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 02nd, Feb 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,

NATIONAL

Union Budget 2018: Key takeaways and sector-wise highlights

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley delivered the current government's fifth and last full financial budget (Budget 2018 for the fiscal year 2018-19) amid subdued economic growth, challenging fiscal situation and farm distress. 

Here are the key highlights from the Union Budget 2018:

Economic Health

• Economy firmly on course to achieve high growth of 8%
• GDP growth at 6.3% in the second quarter of 2017-18 signals turnaround of the economy
• Growth in the second half likely to remain between 7.2% to 7.5%  

Agriculture and Rural Economy

• MSP for all unannounced Kharif crops increased to 150%
• Institutional credit for agri-sector increased to Rs.10 lakh crore in 2017-18
• Fisheries, aquaculture and animal husbandry corpus at Rs.10,000 crore
• New scheme Operation Greens with an outlay of Rs 500 Crore
• Govt to develop and upgrade existing 22,000 rural haats
• Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of Rs.2000 crore
• Allocation for Ministry of Food Processing doubled to Rs.1400 crore
• Loans to Self Help Groups (SHG) of women to increase to Rs.75,000 crore by March 2019.
• Increased allocation of National Rural Livelihood Mission to Rs 5750 crore
• Under Ujjwala Scheme distribution of free LPG connections will be given to 8 crore poor women
• Housing for All by 2022 - more than one crore houses to be built by 2019 in rural areas

Education, Health, and Social Protection

• Estimated budgetary expenditure on health, education and social protection at Rs.1.38 lakh crore
• Ekalavya Model Residential School to be set up for tribal children
• Investments for research & infra in premier educational institutions at Rs.1 lakh crore in next 4 years
• Allocation on National Social Assistance Programme at Rs. 9975 crore
• NHPS to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries)
• NHPS to provide coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year for hospitalisation
• Rs 1200 crore for the National Health Policy, 2017 - additional Rs.600 crore for TB patients
• 24 new Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals

SBI Clerk 2018- Notification 8301 Vacancies: Recruitment

Dear Aspirants,

SBI Clerk Notification 2018: SBI Clerk (Junior Associates – Customer Support and Sales) is one of the most sought-after jobs in India. With 8301 vacancies. 

overview of the exam:

Organisation	State Bank Of India
Name of the Post	Clerk (Junior Associates)
No of Vacancies	8301
Starting Date to Apply Online	19-01-2018
Last Date to Apply Online	10-02-2018
Stages	Three (Preliminary, Main, and Test of Opted Local Language)
Official website	SBI

SBI Clerk Notification 2018 | Vacancy Details

The total number of vacancies as per the official SBI Clerk Notification 2018 is 8301. The designation will be Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) in clerical cadre in State Bank of India.

SBI Clerk Notification | Salary Details

Pay Scale	Rs. 11765-655/3-13730-815/3-16175-980/4-20095-1145/7-28110-2120/1-30230-1310/1-31540
Emoluments	Rs. 23600/- per month inclusive of D.A
Benefits	Provident Fund, New Pension Scheme, Gratuity Fund, Medical leave.

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

SH- Current Affairs Update 10th, 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

Cabinet Approvals On January 10, 2018
In a bid to liberalise and simplify the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy and to provide ease of doing business in India, Union Cabinet has approved a number of amendments in the existing policy.
i. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Canada for cooperation in Science & Technology
ii. Cabinet approves implementation of CCEA decision on closure of Tungabhadra Steel Products Limited
iii. Cabinet approves continuation of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme till the term of the 14^th  Finance Commission i.e. till March 31, 2020.
iv. Cabinet has approved proposal to amend Section 4(1) and Section 5(1) of the National Trust for the Welfare of Person with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999.

