SH- English Reading Comprehension: Quiz

Dear Aspirants,

Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions:

The King of Kanchi set off to conquer Karnat. He was victorious in batttle. The elephants were laden with sandalwood, ivory, gold and precious stones taken from the conquered kingdom of Karnat. They would be a part of the victory parade for his subjects. On his way back home he stopped at a temple, finished his prayers to the goddess and turned to leave. Around his neck was a garland of scarlet hibiscus and as was the custom for all, his forehead was anointed with red sandal paste. His Minister and the court jester were his only companions. At one spot, in a mango grove by the wayside, they spied some children play. The King said, “Let me go and see what they are playing.”

The children had lined up two rows of clay dolls and were playing warriors and battles. The King asked, “Who is fighting whom ?” They said, “Karnat is at battle with Kanchi.” The King asked, “Who is winning and who is the loser ?” The children puffed their chests up and said, “Karnat will win and Kanchi will lose.” The Minister froze in disbelief, the King was furious and the jester burst into laughter.

The King was soon joined by his troops and the children were still immersed in their game. The King commanded, “Cane them hard.” The children’s parents came running from the nearby village and said, “They are naive, it was just a game, please grant them pardon.” The King called his commander and ordered, “Teach these children and the village a lesson so that they never forget the King of Kanchi.” He went back to his camp.

That evening the Commander stood before the King. He bowed low in shame and said, “Your Majesty, with the exception of hyenas and vultures, all lie silent in the village.” The Minister said, “His Majesty’s honour has been saved.” The priest said, “The goddess has blessed our King.” The jester said, “Your Highness, please grant me leave to go now.” The King asked, “But why ?” The jester said, “I cannot kill, I cannot maim, I can only laugh at God’s gift of life.” Trembling in the face of the king’s anger he bravely continued, “If I stay in your Majesty’s court, I shall become like you and I shall forget how to laugh.”

SH- Current Affairs Update 21st, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 World Day of Social Justice: 20 February 

Social Equality Justice day is observed every year on 20th February. 

• It is a day recognizing the need to promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment.
• The theme of World Day of Social Justice 2018 is “Workers on the Move: the Quest for Social Justice.”

Mandarin approved as official language of Pakistan

The Pakistani Senate has approved a motion to declare Mandarin as one of the official languages of Pakistan.

• The motion said the step was necessary in view of ties between Pakistan and China.
• Punjabi, which is widely spoken in Punjab province of Pakistan, Pashto and many other native languages have not been declared official languages of the country.

Prime Minister to inaugurate Uttar Pradesh Investor’s Summit in Lucknow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two–day Uttar Pradesh Investors’ Summit 2018 in Lucknow.

• While the PM will inaugurate the summit on February 21, President Ram Nath Kovind will be present at the closing ceremony. 
• The event has been organized by Uttar Pradesh Government to showcase the investment opportunities and potential in the state.
• Seven nations – Finland, Netherlands, Japan, Czech Republic, Thailand, Slovakia and Mauritius have been identified as country partners for the event.

SH- Current Affairs Update 20th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 J P Nadda addresses Global Digital Health Partnership Summit

“Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has great potential towards improvement of delivery of healthcare services. This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare during his address at Global Digital Health Partnership Summit, at Canberra, Australia.

• India is committed to reforms in health service delivery using ICT under Digital India Program of Government of India.”
• The Union Health Minister spoke on the topic: Making Digital Health Services a Priority in Healthcare Reform.

UK and India upgrade joint research on clean water and clean energy  

UK-India research projects on ‘Water Quality Research’ and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ were launched by Dr V K Saraswat, Member, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) India and Daniel Shah, Director, Research Councils UK (RCUK) India.

• The ‘Water Quality Research’ programme has eight projects and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ programme has four projects, with a total joint investment of up to £15 million.
• These projects aim to deliver mutual benefits and research solutions not only to the UK and India but also to address shared global sustainable development goals – clean water and clean energy.

PM addresses at the World Conference on IT

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 19, addressed World Congress on Information Technology in Hyderabad via Video Conference.

