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Current Affairs Magic

Weekly Current Affairs Update

Current Affairs magic February 25 to March 3, 2018 www.globalias.in

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For the Week: February 25 to March 3, 2018

HEADLINES

Section A: INDIA

MPs‘ monthly allowances to increase by Rs 40,000

Assembly bypolls: Cong retains 2 seats in MP; loses one to BJD in Odisha

Centre approves projects worth Rs 2,900 cr under the Nirbhaya fund

India successfully test-fires ATGM Nag

DRDO successfully conducts test flight of indigenous drone Rustom-2

CRPF decides to change its annual raising day event date

Cabinet approves Bill for allowing NIA to probe human trafficking cases

Health Ministry launches competition to design logo for Ayushman Bharat

Arunachal Express between Naharlagun-Anand Vihar flagged off

Mobile app to promote Green Good Deed campaign launched

TSR Subramanian, former Cabinet Secretary, dies at 79

Vijayendra Saraswathi succeeds Jayendra Saraswathi as Kanchi Shankaracharya

Veteran actress Sridevi passes away at 55

Neelabh Mishra, editor-in-chief of ‗National Herald‘, dies at 57

Former SC judge Ratnavel Pandian dies at 89

RSS founder member Bhanu Shastri dies at 93

R. Subrahmanyam appointed higher education secretary

Rahul Mahajan is Rajya Sabha TV Editor-in-Chief

Neiphiu Rio resigns from Lok Sabha

Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

India, Jordan ink 12 pacts including one to boost defence cooperation

INSV Tarini reaches Cape Town

Russia, India ink cooperation MoU with Bangladesh on Rooppur nuclear plant

Vietnamese President arrives on 3-day visit to India

Cabinet approves signing of pact with Macedonia in health sector

Indian-Seychelles joint military exercises held

Meeting of eminent people group on Nepal-India ties organised

India Korea Business Summit organised

India, China agree sound bilateral ties to help global stability

Maldives declines India‘s invitation to participate in ‗Milan‘ 2018

Conference of the Commonwealth Education Ministers held in Fiji

Vinay Kumar appointed India‘s Ambassador to Afghanistan

Indian Foreign Secretary meets Afghan President

Section C: WORLD

Attacks in Burkina Faso capital near French embassy, military HQ

Polish law criminalizing some Holocaust speech takes effect

Sri Lankan govt. launches Office of Missing Persons

US Senate passes bill promoting ties with Taiwan

UN adopts Russian-drafted resolution on Yemen sanctions

US to impose tariffs on steel, aluminium imports

US approves sale of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine




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U.S. to overtake Russia as world‘s biggest oil producer by 2019 at the latest - IEA

US: Indiana legislature passes resolution hailing contribution of Sikhs

Pakistan admits to being on ‗grey list‘ of FATF

Putin honours Russian military on Fatherland Defender‘s Day

China to build nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Liaoning within 7 years

Armen Sarkisian elected next Armenian president

UNDP appoints Pak climber as goodwill ambassador

Saudi military chiefs ordered to retire by King Salman

Best-selling British novelist Penny Vincenzi dead at 78

Bond films director Lewis Gilbert dies at 97

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

CSIR inks MoU with IORA-RCSTT for research on medicinal plants

‗Super colony‘ of penguins spotted in Antarctica

Cosmonaut, two US astronauts return to Earth from ISS

Section E: AWARDS

National e-Governance awards conferred

National Awards for S&T Communication given

Laureus World Sports Awards conferred

‗Reservation‘, ‗Excavator‘ win top prizes at BIFFES 2018

Jio wins ‗Best Mobile Operator Service for Consumers‘ award in Barcelona

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

Cabinet approves NFRA to oversee auditors

Finance Ministry gives 15-day deadline to PSBs for identifying risks

Govt publishes names of 9,500 ‗high risk‘ NBFCs

PSBs shut 35 overseas branches, representative offices

AIIB to invest USD 200 million in NIIF

KYC norms for e-wallets made mandatory from March 1

No MDR charges on railway tickets purchased using debit cards

BANKING CONCEPT: Letter of Undertaking

PNB appoints A K Pradhan as Group Chief Risk Officer

Section G: ECONOMY

Indian economy grows at 7.2% in Q3: CSO

Foodgrain output to touch new record 277.49 MT in 2017-18 crop year

Cabinet approves Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill to confiscate assts of fugitives

PFRDA organises fourth pension conference

Govt approves continuation of PMEGP till 2019-20 with Rs 5,500 cr outlay

Jaitley launches online module of General Provident Fund for government employees

Defence ministry approves purchase of LMGs, carbines worth over Rs 94 bn

Govt approves Rs 5000 cr Action Plan for 12 Champion service sectors

Core sector grows at 6.7% in January 2018

Fiscal deficit for April-January period hits 113.7% of full-year revised target

NCAER pegs India‘s 2018-19 economic growth at 7.5%

Moody‘s keep India‘s growth forecast unchanged at 7.6%




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GST Network decides to implement e-way bill mechanism from April 1

UIDAI introduces special blue coloured ‗Baal Aadhaar‘ for children below the age of 5

Govt. guarantee for procurement of pulses and oilseeds doubled

International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels organised

NPPA Chairman transferred

Section H: CORPORATE

With 819 billionaires, Chinese dominate the Hurun list for 2018

Google partners Apollo Hospitals for ‗Symptom Search‘

IOA enters partnership with Edelweiss Group for 2018 CWG, Asian Games, 2020 Olympic Games

India ranks 47th on inclusive Internet Index by Facebook

Paytm launches two more firms to enter insurance sector

Amazon launches music streaming service in India

Triumph Motorcycles launches Bonneville Speedmaster priced at Rs 11.11 lakh

Nirav Modi‘s Firestar Diamond files for bankruptcy in US

Aircel files for bankruptcy

ArcelorMittal signs JV agreement with NSSMC to acquire Essar Steel

Twitter rolls out Bookmarks feature

Rangarajan Raghavan appointed MD of HCL Infosystems

PESB recommends Anil Kumar Chaudhary as Chairman of SAIL

Former HUL Chairman T Thomas passes away

Section I: STATES

J&K: Grievance redressal helpline ‗Raabta‘ launched in Rajouri

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav organised in MP

NCDC centre named after PM‘s mentor inaugurated in Gurgaon

Haryana govt. to open Antyodaya Karyalaya to be opened at Tehsil, district level

Uma Bharti launches second Swajal Yojna project in Rajasthan

Delhi HC allows sale of non-NCERT books, uniform in CBSE schools

L&T reduces cost for Shivaji Memorial in Arabian Sea off Mumbai

3 Army-built railway foot overbridges (FOBs) inaugurated in Mumbai

PM launches various development projects worth Rs.1000 crores in Daman & Diu

World‘s largest solar park launched in Karnataka

Telangana launches m-Governance app

Tata Trusts partners with Telangana to upgrade cancer care

Government starts process to build India‘s first defence ‗Quad‘

PM Modi launches Amma two-wheeler scheme for working women in Tamil Nadu

Rs 39.5 crore received for Tamil chair at Harvard University

Interceptor boat handed over to Coast Guard in Mangaluru

Lakshadweep joins ―UDAY‖ scheme

Chilika lake in Odisha is largest habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins globally

Uttarakhand BJP MLA Maganlal Shah dies at 55

Punjab‘s literary personality Rajpal Singh dies

Tripura minister Khagendra Jamatia passes away

CPI leader Prabodh Panda dies at 72

Odia writer Kanakalata Mohanty dies at 82

Section J: SPORTS




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Vikas Krishan adjudged ‗Best Boxer‘ at Strandja Memorial Boxing

India receives ICC Test championship mace

Indian women beat hosts South Africa 3-1 to win T20 series

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Karnataka thrash Saurashtra to clinch title

Virat Kohli launches Forca Goa Foundation

National volleyball championship organised in Kozhikode

Doe-eyed superhero picked for Tokyo 2020 mascot

Simona Halep takes back top position in WTA rankings from Wozniacki

Frances Tiafoe wins Men‘s Singles title at Delray Beach Open tennis

Spain‘s Verdasco-Marrero win Rio Open doubles title

Elina Svitolina wins Women‘s Singles title at Dubai Tennis Championships

Norway top medals tally at Winter Olympics

Udayan Mane wins Golconda Masters 2018 golf

Gopi, Monika retain men‘s and women‘s titles in New Delhi Marathon

P. Kashyap wins Men‘s Singles title at Austrian Open Badminton

Sameer Verma wins Men‘s Singles title at Swiss Open Badminton

IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics organised

Navjot Kaur becomes first Indian to win gold at Asian Wrestling Championships

National Inclusion Cup: Kerala, Chhattisgarh emerge champions

Gymnast Aruna becomes first Indian to win World Cup medal

Ajgar, Musthafa win JK Tyre Himalayan Drive




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Section A: INDIA

NEWS ROUND UP

MPs‟ monthly allowances to increase by Rs 40,000

The monthly allowances of Members of Parliament (MPs) are all set to increase by Rs 40,000 per month, with the Union Cabinet on February 28, 2018

approving up to 55 per cent hike. At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet approved the amendment to allowance rules effective

from April 1, which will have additional financial implication of more than Rs 39 crore and Rs 6.64 crore on account of recurring and non-recurring

expenditures respectively.

Now MPs will be paid to Rs 70,000 per month as constituency allowance instead of Rs 45,000 per month at present. Similarly, office expenses allowance

has also been increased to Rs 60,000 from Rs 45,000. Besides these two allowances, the furniture allowance which is being paid to the parliamentarians

once in five years, is also increased to Rs one lakh from Rs 75,000.

All the allowances will automatically increase after every five years starting from April 1, 2023 on the basis of cost inflation index. The decision of the Cabinet

will be conveyed to Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament for making amendments in the relevant rules. It will be approved

and confirmed by the Chairman and the Speaker and will be published in the Official Gazette, the ministry said.

Assembly bypolls: Cong retains 2 seats in MP; loses one to BJD in Odisha

The Congress on February 28, 2018 retained both the assembly seats in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh while it lost to the BJD the lone constituency in Odisha

where bypolls were held on February 24.

Brajendra Singh Yadav of the Congress defeated his BJP rival Baisahab Yadav by a margin of 2,124 votes to win the Mungaoli seat while in Kolaras, Congress

candidate Mahendra Singh Yadav prevailed over Devendra Jain of the BJP by 8,083 votes. The by-elections were necessitated by the deaths of sitting

Congress MLAs.

In Odisha, ruling Biju Janata Dal wrested the Bijepur assembly seat from the Congress with its candidate Rita Sahu defeating her nearest rival, Ashok Panigrahi

of the BJP, by 41,933 votes. The by-election was held following the death of three-time Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August 2017.

Centre approves projects worth Rs 2,900 cr under the Nirbhaya fund

The Centre on March 1, 2018 approved projects worth over Rs 2,900 crore under the Nirbhaya fund for eight major cities of the country in a bid to make

them safer for women. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad Ahmedabad and Lucknow have been sanctioned a total of Rs 2,919.55 crore

after a meeting of the Empowered Committee, which is headed by the secretary of Women and Child Development (WCD). The Nirbhaya Fund was set up in

the aftermath of the gruesome gangrape and murder of a paramedical student in Delhi in 2012, and aims at improving safety for women.

India successfully test-fires ATGM Nag

India on February 28, 2018 successfully test-fired Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Nag in desert conditions. The Nag ATGM has been developed by DRDO.

Director General (Missiles and Strategic Systems) G Satheesh Reddy said the technologies pertaining to ATGM to engage targets in different conditions have

been established with the successful tests.

DRDO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development, S Christopher, congratulated the NAG team for the achievement.

DRDO successfully conducts test flight of indigenous drone Rustom-2

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden test flight in user configuration of its indigenously

manufactured UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) Rustom-2 at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, (Karnataka) on February 25, 2018.

The UAV has been designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of the DRDO, and aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd

and Bharat Electronics Ltd are its production partners.




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The drone was developed for use by all three services of the Indian armed forces, primarily for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.

The medium-altitude prototype can fly at over 22,000 ft and is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV that has an approximate flight time of 20

hours.

CRPF decides to change its annual raising day event date

Paramilitary force CRPF has decided to again change the date of its annual raising day event which will now be held every year on March 19, the day when

the country‘s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel presented President‘s colours to it in 1950.

The force, in 2015, had changed the event date to July 27 to mark the historic day when its first battalion was raised in Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh on the

same date in 1939, as the Crown Representatives Police (CRP) under the British rule.

Before this, the annual event to mark the force‘s raising day was held in November-October and till 1983 on October 31, the birth day of Sardar Patel. Due to

the death of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on this day in 1984, the anniversary celebration date had to be changed.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General (DG) R. R. Bhatnagar attributed the latest change in date largely to weather-related issues.

