IBS Saltlake, Kolkata

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Amid protests, triple talaq Bill passed

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, after a heated debate. The Opposition Congress and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) staged a walkout before the voting.
The Bill to make the practice of triple talaq among Muslims a penal offence was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 17 to replace an ordinance issued in September. Under the proposed law, giving instant triple talaq will be illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the man. The fresh Bill is proposed to supersede an earlier Bill passed in the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha.

Bangladesh lifts Smith’s T20 tournament ban
Bangladesh cricket officials on Thursday lifted a ban on Steve Smith playing in the forthcoming T20 Bangladesh Premier League. The ruling means Smith is free to play for Comilla Victorians in the next edition starting on Jan. 5, 2019

Centre extends deadline to update NRC

The Centre has given an extension of six months to complete the ongoing exercise for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam by June 30. n a notification, Registrar General of India, Sailesh said the decision was taken as the exercise to enumerate citizens in the NRC, a list of Assam’s residents, could not be completed within the specified date of December 31, 2018.

UAE reopens embassy in Syria
The United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in on Thursday, marking a big diplomatic boost for President Bashar al-Assad from a U.S.-allied Arab state that once backed rebels fighting him. The UAE said the move aimed to curb risks of regional interference in “Arab, Syrian affairs” — an apparent reference to non-Arab Iran, whose support for Mr. Assad has been critical to his war effort.
The UAE flag was raised at the embassy, shut since the early months of the conflict nearly eight years ago. The UAE Foreign Ministry said its charge d’affaires assumed his duties on Thursday.

Seven PSBs to receive Rs.28,615 crore from Centre
The government is likely to infuse Rs.28,615 crore into seven public sector banks (PSBs) through recapitalisation bonds by the end of this month, The amount infused will help the banks meet regulatory capital requirement, and its disbursement might take place before December 31, sources said.
Out of these seven PSBs, Bank of India is likely to get the highest amount of Rs.10,086 crore, followed by Oriental Bank of Commerce, which might get Rs.5,500 crore through recapitalisation bonds
The gross NPA ratio was at 22.69% and net NPA ratio was at 14.36% as at end September.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that recapitalisation would enhance the lending capacity of PSBs and help them exit the RBI’s Prompt Corrective Action framework.

Fiscal deficit touches 115% of target
India’s fiscal deficit touched 114.8% of the full-year target of Rs.6.24 lakh crore at the end of November on account of lower revenue collection, showed government data. The fiscal deficit stood at Rs.7.16 lakh crore during April-November of the current financial year.
At the end of November 2017, the deficit was 112%of the Budget Estimate (BE). The government has budgeted to cut the fiscal deficit to 3.3% of GDP in 2018-19, from 3.53% in the previous financial year.
According to Controller General of Accounts data, total revenue receipts of the government totalled Rs. 8.7 lakh crore in 2018-19 till November. The total expenditure of the government at November-end was Rs.16.13 lakh crore or 66.1% of BE.

Fiscal deficit
Definition: The difference between total revenue and total expenditure of the government is termed as fiscal deficit. It is an indication of the total borrowings needed by the government. While calculating the total revenue, borrowings are not included.

American adventurer finishes solo trek across Antarctica
An American adventurer Colin O’Brady, 33, took 54 days to complete the nearly 1,600 km journey, crossing the frozen continent from coast to coast has become the first person to complete a solo trek across Antarctica 1,600 km journey without assistance of any kind.

FROM- IBS, KOLKATA

Current affairs of 28th December, 2018

1. Which state renamed all the childcare institutes currently run in the state as ‘Jagannath Ashram’? : Haryana
Explanation: Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar renamed all the childcare institutes currently run in the state as ‘Jagannath Ashram’, clubbing them because of their common goal of all-round development of the children.

2. Which country became the first country in Southeast Asia to approve the licensed use of ma*****na and kratom for medical use and research? : Thailand
Explanation: Thailand approved the licensed use of ma*****na and kratom for medical use and research. It became the first country in Southeast Asia to take such action.

3. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon introduce a new currency note of what denomination with additional features? : Rs 20
Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon introduce a new Rs 20 currency note with additional features. The central bank has already issued new look currency notes in the denominations of Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 100, and Rs 500, besides introducing Rs 200 and Rs 2,000 bank notes.

4. Name the late music composer who was awarded the Mohammed Rafi Lifetime Achievement Award in Mumbai? : Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar
Explanation: Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar was awarded the Mohammed Rafi Lifetime Achievement Award in Mumbai, on 24th December 2018. He had a successful and long partnership with Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma and as music composers.

5. Name the Indian junior golfer who won the U.S. Kids Junior Golf World Championship held in Malaysia? : Arjun Bhati
Explanation: The 14 year old, Indian junior golfer Arjun Bhati bagged the first position against America’s Aksel Moe during the three-level final match in the U.S. Kids Junior Golf World Championship held in Malaysia. To claim 1st position in the championship, Arjun Bhati scored a total of 222 points followed by America and Vietnam at 2nd and 3rd position with 225 and 226 points respectively.

6. Jyoti Randhawa was arrested on charges of poaching in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve’s protected area in Uttar Pradesh. Which sport does he belong to? : Golf
Explanation: Ace golfer Jyoti Randhawa was arrested on charges of poaching in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve’s protected area in Uttar Pradesh.

FROM- IBS, Kolkata

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Tough times for private banks
For high street private sector bankes ICICI, Axis, Kotak, Bandhan and Yes
, 2018 was a year they will want to forget quickly. For the first time perhaps, they are under the public glare for the wrong reasons.
It started with the bad loan problem of the public sector banks having a spillover effect in terms of public perception on private sector banks. However, the image of private banks among investors and the public took a real hit over the course

Paper cups may be exempted from ban
Plastic content is just 6%: Minister

Minister for Environment K. C. Karuppannan on Wednesday said that the government was considering the possibility of exempting paper cups from the plastic ban, which will come into effect from January 1.
Addressing a regional-level coordinators meeting at the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board head office here, he said that since the cups had just 6% plastic content by way of a coating, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was considering the representations made by various associations to exempt them.
The Minister said that a request to exempt non-woven bags with bamboo handles (kattapai) was also under consideration since these bags could be reused.
The old man and the mountain
Age is just a number for P. Chitran Namboodirippad, who turned 99 on December 19. The former Additional Director of the Kerala Education Department made his 29th trip to the Himalayas earlier this month. He wants to make his 30th pilgrimage to the mountains in 2019, the year he completes a century.
Television services will not be affected, says TRAI

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday clarified that customers will not face any disruption of their TV services due to implementation of its new regulatory framework for broadcasting and cable services.
The new framework, which comes into force from December 29, allows consumers to select and pay only for the channels they wish to view, and requires the TV broadcasters to disclose maximum retail price of channels individually as well as of bouquets.
About TRAI
Founded: 20 February 1997
Sector: Telecommunications
Jurisdiction: India
Headquarters: New Delhi
Agency executive: Ram Sewak Sharma (Chairman), Sudhir Gupta(Secretary)
Regulatory agency executives: Ram Sewak Sharma, IAS, Chairperson; Sunil Kumar Gupta, ITS, Secretary
Koreas launch project to reconnect rail links
The two Koreas on Wednesday launched a project to reconnect rail and road links severed since the 1950-53 Korean War, but actual construction cannot start while sanctions remain in place against North Korea, officials said. The two sides agreed in October to work on reconnecting railways and roads as part of a thaw in relations.
China confirms death of ex-govt. spokesman
China has confirmed the death of former government spokesman Yuan Mu, who denied anyone was killed on Tiananmen Square during the 1989 crackdown, nearly two weeks after his passing. Mr. Yuan defended the Chinese government after soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army fired on unarmed pro-democracy protesters.
Bimal Jalan to head six-member panel on RBI’s economic capital framework
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the government, has set up a six-member committee to review the economic capital framework of the central bank.
Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan will be the committee’s chairman and former Deputy Governor Rakesh Mohan deputy chairman.
The other members are Economic Affairs Secretary Subash Chandra Garg, RBI Deputy Governor N.S. Vishwanathan and two board members of the RBI — Bharat Doshi and Sudhir Mankad.
The committee would submit its report within 90 days from the date of its first meeting

