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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Government allocated Rs. 10,900 cr for development of 40 satellite launch vehicles in next 4 years
- The Union Government has allocated 10,900 crore rupees for the development of 40 satellite launch vehicles in the next four years.
- Dr Sivan stated that Chandrayan Mission will be launched within three months. It will land in one part of the Moon which is still unexplored.
- The human space flight Gaganyaan is planned to be launched by 2022, the 75th anniversary of Independence.
Cabinet approved restructuring of National Health Agency as “National Health Authority”
- The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the restructuring of existing National Health Agency as “National Health Authority” for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
- The National Health Authority would be empowered with full autonomy, accountability and the mandate to implement PM-JAY through an efficient, effective and transparent decision-making process by aligning the accountability with responsibility.
High-level committee set up to implement Clause 6 of Assam Accord
- Government had notified the High Level Committee (HLC) for implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord.
- The clause envisaged that appropriate constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, should be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the people of Assam.
- Retired IAS officer M.P. Bezbaruah is chairman of the 9 member Committee.
- The committee will examine the effectiveness of actions since 1985 to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Assam Capital | Dishpur |
| CM | Sarbananda Sonowal |
| Governor | Jagdish Mukhi |
NAFED to set up 100 bio-CNG plants via PPP with Rs 5,000-cr
- Farm cooperative major NAFED announced setting up 100 bio-CNG manufacturing facilities using agri waste such as stubble through public private partnership (PPP) with an estimated investment of Rs 5,000 crore.
- The first three centres will come up in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, which is the largest sugarcane producing state where waste from sugar mills is available in abundance.
- An agreement has already been signed with 4-5 private investors like Reliance, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and technology provider.
- Another agreement has been signed with Indian Oil for purchase of bio-CNG from the plants at a rate of Rs 48 per kg,
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in India on 3-Day Visit
- Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberghas arrived inNewDelhi on a three-day state visit to India. She was accompanied by senior officials from her government and a large business delegation
- She will participate in the Indo-Norwegian Business Conference.
- Solberg will also deliver the Inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Norway Capital | Oslo |
| Currency | Norwegian krone |
| Prime Minister | Erna Solberg |
Cabinet approved 10% quota for economically backward in general category
- The Union Cabinet approved a 10 per cent reservation for ‘economically backward’ upper castes in government jobs.
- The government has announced reservation in jobs for those belonging to the upper castes and earning less than Rs 8 lakh per year.
- A bill to amend Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution will be moved in the Parliament to this effect.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE
International Kite Festival 2019 inaugurated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
- Nine day long international kite festival was inaugurated at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, by the Governor OP Kohli.
- Ahmedabad has been hosting this international kite festival since 1989, this grand event is a part of the celebrations for Makar Sankranti (also called Uttarayan)
- About 500 kite fliers 13 different states of the country and 19 cities of Gujarat are also taking part.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Gujarat Capital | Gandhinagar |
| CM | Vijay Rupani |
| Governor | Om Prakash Kohli |
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced interest free loans for women Self Help Groups
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced interest free loans of up to 3 lakh for women self help groups (WSHGs) in the state.
- There are around six lakh women self help groups in Odisha.
- The initiative will benefit about 70 lakh women in the state.
- The chief minister also distributed financial assistance of Rs. 3,000 each to six lakh WSHGs as part of the state government’s efforts to digitally empower women.
- Launched a scheme to distribute Rs. 15,000 seed money per group to three lakh new self-help groups.
- He announced incentives of Rs. 500 per month for anganwadi workers and Rs. 200 for helpers.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Orissa Capital | Bhubaneswar |
| CM | Naveen Patnaik |
| Governor | Ganeshi Lal |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
UBI, Srei Equipment Finance enter pact for MSME sector finance
- United Bank of India and Srei Equipment Finance has entered into an agreement for financing the MSME and agriculture sectors.
- Under the pact, UBI would leverage its low-cost loans with Srei to enable purchase of equipment and vehicles in a seamless manner.
| UBI Bank Headquarters | Kolkata |
| Tagline | The Bank that begins with “U” |
| MD & CEO | Ashok Kumar Pradhan |
Centre amalgamates three regional rural banks into a single Bank
- The Centre has amalgamated three Regional Rural Banks (RRB) Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank and Sutlej Gramin Bank into a single RRB with effect from January 1.
- The sponsor banks of the RRBs are National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Government of Punjab and Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India and Punjab and Sind Bank.
IRDAI fines United India Insurance Company Rs 5 lakh for violating claims settlement
- IRDAI slapped a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on United India Insurance Company for violating norms regarding the settlement of motor claims.
- The insurer also violated file and use guidelines issued by the Authority,
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION
Pentagon chief of staff Kevin Sweeney resigns
- United States Department of Defence chief of staff Kevin Sweeney has beenresigned, a month after the Defence Secretary James Mattis announced his resignation.
- He is now the third senior Pentagon official to announce his resignation since President Donald Trump announced US forces would leave Syria.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
AAI signs MoU with SAMEER for boosting communication
- Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed MoU with Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) for joint research programs in the field of Communication Navigation and Surveillance (CNS).
- AAI and SAMEER, an autonomous research and development (R and D) institute under MeitY have entered into an overarching MOU that will provide a platform for Collaborative Research for both the Organizations to work together.
- The MOU, on the one hand, will provide for the transfer of skill by SAMEER experts in the areas of Radio Frequency, Millimetre Wave and Antenna-related solutions to AAI domain experts, while on the other hand, it will pave way for exposure for the SAMEER researchers to the challenging Aviation field.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCHEMES AND PROGRAM
Government revised the interest rates on small savings schemes
- Interest rates applicable to Public Provident Fund (PPF), Kisan Vikas Patra and Sukanya Samriddhi were remains unchanged at 8%, 7.7% and 8.5% respectively..
- The interest rate on 1 year post office time deposits, a small savings scheme, has been increased by 10 basis points (bps) for the January March, 2019 quarter.
- The interest rate for 1-year time deposit stands at 7% higher by 10 basis points from 6.9% on quarterly basis.
- The 2 year time deposit rates stand unchanged at 7%. However, the 3-year time deposit rates have been brought down from 7.2% to 7% on quarterly basis.
- Meanwhile, the 5-year time deposits rate also saw status quo at 7.8% on quarterly.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Andhra Pradesh Minister received award for Polavaram Project
- Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswar Rao has received the ‘Central Board of Irrigation and Power Award’ for better planning and construction of Polavaram Irrigation Project in the state.
- Rao was honoured by the Minister of State (IC) Power and New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh.
- The Polavaram project on river Godavari in Andhra Pradesh is a multi-purpose irrigation project which has been accorded the status of a national project.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS
Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic won the Hopman Cup for the second time
- Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic secured a 2-1 victory over Germany’s Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev to win the Hopman Cup for the second year in a row.
- In a rerun of 2018 final, Federer beat Zverev to give the Swiss an early 1-0 lead. Wimbledon champion Kerber then overcame Bencic to level the tie. However, the Swiss claimed a tight win in the mixed doubles to claim their fourth Hopman Cup title.
- Twenty time Grand Slam champion Federer is the first player to win three Hopman Cups – twice with Bencic and once with Martina Hingis, in 2001.