• This event is being held in India for the first time.
• It has been organized in partnership with NASSCOM, WITSA and the Government of Telangana.

SH- Current Affairs Update 19th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of Navi Mumbai International Airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of the New Mumbai International Airport.

• He performed the Bhumi Poojan ceremony for the upcoming airport.
• The prime minister highlighted the importance of transportation in the faster growth of the economy. He said that to keep with globalisation it is important to get top quality infrastructure.
• On Sagarmala project, he said it will help in ushering in port-led development.

PM Narendra Modi opens Rs 7,900-crore fourth terminal at JNPT 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the first phase of the Rs 7,900-crore 4th terminal project of the JNPT to the nation, which will raise the cargo handling capacity of the nation's largest container port by 50 per cent.

• The fourth terminal project seeks to double JNPT's capacity to nearly 10 million standard container units and will make it the 33rd biggest port globally.
• The nation's largest port JNPT has a capacity of 4.8 million standard container units capacity now. On completion of the second phase by 2022, total capacity will go up to almost 10 million.

MP govt to host Khajuraho Dance Festival

Myriad forms of classical dance in India will be on dispaly at a festival beginning in Khajuraho from February 20.

• The week-long Khajuraho Dance Festival at the temple town in Chhatarpur district is being organised by the culture department of the Madhya Pradesh government.
• The February 20-26 festival will showcase classical dances including Kathak, Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Mohiniattam.

Magnetic Maharashtra investors summit inaugurated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Global Investors’ Summit at “Magnetic Maharashtra: Convergence 2018 at the MMRDA grounds at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex.

• This summit is Maharashtra’s first Global Investors Summit and is said to be on the lines of Make In India initiative by PM Modi.
• PM will next inaugurate the Wadhwani Institute for Artifical Intelligence at the University of Mumbai.

SH- Current Affairs Update 18th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 China's Qingdao to host SCO summit in June

East China's Qingdao City will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in June this year.

• Shandong is the birthplace of many ancient Chinese thinkers, including Confucius. In 2017, its GDP exceeded 7.2 trillion yuan.
• The summit has China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan as full members.

List of MoUs signed during the visit of President of Iran to India

President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani arrived in India on a three-day State visit. He has signed these MoUs with India:

• Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
• MoU on Exemption from Visa requirement for holders of Diplomatic Passports.
• Exchange of Instrument of Ratification of Extradition Treaty.
• Lease Contract for Shahid Beheshti Port- Phase 1 of Chabahar during Interim Period between Port and Maritime Organization (PMO), Iran and India Ports Global Limited (IPGL).
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine.
• MoU on the establishment of an Expert Group on Trade Remedy Measures to promote cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.
• MoU on Postal Cooperation.

India's defence budget breaks into world's top 5: UK report

India's defence budget broke into the world's top five, beating the UK for the first time, a new report by a London-based global think-tank has said.

• India overtook the UK as the fifth-largest defence spender in the world in 2017 at $52.5 billion, up from $51.1 billion in 2016, according to the 'Military Balance 2018' report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
• In contrast, the UK's defence budget fell from $52.5 billion in 2016 to $50.7 billion last year.
• World's top five defence spenders are the US, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and India.

SH- Current Affairs Update 17th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 MoU between Botanical Survey of India and Natural History Museum, UK  

Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Natural History Museum (NHM), UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of genetic/taxonomic studies, research and training, conservation in India, including species and habitat conservation assessments, etc. 

• NHM will help BSI in capacity building in areas of systematic botany and long-term conservation of plant genetic resources in India.

ISRO planning to launch Chandrayaan-2 mission around April this year

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch Chandrayan-2 Mission around April this year.

• Chandrayaan-2 is the country's second mission to the moon, he added.
• He was addressing a press conference on the achievements of Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy. 
• Chandraayan-2 is a challenging mission as for the first time we will carry an orbiter, a lander and a rover to the moon.

