supreme Court retired.
38. Thailand's Minister of Justice Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana Visited India and signed MoU with India on Cooperation in Controlling Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, their Precursors and Chemicals and Drug Abuse.

 

                                                                                                             July

1. 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu has been appointed a Group-I officer in Andhra Pradesh.
2. Actor Kamal Haasan has been appointed as brand ambassador of team Tamil Thalaivas in 5th season of Pro Kabbadi League.
3. Amazon signed deal with Bollywood actor Salman Khan to premiere his all future films first exclusively on Amazon Prime Video right after theatrical release.
4. American E-Commerce Firm Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos took over Bill Gates to become World's richest person with worth of approx 91 Billion USD. Although he slipped back to second place in a few hours.
5. American Singer Chester Bennington, member of Noted Music Band Linkin Park has passed away.
6. Bank of England unveiled a new £10 plastic note featuring a portrait of British novelist Jane Austen.
7. Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passed away.
8. China’s Noted political prisoner and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo passed away. Liu was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.
9. Famous blue-bordered sari of Mother Teresa, who has been canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by Vatican, has been recognized as an Intellectual Property of the Missionaries of Charity. This is the first time that a uniform has been made the intellectual property.
10. Former Karnataka Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh passed away.
11. Former Noted Australian Tennis player Mervyn Rose passed away.
12. Former Sikkim Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari passes away.
13. Google CEO Sundar Pichai joined board of directors of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Pichai has efficiently led Google for past 2 years.
14. Julie Bishop, Foreign Minister of Australia Visited India.
15. Navy Chief Sunil Lanba began 8 day tour of african nations Mozambique and Tanzania.
16. Noted Freedom fighter K.E. Mammen passed away.
17. Noted Iranian Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani passed away. She was only woman to receive Field Medal (equivalent of Nobel Prize for mathematics).
18. Noted Marathi actor-writer Madhukar Toradmal passed away.
19. Noted space scientist and former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Udupi Ramachandra Rao passed away. He contributed to development and launch of India's First satellite Aryabhatta.
20. Oscar Winning American Actor Martin Landau passed away. He won oscar award for Ed Wood in 1994.
21. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam visited India.
22. Renowned Indian Scientist Professor Yash Pal passed away, Known for his contributions to study of cosmic rays. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1976 and Padma Vibhushan in 2013.
23. Renowned cartoonist Mangesh Tendulkar passed away.
24. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Visited India to attend Delhi Economics Conclave-2017.
25. Toronto Film Festival (Canada) will honour Priyanka Chopra in event to be held in September 2017. It will aim at collecting funds to be used for helping fund talent development programs to get more women behind and in front of the camera.
26. U Min Aung Hlaing, Chief of Myanmar Defence Services Visited India.
27. UAE Minister of State for Tolerance Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi has been named most powerful Arab women in government for 2017.
28. UNICEF appointed Indian- origin Canadian Lilly Singh as its newest Global Goodwill Ambassador.
29. Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar, noted expert of Dhrupad tradition of Hindustani classical music passed away.
30. Yarub Qudah (Industry and Trade Minister of Jordan) Visited India for 10th India-Jordan Trade and Economic Joint Committee (TEJC) Meeting held in New Delhi.
31. Yesteryear actress Madhubala became latest to join Bollywood celebrities whose wax figures will be set up at Madame Tussauds Museu to be open in late 2017 in Delhi Regal Building.

 

 

August

 

1. 10-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan from Visakhapatnam became Youngest to climb Mount Stok Kangri with height 6,153 metres.
2. 12-year-old Indian-origin boy Rahul Doshi has been crowned as UK’s ‘Child Genius’ in a popular television quiz competition - Channel 4 show ‘Child Genius’.
3. Actor Hritik Roshan signed as a brand ambassador by a health and wellness startup Cure.fit, with deal worth Rs 100 crores.
4. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan became first female actor to hoist Indian National Flag at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), Australia’s annual celebration of film from India and subcontinent.
5. Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo visited India, to participate in second Australia Business Week.
6. British Author and Harry Potter Character creator JK Rowling has been named world’s most highly-paid author with earnings of £72.2m ($95m).
7. Country's oldest cinematographer Ramanda Sengupta passed away at age 101 years.
8. Darshan Lal became first Hindu Minsiter in Pakistan's Cabinet in past 20 years. He would head coordination between 4 Pakistani provinces.
9. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov Visited India. It was decided that New Delhi will host next steering committee meeting of proposed 1,814 kilometre-long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline.
10. Elyor Ganiev, Minister of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan visited India.
11. Emma Stone named as Hollywood’s best-paid female actor in Forbes annual list of top earners, having made over $26m in last 12 months.
12. Former Chief Minister of Manipur, Rishang Keishing passed away.
13. India’s two-time Olympic footballer Ahmed Khan passed away. He had played in 1948 and 1952 Olympics.
14. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Kamilov visited India.
15. Miroslav Lajcak (Slovakia), President-elect of 72nd United Nations General Assembly visited India.
16. New Zealand's oldest cricketer Tom Pritchard passed away.
17. Nitasha, a trans woman from Kolkata has been named winner of first Miss Transqueen India Beauty Pageant held in Gurugram (Haryana).
18. Nitin Gadkari (Minister for Shipping and Road Transport & Highways) visited Iran.
19. Nizamuddin Ahmed, Navy Chief of Bangladesh visited India.
20. Noted photographer S Paul passed away.
21. Noted American Actor Jerry Lewis passed away, known for his comedy roles.
22. Noted American Neuro Scientist Marian Diamond passed away, mostly known for her investigations of Albert Einstein’s brain.
23. Noted British Writer Brian Aldiss passed away.
24. Noted Poet and writer Vijay Nambisan passed away. He won first All India Poetry Competition in 1990 organized by Poetry Society (India) in collaboration with British Council.
25. Noted molecular biologist Pushpa Mittra Bhargava passed away. He was founding director of Hyderabad based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
26. Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousafzai secured a place at Oxford University after getting her A-level results. She studied philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford.
27. Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari visited Iran. India and Iran ave expressed commitment for early completion and operationalisation of strategically important Chabahar Port in Iran.
28. Ruth Pfau, a German nun who devoted her life to combatting leprosy in Pakistan has passed away. She was known as Pakistan’s Mother Teresa.
29. Switzerland President Doris Leuthard Visited India. 2 MOUS were Signed in area of Railways -
    1. 1. Exchanging technical cooperation in Railways.
       2. MoU is between Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich.
30. Tanzania's Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment Charles John Mwijage visited India for 4th Session of India - Tanzania Joint Trade Committee meeting.
31. Vishal Sikka resigned as Managing Director and CEO of Mainstream IT Firm Infosys. Meanwhile, UB Pravin Rao has been appointed as Interim CEO.
32. Yisrael Kristal (Israel), certified by Guinness World Records as world’s oldest man, passed away at age of 113.

 

                                                                        September

 

1. American astronaut Peggy Whitson returned to earth after 288-day long mission in space. She now holds record as oldest female astronaut in history of space exploration and record for most spacewalks by a woman.
2. Arjan Singh , The Sole Marshal of Indian Air Force (IAF) passed away. He was granted honorary rank of Marshal (highest IAF rank attainable).
3. Arunachal Pradesh's serving Health and Family Welfare Minister Jomde Kena passed away.
4. Ashish Kashyap resigned as President and Co-founder of Travel Major MakeMyTrip
5. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko visited India, marking 25 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and India. India and Belarus signed 10 Cooperation agreements during this visit. MOUs Signed for cooperation in Oil and Gas, Agricultural Research and Education, culture, Sports, Vocational Education and Training, Potash Exploration and Scientific Research.
6. Bollywood Actor Salman Khan received a Global Diversity Award at Britain’s House of Commons.
7. Brian Acton, co-founder of WhatsApp resigned from Whatsapp to start a non-profit venture of his own.
8. Dr. KS Chugh, Noted as father of nephrology in India has passed away.
9. Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani Visited India and signed 4 agreements. He participated in 2nd India-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Council held in New Delhi.
10. French businesswoman and chief of of cosmetics giant L’Oreal, Liliane Bettencourt passed away. She is world’s richest woman with net worth $39.5 billion.
11. Iceland Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson resigned, paving way for new elections to be held on November 4, 2017.
12. Indian PM Narendra Modi Visited Myanmar, After attending 9th BRICS Summit in Xiamen (China). Several MOUs were signed -
    1. 1. Maritime Security Cooperation.
       2. Cultural Exchange Programme for 2017-2020.
       3. Enhancing Cooperation of Upgradation of Women’s Police Training Centre at Yamethin, Myanmar.
       4. Sharing White Shipping Information between Navies.
       5. Technical Agreement for providing Coastal Surveillance System.
       6. MoU on Cooperation in Medical Products Regulation.
       7. Exchange of Letter for Extension of MoU on establishment of MIIT India-Myanmar Center for Enhancement of IT-Skill.
       8. Cooperation in Election Commissions and Press Councils of Both nations.
13. Indian Police Service Officer Aparna Kumar became first Indian woman to scale Mount Manaslu (Nepal), which is the 8th highest mountain peak in the world (8156 metres).
14. Infosys Senior Vice President Sanjay Rajagopalan resigned from his post.
15. Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister (Minister of state for Tourism in 2009 - 12), Sultan Ahmed passed away.
16. Mark Beaumont (UK) broke world record for cycling around the world as He arrived in Paris 1 day ahead of schedule. He cycled 18,000-miles in 79 days.
17. Norwegian Nobel Institute announced that Nobel Peace prize awarded to Myanmar’s Aung Sang Suu Kyi cannot be revoked, as demanded by An online petition signed by over 386,000 people on Change.org.
    1. 9. Petition calls for revocation of Nobel Peace Prize conferred on Suu Kyi in 1991, over persecution of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims.
18. Noted American Actor Frank Vincent passed away.
19. Noted Indian Actor of American Descent Tom Alter Passed away.
20. Noted Kannada actor RN Sudarshan passed away.
21. Noted Marathi poet and activist Shirish Pai passed away.
22. Noted Pulitzer-prize winning poet John Ashbery passed away.
23. Prince Charles became longest-serving Prince of Wales, getting past Queen’s Victoria’s son Albert who went on to become King Edward VII after holding title of Prince of Wales for over 59 years.
24. SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi is named 7th among top 10 regulators in world, as per Worlds Most Influential People in Market Structure report (also known as The Exchange Invest 1000 (EI1000)) by Patrick Young & Exchange Invest.
    1. 10. List is topped by European Unions Commissioner (Competition) Margrethe Vestager.
25. Saint Teresa (Mother Teresa) has been declared as co-patron of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta, 131 years after St Francis Xavier was declared as first patron.
26. Senior Supreme Court Lawyer and Constitutional expert PP Rao passed away.
27. Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana visited India.
28. Tourism Australia appointed Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra as first Indian woman Ambassador to encourage Indians to visit Australia. This panel includes people like Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and commentator Harsha Bhogle.
29. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu released Commemorative coins of INR 100 and 10 denominations on occasion of 101st Birth Centenary of noted Carnatic musician MS Subbulakshmi.
    1. 11. She was first musician to be awarded Bharat Ratna (in 1998). She was also first Indian musician to receive Ramon Magsaysay award (1974) and first Indian musician to perform at UN General Assembly. UN issued stamp In 2016, to honour MS Subbulakshmi.
30. Visits from India -
    1. 12. Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa visited Australia and USA.
       13. Minister for Commerce and Industry, Suresh Prabhu visited South Korea to participate in the 7th Asia-Europe (ASEM) Economic Ministers meeting.
       14. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan visited Kazakhstan to co-chair the 13th meeting of the India-Kazakhstan Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC).
       15. Maharashtra government signed MoU with South Korea for increasing co-operation in several infrastructure projects, during CM Devendra Fadnavis's visit to South Korea.
31. Visits to India -
    1. 16. Tin Aung San, Navy Chief of Myanmar.
       17. Minister of Trade of Indonesia, Enggartiasto Lukita.
       18. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis.
       19. Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He inaugurated first ever India, US and Afghanistan joint trade and investment show in Delhi.
32. World’s oldest person Violet Mosse-Brown from Jamaica has died at age of 117.
33. Yesteryear Bollywood actress Shakila passed away.