The CRPF is the country‘s largest paramilitary force with over 3 lakh men and women in various ranks as part of over 240 battalions. The force has been

designated by the government as the lead internal security and anti-Naxal operations force.

Cabinet approves Bill for allowing NIA to probe human trafficking cases

The government on February 28, 2018 approved a proposal for making the apex anti-terror body -- National Investigation Agency (NIA) -- the nodal

authority for probing cases of human trafficking. The Union Cabinet has approved the draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation)

Bill, which proposes a punishment of 10 years in jail to life term for trafficking human for the purpose of begging, marriage and injecting hormones for early

sexual maturity, among others. The Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament in the second leg of the Budget session starting March 5.

Health Ministry launches competition to design logo for Ayushman Bharat

The Health Ministry has launched a digital competition to design the logo and tagline for the Ayushman Bharat programme announced in the general

budget this year, according to an official statement released on February 28, 2018. The competition will be organised through a digital crowd sourcing

campaign on MyGov portal. The winner of the competition will be awarded a prize money of Rs 25,000 while the runner-up will be awarded Rs 10,000. The

main theme of the logo shall be ‗Ayushman Bharat‘ and the guiding principle will be ‗Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramayah‘.




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Arunachal Express between Naharlagun-Anand Vihar flagged off

A new train between Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh and Anand Vihar Terminal in the national capital was on March 1, 2018 flagged off by Union Ministers

Kiren Rijiju and Rajen Gohain. The new train, known as ‗Arunachal Express‘ would cover the 2013 kilometre distance between Naharlagun and Anand Vihar

Terminal in little over 38 hours and would have 14 stoppages en-route.

Mobile app to promote Green Good Deed campaign launched

In an effort to transform environment protection into a peoples‘ movement, a digital mobile application was launched by Union Minister for Environment,

Forests and Climate Change. Earth Sciences and Science & Technology in New Delhi on February 28, 2018. The App, named ―Dr Harsh Vardhan‖, focuses on

his social & public activities and involvement of citizens in ―Green Good Deeds‖ movement, which urges people to perform at least one Green Good Deed

every day. Some of the 500 Green Good Deeds listed in the Mobile App include – planting trees, saving energy, conserving water, use of public transport and

promoting carpool.

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NEWSMAKERS

TSR Subramanian, former Cabinet Secretary, dies at 79

TSR Subramanian, a former Cabinet Secretary of the Union government of India, died in New Delhi on February 26, 2018 at the age of 79. Subramanian was a

1961-batch officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He served as Cabinet Secretary from August 1, 1996 to March 1, 1998.

Subramanian served as Cabinet Secretary in the United Front government that was headed by HD Deve Gowda and was responsible for clearing Bt Cotton as

Textiles Secretary.

He also served in Uttar Pradesh in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition. Subramanian was sent to the state as its chief secretary in 1992.

After his retirement, he headed a Committee to form national education policy which was submitted to the government in 2016 but was not accepted.

Subramanian was also part of a group of bureaucrats and diplomats on whose petition the Supreme Court in 2013 rolled out key civil services reforms. The

court, while disposing of a petition filed by Subramanian and others, passed directions aimed at protecting the bureaucracy from political interference.

Subramanian authored three books on Indian polity and administration – Journeys Through Babudom And Netaland (2015), India at Turning Point: The Road

to Good Governance (2015), Government In India (2012).

Vijayendra Saraswathi succeeds Jayendra Saraswathi as Kanchi Shankaracharya

Vijayendra Saraswathi on succeeded as the 70th

Jagadguru of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu on March 1, 2018 after the demise of

Jayendra Saraswathi who passed away on February 28 at the age of 82. Saraswathi was 69th pontiff of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and was named by

Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal as his successor on March 22, 1954.

Veteran actress Sridevi passes away at 55




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Veteran Bollywood actress Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, passed away in Dubai at the age of 55 on February 25, 2018. A

versatile actor, Sridevi made her Bollywood debut in 1978 with ―Solva Sawan‖. While films like ―Mawaali‖ (1983), ―Tohfa‖ (1984), ―Mr India‖ (1987) and

―Chandni‖ (1989) kept her at the top in the box-office game, her outings like ―Sadma‖ (1983), ―ChaalBaaz‖ (1989), ―Lamhe‖ (1991), and ―Gumrah‖ (1993)

earned her critical acclaim. She went on a hiatus for 15 years after starring in ―Judaai‖. It was director Gauri Shinde‘s ―English Vinglish‖ in 2012 that marked

Sridevi‘s comeback. In 2017, she was seen in revenge-drama -- ―Mom‖. She shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan‘s upcoming film --

―Zero‖ -- which releases in December. She was honoured with Padma Shri in 2013. She won Filmfare Best Actress Award in 1990 for ChaalBaaz and in 1992 for

Lamhe.

Neelabh Mishra, editor-in-chief of „National Herald‟, dies at 57

Veteran journalist and editor-in-chief of Delhi-based National Herald, Neelabh Mishra, died in Chennai on February 24, 2018 at the age of 57. In 2016, Mishra

‗steered‘ the re-launch of National Herald, founded by former prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, as a digital news website. In 2017, he re-launched the

‗National Herald on Sunday‘ newspaper, and then its sister publications ‗Navjivan‘ and ‗Qaumi Awaz‘ as news websites. Mishra started off his over three

decades of journalistic career as a reporter with ‗Navbharat Times‘ in his hometown Patna in Bihar and later moved to Rajasthan as the Jaipur correspondent

for ‗News Time‘. He also set up Eenadu TV in Rajasthan in 1998. Prior to his stint in ‗National Herald‘, he worked as Editor of ‗Outlook Hindi‘ for several years.

Former SC judge Ratnavel Pandian dies at 89

Former Supreme Court judge Justice S Ratnavel Pandian passed away in Chennai on February 28, 2018 at the age of 89. He served as Supreme Court judge

from 1988 to 1994. After retirement as judge of the Apex court, he was appointed chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes. Pandian, a

native of Tirunelveli district, was born on February 13, 1929. He was an advocate for nearly 17 years and in August 1971 was appointed State Public

Prosecutor in the High Court of Madras, a post he held until he was elevated as judge in 1974. Pandian twice served as the acting Chief Justice of the Madras

High Court.

RSS founder member Bhanu Shastri dies at 93

Founder member of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and former MP Bhanu Kumar Shastri died in Udaipur on February 24, 2018 at the age of 93. He was elected as MP

from Udaipur and was also chairman of Khadi Board.

R. Subrahmanyam appointed higher education secretary

Senior IAS officers R Subrahmanyam and Anil Gopishankar Mukim have been appointed as secretaries of Higher Education, and Mines Department

respectively, as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle effected on February 28, 2018 by the government. Tarun Sridhar will be new secretary, Department of

Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. Inder Jit Singh, additional secretary (coordination) in Cabinet Secretariat has been appointed secretary

(coordination). P Raghvendra Rao will be Chemicals and Petrochemicals secretary and Surendra Nath Tripathi will be secretary, Parliamentary Affairs. C

Chandramouli will be secretary, Department of Personnel and Training. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra has been appointed as director general, National Mission for

Clean Ganga.

Rahul Mahajan is Rajya Sabha TV Editor-in-Chief

Senior journalist Rahul Mahajan was on February 24, 2018 appointed Editor-in-Chief of Rajya Sabha TV, owned and operated by the Upper House of

Parliament. Mahajan, who hails from Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, has 26 years of media experience, including 23 years in various news channels.

Neiphiu Rio resigns from Lok Sabha

The three-time Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, who has recently elected unopposed in Nagaland Assembly elections, has resigned from his Lok

Sabha seat. Rio was elected from Nagaland parliamentary constituency. In Assembly, he was declared winner from the Northern Angami-II seat in Kohima

district recently after his rival withdrew his nomination. Rio has quit the Naga People‘s Front, the party he had formed after leaving the Congress in 2002, and

joined a new party-Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) to contest the Assembly polls held on February 27. Rio was the Chief Minister of

Nagaland for three terms – 2003-08, 2008-13 and 2013-14. He was elected from the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland in 2014.




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Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

India, Jordan ink 12 pacts including one to boost defence cooperation

India and Jordan on March 1, 2018 decided to step up defence cooperation to combat terror and prevent cyber security crimes as Prime Minister Narendra

Modi and Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein held talks on key strategic issues in New Delhi. Ahead of their talks, the two leaders addressed a

conference on ‗Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding & Moderation‘. King Abdullah II is also the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site

in Islam, located in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The two sides signed 12 agreements in a wide range of areas including defence, health and medicine, setting up of the next generation Centre of Excellence

(COE) in Jordan, setting up of setting up of a Hindi Chair at the Jordan University and long term supply of rock phosphate and fertiliser.

The purpose of MoU for long term supply of Rock Phosphate and Fertilizer/NPK is mining of rock phosphate and setting up of production facility in Jordan

for Phosphoric acid/DAP/NPK fertilizers, with a long term agreement for 100% off-take to India. Such an MoU ensures long term and sustained supply of rock

phosphates to India.

The defence cooperation, a key element of the visit, envisages to promote cooperation by ―defining the scope of such cooperation and making provisions for

implementation of the cooperation in some of the recognised areas like training; defence industry; counter-terrorism; military studies; cyber security; military

medical services, peace-keeping etc‖.

Jordan has been reeling under the pressure of Syrian refugees, besides those who entered the country from Iraq and Palestine. India had given a cash

donation of USD 2 million. It will be giving Jordan an assistance of USD 5 million in form of vaccines and medicines.

INSV Tarini reaches Cape Town

An all-women crew leading the Indian Navy Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini on March 2, 2018 docked at a port in Cape Town in South Africa, during the last

phase of its maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. The expedition is being covered in five legs, with stop-overs at Fremantle in Australia, Lyttelton in

New Zealand, Port Stanley in Falklands, and Cape Town in South Africa. After reaching Cape Town, the vessel has covered the first four legs of its voyage.

This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the

crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on September 10. The expedition is titled Navika Sagar Parikrama. INSV Tarini is

likely to depart Cape Town on March 14 and return to Goa in April, on completion of the voyage.

Russia, India ink cooperation MoU with Bangladesh on Rooppur nuclear plant

Russia, India and Bangladesh signed a trilateral agreement on March 1, 2018 to cooperate in the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in

Bangladesh, work on which started in 2017, according to an announcement from Russian state-run atomic energy corporation Rosatom. ―The parties will

cooperate, in particular, in the field of personnel training and mentoring, exchange of experience and provision of consulting support,‖ Rosatom said. Indian

companies can be involved in construction and installation works, the supply of materials and equipment of a non-critical category for the project. Rosatom is

also the equipment supplier and technical consultant for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu.

Vietnamese President arrives on 3-day visit to India

President of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang arrived at Bodh Gaya in Bihar on March 2, 2018 on a three-day visit to India. Quang visited Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh

Gaya. On March 3, he met President Ram Nath Kovind and also held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also called on the visiting dignitary. The Vietnamese President also interacted with prominent Indian businessmen. The

visit aimed to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Cabinet approves signing of pact with Macedonia in health sector




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The Union Cabinet on February 28, 2018 gave its nod to signing of a pact between India and Macedonia on cooperation in health sector. The pact will cover a

host of sectors including cooperation in capacity building and short-term training of human resources in health and, exchange and training of doctors,

officials, other health professionals and experts. It will also cover areas like assistance in development of human resources and setting up of healthcare

facilities.

Indian-Seychelles joint military exercises held

The eighth joint military exercise between the Indian Army and Seychelles People‘s Defence Forces started on February 24, 2018 and will continue till March 4

at Mahe Island, Seychelles. The exercise is named ―Lamitye‖ which in the local Creole dialect means friendship. This exercise is the eighth in the series of

bilateral exercises being conducted in the island nation.

Meeting of eminent people group on Nepal-India ties organised

The seventh meeting of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Nepal-India relations was organised in Kathmandu on February 24-25, 2018. The two-day

meeting mainly focussed on the 1950 treaty, border issues, and trade and transit. EPG members from Nepal include former foreign minister Bhekh Bahadur

Thapa, former lawmaker Rajan Bhattarai, and constitutional and legal experts Nilambar Acharya and Surya Nath Upadhyay. Members from India include BJP

leader Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, former Indian ambassador to Nepal Jayanta Prasad and former vice chancellor of Sikkim University Mahendra Lama, among

others.

India Korea Business Summit organised

South Korean auto giant Hyundai on February 27, 2018 unveiled two electric vehicles (EVs) - Nexo and Ioniq - at a business summit in New Delhi. The EVs

were introduced at the India Korea Business Summit in New Delhi. The Summit was organized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in

partnership with ChosunILbo, KOTRA, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Invest India. Aim of the summit was to strengthen the economic relationship,

boost trade relations and increase investments between India and South Korea.

