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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
HRD Ministry launched Operation Digital Board
- The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry launched Operation Digital Board on the lines of Operation Blackboard to provide better digital education in schools
- Under the initiative, 7 lakh classrooms of 9th, 10th and 11th standards and 2 lakh classrooms of colleges and Universities will be equipped with digital boards in the next three years.
- It aims to converting a class room into a digital class room and in addition to availability of e-resources at any time and at any place to students
| USEFUL INFO |
| Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) | Prakash Javadekar |
| Constituency | Madhya Pradesh, Rajya Sabha |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Australian Rat becomes the first mammal to go extinct
- A small brown rat of northern Australia is the world’s first mammal to become extinct due to climate change
- It was found only on a small sand island near the coast of Papua New Guinea
- The Australian government has officially listed the Bramble Cay melomys as extinct
| USEFUL INFO |
| Australia Capital | Canberra |
| Australia Currency | Australian dollar |
| Australia President | Scott Morrison |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
EPFO hikes provident fund interest rate by 0.1% to 8.65%
- The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) hiked the interest rate on employees’ provident fund by 10 basis point from 8.55 per cent to 8.65 per cent for the 2018-19 fiscal year
- Central Board of Trustees (CBT) headed by the Union labour minister is the highest decision making body of the EPFO that finalises rate of interest on PF deposits.
- The proposal approved by the trustees would now go to the finance ministry for its approval
| USEFUL INFO |
| Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Union Labour Minister | Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar |
Government to infuse Rs. 48,239 crore in 12 PSU banks for 2018-19
- The government approved the infusion of Rs. 48,239 crore in 12 public sector banks to help them meet regulatory capital requirements and boost overall growth
- With this latest of capita infusion, the government has now provided Rs. 1, 00,958 crore out of the Rs. 1.06 lakh crore bank recapitalisation plan.
- Allahabad Bank will receive Rs. 6,896 crore, Union Bank will receive Rs. 4,112 crore, Bank of India Rs. 4,638 crore, Bank of Maharashtra Rs. 205 crore, Corporation Bank Rs 9,086 crore, Andhra Bank Rs. 3,256 crore, Syndicate Bank Rs. 1,603 crore, Punjab National Bank Rs. 5,098 crore and Central Bank of India Rs. 2,560.
- The government also infuse Rs. 2,839 crore in United Bank and Rs. 3,330 crore in UCO Bank
Foreign direct investment during April-December 2018-19 falls 7% to USD 33.49 billion
- Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India falls by 7 per cent to USD 33.49 billion during April-December in the current fiscal
- Foreign fund inflows during April-December 2017-18 stood at USD 35.94 billion
- The key sectors received the maximum foreign investment during the nine months of the fiscal
- Services USD 5.91 billion, computer software and hardware USD 4.75 billion, telecommunications USD 2.29 billion, trading USD 2.33 billion, chemicals USD 6.05 billion, and the automobile industry USD 1.81 billion.
- Singapore was the largest source of FDI during April-December 2018-19 with USD 12.97 billion inflow
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION
BFI president Ajay Singh appointed as head of Elite Foundation of AIBA
- India’s boxing chief Ajay Singh has been elected as president of the Foundation Board for Better Boxing of the world governing body of the sport, AIBA, for tenure of 4 years.
- Foundation for Better Boxing was constituted by the AIBA in the last meeting of their Executive Committee to address future development of the sport globally.
| USEFUL INFO |
| International Boxing Association Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| International Boxing Association President | Gafur Rakhimov |
Former judge Justice DK Jain appointed as ombudsman for BCCI
- The Supreme Court appointed its former judge, Justice DK Jain as the first ombudsman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
- The role of the ombudsman is to resolve the disputes relating to the players within the state cricket associations and also financial issues
| USEFUL INFO |
| BCCI Headquarters | Mumbai |
| BCCI President | C.K. Khanna |
Tarun Shridhar gets additional charge of Fisheries Secretary
- Senior IAS officer Tarun Sridhar has given additional charge of the post of Secretary, Department of Fisheries
- He is presently Secretary of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
- Department of Fisheries has been newly created department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare | Radha Mohan Singh |
| Constituency | Purvi Champaran, Bihar |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE
NITI Aayog organized the conference on Future of Indian Banking
- Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, inaugurated the Future of Indian Banking conference with the Foundation for Economic Growth and Welfare (EGROW Foundation).
- The conference aims to increase and elevate the discourse on the banking sector in India, and help develop insights to inform the continued evolution of the Indian banking sector for optimally supporting the growing credit needs of the Indian economy.
| USEFUL INFO |
| NITI AayogCEO | Amitabh Kant |
| NITI AayogVice Chairman | Rajiv Kumar |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated India’s first humanoid police robot KP-BOT
- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated KP-BOT, first humanoid police robot in India, in Thiruvananthapuram
- The robot ranked as Sub-Inspector and it will perform duties of the front office of police headquarters. It’ll receive the visitors, issue identity cards and allot time for them and direct them to different places according to their needs
- KP-Bot has been developed by State Police Cyberdome in cooperation with Asimov Robotics, a Kochi-based startup firm
| USEFUL INFO |
| Kerala Capital | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Kerala Chief Minister | Pinarayi Vijayan |
| Kerala Governor | P. Sadasivam |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
BEL signs Teaming Agreement with Hughes India for Helicopter SATCOM solutions
- Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Hughes India entered into a Teaming Agreement for design, development, supply, installation, integration and commissioning of Satellite Communication solutions for helicopters.
- Hughes India is a majority owned subsidiary of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, USA. Hughes India is the largest satellite service operator in India providing a comprehensive range of broadband networking technologies, solutions, and services for businesses and governments.
| USEFUL INFO |
| BEL headquarters | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Chairman and Managing Director | M V Gowtama |
India, Sri Lanka signed MoU to establish business centre for ICT incubators in Jaffna
- India and Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a business centre for ICT incubators in Jaffna, Srilanka, through grant of 25 crore Sri Lankan rupees from India.
- The MoU was signed by High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Mr. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Secretary, Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade Mr. S. T. Kodikara in Colombo
- The centre will provide opportunities and enhance the enabling environment for Information Communication Technology (ICT) and other professional services in the Northern region inhabited by minority Tamils
| USEFUL INFO |
| Sri Lanka Capital | Colombo, Jayawardenepura Kotte |
| Sri Lanka Currency | Sri Lankan rupee |
| Sri Lanka President | Maithripala Sirisena |
MoUs signed between India and South Korea
- MoU on release of commemorative postal stamp on Queen Hur (Suriratna)
- MoU on Start-up Cooperation
- MoU between Korean National Police Agency and MHA on Combating Transnational Crime And Developing Police Cooperation
- MoU between Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) and Prasar Bharti on Cooperation in Broadcasting
- MoU between National Highways Authority of India and Korea Expressway Corporation
| USEFUL INFO |
| South Korea Capital | Seoul |
| South Korea Currency | South Korean won |
| South Korea President | Moon Jae-in |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES
Veteran film producer Raj Kumar Barjatya passed away
- Bollywood film producer Raj Kumar Barjatya passed away in Mumbai
- He is known for producing several Bollywood films like ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’, ‘Vivah’, ‘Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon’ and ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, among others.
Bengali singer Pratik Choudhury passed away
- Bengali singer and music composer Pratik Choudhury passed away
- The popular singer, known for his albums on Bengali songs including Mukhosh, Bhusandir Mathe, Ebar Pratiker Pallay among others
- His last album, Banglar Neere was released two years ago.