 

11. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

                                                                                  June

 

1. A new summer variety of groundnut has been developed by agro-scientists of the Chandra Shekhar Azad Agriculture Technology University (CSA) at Khanpur in Uttarpradesh.
   1. 1. This Summer variety of groundnut is disease-free as pests cannot attack the crop because of high temperature. Now, during summer people will not have to consume stored groundnuts grown during winter season.
2. According to Animal Discoveries 2016 - New Species and Records report by Zoological Survey of India and Plant Discoveries 2016, 499 new species have been discovered from various parts of the country last year. Number of animal species in Insia for the first time has crossed one lakh to number 1,00,693.
3. China successfully tested a solid-fuel variable flow ramjet engine that could enhance the real combat ability of the country’s stealth aircraft and boost firing range of missiles. Ramjet engine has advantage of low cost, high power, and high controllability with compact size.
4. China launched record breaking swarm (Group) of 119 fixed-wing drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), breaking previous record of a swarm of 67 drones. These drones performed catapult-assisted take-offs and formations in sky.
5. China will send mini-ecosystems comprising of potato seeds and silkworm eggs to Moon in 2018, along with Chang’e 4 Satellite.
   1. 2. 3-kilogramme mini-ecosystem will be developed by research teams under Chongqing University in China.
6. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on Electric Propulsion (EP) system - a new propulsion system that may bring new era of cost effective satellite launches. It converts solar energy into electrical energy which is used to change velocity of a satellite in space.
7. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched Cartosat-2E weighing 712 KG (Earth observation satellite) along with 30 co-passenger satellites of various countries, aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-38.
8. India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-17 successfully launched from Kourou in French Guiana (France), with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg and payloads in C-band and S-band to provide various communication services.
9. Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detected another merger of 2 black holes forming gravitational waves, Named as GW170104. This time, detection revealed not merely a black hole merger, but also alignment of spins of black holes. This can help in finding out the way black holes were formed.
10. NASA Annouuced to launch James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in October 2018 -
    1. 3. James Webb Space Telescope JWST is a joint project of the NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. It will be successor of 26-year-old Hubble Space Telescope and is 100 times powerful than Hubble Space Telescope.
       4. JWST will be the largest telescope ever sent into space. It will have a very large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror with sun shield of 22 metres.
       5. JWST is named after former NASA administrator James Webb, formerly known as Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST).
       6. As JWST's First set of Targets - 2100 observations has been planned by JWST mission handlers.
       7. Another NASA Spacecraft Orion also cleared Tests. It is meant to carry astronauts to deep space destinations like Moon and Mars.
11. NASA launched world’s lightest satellite weighing only 64 grams designed by 18-year-old boy Rifath Sharook from Tamil Nadu.
    1. 8. Satellite has been named as KalamSat after the former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
       9. KalamSat is a 3-D printed satellite. This is the first time that 3-D printing technology is used to make satellites. Purpose of launching KalamSat is to demonstrate performance of 3D-printed carbon fibre.
12. NASA tested ROSA (Roll-Out Solar Array) successfully on ISS (International space station) for first time.
    1. 10. ROSA is an advanced, flexible solar array that rolls out like a tape measure. It is very much flexible ad Light weighted so that it can be adapted to different sizes including very large arrays.
       11. ROSA will be an asset for satellite radio and television, weather forecasting, GPS and other services used on Earth.
       12. Unlike Bulky and large traditional solar array panels, ROSA can make solar arrays more compact and weigh lighter.
13. NASA will launch Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket that will release blue-green and red artificial clouds, to support space studies.
14. NASA will soon launch Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), world’s first ever mission devoted for studying neutron stars. NICER will focus especially on Pulsars and will also carry out world’s first demonstration of X-ray navigation in space.
15. NASA’s Kepler Telescope has identified 10 Earth-like planets outside the solar system that are expected to host life due to their right size and temperature. This discovery is part of 219 new planets identified by Kepler telescope as part of the final batch of planets since Kepler was launched in 2009.
16. NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity found rocks at edge of Endeavour Crater that might have been a lake of liquid water. Opportunity has been investigating near Endeavour Crater since 2011, which is about 22 km across.
17. Scientists at USA's University of Nebraska-Lincoln created brightest light ever produced on Earth, shining a billion times stronger than surface of sun.
    1. 13. Normally an electron scatters just 1 photon of light at a time but the new light beam produced saw over 1000 photons scattered at a time.
       14. It could be used as a new type of X-ray and also by engineers, scientists and for security purposes.
18. Scientists discovered a new species of flying squirrel named Glaucomys Oregonensis in North America, that had been hiding in plain sight for over hundreds of years. Known as Humboldt's flying squirrel, this new species resides in the Pacific Coast region of North America.
19. Scientists discovered hottest known exoplanet - KELT-9b.
    1. 15. Exoplanet is a planet that does not orbit the Sun and instead orbits a different star.
       16. The Planet orbits a massive star KELT-9 with day temperature approx 4,326 degree Celsius.
20. Scientists reportedly solved centuries-old unexplained mystery of bright nights, the unusual glow that appears in sky after dark and lets observers see distant mountains, read a newspaper or check their watch.
     
    1. 17. Researchers suggest that when waves in upper atmosphere converge over specific locations on Earth, it amplifies naturally occurring airglow, a faint light in the night sky that often appears green due to the activities of atoms of oxygen in the high atmosphere.
21. US Space exploration firm SpaceX’s Falcon rocket lifted off carrying Dragon capsule, which was loaded with nearly 6000 pounds of scientific research and station supplies. It is the second time the Dragon has been sent to ISS, becoming First ever Recycled Supply Ship sent to ISS.
22. World’s first hybrid ‘aeroboat’ which has been built by an Indo-Russian joint venture unveiled at an event by Russia’s Skolkovo Foundation. It is capable of travelling on land, water, snow and sand and is capable of moving at the speed of around 150 kmph or more on water.
23. World’s oldest fossil mushroom discovered in Brazil, dating back zpprox 115 million years. It has been named as Gondwanag Aricites Magnificus and repprtedly belongs to Agaricales order.

 

                                                                                  July

 

 

1. Canadian scientists identified a new bird-like species of dinosaur that lived nearly 71 million years ago and was about the size of a person. It has been named as the Albertavenator curriei, in honour of famous Canadian palaeontologist Philip J. Currie.
2. A group of scientists started a new expedition aimed at unlocking secrets of lost continent ‘Zealandia’, which is mostly submerged and believed to have sunk after breaking away from Australia 60 - 85 million years ago.
   1. Expedition is called Expedition 371 and is funded by National Science Foundation and the International Ocean Discovery Program.
   2. Team includes over 30 scientists aboard JOIDES Resolution, a massive scientific drilling ship. Duration of trip will be approx 2 months.
3. According to study at University of Hyderabad, Castor bean plants can prove very useful in fighting soil pollution as these plants can absorb toxic heavy metals from soil from these polluted areas due to industrial pollution.
4. An Australian Researchers discovered a new species of giant ocean sunfish, heaviest type of bony fish that can weigh over two tonnes and grow to 3 metres long. It has been named as hoodwinker (mola tecta).
5. India's 2nd and Tamil Nadu's First Zika Virus Case has been reported (First in Ahmedabad in May 2017).
   3. Zika virus is vector borne disease transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, same mosquito that transmits dengue. It is also sexually transmissible. It can cause serious birth defects Including neurological disorders and foetal deformation (Microcephaly) in which infants are born with abnormally smaller heads.
6. Indian astronomers fro Pune Based Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) identified extremely large supercluster of galaxies located in the direction of constellation Pisces, named as Saraswati. Saraswati supercluster is 4 billion light years away from Earth and may contain mass equivalent of 20 million billion suns.
7. India’s first dedicated space observatory AstroSat along with Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope have detected a massive coronal explosion on Proxima Centauri, sun’s closest star neighbour.
8. Ministry of Science and Technology launched SOHUM, an indigenously developed low-cost hearing screening device for newborns. It has been developed by School of International Biodesign (SIB) startup Sohum Innovation Labs India. Sohum aims to minimise or reverse hearing loss damage and uses brain-stem auditory evoked response.
9. NASA is developing Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) as first-ever mission that will deflect a near-Earth asteroid, to be built and managed by John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).
   4. It will work on kinetic impactor technique, that involves sending one or more large, high-speed spacecraft into path of an approaching near-earth object to shift its orbit to defend against future impact.
   5. Target for DART is an asteroid called Didymos that will have a distant approach to Earth in October 2022 and then again in 2024. Asteroid Didymos (Greek word for twin) is an asteroid binary system that consists of Didymos A (780 metres), and Didymos B (160 metres).
10. NASA’s Juno spacecraft became first space probe to successfully comlete a flyby into Jupiter’s giant storm known as Great Red Spot.
    6. Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a massive storm (cyclone) measuring about 16,000 km in diameter. It is largest known storm in solar system.
11. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft unveiled a set of new maps of Pluto and its largest moon Charon on occassion of 2 year anniversary of its flyby around Pluto.
12. Researchers at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata have developed an organic-inorganic hybrid material which is fire and rust resistant. It was synthesised by combining polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and diphenylalanine.
13. Researchers at UK's Cardiff University have produced world's most detailed scan of brain's internal wiring -
    7. Scan shows fibres in white matter called axons (brain's wiring which carry billions of electrical signals).
    8. Scan showed direction of messaging and also density of brain's wiring.
    9. This detailed scan of brain’s wiring will help increase understanding of a range of neurological disorders and can be used instead of invasive biopsies.
14. Researchers at University of Edinburgh (UK) stated that surface of Mars has chemical compounds called perchlorates that can kill bacteria, when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. This has given a blow to hopes of finding alien life on surface of Mars.
15. Researchers discovered a very distant galaxy , which is over 1000 times brighter than our Milky Way Galaxy. To measure this galaxy, researchers used Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in Spain.
16. Researchers from San Antonio Catholic University of Spain discovered novobiocin compound that could be used as a potential drug to fight Zika virus infection. Researchers found that novobiocin compound shown phenomenal recovery results in mice with 100 % cure rate.
    10. It was also found that commonly used malaria drug hydroxychloroquine can block Zika virus from crossing placenta and getting into the foetus and damaging its brain.
17. Researchers in UK produced specific human antibodies in laboratory by treating patient-derived B cells with tiny nanoparticles coated with both CpG oligonucleotides and an antigen, paving way for rapid development of new vaccines to treat a wide range of infectious diseases.
18. Scientists at Purdue University in USA (including Karthik Ramani of India) have developed new artificial intelligence (AI) software called SurfNet that can create three dimensional (3D) models from 2D photographs. It can be of great use in robotics, object recognition and even self-driving cars.
19. Scientists discovered new species of glow-in-the-dark shark living 1,000 feet below Pacific Ocean off coast of northwestern Hawaiian islands. It is named Etmopterus lailae and belongs to lanternshark family.
20. Scientists from Cornell University (USA) announced that world’s 6 smallest spacecrafts dubbed as Sprites ever launched are successfully travelling in low Earth orbit and communicating with systems on Earth.
    11. Sprites were launched on June 23, 2017 by Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) as part of Breakthrough Starshot project designed to test technologies that would eventually be used for interstellar missions. These are smallest spacecrafts to establish contact with ground stations. Sprites are built on a single 3.5*3.5 centimeter circuit board and weigh 4 grams each.
    12. Breakthrough Starshot space program is launched under US $100 million Breakthrough Initiatives, announced by Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking to develop and launch practical interstellar space missions. It aims to demonstrate proof of concept for light-propelled spacecraft that could fly at 20 % of light speed. Its main objective is to send one-gram chips to star systems beyond the solar system in search of extraterrestrial intelligence.
21. Scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland developed a 3D-printed soft silicone heart that closely resembles and functions like human organ. It is not exact biological replica of actual, but can help to save lives of people who suffer from cardiac failure.
22. Scientists from Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram have developed gelator that can suck up oil and congeal it. Gelator is a hydrophobic material with property of oleilophilic (oil-loving) and takes up oil when it comes in contact with it.It can be used to recover marine oil spills with a simple, efficient and cost-effective method.
23. Scientists from NASA for first time will chase shadow of moon using two of NASA’s WB-57F research jets during upcoming total solar eclipse in USA, to capture clearest ever images of Sun’s outer atmosphere (Corona).
    13. It is needed as Corona of sun (gaseous envelope surrounding sun) is heated to millions of degrees, but lower atmospheric layers like photosphere are only heated at a few thousand degrees.
    14. Total solar eclipse will provide rare opportunity for scientists to study the sun's atmosphere. During this eclipse, moon will completely cover the sun and perfectly blocking its light so that faint corona is easily seen against dark sky.
24. Scientists from New Zealand claimed that vaccine can protect against the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea. They found that Men B jab vaccine originally developed to stop an outbreak of meningitis B can protect from gonorrhoea.
25. Scientists from Northwestern University (USA) created miniature versions of Saturn, complete with rings, by electrifying tiny droplets of fluids.
    15. When a drop of electrically conductive liquid is exposed to an electric field, droplet formes two electrically charged poles that can get pulled towards sources of electric field, taking on cone shapes. If pull is strong enough, tips of the cones can spray jets of droplets. This effect is known as electrospraying.
26. Scientists from Oregon Health and Science University (USA) successfully edited genes of human embryos to correct defective DNA that cause inherited diseases, using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology to alter human DNA in single-cell embryos, which allows specific sections of DNA to be altered or replaced.
27. Scientists from Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany developed world’s Most sharpe and Precise laser, that can be useful for various applications such as optical atomic clocks, radioastronomy, precision spectroscopy, testing theory of relativity and carry out new precision measurements on ultracold atoms.
    16. Theoretically, laser light has only 1 colour, wavelength or frequency. In reality, however, there is always a certain linewidth. This newly developed laser has linewidth of only 10 miliHertz (0.01 Hz), closer to ideal laser than ever before.
28. Scientists from USA's Harvard Medical School for first time encoded a small movie clip in DNA of living bacterial cells and then played it back. They used CRISPR gene-editing technique to encode and retrieve reconstructed frames of a classic 1870s racehorse in motion sequence of photos into genome of common bacteria E. coli. Film stored in DNA of bacteria was also well preserved and was intact even in new generation of bacteria.
29. Scientists from USA's Harvard University have developed a super strong, flexible adhesive material inspired by glue secreted by slugs that sticks to biological tissues without causing toxicity. It is biocompatible and binds to tissues with a strength comparable to the body's own resilient cartilage.
30. Scientists from University of Cambridge (UK) developed super-stretchy and strong artificial (synthetic) spider silk, almost entirely (98 %) composed of water. Spider silk is one of strongest materials for applications such as making eco-friendly textiles and sensors.
31. Scientists from University of Cambridge (UK) spotted smallest star discovered so far, named as EBLM J0555-57Ab.
    17. It was identified by SuperWASP, a planet-finding experiment run by several universities. EBLM J0555-57Ab is located about 600 light years away and is slightly larger than Saturn in size.
    18. It is as small as stars can possibly become as it has just enough mass to enable the fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium at its centre.
32. Tata Motors unveiled India’s first Bio-CNG (bio-methane) bus at Urja Utsav bio-energy programme organised by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
    19. Biomethane is a naturally occurring gas which is produced by anaerobic digestion of organic matter such as dead animal and plant material, manure, sewage, organic waste, etc.
33. University of Hyderabad and IIT Bombay stated that extreme El Nino conditions and warming of Bay of Bengal had resulted in unprecedented heavy rainfall in Chennai between November 30th to December 2nd in 2015.
    20. El Nino causes less than normal rainfall in case of south-west monsoon but does reverse in case of the northeast monsoon.