India, China agree sound bilateral ties to help global stability

India and China, during Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale‘s two-day Beijing visit, have stressed that ―sound development of relations‖ between them will

help in bringing stability to today‘s world, the External Affairs Ministry said on February 24, 2018. During the course of his visit on February 22-23, Gokhale

held talks with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou.

Maldives declines India‟s invitation to participate in „Milan‟ 2018

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said on February 27, 2018 that Maldives has declined India‘s invitation to participate in the biennial naval exercise Milan. The

exercise will take place from March 6 to 13. Lanba further noted that Maldives has not given any reason for the decision. The Indian military‘s Andaman and

Nicobar Command will host biennial multinational naval event ‗Milan-2018‘ at Port Blair from March 6-13 with the underlying theme of ―friendship across the

seas‖. The event will see a mix of professional exercises and seminars, social events and sporting fixtures.

Conference of the Commonwealth Education Ministers held in Fiji

Dr. Satya Pal Singh, Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development; and Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation,

Government of India led the Indian delegation to the 20th

Conference of the Commonwealth Education Ministers (20CCEM) held in Nadi, Fiji from February 19

to 23, 2018. The theme of the Conference was ―Sustainability and Resilience: Can Education Deliver?‖

NEWSMAKERS

Vinay Kumar appointed India‟s Ambassador to Afghanistan

Senior diplomat Vinay Kumar has been appointed as India‘s ambassador to strategically key Afghanistan, succeeding incumbent Manpreet Vohra. India and

Afghanistan are strategic partners and relations between the two countries have been on an upswing in the last few years. India has invested over USD two

billion in aid and in development projects in the war-ravaged country. In September 2017, India made a fresh announcement of taking up 116 ―high impact

community developmental projects‖ in 31 provinces of Afghanistan.

Indian Foreign Secretary meets Afghan President




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Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale called on President Ashraf Ghani and held meetings with the top brass of the Afghan government during his two-day visit on

February 27-28, 2018. He also attended the second meeting of the Kabul Process on ‗Peace and Security Cooperation‘. Kabul Process Conference, which was

aimed at discussing security and political issues in Afghanistan, was held on February 28. The meeting aimed to secure support for an agreement to end

backing of cross-border terrorism and to find a peaceful solution in ending the decades-long insurgency in Afghanistan.




12

Section C: WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

Attacks in Burkina Faso capital near French embassy, military HQ

Ougadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso came under assault on March 2, 2018, with attacks unfolding near the French embassy, the French cultural centre

and the country‘s military headquarters.

Burkina Faso is one of a string of fragile countries on the southern rim of the Sahara that are battling jihadist groups. The insurgency has caused thousands of

deaths, prompted tens of thousands to flee their homes and dealt crippling blows to economies that are already among the poorest in the world.

France, the former colonial power in the Sahel region, has deployed 4,000 troops and is supporting a five-country joint force gathering Burkina Faso, Chad,

Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The United Nations also has a 12,000-strong peacekeeping force in Mali called MINUSMA, which has taken heavy casualties. Four UN peacekeepers were

killed by a mine blast on Wednesday in the centre of the country.

Polish law criminalizing some Holocaust speech takes effect

A Polish law that makes it a crime to falsely accuse the Polish nation of crimes committed by Nazi Germany took effect on March 2, 2018, part of a wider

effort by nationalist authorities to use history to defend the country‘s honor and pride.

For years Polish officials have struggled to fight phrases like ―Polish death camps‖ that are sometimes used abroad to refer to Auschwitz and other death

camps that Nazi Germany built and operated on occupied Polish territory during World War II.

Some Poles fear that as the war grows more distant, new generations will mistakenly believe that Poles were the perpetrators of the Holocaust.

The law, however, has sparked a crisis with Israel, where Holocaust survivors and officials fear its true aim is to repress research and debate about Poles who

killed Jews during the World War II.

Sri Lankan govt. launches Office of Missing Persons

Sri Lanka has appointed commissioners to a special panel tasked with investigating war-era disappearances. The Office of Missing Persons (OMP) was

officially launched on February 28, 2018 by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The country‘s Parliament agreed in 2016 to the first steps toward reconciling its war-era past — tracing about 20,000 people who went missing during 37

years of fighting. But the process stalled amid resistance from the Army and Sirisena‘s own coalition. The OMP is tasked with determining the status of all

missing persons in Sri Lanka and is the first pillar of the transitional justice mechanisms.

The panel has the power to recommend compensation and clear the way for next of kin to take legal action against those responsible for the disappearance

of their loved ones. The government appointed seven commissioners to the panel, which will be headed by senior lawyer Saliya Peiris.

The UN Human Rights Council has in the past described Sri Lanka‘s efforts at transitional justice as at a ―virtual standstill‖ nearly a decade after the end of a

war which claimed over 1,00,000 lives.

US Senate passes bill promoting ties with Taiwan

The United States Senate on March 1, 2018 passed a bill promoting US-Taiwan relations -- legislation likely to infuriate China. The Taiwan Travel Act,

intended to encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan ―at all levels‖ was passed by unanimous consent, having passed the House of

Representatives in January. The bill adds that it should be US policy for high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States, meet with US officials and

conduct business in the country.




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Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979, recognising the Communist mainland rulers in Beijing as the sole government of ―One China.‖

But, under the terms of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, Washington maintains an ambiguous approach to the island, maintains trade relations and sells Taipei

weapons.

Trump sparked protest from China shortly after his election in 2016 by accepting a phone call from Taiwan‘s leader Tsai Ing-wen, an action seen as breaking

the protocol of the One China policy. He made amends by vowing to uphold the One China policy but infuriated Beijing again in 2017 by approving a USD

1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan.

UN adopts Russian-drafted resolution on Yemen sanctions

The Security Council on February 27, 2018 adopted a Russian-drafted resolution on a technical rollover of the Yemen sanctions regime. The resolution renews

sanctions against designated individuals and entities for a year, till Feb. 26, 2019, and extends the mandate of a Panel of Experts, which is tasked to assist in

the implementation of the sanctions regime, until March 28, 2019. The sanctions include an asset freeze against designated individuals and entities and a

travel ban.

Yemen has been in civil war since 2015, pitting Houthi forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and forces loyal to the government of Abdrabbuh

Mansur Hadi. In December 2017, conflict erupted between Houthi rebels and Saleh supporters, leading to the killing of Saleh.

The conflict is also seen to involve regional powers. A Saudi-led military coalition is striking Houthi rebels, which are allegedly supported by Iran. Tehran has

denied such allegations.

US to impose tariffs on steel, aluminium imports

US President Donald Trump said on March 2, 2018 that he would impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium products, in a move he said would protect

US industry. The US is set to impose 25 per cent of tariff on steel imports and 10 per cent for aluminium.

US approves sale of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine

The United States on March 2, 2018 formally approved the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, confirming a move expected to anger Kiev‘s foe

Russia. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Ukraine had asked President Donald Trump‘s US administration for permission to buy 210 missiles and

37 launchers at a cost of around USD 47 million. The United States and its Western allies back Ukraine in its struggle to reunite its country after Russia

annexed the Crimea region and pro-Russian rebels seized two eastern industrial regions.

U.S. to overtake Russia as world‟s biggest oil producer by 2019 at the latest - IEA

The United States will overtake Russia as the world‘s biggest oil producer by 2019 at the latest, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on February 27,

2018, as the country‘s shale oil boom continues to upend global markets. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in Tokyo the United States would overtake

Russia as the biggest crude oil producer ―definitely next year‖, if not this year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said recently that U.S. output would

exceed 11 million bpd by late 2018. That would take it past top producer Russia, which pumps just below 11 million bpd.

US: Indiana legislature passes resolution hailing contribution of Sikhs

Both Houses of the US‘ Indiana state legislature have unanimously passed resolutions praising the ―significant contribution‖ of Sikh Americans in the country.

The House of Representatives, the lower house passed the Sikh resolution in Indianapolis on February 28, 2018, within days of the Senate, the upper house,

passing a similar resolution.

Pakistan admits to being on „grey list‟ of FATF

Pakistan on February 28, 2018 confirmed that it will be on the ‗grey list‘ of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in June but disputed claims of being put on

a ‗black list‘. ―Pakistan will be assigned to the ‗grey list‘ in June, once an action plan has been mutually negotiated. The statement that Pakistan will be

transferred from the ‗grey‘ to the ‗black‘ list in June is therefore not true. The FATF website clearly demarcates the countries in the ‗black‘ list as those who are

non-cooperative,‖ said Mohammed Faisal, spokesman at the Foreign Ministry. He added that the FATF has highlighted certain deficiencies in the Anti-Money

Laundering and Countering of Terrorist Financing framework of Pakistan.‖

Putin honours Russian military on Fatherland Defender‟s Day




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Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to the Russian military at a ceremony for presenting national awards on the occasion of the Defender of the

Fatherland Day at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow on February 23, 2018. Defender of the Fatherland Day is a holiday observed in Russia, Turkmenistan, Belarus,

Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. It is celebrated on February 23, except in Kazakhstan, where it is celebrated on May 7.

China to build nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Liaoning within 7 years

The Chinese Army has announced that Beijing wants to field its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Liaoning by the middle of the next decade. The China

Shipbuilding Industry Corporation on February 27, 2018 announced a list of ambitions hope to achieve in weaponry and technical developments for the

People‘s Liberation Army-Navy by 2025. China‘s navy has two aircraft carriers running on conventional oil. The French Navy‘s flagship, the Charles de Gaulle,

is the only non-US aircraft carrier powered by nuclear reactors. Each Nimitz-class and Ford-class carrier in the US Navy is or will be run by nuclear power.

NEWSMAKERS

Armen Sarkisian elected next Armenian president

Armenian lawmakers on March 2, 2018 elected a largely figurehead president to succeed Serzh Sarkisian as he seeks to extend his grip on power under a new

parliamentary system of government. The ambassador to the United Kingdom, Armen Sarkisian - who is no relation to the current leader - garnered 90 votes

in the 105-seat legislature, and will assume presidential duties after his predecessor steps down in April. The political shift comes after President Sarkisian in

2015 initiated controversial constitutional amendments to turn the impoverished Moscow-allied country into a parliamentary republic with a powerful Prime

Minister.

UNDP appoints Pak climber as goodwill ambassador

Samina Baig, Pakistan‘s first woman to climb Mount Everest, was on February 26, 2018 appointed as the goodwill ambassador of the UN Development

Programme. Baig, 27, will lead efforts to build national awareness and partnerships around the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Baig, at the age of

22, became the first Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest in 2013. By the time she turned 23, Baig had climbed the highest mountain on each of the

world‘s seven continents.

Saudi military chiefs ordered to retire by King Salman

Saudi Arabian monarch King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud has ordered the retirement of the kingdom‘s Armed Forces Chief of Staff and Air Defence Forces

Commander. The King dismissed the two officials and a host of other commanders in a major shake-up on February 26, 2018. Services of Chief of Staff

General Abdul Rahman Bin Saleh Al Bunyan have been terminated and Fayyad Al Ruwaili had been appointed as his replacement. Crown Prince Mohammad

Bin Salman, the heir to the throne and the son of the monarch, is the country‘s Defence Minister.

Best-selling British novelist Penny Vincenzi dead at 78

British writer Penny Vincenzi, whose stories of romance, rivalry and family secrets topped best-seller lists, died at the age of 78 on February 25, 2018. Vincenzi

worked as a journalist before publishing her first novel ―Old Sins,‖ in 1989. Her 17 novels and two story collections sold more than 7 million copies worldwide.

Her last book, ―A Question of Trust,‖ was published in 2017.

Bond films director Lewis Gilbert dies at 97

British producer-director Lewis Gilbert, best known for films such as ―Alfie‖ and three James Bond films, died in Monaco on February 23, 2018 at the age of

97. Among James Bond films, Gilbert directed 1967‘s ―You Only Live Twice‖ starring Sean Connery, ―The Spy Who Loved Me‖ in 1977 and ―Moonraker‖ in

1979, both starring Roger Moore.




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Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

CSIR inks MoU with IORA-RCSTT for research on medicinal plants

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed an MoU with the Indian Ocean Rim Association‘s Regional Center for Science and

Technology Transfer for designating Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Lucknow as the coordinating centre on medicinal plants.

The MoU was signed by Director CSIR-CIMAP Anil Kumar Tripathi and Director IORA-RCSTT A. Sedrpousan in Tehran in the presence IORA Secretary General

Nomvuyo Nokwe.

