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INDIAN AFFAIRS
“Swachh Bharat Sanitation Park” inaugurated in Delhi
On February 9, 2018, Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ms. Uma Bharti inaugurated Swachh Bharat Sanitation Park in Delhi.
Details about Sanitation Park inaugurated by Ms. Uma Bharti:
i. This park has been developed by Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Environmental Sanitation Institute and Tata Trust.
ii. Objective behind developing this park is to create awareness on various safe technological options related to Sanitation.
iii. Various options pertaining to toilet technologies and solid and liquid waste management technologies are being demonstrated at this Sanitation Park.
iv. Information regarding various interventions undertaken under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and its impact across India has also been displayed at the Park.
v. Visitors to the park will not only gain understanding about various components and initiatives of SBM, but will also get information about different technologies used for sanitation.
Government approves construction of over 1.86 lakh more houses under PMAY-Urban
On February 8, 2018, Central Government announced that it has approved the construction of over 1.86 lakh more houses for urban poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme.
i. With this approval, total number of affordable houses sanctioned under this scheme has reached 39.25 lakhs.
ii. Construction of these 1.86 lakh affordable houses entails a total investment of Rs 11169 crore, in which, Rs 2797 crore will come as central assistance.
iii. In this latest round of approval, Haryana has been sanctioned the maximum number of houses (53290 houses).
iv. Haryana is followed by Tamil Nadu (40623 houses) and Karnataka (32656 houses).
Quick Facts about PMAY-Urban:
♦ Launched in – June 2015
♦ Objective – To build 20 million affordable houses by March 31, 2022
♦ Administered by – Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Jitendra Singh inaugurates International Conference on Unani Medicine
On February 10, 2018, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the two-day International conference on Unani Medicine in New Delhi.
Highlights of International conference on Unani Medicine:
i. This conference has been organised by Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), under the Ministry of AYUSH as part of celebration of Unani Day.
ii.Unani Day will be celebrated on 11th February, to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan, an eminent Indian Unani physician/researcher.
iii. Theme of this two-day International conference on Unani Medicine is “Integration of Unani System of Medicine in main stream healthcare”.
iv. The conference will serve as a platform for academia, regulators, researchers, industry and students to develop visions, linkages and initiate projects aimed at promoting Unani system of medicine as one of the preferred systems of medicine across the globe.
v. This conference will be attended by eminent personalities and stakeholders related to Unani medicine in India and also by national delegates from various countries including South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Bangladesh, USA and China.
BANKING & FINANCE
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to enable Digital Payments in Post Offices by April 2018
On February 10, 2018, Department of Posts stated that India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) will start pan-India roll out of its network from April 2018.
IPPB Expansion Plans:
i. Post completion of expansion plan, IPPB will have India’s largest financial inclusion network, covering both urban as well as rural areas.
ii. This will enable IPPB to provide digital payment services at the doorstep with the help of Postmen and Gramin Dak Sewaks (GDS).
iii. 17 crore existing account of Post Office Savings Bank will be made interoperable for conducting digital payments including National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and bill payment services.
iv. Besides, IPPB will enable acceptance of digital payments across 1.55 lakh post offices across India in line with the digital payments initiative of Central Government.
Quick Facts about IPPB:
♦ Incorporated in – August 2016
♦ Commenced Operations in – January 2017
♦ Parent Entity – Department of Posts, Govt. of India
PNB signs pact with National e-Gov Services for information utility
On February 10, 2018, Punjab National Bank (PNB) entered into an agreement with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) for utilizing its Information Utility Services envisaged under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
More Details about PNB-NeSL tie-up:
i. State-owned NeSL is the first Information Utility entity registered by Insolvency and bankruptcy Board of India under IBBI (IU) Regulations, 2017.
ii. Information utility is an information network which procures and stores financial data like borrowings, default and security interests of various entities.
iii. Information stored by Information Utility Services can be accessed by concerned parties during insolvency resolution process under National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
iv. Having access to high-quality authenticated financial information helps stakeholders to counter frivolous litigations made by defaulters to delay the process.
Quick Facts about PNB:
♦ Founded in – 1894
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
♦ Current MD & CEO – Sunil Mehta
♦ Tagline – ‘The name you can bank upon’
BUSINESS
Paisabazaar.com collaborates with Microsoft to build ‘industry first’ technologies
Paisabazaar.com, an online marketplace for loans and cards has entered into a partnership with Microsoft to drive an ‘industry first’ technology innovation on its platform.
Details about Paisabazaar-Microsoft tie-up:
i. As per the terms of the tie-up, entire infrastructure of paisabazaar.com will be moved to Microsoft Azure.
ii. Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing service. It is used for creating, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers.
iii. Through Microsoft Azure, paisabazaar.com will work extensively on futuristic technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to offer customized, tailor-made and secure solutions for each consumer coming to its platform.
