![MCQs• Who has become the new brand ambassador for 2018 ODI Blind Cricket World Cup?
[A] Rahul Dravid [B] Shahid Afridi [C] Saurav Ganguly [D] Sachin Tendulkar
• Name the sports person, who has been appointed as a member of the governing body of Sports Authority of
India (SAI), recently.
(a) Saina Nehwal (b) Sushil Singh (c) Jwala Gutta (d) P V Sindhu (e) Abhinav Bindra
• Name the only Institute of India that has been placed in top 30 position in recent Asia University Rankings
2017 of the Times Higher Education.
(a) IIM-Ahmedabad (b) BITS-Pilani (c) IISc-Bengaluru (d) VIT-Vellore (e) IIT-Roorkee
• Which state has become first state to carry financial inclusion and extend other banking services to
unbanked area by SHGs in association with SBI?.
(a) Maharashtra (b) Telangana (c) Karnataka (d) Odisha (e) Haryana
• Consider the statements about the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016:1.The bill ensures every person shall have a
right to access mental health care and treatment from mental health services run or funded by the appropriate
government.
2.One of the clauses in the bill decriminalises suicide, stating that a person who attempts suicide should be
presumed to have severe stress, and shall not be punished.
Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
• 1 only
• 2 only
• Both 1 and 2
• None](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/currentsbankingilearn-170422034329/85/Currents-banking-i-learn-32-320.jpg)
Currents banking i learn
- 1. CURRENT AFFAIRS I LEARN 2017
- 5. CGP investment Holding, Cayman Hutchinso n HongKong Hutch Essar, India Vodafone PLC, London Vodafon e, Netherla nd Vodafone India Entire Deal outside India No sale/purchase of Indian company / its shares CGP not in any other business Entire Deal to acquire Hutch- Essar
- 6. Budget 2012: GAAR • General Anti Avoidance Rules • WEF 1/4/2014 • IT commissioner take action against tax avoidance • Indian Citizen, NRI, Foreigner • Even outside India • Even retrospective • Even if protected under any DTAA • Parthsarthi Shome Panel on GAAR.
- 7. INFO BITS • David R Syiemlieh • Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar • Justice Mian Saqib Nisar • Justice CS Karnan • Shaikh Rafik Mohammed • Anil Baijal • Akbar Rafsanjani • Surjitsingh Barnala • Christiano Ronaldo • Major Rohit Suri • Hav Hangpan Dada (POSTHUMOUS) • Sheikh Mohd Bin Zayed • Kiran Kumar • Surekha Marandi • Ajay Reddi • Dilip Shanghvi • 8 Mar • 21 Mar • 22 Mar • 23 Mar • 24 Mar • Dharamshala
- 8. INFO BITS • David R Syiemlieh – UPSC Chairman • Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar- 44th Chief Justice of India • Justice Mian Saqib Nisar - 25th Chief Justice of Pakistan • Justice CS Karnan- Arrest warrant to a serving High court judge • Shaikh Rafik Mohammed- First PIO Major General of Kyrgyzstan • Anil Baijal- LG of Delhi • Akbar Rafsanjani- Ex Iranian President • Surjitsingh Barnala- Ex Punjab CM • Christiano Ronaldo- Best FIFA Best Player 2016 • Major Rohit Suri- Kirti Chakra • Hav Hangpan Dada (POSTHUMOUS) – Ashok Chakra • Sheikh Mohd Bin Zayed- Prince of Abu Dhabi • Kiran Kumar- ISRO Chief • Surekha Marandi- Executive Director of RBI • Ajay Reddi- Captain of Indian Blind cricket team • Dilip Shanghvi- Sun Pharma Founder, Padmashree awardee, Payment Bank licence holder • 8 Mar- International Women’s Day (Be bold for change) • 21 Mar- World Poetry Day • 22 Mar- World Water Day (Why waste water?) • 23 Mar- World Meteorology Day (Understanding clouds) • 24 Mar- World TB Day (United to end TB) • Dharamshala- Second capital of HP
- 9. TAMRA- Portal of Min of Mines • Why in news? • Ministry of Mines has developed and launched “TAMRA”, a web portal and mobile application, to streamline the process of various statutory clearances required for mining operations. • TAMRA stands for Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource Augementation. • It will display block-wise, state-wise and mineral-wise information of the blocks to be auctioned. • It will also host information regarding current status of each of the clearances. • Significance • Mining sector in India faces a twin challenge of delay in getting a clearances and lack of transparency in allotment of mine leases. This portal will solve both the problems by creating a hassle free interactive ecosystem thereby facilitating Ease in Doing Business.
- 10. FIPB to be abolished • Why in news? • Government announced in the Budget 2017-18 its intention to abolish FIPB (foreign investment promotion board) in fiscal year 2018. • Background • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows into India in two ways, the automatic route and through government approval. • FIPB offers a single window clearance mechanism for FDI applications in sectors under the approval route. The board has handled investment proposals worth up to ₹5,000 crore. • FIPB is located in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and the Finance Minister is in charge of the FIPB. • Reasons Cited • At present, more than 90% of the FDI inflows are routed through the automatic route which do not require prior approval from the FIPB and are subject to sectoral rules. • For the rest of the FDI (about 8% of the total FDI inflows), every department concerned has a framework or a regulator for it. • Further, FIPB has successfully implemented e-filing and online processing of FDI applications. • Therefore, the government feels that it has now reached a stage where FIPB can be phased out.
- 11. Electoral Bonds • Political corruption elimination • RBI Act amendment to issue Electoral Bonds • India- 1st country • Other transparency measures to reduce political corruption like 2000/- limit, 7.5% corporate funding limit abolished. • Other Black money reduction measures- Demonetisation, RERA, Electoral reforms.