FROM- IBS, KOLKATA

Current affairs of 27th December, 2018

1. Which state houses India’s longest railroad bridge named Bogibeel : Assam
Explanation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, 2018 inaugurated India’s longest rail cm road bridge of 4.94 km Bogibeel bridge,which spans the River Brahmaputra between Dibrugarh and Dhemaji districts of Assam. Till now Vembanad rail bridge in Kerala was dubbed as the longest railway-bridge in India at 4.62km of length.The 4.94 km structure was built at a cost of Rs. 5900 crores by Indian Railways

2. Where was International Gita Mahotsav 2018 held from 7th to 23rd December 2018?: Kurukshetra, Haryana
Explanation: The 17-day long International Gita Mahotsav 2018 concluded in Kurukshetra, Haryana. It commenced from December 7, 2018. The event was organized by Kurukshetra Development Board, Haryana Tourism, District Administration, North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala, Information and Public Relations Department, Haryana.

3. Who was appointed the MD and CEO of Corporation Bank, effective from February 1, 2019? : P V Bharathi
Explanation: The Ministry of Personnel appointed P V Bharathi as the MD and CEO of Corporation Bank, effective from February 1, 2019 till March 31, 2020 – the date of her superannuation. Bharathi is presently the Executive Director of Canara Bank.

4. Name the person who was appointed the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, on 20th December 2018? : Riva Ganguly Das
Explanation: Riva Ganguly Das was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh. She is currently the Director General of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

5. Who won the Maharashtra Kesari 2018 title? : Bala Rafique Shaikh
Explanation: The wrestler Bala Rafique Shaikh achieved the Maharashtra Kesari 2018 title on 23rd December 2018 by defeating Abhijeet Katke of Pune in the 62nd Maharashtra Kesari Wrestling Championship held at Azad ground, Jalna, Maharashtra. Bala Rafique Shaikh defeated Abhijeet Katke by 11-3 With his aggressive style and good moves.

6. _____ won the men’s title in the CCI Western India Squash Championship: Mahesh Mangaonkar
Explanation: National champion Mahesh Mangaonkar of Maharashtra and Yash Fadte of Goa clinched the men’s and under 19 boys titles respectively in the CCI Western India Squash Championship organized by Squash Rackets Federation of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

7. Nirendranath Chakraborty died following a cardiac arrest in Kolkata on 25th December 2018. What was his profession? : Poet
Explanation: Famous Bengali poet Nirendranath Chakraborty died following a cardiac arrest in Kolkata, Wet Bengal at the age of 94. He was born in 1924 and His first book of poems ‘Nil Nirjone’ was published in 1954. He won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1974 for his poem ‘Ulanga Raja’ (naked king).

8. Name the first female speaker of Fiji’s Parliament, who died on 22nd December 2018? : Dr. Jiko Luveni
Explanation: Dr. Jiko Luveni, the first female speaker of Fiji’s Parliament, died in office at the age of 72. Luveni first served for eight years as minister for women, social welfare and poverty alleviation in the interim government of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who seized power in a 2006 coup.

FROM- IBS, Kolkata

CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 26th DECEMBER, 2018

Nawaz Sharif gets jail for 7 years in corruption case
Judge disqualifies Pak. ex-Prime Minister from holding public office for 10 years

