SH- Current Affairs Update 12th, Jan 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates National Youth Festival
On January 12, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the events of the National Youth Festival (NYF) through Video conferencing. This is the 22^nd edition of National Youth Festival. 
i. 22^nd National Youth Festival is a five-day event being held at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh from 12^thto 16^th January, 2018.
ii. Theme of 22^ndNational Youth Festival is ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’. The theme reflects country’s aspiration to capitalize on the demographic dividend of young India.

Kerala Government permits prisoners to donate organs
On 11^th January 2018, the Kerala government gave permission to prisoners in Kerala jails to donate organs to their close relatives.
Kerala Government permits prisoners to donate organs:
i. This decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Chief Minister.
ii. Permission must be taken from the concerned court and medical board for the convicted prisoner to make organ donation.
iii. Also, necessary amendments are to be made in the Kerala prisons correctional services act 2014.
iv. The period of admission in hospital will be taken as parole period for the prisoner. The hospital expenses will be taken care by the jail authorities.
v.In the statement it is clearly mentioned that ‘no relaxation in prison term’ for the prisoner performing organ donation will be provided.
About Indian Dental Association (IDA):
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
♦ President – Dr. Vishwas Puranik

4th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry held in New Delhi
4th ASEAN-INDIA Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry was held in New Delhi on January 12, 2018. Abbreviation ASEAN stands for Association of SouthEast Asian Nations.

Highlights of 4th ASEAN-INDIA Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry:
i. The Meeting was Co-chaired by Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India and Grisada Boonrach, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand
ii. Objective of the meeting was to promote joint research for development of technologies for increasing production and productivity of crops, livestock, fisheries, and natural resources management in the ASEAN region.
iii. Discussions during the meeting also focused on enhancing cooperation on exchange of expertise to promote resilience in food security and to address the price volatility of food supplies in the region..
iv. 5^th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry will be held in Brunei Darussalam in 2019.
Quick Facts about ASEAN:
♦ Founded in – 1967
♦ Secretariat – Jakarta, Indonesia
♦ Current Secretary General – Lim Jock Hoi

Niti Aayog to provide rankings to 115 aspirational districts
At the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ conference, held in New Delhi in first week of January 2018, NITI Aayog said it will come out with a ranking of 115 aspirational districts by April 2018.
More Information about Rankings of 115 aspirational districts:
i. In this context, aspirational districts refer to selected 115 backward districts that are lagging on specific development parameters.
ii. Central Government has undertaken a major policy initiative for rapid transformation of these districts and senior government officials have been assigned responsibility to coordinate the efforts of the Centre and states in facilitating development in such districts.
iii. NITI Aayog will rank these districts on 10 parameters which will include education, nutrition and health.
iv. A dashboard will be created, which will reflect the change in ranking of districts on continuous basis.
v. By April 2018, NITI Aayog will also set up a mechanism for real-time monitoring of government’s development programmes.
Quick Facts about NITI Aayog:
♦ Founded in – January 2015
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
♦ Chairman (ex officio) – Prime Minister of India

Election Commission sets up panel under Umesh Sinha to suggest new poll rules
The Election Commission has formed a 14-member panel to study the usage of social media and other digital platforms before elections and to suggest modifications in the Model Code of Conduct.

14-member panel set up under Umesh Sinha:
i. Currently, the Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act bans all campaigning 48 hours before voting. The new panel will suggest changes to thisin 3 months.
ii. Umesh Sinha, Deputy Election Commissioner, will be the head of the panel. It will comprise of 8 Election Commission officers, 1 member each from the ministries of information and broadcasting, law, and information and technology, 1 senior representative each from the National Broadcasters Association and the Press Council of India.
iii. The panel will also suggest regulations required for several media platforms in the 48-hour period before voting.
About Election Commission of India:
♦ Chief Election Commissioner of India – Achal Kumar Jyoti
♦ Election Commissioners of India – Om Prakash Rawat, Sunil Arora

Current Affairs December 16, 2017

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

 11th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Argentina

The Eleventh World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC11) was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• The biggest takeaway from the conference was the commitment from members to secure a deal on fisheries subsidies.
• Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu had led the Indian delegation in the conference.

Points to Remember

• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates international trade.
• The WTO officially commenced on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by 123 nations on 15 April 1994, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
• WTO has 164 member countries. The WTO's current Director-General is Roberto Azevedo.

Current Affairs December 14-15, 2017

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

Rajasthan becomes first in country to offer e-mail IDs in Hindi

Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to offer free e-mail address in Hindi to its residents.

• This facility will lead to millions of new users who are not comfortable with English e-mail ids.
• The project has been implemented by the state IT department with the partnership in form of in-sourcing with private IT companies.