- 12. LAUNCH OF 104 SATELLITES IN A SINGLE FLIGHT BY PSLV-C37 • PSLV-C37, ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has successfully launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 103 co-passenger satellites. • The total weight of all the 104 satellites carried on-board PSLV-C37 was 1378 kg. • This was the thirty eighth consecutively successful mission of PSLV by ISRO. • Place- Satish Dhawan Space Sriharikotta • ISRO’s commercial company -Antrix Corporation • Beat the Russian record of 37 satellites launch. • International customer satellites from USA (96) and one each from The Netherlands, Switzerland, Israel, Kazakhstan and UAE were also carried among co-passenger satellites.
- 13. VX NERVE AGENT • Why in news? • A preliminary report from Malaysian authorities has found that Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, was killed by the banned nerve agent VX. • About VX nerve agent • About NBC Warfare • The VX nerve agent is banned under international law because it’s a chemical weapon as defined in the Chemical Weapons Conventions.
- 14. Merger of SBI with 5 associate banks plus BMB. • The Union Cabinet has approved the merger of State Bank of India (SBI) with five of its associate/subsidiary banks. • These five subsidiary banks are State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore. • The Union Cabinet also approved the introduction of a Bill in Parliament to repeal the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 and the State Bank of Hyderabad Act, 1956. • Effective from 01 Apr 2017. • The acquisition of subsidiary banks of SBI is considered an important step towards strengthening the banking sector through consolidation of public sector banks (PSBs). It is in pursuance of the Indradhanush action plan of the Central Government. In 2015, SBI was ranked 52 in the world in terms of assets, however the merger will allow its entry in top 50. The merger does not include Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) and its proposal is still under consideration.
- 15. Payment Banks in India • Payment bank can carry out most banking operations but can't advance loans or issue credit cards. It can accept demand deposits (up to Rs 1 lakh), offer remittance services, mobile payments/transfers/purchases and other banking services like ATM/debit cards, net banking and third party fund transfers. • Nachiket Mor committee(2013-14)- Financial Inclusion • Licences for Payment Banks- 1-Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd 2-Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd 3-Cholamandalam Distribution Services Ltd 4- Department of Posts 5-Fino PayTech Ltd 6-National Securities Depository Ltd 7-Reliance Industries Ltd 8-Dilip Shantilal Shanghvi 9-Vijay Shekhar Sharma 10-Tech Mahindra Ltd 11-Vodafone m-pesa Ltd Of these, three—Chalomandalam Distribution Services, Sun Pharmaceuticals and Tech Mahindra—have surrendered their licences. • Airtel Payments Bank the first payments bank started its nationwide operations on January 12, 2017 with an initial investment of Rs 3,000 crore and offering an interest rate of 7.25 per cent for savings accounts. • Second- Pay TM (Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Pay TM Founder).
- 16. Demonetisation Exchange dates • Reserve Bank has came out with conditions for exchange of defunct notes for those, including non-resident Indians, who failed to do so till 30th December 2016, the last day for depositing the invalid currency notes in banks. Resident Indian citizens who were abroad from November 9th to December 30th can avail this facility up to March 31st, 2017 and NRI citizens, who were abroad during this period, can exchange their defunct notes up to June 30th, 2017.
- 18. GST
- 20. Uttarakhand HC recognizes Ganga and Yamuna rivers as ‘living entities’ • Recognizing the rivers as a living entity grants them new found legal identity and all rights laid out in the Constitution of India. • The two rivers- Ganga & Yamuna- have the right to be legally protected and not be harmed/destroyed. They can also be parties to disputes. The rights, experts say, can be used to protect the interests of the rivers. • The court’s recognition of the rivers comes just days after New Zealand according a living entity status to its third largest river, Whanganui, in one of the longest running court cases that country has seen. The country passed a bill declaring the river as a living entity and appointed two guardians to protect its interests.
- 21. Earth Hour observed across the World on 25 Mar 2017 • Annually Organised by WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) • Across 170 countries, lights off from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time. • The first Earth Hour was held on March 31, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. • Awareness on Climate Change and Light Pollution. • What is Light Pollution? Light pollution is artificial brightening of the night sky caused by man-made lightening sources, which has a disruptive effect on natural cycles and inhibits the observation of stars and planets. It is also known as photo pollution or luminous pollution and basically is the misdirected or obtrusive of natural light by excessive artificial light. • Effects of Light Pollution Disturbs the reproductive cycles of some animals. Disturbs migration of birds that navigate using the stars and to disorient night-flying insects. In humans, it disturbs circadian rhythms that regulate hormones and other bodily functions. Excessive blue light emitted form LEDs directly affects sleep pattern in Human by suppressing the production of the hormone melatonin, which mediates the sleep-wake cycle in humans.
- 22. Early shift to renewables needed to save climate: IRENA • International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) • It is an intergovernmental organization to promote adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. • It was founded in 2009 • HQ- Abu Dhabi. • Director General- Adnan Z. Amin • The findings released at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD2017) held on March 20 and 21 are significant for India as the country races to meet its target of 175 GW of power from renewables by 2022.