An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday sentenced ousted premier Nawaz Sharif to seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills graft case but acquitted him in the Flagship Investments case. The verdict concludes a series of three court cases against the Sharif family in the high-profile Panama Papers case.
Mr. Sharif was also disqualified from holding any public office for 10 years. The disqualification will come into effect after he serves the seven-year sentence.
Three cases — the Avenfield properties case, Flagship investment case and Al-Azizia Steel Mills case — were launched against the Sharif family by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 8, 2017 following a judgment by the Supreme Court that disqualified Mr. Sharif in the Panama Papers case in July last year.
Accountability Court II Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik announced the short verdict after reserving the decision on December 19.
Cabinet clears projects worth Rs.16,000 crore
In an attempt to attract investments ahead of the Global Investors Meet (GIM) next month, the State cabinet cleared proposals of 13 companies worth ₹16,000 crore.
Chaired by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the cabinet discussed the proposals of the companies, including those of South Korea-based Mando and Hahn.
“The investors are a mix of new players and existing players in various sectors, including electronics and hardware, auto components and engineering,”
To attract investments, Tamil Nadu has been divided into three zones — Zone A will include Greater Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur; Zone B will include Coimbatore and Salem; and Zone C will be comprised of 10 southern districts including Madurai, Dindugul, Thoothukudi and Theni.
India’s longest rail-road bridge
India’s longest rail-road bridge that took ₹5,920 crore to build was born “small” on paper – a scribbled note in Parliament after a dramatic display of anger – 22 years ago.
The 4.94 km Bogibeel, the fourth bridge across river Brahmaputra to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, was one of eight spans pursued in 1973 to ease the pressure on the 4,258-ft Saraighat Bridge on the western edge of Guwahati. The first push for the bridge was from a citizen’s forum in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh. In June 1977, members of the forum submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Morarji Desai demanding the construction of the bridge at Bogibeel, about 17 km downstream of the town.
But the bridge found no takers in New Delhi until it dramatically made its way into the Parliament less than two decades later.
Bullet train project unviable, says report

The Narendra Modi government’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project may turn out to be a loss-making proposition and burden Maharashtra’s already dwindling finances, the latest information obtained by an activist under the Right to Information (RTI) request has revealed.
As per the RTI response, a State Transport Department report has highlighted several objections raised by various departments over the economic viability of the Shinkansen train, which could result in losses in the form of wasted Floor Space Index (FSI) and delayed loan repayment in the absence of proper frameworks.
In its assessment, the State Urban Development Department (UDD) said, some part of the FSI at the station proposed at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai could “remain unutilised because of the height restrictions, leading to revenue losses.”
“Hence, a conscious decision must be taken in this regard even as the Railways have said there is no impediment to the construction viability of the financial centre. However, the clauses in this regard must be specifically incorporated so that no objections are raised by the Railways later on,” a note from the UDD reads.
Rs.100 commemorative coin on Vajpayee

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a Rs.100 coin in memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the eve of his 94th birth anniversary. Mr. Modi said Vajpayee spent most of his political life in the Opposition but always thought of the country. “Today’s landscape is such that if someone is out of power even for two or five years, he or she becomes restless,”
Bhutan PM arriving on two-day visit
India will host the newly elected Prime Minister of Bhutan on December 27 and 29, the External Affairs Ministry said on Monday. A release said the visit by Lotay Tshering, 50, would take place to mark the golden jubilee of the diplomatic relations between Delhi and Thimphu.
Lewis Hamilton awarded Drivers’ Driver of the Year
On December 22, 2018, Lewis Hamilton was awarded Drivers’ Driver of the Year after claiming the 5th World Drivers’ Championship. After this he became the 3rd man in history to secure the 5th world title. This was a part of vote given by the F1 management for the first time among 17 of the 20 drivers participating in the event. He was followed by Max Verstappen in the second place, Fernando Alonso in the third place. The top 5 was closed off by Sebastian Vettel (4th) and Daniel Ricciardo in the 5th place.

FROM- IBS, KOLKATA

CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 25th DECEMBER, 2018

Nawaz Sharif gets jail for 7 years in corruption case
Judge disqualifies Pak. ex-Prime Minister from holding public office for 10 years