CSIR director general and CSIR Secretary Girish Sahni, who led the Indian delegation, invited scientists and business houses to visit CSIR labs in India to

explore possibilities of partnerships between them and the Iranian industry.

The IORA Center at CSIR-CIMAP will establish a database on the important medicinal plants, their value added products, related experts and industries of the

IORA member states and organise meetings and training programmes to promote trade, commerce and scientific exchanges to complement the strength

and limitation of the member states.

The IORA is an association of 21 countries and 7 dialogue partners which have identified 6 areas of cooperation including medicinal plants.

„Super colony‟ of penguins spotted in Antarctica

A thriving hotspot of some 1.5 million Adelie penguins has been discovered on the remote Danger Islands in the east Antarctic. Just 160 km away in the west

Antarctic, the same species is in decline due to sea ice melt blamed on global warming.

The first complete census revealed that the Danger Islands host more than 750,000 breeding pairs of Adelie penguins, more than the rest of the Antarctic

Peninsula region combined, the team reported in the journal Scientific Reports in March 2018. It included the third and fourth-largest Adelie penguin

colonies in the world.

The Danger Islands, which lie at the tip of Antarctica nearest South America, have rarely been visited, and the new discovery was from data sent by Earth-

monitoring satellites. They are called the Danger Islands for a reason. The area is covered by heavy sea ice most of the year, and even in the height of

summer it is difficult to get into this region to do surveys.

Evidence of the previously-unknown penguin colony first emerged in data from the Landsat Earth-monitoring satellites run by NASA and the US Geological

Survey. The team of scientists then looked at higher resolution commercial imagery to confirm their findings. They were surprised to find so many penguins

on these islands, especially because some of these islands were not known to have penguins. This was followed a field expedition for a headcount.

The Danger Islands, said the team, has felt the ravages of climate change less than western Antarctic zones, and knew very little human activity.

NEWSMAKERS

Cosmonaut, two US astronauts return to Earth from ISS

Two NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth on February 28, 2018, rounding off a mission of more than five months aboard the

International Space Station. Alexander Misurkin of Russia‘s Roscosmos space agency and NASA‘s Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba touched down on steppe

land southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan.

Misurkin, 40, who handed over command of the International Space Station to compatriot Anton Shkaplerov on February 27 and took charge of the Soyuz

descent module carrying the trio down to Earth has spent 334 days in space over two flights.

Remaining ISS crew members are Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, Scott Tingle of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

The ISS laboratory, a rare example of American and Russian international cooperation, has been orbiting Earth at about 28,000 km per hour since 1998.




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Section E: AWARDS

National e-Governance awards conferred

The 21st National Conference on e-Governance was organised in Hyderabad on 26-27, 2018. The theme of the Conference this year was, ‗Technology for

accelerating Development‘. Union Minister Jitendra Singh presented the National e-governance Awards. He presented awards to central and state

government departments for their commending efforts in use of technology. In each category, the gold carried Rs.2 Lakh cash prize & citation and silver

carried Rs. one Lakh award.

Winners are as follows:

Category 1: Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering

Gold: INAMPRO of Government of India in Infrastructure and Construction sector.

Silver: eAbgari of West Bengal government in Administration

Category 2: Outstanding Performance in Citizen-centric Service Delivery

Gold: SAMRAKSHANE of Karnataka government in Agriculture

Silver: e-aarogya of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in Health

Category 3: Innovations in Existing Project of Government Departments Other Than PSUs

Gold: Education Portal of Madhya Pradesh in Education

Silver: MeeSeva 2.0. of Telangana in Administration

Category 4: Best District level initiative through ICT

(i) North East States

Gold: eOffice of Arunachal Pradesh in Administration

Silver: Aizawl District Disaster Management Authority (ADDMA) Mobile Application of Mizoram in Disaster management

(ii) Hill States + UTs (excluding Delhi)

Gold: Rohtang Pass Permit Issuance MIS of Himachal Pradesh in Administration

(iii) Other States

Gold: PADHE DANTEWADA LIKHE DANTEWADA of Chhattisgarh in Education

Silver: e-NAM- Soil to Sale of Gujarat in Agriculture

Category 5: Use of Spatial Technology and GIS in e-Governance

Gold: Remote Sensing and GIS Based Mapping for Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) using High Resolution Satellite Data of Maharashtra in Administration

Silver: GeoPortal on North Eastern District Resources Plan to support effective Governance applications of Government of India in Administration

Category 6: Innovative Use of ICT by Central Government PSUs/State Government PSUs

Gold: Smart Energy Infrastructure and Revenue Administration System of Bihar in Administration

Silver: Sabooj Sathi Online of West Bengal in Education

Category 7: Outstanding initiative in e-Governance by Academic/Research Institutions and NGOs, including Cooperatives/ Federations/ Societies

Gold: Panch Parmeshwar Portal of Madhya Pradesh in Administration

Silver: Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana of Maharashtra in Health

Category 8: Replication/Adaptation of the best e-Governance projects/ practices awarded during 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2017

Gold: eHRMS-Manav Sampada of Himachal Pradesh in Administration

Special Jury Award

Paperless H.P. Legislative Assembly (e-Vidhan) of Himachal Pradesh in Administration

National Awards for S&T Communication given




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National Science Day was celebrated on February 28, 2018. National Science Day is celebrated on this day every year across India to mark the discovery of the

Raman effect by Indian physicist C.V. Raman in 1928. The theme of NSD-2018 is ―Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future‖, which has been chosen

for the purpose of raising public appreciation of the scientific issues involved.

DST instituted National Awards in 1987 to stimulate, encourage and recognize outstanding efforts in the area of science popularization & communication

and in promoting scientific temper.

For the year 2017, Dr. Raghbir Singh Khandpur from Punjab has been selected for National Award for Outstanding Efforts in S&T Communication. The

award consists of Rs 2 lakh, a memento and a citation. All the other National Awards consists of Rs.1 lakh, a memento and a citation.

Tarun Kumar Jain, Jaipur, Dr. B. Sasikumar, Kozhikode and Dilip Kumar Sarma, Guwahati, have won National Award for Outstanding Efforts in S&T

Communication through Print Media including Books and Magazines.

Dr. Jyotirmayee Mohanty, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, and Sarika Gharu, Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, are the National Awardees for Outstanding Efforts in

S&T Popularization among Children.

Socio Cultural Development Centre, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, has won National Award for Outstanding Efforts in S&T through Innovative and Traditional

methods.

Indian Society of Remote Sensing is being given National Award for Outstanding Efforts in S&T Communication in the Electronic Medium.

Another prestigious Award, the National Award for Women Development through Application of Science and Technology for the year 2017 is also

being conferred on NSD on Socio Cultural Development Centre, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha. This consists of Rs.15 lakhs, a memento and a citation.

Laureus World Sports Awards conferred

The 18th

Laureus World Sports Awards were given away in Monaco on February 28, 2018. Winners are as follows:

Tennis legend Roger Federer became the most decorated winner in the history of Laureus World Sports Awards after he won both the Sportsman of the

Year and Comeback of the Year titles.

American tennis great Serena Williams won the Sportswoman of the Year Award.

Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia won the Breakthrough of the Year Award for winning the 2017 Masters, his first ever Major Championship win on his 74th

attempt.

Mercedes AMG Petronas Team of the Year Award, after securing their fourth successive Constructors World Championship title.

French sailor Armel Le Clac‘h won the Action Sportsperson of the Year Award.

Swiss wheelchair racer Marcel Hug won the World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.

Brazilian football team Chapecoense, which was torn apart by a devastating plane crash but made a remarkable comeback six months later which inspired

the sporting world, were honoured with the Laureus Best Sporting Moment of the Year Award.

Active Communities Network, an international sport for development organisation which works in the UK, Ireland and South Africa, received the Laureus

Sport for Good Award.

Among other awards, Italy and Roma football legend Francesco Totti received the Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award, honoured for his

inspirational 22-year one-man-club career with Roma and his 2006 World Cup success with Italy.

Houston Texans player J. J. Watt received the Laureus Sporting Inspiration Award for his incredible fundraising efforts after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston,

where he raised more than USD 37 million to support relief efforts.

US Olympic legend Edwin Moses received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition for his remarkable sporting career in which he won

two Olympic gold medals and remained unbeaten for nine years, nine months and nine days in the 400 metres hurdles.

„Reservation‟, „Excavator‟ win top prizes at BIFFES 2018

―Reservation‖ and South Korean movie ―Excavator‖ on March 1, 2018 won top honours at the Bengaluru International Film Festival 2018. ―Reservation‖,

directed by Nikhil Manjoo, bagged the Karnataka Chalanchitra Academy Award under the Kannada Competition category. ―Excavator‖ by Ju-Hyoung Lee

received the Best Asian Film - NETPAC Award. P Sheshadri-directed ―Beti‖ bagged the NETPAC International Jury Award for Kannada film. In the Kannada

Cinema Popular Entertainment category, ―Raajakumara‖, directed by Santhosh Ananddram, was named the winner. Chezhian Ra‘s Tamil drama ―To-Let‖ won




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the FIPRESCI India - P K Nair Memorial Award. The Chitra Bharathi Award went to Bengali film ―Mayurakshi‖ by Atanu Ghosh, while Assamese film ―Ishu‖,

directed by Utpal Borpujari received Special Jury Mention. The 10th edition of the BIFFES had begun on February 22.

Jio wins „Best Mobile Operator Service for Consumers‟ award in Barcelona

Telecom major Reliance Jio Infocomm (Jio) on February 27, 2018 announced that along with its technology partner Cisco, it has won the ―Best Mobile

Operator Service for Consumers‖ award at the prestigious Global Mobile (GloMo) Awards 2018 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. Besides,

the company‘s JioTV app won in the ‗Best Mobile Video Content‘ category for JioTV enabling Jio Digital Life.




19

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

Cabinet approves NFRA to oversee auditors

In a significant move, the Cabinet on March 1, 2018 approved setting up of the independent regulator National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) that will

have sweeping powers to act against erring auditors and auditing firms.

The decision to constitute NFRA, as envisaged in the Companies Act, 2013, comes at a time when auditors have come under the scanner for alleged lapses in

various corporate scams, including the biggest banking sector fraud to the tune of Rs 12,700 crore at Punjab National Bank.

NFRA would be an overarching watchdog for auditing profession and once set up, the current powers of the ICAI to act against erring chartered accountants

will be vested with the new regulator. The regulator will have 15 members, including a chairperson and three full-time members. Besides, there would be a

secretary.

―The NFRA will act as an independent regulator for the auditing profession which was one of the key changes brought in by the Companies Act, 2013,‖

Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley said. While many provisions of the Act came into force from April 1, 2014, the setting up of the NFRA has been

delayed.

The jurisdiction of the NFRA -- which would be an oversight body for auditors -- will extend to all listed companies as well as large unlisted public companies.

The thresholds would be prescribed in the rules. Besides, the government can refer other entities for investigation by the NFRA where public interest would

be involved.

The NFRA will have powers to debar an errant auditor or auditing firm for up to ten years besides slapping heavy penalties. As per Section 132 of the

Companies Act, 2013, NFRA will have powers to impose less than Rs 1 lakh fine and the amount can extend up to five times of the fees received in case of

individuals. For firms, the minimum penalty would be Rs 10 lakh and could go up to ten times of the fees received, according to the Act.

Finance Ministry gives 15-day deadline to PSBs for identifying risks

Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar said on February 27, 2018 that public sector banks (PSBs) have been given a 15-day deadline to take ―pre-emptive‖

action for identifying gaps and to gear up for rising operational and technical risks, as the scam in the PNB widened to Rs 12,700 crore.

Executive Directors and chief technological officers (CTOs) of PSBs have been asked to prepare a blueprint to enhance preparedness for combating increasing

risks.

The financial services secretary further said that it will be the responsibility of ―Group of EDs and CTOs‖ to learn from best practices across the banking sector

and identify weakness in existing arrangements.

They will have to come out with comparative assessment of their banks‘ operational risk management practices with best practices and ―identify gaps and

areas for improvement‖.

The Group has to prepare report based on best practices and minimum acceptable standards and suggest action points including technological solutions.

Boards of banks have to assign clear accountability to senior functionaries for implementation and compliance of the report.




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Govt publishes names of 9,500 „high risk‟ NBFCs

The government has categorised about 9,500 non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in the country as ―high risk‖ prone as they have not complied with a

stipulated provision of the anti-money laundering law.

A list of 9,491 ―high risk financial institutions‖ has been published by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) that works under the Union Finance Ministry to check

crimes in the Indian economy and alert enforcement agencies against such instances.

The list, containing the names of the firms, has been updated till January this year.

Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the NBFCs, which includes cooperative banks, are required to furnish details about their financial

operations and transactions to the FIU.