- 23. Chenani-Nashri Tunnel: The longest road tunnel in South Asia • Longest Road tunnel in South Asia- Chenani to Nashri (9.2 km) • World’s longest road tunnel in Norway-Laerdal Tunnel(24.5 km) • It is also known as Patnitop Tunnel. • Cnstructed in record time of five and a half years by Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) Ltd. • Travel time on NH 44 between Jammu and Srinagar will reduce about 2 hours by shortening the distance by 30 km • Chenani-Nashri Tunnel is the country's first and the world's sixth road tunnel with a Transverse Ventilation System. • Rohtang Tunnel: World’s Highest Road Tunnel situated under the Rohtang Pass of eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas
- 24. El Salvador becomes first country in the world to ban metals mining • El Salvador, Central America’s smallest nation, has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nationwide. • Capital of El Salvador - San Salvador • Salvador Sánchez Cerén - president of El Salvador
- 25. David Beasley as WFP Director • World Food Programme- Food assistance br of UN • HQ- Rome • Year of establishment- 1961 • World’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security . • Beasley will replace Etharin Cousin. • United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres has appointed David Beasley as head of WFP. • He is former governor of US state of South Carolina.
- 27. INFO BITS • CBIC • Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey • Soumya Swaminathan • Edappadi Palaniswami • N Biren Singh • Hirendran Singh Rawat • Cheteshwar Pujara • VVPAT • Geeta Johri • Rajiv Kumar Chander • Bob Dylan • Vanaja Sarna • Bhoor Singh, the Barsingha • 1 Apr • 7 Apr
- 28. INFO BITS • CBIC (Renaming of CBEC) • Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey (UIDAI CEO) • Soumya Swaminathan (Chairperson of Group on Antibiotic resistance) • Edappadi Palaniswami (New TN CM) • N Biren Singh (CM of Manipur) • Hirendra Singh Rawat (CM of Uttarakhand) • Cheteshwar Pujara (1st to face 500 test balls in innings) • VVPAT- Voter Verifiable Paper Audit trail • Geeta Johri- 1ST Woman Gujrat Police Chief • Rajiv Kumar Chander- Indian Rep to UN • Bob Dylan- Nobel Prize for Literature 2016 • Vanaja Sarna- CBEC (to be CBIC ) Chairman • Bhoor Singh, the Barsingha- 1st official mascot of Kanha Tiger reserve (M.P.) • 1 Apr- RBI Establishment Day • 7 Apr- World Health Day; Depression- Let’s talk
- 30. CURRENTS BITS • Indian Science Congress at Tirupati Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the five-day annual Indian Science Congress at the Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. ‘Science and Technology for National Development’ was the focal theme of the Indian Science Congress. • India’s first laser technology-based advanced AVMS RTO check-post at Shamlaji Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has dedicated India's first laser technology-based advanced AVMS RTO check-post at Shamlaji of Aravalli district . The check-post is equipped with advanced ray technology. • Sikkim has emerged as the India’s first fully organic state by converting around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land into sustainable cultivation. • Norway has become the first country to cease FM radio broadcasting. The northern county of Nordland has stopped broadcasting using analogue frequencies as the Government plans to roll out digital-only radio over the course of the year. • The world’s first ‘Gender Literature Festival’ is scheduled to be held in Patna, Bihar in the second week of April 2017 The main aim of the fest to create a platform, to exchange ideas, and to share and learn experiences of renowned people in the field of gender literature. • IDI- India has been ranked at 60th position among 79 developing economies with a score of only 3.38 in the Inclusive Development Index (IDI) of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The list has been topped by Lithuania among the 79 developing countries.
- 31. • India Surpasses United Kingdom to become Fifth-Largest Economy As per Forbes magazine, India has overtaken the United Kingdom in terms of the size of the economy, first time in 150 years. With this, India has now become the 5th largest country in terms of the size of the economy after the United States, China, Japan and Germany. UK’s 2016 GDP is $2.29 trillion, whereas India’s GDP $2.30 trillion. • 14th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention begins in Bengaluru The 14th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) convention begun in Bengaluru. The three-day event started with the Youth PBD, the theme of which is 'Role of Diaspora Youth in the Transformation of India'. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has been held traditionally on 9th January every year to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi as a Pravasi from South Africa to India. • Axis bank first Indian bank to issue GREEN BONDS at London Stock Exchange- Axis Bank said the proceeds of the bond will be invested in green energy, transportation and infrastructure projects, reinforcing India's commitment to produce 175,000 MW of renewable power by 2022. • ‘India gets most FDI from Singapore’ India has received the maximum FDI inflows from Singapore in 2015-16 followed by Mauritius, the US, the Netherlands and Japan. India attracted $13.69 billion foreign direct investment from Singapore in that financial year. • NIRF Ranking of Higher Education Institutes- Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Delhi's Miranda House have made it to the top of respective categories in the country's official higher education rankings announced by the government.