National Conference “Agriculture 2022- Doubling Farmers’ Income”

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) is organizing a National Conference under the title of “Agriculture 2022 – Doubling Farmers’ Income” at National Agriculture Science Complex (NASC), Pusa, New Delhi. 

• It is a two days conference scheduled on 19th and 20th February, 2018.
• The Conference is being organized on the advice of the Hon’ble Prime Minister with a view to identify various critical issues relating to agriculture and farmers’ welfare and finding appropriate solutions.
• The main aim of the conference is to build a consensus around appropriate recommendations that will help in shaping and sharpening the vision of the Government on Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022 into actionable points.

SH- Current Affairs Update 16th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister submits resignation after protests

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced that he has submitted a resignation letter after the worst anti-government protests in a quarter-century.

• Ethiopia has been rocked by months of protests demanding wider freedoms that have left hundreds dead and tens of thousands detained.
• The protests have disrupted life and business in one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies.

India’s 1st radio festival to be held in Delhi

India's first radio festival was held in Delhi on February 15, 2018.

• The festival was organised by the International of Women in Radio and Television, in collaboration with UNESCO.
• The radio festival was held to mark World Radio Day 2018, which was on February 13.

Mumbai to host TiE Global Summit

The TiE Global Summit (TGS) will be held in Mumbai on February 21 and 22.

• Helmed by TiE Mumbai, the second edition of the summit will have over 2000 participants, including successful entrepreneurs, industry leaders, leading investors, senior corporate professionals and academia in attendance at the J W Marriott Sahar.
• The summit is being held in association with leading government agencies and over 20 TiE chapters across India, USA, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai,with the aim of setting the tone for the next wave of business and innovation.

Prime Minister to inaugurate World Sustainable Development Summit 2018

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the 2018 edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2018) at VigyanBhawan in the capital on 16thFebruary.

• WSDS is the flagship forum of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and seeks to bring together on a common platform, global leaders and thinkers in the fields of sustainable development, energy and environment sectors.
• The theme of the Summit this year is ‘Partnerships for a Resilient Planet’.
• WSDS 2018 seeks to create action frameworks to resolve some of the most urgent challenges facing developing economies in the backdrop of climate change.
  

SH- Current Affairs Update 15th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

INDIAN AFFAIRS
NITI Aayog, KPIT technologies tie-up to promote innovation in schools
KPIT technologies has made a two-year statement of intent with NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog to promote innovative skills of students.
NITI Aayog, KPIT technologies tie-up:
i. This tie up between NITI Aayog and KPIT aims to improve the innovative skills of senior secondary students as part of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).
ii. Through AIM, the Central government would conduct open-ended workshops at Atal Tinkering Laboratories(ATL) to enable students learn through ‘do-it-yourself’ mode. Through this the students would acquire important skills.
iii. This tie up will help students learn concepts of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing.
iv. KPIT will also provide two volumes of ‘Chhote scientists’ booklets to nearly 2500 schools to develop curriculum and teaching aids. Training programs for teachers will also be organized for Atal Tinkering Laboratories.
About KPIT:
♦ Co-founder, Chairman & Group CEO – Ravi Pandit
♦ Co-founder, CEO & MD – Kishor Patil

India’s biggest global pharma conference ëIndia Pharma & India Medical Device 20180í: Affordable and Quality Healthcare, begins in Bengaluru
On 15^th ñ 17^th February 2018, ëIndia Pharma & India Medical Device 2018í: Affordable and Quality Healthcare is held in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
India Pharma & India Medical Device 2018: Affordable and Quality Healthcare:
i. The ëIndia Pharma & India Medical Device 2018í is organized by Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
ii. The theme for ëIndia Pharma & India Medical Device 2018í is: ëDriving NextGen Pharmaceuticalsí.
iii. Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Ananthkumar inaugurated the conference. This is the 3rd International exhibition and conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector.
iv. Nearly 300 companies and 50 startups exhibit their products in the conference. A roundtable meeting will be held for pharma and medical devices CEOs with Ananthkumar.
v. Ministerial delegations from CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries are also taking part in the conference.
vi. World Health Organization is conducting a workshop on ëRegulatory System Strengthening and Prequalificationí.
vii. NASSCOM organizes a conference on ëDigital Transformation through Innovation in Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices and Healthcare Industriesí.
viii. India Pharma & India Medical Device Awards will also be announced at the conference.
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI):
♦ President – Rashesh Shah
♦ Director General – Dilip Chenoy

SH- Current Affairs Update 14th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

World Radio Day: 13 February

World Radio Day is an observance day held annually on 13 February.

