Daily GK Updates - 1st June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nirupama Rao appointed public policy fellow to US think-tank: Former Indian envoy to the US Nirupama Rao has appointed public policy fellow to a Washington-based think-tank. She will work on a project on the Sino-India ties for the top American think-tank. Ms Rao will be affiliated with the Wilson Centre's Asia programme.

2. Telangana Government launches T-Wallet: Telangana has launched a digital wallet titled as T-Wallet. It is the official digital wallet of the state, offering anytime anywhere platform for digital payments with no additional charge for citizens. Transaction Analysts has partnered with Telangana to develop T-Wallet. It is 1st official e-wallet from any state government.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Japan launches satellite for high-precision positioning system to complement GPS: Japan launched a satellite from the Tanegashima space centre to help build a high-precision geo-location system that will complement the US-operated Global Positioning System (GPS).

2. India & Spain sign seven agreements: India and Spain have signed seven agreements in cyber security, renewable energy, technical cooperation in civil aviation, visa waiver for diplomatic passport holders. The agreements were signed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with President of Government of Spain Mariano Rajoy at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid.

3. NASA’s first mission to the sun: NASA is launching a spacecraft named ‘Parker Solar Probe’ to Sun in the summer of 2018. It will explore sun’s outer atmosphere and make critical observations that will answer decades-old questions about the physics of how stars work.

4. Global Day of Parents observed: The Global Day of Parents is observed on the 1st of June every year. The Global Day provides an opportunity to appreciate all parents in all parts of the world for their selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship.

5. Jhumpa Lahiri Wins 2017 PEN/Malamud Award: Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri has been announced as the recipient of the 2017 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize.

6. World Milk Day observed: The World Milk Day has been observed on 1st June each year since 2001. The World Milk Day is a day established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to recognise the importance of milk as a global food.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. ICC Champions Trophy 2017 begins in London: 2017 ICC Champions Trophy (8th edition) began in London with hosts England taking on Bangladesh in the opening encounter at Kennington Oval.

BANKING & FINANCE:

2. ADB and PNB sign $100 million loan: The Asian Development Bank and Punjab National Bank has signed a $100 million loan. The loan will be used to finance large solar rooftop systems on industrial and commercial buildings throughout India. PNB will use the ADB funds to make further loans to various developers and end users to install rooftop solar systems.

3. Indian Railways introduces “Buy Now, Pay Later” service for bookings: Indian Railways has introduced ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ service for passengers to book tickets.

It will allow passengers to make payment for tickets booked online within a window of 15 days.

Daily GK Updates - 31st May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bicycle Patrols – An initiative of Delhi Police: Delhi Police (DP) has launched the Bicycle Patrols for better policing in the capital. The patrolling officers will be equipped with standard police communication equipment which will operate in 'hands-free mode' and function like mobile police posts of the local Police Station. A total of 65 high-end bicycles have been made operational. It will normally cover distance of 2 to 5 kms per patrol.

2. George Kurian appointed as Vice-Chairman of National Commission for Minorities: Minister of State Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has appointed George Kurian as the vice-chairman of National Commission for Minorities. The other appointed members are Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi (Chairman), Sulekha Kumbhare (former Maharashtra minister), Sunil Singhi (Jain representative) and Vada Dasturji Khurshed Kaikobad Dastoor. First time a Jain member has been appointed to the panel after the community was notified as minority in Jan 2014. The six notified minority communities in the country are Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi, and Jain.

3. Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award to Priyanka Chopra under a new category: Actress Priyanka Chopra will be conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for being an international icon. She will be given the award under the newly introduced ‘Internationally Acclaimed Actress’ category. This Award is India’s highest award in cinema.

4. India becomes World’s third largest aviation market: India has emerged as the third largest aviation market in the world with a passenger traffic of over 10 crore reported for 2016-17. Average or median air fares fell by 18% during 2016-17 and scheduled domestic flight movements rose from 7 lakh in 2014 to 8.2 lakh in 2016. US is currently world’s largest aviation market.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 31st may as World No-Tobacco Day: The theme for world No Tobacco Day 2017 is "Tobacco - a threat to development". This day aims to create awareness about the health risks associated with consumption of tobacco and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The Union Health Minister JP Nadda is chosen for this year's WHO Director-General Special Recognition Awards.