- 32. MCQs• Who has become the new brand ambassador for 2018 ODI Blind Cricket World Cup? [A] Rahul Dravid [B] Shahid Afridi [C] Saurav Ganguly [D] Sachin Tendulkar • Name the sports person, who has been appointed as a member of the governing body of Sports Authority of India (SAI), recently. (a) Saina Nehwal (b) Sushil Singh (c) Jwala Gutta (d) P V Sindhu (e) Abhinav Bindra • Name the only Institute of India that has been placed in top 30 position in recent Asia University Rankings 2017 of the Times Higher Education. (a) IIM-Ahmedabad (b) BITS-Pilani (c) IISc-Bengaluru (d) VIT-Vellore (e) IIT-Roorkee • Which state has become first state to carry financial inclusion and extend other banking services to unbanked area by SHGs in association with SBI?. (a) Maharashtra (b) Telangana (c) Karnataka (d) Odisha (e) Haryana • Consider the statements about the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016:1.The bill ensures every person shall have a right to access mental health care and treatment from mental health services run or funded by the appropriate government. 2.One of the clauses in the bill decriminalises suicide, stating that a person who attempts suicide should be presumed to have severe stress, and shall not be punished. Which of the above statements is/are correct ? • 1 only • 2 only • Both 1 and 2 • None
- 33. • Which bank has launched India's first internationally-listed certified green bond to finance climate change solutions around the world at London Stock Exchange (LSE)? (a) ICICI Bank (b) Yes Bank (c) Axis Bank (d) HDFC Bank • The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) Ltd has signed a MoU with which country Investment Authority to facilitate investment in Indian infrastructure sector? (a) Bangladesh (b) Qatar (c) Myanmar (d) Oman • "Sahyog-Hyeobleod-2016" is the joint naval exercise between India and ___________? (a) Indonesia (b) Singapore (c) China (d) South Korea • What is the AIADMK party symbol frozen by ECI? a. Two leaves b. Single leaf c. Three leaves d. Four leaves • Q. Which of the following are provisions of the Finance Bill 2017? a. Aadhaar card mandatory for filing income tax returns b. Aadhaar card to be made compulsory for applying for PAN c. Cash transaction limit to be INR 2 lakhs d. All of the above • Which of the following rivers has been recently declared as living persons? • A. Narmada and Tapi B. Krishna and Godavari C. Ganga and Yamuna D. Brahmaputra and Manas
- 34. • Consider the following statements: 1.Bharat stage emission standards’ are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles. 2. The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board. Which of the above statements is/are correct ? • 1 only • 2 only • Both 1 and 2 • None • The standards, based on European regulations were first introduced in 2000. Progressively stringent norms have been rolled out since then. All new vehicles manufactured after the implementation of the norms have to be compliant with the regulations. Since October 2010, Bharat Stage (BS) III norms have been enforced across the country. In 13 major cities, Bharat Stage IV emission norms have been in place since April 2010. In 2016, the Indian government announced that the country would skip the BS-V norms altogether and adopt BS-VI norms by 2020. • Which state has totally banned use of polythene bags from 01 May 2017 across state? (A) U.P. (B) M.P. (C) H.P. (D) Chhattisgarh • Which among the following is India’s largest software exporter?? (A) TCS (B) Syntel (C) Wipro (D) Infosys • Name Indian Private bank which introduced voice biometrics authentication ? (A) ICICI (B) Citi India Bank (C) Axis Bank (D) Kotak Mahindra Bank • Which one of the following is responsible for the preparation and presentation of Union Budget to the Parliament? • 1)Department of Revenue 2)Department of Economic Affairs 3)Department of Financial Services 4)Department of Expenditure
- 37. Payment Banks Licence(11/41) • 1. Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd • 2. Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd (First to start operating) • 3. Cholamandalam Distribution Services Ltd** • 4. Department of Posts • 5. Fino PayTech Ltd • 6. National Securities Depository Ltd • 7. Reliance Industries Ltd • 8. Dilip Shantilal Shanghvi** • 9. Vijay Shekhar Sharma • 10. Tech Mahindra Ltd** • 11. Vodafone m-pesa Ltd • ** They are opted out and decided not to go in payment bank. • Received- Airtel, PayTM, India Post Payment Bank.
- 38. Small Finance Banks Licence(10/72) • 1. Au Financiers (India) Ltd.,Jaipur, • 2. Capital Local Area Bank Ltd., Jalandhar, • 3. Disha Microfin Pvt., Ahmedabad • 4. Utkarsh Micro Finance Pvt. Varanasi, (First start operating) • 5. Equitas Holdings Pvt., • 6. Chennai, ESAF Microfinance and Investments Pvt., Chennai, • 7. Janalakshmi Financial Services Pvt., Bengaluru • 8. Ujjivan Financial Services Pvt., Bengaluru. • 9. RGVN (North East) and Microfinance Ltd., Guwahati, • 10. Suryoday Micro Finance Pvt.
- 39. • Meaning of FDI,FII,QFI,FPI,P-Notes • Routes of FDI- Automatic Route & FIPB/Govt route • Merits & Demerits of FDI • Recent reforms in FDI FDI
- 40. FDI FII / FPI •Long-term relation with company & its board e.g. Walmart •Short-term relation with the company e.g. Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sach •Also known as Hot money → Can leave country on one phone call •In any listed company → Investment of 10% or more is termed as FDI •In any Unlisted company → Any investment is termed as FDI •Any Public ltd. Company (listed) → Investment below 10% is termed as FII / FPI •Sectoral caps applies for ex : 49% Defence; 74% in Private banks •If public listed then anyone can purchase below 10% Arvind Mayaram Panel on FDI & FII(FPI)