• It was proclaimed on 3 November 2011 by UNESCO's 36th General Conference after originally being proposed by the Kingdom of Spain.
• The theme of World Radio day 2018 is "Radio and Sports".

All villages to be linked by roads by 2019

The Centre is making efforts to connect all villages through a road network by next year as part of the 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna', said Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav.

• Earlier, the target to compete these works was 2022 but it has been advanced to 2019.
• The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched by the Central government to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy.

Radio Umang: India’s first online radio station launched

Radio Umang, India’s first online radio station that allows the listener to just download and tune in, has been launched.

• Listeners can tune in to this online radio station through web streaming or download the app.
• With 24 hours programming, it has found listeners in Hindi speaking regions of India and in over 60 countries worldwide.

President of India hosts ‘LPG Panchayat’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, hosted an‘LPG Panchayat on February 13, 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

• The LPG Panchayat was organised by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with an aim to provide a platform for LPG consumers to interact with each other, promote mutual learning and share experiences.
• Each LPG Panchayat has about 100 LPG customers coming together, near their living areas,to discuss safe and sustainable usage of LPG, its benefits and the link between clean fuel for cooking and women’s empowerment.
• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas intends to conduct 1 lakh such Panchayats across India before March 31, 2019.

SH- Current Affairs Update 13th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants, 

 List of MoUs signed on the occasion of the visit of PM to Oman

Agreement on Legal and Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial matter

• Agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, Special, service and official passports
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of health
• MoU on Cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
• MoU on Cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Oman Diplomatic Institute.
• MoU on Academic and Scholarly cooperation sectors between National Defence College Sultanate of Oman and the Institute for Defence Studies and the Analyses.
• MoU in the field of Tourism cooperation between India and Oman.
• Annexure to the MoU on Military Cooperation.

National Productivity Day and Week

The National Productivity Council is observing National Productivity Day on February 12, and National Productivity Week till 18th February.

• It is the 60th Anniversary of the National Productivity Council and is being celebrated as Diamond Jubilee Year.
• "Industry 4.0 Leapfrog Opportunity for India " has been selected as the theme for the National Productivity Week -2018.

India Among Top Ten Nations in the World in Terms of Forest Area

Strongly emphasising the increasingly green credentials of the country, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr.  Harsh Vardhan has said that India has shown an increasing trend in the forest and tree cover, in comparison to the global trend of decreasing forest cover during the last decade. 

• Releasing the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017, Dr. Harsh Vardhan pointed out that India ranks among the top ten countries of the world in terms of forest area, despite the fact that none of the other 9 countries has a population density of more than 150 persons per sq km, compared to India, which has a population density of 382 persons per sq km.   
• “India is ranked 10th in the world, with 24.4% of land area under forest and tree cover, even though it accounts for 2.4 % of the world surface area and sustains the needs of 17 % of human and 18 % livestock population”, the Minister said. 
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan added that as per the latest FAO report, India is placed 8th in the list of Top Ten nations reporting the greatest annual net gain in forest area.

SH- Current Affairs Update 12th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants, 

World Government Summit begins in Dubai

The World Government Summit 2018 is beng held in Dubai, UAE from February 11-13.

• Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister, expresses his thanks to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit as guest of honour to the World Government Summit.
• The three-day event, which was first held in Dubai in 2013, has been described as the largest annual government summit.

Government releases Rs 9,940 crore to states for Smart Cities Mission

The Centre has released nearly Rs 9,940 crore to the states so far for the Smart Cities Mission, with Maharashtra accounting for the highest amount of Rs 1,378 crore, followed by Madhya Pradesh getting Rs 984 crore.