 

August

 

1. 100 million year old damselfly species, discovered in Myanmar has been named as Mesosticta davidattenboroughi, after British naturalist David Attenborough. There has been a long list of animals that are named after David Attenborough - a carnivorous plant, a butterfly, a tiny spider, a Peruvian frog and a Namibian lizard.
2. 2 new species of Cycas Tree discovered by researchers in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (West Bengal), taking Total number of Cycas species found in India to 14. Cycas are among most ancient plants whose fossils date to the Jurassic period.
3. A Group of USA Scientists has developed an artificial womb that can be used to save extremely premature human babies. Research showed that preterm lambs were successfully maintained in a healthy condition with significant growth for upto a week, using ex-vivo uterine environment (EVE) therapy.
4. According to Japanese scientists, delicate mosses found on rocks and trees in cities can be used as low-cost bioindicator to monitor urban pollution and to measure impact of atmospheric change. Mosses respond to pollution or drought-stress by changing its shape, density or disappearing.
   1. Mosses are a common flowerless plant found in all cities especially in damp (humid) or shady locations. It generally absorb water and nutrients from their immediate environments, so it can reflect changes to ecosystems.
5. According to recent report by NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite, the monster El Nino of 2014-16 caused over 3 billion tonnes of carbon to get released into the atmosphere, pushing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration to record levels.
6. According to study by a Group of Indian Scientists, black carbon (BC) ejeculated by aeroplanes is affecting monsoon, depleting ozone layer and quickening glacier melt.
   2. Earlier it was believed that airborne BC is unlikely to travel upward of 4 km and dissipate and settle down in few months under influence of wind and rain. However, this study shows that such particles exist up to 18 km into the stratosphere, a stable region of the atmosphere.
7. After successful launch of India’s first indigenously developed robot BRABO, TATA Motors Owned TAL Manufacturing launched Robo Whiz. It will provide students hands-on experience and help develop skills needed for effective use and management of Robotics and Automation Technology.
8. An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi team developed a new drug delivery platform using nanoparticles, with ability to boost efficacy of antibiotics at the cellular level and improve chances of recovery from cancer-related bacterial infections.
9. An unusual breed of fruit bat (discovered in Papua New Guinea) is now officially recognised as a new species. This bat was previously nicknamed 'Yoda and has now been renamed happy (Hamamas) tube-nosed fruit bat.
10. As per study, newly found solar system TRAPPIST-1 star is between 5.4 and 9.8 billion years old, twice as old as our own solar system (4.5 billion years). TRAPPIST-1 is a system of 7 Earth-size planets orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star about 40 light-years away.
11. Canada researchers discovered fossils of a new species of arrow-shaped marine animals that have translucent bodies making them difficult to spot. These 51 crore year old fossils are much bigger than their modern counterparts, largest being 10 cm long.
12. Chilesaurus (Dinosaur species recently discovered in southern Chile) has been reported to be missing link that fills gap between 2 of major dinosaur groups - plant-eating herbivores and carnivores.
13. European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA Researchers discovered that Sun’s core is rotating four times faster than its surface, using 16 years of observations from an instrument called GOLF (Global Oscillations at Low Frequency) on a spacecraft called Solar and Heliospheric bservatory (SOHO).
14. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru researchers developed a highly sensitive and low cost nanometre-scale carbon monoxide (CO) sensor, with potential applications in environmental pollution monitoring. Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas and is harmful when inhaled in large amounts.
15. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a niche Earth observation (EO) satellite - Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite (HySIS), with critical chip called optical imaging detector array. Its will allow ISRO to enter operational hyperspectral imaging from earth orbit.
    3. Hyperspectral imaging or hyspex imaging combines power of digital imaging and spectroscopy. It collects and processes information from across the electromagnetic spectrum. It enables distinct identification of objects, materials or processes on Earth by reading spectrum for each pixel of a scene from space.
    4. HySIS satellite of ISRO can see in 55 spectral or colour bands from 630 km above ground. It can be used for a range of applications from monitoring environment, crops, looking for oil and minerals, military surveillance.
16. Indian scientists discovered Nasikabatrachus bhupathi, a new species of frog with a snout-shaped nose like a pig, near Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. It has been named after the Indian herpetologist S. Bhupathy.
17. India’s first calf delivered by a surrogate cow through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technology carried out in a mobile laboratory in Pune (Maharashtra). Purpose of producing surrogate calf was to protect indigenous cow breeds in its original form that have been destroyed due to cross-breeding.
18. Kenya Anthropologists discovered 1.3 crore year old baby ape skull, revealing what common ancestor of all living humans and apes would have looked like. The skull belongs to a newly identified species of early ape named Nyanzapithecusalesi, that existed in Africa for over 1 crore years.
19. Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) launched Swasth Bachche, Swasth Bharat Programme, as an initiative of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to prepare a physical Health and Fitness Profile Card for more than 12 lakhs of Kendriya Vidyalaya students.
20. NASA rocket named WINDY (Waves and Instabilities from a Neutral Dynamo) will form night-time white artificial clouds visible by residents of Republic of Marshall Islands. It will study a phenomenon that occurs in Ionosphere (Layer of charged particles in upper atmosphere).
21. NASA's Cassini spacecraft started its final mission - five ultra-close orbits around Saturn. It would be spacecraft’s last mission of its 20-year-long journey, before plunging into atmosphere of Saturn.
22. NASA’s Curiosity rover completed 5 years of Its MARS Exploration Mission.
23. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has discovered strongest evidence to date for a stratosphere on a planet outside our solar system, WASP-121b. Stratosphere is a layer of atmosphere in which temperature increases with higher altitudes.
24. Purdue University (USA) Researchers designed a micropropulsion system called a Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array (FEMTA) thruster that uses liquid water as the propellant for orbital maneuvering of tiny satellites called CubeSats.
    5. CubeSats are miniature satellites weighing under 2 KGs and have potential to carry out tasks like imaging and remote-sensing currently performed by heavier satellites.
    6. CubeSats at present cannot totally replace larger satellites as they are incapable of changing orbit or performing complex manoeuvres as they do not have a propulsion system.
    7. CubeSats having such system would allow such tiny satellites to correct their orbit or maintain their altitude, thereby prolonging their operating life in space before becoming space debris.
25. Researchers form CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have developed an ultrasensitive DNA chip based sensor for quick pathogen detection. The sensor can detect S. pyogenes bacterium in about 30 minutes, that causes a wide range of diseases.
26. Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati created an implantable bioartificial pancreas model grown within 3D silk scaffold, that encapsulates insulin-producing beta cells and is capable of naturally producing insulin in sustained manner. After Trials, it can be used for treating people with Type 1 diabetes that arises when body’s immune system kills insulin-producing beta cells.
27. Researchers from Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Indore jointly developed a biosensor that makes it possible to detect kidney disorders in under 8 minutes. It can accurately measure pH and urea concentration with a single drop of urine.
28. Researchers from US-based Rice University have found new tectonic mircoplate off Ecuador’s coast in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It has been named Malpelo plate, after a Colombian island and an oceanic ridge it contains. It is overall 57th tectonic mircoplate to be discovered so far and the first in nearly a decade. Microplates are tectonic plates with an area less than 1 million km2.
29. Scientists at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati developed a 3D cardiac tissue patch using silk protein membranes seeded with heart muscle cells. The patch can be used for regenerating damaged heart tissues and sealing holes in heart.
30. Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory (USA) discovered a potential new state of matter that may help explain phenomena like superconductivity. It was discovered in the high-magnetic-field state of the heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn5.
    8. In new state, material’s electrons are aligned in such a way that they reduce symmetry of original crystal. This electronic alignment in a prototypical heavy-fermion superconductor is called nematic behaviour, common among superconducting materials in high magnetic fields.
    9. Superconductivity is ability of certain materials to conduct electric current with zero resistance. For a material to behave as a superconductor, critically low temperatures are required. Superconductivity was first observed in 1911 by H. K. Onnes (Dutch physicist)
31. Scientists at Stanford University (USA) developed a cost-effective and highly sensitive blood test to detect cancer, Called single colour digital PCR.It can detect genetic mutations in minute amounts of DNA released from cancer cells into blood.
32. Scientists discovered 2 new species of earthworm belonging to primitive family Moniligastridae in Western Ghats ranges of Kerala, named as Drawida polydiverticulata and Drawida thomasi. There are about 200 species of earthworm known in genus Drawida.
33. Scientists from CSIR’s National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (Thiruvananthapuram) developed new technique to produce bioethanol from discarded cotton-stalks. It will help produce bioethanol (a clean fuel) from cotton stalk wastes.
    10. It is vital as India has about 9.4 million hectares under cotton cultivation and every hectare generates 2 million tonnes of cotton stalk wastes.
34. Scientists from Edinburgh University (UK) uncovered largest volcanic region (91 Volcanoes) discovered on earth so far, under west Antarctica. Largest volcano stands at almost 4000 metres.
35. Scientists from USA developed the world’s first plant-based mosquito-borne Zika virus, using proteins derived from Tobacco plant.
36. Scientists from USA found that curcumin (bioactive component of turmeric) that is widely used in Indian cuisine can treat cancer in children. They found that nanoparticles loaded with curcumin can target and destroy neuroblastoma tumour cells, which commonly affects children aged under 5.
37. Scientists from USA have discovered an inexpensive prevention therapy against sepsis in new born babies, led by US-based Indian doctor Pinaki Panigrahi.
    11. Globally, over 600000 infants die of sepsis annually (mostly in developing countries).
38. Scientists from University of Toronto (Canada) developed an injectable tissue bandage dubbed as AngioChip, that can repair damaged hearts. AngioChip is a tiny patch of heart tissue with its own blood vessels and heart cells beating with a regular rhythm.
    12. It is useful as Repairing heart tissue destroyed by a heart attack or medical condition with regenerative cells usually requires invasive open-heart surgery which usually poses more risks.
39. Scientists in UK have developed world’s smallest surgical robot called Versius, that can mimic human arm and can be used to carry out a wide range of surgical procedures. It can make series of small incisions that will circumvent the need for traditional open surgery.
40. Tamilnadu based student Dacharla Panduranga Rohith has been recognised by World Records of India for developing a nano missile for Army and Local Police. This 1 cm nano missile can fly by burining red phosphorus and hit target of upto 3 metres distance.
41. Vizag’s Rayichapalu is declared one of the rarest fish in world by Marine Living Resources Department of Andhra University. Rayichapalu will have the scientific name ‘Pseudathias Vizagensis’, after the city where it was first discovered.

 

                                                                        September

 

