Daily GK Updates - 13th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India's first floating elementary school opens in Manipur: India's first ever floating elementary school has opened on Loktak Lake, the freshwater lake in the country, in Manipur. Situated about 50 km from Imphal, the school will not only cater to the need of the children but of the illiterate adults as well. The school will be accommodating around 25 students and two teachers from the local community.

2. EC asks UP poll officers to file FIR against Dainik Jagran: The Election Commission on Monday asked poll officers in Uttar Pradesh to file FIR against the editorial heads of media group Dainik Jagran for violating the code of conduct by publishing an exit poll. It was a violation of Section 126 A and B of the Representation of the People Act, which bars media houses from publishing exit polls.

3. Allowing Kambala leaves black mark on India - PETA: Hours after the Karnataka Assembly passed a bill to legalise traditional buffalo race Kambala, animal rights body PETA said, "Allowing this cruelty to animals is a shameful black mark on our nation." PETA added that India has long enjoyed the admiration of nations for its cultural reverence for animals rights but today it moved backward when other 

4. Delhi became capital of India on this day – 13^th February: Delhi was formally inaugurated as the capital of British India by Viceroy and Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin, on February 13, 1931. Emperor of India, George V, had laid the foundation stone of Delhi on December 12, 1911. The British government had opined that ruling India from Delhi was easier and convenient than ruling it from Calcutta (now Kolkata).

5. INS Sarvekshak 1st Indian warship to use solar energy: Navy's survey-class vessel INS Sarvekshak has become India's first warship to install solar panels on board.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Turkmenistan Prez wins fresh 7-year term with 98% vote: Turkmenistan's current President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has won a fresh seven-year term against eight other opponents with nearly 98% of a weakly contested vote, electoral officials said. The election commission claimed over 97% turnout in the poll. Notably, Berdymukhamedov had approved constitutional changes last year to increase the presidential term from five to seven years

2. 2 lakh ordered to evacuate as USA's tallest dam may collapse: Nearly 2 lakh residents living near Oroville Dam, USA's tallest dam, were urgently ordered to evacuate on Sunday as a spillway damaged by heavy rainfall could collapse at any moment, according to officials. The California Department of Water Resources is releasing as much as 1,00,000 cubic feet of water per second from the main spillway to drain the lake.

3. Hamas names top militant as Prime Minister of Gaza: Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist organisation Hamas has named top militant commander Yehiya Sinwar as its new Prime Minister in the Gaza Strip, according to reports. Sinwar, who was jailed in Israel for murder was freed in a 2011 prisoner swap. Sinwar replaces Ismail Haniyeh, who served as the Prime Minister of the Hamas government after the 2007 takeover of Gaza.

4. World Radio Day observed: The World Radio Day is observed every year on 13th February to celebrate radio as the medium for entertainment, information and the mode for communication. 2017 Theme: “Radio is You”. 

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Joe Root named the captain of England's Test team: English batsman Joe Root has been appointed as England's new Test captain after accepting the position during talks with Andrew Strauss. All-rounder Ben Stokes has been made the Test team's new vice-captain.

2. India defeat Pakistan to win T20 Blind Cricket World Cup: Defending champions India defeated Pakistan by nine wickets to win the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Bangalore on Sunday. Pakistan scored 197/8 in their 20 overs, with India reaching the target in 17.4 overs. The Pakistani team was unbeaten in the tournament, while India had registered nine wins, losing only against Pakistan in the tournament.

BANKING AND FINANCE:

3. Govt to launch “Indradhanush 2.0” - The Union Government is planning to come out with ‘Indradhanush 2.0’, a comprehensive plan for recapitalisation of public sector lenders. Indradhanush 2.0 will be finalised by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after completion of Asset Quality Review (AQR) which is likely to be completed by end of March 2017. It aims to clean up the balance sheets of PSBs to ensure banks remain solvent and fully comply with global capital adequacy norms, Basel-III. Besides, revised programme of capitalisation will be also issued as part of it.