The FIU processed the data of these companies and found that they did not comply largely on one stipulated condition of appointing a principal officer who

is responsible to check and report suspicious transactions and cash transactions of Rs 10 lakh and above, and report it to the agency,.

The activities of these institutions -- post the demonetisation of large currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 in November, 2016 -- were under the scanner of

the FIU and it published their names after analysing their data from various information sources.

NBFC is defined as a company registered under the Companies Act which is engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares, stocks,

bonds, debentures and securities issued by the government or local authority or other marketable securities.

NBFCs, which have been issued Certificate of Registration by RBI with a specific licence to accept deposits, are entitled to accept public deposits. NBFCs can,

however, accept deposits, only to the extent permissible. Presently, the maximum rate of interest an NBFC can offer is 12.5%. The interest may be paid or

compounded at rests not shorter than monthly rests. The NBFCs are allowed to accept/renew public deposits for a minimum period of 12 months and

maximum period of 60 months.

NBFCs cannot accept deposits repayable on demand (Demand Deposits). NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue

cheques drawn on itself. Also deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike

in case of banks.

Term deposits, also known as time deposits, are investment deposits made for a predetermined period of time, ranging from a few months to several years.

Funds cannot be withdrawn from a term deposit account until the end of the chosen time period without incurring a financial penalty.

Demand deposits: These allow depositors to withdraw any or all of the funds in a demand deposit account at any time without penalty or prior notice

required.

PSBs shut 35 overseas branches, representative offices

The state-owned banks have closed down 35 overseas branches and representative offices as part of the clean and responsible banking initiative. As per the

banking sector agenda approved at the PSB Manthan in November 2017, public sector banks (PSBs) have to examine all 216 overseas operations. The

rationalisation of overseas operations of banks is significant as jewellery designer Nirav Modi allegedly cheated Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs 12,700

crore in connivance with PNB staff and officials of overseas branches of other state-owned banks.

As on January 31, 2018, public sector banks had about 165 overseas branches, besides subsidiaries, joint ventures and representative offices. State Bank of

India has the largest number of overseas branches (52) followed by Bank of Baroda (50) and Bank of India (29). The state-owned banks have largest number

of branches in United Kingdom (32) followed by Hong Kong and UAE (13 each) and Singapore (12).

AIIB to invest USD 200 million in NIIF

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will invest around USD 200 million in India‘s first sovereign wealth fund NIIF, said AIIB president Jin Liqun in New

Delhi on February 27, 2018. The government had set up the Rs 40,000-crore National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) in December 2016 as an

investment vehicle for funding commercially viable greenfield, brownfield and stalled projects. It was envisioned as a mother fund with several sectoral feeder

funds. The projects being currently funded by Beijing-based AIIB in India include Bangalore Metro Rail Project, Transmission System Strengthening Project,

Gujarat Rural Road Project and Power Project in Andhra Pradesh.




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KYC norms for e-wallets made mandatory from March 1

Users of prepaid payment instruments (PPI) such as mobile wallets were required to complete the KYC requirements by February 28 as the Reserve Bank of

India has refused to extend the deadline any further. Those who do not comply with the KYC norms will not be allowed to load money into their respective

wallet accounts or carry out remittance-based transactions. They will also not be allowed to transfer the cash in the wallet account to their bank accounts.

However, users will be allowed to use the balance amount in their respective wallets to pay for goods and services. Once the balance is exhausted, the user

will not be able to load cash again until the KYC norms are complied with.

No MDR charges on railway tickets purchased using debit cards

The Ministry of Railways has announced that Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges will not be levied on passengers for booking railway tickets on payment

made through Debit Cards for a transaction value up to Rs. 1 lakh. The MDR charges are imposed by banks on the merchant for providing debit and credit

card services.

BANKING CONCEPT: Letter of Undertaking

A Rs. 11,400 crore scam has hit India‘s second largest public sector bank Punjab National Bank. The massive fraud was perpetrated for over seven years by

Nirav Modi and his firms, by procuring LoUs from PNB.

Technically, Letter of Undertaking is a bank guarantee under which a bank allows its customer to raise money from another Indian bank‘s foreign branch in

the form of short-term credit. The loan is used to make payment to the customer‘s offshore suppliers in foreign currency. The overseas bank usually lends to

the importer based on the LoU issued by the importer‘s bank.

So, let‘s say Nirav Modi wants to import diamonds for a new collection. He approaches PNB and asks it to arrange for a guarantee in the form of LoU for

short-term loans from the foreign branches of Indian banks, to pay his diamond supplier. Bank officials promptly send instructions from PNB‘s Mumbai

branch to other overseas banks offering LoUs. The messages are sent through SWIFT — an inter-bank messaging network for securely transmitting

instructions for financial transactions.

Theoretically, such SWIFT instructions need to be recorded in a bank‘s core banking system. But because of complicity of bank officials at PNB, the actual

LoUs issued over the past seven years to Nirav Modi managed to escape scrutiny. These guarantees never figured in the bank‘s books.

LoUs are important instruments that allow those in the import trade to transact their business. As an importer in India cannot simply buy dollars and send it

abroad to make payments to his supplier, various instruments such as LoUs and Letters of Credit are required to carry out the transaction. LoUs have come to

be a far cheaper and convenient way for importer to raise credit. Nirav Modi, for instance, essentially had two options. One, he borrows money from PNB in

rupees, converts it dollars, and pays his supplier. But here, the interest rate on such loans would be at the higher domestic rate, say 12-13 per cent.

The other way would be through a bank guarantee offered by PNB. The bank would simply instruct the overseas bank through SWIFT to remit funds into

PNB‘s overseas account, which is in turn used to pay Modi‘s supplier. PNB earns a fee and the overseas bank offering the credit charges an interest at a

spread over LIBOR. In effect, Nirav Modi gets a cheap line of credit.

So where does the fraud come in? In theory, having used the imported diamonds to fashion jewellery, Modi should have sold his wares and raised cash to

settle the dues against LoUs. In this case though, the loan was not paid back by Nirav Modi at all. By repeatedly rolling over the loan, he ensured that new

LoUs were used to repay earlier LoUs. So, there had been no default till now.

NEWSMAKERS

PNB appoints A K Pradhan as Group Chief Risk Officer

Hit by nearly Rs 12,700 crore fraud, Punjab National Bank (PNB) on February 27, 2018 appointed its general manager A K Pradhan as the Group Chief Risk

Officer. On February 14, PNB had detected the fraud wherein billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and associates allegedly cheated the bank by acquiring

fraudulent letters of undertaking (LoUs) from one of its branches for overseas credit from other Indian lenders. Also on February 27, the finance ministry had

asked all the state-owned banks to scrutinise all their non-performing accounts (NPAs) of over Rs 50 crore for possible fraud and accordingly report the

matter to probe agency CBI. It has also asked the banks to come up with a pre-emptive risk mitigation action plan within 15 days to check recurrence of




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frauds.




23

Section G: ECONOMY

Indian economy grows at 7.2% in Q3: CSO

Showing signs of recovery, the Indian economy recorded a five-quarter high growth of 7.2 per cent in the October-December period (third quarter) on good

showing by key sectors like agriculture, construction and manufacturing. The growth for the second quarter (July-September) has been revised upwards to

6.5 per cent, from 6.3 per cent estimated earlier by the CSO.

The economy is expected to grow at 6.6 per cent in the current fiscal ending March 31, as per the second advanced estimates of the Central Statistics Office

(CSO), compared to 7.1 per cent in 2016-17. The earlier estimate was 6.5 per cent. The real GDP or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at constant (2011-12) prices

in 2017-18 is likely to be Rs 130.04 lakh crore, as against the first revised estimate for 2016-17 of Rs 121.96 lakh crore, released on January 31.

Sector-wise growth in Q3: The gross valued added (GVA) for manufacturing in the quarter under review (third quarter) grew at 8.9 per cent higher than 6.9

per cent in the previous quarter. Similarly, the farm sector GVA grew at 4.1 per cent compared to 2.7 per cent in the previous quarter. The construction sector

recorded a growth of 6.8 per cent, higher than 2.8 per cent in previous quarter. The services segment including financial services grew at rate of 6.7 per cent

up from 6.4 per cent in previous quarter.

Foodgrain output to touch new record 277.49 MT in 2017-18 crop year

The country‘s overall foodgrain output is projected to touch a new record 277.49 MT in the 2017-18 crop year as against 275.11 MT in 2016-17 crop year, the

Agriculture Ministry said while releasing its second estimate for 2017-18 on February 27, 2018.

The foodgrain basket comprises wheat, rice, coarse cereals and pulses. The kharif (summer) crops have been already harvested, and rabi (winter) crops have

now started arriving in mandis.

Wheat production is estimated to decline by 1.40 MT to 97.11 MT in 2017-18, from the record of 98.51 MT achieved in 2016-17. The fall in wheat

production is mainly due to 4.27 per cent drop in acreage at 30.42 million hectare in the current rabi season. Farmers have shifted to pulses in states like

Rajasthan.

Rice output is pegged 1.31 MT higher at 111.01 MT this year, as against 109.70 MT in 2016-17. Much of the rice production comes from the Kharif season.

Pulses production is pegged at a record 23.95 MT this year, up by 0.82 MT, from 23.13 MT last year, the data showed. Among pulses, gram and urad

production is estimated to be a record 11.10 MT and 3.23 MT respectively, this year.

Production of coarse cereals is estimated at record 45.42 MT this year as against 43.77 MT in 2016-17 crop year.

Oilseeds production is pegged lower by 1.39 MT at 29.88 MT in 2017-18 as against 31.28 MT during 2016-17. Among oilseeds, soyabean output is likely to

decline to 11.39 MT this year from 13.79 MT in 2016-17, while groundnut output is pegged at 8.22 MT as against 7.56 MT in the said period.

In case of cash crop, sugarcane production is estimated to increase significantly to 353.23 MT in 2017-18 crop year as against 306.07 MT last year. Cotton

output is pegged higher at 33.92 million bales (of 170 kg each) as against 32.58 million bales last year. Production of Jute/Mesta is estimated to be lower

at 10.51 million bales (of 180 kg each) in the said period.

The government releases total four estimates, before the final one, at different stages of harvesting.

Cabinet approves Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill to confiscate assts of fugitives

The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal to introduce Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 in the

Parliament, said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on March 1, 2018.

―Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 has been brought to confiscate the assets of a fugitive, including Benami assets. There will also be the provision to

confiscate those assets outside India, but co-operation of that country will also be needed‖, Jaitley said.

Offences worth Rs.100 crore or more will be under the purview of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018.

The Bill is likely to be tabled in Parliament in the second the part of the Budget session that starts March 6.




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The fugitive economic offenders will be disentitled from defending any civil claim. An administrator will be appointed to manage and dispose of the

confiscated property under the Act.

Fugitive Economic Offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a scheduled offence (a scheduled offence refers to a list

of economic offences contained in the schedule to this Bill) and who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution, or being abroad, refuses to return to

India to face criminal prosecution.

Once the Bill becomes a law, it aims to create a special forum for the expeditious confiscation of the proceeds of crime, in India or abroad.

It would also coerce the fugitive to return to India to submit to the jurisdiction of Courts in India to face the law in respect of scheduled offences.

PFRDA organises fourth pension conference

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addressed the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority‘s (PFRDA) fourth pension conference in New Delhi on

February 28, 2018. ‗Creating an inclusive and sustainable pension system in India: Opportunities and challenges‘ was theme of the conference. Jaitley also

launched ‗Pension Sanchay‘, a financial literacy and pension planning website. Additionally, he released two reports — a CRISIL report on financial inclusion

(CRISIL Inclusix) and a PFRDA-CRISIL joint report on pension coverage.

PFRDA Chairman Hemant Contractor, in his address, suggested that the Centre allow automatic enrolment for pension for employees of small and medium

businesses that are now registered with the GST Network (GSTN).

Speaking at the event, Ashu Suyash, Managing Director & CEO, CRISIL, said there has been significant progress in financial inclusion in India in the last three

years, as corroborated by the scores of CRISIL Inclusix, the country‘s first financial inclusion index. The index registered a score of 58.0 at the end of FY16, a

significant progress against 50.1 in FY13, Suyash noted.

CRISIL Inclusix weighs three service providers — banks, insurers and microfinance institutions — on four dimensions, viz branch, credit, deposit and

insurance.

Govt approves continuation of PMEGP till 2019-20 with Rs 5,500 cr outlay

The government on February 28, 2018 approved the continuation of Prime Minister‘s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) beyond the 12th Plan

period for three years to 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs 5,500 crore. The scheme is aimed at creating sustainable estimated employment opportunities for

15 lakh persons in three financial years. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is the nodal implementation agency for the PMEGP at the national level. At the state/district level, state

offices of KVIC, Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) and District Industry Centres (DIC) are the implementing agencies.