• The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has announced 99 cities for central assistance under the BJP government's flagship programme.
• The total proposed investment in these cities was Rs 2.03 lakh crore.

Rajnath Singh inaugurates first spoken Sanskrit centre

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Centre for learning Sanskrit language in Gujarat University in Ahmedabad.

• The centre will offer a six-month course for people on how to speak the language.
• The coordinator of the course, Atul Unagar, said it was possibly the first such course launched in India. 

SH- Current Affairs Update 11th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 List of MoUs/Agreements signed during visit of Prime Minister to Palestine

MOU between India and Palestine for setting up of India-Palestine Super-specialty hospital at Beit Sahour in Bethelhem Governorate at a cost ofUS$ 30 million.

• MOU between India and Palestine for construction of India Palestine Centre for Empowring women, "Turathi” at a cost ofUS$ 5 million
• MOU between India and Palestine for setting up of new National Printing Press at Ramallah at a cost ofUS$ 5 million
• MOU between India and Palestine Construction of school in Muthalth Al Shuhada Village at a cost ofUS$ 1 million
• MOU between India and Palestine Construction of school in Tamoon village in Tubas Governorate in Palestine at a cost ofUS$ 1.1 million
• MOU between India and Palestine Assistance of US$ US$ 0.25 million for construction of additional floor to Jawahar Lal Nehru for Boys at Abu Dees

PM Modi inaugurates Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for a new temple for the Hindu community living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

• The temple will be the first to be built in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE which is home to a huge Indian diaspora. 
• The PM laid the foundation stone for the temple from the Dubai Opera House via video conferencing. 
• This is Modi's second visit to the UAE after August 2015.
• The UAE has two Hindu temples which are located in Dubai.

Mumbai 12th richest city globally; total wealth at USD 950 billion 

India's financial capital Mumbai, with a total wealth of USD 950 billion, has been named among the top 15 wealthiest cities globally, while New York topped the list, says a report. 

• According to a report by New World Wealth, the economic hub of India is the 12th wealthiest city, followed by Toronto with a total wealth of USD 944 billion, Frankfurt (14th, USD 912 billion) and Paris (15th, USD 860 billion). 
• Mumbai, also features among the top 10 cities in terms of billionaire population. The city is home to 28 billionaires, individuals with USD 1 billion or more in net assets. 

SH- Current Affairs Update 10th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 India ranks 44 out of 50 nations in global IP index

India has “increased substantially” its score in the latest international Intellectual Property (IP) index released by the US Chambers of Commerce, ranking 44th out of 50 countries. 

• India’s overall score has increased substantially from 25 per cent (8.75 out of 35) in the 5th edition of the Index to 30 per cent (12.03 out of 40) in the 6th edition.
• The US tops the list with 37.98 points, followed by United Kingdom (37.97) and Sweden (37.03).

International Conference on Unani Medicine inaugurated 

The Minister of State (IC) for Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, MoS PMO, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Space Dr. Jitendra Singh has inaugurate the two-day International conference on Unani Medicine on 10th February, 2018 at New Delhi.

• This year is special for Unani fraternity as it is the 150th Birth Anniversary of  Hakim Ajmal Khan. 
• To mark this day, the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), under the Ministry of AYUSH is organizing a two-day International Conference on Unani Medicine as part of celebration of  Unani Day. 
• The theme of the conference is Integration of Unani System of Medicine in main stream healthcare.

"Swachh Bharat Sanitation Park” inaugurated in Delhi

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Environmental Sanitation Institute and Tata Trusts, has developed a Sanitation Park which was inaugurated in the Capital by Union Minister, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti, and Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri ParameswaranIyer.

• The Sanitation Park was developed at CGO Complex in New Delhi with an objective to create awareness on various safe technological options. 
• The Park demonstrates various options pertaining to toilet technologies and solid and liquid waste management technologies, with a brief description of these technologies.