Daily GK Updates - 12th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt creates ‘INSPIRE Awards – MANAK’ to take startups to school: Aimed at fostering culture of entrepreneurship among school children, the government has set up the ‘INSPIRE Awards-MANAK’. 10 lakh ideas will be targeted from 5 lakh schools every year and one lakh ideas will be shortlisted for an INSPIRE Award of ₹5,000 each. The top 60 projects will be shortlisted for National Awards and showcased at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

2. ISKCON's mid-day meal scheme bags quality award: International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) food relief foundation 'Annamrita' has bagged the IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality award in the NGO category for the second time in a row. Over 12 lakh underprivileged children across India get nutritious and hygienic meals from its 20 centralised, ISO certified kitchens every day through its mid-day meal scheme.

3. Lowest salary of govt employee rose over 32,000% in 70 years: The lowest salary of a government employee rose 32,627%, from ₹55 to ₹18,000, in the last 70 years. Meanwhile, the senior government employees' salary has risen from ₹2,000 to ₹2.5 lakh since independence, a 12,400% rise. The Seventh Pay Commission had recommended an over 14% increase in the basic pay of government employees, which was accepted by the Centre.

4. Pandit Ravi Shankar has won most Grammy Awards among Indians: Late Indian classical musician Pandit Ravi Shankar won a total of five Grammy Awards, making him the Indian with most Grammy Awards. The awards include a Lifetime Achievement Award and an Album of the Year. While he was the first Indian to be honoured with a Grammy, other Indian Grammy winners include AR Rahman, Zakir Hussain and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

5. 2.83 lakh central government jobs to be created by 2018:According to the Budget, as many as 2.83 lakh central government jobs are estimated to be generated by next year. Of this, over 1 lakh more people will be added in police departments. The government will train more youth to become entrepreneurs and be job-ready in the changing scenario under its newly created Ministry of Skill Development, an official said.

6. 20-yr-old Afghan girl forms club to teach girls martial arts: Sima Azimi, a 20-year-old Afghan girl, has formed a club to train young Afghan girls in Wushu, an ancient Chinese martial art. Sima learned the sport in Iran and came to Kabul to form the Shaolin Wushu club a year ago. The club's members belong to a Shi'ite group called Hazara, which has been targeted by IS in the past.

7. National Productivity Day - The National Productivity Day is observed every year on February 12. Besides, February 12-18 is observed as National Productivity week throughout the country. The main observance of day is organised by National Productivity Council (NPC) for encouraging all stakeholders in implementation of productivity tools and techniques with contemporary relevant themes.  2017 Theme of National Productivity Week: “From Waste to Profits-through Reduce, Recycle and Reuse”.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. North Korea conducts ballistic missile test: North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile in an apparent provocation after the US President Donald Trump administration warned it of "effective and overwhelming" response over its use of nuclear weapons. The missile reportedly landed in the Sea of Japan. This comes after Trump assured Japan's PM Shinzo Abe that "America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100%"

2. Founders of firm involved in Panama Papers scandal arrested: Founders of Mossack Fonseca, the law firm involved in the Panama Papers scandal, have been arrested following a probe into their role in a scandal involving bribes paid by a Brazilian company. Jürgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca were accused of setting up offshore accounts that enabled the Brazilian company to funnel bribes to various countries.

3. Woman visits all 196 countries in 18 months to set record: Cassandra De Pecol, a 27-year-old American woman, has become the fastest woman to travel to all sovereign nations in the world by visiting 196 countries in 18 months and 26 days. De Pecol completed the trip in less than half the time it took the previous Guinness World Record holder. Her budget for the trip was $198,000 (over ₹1.3 crore).

4. Frank-Walter Steinmeier elected President of Germany: Former German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been elected as the country's new President by a parliamentary assembly. Steinmeier will succeed Joachim Gauck, a former pastor and East German pro-democracy activist. Steinmeier, who takes up the post on March 19 had earlier stood unsuccessfully against German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the federal election in 2009.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. 24 years since Sachin's first international hundred in India: Playing his 23rd Test match, Sachin Tendulkar scored his first international hundred in India against England at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on February 12, 1993. Sachin helped India win the match with his 165 and was adjudged Man of the Match. In his international career, Sachin scored 42 hundreds in India while the remaining 58 came out of India

Daily GK Updates - 11th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government constitutes inter-departmental task force to crack down on benami firms: The Union Government has constituted inter-departmental task force comprising members of various regulatory Ministries and enforcement agencies to crack down on benami firms. It is first major post-demonetisation move undertaken by Government for unearthing black money from shell companies used for large-scale money laundering and tax evasion.

