GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS - JUNE 2018 ISSUE - ENGLISH VERSION

GENERAL AWARENESS – JUNE 2018 3
GENERAL AWARENESS
JUNE 2018
Vol. 6, Issue 12
A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &
TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
Contents
CURRENT AFFAIRS
FEB 2018 TO APRIL 2018
03-45
BULLET NEWS
NOV. 2017 TO JAN. 2018
46-57
LATEST 100 GK MCQs 58-64
SBI - CLERK - PRE
MODEL TEST PAPER
65-75
CURRENT GK BYTES 76-98
FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE (02.08.2017) 6.00%
REVERSE REPO RATE 5.75%
MARGINAL STANDING
FACILITY RATE
6.25%
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO 19.50%
CASH RESERVE RATIO 4.00%
BANK RATE 6.25%
BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)
9.10 to
9.60%
INDIA’s RANK IN
Commonwealth Innovation Index 10th
Startup Ecosystem Ranking 37th
List of Cyber Threats 03rd
Index of Economic Freedom 130th
Word Press Freedom Index 138th
Inclusive Internet Index 47th
Energy Transition Index 78th
Rank in World Happiness Report 133rd
Global Democracy Index 42nd
Corruption Perception Index 81st
Intellectual Property Index 44th
Index of Talent Competitiveness 81st
Cheapest Country to Live 2nd
Attractive market for Investments 5th
Rank in Emerging Economies 62nd
The Environmental Performance
Index
177th
Global Manufacturing Index 30th
The Legatum Prosperity Index 2017 100th
Best Country for Business 62nd
Ease of Doing Business 100th
NATIONAL NEWS
APRIL
PRESIDENT MAKES A VISIT TO AFRICA
President Ram Nath Kovind made a three-nation state visit to the African
countries of Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and Zambia. The President's visit to
Equatorial Guinea and Swaziland is the first-ever visit by any head of state of
India. He was conferred with 'Order of the Lion', the highest award of
Swaziland.
PM VISITS SWEDEN AND BRITAIN
Prime Minister made a 5 day visit to Sweden and Britain from April 16 to 20.
The tour started with Stockholm, capital of Sweden. India and Sweden co-
hosted the first ever India-Nordic Summit, where the Prime Ministers of the
other four Nordic countries - Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway, apart
from Sweden, took part in the discussions.
On April 19-20, he attended Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) in London. India and the UK signed 10 agreements in several sectors
including cyber-relationship, rejuvenation of Ganga and skill
development. While returning from Britain, he stopped in Germany to meet
German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
NEPAL PM SOLICITS INVESTMENT
FROM INDIA
Prime Minister of Nepal K.P. Sharma Oli
arrived in India on three day visit. He
sought investments from India as Nepal
was planning to establish special
economic zones (SEZ) in the cities
bordering India with good incentives
for industries.

INDIA TOPS IN INWARD REMITTAMCES
As per a recent World
Bank report, India
retained the top position
as recipient of
remittances with its
diaspora sending about
$69 billion back home
last year, registering a
growth of 9.9% over
previous year. India
is followed by China
($64 billion), the
Philippines ($33 billion)
and Mexico ($31 billion).
TOP EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES OF INDIA
According to the national institutional ranking
framework (NIRF) released by the HRD Ministry,
following are the top institutes in various categories:
Overall Best
Institution
Indian Institute of Science,
Bengaluru
Best Engineering
Institute
Indian Institute of
Technology, Madras
Best Management
Institute
Indian Institute of
Management-Ahmedabad
Best University Indian Institute of Science,
Bengaluru
Best Medical
Institute
AIIMS, New Delhi
Best Architecture
Institute
IIT-Kharagpur
Best Law Institute National Law School of India
University, Bengaluru
Best College Miranda House, Delhi
University
WORLD BANK AID FOR HEALTH SECTOR
World Bank to provide $ 125 million loan for
the “Innovate in India for Inclusiveness Project” to
promote innovation and new product development in
the biopharmaceutical and medical devices industry.
OIL PIPELINE FROM INDIA TO BANGLADESH
India signed an agreement with Bangladesh to set up a
129.5 km oil pipeline for pumping oil from India to
Bangladesh. The line will be built from the Siliguri
Marketing Terminal of the Numaligarah Refinery Ltd
(NRL) in India to the Parbaripur depot of the
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) with a
capacity of 1 million metric tons per annum.
IIT ALUMNI FORM POLITICAL PARTY
A group of 50 alumni from the prestigious Indian
Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country have
quit their jobs to form a political party named "Bahujan
Azad Party" to fight for the rights of SC/ST and OBCs.
INDIA 10TH IN TERMS OF INNOVATION
As per the 2018 Commonwealth Innovation Index, India
fetched 10th position in the index of 53 countries topped
by the United Kingdom, Singapore and Canada.
The index was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM) as part of a new
Commonwealth Innovation Hub that will offer a
dedicated online space for the members of the
Commonwealth to showcase what they have to offer and
share with the other members nations.
INDIA RANKS 37th IN STARTUPS
According to a report released by global startup body
Startupblink, India was ranked 37th out of 125
countries surveyed for the strength of startup
ecosystem in 2017. The United States was placed at top
followed by the United Kingdom.
INDIA 3RD IN FACING CYBER THREATS
According to ‘Internet Security Threat Report’, India
emerged as the third most vulnerable country in terms
of risk of cyber threats, such as malware, spam and
ransomware. In 2017, 5.09% of global threats detected
were in India. The U.S. was most vulnerable to such
attacks with 26.61% share, followed by China (10.95%).
INDIA IMPROVES IN ‘ECONOMIC FREEDOM’
India has jumped 13 places in the last one year to 130th
spot in the latest annual Index of Economic Freedom
released by a top American think-tank the Heritage
Foundation.
The report says that corruption, underdeveloped
infrastructure, a restrictive and burdensome regulatory
environment, and poor financial and budget
management continue to undermine overall
development. The index is topped by Hong Kong,
followed by Singapore and New Zealand.

INDIA SLIPS DOWN IN PRESS FREEDOM
India is ranked 138 in the 2018 World Press Freedom
Index of 180 countries, down two places from 2017, in
the latest annual report released by Reporters Without
Borders. The physical violence against journalists is
largely responsible for India's low ranking, the report
noted. Norway topped the list for the second year in a
row.
 The tenth edition of the biennial exhibition of
weapons and military hardware - DefExpo India-
2018 held at Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
 A scientific convention on the World Homoeopathy
Day was held on April 10-11 in New Delhi.
 First National Conclave on Psychological Trauma,
Child Protection, and Mental Illnesses was held in
New Delhi.
MARCH
INDIA WELCOMES GERMAN PRESIDENT
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in
New Delhi on a five-day visit to India. He also visited
Varanasi and Chennai. He also attended a business event
in New Delhi. Germany is India’s largest trading partner
in Europe and the 6th largest trading partner in the
world.
PRESIDENT VISITS MAURITIUS, MADAGASCAR
President Ram Nath Kovind made a five day visit to
Mauritius and Madagascar. He attended the 50th
anniversary of independence celebrations of Mauritius
and inaugurated the World Hindi Secretariat building
built with Indian support. Next he visited Madagascar,
the first ever visit by an Indian VVIP. Madagascar is the
fourth largest island in the world, nearly the size
of France. The two countries signed an umbrella
agreement in the field of defence. The President was
conferred the Grand Cross of the Second Class, the
highest civilian honour of Madagascar for a non-citizen.
VIETNAMESE PRESIDENT IN INDIA
Vietnam President Tran Dai arrived in India on a three-
day visit. He first visited Bodh Gaya and then came to
Delhi. The visit intends to further deepen
comprehensive strategic Partnership between the two
countries
PRESIDENT OF FRANCE VISITS INDIA
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in New
Delhi on a four-day visit to India. The visit aimed at
strengthening the bilateral economic, political and
strategic dimension of engagement between the two
countries.
Macron presided over the Founding Conference of the
International Solar Alliance in New Delhi. He also
inaugurated 101-megawatt capacity mega solar power
plant at Dadar Kalan village in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh,
built in collaboration with the French company ENGIE.
KING OF JORDAN COMES TO INDIA
Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein arrived in
Delhi for a three-day visit. Besides being the king, he is
also a highly acclaimed authority on Islam. He is the 41st
generation descendant of Prophet Muhammad and the
Custodian of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.
India is Jordan’s fourth largest trading partner, mainly
due to import of fertilizers from Jordan. The two
countries signed four MoUs for mutual cooperation in
various fields.

CHILD MARRIAGES DOWN BY 20%
A report from the United Nations children's agency
UNICEF says that India has achieved a sharp decline of
20 percent in child marriages in the last decade. As
against 47 percent of the girls getting married before
the age of 18, a decade ago, now only 27 percent girls
are in this category.
UNICEF attributed the improvement to the increased
rate of girls’ education, proactive government
investments in adolescent girls and strong public
awareness about the illegality of child marriage in India.
S C GRANTS ‘RIGHT TO DIE’
In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court recognised
right to die with dignity and allowed an individual to
issue an advance directive in the form of a ‘living will’
authorising someone to withdraw his/her life support, if
he/she went into a vegetative state because of an
incurable and irreversible medical condition.
The Court observed that right to die with dignity was a
facet of right to life and liberty guaranteed under Article
21 of the Constitution.
A “living will” is a document executed by a person in full
possession of his/her decision-making capacity, without
any duress, stating the condition of ill health in which
he/she may not like to prolong life by artificial support.
INDIA 3rd IN ELECTRICITY GENERATION
According to a report by the
India Brand Equity Foundation,
a trust established by the union
commerce ministry, India has
become the third largest
electricity producer in the
world generating 1,423 billion
units in 2016-17. Its electricity
production grew 34% over
past seven years. India is
behind only China (6,015 BU)
and the United States (4,327
BU) as per 2016-17 data.
SC SAYS ‘NO’ TO KHAP PANCHAYATS
In a landmark judgement the Supreme Court has termed
the interference by illegal assemblies like ‘khap
panchayat’ in marriages of two consenting adults as’
absolutely illegal’ and laid down guidelines to prevent
such intrusions. The bench laid down certain punitive
and remedial measures to be followed until a suitable
legislation is put in place in this regard by the
Parliament.
INDIAN FORCES 4th IN WORLD
India’s military prowess has been ranked fourth on the
Global Firepower Index-2017 that has ranked 133
countries on the basis of their global military prowess.
Index is topped by the USA, followed by Russia and
China. Pakistan ranks 13 on the list. The rankings are
based on 50 parameters, including military resources,
natural resources, industry and geographical features
and available manpower.
AMNESTY TO TRACK ‘HATE CRIMES’
The global human rights body Amnesty India launched
'Halt the Hate' website to track alleged hate crimes in
India against marginalised people such as the Dalits,
Adivasis, religious minority groups and trans-genders.
The website has documented hundreds of alleged hate
crimes against these marginalized people.
INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS IN IMPHAL
The 105th session of the Indian Science Congress was
held at Manipur University in Imphal, Manipur. Prime
Minister Modi delivered the inaugural lecture. The
theme of this year’s Congress is “Reaching the
Unreached through Science and Technology.”
NO TO FOREIGN LAW OFFICES IN INDIA
The Supreme Court has ruled that foreign lawyers and
law firms cannot open offices in India. However, they
are allowed to "fly in and fly out" to advise their clients
on foreign law on a temporary and casual basis. The
apex court also permitted foreign lawyers to appear in
international commercial arbitration.