PMEGP is a major credit-linked subsidy programme being implemented by the Ministry of MSME since 2008-09. The Scheme is aimed at generating self-

employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth in rural

as well as urban areas.

Jaitley launches online module of General Provident Fund for government employees

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on March 1, 2018 delivered the inaugural address at the 42nd

Civil Accounts Day function in New Delhi. On the occasion,

the Finance Minister also inaugurated centralised General Provident (GP) fund module of Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for all the central

government employees, and electronic Pension Payment Order (e-PPO) module of PFMS for the complete end to end electronic processing of pension cases.

The centralised GP fund module enables mapping of GP fund accounts with the unique employee ID, thereby facilitating online application for GP fund

advances and withdrawals with online access to the employee‘s current GP fund balances. The module will streamline GP fund accounting and transfer of

balances.

The e-PPO, meanwhile, includes the integration of the BHAVISHYA application of the Department of Pension and Pensioners‘ Welfare and the Pension

Authorization Retrieval and Accounting System (PARAS) application of Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) with Public Financial Management System

(PFMS) for seamless processing of pension cases, thereby eliminating delays and errors involved in manual processing.




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Defence ministry approves purchase of LMGs, carbines worth over Rs 94 bn

The defence ministry on February 28, 2018 approved capital acquisition proposals worth nearly Rs 94.35 billion including procurement of 41,000 light

machine guns and over 305,000 battle carbines. The proposals were cleared at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the defence ministry‘s

highest decision-making body on procurement.

The total cost for procurement of 41,000 LMGs will be Rs 30 billion while over 305,000 Close Quarter Battle Carbines will be bought at a cost of Rs 46.07

billion respectively, defence ministry.

On February 13, the defence ministry had approved capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 159 billion which included purchase of 740,000 assault rifles, 5,719

sniper rifles and light machine guns.

The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, also approved procurement of ―essential quantity‖ of ‗High Capacity Radio Relay‘ (HCRR) for the

Army and the Air Force at an estimated cost of over Rs 10.92 billion.

To enhance the ability of the Indian Coast Guard to rapidly undertake pollution control measures off the East Coast and Island Territories, the DAC cleared

the proposal for acquisition of two Pollution Control Vessels (PCV). The vessels would be built by Indian shipyards at an approximate cost of Rs 6.73 billion.

Govt approves Rs 5000 cr Action Plan for 12 Champion service sectors

The government on February 28, 2018 approved an action plan for 12 ‗champion‘ services sectors for realising their potential through establishment of a Rs

5,000 crore dedicated fund. The fund, once set up, will support initiatives for sectoral action plans of the ‗champion sectors‘. The 12 sectors include

Information Technology & Information Technology enabled Services (IT & ITeS), Tourism and Hospitality Services, Medical Value Travel, Transport and

Logistics Services, Accounting and Finance Services, Audio Visual Services, Legal Services, Communication Services, Construction and Related Engineering

Services, Environmental Services, Financial Services and Education Services.

Core sector grows at 6.7% in January 2018

Eight infrastructure sectors grew a faster pace of 6.7 per cent in January against 3.4 per cent in the year-ago month as petroleum refinery and cement output

zoomed while steel power and coal production improved. The eight core sectors -- coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and

electricity -- had grown by 4.2 per cent in December and 7.4 per cent in November this financial year.

Petroleum refinery production spurted 11 per cent in January against a flat output in the year-ago month.

Cement output jumped 20.7 per cent in the month against 13.3 per cent contraction in the year-ago period.

Electricity generation growth also fast paced to 8.2 per cent in January against 5.2 per cent in January 2017.

Coal sector output improved by 3 per cent and steel production by 3.7 per cent in January 2018.

Crude oil production however dropped 3.2 per cent, fertilisers by 1.6 per cent and natural gas by 1 per cent in the month under review.

Cumulatively, the growth in the eight core sectors during April-January this fiscal slowed to 4.3 per cent as against 5.1 per cent in the same period last fiscal.

The growth in key sectors will have implications for the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) as these eight segments account for about 41 per cent of the total

factory output.

Fiscal deficit for April-January period hits 113.7% of full-year revised target

India‘s fiscal deficit touched Rs 6.77 lakh crore at the end of January, 113.7 percent of the target for the entire fiscal, on account of higher expenditure. The

fiscal deficit, reflection of government borrowings to meet revenue-expenditure gap, was 113.7 percent in the 10-month period of 2017-18 as compared to

105.7 percent in the year-ago period.

Fiscal deficit had been pegged at Rs 5.33 lakh crore, or 3.5 percent of the GDP, for the current fiscal ending 31 March. The figure was revised to Rs 5.95 lakh

crore in the Union Budget 2018-19, presented in Parliament earlier on February 1, 2018.

As per data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) on February 28, the revenue deficit during the April-January period of 2017-18, at Rs 4.80

lakh crore works out to 109.2 percent of the revised budget estimate. It was 129.9 percent in the corresponding period of the last financial year.




26

Receipts: Net tax receipts in the first 10 months of 2017-18 fiscal were 9.7 lakh crore. Total receipts from revenue and non-debt capital of the government

during the period amount to Rs 11.63 lakh crore or 71.7 percent of revised estimate.

Expenditure: The government‘s revenue expenditure during the current fiscal till January came in at Rs 15.75 lakh crore, 81 percent of the full-year revised

estimate. The capital expenditure was Rs 2.64 lakh crore, or 96.9 percent, of the full-year revised estimate. The total expenditure was Rs 18.39 lakh crore,83

percent of the government‘s full-year estimate of Rs 22.17 lakh crore.

NCAER pegs India‟s 2018-19 economic growth at 7.5%

The Indian economy is projected to grow at 6.7% in the current financial year and 7.5% in 2018-19, economic think-tank NCAER said on February 26, 2018. In

a statement, the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) also said that in 2017-18, the real agriculture Gross Value Added (GVA) is envisaged

to grow at 1.0%, real industry GVA at 5.2%, and real services GVA at 8.0%. It further said the wholesale price index (WPI) inflation is projected at 6.4% for

201718. The growth rates in exports and imports, in dollar terms, are estimated at 12.8% and 24.8%, respectively. The statement said current account balance

and central fiscal deficit, as percentages of GDP, are projected at 2.0% and 3.5%, respectively, for 2017-18.




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Moody‟s keep India‟s growth forecast unchanged at 7.6%

Moody‘s Investors Service has kept unchanged at 7.6 per cent the growth outlook for 2018 for the Indian economy, which is recouping from the impact of

demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST). Moody‘s kept India‘s growth forecast for 2019 unchanged at 7.5 per cent.

GST Network decides to implement e-way bill mechanism from April 1

The group of state finance ministers on GST Network on February 24, 2018 decided to start the inter-state movement of goods worth more than Rs 50,000

through e-way bill mechanism from April 1. The e-way bill requirement for intra-state movement of goods would be introduced in phases after assessing the

response for inter-state movement for couple of weeks, Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, who heads the panel, said. There are 9.5 lakh businesses who

are registered on e-way bill portal, as against 96 lakh registered under GST regime. Besides, 8,500 transporters have also registered on the e-way bill portal.

UIDAI introduces special blue coloured „Baal Aadhaar‟ for children below the age of 5

Considering the increasing importance of Aadhaar, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has now introduced a blue coloured ‗Baal Aadhaar‘ card

for children below the age of 5 years. Children below the age of 5 don‘t need to give biometric details for getting an Aadhaar card. When the child reaches

the age of 5, then he/she has to submit biometric authentication. Failing to do so within the next 7 years would result in suspension of the Aadhaar card.

Though there is no compulsion to register for Aadhaar at such a young age, it will be required to be eligible for overseas education or to get government

scholarships.

Govt. guarantee for procurement of pulses and oilseeds doubled

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on February 28 approved the regularization and extension of Govt.

Guarantee provided to lender Bank for providing credit limit to National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) Rs.19,000 crore from

earlier Rs.9,500 crore for undertaking procurement operation of pulses and oilseeds under Price Support Scheme (PSS) and to Small Farmers Agri-Business

Consortium (SFAC) for Rs. 45 crore for meeting their existing liability and settlement of extant claims. These Government Guarantees are provided for a

period of five years i.e. till 2021-22.

International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels organised

A two- day International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels was jointly organized by Department of Biotechnology on behalf of Mission Innovation and

Biofuture Platform at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on February 26-27, 2018. The event brought together experts from Biofuels sector to take stock of

current knowledge, share information and best practices, and build consensus on the actions most needed to move forward. Senior Government Officers,

Technical Experts, Academicians, Researchers and Representatives from various Countries, Industry and Investors participated in the event.

NEWSMAKERS

NPPA Chairman transferred

Ten days after he released evidence of profiteering by private hospitals when dengue broke out, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) chairman

Bhupendra Singh was transferred on February 28, 2019. The NPAA investigation found that four private hospitals were forcing patients to buy drugs from in-

house pharmacies after increasing price margins by nearly 2,000% in some cases.




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Section H: CORPORATE

With 819 billionaires, Chinese dominate the Hurun list for 2018

Chinese billionaires are pulling away from the US for the third year running on the Hurun Global Rich List 2018. There are 819 Chinese billionaires in 2018

compared with 571 in the US. Just two years ago, they were neck and neck at 534 and 535.

The Hurun Global Rich List 2018, a ranking of US-dollar-billionaires in the world, is the seventh in the annual series. Wealth calculations are a snapshot of

January 31. The list ranked 2,694 billionaires from 68 countries and from 2,157 companies.

Back home, the Hurun India Rich List finds 170 Indians or Indian origin billionaires with $1billion or more. Mumbai is home to 55 billionaires, followed by New

Delhi (29) and Ahmedabad (9). With a wealth of Rs.2,86,600 crore ($45 billion), Mukesh Ambani retains the richest Indian title (global rank: 19). Lakshmi Mittal

(global rank 65) with Rs.1,17,600 crore ($18 billion) secures the second position. He is followed by Dilip Shanghvi (global rank 87) ranked at third with a

wealth of Rs.96,200 crore ($15 billion).

With five billionaires, the Godrej Group contributes most number of billionaires, followed by Hero Honda and Asian Paints with three each. There are three

billionaires under the age of 40. Youngest is Shraddha Agarwal, 32, of Outcome Health, worth Rs.7,000 crore. Others in the group are Vijay Shekhar Sharma

(39) of Paytm and Divyank Turakhia (35) of Directi. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (global rank: 656) is the richest Indian self made women billionaire with wealth of

Rs.24,600 crore ($3.9 billion).

Google partners Apollo Hospitals for „Symptom Search‟

Tech giant Google has partnered with Apollo Hospitals to roll out a new feature ‗Symptom Search‘ to provide better search results to users querying for

medical symptoms.

Google will be adding information about commonly searched symptoms and the feature will be available in English and Hindi.

When a user searches for symptoms like ‗cough and pain‘, the feature on Google app will show a list of related conditions like common cold, acute bronchitis,

flu, pneumonia and chest infection.

For individual symptoms like ‗headache‘, the app will show digital cards providing users an overview description and what may warrant a doctor‘s visit.

In 2016, Google had introduced health condition cards to make it easier for Indians to find reliable health information.

IOA enters partnership with Edelweiss Group for 2018 CWG, Asian Games, 2020 Olympic Games

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on February 26, 2018 announced its partnership with Edelweiss Financial Services Limited as sponsor of the Indian

contingent for 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2018 Asian Games and the 2020 Olympic Games, besides the National Games 2018 and 2019. IOA also

announced Raymond as its official styling partner and Shiv Naresh Sports as its official sports apparel partner for the Commonwealth Games to be held in

Gold Coast from April 4 to 15, 2018. The official ceremonial attire and sports apparel of the athletes was revealed in New Delhi in presence of Minster of

Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, President IOA Narinder Batra and Secretary General IOA Rajeev Mehta. .

India ranks 47th

on inclusive Internet Index by Facebook

Compromised by low usage and poor quality, India is ranked 47th

out of 86 countries when it comes to inclusive Internet and connectivity for all, a Facebook

report said on February 26, 2018. Facebook had commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) to create a comprehensive ―Inclusive Internet Index‖. The

EIU is a British business within the Economist Group, providing forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis. This year‘s index covered 91

per cent of the world‘s population and an expanded data set of 86 countries, up from 75 countries in 2017.

Paytm launches two more firms to enter insurance sector

Mobile fintech major Paytm has launched two firms with an aim to enter the insurance sector in the country. The Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led firm has started

Paytm Life Insurance Corporation Limited as well as Paytm General Insurance Corporation Limited. Both the companies have Sharma as one of the directors.