2.  Ananth Kumar inaugurates Orientation Programme for launching of 1000 PMBJKs: The union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Ananth Kumar has inaugurated orientation programme for launching of one thousand Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras in New Delhi.

3. 2017 Desert Festival concludes in Jaisalmer: The three day long International Desert Festival 2017 started with great enthusiasm on 8 February 2017 in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

4. Government to set up Defence Procurement Organisation: The Union Government is planning to set up a Defence Procurement Organisation (DPO), new procurement body to integrate and streamline the long and arduous process of defence acquisitions. The DPO will be a vertical under the Union Defence Ministry.It will simplify the defence purchase procedure by integrating procurement processes.

                      INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day of Women and Girls in Science observed: The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was observed across the globe on 11 February 2017. The day comes as an opportunity for all to take a stand for girls and women in science.

2. China releases theme for BRICS Summit 2017: 2017 BRICS association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to be held in Xiamen, China in September 2017. The summit will be held under the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Hemant Bhargava appointed as LIC’s Managing Director: Hemant Bhargava has been appointed as the managing director of Life Insurance Corporation of India.Bhargava, who was the zonal manager (I/C) Delhi, has been appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet as managing director from the date of notification of his appointment up to the date of his superannuation (July 31, 2019) or until further orders

2. Senior IAS officer Ajay Tyagi appointed as SEBI Chairman: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed senior bureaucrat Ajay Tyagi (58) as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Mr. Tyagi will have tenure of 5 years or till the age of 65 years or until further orders. He will succeed UK Sinha whose term ends on March 1, 2017.

SPORTS:

3. Official mascot of FIFA U-17 World Cup 'Kheleao' unveiled:The official mascot of the tournament 'Kheleao' was unveiled in a ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. A clouded leopard called Kheleao was introduced by Sports Minister Vijay Goel and All India Football Federation President Praful Patel.

BANKING/FINANCE:

4. Arundhati Bhattacharya Becomes the Ambassador for its SBI PO recruitment ad: SBI chairman, Arundhati Bhattacharya, a part of the 1977 batch of probationary officers, has become the face of SBI PO Recruitment 2017.

AWARDS:

5.   Sudarsan Pattnaik creates Guinness World Record by creating 48.8 feet tall sand castle: Sand artist ‘Sudarsan Pattnaik’ has created a ‘Guinness World Record’ by creating a 48.8 feet tall sand castle at Puri beach in Odisha in four days.

The sculpture was built with a message of world peace and featured sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi, Gautama Buddha and Nelson Mandela.

Daily GK Updates - 10th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. National Women’s Parliament begins in Amaravati: Today, India’s first a-political three days National Women’s Parliament (NWP) has begun in the new capital of Andhra Pradesh -Amaravati.

The theme of the conference is 'Empowering Women - Strengthening Democracy'.

2. Union Commerce Ministry approves Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops: The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched pilot Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops (RISPC) for protecting the growers from the risks such as pest attacks, yield loss and income decline caused by fall in prices. It was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

3. HRD ministry constitute sub-committee of CABE on issues of girl’s education: The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has constituted a sub-committee of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) to look into issues of girl’s education. It will be headed by Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari. It will submit its report to the Union government within one year.

4.  Govt. decides to open 56 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras:The union Government has decided to open 56 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) at different locations in many states for delivering passport related services to the public. The states include Delhi, Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal.

5. Kerala’s Nilambur teak to get GI tag: Kerala’s Nilambur teak known internationally for its superior timber quality and elegant appearance will be added to the list of Kerala produces with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. In this regard, IPR Cell of the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) with the support of the Nilambur Teak Heritage Society, the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and the Department of Forests have applied for GI tag.

Darjeeling tea was the first product to be accorded with GI tag in India.