INDIA BECOMES ‘HOST COUNTRY’ TO ISA
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) signed the
Headquarters Agreement with the Indian Government,
enabling the ISA to establish its headquarters in Host
Country to discharge its functions and programmes.
INDIA SET TO JOIN EBRD
India has got the go-ahead to join the European Bank of
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), after
shareholders of the London-based multilateral lender
agreed to allow it as the 69th member. This will enable
Indian companies to undertake joint investments in
regions in which the EBRD operates.
The EBRD was set up in 1991, for helping central and
Eastern European nations reconstruct their economies in
the post-Cold War era.
SUPER RICH TO GROW BY 71%
The number of wealthy Indians having assets of over
$50 million is likely to grow by nearly 71% to 4,980 by
2022 from 2,980 in 2017, according to the Wealth
Report 2018 by global consultancy firm Knight Frank.
As per the 'City Wealth Index' of the report, Mumbai
stood at 16th spot among the top 20 costliest global
cities, while Delhi stood at 22nd and Bengaluru at 26th
positions, respectively.
INDIA LAGS BEHIND IN CLOUD POLICY
A report by "BSA | The Software Alliance", a global
software watchdog promoted by the Microsoft shows
that India’s ranking in the adoption of cloud-friendly
policies has come down to 20 in 2017 from 18 in 2016,
out of 24 leading IT economies. This indicates that the
legal and regulatory environment in the country is
restricting innovation.
INDIA 47th IN INTERNET USAGE
An Inclusive Internet Index 2018 compiled by the
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) covering 91% of the
world's population in 86 countries, has placed India at
the 47th position in terms of inclusive Internet and
connectivity for all due to low usage and poor quality.
INDIA RANKS 78th IN ENERGY TRANSITION
As countries across the world are moving towards a
more sustainable energy system, India, one of the
world's largest energy consumers, is lagging behind in
the race. It was ranked 78th among 114 countries on
World Economic Forum's Energy Transition Index 2018.
The index listed countries based on their ability
to balance energy security, environmental sustainability
and affordability. The Index was topped by Sweden,
followed by Norway at the second position and
Switzerland at the third.
INDIA FARES VERY LOW IN ‘HAPPINESS’
In a study of 156 countries for levels of happiness
conducted by the UN Sustainable Development
Solutions Network, India has been placed very low at
133rd spot. The World Happiness Report ranked
countries on the basis of factors such as per capita GDP,
social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom,
generosity and absence of corruption. Finland topped
the list as the world's happiest country, followed by
Norway and Denmark.
 India and Hong Kong signed a Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) to improve
transparency in tax matters and help curb tax
evasion and avoidance.
 India Post paid tribute to theoretical physicist and
cosmologist Stephen Hawking by issuing a special
cover on him.
 The Airports Authority of India (AAI) participated in
the 6th World ATM Congress held in Spain.
 Ministry of External Affairs and the International
Federation of Indo-Russian Youth Clubs organized
'Vision for Future' event in New Delhi on March 6 to
commemorate 70 years of the Indo-Russia ties.

 The first-ever International Exhibition of Graphic
Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ was held in Delhi.
 A two-day informal World Trade Organisation (WTO)
ministerial meeting was held at New Delhi.
 The 7th India-Egypt Joint Commission Meeting was
held in New Delhi.
 The 5th India Maize Summit was held in New Delhi.
 First National Conference on Drug Law Enforcement
was held in New Delhi, organised by the Narcotics
Control Bureau and Ministry of Home Affairs.
 The third edition of National Conclave on Mines and
Minerals was held in New Delhi.
 The 21st National Conference on e-Governance was
held in Hyderabad, Telangana on February 26- 27
with the theme “technology for accelerating
development”.
 The National Conference on Counterfeiting and Role
of Enforcement Agencies was held in New Delhi from
13-14 March, 2018.
 The two day international conference on Sustainable
Bio-fuels was held in New Delhi on February 26-27 by
Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.
 A ‘National Conference on Down Syndrome’
organised by the National Trust under the Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment in New Delhi on
March 26.
 The 106th edition of the Indian Science Congress will
be held next year from 3rd to 7th January at the
Barkatullah University in Bhopal.
FEBRUARY
MODI VISITS 3 WEST ASIAN NATIONS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a four day visit to
three nations, Palestine, United Arab Emirates and
Oman, from 9 to 12 February. This was the first ever
visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Palestine. He
delivered keynote address at the Sixth World
Government Summit in Dubai.
PRESIDENT OF IRAN VISITS INDIA
The Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani came to India on
a three day visit. Both sides signed nine pacts including
ones for the ‘Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on
Income and Extradition Treaty’ besides those relating to
agriculture, health and medicine and the lease of phase-
1 of the Chabahar Port. The two leaders released a joint
postal stamp depicting Kandla port and the Shahid
Behshti port, Chabahar.
CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER ARRIVES IN INDIA
Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau arrived in
India on a seven-day visit aimed at further
strengthening bilateral relations between the two
countries in key areas of mutual interest including trade
and investment, energy, science and innovation, higher
education, infrastructure development, skill
development and space.
FOREST & TREE COVER RISES TO 24.39%
As per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017,
India’s forest and tree cover has increased by 8,021 sq.
km, up 1% since 2015, to total 802,088 sq. km, which is
about 24.39% of the total geographical area (GA) of the
country. India’s total forest cover is 708, 273 sq. km
(about 21.54% of GA) and tree cover is 93,815 sq. km
(about 2.85% of GA). Of the total increase of 8,021 sq.
km in forest and tree cover, forest cover grew by 6,778
sq. km and tree cover by 1,243 sq. km.

INDIA RATIFIES MINAMATA CONVENTION
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for
ratification of Minamata Convention on Mercury,
enabling India to become a Party of the Convention. The
Convention gives 5 years time to India to control and
reduce emissions from new power plants and 10 years
time for the already existing power plants.
Minamata is a Japanese city that has become synonymous
with deadly mercury contamination since 1950. Mercury
is used in the chemical and petrochemical industries and
also in CFLs and thermometers. It is heavily used in small-
scale gold mining to separate gold from the ore.
INDIA 6TH MOST WEALTHY COUNTRY
According to a report by New World Wealth, India,
though ranked 6th was the best performing wealth
market globally in 2017 as its total wealth swelled 25
per cent to $8.23 trillion in 2017, from $ 6.6 trillion in
2016. USA remains the wealthiest at $64.6 trillion,
followed by China ($24.8 trn) and Japan ($19.5 trn).
Total wealth, refers to the private wealth held by all the
individuals living in a country.
INDIA JOINS ASHGABAT AGREEMENT
India has joined Ashgabat Agreement for the
establishment of an International Transport and Transit
Corridor between the Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan. The agreement envisages facilitation of
transit and transportation of goods between Central
Asia and the Persian Gulf. Ashgabat is the capital of
Turkmenistan where this agreement was entered in 2011.
INTERNATIONAL ‘THEATRE OLYMPICS’
For the first time, India hosted the 8th edition of the
Theatre Olympics. The festival started from the Red
Fort, New Delhi, will go on for 51 days, till 8th April,
covering 17 major cities of India. The theme of the
festival was - "Flag of Friendship". More than 25
thousand foreign artists also participated in the festival.
CONFERENCE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS
The 6th Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association (CPA) of India Region was held in Patna. The
2-day conference covered subjects like 'Parliament's
role in the development agenda' and 'Legislature and
Judiciary'. Over 100 delegates from India and abroad,
including Australia, Britain and Uganda, participated in
the conference.
SALARIES UP FOR PRESIDENT & GOVERNORS
The salaries of the President and the Vice-President
have been increased to Rs 5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh per
month, respectively. Salary of State Governors has also
been hiked to Rs. 3.5 lakh. The revised salaries will be
effective from January 01, 2016.
Post New Salary Old Salary
President 5 Lakh 1.5 lakh
Vice President 4 Lakh 1.25 lakh
Governor 3.5 Lakh 1.10 lakh
SALARY OF JUDGES REVISED
With the assent of the President to The High Court and
Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of
Service) Amendment Act, 2018, the Supreme Court and
high court judges will now get a nearly two-fold salary
hike. The salary hiked as per the recommendations of
the 7th Pay Commission, will come into force
retrospectively from January 1, 2016.
Judicial position Revised salary Old salary
Chief Justice of India Rs 2.8 lakh Rs 1 lakh
SC judges and HC
Chief Justices
Rs 2.5 lakh Rs 0.90 lakh
HC judges Rs 2.25 lakh Rs 0.80 lakh

70 YEARS OF CENTRAL STATE FARM
India and Russia celebrated 70 years of bilateral
relations in the field of agriculture at Suratgarh in
Rajasthan. Russia helped in establishing Central State
Farm (CSF) in Suratgarh in 1956.
DECLARE SOURCE OF ASSETS: SC
The Supreme Court has ordered that candidates
contesting elections will have to declare their sources of
income as well as that of spouses and dependents. The
Court ruled that it will be mandatory for candidates to
declare not only their assets but also the source from
which the asset was created so that it was in the public
domain whether the assets/properties were amassed
through legal means or otherwise.
APP LAUNCHED FOR BAMBOO IN HOUSING
A seminar on Emerging Building Materials and
Construction Technologies organized by Building
Materials and Technology Promotion Council was held
in New Delhi. A mobile app ‘Bamtech’ was also launched
on Bamboo Housing & Construction.
INDIA SUFFERS HIGH NMR
According to a latest UNICEF report on the death rates
of newborn babies during the first 28 days of life,
Pakistan is the riskiest nation to be born in, as it has the
highest newborn mortality rates (45.6/1000 births) in
the world. India's neonatal mortality rate (deaths per
1,000 live births) was found to be 25.4, making it the
12th worst among 52 ‘lower-middle-income countries’
that pose risk for newborns. Japan is the best country in
this regard having the rate of less than one death per
thousand babies, followed by Iceland and Singapore.
INDIA’S FIRST ONLINE RADIO
India’s first online radio ‘Radio Umang’ has been
launched from Delhi. 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. Themed around love, peace and
happiness, the station airs enriching talk shows and
soothing soulful music.
MOUs SIGNED WITH OMAN & UAE
India signed eight MoUs with Oman to expand
cooperation in different sectors including defence and
tourism, trade and investment, energy, security, food
security and regional issues. Five MoUs were also signed
with UAE in key areas of energy sector, railways,
manpower and financial services.
INDIA 3rd IN STEEL PRODUCTION
India has overtaken the USA to become the world's
third-largest steel producer, producing 101.4 million
tonnes (MT) of crude steel during 2017, just behind
Japan at 104.7 MT. China remains at top producing
831.7 MT.
DELHI HAS WORST AIR QUALITY
A study of air quality in 280 cities of India has revealed
that people living in eight of every 10 Indian cities
breathe toxic dust particles, PM 10, at levels exceeding
national safety limits. The report titled ‘Airpocalypse II’
released by Green Peace India, has listed Delhi as the
city with the highest (PM10) followed by Haryana’s
Faridabad, Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, Bihar’s Patna, and
Dehradun in Uttarakhand.
INDIA’s FIRST ‘KHADI HAAT’
First ever 'Khadi Haat' in the country was inaugurated
in New Delhi. Entrepreneurs under Prime Minister
Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) will get an
opportunity to display and sell their exquisite products
in this haat.