2. ‘The Square’ wins top prize at Cannes: The Swedish film ‘The Square’ has won the Palme d’Or, the top prize at 70th Cannes Film Festival. The Square is a Swedish satirical drama film directed by Ruben Östlund. The film ‘120 Beats Per Minute!’ won the Grand Prix, the runner-up prize.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Lionel Messi wins fourth Golden Shoe: Lionel Messi has won the European Golden Shoe for a record fourth time. With this fourth Golden Shoe Messi has drawn level with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi has scored 37 goals this season in the Spanish league. The award goes every season to the leading goal scorer from every top division national league in Europe.

BANKING & FINANCE:

2. Banks Board Bureau gets 2 more members: The government has expanded the Banks Board Bureau by adding two more members. Shubhalaxmi Panse and Pradip Shah have been inducted into the board. The bureau is headed by former comptroller and auditor general Vinod Rai.

Daily GK Updates - 30th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  FICCI smart policing award 2017  won by Pune Police: Pune Police has won this award for the project ‘Mahila Suraksha’. It was received by Commissioner of Pune Rashmi Shukla. Initiatives like “BuddyCop” was launched to help women working in IT companies and “Damini squad” involving women police officials played a key role in tightening the  security.

2.    Ban on the usage of thin plastic bags in Goa: Goa government has decided to ban buying and selling of plastic bags below 50 microns from July, to tackle the garbage and litter menace in public places.Fine of Rs. 500 will be imposed and then the fine will be subsequently raised to Rs. 5,000 depending upon the success. Goa has already banned plastic bags below 40 microns.

3.    A new Jamia Chancellor - Najma Heptulla: Manipur governor 'Najma Heptulla' has been appointed the first woman chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia university for a term of five years.This happened to her at the age of 77 years. She will succeed Lieutenant General (Retd.) MA Zaki.She has also worked as former minority affairs minister. Heptulla is a five-time member of the Rajya Sabha and served as the Deputy Chairman of the House for sixteen years. (Note:  Earlier, Heptulla served as the minister of minority affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet before being appointed as the governor of Manipur.)

4. Expectation of  rise in GDP of our Nation in 2017-18:  India’s gross domestic product(GDP) is expected to grow 7.2 in 2017-18 according to the World Bank Report. In 2016-17, India’s GDP is expected to be 6.8 percent. This is due to the impact of demonetization. According to the report India needs to create safe, flexible and well-paying jobs for a large number of women who are currently not in the labour market to achieve higher growth.

5.    Reserve Bank of India announces about new one rupee notes: RBI will be putting new one rupee notes into circulation soon. The notes have been printed by the Government of India. The existing currency notes in this denomination in circulation will also continue to be legal tender. The colour of One Rupee currency note shall be predominantly pink green on obverse and reverse in combination with others. The note will bear the signature of Shaktikanta Das – The Economic Affairs Secretary.

6.    The launch of India’s first digital bank for sanitary pads: On the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, India’s first digital bank for sanitary pads has been launched in Mumbai by MLA Bharati Lavekar. People can log in to ‘teefoundation.in’ to either donate pads or money to those in need. The needy can also access available resources on the portal. According to the 2015-16 National Family Health Survey, 57.6% of Indian menstruating women use sanitary napkins.

7.    A steep Fall in average pay hike in India: According to Aon Hewitt Survey, India’s average pay hike has registered a steep fall from 15.1% in 2007 to 10.2% in 2016. It is expected to drop further to 9.5% in 2017.

8.    BSF officer climbs Mt.Everest for the 6th time: An assistant commandant of Border Security Forces “Loveraj Singh Dharamshaktu” became the first Indian to climb the world’s highest peak Mount Everest for a record sixth time. He was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India in 2014. He hails from Uttarakhand and scaled the Everest first in 1998.

9.    INS Ganga – An Indian Navy frigate to be placed in non-operational state soon: INS Ganga is a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy. It was built in Mumbai by Mazagon Dock Limited. It gave services for last 32 years. INS Ganga is also affiliated to the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) of the Indian Army.

10. UGC App to fight ragging: HRD minister Prakash Javadekar has launched an Anti-Ragging Mobile App introduced by the University Grants Commission. This mobile app will help students register complaints to counter the menace of ragging. Now the Students can login and register their complaints instantaneously. The app will work on android system.

11. “Darwaza Bandh” Campaign: The aim of the campaign is to encourage usage of  toilets in rural area. The union minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation ‘Narendra Singh Tomar’ and Maharashtra Chief Minister ‘Devendra Fadnavis’ jointly launched this campaign. Bollywood star ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ is leading the campaign along with  ‘Anushka Sharma’ who will be seen encouraging women for the same.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. “Kazakhstan” all set to produce nuclear fuel:  Kazakhstan is all set to produce nuclear fuel for Chinese power plants in 2019.  This would take place through a Joint Venture(JV) set up by the two countries. This JV is between Kazatomprom and China General Nuclear Power Group. The JV, Ulba-FA, is now building on land at the Ulba plant, Kazakhstan’s main uranium processing factory.