- 42. Merits & Demerits of FDI • Merits of FDI: • Adds to the productive capacity of a nation (by definition, as mentioned above) • Long term and stable- Because an MNC would continue to manufacture in a country, earn profits, engage in exports and thus spread its wings across the world as it enjoys a global name • No repayment obligation on part of the country where it is operating. This is the most important feature • Brings in capital and bolsters FOREX reserves • Brings in technology • Helps export promotion (because of global brands) • Generates employment • Expands markets (domestic as well as foreign) • International Best Practices- Brings in latest administrative and work culture • Infuses competition among domestic industries • Demerits: • May threaten a country’s economic and political sovereignty (remember East India Company which came to India just as a trader) • It may bring obsolete technology (this was true especially during 1950-90 because US and UK were the only countries bringing FDI. But now due to many countries bringing FDI, there is competition and this risk is reduced) • Focus on short term profit earning tactics rather than long term investments with a view of national industrial development • Indulging in cut-throat competition • Indulging in transfer pricing practices • Why Foreign Investors go for FDI? • To take advantage of cheaper wages in the country, special investment privileges such as tax exemptions offered by the country as an incentive • To gain tariff-free access to the markets of the country • To acquire lasting interest in enterprises operating in the target country. • What attracts FDI? • The growth rate of the source economy is an important determinant • The political and economic stability of the target region • How ‘open’ the economy is towards foreign trade (both imports and exports) • The policies, rules, regulations and loopholes incidental thereto • For example, Mauritius(Now Singapore) has been top FDI source for India due to the later (loophole) reasons
- 43. INFO BITS • Barren Islands • Achim Steiner • Malcolm Turnbull • Donald Tusk • Nakshe Mapping portal • FATCA • ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ App • UMANG application • Antyoday Express • INS Virat • Graphene • Justice Shiva Kirti Singh • Ajay Tyagi • Smita Sandhane • PIN code 560500 • ‘Matoshree’ book • ‘The Hit Girl’ • 20 Mar
- 44. INFO BITS • Barren Islands- only Active volcano in India • Achim Steiner- UNDP chief • Malcolm Turnbull- Australian PM • Donald Tusk- EU chief 2nd term • Nakshe Mapping portal- 250TH Anniversary of Survey of India portal • FATCA- Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act • ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ App- Akshay Kumar App for donation to martyrs’ families • UMANG application- Unified Mobile App for New Age Governance; EPF withdrawl through app • Antyoday Express- First Unreserved Superfast Exp from Kochi to Howrah • INS Virat- world’s longest serving ship decommissioned( 1943) • Graphene (World’s strongest material) • Justice Shiva Kirti Singh- TDSAT Chief,replacing Aftab Alam • Ajay Tyagi- SEBI Chief • Smita Sandhane- 1st Woman M.D. Of Saraswat Cooperative Bank • PIN code 560500- Exclusive PIN code for CPC,Bengaluru • ‘Matoshree’ book- Book by Sumitra Mahajan • ‘The Hit Girl’- Asha Parekh Autobiography,auth by Khaled Mahmud • 20 Mar- World Happiness Day (Norway top; India 122/155)
- 45. INFO BITS • Aniruddh Vasudevan • R R Hanchinal • Emma Morano • Bidya Devi Bhandari • Habibganj (Bhopal) railway station • Brabo Robot • DARPAN Web portal • ‘The Flaming Tresses of Draupadi’ • Operation Durga • 18 Apr • 15 Apr • 21 Apr • 22 Apr
- 46. INFO BITS • Aniruddh Vasudevan- Sahitya Academy awards for Eng translation of P. Murugan book ‘One Part Woman’. • R R Hanchinal- Dr MS Swaminathan award • Emma Morano- World’s oldest lady from Italy died at 117 yrs age • Bidya Devi Bhandari- Nepal’s president • Habibganj (Bhopal) railway stataion- India’s first private run railway station • Brabo- 1st ‘Made In India’ industrial robot by Tata Motors • DARPAN Web portal - Digital Application for Review by Public And Nation (DARPAN) by Manipur Govt • ‘The Flaming Tresses of Draupadi’- Book by M Veerappa Moily • Operation Durga- Haryana Women safety drive • 18 Apr- International Day for Monuments and sites/World Heritage Day • 15 Apr- Third Gender voting Day; voting awareness • 21 Apr- Civil Services Day • 22 Apr- World Earth Day; Climate literacy and environment
- 47. REPORTS & THEIR ORGANISATIONS • Ease of Doing Business - World Bank • World Development Report -World Bank • Global Financial Stability Report - IMF • World Economic Outlook - IMF • Inclusive Development Index - WEF • Global Financial System Report- Bank for International Settlements (BIS) • Global Money Laundering Report - Financial Action Task Force (FATF) • World Investment Report- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) • World Happiness Report- UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) • Gender Inequality Index- UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) • Ambient Air Pollution Report - WHO • World Intellectual Property Report (WIPR)- World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) • Red Book- IAEA • Red List- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- 48. Reports and their organisations • Corruption Perception Index -Transparency International • World Press Freedom Index - Reporters Without Borders • Global Hunger Index report- International Food Policy Research Institute(IFPRI) • An Economy for the 99%- Oxfam • National Air Quality Indices- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) • National Ambient Air Quality Standard- CPCB • India Innovation Index- NITI Aayog, DIPP, CII • Interest Subvention Report- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) • Financial Stability Report- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) • Internet Readiness Index- Internet and Mobile Association of India(IAMAI) • RESIDEX -National Housing Bank • Annual Survey of Education Report- PRATHAM • School Education Quality Index (SEQI)- NITI Aayog and Min of HRD • Red Data Book -Botanical Survey of India
- 49. Government sets up a panel to examine framework for Virtual Currencies • The Government has set up an Inter-Disciplinary Committee to examine the existing framework with regard to Virtual Currencies • The Finance Ministry stated that the committee will suggest measures for dealing with such currencies including issues relating to consumer protection and money laundering. The Committee will be chaired by Special Secretary of Economic Affairs, Shri Shaktikanta Das. • The Committee’s tasks are laid out as follows: • Taking stock of the present status of Virtual Currencies both in India and globally; • Examining the existing global regulatory and legal structures governing Virtual Currencies • Suggest measures for dealing with such Virtual Currencies including issues relating to consumer protection, money laundering, etc; and • Examine any other matter related to Virtual Currencies which may be relevant. • The lack of regulation by the government, at a time when other Asian nations including Philippines and Japan do so in acknowledgement of bitcoin as a legitimate method of payment. • Contrary to recent reports of the Indian government deciding upon the legality of bitcoin in the country by April 20, the committee will have three months to submit a report based on its research into bitcoin and its regulation, usage, and acceptance around the world.