SEX RATIO SUFFERS SHOCKING DECLINE
The sex ratio at birth i.e. number of female births per
thousand male births saw a decline in 17 out of 21 large
states of the country during 2014-15 to 2015-16.
Gujarat recorded an alarming dip of 53 points to 854
females from 907 females per 1,000 males born. Kerala,
though at top with a ratio of 967, suffered a drop of 7
points. Punjab registered highest growth of 19 points,
from 870 to 889.
The data was released by the Niti Aayog in the report
titled ‘Healthy States, Progressive India’.
INDIA DOWN ON DEMOCRACY INDEX
India slipped 10 ranks to 42nd place on an annual
Global Democracy Index of 165 nations due to “rise of
conservative religious ideologies” and increase in
vigilantism and violence against minorities as well as
other dissenting voices. The list compiled by the London
based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), is topped by
Norway, followed by Iceland and Sweden.
INDIA FARES VERY POORLY IN CORRUPTION
India has been ranked 81st on the global corruption
perception index for 2017, released by Transparency
International, which named the country among the
“worst offenders” in terms of graft and press freedom in
the Asia Pacific region. The index ranks 180 countries
by their perceived levels of public sector corruption.
Best country at top was New Zealand, followed by
Denmark and UK. Somalia was ranked at bottom.
INDIA FAIRS POORLY IN IP RANKING
India has “increased substantially” its score in the latest
International Intellectual Property (IP) Index released
by the US Chambers of Commerce. However, its rank
remains pretty low at 44thplace with 12.03 points in a
list of 50 countries.
India’s ranking, the report said, reflected a relatively
strong performance in the new indicators as well as
positive reform efforts on patentability of computer-
implemented inventions and registration procedures for
well-known marks.
The US tops the list with 37.98 points, followed by the
United Kingdom (37.97) and Sweden (37.03).
 45th edition of IHGF (Indian Handicrafts and Gifts
Fair) Delhi Fair - Spring 2018 organised by Export
Promotion Council for Handicrafts was held at
Greater Noida, UP.
 India will host the World Environment Day this year,
on June 5. The theme this year is ‘Beat Plastic
Pollution’.
 The First ev0er International Kala Mela organised by
the Lalit Kala Akademi and the Ministry of culture
was held in New Delhi.
 The three day World Congress on Information
Technology was held in Hyderabad. Over 2,000
delegates took part in the Congress.
 National Informatics Centre organized National Meet
on Grassroot Informatics- VIVID 2018 in New Delhi
with the theme “Cyber Security and Innovation”.
 A two-day International Conference on Unani
Medicine was held in New Delhi with the theme
“Integration of Unani System of Medicine in
Mainstream Healthcare”.
 The 7th India Energy Congress was held in New
Delhi. This year’s theme was 'Energy 4.0: Energy
Transition Towards 2030'.

 Oxford Dictionaries has chosen ‘Aadhaar’ as the Hindi
word of 2017. The word gained popularity due to
Aadhaar card, which was in news in 2017.
 The World Sustainable Development Summit 2018
was held in New Delhi. The summit’s theme this year
was ‘Partnerships for a Resilient Planet’.
 India’s biggest Global Conference on Pharma Industry
and Medical Devices was held in Bengaluru with the
theme, ‘Driving Next Gen Pharmaceuticals.
 India and United Kingdom jointly launched research
projects on ‘Water Quality Research’ and ‘Energy
Demand Reduction in Built Environment’.
 In order to promote cross border flow of investments
and technology, a revised DTAA (Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement) was signed with Kenya.
NEWS FROM STATES
APRIL
M P TOPS IN PROVIDING WATER TO TRIBALS
Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of 55770 tribal
habitations provided with the safe drinking water,
followed by Odisha 52427, Jharkhand 53476
habitations. As on 21.03.2018, there were 365050
Scheduled Tribe (ST) dominated habitations in the
country, out of which 301858 (82.69%) habitations are
fully covered with provision of safe drinking water
supply and 53090 (14.54%) habitations are partially
covered.
DELHI 1ST TO PROVIDE BS-VI FUEL
In order to combat the rising levels of air pollution, the
Delhi-NCR region on April 1, became the first to begin
supply of ultra-clean Bharat Stage VI grade fuel, both
petrol and diesel. BS-VI fuel has much less Sulphur
content and is equivalent to fuel meeting Euro-VI
emission norms.
TREE PLANTATION ON BANKS OF GANGA
The Ganga Hariteema Yojana, also known as Ganga
Greenery scheme launched in Uttar Pradesh in the 27
districts that are located on the bank of river Ganga. The
scheme aims to enhance the green cover in the
catchment areas by planting trees in one-kilometre
areas from the banks of river to control the land
erosion.
GI TAG FOR 2 TELANGANA PRODUCTS
Chennai based Geographical Indication Registry
awarded Geographical Indication (GI) Tag to two craft
forms from Telangana. First, Adilabad Dokra, artefacts
made by using cast bell metal and second Warangal
Dhurries, popular traditional colourful cotton rugs.
MP- MOST FILM FRIENDLY STATE
Madhya Pradesh was conferred the national award for
the Most Film Friendly State for its efforts towards
easing filming in the State by creating a well-structured
website and film-friendly infrastructure.
TWO LANGUAGES DISCOVERED IN ODISHA
A professor of linguistics in the University of Hyderabad
has discovered two languages “which were lying hidden
from linguists”. One of them is called Walmiki and is
spoken in the district of Koraput of Odisha and on the
bordering districts of Andhra Pradesh. The second is
“Malhar” from North Dravidian subgroup of languages,
spoken in a remote and isolated hamlet of about 75
persons, about 165 km away from Bhubaneswar.

TN LAUNCHES APP FOR FARMERS
The Tamil Nadu Government launched a bi-lingual
mobile app named ‘Uzhavan’ (farmer) to allow farmers’
access to nine types of agriculture related services,
including details about their crop insurance.
 The Mangalore International Airport has been
adjudged the cleanest airport in the country by
the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
 Maharashtra to provide free chemotherapy
treatment to all the cancer patients at district
hospitals.
 The 'Gobardhan Yojana' (cowdung wealth) launched
in Haryana to provide for the sale of organic manure
and cow urine with an aim to benefit farmers.
 The Union Home Ministry completely revoked the
controversial AFSPA from Meghalaya
 West Bengal launched ‘Rupashree’ scheme to provide
one time financial assistance of Rs.25,000 for
marriage of girls from economically weaker families
 The Kadaknath chicken breed of eastern Madhya
Pradesh, whose black meat is special and very
popular, has been granted the coveted GI tag.
 The first health centre under Ayushman Bharat
Scheme was inaugurated in Jangla village of Bijapur
district in Chhattisgarh.
 The World Bank to give $48 million loan for
the development of “Meghalaya Community - Led
Landscapes Management Project”.
 The World Bank agrees for $420 million support for
helping small and marginal farmers in the
Marathwada and Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
 The World Bank agrees to provide $ 210 million loan
for the Madhya Pradesh Rural Connectivity Project.
 The ADB to provide Rs. 1,700 crore aid to
Uttarakhand for infrastructure development and for
sewerage treatment facilities in urban areas.
MARCH
WORLD’s LONGEST SANDSTONE CAVE
World’s longest sandstone cave has been discovered in
Meghalaya, measuring 24,583 mts. The sandstone cave
named Krem Puri was first discovered in 2016, but its
actual length was confirmed recently. It is 6,000m
longer than the current listed sandstone cave in the
world, Cueva El Samán, (18,200m) in Venezuela.
PUNE TOPS IN GOVERNANCE
Pune was ranked at top in the fifth edition of the Annual
Survey of India’s City-Systems done by urban
governance watchdog Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship
and Democracy. The survey evaluated the quality of
governance in India’s cities by assessing laws, policies
and institutional processes currently in place.
ANDHRA TO PROMOTE DIGITAL AWARENESS
The Andhra Pradesh Government launched, Naipunya
Ratham or World on Wheels, a multi-utility vehicle
which aims to bring technology to the remote corners. It
will facilitate and improve digital literacy, digital skills
and create an awareness on various government
schemes in rural areas.
MAHARASHTRA TOPS IN BIOMEDICAL WASTE
A recent study by the ministry of health and family
welfare shows that Maharashtra tops in daily generation
of biomedical waste, producing 71,511kg/day in 2016.
Second is Karnataka (at 66,468kg/day), followed by
Tamil Nadu (40,552kg/day), Kerala (37,773kg/day).
Waste from hospitals, nursing homes, blood banks and
veterinary institutions, including used syringes, bandages,
amputated body parts and other human and animal bio-
waste generated during medical treatment and research
are categorised as bio-medical waste.
WORLD’s LARGEST SOLAR POWER PLANT
The first phase of a 2,000 MW solar park was
inaugurated in the drought-prone Pavagada region of
Tumkur district, Karnataka. The first phase of the Rs.
16,500 crore park called “Shakti Sthala” will generate
600MW, while the balance 1,400MW is expected to be
commissioned by the end of this year.