In January 2018, Paytm announced that it has set up Paytm Money Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of One97 Communications (the company that owns




29

the brand Paytm) to build investment and wealth management products for its users. One97 Communications in all now have six companies under its

umbrella including Paytm, Paytm Money, Paytm Mall and Paytm Payments Bank.

Amazon launches music streaming service in India

Amazon.com Inc launched its music-streaming service Amazon Prime Music in India on February 28, 2018, its latest offering to drive customers to shop more

on its flagship e-commerce platform. The music service will compete, among others, with Tencent-backed local rival Gaana and Apple Inc‘s music service.

Triumph Motorcycles launches Bonneville Speedmaster priced at Rs 11.11 lakh

British niche bike maker Triumph Motorcycles on February 27, 2018 launched its classic cruiser ‗Bonneville Speedmaster‘ priced at Rs 11,11,500 (ex-showroom

pan India). Triumph Motorcycles has a dealership network across 15 cities in the country and a portfolio of motorcycle models across five premium

categories.

Nirav Modi‟s Firestar Diamond files for bankruptcy in US

India‘s biggest bank fraud accused Nirav Modi‘s international jewellery business has filed for bankruptcy in the US. Firestar Diamond, Inc filed the Chapter 11

petition in the New York Southern Bankruptcy Court on February 26, 2018. Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and firms linked to them are alleged to have

defrauded Punjab National Bank (PNB) of close to USD 2 billion (Rs 12,717 crore).

Aircel files for bankruptcy

Malaysian billionaire T. Ananda Krishnan‘s mobile firm Aircel on February 28, 2018 filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors. Aircel is 74% owned by

Malaysia‘s Maxis Communications Bhd. In a statement, Aircel said that intense competition following the disruptive entry of a new player, legal and

regulatory challenges, high level of unsustainable debt and increased losses had together caused significant ―negative business and reputational impact‖ on

the company. Aircel had 85 million subscribers as of end-December 2017 and was ranked India‘s sixth-largest operator.

ArcelorMittal signs JV agreement with NSSMC to acquire Essar Steel

ArcelorMittal on March 2, 2018 said it has entered into a joint venture pact with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC) to jointly acquire the

assets of Essar Steel. Essar Steel was among the initial 12 companies identified by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for insolvency proceedings. ArcelorMittal is

the world‘s leading steel and mining company, with a presence in 60 countries and an industrial footprint in 18 nations.

Twitter rolls out Bookmarks feature

Twitter has launched its Bookmarks feature globally that will give its over 300 million users a new way of saving tweets they like and might want to revisit and

share. With the new ―share‖ icon on every Tweet, users will be able to bookmark a tweet, share via Direct Message, or Share off of Twitter any number of

ways.

NEWSMAKERS

Rangarajan Raghavan appointed MD of HCL Infosystems

Rangarajan Raghavan was on March 1, 2018 appointed as a Director and the new Managing Director (MD) of the HCL Infosystems as Premkumar Seshadri

has resigned from the post of Executive Vice-Chairman and MD.

PESB recommends Anil Kumar Chaudhary as Chairman of SAIL

Government head hunter PESB (Public Enterprises Selection Board) has recommended the name of Anil Kumar Chaudhary for the post of Chairman of state-

run Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL). The incumbent P K Singh, is retiring in June 2018.

Former HUL Chairman T Thomas passes away

T. Thomas, former Chairman of FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), on March 2, 2018 passed away in Mumbai at the age of 90. Thomas had served as

the chairman of Hindustan Unilever from 1973 to 1980. Later, he was on the board of Unilever as a director. According to the company, Thomas led HUL

through the difficult price control era and laid the foundation for Unilever to retain the majority holding under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) at




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the time. Thomas had set up Asha Daan, an organisation that serves differently-abled, sick and destitute people, at Byculla in Mumbai. The home is run by

Mother Teresa‘s Missionaries of Charity. Sanjiv Mehta is the CEO and MD and HUL currently.




31

Section I: STATES

J&K: Grievance redressal helpline „Raabta‟ launched in Rajouri

An online portal named Raabta was launched in Jammu & Kashmir on March 2, 2018 to facilitate citizens residing in Rajouri district or other parts of the state

register complaints or grievances. Citizens could access the site using the web portal: http://raabta.nic.net.nic.in. The Raabta app can also be downloaded

from the Google Play Store for Android phones for complaint registration and tracking.

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav organised in MP

‗Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) -2018‘ a 5-day diversified cultural carnival organized by Ministry of Culture in Madhya Pradesh ended in Indore on

February 28, 2018. Organised under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat matrix Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav began in Gwalior on February 24. The states paired

with Madhya Pradesh were Nagaland and Manipur. In its journey of 5 days in Madhya Pradesh, the festival promoted India‘s rich Heritage by showcasing the

flavours of folk dances to the citizens‘ of Gwalior, Bhopal and Indore.

NCDC centre named after PM‟s mentor inaugurated in Gurgaon

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on February 28, 2018 inaugurated the National Cooperative Development Corporation‘s (NCDC) training centre, named after the

late Lakshmanrao Inamdar, a Sangh leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s mentor, in Gurgaon. Inamdar, popularly known as Vakil Saheb, was a

founding father of the RSS-affiliated Sehkar Bharti, which works for the development of cooperatives in the country. The centre has now been upgraded as a

national level institute and renamed Laxmanrao Inamdar Academy for Cooperative Studies and Human Resource Management.

Haryana govt. to open Antyodaya Karyalaya to be opened at Tehsil, district level

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on February 27, 2018 said ‗Antyodaya Karyalaya‘ would be opened at tehsil and district level where people would

get information about all schemes of different departments. To avail benefits of these schemes, assistance would be provided to people in filling up forms

free of charge. He said stitching centres would be opened at block level to make women self-employed.

Uma Bharti launches second Swajal Yojna project in Rajasthan

To ensure availability of clean drinking water to every household, Union Minister Uma Bharti on February 27, 2018 launched the second project under the

‗Swajal Yojna‘ at Bhikampura village in Rajasthan. The Union Drinking Water and Sanitation minister had launched the first project in Uttarakhand‘s Uttarkashi

district earlier. The budget for the pilot project for Rajasthan at Bhikampura is Rs 54.17 lakh. Under the scheme, 90 per cent of the project cost will borne by

the government and the remaining 10 per cent will be contributed by the community.

Delhi HC allows sale of non-NCERT books, uniform in CBSE schools

The Delhi High Court on February 27, 2018 quashed a CBSE circular and allowed the sale of non-NCERT books and uniforms at the tuck shops set up at

affiliated schools across the country, holding that the sale of such items does not amount to ―commercialisation‖ of education. It said the availability of

books, both NCERT and non NCERT, stationery items and uniform in the school premises would only add to the convenience of the parents and the students.

L&T reduces cost for Shivaji Memorial in Arabian Sea off Mumbai

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has drastically slashed the estimated project cost for the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai, and

consequently was awarded the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) by the Maharashtra government on March 1, 2018.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial Committee Chairman Vinayak Mete said that the L&T has been issued the LoA for constructing the first phase of the memorial

at an estimated Rs.2,500 crore. L&T had earlier quoted Rs.3,826 crore as project cost. In 2017, L&T was shortlisted at R.3,826 crore over the Afcons

consortium which quoted Rs.4,779 crore for the project.

The equestrian statue of Shivaji will come up on a rocky islet around 1.5 km off Marine Drive in south Mumbai. The foundation laying ceremonies for the

statue, planned to be around 210 metres tall — claimed to be the world‘s tallest —— were performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sailed in a

launch to the proposed site in the sea in December 2016.

The state government‘s estimated total project cost for the monument was Rs.3,600 crore, including Rs.2,500 crore for the first phase and the rest for the

second phase.




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3 Army-built railway foot overbridges (FOBs) inaugurated in Mumbai

Three much-awaited railway foot overbridges (FOBs), constructed by the Indian Army in less than three months, were inaugurated in Mumbai on February 27,

2018 by three common Mumbai commuters for public use on the city‘s suburban section of the Indian Railways. The new FOBs are at Elphinstone Road,

Currey Road and Ambivali stations in Mumbai on the congested suburban networks of Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR). The decision to hand

over construction of FOBs to the Bombay Engineering Group (BEG), a division of the Indian Army‘s Corps of Engineers, came in the wake of the stampede at

Elphinstone Road FOB on September 29, 2017, in which 23 commuters were killed and 40 injured.

PM launches various development projects worth Rs.1000 crores in Daman & Diu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 26, 2018 launched various development projects worth Rs.1000 crores in Daman & Diu. He distributed certificates

to beneficiaries of programs and addressed a public meeting at the Daman college ground. He congratulated the people and local administration for making

Daman Open Defecation Free. The Prime Minister inaugurated Air Odisha‘s flight connecting Ahmedabad with Diu under the UDAN scheme. He flagged off

Pawan Hans helicopter services from Daman to Diu through a video link.

World‟s largest solar park launched in Karnataka

The world‘s largest solar park set up at an investment of Rs.16,500 crore at Pavagada in Karnataka‘s Tumakuru district was launched by Chief Minister

Siddaramaiah on March 1, 2018. The 2,000 MW Park, named as ‗Shakti Sthala‘, spans across 13,000 acres spread over five villages.

The parks development is anchored by the Karnataka Solar Power Development Corp. Ltd (KSPDCL), an entity formed in March 2015 as a joint venture

between Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) and Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI).

The project has been executed with zero land acquisition. The farmers who have leased out their land are being offered Rs 21,000 per acre as rental.

600 MW solar power generation capacity has been commissioned during December 2017 and balance capacity of 1400 MW will be available by December

2018.

Earlier, a 648-mw power project set up by the Adani Green Energy, part of the Adani Group, in Tamil Nadu in 2016 was billed as the world‘s largest solar

plant.

Telangana launches m-Governance app

The Telangana government on February 28, 2018 launched a mobile governance application ‗T App Folio‘ for ―anytime and anywhere‖ delivery of

government to citizen (G2C) and business to citizen (B2C) services through one access point. In the first phase, the app offers over 150 services including the

most used MeeSeva services, RTA services, fee payments and bill payments. The platform is being launched in Telugu and English.

Tata Trusts partners with Telangana to upgrade cancer care

The Telangana government and Tata Trusts on March 1, 2018 signed an MoU to deliver high quality affordable cancer care through a three-tier model and

develop academic and research capabilities in the state. As part of the agreement, two apex super-speciality hospitals in Hyderabad - the MNJ Institute of

Technology and the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences will be upgraded to handle complex cancer cases on a referral basis. Medical colleges in Adilabad,

Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar and Warangal will be strengthened to offer diagnosis and treatment of cancer cases. District hospitals in Karimnagar, Khammam

and Nalgonda will be developed to offer diagnostic and standardised day care chemotherapy.

Government starts process to build India‟s first defence „Quad‟

The Defence Ministry has started the process to set up the country‘s first defence industrial corridor linking Chennai with four other cities of Tamil Nadu to

promote industries manufacturing weapons and military equipment. The ‗Quad‘ or quadrilateral corridor will connect Chennai, Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem and

Tiruchirappalli and the ministry is finalising the broad contours of the project.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his budget speech on February 2, had announced that two defence industrial production corridors will be set up in the

country to promote domestic defence industry. Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the other defence industrial corridor will come up in the




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Bundelkhand region which he said will bring an investment of Rs 20,000 crore. The idea behind setting up defence industrial corridors was to ensure

connectivity among various defence industrial units.

PM Modi launches Amma two-wheeler scheme for working women in Tamil Nadu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24, 2018 launched the subsidised scooter scheme for working women on the 70th

birth anniversary celebrations of

former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in Chennai. It was launched in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O

Panneerselvam, among others. The scheme has a subsidy component of 50 per cent up to Rs 25,000 for working women.

Rs 39.5 crore received for Tamil chair at Harvard University

State minister for Tamil Official Language and Tamil culture, K Pandiarajan on March 2, 2018 said about Rs 39.5 crore has so far been received for setting up

the Tamil Chair at the Harvard University in the US. The state government has contributed Rs 10 crore for the chair and the World Tamil Research Centre has

given Rs 2.6 crore, while as many as 9,800 persons from 26 countries, have contributed for the purpose.

Interceptor boat handed over to Coast Guard in Mangaluru

A high speed interceptor boat built by Bharathi Defence and Infrastructure Limited was handed over to the Coast Guard in Mangaluru on March 2, 2018. The

vessel is the sixth of a series of 15 such interceptor boats delivered by BDIL.