- 50. India's first-ever micro-drama festival held in Delhi • India's first ever micro-drama festival, named Thespis, was held recently in New Delhi. The longest play of the festival ran for not more than 10 minutes and the shortest one lasted for only 42 seconds. • The Day long event saw screening of 28 independent plays at the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Art, New Delhi. • The festival was organised by theater group 'Vriksh'. The inaugural play of the festival was titled 'Chamaeleonidae'.
- 51. 64th National Film Awards • The 64th National Film Awards were announced. • Sonam Kapoor and Akshay Kumar were among the big winners. While Sonam’s Neerja was declared the Best Hindi Film of 2016, Rustom won Akshay Kumar the Best Actor award. • Zaira Wasim grabbed the best actor in a supporting role award. • Pink was announced the best film on a social issue • The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremonies in India. • Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals
- 52. Web Portal Nakshe • A new web portal nakshe" was launched by the Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi on the occasion of 250th anniversary of Survey of India(SoI). • Topographic maps or Open Series Maps (OSM) containing natural and man-made geographical features including terrain or topography are prepared by the SoI since its inception in 1767 and is in conformity with the National Map Policy-2005. • These OSM maps have been made available for free download from nakshe" web portal in pdf format on 1:50,000 scale through Aaadhar enabled user authentication process, in line with Digital India programme of the Government of India. • The Survey of India, the principal mapping agency of the country is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. • Origin of the Survey of India is traced back to Year 1767. • It is the oldest scientific department in India and one of the oldest survey establishments in the world. • Foundation for the scientific survey and mapping of the country was laid with The Great Trignometric Survey (GTS) in 19th century on this day i.e. 10th April, 1802, by noted surveyors Col. Lambton and Sir George Everest.
- 53. FATCA • Bank accounts opened between July 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015 need to submit self-certification by April 30 to comply with FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) provisions, without which the accounts would be blocked • Central Board of Direct Taxes or CBDT said that the account holders may be informed that, in case self-certifications are not provided till April 30, 2017, the accounts would be blocked, which would mean that the financial institution would prohibit the account holder from effecting any transaction with respect to such accounts. • Investors are required to provide details such as country of tax residence, tax identification number from such country, country of birth, country of citizenship etc. • Mutual funds and other financial institutions had also asked customers to comply with the new norms. • The purpose of FATCA is aimed at ensuring that individuals pay tax on income generated from their wealth parked overseas.
- 54. • World economy to grow at 3.5 per cent in 2017: IMF • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a marginally higher than expected growth for the world economy at 3.5 per cent in 2017. • IMF projected the world economy to grow at a pace of 3.5 percent in 2017, up from 3.1 percent in 2016, and 3.6 per cent in 2018. The IMF's new projection for 2017 is marginally higher than what they expected in its last update. This improvement comes primarily from good economic news for Europe and Asia, and within Asia, notably for China and Japan.
- 55. • First Made in India industrial robot- BRABO • TAL Manufacturing Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors has launched India’s first industrial- articulated robot and it goes by the name “BRABO”- Bravo Robot. • The robot is indigenously developed for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in India. This is the first time that an industrial robot has been conceptualized, designed and manufactured in India. BRABO is meant to complement the human workforce and perform repetitive, high volume, dangerous and time-consuming tasks from raw material handling to packaging of finished products.
- 56. • RBI signed MoU with the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan • The Reserve Bank of India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on “Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information” with the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan. • The MoU was signed by Mr. Phajo Dorjee, Deputy Governor on behalf of Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan and Mr. S S Mundra, Deputy Governor on behalf of Reserve Bank of India. With this RBI has signed 39 such MoUs, one Letter for Supervisory Co-operation and one Statement of Co-operation.
- 57. • ICICI Bank data centre becomes country's first IGBC Platinum rated project • The ICICI Bank Data Centre in Hyderabad has achieved the distinction of becoming the country's first Platinum rated project under IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) Green Data Centre Rating System. • Prem C Jain, Chairman, IGBC presented IGBC plaque to Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank at a programme organized on recently in Hyderabad. IGBC Green Data Centre Rating System would facilitate in providing tremendous tangible and intangible benefits. • Tangible benefits include 20 to 25 percent reduction in Power Usage Effectiveness, 25 to 30 percent reduction in water consumption. Intangible benefits include enhanced air quality, excellent daylighting, health, and well- being of the staff operating such facility.
- 58. • Suresh Prabhu Launched 'Vistadome' Coaches • Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched India's First Train With Glass Ceiling, LED Lights And Rotable Seats in 'Vistadome' Coaches. • He has flagged off the train with Vistadome coaches between Visakhapatnam and Araku through video conferencing from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar. • He also laid the foundation stone for mechanised laundry at Visakhapatnam, which will significantly improve the quality of linen provided on the trains and would lead to enhanced passenger satisfaction. • He Inaugurated the Life Line Express at Sindhudurg, Maharashtra of Konkan Railway.
- 59. • The International Day for Monuments and Sites: 18th April • Every year on 18 April, ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) celebrates the International Day for Monuments and Sites (also called as World Heritage day), whose establishment was approved by the 22nd UNESCO General Conference in 1983. • The aim is to promote awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity, their vulnerability and the efforts required for their protection and conservation. In 2017, the theme is “Cultural Heritage & Sustainable Tourism”, chosen in relation to the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- 60. • Hanchinal receives M.S. Swaminathan Award • The sixth prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award for contribution in the field of agriculture given to R.R. Hanchinal, Chairperson of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority, the government of India. • • He received the award for his contributions and sustained support to the areas of crop improvement for hot and very hot dry environments, seed production technology and intellectual protection rights in plant varieties. • The award is instituted and given under the aegis of Retired ICAR Employees Association (RICAREA) in association with the Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd (NSL).