2. The Launch of Zan TV (Women’s TV) Channel in Afghanistan: Zan TV (Women's TV) has staff of all female presenters and producers. It executed a high-profile marketing campaign. It is being seen a ground- breaking step for women's rights, in a male dominated country. The station is run on a low-cost digital technology in a basic studio in the Kabul, Afghanistan.

3. Cyclone Mora hits Bangladesh: Cyclone Mora has hit the south-eastern coast this year whereas Cyclone Roanu hit the southern coast of Bangladesh last year. Mora-wind speed was in the range of 100-150 kilometres per hour. About 20,000 houses in refugee camps for Rohingya were damaged.

4. ‘Un-Islamic’ Lady Justice Statue reinstalled in Bangladesh: A statue of Lady Justice which had been removed recently from outside the Supreme Court in Dhaka has been reinstalled at a different location on the court grounds. The statue shows a lady blindfolded and holding scales while wearing a sari. Opponents demanded the statue be destroyed and replaced with the Koran, calling it “un-Islamic.” The statue is reinstalled at a different location on the court grounds – one where it would be less visible.

5. India and Fiji sign MoU: India and Fiji has signed an MoU on defence cooperation. The MoU envisaged cooperation on defence industry, military training, humanitarian assistance & disaster management. The two defence Ministers discussed expanded defence partnership in maritime security between both the countries. Naval cooperation was identified as an area of promise.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel wins Monaco Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel has won 2017 Monaco Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finished second while Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo clinched the third spot. He is a four-time Formula One World Champion and currently drives for Scuderia Ferrari.

2. Amla becomes the fastest batsman to score 7000 runs in ODI cricket: South African opener Hashim Amla has become the fastest batsman to score 7000 runs in ODI cricket. He reached this milestone in his 150th innings. He also holds the record for fastest to reach 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000 ODI runs. The record for the fastest 7000 ODI runs was earlier held by Virat Kohli.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. Online food delivery firm ‘Swiggy’ raises $80M: Swiggy is an Online food delivery platform which has successfully raised USD 80 million in series E funding led by Naspers. These funds would  help Swiggy to introduce new products and service offerings to enhance its customer experience. Naspers has also invested into Foodpanda. CEO of Swiggy is Sriharsha Majety.

OBITUARIES:

4. Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis passes away At the age of 98 years: He was an early proponent of austerity cuts that Greece eventually had to adopt during the economic crisis of 2010.Mitsotakis served as the Prime Minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993.

Daily GK Updates - 29th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India leads in usage of biometric tech: With advancements in the field of biometric technology, India has topped globally in adoption of biometrics techniques. On an average, people in India (9%) are three times more likely than any other country (3%) surveyed to have used ‘iris recognition’ to identify themselves.

2. Revenue department sets up twitter handle for GST: The revenue department on Sunday started a new twitter handle to answer industry queries related to the new indirect tax regime. Traders and industry can ask questions on the twitter handle ‘@askGST_GoI’ and officials from Central Board of Excise and Customs will answer them. The GST will start from July 1.

3. Aeronautical test range in Karnataka: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has inaugurated the newly built Aeronautical Test Range of the Defence Research & Development Organisation at Chellakere, Chitradurga in Karnataka. The 28 km strategic ATR is expected to facilitate conditions for research, which is expected to enrich the human resource required in the field of aeronautical testing.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day of UN Peacekeepers: The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is observed on May 29 annually to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. It was so designated by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 57/129, on December 11, 2002. The 2017 theme is, “Investing in Peace around the world.”

2. New species of glass frog discovered: A new glass frog species with transparent skin through which its beating heart is visible has been discovered by scientists.

The frog (Hyalinobatrachium yaku) was discovered in Ecuador.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. World Table Tennis Championships starts in Germany: The 2017 World Table Tennis Championships is being held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 29 May to 5 June 2017. Top-ranked Indian in the world, Achanta Sharath Kamal will lead the 8-member Indian squad.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. RBI to observe financial literacy week in June: The Reserve Bank of India will observe financial literacy week from June 5 to 9 across the country. The financial literacy week will focus on four broad themes — Know Your Customer (KYC), Exercising Credit Discipline, Grievance Redressal and Going Digital (UPI and *99#). The main objective of observing the financial literacy week is to emphasize the importance of financial literacy.