WEST BENGAL- BEGGARS FIRST CHOICE
The data released by the Union Ministry of Social Justice,
based on 2011 census, shows that there are around 4
lakh beggars in total in the country. The highest number
of beggars, 81,000, is in West Bengal; followed by Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar at number two and three
respectively. Lakshadweep, a union territory, has only
two people (least) begging for their livelihood.
TRIBUNAL FOR MAHANADI WATER DISPUTE
The Centre has constituted a three-member Mahanadi
Water Disputes Tribunal headed by the Supreme Court
Judge AM Khanwilkar to adjudicate the dispute between
Odisha and Chhattisgarh over sharing the river's water.
 Asia's largest tulip garden ‘Indira Gandhi Memorial
Tulip Garden’ was opened for visitors for the current
season in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. The garden
has 12.5 lakh tulip bulbs of 48 varieties.
 Kerala launched ‘M-Kerala’, a unified app for all
government services.
 Kerala has declared Jackfruit has its official state
fruit. Kerala has been producing around 30 to 60
crore jackfruits every year.
 Gujarat's Surat district has become the first district in
the country to run all its 52 Primary Health Centers
fully on solar power.
 A first of its kind museum dedicated to study of
insects has been opened at the Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
 India's tallest national flag was unfurled in Belagavi
(also known as Belgaum) in Karnataka. Measuring
9,600 sq ft, it was hosted on a 110-metre-tall flagpole.
 ADB agrees to grant $80 million loan to help
modernize Technical and Vocational Education and
Training institutions in Himachal Pradesh.
 The Asiatic lions, found only in Gir Forest National
Park, have made a comeback from the brink of
extinction, with their population rising to over 600.
 Diu has become the first Union Territory in India to
meet its 100 percent energy requirements from solar
power.
 A week-long world-famous 29thInternational Yoga
Festival was held at Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh,
Uttarakhand.
 India's first helicopter taxi service was launched
in Bengaluru to fly passengers from Kempegowda
International Airport to Electronic City.
 Odisha launched ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’ programme
to reach out to the people in rural areas and involve
themselves in the developmental activities.
 Maharashtra got its first Mega Food Park - Satara
Mega Food Park at village Degaon, district Satara.
FEBRUARY
HARYANA TO PROVIDE MEALS @ 10
The Haryana government has started ‘Antyodaya
Aahaar Yojana’ for opening subsidised canteens in four
districts-Faridabad, Gurugram, Hissar and Yamunanagar
to offer a meal at Rs. 10 to the poor. The government
plans to establish a total of 23 such canteens.
BENGAL MODEL IS BEST
The Central Government has acknowledged that the
government in West Bengal has used the 100 Days’
Work Scheme (NREGA) very effectively in the service of
garbage disposal and solid waste management. Union
Rural Development Ministry has sent instructions to the
state and union territory governments to study and
implement the Bengal model.

KERALA TOPS THE HEALTH INDEX
Kerala ranked as the best state in NITI Aayog’s latest
Health Index report, followed by Punjab and Tamil
Nadu. The report, for the first time, attempted to
establish an annual systematic tool to measure and
understand the heterogeneity and complexity of the
nation’s performance in the health sector.
ASIA’s BIGGEST TRIBAL FAIR IN TELAGANA
Asia’s biggest biennial tribal fair – ‘Medaram Jathara’
was held in Medaram, a remote village in Eturu
Nagaram forest area in Bhupalapally district of
Telangana. Over one crore devotees from Telangana,
Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha
and Maharashtra are expected to throng the fair to pay
obeisance to tribal deities — Sammakka and Saralakka.
MISSION ONE CLICK LAUNCHED
The Madhya Pradesh government has launched Mission
One Click scheme to distribute the 30 types of
scholarship in schools. The profiles of 1.48 cr. students
of all government and private educational institutions of
the state have been made online for this purpose.
ROBOTS TO CLEAN FOR SEWERS IN KERALA
The Kerala government plans to use robots to clean the
sewer holes in the state with a view to avoid deaths
caused during cleaning. Named 'Bandicoot', the robots
are equipped with Wi-Fi, blue tooth and control panels
and have four limbs and a bucket system attached to a
spider web looking extension to scoop out the waste
from sewers.
DIPC TO BE BUILT IN U P
A new Defence Industrial Production Corridor is being
planned in Uttar Pradesh, at an estimated cost of Rs
20,000 crore and it is expected to generate about
250,000 jobs. The corridor will link Agra, Aligarh,
Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi and Chitrakoot to focus on the
development requirements of Bundelkhand region.
KERALA LINKS VACCINATION TO SCHOOLS
Kerala government has made vaccination compulsory
for school admissions from next academic year
onwards. Parents will have to show details of shots
given to children at the time of enrolment in schools.
UP LAUNCHES ‘DASTAK’ TO FIGHT AES/JE
Uttar Pradesh along with UNICEF has launched
massive door to door campaign DASTAK to eradicate
deadly Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese
Encephalitis (JE) disease in the state. The war cry of
DASTAK is 'Darwaja Khatkhatao, AES aur JE ko bhagao'.
2 NEW GANGA PROJECTS IN UTTRAKHAND
Two new projects, Gangotri Swachh Iconic Place project
and Swajal -- a community owned drinking water
programme were launched in Uttarakhand in Uttarkashi
district. Under another special initiative, the Bagori
Ganga Gram project was launched in Bagori village for
a solid and liquid waste management scheme.
OLA TO LAUNCH RIVER TAXI IN ASSAM
Assam signed a MoU with the cab aggregator Ola to
launch an app-based river taxi service in Guwahati. The
river taxis will be machine-operated boats and users
will be able to book the rides through Ola's app.
GOPALGANJ TOPS IN MAKING TOILETS
Gopalganj district of Bihar has set a new record by
constructing 11,244 toilets in only 100 hours. Three
thousand masons and over five thousand labourers
were engaged in construction work of toilets.

BENGAL NO TO HEALTH PROTECTION SCHEME
Bengal government has announced the decision to opt
out of Centre’s National Health Protection Scheme as the
state has already enrolled 50 lakh people under its
own Swasthya Sathi programme.
 An Inter-Ministerial Committee on Medicinal and
Aromatic Plants has been constituted for the North
Eastern Region.
 To keep the world famous one-horned rhinoceros
under the global spotlight, Assam has decided to
commemorate September 22 as 'Rhino Day'.
 Telangana signed a MoU with the Taoyuan City of
Taiwan for better technology partnership in the state.
 Uttar Pradesh's Khadi and Village Industries
Board has signed a pact with Amazon India to
facilitate online selling of Khadi products.
 On January 20, the Chhatrapati Shivaji airport
Mumbai, created a world record for single-runway
operations by handling 980 arrivals and take-offs in
24 hours.
 A first of its kind, Centre for learning Sanskrit was
launched in Gujarat University, Ahmadabad. It will
offer a 6 month course on how to speak Sanskrit.
 The Maharashtra has approved Ghodazari, covering
Brahmpuri forests in Chandrapur district as a new
wildlife sanctuary in the state.
 Jharkhand government plans to built the world’s
tallest Buddha stupa at Itkhori in district Chatra,
Jharkhand.
 A three-day international bird festival was held at
the Dudhwa National Park, Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar
Pradesh from 9 to 11 February.
 The Institute of Directors organised its 12th
International Conference on Corporate Social
Responsibility in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
 Asian Development Bank to give $84 million loan to
finance water supply projects in two cities of Bihar.
 The New Development Bank (of BRICS) to provide
$100 million loan for the financing of Rajasthan
Water Sector Restructuring Project for the Desert.
 The World Bank to provide $100 million loan for
Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project for
boosting up the rural economy.
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
APRIL
ORDINANCE PASSED ON CHILD RAPE CASES
Alarmed by the outrage over the rape and murder of an
eight-year-old girl in Kathua in J-K and similar rape
crimes in other parts of the country, the President
approved The Criminal Law (Amendment)
Ordinance providing death penalty for those convicted
of raping girls below age 12 years.
The ordinance stipulates stringent penalty for
perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and
12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists
of girls less than 12 years.
The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has
been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven
years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.
ORDINANCE TO REIN IN FUGITIVES
The President gave his consent to the Fugitive Economic
Offenders Ordinance, 2018, which lays down measures
to empower authorities to attach and confiscate
proceeds of crime and properties of economic offenders,
including scamsters and loan defaulters, who flee the
country. With investigating agencies taking up several
bank scam-related cases, issuing the ordinance is seen
as a good deterrent.

RASHTRIYA GRAM SWARAJ ABHIYAN
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved
the restructured centrally sponsored scheme of
Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan. The scheme will help
more than 2.55 lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions to
develop e-governance capabilities for achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through
inclusive local governance.
NHM TO FIGHT HEPATITIS
The National Health Mission has decided to roll out
'Integrated initiative for prevention & control of viral
hepatitis' with a budget of more than 517 crore rupees
for a period of next three years. Hepatitis is liver
inflammation due to a viral infection. It may present in
acute or chronic forms.
The most common causes of viral hepatitis are the five
unrelated hepatotropic viruses hepatitis A, hepatitis B,
hepatitis C, hepatitis D and hepatitis E.
POSHAN ABHIYAAN TO COVER 235 DISTRICTS
The government has decided to cover 235 districts in
the second phase of its POSHAN Abhiyaan (National
Nutrition Mission) which aims to reduce stunting,
under-nutrition, anaemia among children, women and
adolescent girls along with reducing low birth weight in
the country.
The mission targets to bring down stunting among
children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25%
by 2022. It is being implemented by the Ministry of
Women and Child Development.
Acronym POSHAN stands for- PM's Overarching Scheme
for Holistic Nourishment.
UNNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN–PH II
The HRD ministry launched the second edition of the
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan under which students from 750
higher educational institutions like IITs, IIMs and
universities from across the country will adopt villages
and visit them to resolve the problems faced by them.
ATAL NEW INDIA CHALLENGE LAUNCHED
The NITI Aayog has launched the Atal New India
Challenge under the Atal Innovation Mission. It will
invite prospective innovators, MSMEs and start-ups to
design market-ready products across 17 identified focus
areas such as climate smart agriculture, smart mobility
and waste management.
SMART HEALTH APP FOR ASHA WORKERS
Researchers have developed an innovative app ‘Smart
Health’ to enable ‘ASHA’ community health workers
track the growing burden of non-communicable
diseases such as diabetes in the rural areas.
PORTAL LAUNCHED FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
HRD ministry launched ‘Study in India’ portal as a single
window to cover all aspects relating to studying in India
for foreign students. The website will not only provide
information on the latest offerings on Indian education
but also facilitate admissions to the foreign students and
help them make informed choices based on individual
aptitudes and career goals.
PROTECTED AREA PERMIT RELAXED
The Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-
old Protected Area Permit regime from Nagaland,
Mizoram and Manipur for five years. The Foreign
tourists, except those from Pakistan, China and
Afghanistan, will now be allowed to visit some of the
most pristine locations of the country.
PROGRAMME TO MANAGE AIR POLLUTION
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change released the draft of the National Clean Air
Programme to focus on multiple strategies to reduce air
pollution. The programme calls for an efficient data
distribution and public outreach mechanism for timely
measures to prevent and mitigate air pollution.