1. A new species of non-venomous aquatic snake named Aquatic Rhabdops has been described as new species from northern Western Ghats in Maharashtra, Goa and North Karnataka. Earlier this species was considered as variant of Olive Forest Snake, first described in 1863.
2. According to researchers from University of Southampton (UK), extreme global warming event named Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) that occured 56 million years ago was driven by massive CO2 emissions from volcanoes during formation of North Atlantic Ocean.
   1. This caused doubling of CO2 in less than 25 thousand years because of CO2 emissions from volcanoes. PETM was most rapid and extreme natural global warming event of last 66 million years and lasted for around 150 thousand years. It increased global temperatures by at least 5 degrees Celsius.
3. As per Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)'s study titled Thresholds of catastrophe in the Earth System, Earth’s sixth mass extinction may become a reality by 2100 due to increasing carbon pressure on oceans.
   2. In past 540 million years, Earth has seen 5 mass extinction events. By 2100, about 310 gigatons of carbon will have been added to oceans, a potential 'tipping point' for ecological disaster.
4. Bengaluru-based biotech startup Bugworks Research became India’s and Asia’s first to receive international CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) grant for its antibiotic research and development.
   3. CARB-X is an international partnership set up in 2016 to focus on innovations to improve diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant infections. It grew out of Barack Obama’s 2015 Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (CARB) initiative.
5. Breakthrough Listen project detected 15 Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) coming from a dwarf galaxy about 3 million light years away from earth, with help of Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia.
   4. FRB is brief, bright pulse of radio emission from distant galaxies. It was first detected in 2007 with help of Parkes Telescope in Australia.
6. CSIR scientists developed an ultra-thin wireless device that mimics plant leaves to produce hydrogen fuel using water and sunlight, paving way for clean energy for powering eco-friendly cars in future.
   5. At present, hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels by steam reforming. In this process large amount of CO2 is emitted. This new green method of generating Hydrogen from Water may be a great reform in coming times.
   6. When visible light strikes semiconductors, electrons move in one direction and produce electric current. The current almost instantaneously splits water into hydrogen making it one of cleanest forms of fuel as its main byproduct is water.
7. Department of Science and Technology (DST) will fund a project to develop quantum computers in order to tap into next big advance in computing technology.
   7. Quantum computer uses principles of quantum physics to increase computational power beyond attainable limits of traditional computer. It employs complex principles of quantum mechanics to store information in ‘qubits’ (quantum bit) instead of the typical binary ‘bits’ of 1 and 0.
8. ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) completed 3 years in Martian orbit, already having outlived its original lifespan. Mangalyaan was launched on board of PSLV C25 rocket on November 5, 2013 and entered Mars orbit on September 24, 2014.
9. Indonesian scientists from Lambung Mangkurat University found world's smallest squirrel in Borneo rain forest, named Bormean pigmy. It is 73 mm long and weighs about 17 grams.
10. International Astronomical Union (IAU) named 2 mountain ranges on icy dwarf planet Pluto as Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes, after Tenzing (Nepal) Norgay and Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) who were first mountaineers to reach summit of Mount Everest in 1953. These are among 14 other names officially approved for naming 14 geographical features on Pluto.
11. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has downgraded conservation status of snow leopard from “endangered” to “vulnerable”, that was continuing since 1972.
    8. Species are endangered if they are fewer than 2,500 with high rate of decline. Vulnerable Species are those with population under 10,000 and declining at rate of 10% over 3 generations.
12. NASA’s $3.9 bn Cassini spacecraft ended its 20-year-long journey after Plunging into Saturn’s atmosphere. Cassini's mission to Saturn began in 1997, reaching it in 2004.
13. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured images of 2 significant Solar Flares emitted by Sun, powerful bursts of radiation classified as X2.2 flare and 2nd is X9.3 flare.
    9. X9.3 flare was the largest flare in the current solar cycle which began in December 2008 and heading towards 'Solar Minimum'.
    10. Solar Minimum is such phase of the solar cycle when these eruptions on the sun are increasingly rare, but they can be intense.
14. NASA’s asteroid-chasing spacecraft Osiris-Rex (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) successfully swung by Earth to put it on desired trajectory towards near earth asteroid Bennu using Earth’s gravity.
    11. OSIRIS-REx mission was launched in September 2016 for studying 101955 Bennu, a carbonaceous asteroid as NASA’s first asteroid sampling mission.
15. Researchers discovered a new species of edible freshwater fish while exploring Pampa river in Pathanamthitta in Kerala. Newly found fish could possibly be farmed on a commercial scale. It has been named Labeo filiferus (L.filiferus) and belongs to Labeo genus.
16. Scientists at University of California (USA) identified 27 distinct types of human emotions, Instead of earlier of just 6 possible emotions - happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear and disgust.
17. Scientists discovered an underwater natural city built by octopuses and named it as Octlantis, in Australia. Octlantis was found where octopuses were found gathering for fights in 2009.
18. Scientists for first time observed Optical polarisation phenomenon (polarised light emitted by rapidly rotating stars), using High Precision Polarimetric Instrument (HIPPI).
    12. It was predicted by Indian astrophysicist and Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar in 1946.
    13. Optical polarisation phenomenon is a measure of the orientation of the oscillations of a light beam to its direction of travel.
    14. HIPPI was used to detect polarised light from Regulus, one of brightest stars in night sky about 79 light years away. It was observed that Regulus is rotating so quickly with a spin rate of 96.5% of angular velocity (approximately 320 kilometres per second).
    15. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics with William A. Fowler for his theoretical studies of physical processes of importance to structure and evolution of stars.
19. Scientists from Brown University (USA) created first map of water trapped in uppermost layer of Moon’s soil, using NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper onboard of India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. Map builds on initial discovery of water and related molecule – hydroxyl (consists 1 atom each of hydrogen and oxygen) in lunar soil in 2009.
20. Scientists from Cardiff University (UK) discovered a new way to produce methanol from methane using oxygen from the air. Methanol is an important chemical often used as fuel in vehicles. New technique uses freely available air, inexpensive chemicals and an energy efficient methanol production process.
21. Scientists from University of Manchester (UK) created world’s first molecular robot - millionth of a millimetre in size. It is made up of just 150 carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms which are basic building blocks required to form molecules. Such molecular robots can be used for medical purposes, advanced manufacturing processes and even building molecular factories and assembly lines.
22. Scientists successfully detected gravitational waves for 4 time coming from merger of 2 massive black holes. It was for first time, these waves were simultaneously detected by US-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and Italy-based Virgo detectors. First 2 detections were made in September and December 2015 and 3rd time it was detected in January 2017.
23. US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved a new leukemia treatment, called Kymriah. Each dose of Kymriah contains patient's own immune cells that are genetically modified using a virus. This therapy is known as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T), gives the cells the ability to recognize and kill the source of cancer.

 

12. SPORTS

 

                                                                                  June

1. ISSF Junior World Championship 2017 held in Suhl (Germany) -
   1. India finished 2nd at ISSF Junior World Championship with 3 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals . Gold Medals - Anish Bhanwala, Yashaswini Singh and a Team Event.
   2. China topped tally with 19 medals, including eight gold.
2. 2017 Aegon Ilkley Tennis Trophy (UK)
   3. Men's Singles - Márton Fucsovics (Hungary)
   4. Women's Singles - Magdaléna Rybáriková (Slovakia)
   5. Men's Doubles - Leander Paes (India) AND Adil Shamasdin (Canada)
   6. Women's Doubles - Anna Blinkova (Russia) AND Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia)
3. 2017 Forbes list of ‘The World’s 100 highest paid athletes’ -
   7. Featured athletes in list belong to 11 different sports and hail from 21 countries.
   8. Top 5 -
      1. Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - Soccer (93 million USD)
      2. LeBron James (USA) - Basketball ($86.2 million)
      3. Lionel Messi (Argentina) - Football ($80 million)
      4. Roger Federer (Switzerland) - Tennis ($64 million)
      5. Kevin Durant (USA) - basketball ($60 million).
   9. Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli is the sole Indian sportsperson to feature in List with Pay of $22 Million USD.
   10. Tennis star Serena Williams with $27 Million USD Earnings is only female in list, ranked 51st.
4. 2017 Junior Asian Championships concluded in China's Taiwan, with Indian Wrestlers winning 13 medals.
5. 21st Federation Cup National Senior Athletics Championships held in Patiala (Punjab). It provided an opportunity to Indian athletes to qualify for Asian Athletics Championships to be held in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) in July 2017. Some notable events in these championships -
   11. Sarita Singh (Uttar Pradesh) set a new national record in women’s hammer throw with 65.25m throw.
   12. Javelin thrower Anu Rani smashed her own national record after throwing the spear to a 61.86m. She also qualified for World Championships to be held in London in August 2017.
6. Air Freight Corridor started between Afghanistan and India, between capital cities (Kabul and Delhi).
7. Asian Junior Tennis Championships held in Pune -
   13. Indian Player Nitin Kumar Sinha defeated Malaysia's Christian Didier Chin to win boys singles title.
   14. Dhanya Shah and Sanmay Gandhi won Under-14 doubles title.
8. Australian Open Badminton 2017 -
   15. Men's Singles - Kidambi Srikanth (India) by defeating Chen Long (China). This is Kidambi Srikanth's Second Successive Super Series Win after Indonesian Open. He has jumped into BWF's Top 10 Male Players.
   16. Women's Singles - Nozomi Okuhara (Japan)
   17. Man'e Doubles - Japan 's Takeshi Kamura AND Keigo Sonoda
   18. Women's Doubles - Japan's Misaki Matsutomo AND Ayaka Takahashi
   19. Mixed Doubles - China's Zheng Siwei AND Chen Qingchen
9. Bhumika Sharma from Uttarakhand won Miss World Title in bodybuilding championships held in Venice (Italy).
10. Chinese mobile handset manufacturer Vivo retained Indian Premier League title sponsorship rights for next five seasons (2018-2022) with a winning bid of INR 2199 crores (approximately US $341 million).
11. Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced to launch Its Twenty20 cricket league with name T20 Global League, to start in last quarter of 2017.
12. Cricket board for West Indies re-branded themselves as Cricket West Indies from former West Indies Cricket Board. Board also officially ranamed cricket team from now on as WINDIES.
13. England won FIFA U-20 World Cup for first time ever, defeating Venezuela. It was hosted by South Korea.
    20. India will host U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017.
14. Former Indian hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay would be conferred East Bengal football club's highest honour Bharat Gaurav at its foundation day on 1 August 2017.
15. French Open Tennis 2017 -
    21. Men's Singles - Rafael Nadal (Spain), won by defeating Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland). It is Nadal's Record 10th French Open and overall 15th Grand Slam Title. After This win, Nadal has been ranked 2nd globally, with UK's Andy Murray at top.
    22. Women's Singles - Jeļena Ostapenko (Latvia), won by defeating Simona Halep (Romania)
    23. Men's Doubles - Ryan Harrison (USA) AND Michael Venus (New Zealand)
    24. Women's Doubles - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) AND Lucie Šafářová (Czech Republic)
    25. Mixed Doubles - Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) /AND Rohan Bopanna (India)
16. Halle Open Men's Tennis Tournament (Also called Gerry Weber Open) -
    26. Singles - Roger Federer (Switzerland) by Defeating Alexander Zverev (Germany)
    27. Doubles - Łukasz Kubot (Poland) AND Marcelo Melo (Brazil)
17. ISSF Shooting World Cup 2017 Third Leg Held in Gabala (Azerbaijan) -
    28. Indian shooters Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu won Gold Medal in mixed team 10m air pistol event, as India's Only Medal at ISSF Shooting World Cup 2017 Held in Gabala (Azerbaijan).
    29. First Leg of ISSF Shooting World Cup 2017 was held in New Delhi in Feb - Mar 2017. Finals will also be held in India, in oct 2017. So far India has 6 Medals in ISSF Shooting World Cup 2017 tally. China is leading with 28 Medals.
18. India won 6 medals in Wushu competition of first ever BRICS Games, concluded in Guangzhou (China).
    30. BRICS Games featured approx 300 athletes from 5 BRICS countries- Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa. There were 10 events in 3 sports – men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and Wushu.
19. India's Shashikant Kutwal won gold medal at 17th World Individual Chess Championship for differently-abled, held in Slovakia.
20. India's Srinivas Gokulnath and Amit Samarth became first Indians to complete 4,900-km Race Across America (RAAM) in 18-59 age category. Among 9 persons who finish the race, Gokulnath stood 7th while Samarth finished 8. Race was won by Christoph Strasser.
21. Indian Boxer Ankush Dahiya won gold Medal and L Devendro Singh won silver medal at of Ulaanbaatar Cup boxing tournament in Mongolia.
22. Indian Cricket Team created record for scoring most 300-plus totals in One Day International (ODI) Cricket, after they scored 310 Runs in an ODI against West Indies. India went past Australia’s record of 95 Times 300+ Scores in ODIs.
23. Indian men’s and women’s throwball teams won gold medals in World Games held at Kathmandu (Nepal). Women’s team defeated Pakistan while men's team defeated Bangladesh.
24. India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan won ITF (International Tennis Federation) men’s Futures tennis title after defeating USA's Raymond Sarmiento in Singapore.
25. India’s Virat Kohli created record of becoming fastest Cricketer to score 8000 runs in ODI cricket. He went past South Africa’s AB de Villiers by achieving this Feat in 175 Innings.
26. Indonesia Open Super Series Badminton 2017 -

Category                Winners

Men's singles                       -   Srikanth Kidambi (India) (Defeating Japan' Kazumasa Sakai)

Women's singles                                -   Sayaka Sato (Japan)

Men's doubles                     -   Li Junhui AND Liu Yuchen (China)

Women's doubles              -   Chen Qingchen AND Jia Yifan (China)

Mixed doubles                    -   Tontowi Ahmad AND Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia)

 

27. International Cricket Council (ICC) conferred Test match status on Ireland and Afghanistan, taking number of test-playing nations to 12.
28. International Olympic Committee approved adding several new events for 2020 Tokyo Games. Tokyo Olympics would include 321 events which is an increase from 306 events held at Rio 2016. New additions -
    1. Mixed 4x400m relay, 3-on-3 basketball, Mixed swimming, Mixed team archery, BMX freestyle, Mixed triathlon (first time in olympics), Mixed team event for judo, Mixed Doubles Table Tennis etc.
29. Jeje Lalpekhlua won AIFF player of year for 2016 while Sasmita Malik has been named as 2016 AIFF Women’s player of the year.
30. Manika Batra and Mouma Das became first Indian pair to reach quarterfinals of World Table Tennis Championships held in Dusseldorf (Germany).
31. Newzealand Cricketer Luke Ronchi announced his retirement from international Cricket.
32. Noted Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralidaran inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
33. Pakistan defeated India to win 2017 Cricket ICC Champions Trophy hosted in England. Pakistan’s Hasan Ali was declared Player of the Series.
34. Real Madrid FC became first team to win back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles. This year they defeated Juventus.
35. South African Sprinter Wayde Van Niekerk broke World Record in 300m at Golden Spike Meet in Czech Republic by completing in 30.81 Seconds (previous record 30.85).
36. Thailand Grand Prix Badminton 2017 -
    1. Men's Singles - B. Sai Praneeth (India)
    2. Women's Singles - Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)
    3. Men's Doubles - Indonesian pair of Berry Angriawan and Hardianto
    4. Women's Doubles - Indonesian pair of Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu
    5. Mixed Doubles - Chinese pair of He Jiting and Du Yue
37. Vietnam's Nguyen DucHoa won 10th Mumbai Mayor’s Cup International Open Chess Tournament by defeating India's Neelotpal Das.
38. World Taekwondo Federation changed its name to World Taekwondo (headqurtered in South Korea). It has been considering changing name since slang abbreviation WTF gained popularity among masses.