Submarine Kalvari to be commissioned by PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will commission India's first Scorpene class submarine, Kalvari, into the Indian Navy in Mumbai on 14 December.

• The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders delivered Kalvari on September 21to the Navy after successfully completing all trials.
• Scorpene submarines can undertake varied missions such as anti-surface and antisubmarine warfare, intelligence gathering and mine laying.

SH- Current Affairs December 13, 2017

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS
Rajasthan Cabinet to accord ‘fighters for democracy’ status to MISA detainees during Emergency period
The Rajasthan Cabinet has decided to accord those detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and Defence of India Rules (DIR) during Emergency period 1975-77 outside the state, the status of ‘fighters for democracy’.
Fighters for democracy status:
i. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore said, the detainees, most of them Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders, will now be entitled to pension and other allowances after getting the status of ‘Loktantra Rakshak Sainani’.
ii. So far, only persons detained under MISA and DIR and kept in Rajasthan jails were given monthly pension of Rs 12,000 and a monthly allowance of Rs 1,200.
iii. The pension scheme’s name had been changed to Rajasthan Loktantra Senani Samman Nidhi.
About Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA):
♦ Passed – 1971
♦ Purpose – gave the administration of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Indian law enforcement agencies super powers like indefinite preventive detention of individuals, search and seizure of property without warrants, and wiretapping

Three-day media workshop on Climate Change Reporting in Himalayas organised in Kohima
On 11^th December 2017, three-day media workshop on ‘Climate Change Reporting’ began in Kohima.
Three-day media workshop on Climate Change Reporting:
i. The workshop is jointly organised by the Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP) of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Department of science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, State Climate Change Cell, NASTEC and Centre for Media Studies (CMS).
ii. Annu Anand, head of advocacy at CMS announced the launch of a media fellowship programme under which four fellowships will be awarded to journalists to write about climate adaptation in the Indian Himalayan Region.
About Centre for Media Studies (CMS):
♦ Established – 1991
♦ Founder Chairman – Dr. N. Bhaskara Rao
♦ Director – Ms. P.N. Vasanti

Rajasthan becomes first in India to offer e-mail IDs in Hindi
Rajasthan has become the first state in India to offer free e-mail address in Hindi to its residents.
Rajasthan offers e-mail IDs in Hindi:
i. The facility —[email protected] (in Devanagari script) has been introduced by Rajasthan government. The first e-mail ID that was created was that of the Rajasthan chief minister, [email protected](in Devnagari).
ii. All the government personnel in Rajasthan will soon have an email id in Hindi too. The Hindi email ID is offered to all the Internet users.
iii. The project has been implemented by Rajasthan IT department with partnership in form of in-sourcing with private IT companies. Apart from people who use Hindi keyboard, the email also works for those who use English keyboard.
About National Parks of Rajasthan:
♦ Darrah National Park
♦ Desert National Park
♦ Ranthambore National Park

SH- Current Affairs December 11, 2017

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Khelo India programme to be launched at cost of 1,756 cr rupees
On December 10, 2017, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore announced that Khelo India programme will be relaunched at a cost of Rs 1756 crore for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20. While making this announcement, Mr. Rathore also stated that 2018 will be celebrated as Year of Sports.
i. Under this programme, Pan Indian Sports Scholarship scheme will be rolled out. Each year, 1000 most talented young athletes across select sports disciplines will be covered in this scholarship scheme.
ii. The selected athlete shall receive an annual scholarship worth Rs. 5 lakh for 8 consecutive years.

UN Women, Facebook inaugurates ‘We The Women’ event in Mumbai
On December 9, 2017, UN Women and Facebook inaugurated ‘We The Women’ event in Mumbai, aimed to empower and recognise the contribution of women in our society.

About ‘We The Women’:
i. Famous women achievers including Union Textile Minister, Smriti Irani, Wrestler Sakshi Malik, Cricketer Mithali Raj, Television and Film Producer Ekta Kapoor participated in this event.
ii. This two-day event was held at Mehboob Studios in Mumbai under the curatorship of journalist Barkha Dutt.
iii. Participants expressed their viewpoints on various issues including sexism, gender equality and sexual harassment.
iv. The event also hosted a flea market and food stalls showcasing food items by female chefs.
Quick Facts about UN Women:
♦ Founded in – 2010
♦ Headquarters – New York, United States

Government launches door-to-door campaign against TB
Union Health Ministry has launched a 15-day door-to-door campaign across the country to eliminate the tuberculosis (TB).
Door-to-door campaign against TB:
i. Under this campaign, aimed to detect, diagnose and treat TB, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and TB supervisors will make door-to-door visits to detect Tuberculosis patients and will give them free medical treatment till they are cured.
ii. According to data by World Health Organisation, every year, around 1.1 million TB cases (out of total 2.8 million TB cases) remain unreported and are thereby missed from treatment. The door-to-door campaign is expected to plug this slippage.
iii. Under the Revised National TB Control Programme, Union Health Ministry has set a target to reduce incidences of TB by 90 per cent by year 2025 and reduce mortality due to TB by 95 per cent by year 2030.
iv. Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease which affects the lung and is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).