NEW APP LAUNCHED FOR FOREIGNERS
Government launched a web-based application, the e-
Foreigners Regional Registration Office (e-FRRO)
Scheme to provide fast and efficient services to
foreigners visiting India so that they have a pleasant
hassles free stay.
The scheme aims to build a centralized, transparent
online platform for the foreigners to avail 27 visa related
services in a faceless, cashless and paperless manner.
AADHAAR TO HAVE QR CODE
To provide an extra layer of privacy to Aadhaar, UIDAI
has introduced an updated ‘QR code’ that holds details
like name, address, photo, and date of birth, and can be
used for offline user verification without showing the
12-digit ID number.
Aadhaar holders can download and print their biometric
ID with the QR code from the website of Unique
Identification Authority of India or its mobile app.
COMMITTEE TO STUDY ‘FEAR’ OF MATHS
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development
constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of
Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama
to eliminate the fear of maths among the students. The
committee will also suggest the ways to make the Maths
subject easy and will submit its report in July 2018.
PROJECT DHOOP TO VITAMIN D
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) launched 'Project Dhoop', an initiative aimed at
shifting the school assembly time to noon to
ensure maximum absorption of Vitamin D in
students through natural sunlight
‘UTTAM’ TO MONITOR COAL QUALITY
Government launched UTTAM app for coal quality
monitoring. The word 'UTTAM' stands for 'Unlocking
Transparency by Third Party Assessment of Mined Coal'.
The app aims to provide an App for all citizens and coal
consumers to monitor the process of Third Party
Sampling of coal across CIL subsidiaries.
MARCH
AYUSHMAN BHARAT LAUNCHED
The Union Cabinet has approved the launch of
Ayushman Bharat -National Health Protection Mission.
The Scheme will provide medical benefit cover of 5 lakh
rupees per family per year. The scheme aims to cover
over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families.
NEW SCHEME FOR SCHOOL EDUCATION
Govt has approved an Integrated School Education
Scheme by merging Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and
Teacher Education (TE) from 1 April, 2018. The new
scheme will ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education from nursery to senior secondary stage in
accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal for
Education.
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PLATFORM
NITI Aayog launched the Women Entrepreneurship
Platform on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
The initiative is aimed at promoting a vibrant ecosystem
for supporting and strengthening women entrepreneur-
ship. The initiative will work on three pillars:
Ichha Shakti: Motivating aspiring entrepreneurs to
start their enterprise
Gyaan Shakti: Providing knowledge support required
for stating an enterprise
Karma Shakti: Providing hands-on support in setting-
up the enterprise.

NATIONAL NUTRITION MISSION LAUNCHED
The Prime Minister launched the National Nutrition
Mission from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. It is a
comprehensive approach towards raising nutrition level
in the country on a war footing by introducing IT based
solutions to improve and record functioning of
Anganwadi Workers.
It will also comprise setting-up of Nutrition Resource
Centres and involving masses through Jan Andolan for
their participation in improving nutrition awareness.
The mission targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition
among young children, women and adolescent girls and
reduce low birth weight by at least 2 per cent per annum.
EFFORTS TO PROMOTE TRIBAL PRODUCTS
The Tribal Coop. Marketing Development Federation of
India (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
launched “e-Tribes India” to promote expansion of tribal
commerce and the availability of tribal products over
large area, reaping greater benefits for tribal artisans.
TRIFED also launched M-commerce app and ‘Tribes
India’ banners at Amazon, Snapdeal, Paytm and GeM.
SATH-E TO TRANSFORM SCHOOL EDUCATION
NITI Aayog released comprehensive roadmaps and
detailed timelines for its initiative Sustainable Action for
Transforming Human Capital in Education (SATH-E)
project. It will introduce system-wide governance
transformation in School Education initially in 3
participating States-Jharkhand, M P and Odisha to make
them ‘Role Model States’ in school education.
‘SUKHAD YATRA’ APP FOR HIGHWAY USERS
The National Highways Authority of India, NHAI, has
launched ‘Sukhad Yatra’ mobile app to empower the
highway user. The app includes provision for the user to
enter road quality-related information or to report any
accident or pothole on the highway. It will provide all
necessary highway relates information such as
emergency help, places of interest, petrol pumps etc, on
a real time basis with location tracking feature.
'LAQSHYA' TO IMPROVE LABOUR ROOMS
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
launched 'LaQshya' Initiative- 'Labour Room Quality
Improvement Initiative' to improve the quality of care in
Labour rooms especially on the day of birth for
enhancing maternal and neonatal survival. It aims to
prevent adverse outcomes associated with childbirth.
‘INNOVATION CELL’ SET UP IN HRD MINISTRY
Government has decided to set up an Innovation Cell in
the HRD Ministry to strengthen innovation efforts,
leading to the creation of a new India. The cell would be
headed by a Scientist and will comprise of a senior
ministry official and young professionals who would
bring forth new ideas in promoting innovation.
‘SUVIDHA’ SANITARY NAPKINS LAUNCHED
Government has launched the 100 per cent Oxo-
biodegradable Sanitary Napkin named ‘Suvidha’ under
the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana. It
will be available for Rs 2.50 per pad at over 3200
Janaushadhi Kendras across India and would ensure
‘Swachhta, Swasthya and Suvidha’ for the
underprivileged Women of India.
UDYAM SAKHI PORTAL LAUNCHED
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSME) launched Udyam Sakhi (saheli of entrepreneur)
Portal for women entrepreneurs of India to nurture
entrepreneurship and create business models for low
cost products and services in order to empower women.
The portal would provide assistance for
entrepreneurship learning tools, incubation facility,
training programs, fund raising, providing mentors, etc.

‘CITIZEN SERVICES’ APP LAUNCHED
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has
introduced a Mobile App ‘Citizen Services’, which is a
bouquet of 9 police related services, for the citizen. It
can be used by the citizens for various services such as
registering police complaint and checking its status,
viewing FIR detail, sending SOS, locating police stations
and getting access to emergency contact list and police
stations telephone directory.
2018 - NATIONAL YEAR OF MILLETS
The government has decided to declare 2018 as
'National Year of Millets to boost the cultivation of
millets on a mission mode to achieve nutritional
security. The push will promote cultivation of Jowar,
Bajra, Ragi. Millet cultivation has declined due to
change in dietary habits and unavailability of millets
leading to deficiency of nutrients like proteins, Vitamin-
A, iron and iodine among women and children.
BILL TO REIN IN ECONOMIC OFFENDERS
Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of
National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA). 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.
UREA SUBSIDY TO CONTINUE TILL 2019-20
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved the proposal of Department of Fertilizers to
continue Urea Subsidy Scheme up to 2019-20 at a total
estimated cost of Rs 1,64,935 cr. and for disbursement
of fertilizer subsidy. The decision implies that there will
be no increase in the price of urea till 2020.
RULES TO BAN USE OF POPs
The Union Environment Ministry notified new
Regulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) Rules,
2018 that ban the manufacture, trade, use, import and
export of the seven toxic chemicals listed under the
Stockholm Convention. The POPs are organic chemical
substances, mostly used in pesticides, which are toxic to
both humans and wildlife.
AWARDS FOR THE BEST INVESTIGATORS
For promoting high professional standards among
police forces, the government has decided to institute an
award for carrying out best investigation of crime. The
award - Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in
Police Investigation - will be given to the best
investigators from the rank of Sub-Inspector to
Superintendent of Police.
REPORTING OF TB CASES MADE MANDATORY
The Union Health Ministry has notified that all
pharmacies and chemists dispensing anti-tuberculosis
drugs will have to notify TB patients along with details
of medicines and a copy of the prescriptions
electronically or in hard copy to the nodal officer of the
district. Failure to do so will attract legal action and
penalties. The decision aims to trace the missing TB
cases by strengthening the reporting system.
INDIA TO BE TB FREE BY 2025
The Prime Minister has give clarion call to achieve the
Sustainable Development goal of ending TB by 2025, 5
years, before the deadline set by the UN. A National
Strategic Plan for TB elimination has been launched for
this purpose. This plan is backed by a historic funding of
over 12,000 crore rupees for the next three years. It
aims at ensuring access to quality diagnosis, treatment,
and support for every TB patient.

INDIA 2017 AND BHARAT 2017
The two exhaustive
reference annuals, the
flagship publications
brought out by
Publications Division of
the Government of India,
were released on Feb 27
in New Delhi. It deals with
all aspects of country’s
development from rural
to urban, industry to
infrastructure, science
and technology to human
resource development,
art and culture, policy, economy, health, defence,
education and mass communication.
It also gives a glimpse of flagship programmes of the
Government, important events of the year and the story of
Indian States & Union Territories with their vital
statistics.
JOINT FORUM FOR INDIAN METROS
An association of all Indian Metro Rail companies has
been formed, named ‘I-Metro’. It will be a forum to
exchange ideas, knowledge pool and share experiences,
best practices, innovations, etc among the Indian Metro
rail companies to nurture excellence in performance.
BAAL AADHAAR WITHOUT BIOMETRICS
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has
introduced a blue coloured 'Baal Aadhaar' card for
children below the age of five years. Initially, the card
will be issued without any biometric details. However,
once they turn five, they will be required to complete a
mandatory verification process, and again when they
are 15 years old.
PMEGP EXTENDED UP TO 2020
The government has decided to extend the Prime
Minister's Employment Generation Programme
(PMEGP) beyond 12th Plan for three years from 2017-
18 to 2019-20 to provide better self employment
opportunities.
SALARY, ALLOWANCES REVISED FOR MPs
The Union Cabinet has approved amendment to various
rules that decide the amount of allowances to the
Member of Parliament. The new rates will be effective
from 1st of April this year and will be increased every
five years starting April 1, 2023, based on the Cost of
Inflation Index. The basic pay of the parliamentarians is
also set to be doubled to Rs. 1 lakh, w.e.f. April 1.
Expenditure head Old limit Revised limit
Furniture at residence 75,000 1,00,000
Constituency Allowance 45,000 70,000
Office Expense
Allowance
45,000 60,000
Wi-Fi facility 1700 2200
NOW ENJOY JAPANESE FOOD IN DELHI
Department of Posts launched the Cool EMS Service
between Japan and India to allow Indian customers to
import Japanese food items in specially cooled boxes for
personal use. Initially, the service will be available in
Delhi only. EMS – Express Mail Service
GOVT TO FOCUS ON SERVICES SECTOR
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of the
Department of Commerce to give focused attention to
12 identified Champion Services Sectors for promoting
their development, and realizing their potential. These
include IT & ITeS, Tourism and Hospitality Services,
Medical Value Travel, Transport and Logistics Services,
Audio Visual Services, Legal Services, Communication
Services, Construction and Engineering Services,
Environmental Services, Financial Services and
Education Services.