 

                                                                                                             July

 

1. 2017 Aegon International Eastbourne Tennis Title (UK) -
   1. Men's Singles - Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
   2. Women's Singles - KarolIna Pliskova (Czech Republic)
   3. Men's Doubles - USA's Bob Bryan AND Mike Bryan
   4. Women's Doubles - Chan Yung-jan (Chinese Taipei) AND Martina Hingis (Switzerland)
2. 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton title -
   5. Men's singles - H. S. Prannoy (India) (Defeated India's Kashyap Parupalli)
   6. Women's singles - Aya Ohori (Japan) (Defeated Canada's Michelle Li)
   7. Men's doubles - Japan's Takuto Inoue AND Yuki Kaneko
   8. Women's doubles - South Korea's Lee So-hee AND Shin Seung-chan
   9. Mixed doubles - South Korea's Seo Seung-jae AND Kim Ha-na
3. 2017 WSF-World junior squash championships held in Tauranga (New Zealand). Indian Team finished 6th in girl’s team event.
4. 22nd Asian Athletics Championships held at Kalinga Stadium of Bhubaneshwar.
   10. India topped medal tally for first time in the history of Asian Athletics Championships. India's medal tally stood at 29 medals (12 gold, 5 silver, 12 bronze). China came second with 20 Medals (8 gold, 7 silver, 5 bronze). Kazakhstan 3rd with 8 Medals and Iran 4th with 5 medals.
5. 57th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships organized by Andhra Pradesh Athletics Association at Guntur.
6. 7th Edition of Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee Rural Football Tournament held in Murshidabad (West Bengal).
7. ATP Atlanta title Tennis Tournament (USA) -
   11. Men's Singles - John Isner (USA)
   12. Men’s doubles - Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (USA)
8. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competition Committee chosesn Indonesia as host of AFC Under-19 Championship 2018.
9. Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships held at Kathmandu (Nepal).
   13. India won 4 medals in this championship - 1 Gold and 3 Bronze.
   14. Bronze - Ajay Singh, S. Nirpupama Devi and Lovepreet Singh.
   15. Gold - Konsam Ormila.
10. Australian Boxer Jeff Horn Defeated Manny Pacquiao (Philippines) to win WBO world welterweight title.
11. Bharat Arun has been appointed Indian Cricket Team's bowling coach until 2019 World Cup.
    16. Sanjay Bangar has been appointed assistant coach and R Sridhar as fielding coach till 2019 ODI World Cup.
12. Canadian Swimmer Kylie Masse has set up a new 100m backstroke world gold during world aquatics championships in Budapest (Hungary) by completing in 58.10 seconds.
    17. Caeleb Dressel of USA also made headlines by becoming first swimmer to win 3 gold medals on a single night at 2017 FINA World Aqatics Championships in Budapest (Hungary).
13. England won ICC Women's World Cup 2017 with final held at Lord's (London) by defeating India in Final. It was fourth Women's World Cup title for England.
    18. India captain Mithali Raj named as Captain of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 team by International cricket Council (ICC). Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were other two Indians included in ICC’s team.
14. Former Indian Cricketer Sandeep Patil has named as brand ambassador of Indian Indoor Cricket Team for 10th World Indoor Cricket Federation (WICF) World Cup to be held in September 2017 in Dubai.
15. Former Pakistan Cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq honoured with Honorary Life Membership by England's Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
16. Former professional Indian tennis player Somdev Devvarman has been appointed to lead a Centre of Excellence at Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA).
17. Germany won First FIFA Confederation Cup Football title by defeating Chile in St Petersburg (Russia).
18. India at recent Sports events -
    1. Indian boxers won 8 Medals (5 G, 2 S, 1 B) at Czech Republic Boxing Tournament.
    2. India won 24 medals at Jordan Junior and Cadet Open table tennis tournament.
19. India defeated Kazakhstan to win FIBA Women’s Asia Cup’s Division B Basketball title in Bengaluru.
20. India finished 7th in 6th Youth Commonwealth Games held at Bahamas, with total 11 medals (4 gold, 1 silver and 6 bronze). England topped medal list with 51 medals, followed by Australia (39 medals).
21. India team (consisting of Pankaj Advani and Laxman Rawat) won Asian Team Snooker Championship in Kyrgyzstan, by defeating Pakistan.
22. India won 3 medals (1 gold) in Asian Cadet Judo Championships organized in Kyrgyzstan.
23. India's Mithali Raj became first player in International women's ODI cricket to score over 6000 runs. She achieved this during a ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 match at Bristol (UK) against Australia. She went past Charlotte Edwards (England).
24. Indian Damneet Singh won India’s Only medal (silver in hammer throw) at IAAF World U18 Championships held in Nairobi (Kenya).
25. Indian woman badminton player Ritika Thaker won singles title in Ivory Coast International badminton tournament. While, Ritika Thaker and Simran Singhi won women’s doubles title.
26. India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu won South Australian Open squash title by defeating Rhys Dowling of Australia.
27. International Boxing Association (AIBA) announced that India will host their first Men’s World Championship in 2021.
    3. AIBA Men’s World Championships 2019 will be held in Sochi (Russia). 2018 Women’s World Championships will be held in Delhi.
28. International Swimming Federation (FINA) announced that Russian city of Kazan and Hungarian city Budapest will host 2022, 2024 Short Course Swimming Championships respectively.
29. Jehan Daruvala became first Indian Racing driver to win in FIA Formula 3 European Championship held in Germany.
30. Karnataka’s Manudev won first National Masters snooker tournament title in Chennai.
31. Lagos International challenge Badminton Title -
    4. Men's singles - Rahul Yadav Chittaboina (India)
    5. Women's singles - Thilini Pramodika Hendahewa (Sri Lanka)
    6. Men's doubles - India's Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy
    7. Women's doubles - Sri Lanka's Thilini Pramodika Hendahewa and Ishadika Kavidi
    8. Mixed doubles - Israel's Misha Zilberman and Svetlana Zilberman
32. Los Angeles (USA) formally announced its bid for 2028 Summer Olympics, paving way for Paris to host 2024 Summer Olympics.
    9. Los Angeles will be hosting games in 2028 for the third time after 1932 and 1984.
    10. Los Angeles and Paris are in race to host 2024 Games, with winner to be named by IOC on September 13 in Lima (Peru). Now Paris is almost sure to host 2024 as Los Angles will be hosting 2028 Games.
33. M S Dhoni became first Indian batsman to hit 200 sixes in One Day International (ODI) cricket.
34. Meghalaya Government launched Mission Football in Shillong, aimed at nurturing Footballing talent in state.
35. Formula 1

Austrian Grand Prix          Valtteri Bottas (Finland)             9 July

British Grand Prix           Lewis Hamilton (Britain)            16 July

36. Mohun Bagan FC awards 2017 -
    1. Subrata Bhattacharya - Mohun Bagan Ratna
    2. Best Football Player of the Year - Balwant Singh
    3. Best Cricket Player of the Year - Debabrata Das
    4. Lifetime Achievement - Shyam Sundar Mitra
    5. India Women’s cricket team veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami with a special award
37. Noted Italian Footballer Francesco Totti announced his retirement.
38. Odisha government signed MOU with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to establish a High-Performance Academy in Bhubaneswar.
39. Thailnd Golfer Atthaya Thitikul became youngest winner on Ladies European Tour as She defeated Ana Menendez of Mexico.
40. This year, Chennai will not host India’s lone ATP tour tournament - Chennai Open 2017. It will now be held in Pune and called Maharashtra Open.
41. Updated FIFA world football rankings have ranked Indian national football at 96th spot, best position for India in 29 years.
42. Wimbeldon Tennis Tournemnt 2017 (UK)
    6. Men's Singles - Roger Federer (Switzerland) (Defeated Croatia's Marin Čilić). It is federer's 8th Wimbeldon and 19th Grand Slam Title.
    7. Women's Singles - Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain) (Defeated USA's Venus Williams)
    8. Men's Doubles - Lukasz Kubot (Poland) AND Marcelo Melo (Brazil)
    9. Women's Doubles - Russian Pair of Ekaterina Makarova AND Elena Vesnina
    10. Mixed Doubles - Jamie Murray (UK) AND Martina Hingis (Switzerland)
43. World Para Athletics Championships 2017 held in London (United Kingdom).
    11. 1074 Athletes from 92 Nations participated in 213 events.
    12. India ended at 34th Place with 5 Medals, best ever performance by India in Para Athletics Championships. For India, Sundar Singh Gurjar claimed gold medal in men’s javelin throw event. There were 2 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals.

 

August

 

1. 14th World Wrestling Championships 2017 held in Paris (France) –
2. 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships 2017 held in London (UK) -

1. 204 Nations Participated in this Major Sports Event. India sent 25 athletes, none of which could secure a medal. Although, Davinder Singh Kang has become first Indian to qualify for final round of javelin throw in World Athletics Championships.
2. Noted Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt retired from Internaional Athletics. He is only athlete to complete coveted Triple - Triple, after he won 100m, 200m and 400 m relay titles in 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London) and 2016. In his final 100 m race in IAAF World Athletics Championships 2017, he stayed 3rd with Justin Gatlin coming first.

3. 2017 BWF World Championships of badminton held in Glasgow (Scotland) -
   1. India's PV Sindhu won women's singles silver medal. In final match, She lost to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara. Saina Nehwal Won a Bronze Medal.
   2. Men's Singles - Denmark's Viktor Axelsen won by defeating China's Lin Dan.
   3. Men's Doubles - China's Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan defeated Indonesia's Mohammad Ahsan and Rian Agung Saputro.
   4. Women's Doubles - China's Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan defeated Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota
4. 2017 Western & Southern Open (Cincinati Open) Tennis 2017-
   5. Men's Singles - Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria)
   6. Women's Singles - Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain)
   7. Men's Doubles - France 's Pierre-Hugues Herbert AND Nicolas Mahut
   8. Women's Doubles - Chan Yung-jan (Chinese Taipei) AND Martina Hingis (Switzerland)
5. 7th Asian Shotgun Championships held at Astana (Kazakhstan)
   9. Kuwait stayed at top with 5 medals (4 Gold, 1 Silver), followed by China (4 Gold, 1 Bronze) and India stayed 3rd with 7 medals (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze).
6. 7th World Dwarf Games held in Ontario province of Canada with approx 400 athletes from 24 countries participating. Indian contingent won record 37 medals (15 G, 10 S and 12 B).
7. 8 member Olympic Task Force constituted to plan a roadmap to improve India’s performance in Olympics submitted its report titled Preparation of 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Task Force focused on 3 fold formula - athlete-centric, coach-led and system-driven.
8. AIFF (All India Football Federation) appointed Ushanath Banerjee as chairman of a special committee that will deal with players’ transfer disputes.
9. American Boxer Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor to win his his 50th straight victory, heading to retirement with a perfect 50-0 record.
10. Arab Nation Qatar will host 2022 FIFA Football World Cup, and would be building a stadium shaped like an Arabian skull cap for the event.
11. Argentinian Footballer Lionel Messi became first player to score 350 goals in La Liga (Spanish football league ).
12. Australia won FIBA Basketball Asia Cup 2017, defeating Iran. While, South Korea clinched the third place. It was held In Lebonan.
13. Brazil’s Neymar became world’s most expensive footballer, after signing an INR 1,680 crores (€222 million) deal with France's Barcelona FC.
14. England will host International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) 2018 Team World Cup.
    10. Team World Cup is ITTF’s second most noted tournament after World Championships.
15. Govenment announced that first edition of Rural Games or Grameen Khel Mahotsav will be held in Delhi, aiming at popularising indigenous games like wrestling, athletics etc. It will also have fun games like Matka Race, Tug of War for senior citizens.
16. ISSF Junior World Cup Shotgun held in Porpetto (Italy).
    11. India - Shapath Bharadwaj won Bronze in Double Trap Men Junior Event. Additionally, Lakshay Sheoran and Manisha Keer won bronze in mixed team trap competition (a test event). Shapath Bhardwaj (aged 15) also become India’s youngest athlete to figure in government’s Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme.
    12. Italy dominated with 6 Medals (2 each of Gold, Silver and Bronze).
17. India Men’s Hockey team defeated Netherlands by 2-1 to win the series.
18. India at Recent Sports Events -
    13. India won 10 medals (including 2 gold by Jyoti and Vanlalharitpuii) at 6th Golden Glove women’s Boxing Tournament in Serbia.
19. Indian Badminton Player Lakshya Sen won Bulgaria Open International Series Badminton title, defeating Croatia’s Zvonimir Durkinjak.
20. Indian U-15 football team won SAFF U-15 Championships held in Kathmandu (Nepal), defeating Nepal.
21. Indian professional boxer Vijender Singh won ovrer his Chinese opponent Zulpikar Maimaitiali to retain WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title and win WBO Oriental Super Middleweight title. It is vijender's 9 successive win in his professional career.
22. India’s Soumyajit Ghosh and G Sathiyan won silver in men’s doubles at Bulgaria Open Table Tennis in Panagyurishte (Bulgaria).
23. Kerala High Court ordered Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to lift life ban imposed on Cricketer Sreesanth, that was put after 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. Cricketers Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were also included in same.
24. Mercedes Racer Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won Belgian Grand Prix
25. Noted English Footballer Wayne Rooney retired from international football. He is leading Goalscorer of England, with 53 Goals.
26. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) won 91st All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament, by defeating Bengaluru Hockey Association (BHA).
27. Punjab State government appointed Indian female cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in state police, honoring her superior performance in Recent ICC Women's world World Cup 2017.
28. Real Madrid defeated Barcelona in second leg of 2017 Spanish Super Cup. Note that Real Madrid's Star Player Cristiano Ronaldo did not play due to 5 game ban for pushing referee.
29. Real Madrid defeated Manchester United to win 2017 UEFA Super Cup Soccer title.
30. Rogers Cup Tennis 2017 (Canadian Open) -
    1. Men's Singles - Alexander Zverev (Germany) (Defeated Roger Federer (Switzerland))
    2. Women's Singles - Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) (Defeated Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark))
    3. Men's Doubles - France 's Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut
    4. Women's Doubles - Russia's Ekaterina Makarova and Russia Elena Vesnina
31. Sanath Jayasuriya-led Sri Lankan cricket selection panel stepped down after recent poor performances against India.
32. Spanish Tennis Player Rafael Nadal returned to number 1 spot in ATP ranking after 3 years.
33. USA's Tennis Player Serena Williams topped Forbes' list of highest-paid female athletes in 2016 - 2017, with earnings of $27 million. This is Williams’ second consecutive year as highest-earning female athlete, dethroning Maria Sharapova that held the spot for 11 years straight.
34. World Junior Wrestling Championships 2017 held in Tampere (Finland) -
    5. India’s Manju Kumari won bronze medal in women’s 59kg category.
    6. Veer Dev Gulia won bronze medal In men’s 74kg freestyle category.
35. World U-20 Junior Para Athletics Championships, Held in Notwill (Switzerland) -
    7. India stayed at 9th Place in team rankings, with 5 medals (2 Gold, 3 Silver). Gold medals were won by Aamit Kumar (200 m Male) and Behera Jeyanti (400 m Female).
    8. USA stayed at top with 18 medals, followed by Iran (9).