Quick Facts about Microsoft:
♦ Founded in – 1975
♦ Headquarters – Washington, US
♦ Current CEO – Satya Nadella
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Eight year old Indian origin girl Sohini Roy Chowdhury enters UK Math Hall of Fame
Sohini Roy Chowdhury, an eight year old Indian-origin school girl has made it to the UK’s Mathletics Hall of Fame.
Eight year old Indian origin girl Sohini Roy Chowdhury – UK Math Hall of Fame:
i. UK’s Mathletics Hall of Fame is a mathematics-based competitive online platform. It engages primary school students.
ii. Sohini Roy Chowdhury solved mathematic puzzles with high speed and accuracy on the platform. She has outsmarted various kids from all over the world and has entered the top 100 World Hall of Fame.
iii. Her father is Mainak Roy Chowdhury, an accountant. Mathletics is an online learning platform that enables children to play live arithmetic games and compete with children from across the world.
About Srinivasa Ramanujan:
♦ Born – 22 December 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu
♦ Field – Mathematics
♦ Award – Fellow of the Royal Society
Reliance Industries wins Golden Peacock Award 2017 for CSR
On February 9, 2018, Reliance Industries Ltd. announced that it has been awarded the Golden Peacock Award 2017 for corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
i. Reliance Industries Ltd.’s CSR initiatives are undertaken through Reliance Foundation, which is headed by Nita Ambani.
ii. One of the several initiatives of Reliance Foundation, which has been recognised by the Golden Peacock jury was about creating positive impact on farmers’ livelihoods through water and food security interventions.
iii. Golden Peacock Awards were instituted in 1991 by the Institute Of Directors (IOD) – an apex association of directors to improve their professional competence. These awards are regarded as a benchmark of Corporate Excellence worldwide.
Quick Facts about Reliance Industries Ltd.:
♦ Founded in – 1977
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
♦ Current Chairman – Mukesh Ambani
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
HDFC Bank appoints Rakesh Singh as private banking head
Rakesh Singh has been appointed as private banking head of HDFC Bank.
i. In this role, Rakesh Singh will head the HDFC Bank’s investment banking, capital markets and financial institutions businesses.
ii. HDFC Bank’s private banking is a premium service catering to high net worth (‘HNW’) and ultra-HNW individuals, families and entities. Private banking service is geared towards successfully managing and growing wealth of such individuals/entities.
iii .It is to be noted that, as on December 31, 2017, HDFC Bank’s private banking service had assets under advice of over Rs 93000 crore which belonged to over 16000 families in India and abroad.
Quick Facts about HDFC Bank:
♦ Founded in – 1994
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
♦ Current MD – Aditya Puri
♦ Tagline – ‘We Undertand Your World’
Vidit Gujrathi brand ambassador of All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB)
Grand Master Vidit Gujrathi has been named the brand ambassador of All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB).
Vidit Gujrathi – brand ambassador of All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB):
i. Vidit Gujrathi is 23 years old. His current rating is 2718. He said that, along with AICFB he aims to spread awareness about blind chess and give recognition to Indian players who perform well at global level.
ii. He had broken the 2700 rating mark and became the fourth Indian to achieve this feat. Other three Indians who reached this mark are Viswanathan Anand, Sasikiran and P Harikrishna. He had recently won the Tata Steel Chess Challengers 2018.
About All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB):
♦ Establsihed – 1997
♦ Objective – to promote chess among the visually impaired all over India
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
Muthoot Group Ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as Brand Ambassador
The Muthoot Group has appointed Amitabh Bachchan as its Brand Ambassador.
Amitabh Bachchan – Brand Ambassador of Muthoot Group:
i. Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan will represent Muthoot Group in its national campaigns. Amitabh Bachchan is a recipient of Padma Vibhushan award.
ii. He has acted in more than 190 Indian films. He has worked in films for nearly five decades.
About Muthoot Group:
♦ Chairman – M.G. George Muthoot
♦ MD – George Alexander Muthoot
♦ Head Office – Ernakulam, Kerala
Philipose George Pynumootil, NM takes over as Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA)
Rear Admiral Philipose George Pynumootil took charge as Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA).
Rear Admiral Philipose George Pynumootil, NM – Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA):
i. Rear Admiral Philipose G Pynumootil is an alumnus of the Lawrence School, Lovedale and the National Defence Academy. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1986.
ii. He has commanded INAS 330 and Carrier borne ASW Sea King Squadron. He was the commissioning Commanding Officer of INS Shikra.
iii. He has commanded the 1241 RE corvette, INS Nashak, the Missile Corvette INS Kirpan and INS Brahmaputra. He had received the Nao Sena Medal for command of INS Brahmaputra.