India, Indonesia hold 1st security dialogue, vow to combat terrorism
On January 9, 2018, India and Indonesia held their first bilateral security dialogue in NewDelhi
i. During the dialogue, India and Indonesia agreed on operational cooperation in security and counter-terrorism.
ii. Indian side was led by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval  while Indonesian side was led by H Wiranto, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.
iii. At the 5th Indonesia-India joint commission meeting in Jakarta, held in first week of January 2018 during Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s Indonesia visit, both countries had agreed to strengthen strategic partnerships across various key areas, including defence, security, maritime and economy.
Quick Facts about Indonesia:
♦ Capital – Jakarta
♦ Currency – Indonesia rupiah
♦ Current President – Joko Widodo
♦ Important Rivers – Mahakam, Citarum

Supreme Court stays High Court verdict against 85% pictorial warning on tobacco
On January 8, 2018, Supreme Court of India stayed a Karnataka High Court orderquashing 85% pictorial warnings on packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Information about Pictorial Warning on packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products:
i. On December 15, 2017, Karnataka High Court had struck down the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2014 which mandated 85% pictorial warning on tobacco products packaging space.
ii .A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud stated that it was “unimpressed” with the submissions of the Tobacco Institute of India (TII) asserting that the stay would infringe tobacco manufacturers’ fundamental right to do business.
iii .The bench is of the opinion that health of citizens should be accorded highest priority.
iv. In context of this news, it is to be noted that as per a report by World Health Organisation (WHO), pictorial warnings prove to be very effective especially in creating awareness among illiterate consumers.

Panel under B.R. Sharma to take a call on national anthem in cinema halls
Union Home Ministry has appointed a 12-member inter-ministerial committee to recommend changes in the existing law of playing of the national anthem in cinema halls and public places.
Details of the inter-ministerial committee:
i. The committee is headed by B.R. Sharma, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
ii. Other members of this committee include officers of the Joint Secretary rank representing Ministries of Home Affairs, Defence, Culture, External Affairs, Women and Child Development, Parliamentary Affairs, Human Resource Development, Law and Information and Broadcasting, Minority Affairs and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
iii. First meeting of this committee will be held on January 19, 2018 and it will submit its final report within six months.
iv. This committee has been formed in wake of Supreme Courts observation – ‘it could not be assumed that if a person did not stand up for the national anthem, he or she was “less patriotic.”
v. The committee will make recommendations in context of existing Acts and orders relating to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

SH- Current Affairs Update 9th, 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

Central Government notifies the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2017
On January 3, 2018, Central Government notified the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2017. Certain provisions of this amendment act will ease the implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.
Key Provisions of Companies (Amendment) Act, 2017:
i. As per Section 53 of the Companies Act, 2013 companies were prohibited to issue shares at a discount. Amendment Act has now allowed companies to issue shares at a discount to its creditors in instances wherein its debt is converted into shares as part of any statutory resolution plan/debt restructuring under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. 
ii. For defaulting companies, payment of managerial remuneration in excess of 11 percent of the net profits will now require approval of all stakeholders involved viz. banks, public financial institutions and other creditors.
iii. The amendment has also modified provision relating to registered valuer from undertaking valuation of any assets in which he has a direct or indirect interest.

Territorial Army battalion of ex-Armymen to clean Ganga
Central Government has sanctioned the raising of a Territorial Army (TA) battalion for cleaning River Ganga. This battalion will comprise only of ex-servicemen of the army.
Details about Territorial Army battalion to clean Ganga:
i. This battalion will be raised in February 2018 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, as a Composite Ecological Task Force (CETF) battalion of Territorial Army (TA).
ii. Central Government has allocated Rs 167 crore for this battalion.
iii. The CETF TA battalion will be headed by a Colonel-rank officer. It will have eight officers, 20 Junior Commissioned Officer (JCOs) and around 500 other ranks on its roll.
iv. It is to be noted that Territorial Army is considered as India’s second line of defence after the regular Army. Territorial Army functions under Union Defence Ministry.