 

 

                                                            September

 

1. 128-player single-elimination chess tournament named Chess World Cup 2017 held in Tbilisi (Georgia). It was won by Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian as his second win of this tournament. 7 Indians participated in it, including Former World Champion Vishwanathan Anand.
2. 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships held in Hamburg (Germany) -
   1. India's only medal was a bronze medal won by Gaurav Bidhuri (ranked 10th).
3. 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (5th Asian Indoor Games) held in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) -
4. India won 40 medals and finished 11th at 5th Asian Indoor Games, Including 9 Gold Medals.
5. 2017 Commonwealth (Youth, Junior and Senior) Weightlifting Championships held in Australia. India will host the 2019 edition of these games. India won 37 medals in current championships held in Australia.
6. 2017 Laver Cup men's tennis tournament won by Europe, defeating rest of the world. It was held in Prague (Czech Republic).
7. 57th National Open Athletics Championships held at Nehru Stadium in Chennai (Tamilnadu).
8. Airtel Payments Bank became first payments bank in India to integrate UPI Technology (Unified Payments Interface) on its digital platform. It will allow customers the choice and convenience to facilitate secure digital payments.
9. Amritpal Singh became first India-born player to be included into Australia’s National Basketball League, by basketball club Sydney Kings.
10. BCCI nominated Mahendra Singh Dhoni for Padma Bhushan, country’s third highest civilian award for his contribution to game. He is only cricketer nominated by BCCI for this years Padma Awards. While, Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu is recommended for Padma Bhushan title by Sports Ministry.
11. Cadet World Wrestling Championships 2017 held in Athens (Greece) -
    1. India's Wrestler Anshu won Gold Medal defeating Japanese Wrestler Naomi Ruike in 60-kilogram weight category.
    2. Sonam Malik won gold by defeating Japanese Wrestler Sena Nagamoto in 56 KG Category.
    3. Besides, Neelam won Bronze in 43-kilogram category.
12. East Bengal FC won eighth consecutive Calcutta Football League (CFL) title (39th overall), defeating Mohun Bagan FC in Siliguri (West Bengal)
13. First ever Indian squad to participate in the FIFA U-17 World Cup has been announced, with 21 players onboard. FIFA U17 WC will be held in India in October 2017.
14. For first time, 5 Indians are in the top-20 of BWF men’s singles rankings -
    4. Kidambi Srikanth (8th), HS Prannoy (15th), B Sai Praneeth (17th), Sameer Verma (19th), Ajay Jayaram (20th)
15. Government approved Olympic Task Force's recommendation of Providing stipend of Rs 50,000 per month be paid to elite athletes preparing for Tokyo Olympic, Asian Games or Common Wealth Games to meet pocket expenses. Government selected 152 elites under TOP scheme.
16. Government exempted import duty on a wide range of goods and sports items for upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held in India in October 2017. However, importers will have to exorts all imported accessories will be re-exported within 3 months of conclusion of World Cup.
17. Hockey India removed national coach Roelant Oltmans (Netherlands), appointing David John as Chief coach till a a suitable replacement is found.
18. ISSF World Shotgun Championships held in Moscow (Russia). India's Ankur Mittal won Silver Double Trap Men (Adult) and Ahvar Rizvi won Silver in Double Trap Men (Junior). India Finished 5th in this championship.
19. India will host South Asian boxing Championship for first time in Guwahati (Assam) in December 2017.
20. India won 2nd South Asian Basketball (SABA) Under – 16 Championship by defeating Bhutan in Kathmandu (Nepal). India qualified for 2017 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship to be played in Malaysia in later 2017.
21. India's Sumit Nagal won 8th MCC S R Subramaniam ITF Futures Men’s tennis championship in Chennai.
22. India's Tejasvi Duduka won women’s singles of U.S. Open Grand Slam Carrom tournament.
23. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formally awarded rights to host 36th National Games to Goa in November 2017.
24. Indian squash player Harinder Pal Sandhu won Malaysian Squash Tour, as his 21st consecutive international match win in a row.
25. Indian women’s boxing’s first foreign coach Stephane Cottalorda has resigned after just one month of appointment.
26. International Cricket Council (ICC) announced several changes to rules -
    5. Thickness of edges of bat can’t be more than 40mm and the overall depth can be 67 mm at most.
    6. Change in DRS rule - A review will now not be lost in case of a decision that remains unchanged, solely as the result of an ‘umpire’s call’. DRS will now also be allowed to be used in T20Is.
    7. Run outs - If a batsman is running towards crease with forward momentum and grounded its bat behind popping crease but subsequently has lost contact with the ground at the time of the wickets being put down, the batsman will not be run out.
    8. Boundary catches - airborne fielders making their first contact with the ball will need to have taken off from within boundary, otherwise, a boundary will be scored. Batsman can now be out caught, stumped or run out even if ball bounces off the helmet worn by a fielder or wicket-keeper.
27. International Cricket Council (ICC) launched anti-corruption investigation in Sri Lanka Cricket.
28. International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally announced Paris (France) as host of 2024 summer Olympics and Los Angeles (LOS) as host of 2028 Olympics.
29. Joycilline Jepkosgei of Kenya broke her own 10 km road world record in Prague (Czech Republic) as She has become first woman to run 10 km distance under 30 minutes on road.
30. Kochi (Kerala) will host BWF World Senior Badminton Championships, being held in India for first time.
31. Korean Open Badminton 2017 -
    9. Men's singles - Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (Indonesia)
    10. Women's singles - India P. V. Sindhu. Sindhu Became first Indian to win Korea Open Superseries. She defeated Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.
    11. Men's doubles - Mathias Boe AND Carsten Mogensen (Denmark)
    12. Women's doubles - Huang Yaqiong AND Yu Xiaohan (China)
    13. Mixed doubles - Praveen Jordan AND Debby Susanto (Indonesia)
32. Kuldeep Yadav became first Indian spinner to take a hat-trick in ODI cricket, after he took one against an ODI game against Australia.
33. Maharashtra won Chief Minister’s cup at National kickboxing championship held in Raipur (Chhattisgarh).
34. Mahendra Singh Dhoni became first wicketkeeper in world cricket to do 100 stumpings in One Day Internationals (ODIs).
35. Mercedes Racer Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won Italian Grand Prix
36. Mercedes Racer Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won Singapore Grand Prix
37. Noted Indian Female Boxer M C Mary Kom became first Indian to be picked as International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) representative for 8th IOC Athletes’ Forum to be held in Lausanne (Switzerland).
38. Official emblem and slogan for FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 has been launched. Slogan is Dare To Shine.
39. Official song for FIFA Under-17 World Cup football tournament has been formally launched. The song Kar Ke Dikhla De Goal is written by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Pritam.
40. Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) invited Australia to compete at Asiad (Asian Games) in 2022, for the first time. The invite is for selected sports like football and basketball to enable athletes to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
41. Olympic Task Force headed by Abinav Bindra suggested forming 13-member Empowered Steering Committee (ESC), to shape India’s preparation for upcoming mainstream sports events. ESC will work till December 31, 2020 with clearly defined terms and references.
42. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) imposed 5 year ban and a fine of one million rupees on batsman Khalid Latif for involvement in spot-fixing during PSL.
43. Rishabh Shah of Mumbai won 2 bronze in Under-14 Rapid and Blitz formats of the 2nd Western Asia Youth Chess Championship in Sri Lanka.
44. South African Cricketer JP Duminy announced his retirement from test cricket.
45. Star India secured Indian Premier League's media rights with a bid of Rs 16347.50 crore for five-year period 2018-2022, getting past Sony's bid of INR 11050 crores. Note that In 2008, Sony Pictures Network won IPL media rights for 10 years for INR 8200 crores
46. Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn won India Junior International Grand Prix Badminton Title by defeating Indian Player Rahul Bharadwaj.
47. US Open Tennis 2017 -
    1. Men's Singles - Rafael Nadal (Spain) by Defeating Kevin Anderson (South Africa). It is overall 16th Grand Slam Title for Rafael Nadal.
    2. Women's Singles - Sloane Stephens (USA) by Defeating Madison Keys (USA)
    3. Men's Doubles - Jean-Julien Rojer (Netherlands) AND Horia Tecău (Romania)
    4. Women's Doubles - Chan Yung-jan (Chinese Taipei) AND Martina Hingis (Switzerland)
    5. Mixed Doubles - Martina Hingis (Switzerland) AND Jamie Murray (UK)
48. West Indies Cricketer Chris Gayle become first batsman to hit 100 sixes in Twenty20 Internationals.
49. Wrestler Satish Kumar has been awarded Rs 25 lakh as compnesation by a Delhi court for being wrongly restrained from taking part in 14th Asian Games in Busan (South Korea) in 2002. He was barred due to mistaken impression of having taken performance-enhancing drugs.

 

 

 

13. INDEXES

 

                                                                                  June

1. 16th Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) 2017 - The Age of Focus -
   • India has been ranked at top among 30 developing countries on ease of doing business in retail sector.
   • China has been ranked at 2nd place.
2. 2017 Social Progress Index report by Social progress Imperative (SPI) -
   • India has ranked 93rd among 128 countries (Lower Middle Social Progress).
   • Top 5 - Denmark (1), Finland (2), Iceland (3, Norway (4), Switzerland (5)
   • Bottom 5 - Niger (124), Angola (125), Chad (126), Afghanistan (127), Central African Repubic (128)
   • BRICS - Brazil (43), Russia (67), India (93), China (83), South Africa (66)

 

3. World population Prospectus (The Revision) report by United Nations -

• India will become most populous nations by 2024, surpassing China. India's current population is 1.3 Billion and China is at approx 1.4 Billion.
• World’s total population will hit 9.8 billion by 2050 and 11.2 Billion in 2020. Annually, 82 Million people are being added.
• Nigeria, which is currently at the seventh place is expected to become third most populous country by 2050 replacing USA.

4. According to London based coverage mapping firm OpenSignal -

• India has been ranked 74^th (even below Pakistan and Sri Lanka) in terms of internet data speed with Average 4G download speed at 5.1Mbps . It is less than a third of global 4G average and marginally higher than global 3G speed of 4.4 Mbps. Average 3G download speed across India is less than 1 Mbps.
• Singapore scored highest in 4G speed while South Korea scored highest in 4G availability. Global average 4G download speed is 16.2 Mbps.

5. Global Innovation Index 2017 by Cornell University, INSEAD and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) -

1. Most Innovative countries - Switzerland (1), Sweden (2), Netherlands (3), US (4), UK (5). Switzerland leads for 7th consecutive year.
2. BRICS - Brazil (69), Russia (45), China (22), India (60), South Africa (57). India is top-ranked economy in Central and South Asia.

6. International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) released World Competitiveness Index 2017. This year’s list comprises 63 countries with Cyprus and Saudi Arabia making their first appearance.