ASEAN – India Connectivity Summit begins in New Delhi
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – India Connectivity Summit (AICS) begun in New Delhi on December 11, 2017.

About ASEA-India Connectivity Summit:
i. Theme of this two-day Summit is ‘Powering Digital and Physical Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century’.
ii. The Summit aims at accelerating existing connectivity prospects, evolving suitable policy recommendations, identifying issues of concern and developing strategies to enhance economic, trade and industrial relations between India and ASEAN member countries.
iii. Infrastructure, Shipping, Roadways, Digital, Energy, Finance and Aviation have been outlined as the focus areas for this summit.
iv. Ministers including Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge) and Gen. V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs will be attending this Summit.
v. The Summit has been organized by the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Quick Facts about ASEAN:
♦ Founded in – 1967
♦ Secretariat – Jakarta
♦ Membership – 10 countries, 2 observers

SH- Current Affairs December 10, 2017

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/CLERK/SBI/RBI and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Aadhaar-PAN linking deadline extended to March 31, 2018
On 8^th December 2017, the government extended the deadline for mandatory linking of PAN with Aadhaar by three months to March 31, 2018.
Aadhaar-PAN linking deadline extended to March 31, 2018:
i. This is the third extension given by the government to individuals to link the Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar.
ii. Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act says that every person having PAN as on July 1, 2017, and eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to the tax authorities.
About Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI):
♦ Vision – to empower residents of India with a unique identity and a digital platform to authenticate anytime, anywhere
♦ CEO – Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey
♦ Chairman – J Satyanarayana

Centre sanctions Rs. 75 crore for setting up LPG bottling plant in Meghalaya
Central Government has sanctioned Rs. 75 crore for setting up a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bottling plant in Meghalaya. This bottling plant will have an annual capacity of 13000 metric tonnes.

About LPG bottling plant in Meghalaya:
i. It is to be noted that Meghalaya is the only state in the North Eastern Region of India, in which there is no LPG bottling plant.
ii. On December 9, 2017, memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed between Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Meghalaya State Government.
iii. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan and Meghalaya Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma in Shillong.
iv. Currently, only 27 per cent households in Meghalaya are linked with LPG connectivity. Besides, there are 49 LPG distributors in Meghalaya. Union Minister Pradhan has said that another 20 LPG distributors have been added across the state.

SH-CURRENT AFFAIRS DECEMBER 02, 2017

NATIONAL

‘Jai Kisaan’ app launched in Goa

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar launched the Jai Kisaan App.It is an initiative of Adventz group, a conglomerate of 25 companies.

The aim of the app is to fulfil the needs of the farmer’s community in India. It gives agricultural information and cultivation, covering crop nutrition, protection, seeds, and diagnostic services .The app will not only give the farmers database but also help them with the various initiatives of the government such as the health cards.

Goa

Capital: Panaji

Chief Minister: Manohar Parrikar

Governor: Mridula Sinha

India donated 500 tonnes of rice to Kingdom of Lesotho

India donated 500 metric tonnes of rice to the Kingdom of Lesotho (in Southern Africa).The country is facing acute food shortage, the High Commissioner of India to South Africa and Lesotho, Ruchira Kamboj handed over the donation to the government of Lesotho.

Kamboj also inaugurated the India-Lesotho Centre for Advanced Information Technology at the Lerotholi Polytechnic in Maseru. This project is fully-funded by the Government of India.

Lesotho

Capital: Maseru

Currency: Lesotho loti

Prime Minister: Pakalitha Mosisili

President: Tom Thabane

Incubator for Women Startups in Telangana

Telangana government has announced that it will set up a incubation centre for startups by women entrepreneurs. K T Rama Rao, the state’s industries and IT minister, said the government would also set up a Rs 15-crore fund to meet the investment needs of these start-ups.

The government is planning to launch a series of initiatives to encourage women entrepreneurs including creation of a women startup incubator ‘WE Hub’, a first such incubator in the country.

NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant announced that the Aayog will support We-Hub under the Atal Innovation Mission. The Aayog will also create a special women’s cell to ensure enhanced funding for the women entrepreneurs.

Telangana

Capital: Hyderabad

Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao

Governor: E. S. L. Narasimhan

SH- Current Affairs Update 1st December, 2017

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank or ssc exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS PO/ RRB PO/ SBI PO/ RBI SSC EXAMS and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

SH- DECEMBER MONTH CURRENT AFFAIRS UPDATES

CurrentAffairs December 1st, 2017