6. Dr. Harsh Vardhan releases Braille Atlas for visually impaired persons in New Delhi: The Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan released Braille Atlas for visually impaired persons in New Delhi.

The Atlas will be distributed free of cost to various schools across the country for educating the students with visual challenges.

7. National Deworming Day 2017 observed in India: The National Deworming Day was observed on 10 February 2017 in India with an aim to tackle worm infections in children.

                  INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Paris to erect wall of bulletproof glass around Eiffel Tower: The Mayor of Paris (France) has announced the erection of a 5 meter wall of bulletproof glass around the Eiffel Tower due to security reason.

Eiffel Tower is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

Other updates:

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:

1. Nokia to acquire Comptel Corporation to advance its software strategy: Nokia Corporation 9 February 2017 announced to acquire Comptel Corporation to advance its software strategy. The acquisition will also provide service providers with a comprehensive solution to design, deliver, orchestrate and assure communications and digital services across all the networks.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

2. Veerappan, Chasing the Brigand authored by K Vijay Kumar: The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh released the book titled - Veerappan, Chasing the Brigand. The book was written by K Vijay Kumar, Senior Security Adviser in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

3. ISRO develops Telemetry and Telecommand Processor: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has indigenously developed Telemetry & Telecommand Processor (TTCP) and its production will be initiated with the help of Indian industry. The processor development was undertaken up by ISRO as part of ‘Make in India’ campaign to replace the expensive imported equipment necessary for uplinking and downlinking to satellites.

SPORTS:

4. Virat Kohli becomes first Test batsman to score four double centuries in four consecutive series: Indian Skipper Virat Kohli has become the first batsman to score double centuries in four successive Test series surpassing legendary Donald Bradman and Rahul Dravid.

OBITUARIES:

5. Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield passes away: Renowned physicist and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield passed away on 8 February 2017 in London, England. He was 83.Mansfield, along with Paul Lauterbur, had won the 2003 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Daily GK Updates - 9th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Government not in favour of new law for CBI: The Union Government has turned down the recommendation of Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee to come up with a new law for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The parliamentary committee has recommended replacing Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 which governs CBI.

CBI is the foremost investigative police agency in India. It is non-constitutional and non-statutory body. It was established in 1941 as Special Police Establishment and was renamed to present nomenclature in 1963.

2. Railways Ministry launches first phase of Station Redevelopment Program: Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched the first phase of the Station Redevelopment Program comprising 23 major railway stations on Indian Railways network.

3. India to pitch Trade Facilitation in Services at WTO: India will make a presentation on the proposed Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS) Agreement to World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo and India Inc. The global pact proposed by India to boost services trade at the WTO-level aims to ease norms including those relating to movement of foreign skilled workers and professionals across borders for short-term work. The proposed services pact is similar to the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in Goods adopted by the WTO Members in 2014 at Bali Summit to ease customs norms for boosting global goods trade.

4. Gujarat becomes first State for establishing cashless system for distribution of food grains: Gujarat in the first week of February 2017 became the first State in the country for establishing a cashless system for distribution of food grains.

5. India ranks at 43rd position in 5th Annual International IP Index of USCC: 09 February 2017 Current Affairs: India ranked at 43rd position out of 45 countries in the 5th Annual International Intellectual Property (IP) Index of the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC). The 2017 International IP Index, named as 'The Roots of Innovation', was released on 8 February 2017.

International IP Index : The USCC's IP Index ranks countries on the basis of the points received on various aspects of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and market access, enforcement and ratification of international treaties.

6. SC issues contempt notice to Calcutta HC judge CS Karnan:  A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court has issued a contempt notice to Calcutta High Court Judge C.S. Karnan, initiating suo moto criminal proceedings.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Somalia's Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo chosen as new President: The Parliament of Somalia elected former Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, as the country's new president on 8 February 2017.

2. UK House of Commons passes Brexit bill: The UK Parliament has given PM Theresa May, the authority to officially trigger Brexit and start negotiations for leaving the 28-member European Union. The draft legislation has been approved by 494 to 122 votes and now moves to the House of Lords.