- 61. • Manipur CM launched DARPAN web applications to check corruption • • Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched two web applications to check corruption and keep track of government activities. • The two web applications were Anti-Corruption Cell and Digital Application for Review by Public And Nation (DARPAN). The two web applications would monitor all government funded projects and ensure transparency and accountability. DARPAN would upload details of projects right from the initial stage till sanction of the fund, progress of work and photos the work sites.
- 62. • Global Hunger Index, 2016 • GHI is designed to measure and track hunger globally and by country and region. • It is calculated each year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). • 2016 report hails a new paradigm of international development proposed in the United Nations’ 2030 • Agenda for Sustainable Development, which envisages Zero Hunger by 2030, as one goal among 17, in a holistic, integrated, and transformative plan for the world. • The GHI ranks countries on a 100-point scale. Zero is the best score and 100 is the worst. • The components are - • 1. Undernourishment - The proportion of undernourished people as a percentage of the • population. • 2. Child wasting - The proportion of children under the age of five who suffer from wasting i.e low • weight for their height, reflecting acute under-nutrition. • 3. Child stunting - The proportion of children under the age of five who suffer from stunting i.e low • height for their age, reflecting chronic under-nutrition & • 4. Child mortality - The mortality rate of children under the age of five. • India ranks 97th out of 118 countries with a score of 28.5 and hunger situation being “serious”.
- 63. • World Happiness Report • The World Happiness Report is a measure of happiness published by the United Nations • Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN). • 6 Criteriafor ranking - • 1. GDP per capita • 2. Healthy years of life expectancy, • 3. Social Support, • 4. Trust (measured by a perceived absence of corruption), • 5. Perceived Freedom to make life decisions & • 6. Generosity (measured by recent donations). • India's ranks 122 out of 155 countries and among the world's least happy nations. • India's ranking has been declining steadily from 111st in 2013 to 118th in 2016 and always stood lower than Pakistan, China and Bangladesh. • The 2017 report also included a chapter on ‘Happiness at Work’ as the numbers of hours spent at work are usually a big part of people’s lifetimes.
- 64. • An Economy for the 99% • It is released by the rights group Oxfam, an international confederation of charitable organizations • focused on the alleviation of global poverty. • The total wealth in the India stood at $3.1 trillion and the total global wealth was $255.7 trillion. • India’s richest 1% now hold 58% of the country’s wealth. • Only 57 billionaires in the country have the same wealth ($216 billion) as that of the bottom 70% • population. • Globally, just eight billionaires have the same wealth as the poorest 50% of the world. • India suffers from a huge gender pay gap and has one of the worst levels of gender wage disparity i.e men earning more than women in similar jobs, with the gap exceeding 30%. • Women form 60% of the lowest-paid wage labour but only 15% of the highest wage earners in India • They have limited access to government schemes and credit, restricting their agricultural productivity. • There is also a routine use of forced girl labour in the world’s largest garment firms that have been linked to cotton-spinning mills in India.
- 65. • Ease of Doing Business Index • It was released as part of the World Bank’s annual report titled Doing Business 2017: Equal • Opportunity for All. • It was introduced in 2004. • The ranking of country is based on index averages the country’s percentile rankings on 10 indicators • each having equal weightage. • The indicators are - • 1. Ease of starting business • 2. Getting electricity • 3. Dealing with construction permits • 4. Registering property • 5. Protecting investors • 6. Access to credit • 7. Employing workers • 8. Trading across borders • 9. Paying taxes • 10. Enforcing contracts & • 11. Resolving insolvency • A higher ranking of country in this list means that its regulatory environment is more conducive and • favourable for the starting and operation of firms. • New Zealand ranks first and India ranks 130th out of 189 countries. • China is ranked 84 and Pakistan is at 138th place.
- 66. • World Investment Report, 2016 • It has been published annually since 1991 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development • (UNCTAD) • It covers the latest trends in foreign direct investment around the World. • 2016 report states that globally the FDI activity has increased by 38%, signalling revival in investment sentiments is on the cards. • In terms of FDI outflows, there has been a decline in most developing and transition regions. However, in this case China is one of the exceptions. • United States has topped and India ranks 10th in FDI inflows. • 33% of the FDI came through the Mauritius route as the investors wanted to take advantage of India‟s DTAA with the country. • The other big investors have been from Singapore, the US, UK and the Netherlands.
- 67. • National Air Quality Index (AQI) • It is an index for reporting daily air quality. • It tells how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern. • It is published for every month by CPCB along with a numerical value and a colour code which helps in comparing air pollution levels in cities. • It is outlined as „One Number- One Colour-One Description‟ for the common man to judge the air quality within his vicinity. • The proposed AQI will consider eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) for which short-term (up to 24- hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.
- 68. • Corruption Perception Index • It is published by Transparency International, an international non-governmental organization based in Berlin. • It ranks countries based on the perceived level of corruption in the public sector, degrees of press freedom, access to information about public expenditure, stronger standards of integrity for public • officials, and independent judicial systems. • India ranks 79th out of 176 countries. In 2016 it ranked 76. • Belarus, Brazil, & China shared the same ranks as India. • Global Corruption Report is also published by Transparency International.