An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday sentenced ousted premier Nawaz Sharif to seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills graft case but acquitted him in the Flagship Investments case. The verdict concludes a series of three court cases against the Sharif family in the high-profile Panama Papers case.
Mr. Sharif was also disqualified from holding any public office for 10 years. The disqualification will come into effect after he serves the seven-year sentence.
Three cases — the Avenfield properties case, Flagship investment case and Al-Azizia Steel Mills case — were launched against the Sharif family by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 8, 2017 following a judgment by the Supreme Court that disqualified Mr. Sharif in the Panama Papers case in July last year.
Accountability Court II Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik announced the short verdict after reserving the decision on December 19.
Cabinet clears projects worth Rs.16,000 crore
In an attempt to attract investments ahead of the Global Investors Meet (GIM) next month, the State cabinet cleared proposals of 13 companies worth ₹16,000 crore.
Chaired by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the cabinet discussed the proposals of the companies, including those of South Korea-based Mando and Hahn.
“The investors are a mix of new players and existing players in various sectors, including electronics and hardware, auto components and engineering,”
To attract investments, Tamil Nadu has been divided into three zones — Zone A will include Greater Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur; Zone B will include Coimbatore and Salem; and Zone C will be comprised of 10 southern districts including Madurai, Dindugul, Thoothukudi and Theni.
India’s longest rail-road bridge
India’s longest rail-road bridge that took ₹5,920 crore to build was born “small” on paper – a scribbled note in Parliament after a dramatic display of anger – 22 years ago.
The 4.94 km Bogibeel, the fourth bridge across river Brahmaputra to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, was one of eight spans pursued in 1973 to ease the pressure on the 4,258-ft Saraighat Bridge on the western edge of Guwahati. The first push for the bridge was from a citizen’s forum in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh. In June 1977, members of the forum submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Morarji Desai demanding the construction of the bridge at Bogibeel, about 17 km downstream of the town.
But the bridge found no takers in New Delhi until it dramatically made its way into the Parliament less than two decades later.
Bullet train project unviable, says report

The Narendra Modi government’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project may turn out to be a loss-making proposition and burden Maharashtra’s already dwindling finances, the latest information obtained by an activist under the Right to Information (RTI) request has revealed.
As per the RTI response, a State Transport Department report has highlighted several objections raised by various departments over the economic viability of the Shinkansen train, which could result in losses in the form of wasted Floor Space Index (FSI) and delayed loan repayment in the absence of proper frameworks.
In its assessment, the State Urban Development Department (UDD) said, some part of the FSI at the station proposed at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai could “remain unutilised because of the height restrictions, leading to revenue losses.”
“Hence, a conscious decision must be taken in this regard even as the Railways have said there is no impediment to the construction viability of the financial centre. However, the clauses in this regard must be specifically incorporated so that no objections are raised by the Railways later on,” a note from the UDD reads.
Rs.100 commemorative coin on Vajpayee

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a Rs.100 coin in memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the eve of his 94th birth anniversary. Mr. Modi said Vajpayee spent most of his political life in the Opposition but always thought of the country. “Today’s landscape is such that if someone is out of power even for two or five years, he or she becomes restless,”
Bhutan PM arriving on two-day visit
India will host the newly elected Prime Minister of Bhutan on December 27 and 29, the External Affairs Ministry said on Monday. A release said the visit by Lotay Tshering, 50, would take place to mark the golden jubilee of the diplomatic relations between Delhi and Thimphu.
Lewis Hamilton awarded Drivers’ Driver of the Year
On December 22, 2018, Lewis Hamilton was awarded Drivers’ Driver of the Year after claiming the 5th World Drivers’ Championship. After this he became the 3rd man in history to secure the 5th world title. This was a part of vote given by the F1 management for the first time among 17 of the 20 drivers participating in the event. He was followed by Max Verstappen in the second place, Fernando Alonso in the third place. The top 5 was closed off by Sebastian Vettel (4th) and Daniel Ricciardo in the 5th place.