 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk
Industry for the next three years from 2017-20.
 Govt. has launched India’s first sign language
dictionary with the aim of removing the
communication barriers between the deaf and
hearing communities.
 Heralding a new beginning in the diplomatic ties
between India and Israel, the Air India has
introduced a thrice a week direct flight from New
Delhi to Tel Aviv.
FEBRUARY
STREE SWABHIMAN INITIATIVE LAUNCHED
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has
launched Stree Swabhiman Initiative. Its aim is to create
sustainable model for providing adolescent girls and
women an access to affordable sanitary products by
leveraging Common Service Centres (CSCs). They will
provide access to affordable, reliable and modern (eco-
friendly) sanitary napkins to adolescent girls and
women in rural areas.
INDO-HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL RELEASED
India’s first ever manual laying down guidelines on
when and how to expand or manage different types of
roads was released in New Delhi. Titled ‘Indo-Highway
Capacity Manual’, it lays down parameters for capacity
augmentation of roads based on a country-wide study of
traffic characteristics on different categories of roads
such as single lane, two-lane, multi-lane urban roads,
inter-urban highways and expressways and the
intersections of these roads.
‘KUSUM’ LAUNCHED FOR SOLAR POWER
Government launched Kisan Urja Suraksha evam
Utthaan Mahaabhiyan (KUSUM) Scheme to encourage
farmers for solar farming. The scheme aims for
decentralized solar power production of up to 28250
megawatt (MW) over a period of five years.
562 MORE EKALAVYA SCHOOLS
The Centre will set up 562 more Ekalavya Model
Residential Schools in tribal areas of the country to
provide free quality education and boarding and lodging
facilities to tribal students. 271 such schools have
already been sanctioned out of which, 190 are currently
operational. By the year 2022, every block having tribal
population of 20,000 or more tribals, will have an
Ekalavya School.
Point to Ponder..!!
STONE BREAKERS
In a city, a grand temple was under construction.
A number of laboureres were working there, most
of them breaking stones. A passerby impressed
by their work, stopped for a while and asked a
labourer as to what he was doing? Apparently a
bit annoyed, the labourer responded, “Can’t you
see, I’m smashing stones. I have to do it as I’ve no
other better work to do.”
The man moved a little further and asked the
same question to another labourer. He replied,
“I’m breaking stones that will be used for making
a grand temple. I come here for this work.”
Now the man moved to another worker and
repeated his question. This third person replied,
“I’m working for making a big temple and
consider myself lucky to be part of such a
prestigious project.”
The three were doing the same work, but each
with a different perception.
The first man sees his work as a task that he has
to do. The second man sees his work as his job
but it’s the third man who is happy to do what he
is doing because he is clear about the bigger
picture and his value addition.
Which worker you would like to be?

SCHEME TO PROMOTE SCIENE RESEARCH
Union Cabinet has approved implementation of Prime
Minister's Research Fellows (PMRF) scheme at a total
cost of 1,650 crore rupees for a period of seven years
beginning 2018-19. The scheme was announced in the
Union Budget for 2018-19.
Under this scheme, best students among those who have
completed or are in the final year of B. Tech or Integrated
M.Tech or M.Sc. in Science and Technology streams from
IISc or IITs or NITs or IISERs or IIITs, will be offered
direct admission in PhD programme in the IITs or IISc.
PRIVATE COAL MINING ALLOWED
In a major reform in the coal sector since its
nationalisation in 1973, the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA) has now allowed private
companies mining of coal for commercial use, ending
the monopoly of state-owned Coal India Ltd.
Currently, the private sector is allowed coal mining for
captive use only. The move will lead to higher
investments and create lakhs of direct and indirect jobs.
Apart from increasing competitiveness, it will allow the
use of best possible technology into the sector.
ISRO TO ESTABLISH VRCs
To demonstrate the potential of satellite technology for
development of rural areas, ISRO has established Village
Resource Centres (VRCs) on a pilot basis, in association
with selected NGOs, trusts and state government. VRCs
provide various space technology enabled services such
as tele-healthcare, tele-education, natural resources
information, advisories related to agriculture, career
guidance to rural students, skill development and
vocational training etc.
DL TO BE LINKED WITH AADHAAR
The government is planning to make linking of driving
licences with Aadhaar number mandatory to check fake
licences. A software for covering all states on a real time
basis for this purpose is under preparation. Meanwhile,
a draft notification has been issued to consider Aadhaar
as a valid proof of age and address for driving license.
PLASTIC/PVC AADHAAR CARD NOT NEEDED
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has
clarified that the plastic or PVC Aadhaar Smart Cards are
not usable as the QR code mentioned on them usually
becomes dysfunctional during printing. UIDAI also made
clear that Aadhaar letter or its cutaway portion or
downloaded versions of Aadhaar on ordinary paper or
mAadhaar are perfectly valid.
SPECIAL FUND FOR HOUSING SCHEMES
Union Cabinet has approved the creation of National
Urban Housing Fund with a corpus of 60,000 crore
rupees. The fund will be under the Building Materials
and Technology Promotion Council in the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs. The fund will ensure
smooth flow of Central Assistance under different
housing schemes.
24 NEW MEDICAL COLLEGES
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
gave its approval for setting up 24 new medical colleges
in under-served areas, increasing the under and post
graduate medical seats by 18,058 and adding 248
nursing and midwifery schools.
TARGET HIKED FOR UJJWALA YOJNA
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved
enhancement of the target of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala
Yojana (PMUY) for providing LPG connections to BPL
families, to 8 crore from 5 crore at present. The hiked
target will be achieved by 2020 with an additional
allocation of Rs 4800 crore.

ECONOMY & INDUSTRY
APRIL
IMF PUTS INDIA’S GROWTH AT 7.4%
The International Monetary Fund, IMF has said that
India is expected to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2018 and 7.8
per cent in 2019 and would re-emerge as one of the
fastest growing major economies in the period primarily
due to the strong private consumption as well as fading
effects of the demonetisation good results of GST.
INDIA POISED TO GROW BY 7.3% - WB
The World Bank in its recent report has said that India’s
GDP growth is expected to accelerate from 6.7 in 2017
to 7.3 per cent in 2018 and to stabilise subsequently,
supported by a sustained recovery in private investment
and private consumption. The bank also noted that
Indian economy has recovered from the negative effects
of demonetisation and the stablisation of Goods and
Services Tax implementation.
ADB PROJECTS INDIA’S GROWTH AT 7.3%
According to the Asian Development Bank - ADB, India's
economic growth is set to rise to 7.3 per cent this fiscal
and further to 7.6 percent in the next financial year, on
back of GST and banking reforms.
INDIA GETS SUPER SPEED LOCO
India's first 12,000 horsepower electric super speed
locomotive was delivered to Indian Railways
from Madhepura locomotive factory in Bihar. The
locomotive has been made with the help of French
company Alstom under 'Make In India' Project. It is
capable of pulling long goods train with speed up to 120
kms per hour.
INDIA IS 6th LARGEST ECONOMY
According to the database of the IMF’s World Economic
Outlook report for April 2018, India’s GDP reached $2.6
trillion in 2017, becoming the world’s sixth largest
economy, displacing France. The top 3 economies of the
world as per the report are – 1. USA, 2. China, 3. Japan.
CONTAINER TRAIN FOR BANGLSDESH
The trial run of the first container train between India
and Bangladesh was flagged off from Kolkata city. The
train left for Bangladesh with 60 containers loaded with
almost 1,200 tonnes of de-oiled cake, used as a raw
material for animal feed.
TCS NEARS $100 BILLION MARKET CAP
With a surge in profits, shares of the Tata Consultancy
Services touched a record high price of Rs.3,406.40 on
April20, leading to a market capitalisation of Rs. 6.52
lakh crore or a little more than $98 billion, the highest
ever by an Indian company.
JIO AND AIRTEL EXCEL IN 4G
As per the London-based OpenSignal, Reliance Jio
topped the charts of 4G availability and was able to
provide an LTE signal more than 95 per cent of the time
to testers in every single region in India. Airtel emerged
as the clear leader in speed metrics across 4G providers
in the country.
 With production of 11 million mobiles in 2017, India
is now the second-largest mobile producer in the
world after China, replacing Vietnam to third place.
 The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
approved $140 million loan to improve rural road
connectivity in India.
 Country's foreign exchange reserves hit a life-time
high of $ 426.08 billion on April 13 after rising by
$1.22 billion in the previous week.
 India has emerged as the top recipient of FDI from
within the Commonwealth and is the 2nd most
lucrative source of investment in the Group, after UK.

MARCH
GDP GROWTH JUMPS TO 7.2%
As per the second advanced estimates of the Central
Statistics Office (CSO), the economy is expected to grow
at 6.6% in the current fiscal ending March 31, 2018 as
the quarter ending Dec 31, 2017 recorded very high
growth rate of 7.2 per cent. This is the sign of recovery
after growth took a hit following the twin disruptions of
demonetisation and GST.
INDIA TO GROW BY 6.5% - FITCH
International rating agency Fitch has projected India's
economic growth to rise to 7.3 per cent in 2018-19 and
further to 7.5 per cent in 2019-20. Its Global Economic
Outlook report has projected Indian economy to grow
by 6.5 per cent in 2017-18, slightly less than official
estimates of 6.6 per cent by the Central Statistics Office.
MOODY’s PROJECT INDIA’s GROWTH AT 7.6%
Moody's Investors Service has estimated that Indian
economy will grow 7.6 per cent in calendar year 2018
(Jan to Dec) and 7.5 per cent in 2019, amid signs of
economic recovery from impact of demonetisation/GST.
INDIA IMPORTS LNG FROM USA
After crude oil, India has now decided to import natural
gas from the US. The first shipment of LNG was flagged
off from Louisiana, a port town in south-east USA.
State-owned gas utility GAIL India has contracted for
import of 3.5 million tonnes per annum of liquefied
natural gas (LNG) from Cheniere Energy, Inc.
INDIA 4th LARGEST VEHICLE SELLER
Selling over 4 million vehicles in 2017, India has
overtaken Germany to become the fourth largest
automobile market in the world, growing by 9.5 per cent
over 2016. The top three include China – 29.12 mn, USA-
17.58 mn and Japan – 5.24 mn.
RAILWAYS TO USE PoS FOR BILLING
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
(IRCTC) has introduced billing through Point of Sale
(POS) hand-held machines in trains to check
overcharging by vendors. This will help not only
making passengers aware of relevant information but
also in improving the passenger satisfaction.
ADB TO FINANCE INDIAN RAILWAYS
The Asian Development Bank has committed $120
million loan for completion of works for double-tracking
and electrification of railways tracks along high-density
corridors to improve operational efficiency.
TRAINS REPORTING SYSTEM UPGRADED
Railways Ministry has discontinued the practice of
manually recording punctuality of trains at major
railway junctions across the country. Arrival and
departure of trains now will be recorded with data
loggers to establish authentic punctuality status.
A data logger is an electronic device that records data
over time by sensing status of relays.
AIIB TO FUND INDIA’s INFRASTRUCTURE
China-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB) has approved $ 1.5 billion in loans to India for
infrastructure-related projects in 2018. The funds
would be used for investment in India's energy, roads
and urban development projects.
 Iraq has become India’s biggest crude oil supplier by
overtaking Saudi Arabia with a wide margin in the
current financial year.
 Indian Oil Corp has launched home-delivery of diesel
on a pilot basis in Pune and plans to expand the same
to other parts of the country in near future.
 Government has decided to sell up to 76 percent stake
in Air India and transfer the management control to
private players.