3. NASA’s Chandra satellite detects distinct X-ray signal: The US space agency NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory in February 2017 detected a very strange and distinctive X-ray signal from the Milky Way galaxy. This observation can help the scientists in proving the existence of dark matter in the universe.

4. Dubai Gets First Woman Commercial Pilot In Royal Family: Shaikha Mozah Al Maktoum, one of the female members of Dubai's ruling family, is claimed to have become the first woman commercial pilot.

5. Russia banned from London World Athletics Championships: Russia has been barred from international competition since November 2015 following a damaging report alleging that state-sponsored doping was rife in the country.

6. China becomes world’s largest Solar Energy Producer: China has emerged as the world’s largest producer of solar energy. According to China’s National Energy Administration, its photovoltaic (PV) capacity reached to 77.42 GW in 2016. It has surpassed Germany, former global solar-power leader which has produced 40.78GW solar energy in November 2016. 

Other UPDATES

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Rajeev Singh takes over as acting CEO of Prasar Bharati: Rajeev Singh, Member (Finance) in Prasar Bharati Board, will take charge as interim CEO of the public broadcaster after S C Panda retires in February.

2. HDIL to launch budget homes in Mumbai Metropolitan Region: Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd said it will soon launch its new budget homes brand in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). HDIL will provide affordable homes within Rs. 50 lakh inclusive of stamp duty and registration in Mumbai’s suburbs and within Rs. 20 lakh, including stamp duty and registration charges, in the Vasai–Virar region.

AWARDS

3. Hyderabad surgeon Raghu Ram honored with B C Roy Award: Dr P Raghu Ram, president of Association of Breast Surgeons of India, has won the prestigious Dr B C Roy national award for 'outstanding service in the field of socio medical relief' for 2016. The award, the highest recognition for medical practitioners in India, would be conferred on Ram by President Pranab Mukherjee on July 1, observed as Doctors Day.

4. India under-19 team clinches One-Day International series against England, 3-1: The fifth One-Day International (ODI) between India Under-19 and their English counterparts ended in a tie after India lost its final wicket on the last ball of the match.

BANKING AND FINANCE

5. RBI to set up separate Enforcement Department: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up separate Enforcement Department to effectively monitor banks in case they violate regulations and speed up regulatory compliance. The department will be operational from April 1, 2017 i.e. the next financial year (2017-18). It will mainly deal with the penalties imposed on banks for violation of norms.

Daily GK Updates - 8th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan for rural digital literacy: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’ (PMGDISHA) to make 6 crore rural households digitally literate by March 2019. PMGDISHA is expected to be one of the largest digital literacy programmes in the world. This approval comes in line with the announcement made by Union Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2016-17.

2. Researchers develop battery powered by stomach acid: Researchers from MIT have developed a small battery that runs on stomach acids and is capable of powering e-pills to monitor patient health. The small system can generate enough power to run small sensors or drug delivery devices that can reside in the gastrointestinal tract for extended periods of time.

3. Union Government notified amendment to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme: The Union Ministry of Finance notified an amendment to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme (PMGKDS), 2016.
The amendment allows declarants to make deposits on one or more occasions in the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme (PMGKDS), 2016. Before the amendment, the declarants were allowed to deposit in the scheme in only one installment.

4. Safer Internet Day celebrated on 7 February 2017:  The Safer Internet Day was celebrated on 7 February 2017 with the theme - Be the Change: Unite for a Better Internet. The day is jointly coordinated by the Insafe/INHOPE network with the support of the European Commission. The day was observed for the first time in 2011 with the theme - Virtual Lives.

5. India’s first centre of disabled sportsmen to come up in Gandhinagar: India’s first ever Centre of Excellence for differently-abled sportsmen will be established in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

6. India to host international nuclear security meet:  India is going to host Implementation and Assessment Group Meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT), a key meet on nuclear security on February 8-10, 2017.
It is being hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in coordination with the Department of Atomic Energy.

7. Lok Sabha passes Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017: The Lok Sabha has passed the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to enable employers to pay wages to workers through cheque or directly crediting to their accounts. The bill will replace the Ordinance promulgated by the President in December 2016 to amend the Payment of Wages Act, 1936.