Lakshadweep joins “UDAY” scheme

The Government of India and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the Scheme Ujwal DISCOM

Assurance Yojana (UDAY) on February 28, 2018, for operational turnaround of the Union Territory‘s Electricity Department. An overall net benefit of

approximately Rs. 8 crore would accrue to Lakshadweep by participating in UDAY, by way of cheaper funds, reduction in AT&C losses, interventions in energy

efficiency, etc. during the period of turnaround and will continue in future years.

Chilika lake in Odisha is largest habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins globally

The Chilika lake in Odisha has emerged as the single largest habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins in the world with the spotting of 155 such animals. This was

disclosed by Chilika Development Authority, Chief Executive Susanta Nanda on February 26, 2018. Nanda said the Annual Monitoring was conducted by the

Authority to count the number of the marine mammals and to study the hydrological impacts of removal of pen culture.

NEWSMAKERS

Uttarakhand BJP MLA Maganlal Shah dies at 55

Uttarakhand BJP leader and Tharali MLA Maganlal Shah died in Dehradun on February 26, 2018 at the age of 55. He was elected MLA from Tharali in the 2017

Uttarakhand Assembly elections.

Punjab‟s literary personality Rajpal Singh dies

Punjab eminent literary and folk art personality Rajpal Singh died in Chandigarh on March 1, 2018 at the age of 76. Rajpal rendered notable services while

serving as Secretary General of the Punjab Kala Parishad, Punjab Sahitya Akademi President, and Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi Secretary.

Tripura minister Khagendra Jamatia passes away

Tripura Fisheries and Cooperation minister, Khagendra Jamatia died in New Delhi on March 2, 2018 at the age of 64. Jamatia was CPI(M)‘s candidate from the

Krishnapur constituency for the Assembly elections held on February 18. He joined the CPI(M) in 1983, was a party MLA for six consecutive terms since 1988

and a minister for two terms.

CPI leader Prabodh Panda dies at 72

Veteran CPI leader Prabodh Panda died in Kolkata on February 27, 2018 at the age of 72. Panda was a three-time CPI MP from Midnapore Lok Sabha

constituency since 2001 till 2014. Known for his organisational skills, Panda was elected as the state secretary of CPI in the last party conference.




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Odia writer Kanakalata Mohanty dies at 82

Eminent Odia writer Kanakalata Mohanty died in Bhubaneswar on February 26, 2018 at the age of 82. Mohanty is the author of 12 novels and more than a

100 short stories. She was also recognized by All India Radio as a lyricist, particularly for her devotional songs on Sri Jagannath.




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Section J: SPORTS

Vikas Krishan adjudged „Best Boxer‟ at Strandja Memorial Boxing

India‘s Vikas Kishan won the gold medal in the middle-weight (75kg) category at the Strandja Memorial Tournament boxing in Sofia (Bulgaria) on February

25, 2018. Kishan was also adjudged the best boxer of the tournament. The 26-year-old defeated Troy Isley of the USA in the final. India‘s second gold in the

tournament came from Amit Panghal (49 kg) who defeated Morocco‘s Said Mordaji in the final. India ended at the tournament with 11 medals -- five from

men and six from women boxers. In all, the contingent clinched two gold, three silver and six bronze medals. Finishing with silver medals were M C Mary Kom

(48kg) and Seema Poonia (+81kg) and Gaurav Solanki (52kg). The bronze medal winners among the women were Meena Kumari Devi (54kg), L Sarita Devi

(60kg), Saweety Boora (75kg) and Bhagyabati Kachari (81kg). Among the men, bronze winners were Mohammed Hussamuddin (56kg) and Satish Kumar

(+91kg).

India receives ICC Test championship mace

The International Cricket Council (ICC) presented the ICC Test championship mace to India captain Virat Kohli in the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town at the

conclusion of the South Africa tour on February 25, 2018. India have ensured the number one spot on the ICC Test team rankings and a prize of $1 million

after their victory in the Johannesburg Test against South Africa in January 2018 ensured that no team can move ahead of them in the rankings at the April 3

cut-off date.

Indian women beat hosts South Africa 3-1 to win T20 series

Indian women outclassed South Africa women by 54 runs in the fifth and final Twenty20 International to clinch the series 3-1, in Cape Town on February 24,

2018. After Mithali Raj led the side to a 2-1 series win in the ODIs, it was Harmanpreet Kaur‘s turn to lift the T20I trophy.

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Karnataka thrash Saurashtra to clinch title

Karnataka thrashed Saurashtra by 41 runs in the final to lift Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground in New Delhi on February 27, 2018. After

being asked to bat first, Karnataka were bowled out for 253 runs in 45.5 overs. In reply Saurashtra were all out for 212 in 46.3 overs. Mayank Agarwal, who

made 90 for Karnataka, was declared ‗Player of the Match‘.

Virat Kohli launches Forca Goa Foundation

FC Goa co-owner Virat Kohli launched the Forca Goa Foundation in Panjim on March 1, 2018.Forca Goa Foundation is a multi-programme NGO that provides

grassroots training to children and uses football as a vehicle for positive development in the state.

National volleyball championship organised in Kozhikode

Kerala retained the men‘s title at the 66th

Senior National Volleyball Championship, defeating Railways 24-26, 25-23, 25-19, 25-21 in the final played at Calicut

Trade Centre in Kozhikode on February 28, 2018. Women‘s title was won by defending champion Railway who beat Kerala 25-21, 26-28, 21-25, 25-18, 15-12

in the final.

Doe-eyed superhero picked for Tokyo 2020 mascot

Tokyo on February 28, 2018 unveiled its mascot for the 2020 Olympic Games: a futuristic blue-checked, doe-eyed character with pointy ears and ―special

powers‖ that was picked by schoolchildren. The mascot, which has yet to be named, was selected by elementary school kids across the country from a

shortlist of three competitors instantly recognisable as ―made in Japan‖. Its Paralympic counterpart sports pink checks derived from Japan‘s famous cherry

blossom and is ―usually calm, however, it gets very powerful when needed‖. The designer of the winning mascots is Ryo Taniguchi, who graduated as an art

major from Cabrillo College in California. The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled for July 24 to Aug. 9, 2020.

Simona Halep takes back top position in WTA rankings from Wozniacki

Simona Halep of Romania managed to reclaim the top spot in the Women‘s Tennis Association rankings released on February 26, 2018, ahead of Denmark‘s

Caroline Wozniacki. The current WTA rankings and point scores are as follows: 1. Simona Halep (Romania) 7,965 points 2. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark)

7,525 3. Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain) 6,175 4. Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 5,480 5. Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 5,080 6. Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) 5,000 7.

Caroline Garcia (France) 4,625 8. Venus Williams (USA) 4,277 9. Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 3,086 10. Angelique Kerber (Germany) 3,055.




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Frances Tiafoe wins Men‟s Singles title at Delray Beach Open tennis

American tennis player Frances Tiafoe clinched his first Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour title by thrashing Peter Gojowcz of Germany in 6-1, 6-4

in the finals of the Delray Beach Open in Florida (USA) on February 25, 2018.

Spain‟s Verdasco-Marrero win Rio Open doubles title

Spain‘s David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco defeated Austria‘s Alexander Peya and Croatia‘s Nikola Mektic 5-7, 7-5, 10-8 in the Rio Open doubles final in

Rio de Janeiro on February 25, 2018. Verdasco and Marrero earned 500 ranking points and took home $110,070.

Elina Svitolina wins Women‟s Singles title at Dubai Tennis Championships

Defending champion Elina Svitolina of Ukraine won her second Women‘s Singles title at Dubai Tennis Championships in a row, beating Russia‘s Daria

Kasatkina 6-4, 6-0 in the final on February 25, 2018.

Norway top medals tally at Winter Olympics

Winter Olympics were organised in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 9 to February 25, 2018. Norway topped the medals tally with 14 gold, 14 silver

and 11 bronze medals. Germany also finished on 14 golds, but Norway took the top spot with their 39 medals overall to Germany‘s 31 (14 gold, 10 silver and

7 bronze). Canada were third with 11 gold, 8 silver and 10 bronze. Hosts South Korea finished seventh. The official mascots for the Games were Soohorang, a

white tiger, and Bandabi, an Asiatic black bear. ‗Passion. Connected‘ was motto of the games.

Udayan Mane wins Golconda Masters 2018 golf

Ahmedabad-based Udayan Mane on February 25, 2018 won the fourth edition of the Golconda Masters Golf Championship held at the Hyderabad Golf Club.

Mane, who went home richer by Rs 4.5 lakh, has now climbed from 39th place to third position in the 2018 PGTI Order of Merit.

Gopi, Monika retain men‟s and women‟s titles in New Delhi Marathon

Reigning Asian Champion Gopi Thonakal ran his personal best to retain his Men‘s title at the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon on February 25,

2018. Gopi clocked 2 hour, 15 minute and 16 seconds to clinch the gold. Nitendra Singh Rawat was second in 2:24:55 while Bahadur Singh Dhoni took the

bronze in 2:24:56. Gopi had won the Asian Marathon title in China in November 2017 with a time of 2:15:48. In the women‘s event also, Monika Athare

retained her title, clocking 2:43:46, ahead of last edition silver medallist Jyoti Gawte (2:50:12) and Monica Raut (2:55:02). Around 65 elite Indian athletes took

part in the full marathon of 42.195km.

P. Kashyap wins Men‟s Singles title at Austrian Open Badminton

India‘s Parupalli Kashyap won the Men‘s Singles title at the Austrian Open International Challenge badminton by defeating Malaysia‘s June Wei Cheam in the

final In Vienna on February 25, 2018. Kashyap won 23-21, 21-14.

Sameer Verma wins Men‟s Singles title at Swiss Open Badminton

India‘s Sameer Verma has won the Men‘s Singles title at the USD 150,000 Swiss Open Super 300 tournament. He defeated Denmark‘s Jan O Jorgensen 21-15,

21-13 in the final played at Basel (Switzerland) on February 25, 2018.

IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics organised

The IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were organised in Birmingham (UK) from March 2 to 4, 2018. Russians Mariya Lasitskene (2.01 m) and

Danil Lysenko (2.36 m) won gold medal in long jump event for women and men respectively. They had to compete as neutral athletes. Ethiopian Genzebe

Dibaba was the first track luminary to shine as she produced a dazzling effort to win the 3,000 metres title in 8:45.05.

Navjot Kaur becomes first Indian to win gold at Asian Wrestling Championships

Navjot Kaur scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win gold at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) on March

2, 2018. Navjot thrashed Japan‘s Miya Imai 9-1 in the final to emerge champion in the Women‘s Freestyle 65 kg category. Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik




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took bronze in the women‘s 62kg category with a hard fought 10-7 win in the play-off over Ayaulym Kassymova of Kazakhstan. Vinesh Phogat had to be

content with a silver medal after losing 2-3 to China‘s a Chun Lei in the summit clash of the women‘s 50kg freestyle event. Another Indian wrestler Sangeeta

defeated Jieun Um of Korea to win a bronze medal in the women‘s 59kg freestyle event.

National Inclusion Cup: Kerala, Chhattisgarh emerge champions

Kerala and Chhattisgarh on February 24, 2018 emerged victorious in the men‘s and women‘s categories respectively in the 2018 National Inclusion Cup

football tournament which was held in Mumbai. The tournament was organised by Slum Soccer. Kerala beat Vidarbha 8-3, while Chhattisgarh took the top

honours in a closely fought encounter beating Uttarakhand 5-3.

Gymnast Aruna becomes first Indian to win World Cup medal

22-year old Aruna Budda Reddy on February 24, 2018 created history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to win an individual medal at the Gymnastics

World Cup as she clinched a bronze in the women‘s vault event in Melbourne. Tjasa Kysslef of Slovenia won the gold with a score of 13.800 while Emily

Whitehead of Australia took the silver with 13.699. Dipa Karmakar, who finished fourth in the 2016 Rio Olympics in women‘s vault event, has won a bronze

each in the Asian Championships and 2014 Commonwealth Games but not at the level of a World Cup.

Ajgar, Musthafa win JK Tyre Himalayan Drive

Ajgar Ali and Mohammed Musthafa defeated Kolkata duo of Subir Roy and Nirav Mehta by a narrow 5-penalty point advantage to successfully defend their

titles at the JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 6 in Darjeeling on February 28, 2018. The five-day event, India‘s only Tri-Nation TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) rally, took 24

teams across Nepal, North Bengal and Bhutan over 1,615 tough kilometers before ending in Darjeeling. In the Open category, the Aaj Tak team of Gagan

Sethi and Dhiraj Arrora emerged champions. In the SUV category, Amit Dhanotia and Anuragh Agarwala emerged winners while in the above 1300 cc

category, Pranai Rai and Nanki Kharki from Kalimpong took the title. Bimal Kumar Poudel and Rajendra Gaire were the winners in the under 1,300 cc

category.

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