FROM- IBS, KOLKATA

CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 24th DECEMBER, 2018

222 dead in Indonesia as volcano triggers tsunami
Anak Krakatoa eruption likely to have set off underwater landslide; 843 injured amid massive damage on islands of Java and Sumatra
At least 222 people were killed and several hundreds injured when a tsunami struck the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra following a underwater landslide, believed to have been caused by the erupting Anak Krakatoa volcano, officials said on Sunday.
Hundreds of homes and other buildings were “heavily damaged” when the tsunami struck, almost without warning, along the rim of the Sunda Strait late on Saturday, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency, said.
Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate to higher ground. By 5.40 p.m. the disaster agency had raised the toll to 222, with 843 injured and 28 missing.
As night fell on Sunday, rescue efforts continued but workers and ambulances were hampered with roads blocked by debris from damaged houses, overturned cars and fallen trees.
K.P. Aravanan, Tamil scholar, dead
Tamil scholar and former Vice-Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, K.P. Aravanan, who pioneered a sociological and anthropological approach to Tamil studies, died in Chennai on Sunday. He was 77.
Burundi names Gitega as new capital
On Dec.22 2018, Burundi confirmed the small central city of Gitega the country’s new political capital. The previous capital Bujumbura, on the north-eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, became a country‘s economic capital.
About Burundi
Capital: Gitega
Currency: Euro
President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Language: Kirundi , French and English
Nuclear-capable Agni-IV successfully tested
India on Sunday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km. The flight was tested from Integrated Test Range at the Dr. Abdul Kalam Island near here. The indigenously developed Agni-IV is a two-stage missile.
Buddhist site museum at Lalitgiri in Odisha
Prime minister to e-inaugurate event
One of the earliest Buddhist settlements in Odisha, Lalitgiri, where excavations have yielded ancient seals and inscriptions, has been converted into a museum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the museum through video conference from Bhubaneswar on Monday.
Located in Cuttack district, it will be the third site museum of the Bhubaneswar circle of the Archaeological Survey of India after Ratnagiri and Konark, said Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu, Regional Director of ASI (Eastern Circle).
Modi announces new award for national unity
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the institution of a national unity award on the lines of the Padma awards, an official statement said on Sunday. The annual award would be given to any Indian who has contributed to national unity in any manner, the statement said, adding that the Prime Minister drew inspiration from Sardar Patel’s contribution towards the unification of the country. The announcement was made at the annual conference of DGPs and IGs of police.
RBI mulls cooling-off period for its retired top officials
‘Those aspiring for posts of CEO, chairman of firms may have to wait for 3 years’
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has come up with a new norm for its top officials who want to take up the job of a chairman or chief executive of any other entity, post retirement.
According to central banking sources, the RBI has mandated a three-year cooling-off period for retired officials before they can take over as chairman or chief executive of any other entity. While making this new rule, global best practices have been cited, sources said.
RBI shortlists Wipro, TCS, 4 others for PCR
Registry to store data on borrowers
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has shortlisted six major IT companies, including TCS, Wipro and IBM India, to set up a digital public credit registry (PCR) for capturing details of all borrowers and willful defaulters.
The proposed PCR will also include data from entities such as markets regulator SEBI, the Corporate Affairs Ministry, Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN) and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), to enable banks and financial institutions to get a 360-degree profile of existing as well as prospective borrowers on a real-time basis.
“Consequent to the publication of expression of interest (EoI) on October 27, 2018, the RBI had received responses from several vendors for implementation of end-to-end solution for PCR,” the central bank said.
The other three shortlisted vendors are Capgemini Technology Services India, Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India and Mindtree Ltd. The RBI would soon seek request for proposals from the six vendors.

FROM- IBS, KOLKATA

CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 22nd DECEMBER, 2018

Writer Prapanchan passes away
Prapanchan, 73, whose novels Vaanam Vasappadum and Maanudam Vellum captured the colonial history of Puducherry, died in the Union Territory on Friday.

Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ launched by Government
On 20th December 2018, The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, launched the ‘Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ with an aim to protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion. The total budget of the project for the next three years is about Rs 97.84 crore. It will help the conservation of Asiatic Lions with the help of state of the art techniques/instruments, regular scientific research studies, disease management, and modern surveillance/patrolling techniques.
The project will be funded through, the Development of Wildlife Habitat, a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS-DWH), with the contributing ratio of 60:40 for central and state share. The 2015 census showed a population of 523 Asiatic Lions in the Gir Protected Area Network of 1648.79 sq. km in Gujarat. The Asiatic Lions are already included in the list of 21 critically endangered species for recovery programme and financial assistance under the species recovery component of CSS-DWH.