- 70. • 2. Bhagwati Committee Unemployment • 3. Wanchu Committee Direct tax • 4. L. K. Jha Committee Indirect tax • 5. Swaminathan Committee Population stategies • 6. Bhutlingam Commitee Labour income & cost • 7. Dentewala Committee Asumption of unemployment • 8. Veddnathan Committee Irrigation water • 9. Hazari Committee Industrial strategies • 10. Dutt Committee Industrial Licencing • 11. Mahanobis Committee National Income • 12. King Chalaya Committee Tax Reforms • 13. Bhanu Pratap Committee Farming • 14. Chalaya Committee Eradicating Black Money • 15. G.V. Ramkrishna Committee Investment of Public Sector shares • 16. Naresh Chand Committee Corporate governance • 17. Jyoti Bashu Committee Report on end of Octroy • 18. Khushro Committee Agriculture friendly Referms • 19. Goiporia Committee Customer Serive reforms in bani • 20. Narsimham Committee Banking reforms • 21. Rekhi Committee Indirect tax • 22. Goswami Committee (1993) Industrial deficiency • 23. Tiwari Committee (1984) Industrial deficiency • 24. Dr. Mehta Committee Rethinking on the progress of IRDP • 25. Rangrajan Committee (1991) Balance Payment • 26. Vaghul Committee Mutual fund scheme • 27. Nadhkarni Committee Public Sector • 28. Malhotra Committee Reforms in Insurance Sector • 29. Sen Gupta Committee Literate unemployment • 30. Dr. Vijay Kelkar Committee Natural gas cost • 31. B.n. Yagandhar Committee (1995) National social help scheme • 32. Namdujhapa Committee Raikway fare • 33. Bhandari Committee Redevelopment of Local rural Ranks • 34. Sundar Rajan Committee Reforms in Mineral sector • 35. D.K. Gupta Committee Redevelopment of telephonic sector • 36. M.G. Joshi Committee (1994) Instruction regarding privitization of • telecommunication • 37. Rakesh Mohan Committee (1995) Financing of Basic structure • 38. Gyan Prakash Committee Sugar Scam • 39. Malegaon Committee Primary Capital Market • 40. Sodhani Committe Foreign currency Market • 41. K.N. Kabra Committee Future trading
- 71. • 42. U.K. Sharma Committee (1988) Working of local rural Banks under • NABARD • 43. Ajit Kumar Committee Flows in salaries of armed forces • 44. C.B. Bhavya Committee Presentation of Information by companies • 45. Deve Committeee Request of pension for unorganized sector • 46. Chakarvarti Committee-2 Reforms in Banking Sector • 47. O.P. Sodhani specialist Committee (1995) Development of foreign investment market • 48. S.S. Tarapore Committee (1997) Changing aspects ofsaving account • 49. P.C. Alexzender Committee (1978) SimplyfyingExportImport Strategies • 50. Mahajan Committee (March 1997) Sugar Industry • 51. R.V. Gupta Committe (December 1997) Agriculture friendly reforms • 52. Tarapore Committee (July 2001) Investigation of sharetransaction of UTI • 53. Machelkar Committee (January 2002) Auto fuel strategy • 54. Machelkar Committee (Report in 2003) Production of Fake Medicine • 55. S.N. Khan Committee (1998) Friendship of working of financial • institutions & Banks • 56. N.S. Verma Committee (1999) Resettlement ofcommmercial banks • 57. Parth Sarthi Som Committee Investigation of Tax Schemes • 58. N.K. Singh Committee Investigation of income tax rebate • 59. Bhurelal Committee Increase in vehicle loans • 60. Suptrishi Committee (July 2002) DevelopmentofNational tea Industry • 61. Abhijeet Sen Committee (July 2002) Long term food scheme • 62. N.R. Naryan Murti Committee (2003) Corporate governance • 63. N.K. Singh Committee Progress in electrical sector • 64. Kelkar Committee – 2 Direct & Indirect taxation • 65. Committee 3 Vijay Kelkar (2004) Three monthly investigation of economy • according to physical responsible & Budget Management act • 66. Lahri Committee (2005) Regarding about prices of Edible oil • 67. Rajinder Sacchar Committee – 1 Companies and MRPT act • 68. Sacchar Committtee – 2 (2005) Minorities • 69. Nayar Committee (2006) Foreign investment in petroleum sector • 70. Rangrajan Committee – 2 (2006) Tax structure for petroleum products • 71. Rangrajan Committee – 3 Development in Private sector • 72. Sungulu Committee (2006) Re establishment of Victims of sardar Sarover Bandh scheme • 73. Pathak Committee (2006) For investigation of UNO food in exchange of oil program • 74. Mistri committee (2007) Progress in financial movement • 75. Deepak Parik Committee (2007) Progress in financial matters of Basic structures • 76. Tendulkar Committee (2008) Investigation of the line below the poverty line • 77. B.K. Chutarvedi Committee (2008) Investigation of oil financial condition of oil companies • 78. Kelkar Committee First committee on Backward Caste • 79. Mandal Committee Reservation for Backward caste • 80. Kothri Committee Educational Reforms • 81. Aabid Hussain Committee Small Scale Industry • 82. Narsinham Committee Banking Reforms • 83. Tendulkar Committee Assessment of Poverty line • 84. Rakesh Mohan Committee Committee on financial sector assessment • 85. C. Rang Rajan Committee Investigation of savings & investment • 86. Abhijeet Sen Committee Future trading on prices of whole sale & Retail prices of agricultural products • 87. Subbarao Committee (July 2009) • Technical advices on monetrary schemes • 88. Dr. Kirti S. Parik Committee (August 2009) On Petroleum Product Prices • 89. Dr. C. Rang Rajan Committee (April 2010) Management of Public Expenses • 90. M.C. Joshi Committee (May 2011) Factors related to black
Editor's Notes
- #4: Hutch Essar’s 67% stakes held by CGP investment ltd.
- #5: TDS at Source; actually Pranab Mukharjee
- #6: TDS at Source; actually Pranab Mukharjee
- #7: For more read the GAAR article on site Parthsarthi shome Shome (PM) no penalty/interest in retrospective only one rare cases not to raise revenue for the government.