8. RBI keeps key rates unchanged in 6th bi-monthly monetary policy review: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) headed by RBI Governor Urjit Patel has kept the key policy rates unchanged.  It was central bank’s sixth bi-monthly and last policy for the financial year 2016-17 and overall the third by the MPC. All six members of the MPC voted in favour of holding rates. Besides, RBI also changed its stance from accommodative to neutral. It also lowered GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal to 6.9%. However the apex bank expects a rebound in GDP growth to 7.4% in 2017-18.

Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF): Unchanged at 6.25 percent.
Reverse repo rate under the LAF: Unchanged at 5.75 per cent.
Marginal standing facility (MSF): Unchanged at 6.75 per cent.
Reserve Ratios Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks: Unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liability (NDTL).
Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Unchanged 20.75 per cent

9. Arunachal Pradesh implements 'e-Cabinet' system: Arunachal Pradesh government today said it has implemented a paperless system to drastically cut down on the time taken to hold a cabinet meeting. 
The 'e-Cabinet' system uses a web-based software by which ministers can prepare for cabinet meetings, conduct them and review minutes, entirely without paper.

                        INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Salman Rushdie's novel 'The Golden House' announced: Author Salman Rushdie’s new novel titled 'The Golden House' is slated to release in September 2017. The announcement was made by Penguin Random House on 7 February 2017.
The book will be published in India by Penguin Random House, which acquired the subcontinent rights from the Wylie Agency.

Salman Rushdie  : Salman Rushdie is a British Indian novelist and essayist.
He is known for his novels - Midnight's Children (won the Booker Prize in 1981) and The Satanic Verses (a controversial novel).

2. Qatar Airways launches world's longest scheduled commercial airline route: Qatar Airways has launched the world's longest scheduled commercial airline route with the arrival of its flight from Doha to Auckland, New Zealand.

3. Jovenel Moise sworn in as Haiti's new president : Jovenel Moise has been sworn in as Haiti's new president, opening a new chapter in the country's history after a long-running political crisis.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sourabh Verma & Rituparna Das won singles titles in National Badminton Championship: Sourabh Verma and Rituparna Das on 7 February 2017 won the men’s singles and women’s singles titles respectively in the 81st Senior National Badminton Championships tournament in Patna, Bihar.

2.  India to host World Billiards Championship for next four years: The Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) has announced that India will host the World Billiards Championship for the next four years. Earlier, the World Billiards Championship -2016 was held in Bengaluru.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3.  ‘Samsung Pay’ to Launch in India: Technology giant Samsung will launch its mobile payment wallet “Samsung Pay” in India. The launch is expected to happen in the first half of 2017.

4. Axis Bank ties up with Earthport: India’s Axis bank has tied up with a cross-border payment network Earthport Plc. to enable faster outbound cross-border payments for its customers. Earthport Plc has a state-of-the-art global payments network, which spans over 60 countries. Now, Axis bank has become the first bank in India, which connects with Earthport.

5. Bank of Baroda, IFFCO launch co-branded debit card for farmers:  In a novel initiative that would push digitalisation and cashless economy, Bank of Baroda (BOB) has tied up with IFFCO, a cooperative, to provide co-branded debit cards with inbuilt overdraft facilities to the farmers.

6. Adani appoints Purdie as CEO for renewable energy unit in Australia: The Adani Group has appointed Jennifer Purdie as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for its renewable energy business unit in Australia in a bid to drive its plans to become the largest renewable energy player in the country.

AWARDS:

7.  Indian-origin British sculptor Anish Kapoor wins USD 1 million Israeli prize:

Renowned Indian-origin British sculptor Anish Kapoor (62-year) honored with the prestigious $1 million Genesis Prize by Israel for his utmost contribution for Jewish community.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

8. Scientists develop terahertz transmitter capable of sending data 10 times faster than 5G:  Scientists from Japan have developed terahertz (THz) transmitter technology, a next generation system which can transmit digital data over 10 times faster than 5G mobile networks. It will pave transmitting digital data at a rate exceeding 100 gigabits per second (gbps) over a single channel using the 300-gigahertz band.