FEBRUARY
CLASSIFICATION CHANGED FOR MSME UNITS
The government has reclassified the micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSME) on the basis of turnover
rather than investment in plant and machinery /
equipment as at present. This will also give them the
benefit of corporate tax cuts announced in the Union
Budget. Corporate tax for units with turnover up to Rs
250 cr has been reduced to 25 % from 30 % at present.
Size of Unit Annual Turnover
Micro Up to 5 cr
Small Over 5 cr up to 75cr
Medium Over 75 cr up to 250cr
Large Over 250CR
NO JUNK FOOD AD ON CARTOON CHANNELS
Food and Beverage Alliance of India (FBIA) has decided
to voluntarily restrict food and beverage advertise-
ments, particularly those showing junk food having high
fat / sugar / salt, on cartoon channels.
ADB LOAN FOR RURAL ROADS
Asian Development Bank to grant $250 million loan to
finance the construction of over 6,200 kilometres all-
weather rural roads in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal under the Pradhan
Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
 The South Central Railway (SCR) has become the first
railway zone in the country to complete 100% LED
lighting at all the 733 stations under its jurisdiction.
 A new train named Palace Queen Humsafar
Express has been launched between Mysuru,
Karnataka and Udaipur in Rajasthan.
BANKING & FINANCE
APRIL
NO CHANGES IN REPO RATES
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by RBI
Governor Urjit Patel announced the first bi-monthly
policy review for 2018-19 on April 5. The Bank
maintained status quo in key rates citing uncertainties
over inflation, which may be fuelled by rising crude oil
prices, fiscal slippages and higher prices of food grain.
It expects the growth rate to accelerate to 7.4% in 2018-
19, up from 6.6% last fiscal, ended March 31, mainly on
account of revival of investment activity.
RBI TO SET UP DATA LAB
RBI has decided to set up Data Sciences Lab to improve
its forecasting, surveillance and early warning detection
abilities which will aid policy formulation. The lab will
comprise experts and budding analysts who are trained
in Computer Science, Data Analytics, Statistics,
Economics, Econometrics and Finance.
RBI’s NO TO DEALING IN CRYPTOCURRECIES
The RBI directed all banks and financial institutions not
to provide services to businesses dealing in virtual
currencies like Bitcoins, so as to protect consumer
interest and check money laundering. The RBI has also
directed all payment system operators to store all data
within India.
KYC GUIDELINES REVISED BY RBI
In view of the revised 'Prevention of Money Laundering'
rules, the RBI has revised its "Know Your
Customer"(KYC) guidelines by making linking of
national biometric ID Aadhaar to bank accounts
mandatory. In the amended Customer Due Diligence
(CDD) procedure, the Aadhaar number, the PAN or
Form No. 60 need to be obtained from an individual who
is eligible for applying for the biometric ID.

INVESTMENT LIMITS RAISED0 FOR FPIs
The RBI hiked the investment limits for foreign portfolio
investors (FPIs) across all segments, up to Rs. 6,49,900
crore which will cumulatively result in an increase of
more than Rs. 1 lakh crore in fiscal year 2018-19.
KOTAK MAHINDRA BEATS SBI IN MARKET CAP
In one of the biggest of achievements, Kotak Mahindra
Bank has just become the second largest lender in India
in terms of market capitalization, surpassing the largest
public sector bank State Bank of India (SBI), which
slipped to third position, the first being the HDFC Bank.
The market capitalisation of the Kotak jumped to Rs 2.23
lakh crore to reach marginally higher ground against SBI
at Rs 2.22 lakh crore.
NABARD CAPITAL HIKED TO Rs.300 Bn
As part of the drive to double the income of farmers by
2022, the government has raised the authorised capital
of NABARD by six times from 50 billion to Rs 300
billion to help it increase its lending to the rural
economy.
SBI OPENS SUBSIDIARY IN UK
The SBI has announced the launch of its UK subsidiary,
SBI (UK) Limited with an initial capital of £225 million.
SBI will become the first foreign bank in the UK to ring
fence its retail division from its wholesale business.
ICICI BANK FINED 58.9 CRORE
The RBI imposed a penalty of Rs. 58.9 crore on ICICI
Bank for not complying with norms relating to sale of
bonds from held-to-maturity (HTM) portfolio.
The securities acquired by banks with the intention to
hold them till maturity, are classified under HTM.
MARCH
NEW PSL NORMS FOR FOREIGN BANKS
The RBI has further tightened the priority sector lending
(PSL) norms for foreign banks with 20 or more
branches. Now they have to create sub-targets for small
and marginal farmers as well as for micro enterprises
(MSMEs).
A sub-target of 8 percent of Adjusted Net Bank Credit
(ANBC) or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance
Sheet Exposure (CEOBE), whichever is higher, shall
become applicable for lending to the small and marginal
farmers from FY 2018-19.
The sub-target of 7.50 percent of ANBC or CEOBE,
whichever is higher, for lending to the Micro Enterprises
shall also becomes applicable from FY 2018-19.
Further, RBI has withdrawn the credit limits for service
sector MSMEs for PSL, making all loans made to MSMEs
in service sector eligible for PSL, without any limits.
The PSL norms mandate foreign banks to lend 40 % of
their total loans to the priority sector, such as agriculture,
rural infra and MSMEs among others, from April 2020.
ACTION AGAINST WILLFUL DEFAULTERS
Tightening the noose around willful defaulters, the
government has asked banks to 'name and shame' such
borrowers by publishing their photographs and other
details in newspapers. The number of willful defaulters,
who did not repay loans to public sector banks despite
the capacity to do so, rose to 9,063 at the end of
December, 2017.
PASSPORT DETAILS MUST FOR BIG LOANS
With a view to enable banks to take timely action and
inform the relevant authorities to prevent fraudsters
from fleeing the country, it has been decided to make
mandatory to seek passport details of borrowers taking
loans of Rs 50 crore and more. For all existing loans of
over Rs 50 crore, banks have been asked to collect
passport details of borrowers within 45 days.

EXIM BANK TO FINANCE WEST AFRICA
The Export-Import Bank of India will provide a $500
million credit facility to Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS), a group of 15 countries in
southern and western Africa, to fund various
development projects in these countries.
SWIFT TO PROVIDE GPI TRACKER
Global financial services body SWIFT has announced the
extension of its GPI (Global Payments Innovation)
Tracker to cover all payment instructions sent across
the network, enabling its member banks to track all
their SWIFT payment instructions at all times.
INSTANT OD FROM ICICI BANK
ICICI Bank has launched instant overdraft ‘InstaOD’
facility for MSME (Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises) customers in a completely online and
paperless manner. Customers can get overdraft facility
up to Rs 15 lakh for a year anytime, anywhere using the
bank’s Internet and mobile banking app. The facility can
be availed instantly without visiting a branch and
without submitting physical documents.
 The government has fixed the agriculture credit
target of 11 lakh crore rupees for banks for the year
2018-19 against last year’s target of 10 lakh crore
rupees.
 A Rs 350 commemorative coin will be released to
mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind
Singh, the 10th and last Sikh Guru.
 The RBI has discontinued Letters of Undertaking
(LoUs) and Letters of Comfort (LoCs) for Trade
Credits with immediate effect.
 The RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs. 50 million on
Airtel Payments Bank Ltd. for contravening operating
guidelines for payments banks and the directions on
know your customer (KYC) norms.
 RBI imposed a penalty of Rs 40 lakh on State Bank of
India for non-compliance of its directions on
detection and impounding of counterfeit notes.
 Two new commemorative coins in denominations of
Rs 10 and Rs 1,000 were launched to commemorate
Lord Jagannath's Nabakalebara festival.
 HDFC Bank signed a MoU with the Government e-
Marketplace (GeM) for agriculture to offer its
services to the Central and state govt organisations.
FEBRUARY
NPA LIMIT RAISED FOR MSMEs
The RBI has allowed additional time for loan repayment
to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
affected by the GST, to avoid their accounts being
classified as NPA.
Amounts overdue as on Sep. 1, 2017 and payments due
between Sep. 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018 (will) be
allowed by banks and NBFCs to be paid not later than
180 days from their original due date.
This relaxation will be available only to those firms whose
aggregate loans are less than Rs 25 crore and were
classified as ‘standard’ as on 31 august, 2017.
MOTHER OF ALL FRAUDS AT PNB
On Feb 14, Punjab National Bank detected “fraudulent
and unauthorised transactions” amounting to massive
Rs 11,400 crore at its Brady House branch in Mumbai.
The “transactions” involved PNB officials handing out
Letters of Undertaking - LoU to companies associated
with Nirav Modi and his maternal uncle Mehul Choksi,
both leading diamond traders, allowing them access to
massive foreign exchange loans that were completely
unsecured.
LoU is an undertaking provided by one bank to another
bank, in favour of or on behalf of a customer. LoUs are
used by a bank’s customer to avail short-term credit in a
foreign country.

BASE RATE TO BE LINKED TO MCLR
The RBI has decided to link the base rate with the MCLR
from April 1, 2018 to ensure expeditious transmission
of its policy rate to borrowers. RBI introduced the
Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rates (MCLR)
system with effect from April 1, 2016 on account of the
limitations of the Base Rate regime for transparent
fixation of rates of interest on bank loans.
REVISED GUIDELINES FOR BAD LOANS
The RBI has issued a revised framework for expeditious
resolution of high value bad loans. It has also been
decided to do away with the Joint Lenders’ Forum (JLF)
as an institutional mechanism for resolution of stressed
accounts.
As per the revised guidelines, the banks will be required
to identify incipient stress in loan accounts and
immediately on default, the account should be classified
as special mention account (SMA) and immediately put
in place Board- approved time bound ‘resolution plan’
(RP) for these stressed assets.
If the RP is not implemented as per the timelines
specified, bankers will be required to file insolvency
application, singly or jointly, under the IBC, 2016, within
15 days from the expiry of the specified timeline.
All banks will have to report to CRILC- Central
Repository of Information on Large Credits , all loan
accounts in default (with aggregate exposure of Rs 5
crore and above), on a weekly basis, on every Friday,
beginning from the week ending February 23, 2018.
 RBI has constituted an expert committee under the
chairmanship of Y H Malegam to look into a range of
issues relating to classification of bad loans, rising
incidents of frauds and effectiveness of audits.
 The RBI has announced setting up of a separate
ombudsman for addressing customer grievances in
the non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
APRIL
DEFENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE FORMED
The Government has formed a new integrated
institutional mechanism, ‘Defence Planning Committee’
headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to
reform the process of higher defence planning.
The committee will focus on the country’s military and
national security strategy, draft capability development
plans and guide and accelerate defence equipment
acquisitions.
 The Indian Air Force carried out one of its biggest
combat exercises ‘Gaganshakti’ to check its
operational preparedness.
 Indian and Malaysian armies conducted the two
weeks long joint training exercise ‘Harimau Shakti
2018’ in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik in
Malaysia from April 30 to May 13, 2018.
 India and S Korea conducted a joint anti-piracy
exercise 'SAHYOG- HYEOBLYEOG 2018' off the
Chennai coast
 A two-day coastal security exercise 'Sagar Kavach'
was held off the Kerala coast to strengthen and assess
the loopholes in the coastal security mechanism.
IRNSS-1I LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY
The ISRO launched the Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System-1I (IRNSS) navigation satellite aboard
PSLV-C41 rocket from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This
is the eighth such satellite to be a part of a constellation
for running GPS of India.
It will replace IRNSS-1A, the first of the seven navigation
satellites that was rendered ineffective after its three
rubidium atomic clocks failed.