About National Defence Academy (NDA):
♦ Commandant – Air Marshal Jasjit Singh Kler
♦ Location – Pune, Maharashtra
SPORTS
First Khelo India School Games organised in New Delhi
1st Khelo India School Games were held in New Delhi from 31st January 2018 to 8th February 2018.The inaugural Khelo India School Games were a part of revamped ‘Khelo India’ Programme, the National Programme for development of sports in India.
i. Anu Kumar of Uttarakhand won the first gold medal of the Khelo India School Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
ii. Karnataka swimmer Srihari Natraj won Gold in the 100m boys’ backstroke event at Khelo India School Games.
iii. Haryana topped the overall medal tally with 38 gold medals. Haryana was followed by Maharashtra and Delhi with 36 and 25 Gold respectively…………………………………Click here to Read more
Olympic Winter Games kick off with colourful ceremony at Pyeongchang
On 9th February 2018, the 23rd Olympic Winter Games started with a grand ceremony at Pyeongchang in South Korea.
23rd Olympic Winter Games begin:
i. The opening ceremony of the 23rd Olympic Winter Games was directed by South Korea’s Song Seung-whan. The ceremony was named “Peace in Motion”.
ii. A faux dove was released into the sky as a symbol of peace. South Korea’s flag was hoisted into the air.
iii. North and South Korean teams marched together with a “unification flag”. The Olympic Winter Games 2018 Torch was white and gold in colour.
iv. The Olympic torch was designed by South Korea’s Kim Young-se. “Let Everyone Shine” was the song for the Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games 2018 Torch Relay.
v. Nearly 35,000 spectators were seen at the opening ceremony. They were provided with seat warmers, wind shields, hats and gloves due to the cold climate
vi. 92 countries take part in this Olympic games. It covers 7 sports and 15 disciplines. The 23rd Olympic Winter Games end on 25th February 2018 with a closing ceremony.
About International Olympic Committee (IOC):
♦ Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
♦ President – Dr. Thomas Bach
OBITUARY
Former New Zealand Cricket Captain Bevan Congdon passes away
On 10th February 2018, Bevan Congdon, former New Zealand Test cricket captain passed away after a long term illness in Auckland, New Zealand.
Death of Bevan Congdon:
i. Bevan Congdon has died one day before his 80th birthday. He was born on 11th February 1938.
ii. He had played 61 Tests and earned 3448 runs with an average of 32.22. He was the captain of New Zealand in its first official limited-overs fixture against Pakistan.
iii. After his retirement he was on the New Zealand selection panel in the 1990s. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and grand-children.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
♦ Chairman – Shashank Manohar
♦ Chief Executive – David Richardson
♦ Headquarters – Dubai
Noted Odia litterateur Chandrasekhar Rath passes away
On 9th February 2018, Chandrasekhar Rath, Odia litterateur, died at a private hospital after a long term illness, in Odisha.
Death of Chandrasekhar Rath:
i. Chandrasekhar Rath was 89 years old. He was a well-known Odia author and poet.
ii. He had received the Sahitya Akademi Award and Sarala Award. He was selected for the Padma Shri award this year.
iii. He was born on 17th October 1929, in Malpada in Balangir district of Odisha. He was an expert in both fiction and non-fiction. His important works are Yantrarudha, Asurya Upanivesh, Nav Jatak, etc.
Padma Vibhushan winners 2018:
♦ Illaiyaraja – Art-Music
♦ Ghulam Mustafa Khan – Art-Music
♦ Parameswaran – Literature and Education
Veteran American Actor John Gavin passes away
On 9th February 2018, American actor John Gavin passed away at his residence in Beverly Hills, California, US.
Death of John Gavin:
i. John Gavin was 86 years old. He had been suffering from pneumonia. He had combated with leukemia for a long time.
ii. His important works are “Psycho”, “Spartacus” and “Imitation of Life.” He had received the Golden Globe award. He is survived by his wife, 4 children and 3 grandchildren.
About Press Trust of India (PTI):
♦ Chairman – Viveck Goenka
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Sachin Tendulkar and his wife launch ‘Even When There Is A Doctor’ book
On 8th February 2018, Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali Tendulkar launched ‘Even When There Is A Doctor’, a book on child health care.
Even When There Is A Doctor:
i. ‘Even When There Is A Doctor’ was written by Dr Yashwant Amdekar, Dr Rajesh Chokhani and Krishnan Sivaramakrishnan.
ii. This book explains the role of individuals and parents in improving the health of children. It helps parents identify and solve simple problems.
About Sachin Tendulkar:
♦ Born – 24 April 1973
♦ Role – Batsman
♦ Nickname – God of Cricket, Little Master, Master Blaster