1. Top 5 - Hong Kong (1),Switzerland (2), Singapore (3), USA (4), Netherlands (5).
2. India - 45th (down from 41st in 2016 List)
3. Bottom 5 - Venezuela (63), Mongolia (62), Brazil (61), Ukraine (60), Croatia (59)

7. Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2018 of 959 Top Universities -

1. This year, 20 Indian Universities in complete list and 3 Indian universities are among top 200 universities.
2. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (179th), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (172nd) and Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru (190th) are top 3 Indian Uniersities. IISc has been placed at 6th position among 959 universities for ‘Citations per Faculty’ in the 2018 rankings. For the first time, the Delhi University (DU) has entered the top 500 group.
3. Top 3 -
   1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) {6TH Consecutive year at top for MIT}
   2. Stanford University (USA)
   3. Harvard University (USA)

8. Sydney-based think tank Institute for Economics and Peace's Global Peace Index 2017 (163 Nations) -

1. Top 105 Peaceful - Iceland (1), New Zealand (2), Portugal (3), Austria (4), Denmark (5).
2. Top 10 Least Peaceful - Syria (163), Afghanistan (162), Iraq (161), South Sudan (160), Yemen (159).
3. BRICS - Brazil (108), Russia (151), India (137), China (116), South Africa (123)
4. Neighbours - Nepal (93), Pakistan (152), Sri Lanka (80), Bangladesh (84)

 

                                                                                                             July

 

1. 2017 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index by Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Bertelsmann Stiftung -

1. India - Ranked 116 out of 157 nations.
2. Top 5 -Sweden (1st), Denmark (2nd), Finland (3rd), Norway (4th), Czech Republic (5th).
3. Bottom 5 - Madagascar (153), Liberia (154), Congo (155), Chad (156), Central African Republic (157)
4. BRICS - Brazil (56), Russia (62), India (116), China (71), South Africa (108)
5. Neighbours -Bangladesh (120), Nepal (105), Pakistan (122), Sri Lanka (81)

2. World’s Top 15 Cities list by Noted magazine Travel + Leisure (T+L). India's Udaipur (Rajasthan) has been featured in the list. Top 5 are -

1                . San Miguel de Allende, Mexico                                2 . Charleston, South Carolina, USA

3                . Chiang Mai, Thailand                                                   4. Kyoto, Japan                                                 5. Florence, Italy

3. First Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index released by international NGO Oxfam International -

1. India is ranked 132nd out of 152 countries.
2. Top 5 - Sweden (1st), Belgium (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Norway (4th) and Germany (5th).
3. Bottom 5 - Nigeria (152), Bahrain (151), Myanmar (150), Albania (149), Panama (148).
4. Neighbours - Pakistan (146), Bangladesh (148), Nepal (81), Sri Lanka (138)

4. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Government at a Glance 2017 report -

1. India topped The List, indicating that PM Narendra Modi led NDA coalition Government has gained highest trust in world among its people, with score of 73%.
2. Top 5 - India (73 %) Canada (62%), Turkey (58%), Russia (58 %) and Germany (55%). US government secured only 30% of peoples’ confidence.
3. Greece has been placed at bottom of list with score of 13%.
4. Number of government jobs as share of total employment remained 18.1% in 2015, compared to 17.9% in 2007. Highest (30%) Government employment is in Denmark.

5. Second Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) by UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU) -

This Report measures commitment of nations to cyber security.

1. India has been ranked well at 23rd position out of 165 nations.
2. Top 5 - Singapore (1st), USA (2nd), Malaysia (3rd), Oman (4th), Estonia (5th).

6. Women Entrepreneur (WE) Cities Index 2017 study released by Dell -
   1. 6. India's Bengaluru ranked 40th out of 50 cities and Delhi ranked 49th.
      7. Top 5 - New York (USA), Bay Area (US), London (UK), Boston (US) and Stockholm (Sweden).

 

August

 

1. 2017 Global Liveability Report compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) -
   1. 10 most liveable cities - Melbourne (1st), Vienna (2nd), Vancouver (3rd), Toronto (4th), Calgary (5th), Adelaide (6th), Perth (7th), Auckland (8th), Helsinki (9th) and Hamburg (10th). Melbourne has topped the list For seventh consecutive year
   2. No Indian City named in top 10 Cities' List.
   3. Least Liveable Cities - Damascus (Syria), Lagos (Nigeria), Tripoli (Libya)
2. 2017 Global Retirement Index (GRI) by French asset management company Natixis Global -
   4. India has been ranked Last (43rd) among 43 Countries in List.
   5. Top 3 - Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland.
3. Scimago Institutions ranking World Report 2017 -

1. India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is ranked 9th best government organisation in world and overall ranked 75th institution globally.
2. Ranking of Government Institutions was topped by Chinese Academy of Sciences, followed by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) and Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (Germany).
3. Overall global ranking was topped by Chinese Academy of Sciences, followed by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) and Harvard University (USA).

 

 

                                                                        September

 

1. Global Financial Centres Index 2017 by Z/Yen Partners and the China Development Institute (CDI). It is released twice a year, in March and September, and ranks 92 financial centres. Top 10 -

London                New York Hong Kong Singapore Tokyo Shanghai Toronto Sydney Zurich Beijing

2. Global Human Capital Report 2017 by World Economic Forum (130 Nations) -
   1. Top 5 - Norway (1), Finland (2), Switzerland (3), United States (4), Denmark (5)
   2. Bottom 5 - Mali (126), Ethiopia (127), Senegal (128), Mauritania (129), Yemen (130)
   3. Neighbours - Bangladesh (111), Pakistan (125), Nepal (98), Sri Lanka (70)
   4. BRICS - Brazil (77), Russia (16), India (103), China (34), South Africa (87)
3. Global ranking for least and most stressful cities, by Zipjet (150 Cities) -
   5. Top 5 - Stuttgart (Germany), Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Hannover (Germany), Bern (Switzerland), Munich (Germany)
   6. Bottom 5 - Cairo (Egypt), Dakar (Senegal), Lagos (Nigeria), Kabul (Afghanistan), Baghdad (Iraq) (150th)
   7. India - New Delhi (142), Mumbai (138), Kolkata (131), Bangalore (130)
4. Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index (QNI) Report -

1. Top 3 - Germany (1st), France and Denmark (Joint 2nd), Iceland (3rd)
2. Afghanistan is ranked at bottom of index
3. India is ranked 101 among 159 countries

 

 

14. AGREEEMENTS

 

                                                                                                             January

1. Government approved MOUs With Portugal and Kenya for cooperation in Agriculture and allied sectors. With Uruguay for Cooperation in Customs Matters. With USA for cooperation in field of cyber Security (IndiaCERT

and USACERT).

2. Government approved holding negotiations for Trade Agreement with Peru on trade in goods, services and investment.
3. India and France signed White Shipping agreement to enable information sharing on maritime traffic and maritime domain awareness in Indian Ocean Region (IOR), during second Joint dialogue on maritime cooperation for IOR in New Delhi.
4. India and Kazakhstan signed Protocol to amend Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) to avoid Taxation Issues.
5. India and Pakistan exchanged list of their nuclear installations and facilities under Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations. This is 26th consecutive exchange of such list, continuing since 1992.
6. India and USA signed MoU to collaborate in fields of developmental activities and aid in third world countries.
7. India and the UAE held the first meeting of their strategic dialogue in New Delhi to elevate the bilateral relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
8. India partnered with United Kingdom Experts (led by University of Birmingham) for ASAPDelhi (An Integrated Study of Air Pollutant Sources in Delhi) Project to address air pollution issues in Delhi.
9. India rejected an EU and Canada proposed agreement that aims to incorporate a contentious Investor State

Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism at World Trade Organisation (WTO) level. Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism permits companies to drag governments to international arbitration without exhausting the local remedies and It also allows them to claim huge amounts as compensation citing losses due to reasons including policy changes and Others. India held that only after all local options have been exhausted for settling disputes between a corporate and a government, then the issues can be taken up in international arbitration tribunals.

10. India signed MoU with Sri Lanka to construct 3000 rain water harvesting systems in Rin Jaffna District at a cost of 300 million Rupees (Sri Lankan).
11. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and French Space agency (CNES) signed agreement in satellite launch technology. Agreement also signed for equipping Axiom Research Lab’s lunar rover with two latestgeneration CASPEX microcameras, developed by CNES in partnership with French firm 3DPlus. Axiom Research Lab is leading Indian NewSpace startup put forward TeamIndus, the only Indian team competing for the Google Lunar XPRIZE. XPRIZE is global competition organised by Google for engineers and entrepreneurs to develop lowcost methods of robotic space exploration. It will award $20 million to the first private company that successfully lands a module on the Moon, places a robot that explores at least 500 metres and transmits HD videos and images back to Earth.
12. India signed deal with United Arab Emirates (UAE) to fill half (about 6 million barrels of oil) of an underground crude oil storage facility at Mangaluru (Karnataka), through UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC). India has already filled the other half of Mangaluru storage in Karnataka state with six million barrels of Iranian oil.

India already has filled Vizag storage site in Andhra Pradesh with 7.55 million barrels of Iraqi oil.

Another 18.3 million barrel facility at Padur in Karnataka is awaiting Bids.

13. MOUs Signed

• With Serbia for cooperation in Information Technology and Electronics.
• With Russia for cooperation in Youth matters.
• With Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for cooperation in outer space exploration.
• With Vietnam for cooperation In cyber security.
• MSME Cooperation with 21 Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Member Countries.

 

                                                                                                             February

 

1. New MOUs Signed With

• Greece for Cooperation in Air Services.
• With Australia for cooperation in civil aviation security.
• With Poland for Cooperation in Agriculture and Allied Sciences.
• With Japan for enhancing railway safety in Indian Railways with focus on railway track and rolling stock safety.
• Amending tax treaty with Israel for easy exchange of information on tax matters to check flow of black money.

2. Government Signed Agreement with Croatia for Economic Cooperation, during visit of Commerce and Industry Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman to Croatia.
3. Government approved signing Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Rwanda (East Africa).
4. India Bangladesh signed MoU for sustainable development of Sylhet city in northeastern Bangladesh with financial aid from India.
5. India and Austria signed Protocol amending Convention for Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income.
6. India and Germany ratified a Social Security Agreement to improve investment flows between two countries. It agreement signed in October 2011 and will come into force from May 1, 2017. SSA establishes rights and obligations of nationals of both countries.
7. India and Israel celebrated 25 years of establishment of their diplomatic relations.
8. India and Norway founded Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to accelerate lifesaving research and development for epidemics. CEPI has been founded by governments of India and Norway along with Welcome Trust, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and World Economic Forum.
9. India and Sri Lanka signed MoU to construct new multiethnic trilingual secondary school in Polonnaruwa District of Sri Lanka.
10. India and Ukraine agreed to strengthen cooperation through medium of Cinema, during visit of Iurii Artemenko (Chairman of National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine).
11. India and United Kingdom (UK) signed MoU to ease restrictions on the number of scheduled flights between the two countries.

Indian and Italian Railways signed MoU for technical cooperation in rail sector, especially in area of safety in train operations. Ministry of Railways signed MoU with an Italian Firm Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane Group (FS Group) for technical cooperation in rail sector.

12. Malaysia based low cost airline AirAsia signed MoU with Odisha government to start 2 way direct international flights from Bhubaneswar to Kuala Lumpur.
13. Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari Visited African Nations Uganda amd Rwanda. Uganda MOUs in various fields like space programme, vocational training and peaceful use of atomic energy were signed. Rwanda India will open resident mission in Rwanda. MOUs were signed in fields of innovation, aviation and visa regime.
14. New MOU Approved With

• Senegal in field of Health and Medicine.
• With France in field of Science and Technology and innovation.
• With Vietnam in exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes.

 

March

 

1. Finance Ministry approved 3rd Protocol amending India-Singapore Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), to check tax and fiscal evasion.
2. Government approved Agreement on Oil Storage and Management between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of UAE. ADNOC will fill up 5,860,000 million barrels of crude oil at ISPRL storage facility at Mangalore (Karnataka).
3. Government approved MoU between Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERTln) and US Homeland Security Department, for cooperation in field of Cyber Security.
4. Government approved a new Air Services Agreement with Serbia and revised Air services agreement with Malaysia.
5. Government approved ratification of 2 conventions of International Labour Organization (ILO) concerned with Child Labour Minimum Age Convention (No 138) and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No 182).
6. Government approved renewal of MoU between India's Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and College of Banking and Financial Studies (Oman).
7. India and Belgium signed Protocol amending existing Agreement and Protocol between two countries for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income.
8. India and Brazil finalised Social Security Agreement (SSA) and will come in force by 2018. It will be the first such agreement between BRICS countries. It will exempt detached workers of two countries from making social security contribution in either country, as long as they were making such contributions in their own respective nations.
9. India and Nepal signed agreement to renew supply of petroleum to Nepal for 5 years (till 2022).
10. India and Pakistan decided to work on redesigning Miyar Hydroelectric project, during Indus Water Treaty talks held in Islamabad (Pakistan).
11. India and Russia signed 2 longterm support agreements for Sukhoi Su30MKI combat aircraft fleet, during 1st IndiaRussia Military Industrial Conference in New Delhi.
12. India and several South East Asian nations signed World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Call To end Tuberculosis (TB) by 2030.
13. MOUs Approved

• With United Arab Emirates in field of providing Energy Efficiency Services.
• With Portugal on Renewable Energy and IT & E.
• With United Nations Entity of Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UNWomen), to provide technical support to Ministry of Panchayati Raj in strengthening capacities of governance institutions.

14. New MOUs Approved

• With Indonesia and the Kyrgyzstan for cooperation in Youth and Sports Matters.
• With Bangladesh on Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) and Establishing Border Haats.
• India's Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (Mussoorie) and Namibia's Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM) for capacity building.
• Indian Railways and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for cooperation in environmental conservation.