CHESS 4 TO STUDY INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM
The NASA successfully launched Colorado High-
resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS 4)
sounding rocket from the Kwajalein Atoll in the
Republic of the Marshall Islands to study the interstellar
medium, the matter between stars.
The space between distant stars is not empty. It contains
drifts of vast clouds of neutral atoms and molecules, as
well as charged plasma particles called the interstellar
medium, which may, over millions of years, evolve into
new stars and even planets.
PLASTIC EATING ENZYME DEVELOPED
A group of researchers recently developed a plastic-
eating enzyme, which can be used to fight one of the
world’s biggest pollution problems. The enzyme -
Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6, is able to eat poly ethylene
terephthalate (PET), which was patented as plastic in
the 1940s. The plastic is currently used in millions of
tonnes of plastic bottles.
'INTERSTITIUM' – A NEW ORGAN DISCOVERED
Scientists have discovered a new organ named
'Interstitium' in the human body. The study reveals that
layers of body 'Connective Tissues' that were long
thought to be dense, lining the digestive tract, lungs and
urinary systems and surrounding arteries and veins -
are instead interconnected and fluid-filled
compartments which have now been termed as
'Interstitium' by the scientists.
MOST DISTANT STAR DISCOVERED
The Hubble Space Telescope of the NASA has discovered
the most distant star ever seen named 'Icarus'. This
huge blue star is located over halfway across the
universe. It took nine billion years for the Icarus' light to
reach the Earth. Its official name is MACS J1149+2223
Lensed Star 1.
CHINESE SPACELAB CRASH LANDS IN PACIFIC
The Chinese space lab, Tiangong-1 that lost
communications in 2016 after an apparent malfunction,
burned up over the South Pacific on April 1 and crash
landed in the central region of the South Pacific Ocean.
Roughly the size of a bus, Tiangong-1 was launched in
September 2011 atop a Long March rocket.
 Scientists at the IIT-Kharagpur have developed an
award-winning bio-toilet that recycles waste water
for its reuse and also generates electricity.
MARCH
INDIA TOPS IN ARMS IMPORTS
A latest report by the Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that the weapons
imports by the Middle East and Asia have boomed over
the past five years, fuelled by war and tensions in those
regions.
India emerged as the largest importer of arms,
accounting for 12 per cent of total world imports. 62 per
cent of this came from Russia alone. Saudi Arabia stood
at second spot, accounting for 10 per cent of total arms
imports.
SIPRI, an independent institute, monitors arms deliveries
by volume over periods of five years in order to iron out
short-term fluctuations.
INDIAN NAVY HOLDS - MILAN
Andaman Nicobar command of Indian Navy organized
‘Milan’, a six day get-together of foreign navies, at Port
Blair. Navies from the 16 countries participated in the
exercise to enhance regional cooperation for combating
unlawful activities at sea.

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF COASTAL POLICING
The country's first national academy to train police
forces in effectively safeguarding the Indian shoreline
will start functioning from the next month in Okha,
Gujarat. The National Academy of Coastal
Policing (NACP) will train forces in maritime laws,
seamanship, boat work, navigation, weapons handling,
usage of sea guidance and surveillance gadgets and
survival skills for long haul operations.
AIR FORCE HOLDS ‘SAMVEDNA’ EXCERCISE
The first-ever multilateral Humanitarian Assistance and
Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise of the Indian Air Force
in association with South Asian Region nations was held
off the coast of Kerala. Named 'Samvedna', it had
participants from the air forces of Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates.
 INS Ganga, an indigenously built frigate of the
Indian Navy, was decommissioned in Mumbai after
over three decades of service.
 Prakriti: In another first for women, 25-year-old
lady has been inducted as the first direct-entry
combat officer in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
 The first phase of Indo-French joint naval exercise
Varuna 2018 began off the Goa coast.
INDIA HIGHEST CONSUMER OF DATA
According to the Ookla’s Speedtest index, India ranks
109th in terms of mobile Internet download speeds,
having average download speed of 9.01mbps. Norway is
positioned at the top with an average download speed of
62.07 mbps. However, India is the largest consumer of
mobile data in the world.
INDIA JOINS COPERNICUS FOR SPACE DATA
India has joined Europe’s mega global arrangement of
sharing satellite data from the world's largest single
earth observation programme called Copernicus. The
space-based information will be used for forecasting
disasters, providing emergency response and rescue of
people during disasters; to glean land and ocean data;
and for issues of security, agriculture, climate change
and atmosphere.
NOD FOR NEUTRINO OBSERVATORY PROJECT
The Ministry of Environment and Forests gave
environmental clearance for the Neutrino Observatory
project to be established in Bodi West hills in Tamil
Nadu. It is being established in an underground cave
1300 meters below the earth surface. The project is a
multi-institute collaboration and one of the biggest
experimental Particle Physics projects undertaken
in India.
GOOGLE ASSISTANT LEARNS HINDI
Google Assistant is now available in Hindi. This means
people can now give voice commands in Hindi to Google
Assistant to get things done. The feature will be
available in various android and i-phone devices. Users
can also ask the Assistant to tell them about their day,
find the fastest route to work or set an alarm, all in
Hindi.
SPACE MAY CHANGE GENES FUNCTION
Spending a year in space not only changes your outlook,
it transforms your gene expression. A study by NASA on
the twins Scott Kelly (astronaut) and Mark Kelly
revealed that the genetic expression -- how his genes
function within cells, of Scott did not return to baseline
after his return to Earth after he spent one year aboard
the International Space Station. The comparison was
done with his twin, Mark, who remained on Earth.

NEW INSECT FOUND IN NAGALAND
A team of scientists from the Zoological Survey of India
have discovered a new species of water strider named
‘Ptilomera Nagalanda Jehamalar and Chandra’ from
Intangki River in Peren district of Nagaland.
 India's latest communication satellite GSAT-6A was
launched onboard GSLV-F08 from Sriharikota. This
will boost the telecommunication in India.
 Chinese scientists have developed artificial heart
using rocket technology and have tested it on
animals. The artificial heart uses magnetic and fluid
levitation from rocket system.
FEBRUARY
GARHWAL RIFLES FOR PEACEKEEPING MISSION
About 2300 personnel from the Infantry battalion of
Garhwal Rifles regiment of the Indian army would be
deployed in South Sudan, as a part of UN’s peacekeeping
mission in the war-torn nation. The mission aims to
bring about peace and normalcy in the nation.
PRITHVI-II TESTED SUCCESSFULLY
India successfully conducted night trial of its
indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear
capable Prithvi-II missile off Odisha coast. The missile is
capable of carrying 500 to one thousand kilogram of
warheads up to a range of 350 kms range
 Indian Navy received the third Scorpene class
submarine INS Karanj, constructed by Mazagon Dock
Limited, Mumbai.
 The Indian Navy inaugurated the ‘Integrated
Automatic Aviation Meteorological Systems’ (IAAMS)
at INS Garuda, naval air station in Kochi, Kerala.
 India successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable
surface-to-surface Dhanush ballistic missile with a
strike range of 350 km from a ship off Odisha coast.
 Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi scripted history by
becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter
aircraft solo. She flew a MiG-21 in her first solo sortie
from IAF's Jamnagar base in Gujarat.
 The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited conducted first
flight of its jet trainer Hawk-i aircraft with
indigenous Real Time Operating System (RTOS).
 In a first, troops from the armies of India and
Vietnam held a six-day long military exercise named
‘VINIBAX’ in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
 The Indian and Indonesian armies conducted a two
week military exercise – ‘Garuda Shakti’ at Bandung
in the West Java province of Indonesia.
 The tri-service maritime exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’ was
held off India’s western coast to test the
interoperability of the Navy, Army, Air Force and
Coast Guard.
A NEW COURSE ON INTERNET SAFETY
Google has partnered with NCERT to introduce a Digital
Citizenship and Safety course in the ICT (information
and communications technology) curriculum. The
course has been designed to teach students the social,
ethical and legal aspects of Internet safety.
INDIA SUFFERS HEAVY CYBER ATTACKS
A new report titled ‘Akamai State of the Internet
Security’ has placed India at the 7th spot in the list of
targeted countries for Web Application Attacks. The
report states that nearly 40 per cent of over 53,000
cyber attacks in India occurred in the financial services
sector during 2017.
TRIPLE LUNAR BONANZA
A rarest of rare space phenomenon named lunar trifecta
occurred on January 31 on the occasion of total lunar
eclipse. The three events included Super moon (a bigger
moon at perigee, position closest to Earth), a blood
moon, (due to brownish red glow of moon during total
eclipse), and a blue moon (the second full moon of a
calendar month).

WORLD’s MOST POWERFUL ROCKET
SpaceX, private space firm of Tesla, owned by Elon
Musk, launched world’s most powerful rocket ‘Falcon
Heavy’ on Feb 6, carrying a red sports car Roadster past
the orbit of Mars. The rocket was launched from the
Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
APP LAUNCHED FOR JOB SEARCH
A first of its kind chat based job search mobile
app 'Empzilla' has been launched in India. It will do
away with existing limitations of employers and job
seekers making selection process quick and cost
effective. The app is GPS based so both employer and job
seeker can also visualize geographical location of each
other. Being a mobile app, it can be safely operated in
normal office environment.
WORLD’s SMALLEST ROCKET
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
launched the world’s smallest rocket with the ability to
put a tiny satellite into orbit. It carried a microsatellite
TRICOM-1R, a three-unit CubeSat weighing about 3 kgs.
 Indian scientists have developed a Supercritical
Carbon Dioxide Brayton Test Loop Facility that will
help generate clean energy from future power plants
including solar plants.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
APRIL
25TH CHOGM SUMMIT HELD IN LONDON
The 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM 2018) was held in London from April 16 to
20. The biennial event brought together delegates from
53 Commonwealth nations. The theme of the summit
was 'Towards a Common Future'. The UK government
pledged 8 million Pound for climate action and
mitigation projects around the world. UK also
announced its decision to join the International Solar
Alliance (ISA), the India-led initiative to scale up solar
power in some of the world's poorest countries
UN LAUNCHES ROAD SAFETY FUND
The United Nations took a major step to address the
tragedy of road accidents by launching the UN Road
Safety Trust Fund to spur action that could save lives
and prevent the loss of opportunity associated with
road accidents.
Around 1.3 million drivers, passengers and pedestrians
die each year, and up to 50 million are injured on the
world's roads.
FINANCIAL INCLUSION REACHES 69%
The Global Findex Report released by the World Bank
states that 69 percent of adults world over now have an
account at a bank or have enrolled themselves on a
mobile money provider. In 2011, this level was just 51
per cent. The Report analyses data of 144 economies to
demonstrate that how people use financial services.
Over 190 million Indian adults still do not have a bank
account and almost 60 percent of them are women.
NEW ZEALAND STOPS OIL EXPLORATION
As an important step to address climate change and
create a clean, green and sustainable future for the
country, New Zealand has halted all new offshore oil and
gas exploration as part of its efforts to deal with climate
change.
The oil and gas industry in New Zealand generates about
1.8 billion US dollar a year and employs about 11
thousand people.

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS - JUNE 2018 ISSUE - ENGLISH VERSION

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GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS - JUNE 2018 ISSUE - ENGLISH VERSION