Bihar Government bans electronic cigarettes
Bihar State Government has imposed a ban on manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, display and advertisement of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) across the state.

i. E-cigarettes are handheld battery-run devices which are smoked just like a conventional cigarette. However the ingredient (in liquid form) may differ.
ii. The ban also applies to online sale and purchase of e-cigarettes.
iii. It is to be noted Bihar has already imposed ban on manufacture, distribution, trade, sale, purchase, display and advertisement of all tobacco products and items containing nicotine and not approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI).
Quick Facts about Bihar:
♦ Capital – Patna
♦ Current Governor – Satya Pal Malik
♦ Current Chief Minister – Nitish Kumar
♦ Important National Park – Valmiki National Park

Daily Current Affairs: 7th January 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.

1. Bengaluru most well read city in India: Survey

Bengaluru has emerged as the most well read city in India, while Mumbai and Delhi stands at second and third position, respectively, according to a survey conducted by Amazon India’s Annual Reading Trends Reports for 2017.

• Among books, ‘Indian Polity (5th Edition)’ ranked as the top selling book on Amazon India across the country while ‘Sita – Warrior of Mithila’ emerged as the highest selling fiction book of 2017.     

2. Govt to set up FTII in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh would get its first Film and Television Institute, being set up by the union government as part of tapping the potential of the North Eastern region, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said.

• This would be the second such one in the country.

Points to Remember

• The first Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in Pune, an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
• It was established in 1960. Anupam Kher is its present Chairman.

3. 18th All India Whips Conference to start from Jan 8

Deliberations on paperless parliament and state legislatures by rolling out e-Sansad and e-Vidhan are on the agenda of 18th All India Whips Conference to be held in Udaipur.

• Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar is slated to inaugurate the conference to be held on January 8 and 9.
• It will be attended by whips of various political parties from different states.

Daily Current Affairs: 6th January 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.

1. US puts Pakistan on Special Watch List

The US has placed Pakistan on a ‘Special Watch List’ for “severe violations” of religious freedom.

• It is the only country to be put under the newly-formed list.
• The Special Watch List is for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom but may not rise to the level of the CPC.

2. Tamil Nadu leads the nation in higher education enrolment

Tamil Nadu has emerged as the leader in the country in terms of Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education.

• The All India Survey on Higher Education report (2106-2017), released by Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar , saw the State lead with a GER of 46.9%.
• Among Union Territories, Chandigarh recorded 56.1%.
• GER for higher education is calculated with reference to the age group 18-23.

3. Mamata Banerjee launches West Bengal govt’s official emblem  

The West Bengal government has launched its official emblem in a programme at Nabanna, two days after getting the approval from the central government.

• The official emblem is conceptualised and designed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
• Terming the occasion as historic, she said the state emblem – the “Biswa Bangla” logo with Ashoka Pillar of the national emblem – would be used in all the official works and documents of the Bengal government from now on.

Daily Current Affairs: 5th January 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.

1. World Braille Day: 4 January

World Braille Day is annually celebrated on January 4, the birthday of Braille inventor, Louis Braille.

• The day recognizes the contributions of Louis Braille in helping blind and visually impaired people to read and write.
• Braille is a code that uses bumps and indentation on a surface to represent letters, which can be recognized by touch.
• Louis Braille, a French man who was blinded in an accident at a very young age, invented it.

2. Iceland Becomes First Country to Enforce Equal Pay Laws

Iceland has become the first country in the world to legalize equal pay, charting a new history.

• Under the new law, companies and government agencies that employ at least 25 people will be fined if they can’t prove they pay men and women equally.
• Iceland has been ranked by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as No. 1 in gender equality for the past nine years.

3. Govt launches Swachh Survekshan 2018

The government has announced the launch of cleanliness survey for this year as part of Swachh Bharat Mission.

• The Swachh Survekshan 2018 will rank 500 cities on national level which have more than 1 lakh population, while 3,541 cities with less than 1 lakh population will have State and Regional ranking.
• The 2017 edition was conducted in January-February 2017 covering 434 Urban Local Bodies. Indore emerged as the cleanest city in the country in that survey.

Daily Current Affairs: 4th January 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.

1. India Cancels $500 Million Deal For Israeli Anti-Tank Missiles

India has cancelled a $ 500 million deal to buy 1,600 Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel, the state-owned defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced.