 

                                                                        April

 

1. Government approved MOU for Establishment of Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Grid Interconnection, to be signed among member states of BIMSTEC at the upcoming 3rd BIMSTEC Energy Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Nepal. MoU provides framework for implementation of grid interconnections for electricity trade to promote rational and optimal power transmission in BIMSTEC region. BIMSTEC is an international organisation of 7 countries from South and South East Asia India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Myanmar.
2. Government approved Protocol amending Convention between India and Portugal for avoidance of double taxation.
3. Government approved signing Collaborative Agreement with French National Research Agency (France) for supporting Belmont Forum Secretariat from January 2015 to December 2017, at expenditure of 40,000 Euros. Belmont Forum is a high level group of the world’s major and emerging funders of global environmental change research and international science councils, established in 2009. Belmon Secretariat is hosted by one of Belmont forum member on rotational basis. France is hosting it from January 2015 to December 2017.
4. Government approved signing Framework of Understanding (FoU) on Cooperation in Hydrocarbon Sector with Bangladesh.
5. India and Australia signed 6 agreements on occasion of Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull visiting India. MOUs are Health and Medicine, Environment & Climate & Wildlife, Promotion and Development of Cooperation in Civil Aviation Security, Combatting International Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime. Implementation arrangement between ISRO and Geoscience Australia on Cooperation in Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation. Additionally, India-Australia Sports Partnership (IASP) has been launched for cooperation in 4 areas athlete and coach training and development, sport science, sport governance and integrity, and grassroots participation. Victoria University and University of Canberra will help India establish a Highly Efficient National Sports University.
6. India and Bangladesh signed 22 agreements during Visit of Bangladesh PM Shiekh Hasina to India India announced concessional Line of Credit (LoC) of $4.5 billion to Bangladesh for projects in priority sectors. Moreover, $500 million Credit will also be given to Bangladesh for defence purchases. MoUs Include areas such as Defence, Judicial Sector, Mass Media, Cyber Security, Aids to Navigation, Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and Nuclear Energy, Information Technology and Electronics, Establishing Border Haats across border, Regulation of Motor Vehicle Passenger Traffic (KhulnaKolkata route). Scientific Cooperation in Earth Sciences for Research and Development. Both Nations committed to solve Teesta River Issue Teesta River Originates in West Bengal (83 %) and flows into Bangladesh (17 %). Issue with the river is that Bangladesh needs more water of it during December May but the treaty has been withheld for so long due to Opposition by West Bengal CM Mamta Bannerjee.
7. India and South Korea signed MoU for Defence Industry Cooperation in Shipbuilding.

 

 

15. DAYS

 

                                                                                                June

1. 19 June: International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
2. 4 June - International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.
3. 6 Jun, 2017 - First World Pest Day launched in China, aimed at reduction and elimination of pest-borne diseases.
4. 6 June - 20th Establishent Day of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). Members are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.
5. 6 June - UN Russian Language Day.
6. Father’s Day 2017 - June 18. It is observed globally on third Sunday of June.
7. Government will observe anti-Emergency day on 25-26 June every year, to remind people how Emergency was clamped by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.
8. June 02 - Telangana Statehood Day. State was formed in 2014. On This Occasion, Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao announced 6-point comprehensive plan for farmers.
9. June 08 -World Oceans Day. 2017 theme is Our oceans, our future.
   1. India and UN Office for South-South Cooperation have launched a partnership fund to promote sustainable development projects across developing world. India-UN Development Partnership Fund will be utilized to carry out country-level projects that would be catalytic towards achieving the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. Partnership fund would be managed by UNOSSC.
10. June 1 - Global Day of Parents.
11. June 1 - World Milk Day. Established by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations in 2001.
12. June 12 - World Day against Child Labour. 2017 Theme is In conflicts and disasters, protect children from child labour.
13. June 13 - International Albinism Awareness Day.
14. June 14 - World Blood Donors Day. 2017 Theme is Give Blood. Give Now. Give Often.
15. June 15 - ASEAN Dengue Day.
16. June 15 - World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. 2017 Theme is Understand and End Financial Abuse of Older People: A Human Rights Issue.
17. June 16 - International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR).
18. June 17 - World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. 2017 theme is Our Land. Our Home. Our Future.
19. June 20 - World Refugee Day.
20. June 21 - World Music Day.
21. June 21, 2017 - 3rd UN International Yoga Day. 2017 Theme is Yoga for Health.
    2. Science and Technology Minister Harshvardhan Launched Mobile App Celebrating Yoga, to connect people through Yoga for scientific healthy living.
    3. Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune became he first recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for outstanding contribution to promotion and development of Yoga.
    4. In total, around 5,000 events have been scheduled to take place in about 180 countries. In United Arab Emirates (UAE) more than 15000 people participated in the celebration of the Yoga Day. China saw second largest celebrations of Yoga Day after India.
22. June 23 - International Olymics day.
23. June 23 - UN International Widows’ Day.
24. June 23 - World Public Service day.
25. June 25 - Day of the Seafarer observed by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) with 2017 theme's - Seafarers Matter.
26. June 26 - International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. 2017 theme is Listen First - Listening to children and youth is the first step to help them grow healthy and safe.
27. June 27 - UN MSME Day (Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises).
    5. On this occasion, India's MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra launched Digital MSME Scheme and exchanged 3 MoUs with SAP India, Intel and HMT.
28. June 29 - International Day of the Tropics. Started by United Nations in 2016.
29. June 29, 2017 - National Statistics Day. It marks 125th birth anniversary of renowned statistician Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis.
    6. On This Occasion, Prez Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated exhibition of art works at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata. He also received first copies of two Coffee Table books ‘Images and Impressions – Profile and Persona of Pranab Mukherjee’ and ‘Pranab Mukherjee 100 Frames’.
30. June 5 - World Environment Day. 2017 Theme is Connecting People to Nature and 2017 Host Country is Canada.
    7. On This Day, Axis Bank become first bank to introduce biodegradable cards in the country.
    8. On this occasion, Actress Dia Mirza has appointed brand ambassador for the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

 

                                                                                                                             July

 

 

1. July 1 - Chartered Accountants' Day in India. It marks enacting of Chartered Accountants Act on July 1, 1949.
2. July 1 - National Doctor’s Day in India. Observed in honour of former noted Physician and West Bengal CM Bidhan Chandra Roy.
3. July 1, 2017 - International Day of Cooperatives (First Saturday of July). 2017 Theme is Co-operatives ensure no-one is left behind.
4. July 11 - World Population Day. 2017 theme is Family Planning- Empowering People, Developing Nations.
5. July 12 - Malala Day. Declared by UN in 2013 on occasion of Malala Yousafzai's Birthday. She is a Pakistani girl engaged in the promotion of women’s education and rights.
6. July 15 - World Youth Skills Day. 2017 Theme is Skills for All.
7. July 17 - International Justice Day, marks 1998 Rome Statute that created International Criminal Court (ICC).
8. July 18 - Nelson Mandela Day. It Commemorates Legendary South African Reformer Nelson Mandela's birthday.
9. July 2 - World Sports Journalists Day.
10. July 23 - Birth Anniverary of Legendary Freedom Fighters Bal Gangadhar Tilak & Chandra Shekhar Azad.
11. July 26, 2017 - 18th Kargil Vijay Diwas.
12. July 28 - World Hepatitis Day. 2017 theme is Eliminate Hepatitis.
    1. Punjab government signed MoU with Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), global diagnostic firm to help state diagnose and treat Hepatitis C patients.
13. July 29 - International Tiger Day (also Global Tiger Day). 2017’s theme is Fresh Ecology For Tigers’ Protection.
    2. India has 70 % of world's tigers with approx 2,226 tigers in India in 2014. There are 50 tiger reserves in India which are governed by Project Tiger, administered by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Karnataka has most tigers in India (approx 410), followed by Uttarakhand (approx 350).
14. July 3 - International Plastic Bag Free Day.
15. July 30 - United Nations (UN) World Day against Trafficking in Persons. 2017 theme is Act to Protect and Assist Trafficked Persons.
16. July 6 - World Zoonoses Day. Zoonoses are viral diseases like rabies and influenza, bacterial diseases such as Lyme disease and brucellosis, or parasitic diseases such as tapeworms.

 

August

 

1. Aug 01 - Non-cooperation movement Day. Non-cooperation movement was launched on 1st August 1920 by Indian National Congress (INC) under leadership of MK Gandhi.
2. Aug 07 - National Handloom Day. It was started by Indian Government in 2015. Aug 1 - 07, 2017 is also observed as World breastfeeding week with theme Sustaining Breastfeeding Together.
3. Aug 08, 2017 - 75th Anniversary of Quit India Movement.
   1. 1. Quit India Movement was a movement launched at Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee by M K Gandhi on 8 August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British Rule of India.
      2. This year's Theme was Sankalp Se Siddhi (Attainment through Resolve), aimed at New India Movement 2017-2022 that envisages an India free of Poverty, Corruption, Terrorism, Communalism, Casteism and Un-cleanliness.
4. Aug 09 - International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples.
5. Aug 09 - Nagasaki Day. It marks dropping of Atomic Bomb On Japanese City of Nagasaki during second world war On Aug 09, 1945.
6. Aug 10 - International Biodiesel Day (IBD), to create awareness about non fossil-fuels (Green Fuels).
7. Aug 10, 2017 - National Deworming Day in India. August 10, is the second round of National Deworming Day, held twice a year. NDD program was launched in 2015, under which children aged between 1-19 are provided deworming tablets in schools and anganwadis across country, except in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where deworming is carried out once a year.
8. Aug 12 - International Youth Day. 2017 theme is Youth Building Peace.
9. Aug 12 - World Elephant Day.
   1. 3. On this occasion, Ministry of Environment and Forest launched nationwide campaign Gaj Yatra to protect elephants.
10. Aug 13 - International Left-Handers Day and World Organ Donation Day.
11. Aug 14 - Global Social Security day.
12. Aug 15, 2017 - 71st Independence Day of India.
    1. 4. President Ram Nath Kovind has approved 112 Gallantry Awards to Defence Personnel, including 5 Kirti Chakras, 17 Shaurya Chakras, 85 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 3 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
       5. Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched live twitter wall for promoting ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ portal on the eve of 71st Independence Day.
       6. PM Narendra Modi has launched a website to honour all gallantry award winners since Independence - http://gallantryawards.gov.in.
13. Aug 19 - World Honey Bee Day.
14. Aug 19 - World Humanitarian Day (WHD). 2017 theme is #NotATarget.
15. Aug 19 - World Photography Day.
16. Aug 20 - Sadbhavana Diwas (Harmony Day). It commemorates birth anniversary of Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
17. Aug 23 - International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
18. Aug 29 - National Sports day. It marks birthday of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand.
19. Aug 29 - United Nations (UN) International Day against Nuclear Tests, established by 64th UN GA in 2009.
20. Aug 30 - International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
21. Aug 6 - Hiroshima Day. It marks dropping of Atomic Bomb On Japanese City of Hiroshima during second world war On Aug 06, 1945.

 

                                                                        September

1. National Nutrition Week observed throughout country from Sep 1 - 7, 2017 with theme Optimal Infant & Young Child Feeding Practices: Better Child Health.
2. Sep 02 - World Coconut Day.
3. Sep 10 - World Suicide Prevention Day.
4. Sep 12 - UN International Day for South-South Cooperation.
5. Sep 14 - Hindi Day. On this day in 1949, Hindi written in Devanagari script was accepted as official language of India.
6. Sep 15 - Engineer’s Day in India. It marks birth anniversary of Noted Indian Engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya.
7. Sep 15 - International Day of Democracy. 2017 theme is democracy and conflict prevention.
8. Sep 16 - International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer (World Ozone Day). 2017 theme is Caring for all life under the sun. Sep 16 is also known as International Coastal Cleanup day.
9. Sep 21 - International Day of Peace. 2017 theme is Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.
10. Sep 26 - International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. So far, 50 Nations have signed a recent UN Treaty putting complete ban on nuclear weapons.
11. Sep 26, 2017 - 76th Foundation Day of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
12. Sep 27 - World Tourism Day with 2017 Theme is sustainable tourism – a tool for development.
    1. Cab aggregator Ola started a tourism promotion campaign in Karnataka State. with theme GhoomoResponsibly.
    2. Madhya Pradesh won Best Tourism State national award for 3rd consecutive year at National Tourism Awards.The state bagged total 10 awards, including national award as Best Film Promotion Friendly State/Union Territory.
    3. Event also saw launch of ‘Incredible India 2.0 campaign’ and ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project and new Incredible India website.
13. Sep 28 - International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). UNESCO hosted Conference under theme Overcoming Divides and Achieving the SDGs in Africa in Balaclava (Mauritius).
14. Sep 28 - World Maritime Day. 2017 theme is Connecting Ships, Ports and People.
15. Sep 28 - World Rabies Day. 2017 theme is Rabies: Zero by 30.
16. Sep 30 - International Translation Day. 2017 theme is Translation and Diversity.
17. Sep 5 - International Charity Day.
18. Sep 5 - National Teachers Day in India. It marks Birth Anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, first Vice President of India (1952 - 1962) and 2nd President of India (1962 - 1967).
    4. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu gave away National awards for teachers on Teachers day Function, horing total 219 teachers.
    5. He also launched DIKSHA, a national digital infrastructure for teachers. Web - diksha.gov.in.
    6. Environment Ministry launched environment awareness initiative, under which an online environmental quiz competition named Prakriti Khoj will be conducted at national level. It aims to generate interest among school children about the science related to environment.
19. Sep 8 - International Literacy Day. 2017 theme announced by UNESCO is Literacy in a digital world.
    7. On this occasion,Government announced that School Chalo Abhiyan will be implemented in 2018, aimed at enrolling 80 lakh students.
20. Sep 9 - Himalaya Day.