HC orders status quo on Sterlite plant
The Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday ruled that the status quo “as on today” shall be maintained in respect of reopening Vedanta Limited’s closed Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi.
The court wanted to ascertain Tamil Nadu’s stance on the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) setting aside the Government Order to close down the plant on charges of causing pollution. A Division Bench of Justices K.K. Sasidharan and P.D. Audikesavalu observed that the State had a statutory period till March 14, 2019 to file an appeal against the NGT order before the Supreme Court.
“Let the State make a decision before the [High] Court as to whether any decision is taken to file an appeal before the Supreme Court in the case,” the Bench said. The court ordered notice to the respondents in the case and adjourned the case for further hearing to January 21.

Himachal, Kerala and T.N. top development index
Aim is to instil competition among States to improve performance: NITI Aayog
Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have been ranked highest in terms of being on track to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), according to a first-of-its-kind index released by NITI Aayog on Friday. The index comprises a composite score for each State and Union Territory based on their aggregate performance across 13 of the 17 SDGs. The score, ranging between 0 and 100, denotes the average performance of the State/UT towards achieving the 13 SDGs and their respective targets. The average Indian score was 57.
“Among the States, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are the front runners, with an SDG India Index score of 69. Among the UTs, Chandigarh is the front runner with a score of 68.”
Tamil Nadu has a score 66, and is the top scorer on the goals to do with eradicating poverty and also providing clean and affordable energy.


India reminds China of peace
Peace and tranquility are “important prerequisites” of continuous development of bilateral ties between India and China, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday. She was speaking after a two-hour meeting with Wang Yi, her counterpart from Beijing. Ms. Swaraj pointed to the benefit drawn from frequent meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping. The two met earlier this year at Wuhan for an informal summit. Ms. Swaraj highlighted the growing trade deficit as a matter of concern for Delhi, and expressed satisfaction at the steps China had taken to reduce the imbalance.
The concerns were raised at the end of bilateral discussion held during the first high-level mechanism for people-to-people exchanges.
Ms. Swaraj said that the parties identified 10 areas such as films, media, sports and tourism that would be in focus to facilitate greater relationship between the people of both countries.
Laying out Beijing’s plans, the Chinese Minister said heritage protection, academic exchanges and language teaching would be among the priority areas.

Czech mine explosion leaves 13 dead
Thirteen miners died and 10 were injured after a methane gas fire erupted in a coal mine in the east of the Czech Republic, the worst accident of its kind there in nearly three decades. The fire broke out at a depth of 880 m. Czech PM Andrej Babis called the blast a “huge tragedy”.

US Federal Reserve raised lending rates to 2.5 per cent
The US Federal Reserve has raised the interest rate from 2.25 per cent to 2.5 per cent which will result in increase in the borrowing costs for the individuals and businesses. This is the fourth hike in interest rate in 2018.
The Federal Reserve continued raising interest rates gradually as US economy is showing strength and unemployment rates has been gone down to 3.7 per cent.

LinkedIn hires former Google India exec Mahesh Narayanan as Country Manager
On 20th December 2018, LinkedIn which is the Microsoft owned professional networking platform hires Mahesh Narayanan as the Country Manager for India. Mahesh Narayanan will join LinkedIn from January 7, 2019. Before Joining LinkedIn, Mahesh Narayanan had served music and audio streaming service Saavn and led Google India’s mobile advertising business from 2010 to 2013. Mr. Narayanan will report to LinkedIn’s Managing Director for the Asia Pacific (APAC) Mr. Olivier Legrand.

IOA Secretary General Mehta becomes president of South Asian fencing body
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General, Rajeev Mehta has been elected the President of South Asian Fencing Body for a period of four years after the meeting of South Asian Fencing Federation (SAFF) at Hyderabad. Rajeev Mehta is also the President of Fencing Association of India (FAI). The Game of fencing has been included in the list of events for the South Asian games to be held in August next year in Nepal. The First South Asian Fencing Championship 2019 will be held in Chhattisgarh.

FROM- IBS, KOLKATA