• Spike is a man-portable “fire and forget' missile that can hit moving targets such as a tank.
• India had opted for the Israel's Spike over the Javelin missiles offered by Washington in 2014.

2. Indian Railways to install GPS devices on 2,700 electric locomotives

In a bid to provide real time train information, the government plans to install GPS devices on over 2,700 electric locomotives by December 2018, Parliament was told.

• “Railway Ministry in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is implementing Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS) which involves tracking of train by placing GPS/GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation System) based devices on locomotives,” Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
• “In Phase one, the RTIS project will cover about 2,700 electric locomotives in which the GPS device will be installed.
• This phase is planned to be completed by December 2018,” he said.

3. Government approves Rs 6,809-crore Zojila Pass tunnel project in J&K  

The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of Asia's longest bi-directional Zojila Pass tunnel at an estimated cost of Rs 6,089 crore, which will reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh to 15 minutes from the current 3.5 hours.

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its go-ahead to the 14.2-km long tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh, which remains cut-off from the rest of India during winters due to heavy snowfall.

Daily Current Affairs: 3rd January 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.

1. Jharkhand CM launches programme

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has launched "Saubhagya Yojana", a programme that would provide electricity to all the 29,376 villages in the state.

•    Launching the "Saubhagya Yojana" here, Das said only 38 lakh households out of 68 lakh households in the state could get electricity in 67 years.

•    However, this government has provided electricity to 13 lakh households in just three years.

•    By December 2018, the target is to provide electricity to the rest 17.64 lakh households.

2. Joint Schemes for SC, OBC, Safai Karamcharis and Disabled Persons

The Government is implementing a Scheme, namely the Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) that provides grant-in-aid to non-governmental organizations for various projects relating to rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. 

•    The objective of the scheme is to enable persons with disabilities to reach and maintain their optimal, physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric or social functional levels.

3. UP theme state for Surajkund crafts mela

The Haryana tourism department has disclosed that Uttar Pradesh would be the theme state for the 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela, which would be organized at Surajkund, Faridabad from February 2 to 15.

•    Apart from all other states, about 24 countries would also participate in it.

•    The fair organized by the Haryana Tourism and Surajkund Fair Authority in collaboration with the Union ministries of tourism, textiles, culture and external affairs, exhibited handicrafts, handloom variety and prosperity of India at global level.

Daily Current Affairs 2nd January 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.

1. Saudi Arabia, UAE introduce VAT in first for Gulf

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates introduced value-added tax, a first for the Gulf which has long prided itself on its tax-free.

• The five percent sales tax applies to most goods and services and analysts project that the two governments could raise as much as $21 billion in 2018, equivalent to 2.0 percent of GDP.
• The other four Gulf states, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar are also committed to introducing VAT but have delayed the move until early 2019.

2. Maneka Gandhi to inaugurated online portal ‘NARI’

In a big leap forward to empower women, the Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has inaugurated an online portal NARI in New Delhi.

• Developed by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, the portal will provide women citizens with easy access to information on government schemes and initiatives for women.
• Further to provide a platform for NGOs and Civil Societies to interact with the Ministry of Women & Child Development, e-Samvad portal has also been developed which was inaugurated by the WCD Minister.
• The NARI portal summarizes over 350 government schemes and other important information for the benefit of women, with more being added everyday.
• There are tips on good nutrition, suggestions for health check ups, information on major diseases, tips for job search and interview, investment and savings advice, information on crimes and against women and reporting procedures, contacts of legal aid cells, simplified adoption procedures and much more. 

3. UP declares Noida, Yamuna E-way as electronics manufacturing zone

The Yogi Adityanath government has released its 'Uttar Pradesh Electronics Manufacturing Policy' under which Noida, Greater Noida and the Yamuna Expressway region has been declared as an electronics manufacturing zone.

• A minister said the aim of this policy is to ensure that the state gets the status of a favourite investment destination.
• The target of the policy is to attract investments worth Rs 20,000 crore in the ESDM sector and 3 lakh jobs by 2022.