3. Fairfax sells stake in ICICI Lombard: Fairfax has sold 12.18% stake in ICICI Lombard General Insurance to three investors, namely, Red Bloom Investment Ltd, Tamarind Capital Pte. Ltd and IIFL Special Opportunities Fund. The company is valued at Rs 20300 cr as per the deal.

4. Bank of Baroda to raise Rs. 9000 cr: Bank of Baroda plans to raise Rs 9000 crore through various instruments, including follow-on public offer, to fund growth during this fiscal. The board approved raising of additional capital funds up to Rs 9000 crore up to March 31, 2018, comprising of Rs 6000 crore by way of equity capital and Rs 3000 crore by way of additional tier I capital instruments.

5. Paradip Port gets award: The Paradip Port Trust has been awarded by the Union Shipping Ministry for witnessing the second highest growth in traffic for FY17. In FY17, the port has handled 88.95 MMT of cargo; a 16.5% rise.

Daily GK Updates - 28th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s first three cases of Zika virus reported: World Health Organization has confirmed India’s first three cases of Zika virus infections. The first three cases of the Zika virus has been detected in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The virus is transmitted by aedes aegypti mosquito.

2. Odisha’s biggest steel plant owned by Jindal commissioned: Odisha’s biggest integrated steel plantwas made operational with the commissioning of the country’s largest blast furnace. The plant is owned by Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. The plant is expected to provide direct employment to around 30,000 people and indirect jobs to many others.

3. India’s First Electric Mass Mobility System Launched in Nagpur: The chief minister of Maharashtra ‘Devendra Fadnavis’ has inaugurated India’s first multi-modal electric vehicle project at the Nagpur Airport Complex. The pilot project will have a fleet of 200 electric vehicles like taxis, buses, e-rickshaw and autorickshaws. Four electric charging station has built by cab aggregator ‘Ola’ in various places of Nagpur including the Nagpur airport.

4. India’s tax laws second most complex in Asia Pacific: According to a Deloitte survey, Indian tax laws are perceived to be second most complex in the Asia Pacific region. China tops the index while Japan, Australia, Indonesia and South Korea trail India in the complexity index.

5. Dailong village in Manipur declared Biodiversity Heritage Site: The Manipur govt. has declared Dailong village of Tamenglong district as a Biodiversity Heritage Site of the state. Dialong village (area - 11.35 sq km) has been declared as Biodiversity Heritage Site under Section 37(1) of Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Menstrual hygiene day: May 28: Every year May 28 is observed as Menstrual hygiene Day. It aims to break taboos and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management for women and adolescent girls worldwide. It was initiated by the German based NGO WASH United in 2014.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel wins 2017 Monaco Grand Prix: German racing driver Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) has won the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix at Monaco. The second place in the race was secured by Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) and the third place by Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull).

2. Bhavani Devi becomes first Indian to win a Gold in International Fencing tournament: Fencer A Bhavani Devi has become first Indian to win a Gold Medal in the sabre event of the Turnoi Satellite Fencing Championship at Reykjavik, Iceland.

She beat Sarah Jane Hampson (Great Britain) 15-13 points.

3. World Table Tennis Championships begin in Dusseldorf:  The World Table Tennis Championships (54th edition) has begun in Dusseldorf, Germany (7th- time) with the Qualification matches. Top-ranked Indian in the world, Achanta Sharath Kamal will lead the 8-member Indian squad.

4. South Korea beat China to win 2017 Sudirman Cup: South Korea defeated China to lift their fourth Sudirman Cup title at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, Queensland, Australia. South Korea’s women shuttlers beat China with a 3-2 win in the final.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

5. IOC becomes India’s most profitable PSU: Indian Oil Corp has overtaken Oil and Natural Gas Corp to become India’s most PSU. IOC posted a 70 per cent jump in net profit. Reliance Industries retained the crown of being India’s most profitable company followed by TCS.

Daily GK Updates - 27th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mt Everest 21 times, creates world record: Kami Rita Sherpa from Nepal created history by scaling Mt. Everest for a record 21 times. He became one of the three climbers in the world to hold the record for most of the summits on Mt Everest. Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa have also scaled the highest peak 21 times.

2. India, Mauritius sign four agreements including bilateral maritime security: India and Mauritius have signed four agreements (in the field of education, training, and research) after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Pravin Kumar Jugnauth in New Delhi.

3. Tajmahal among top 10 global landmarks: Taj Mahal has made it to the top 10 landmarks in the world by securing fifth position in the list. It is the only Indian monument to figure in the world’s top 10 Travellers Choice awards for Landmarks. Angkor Wat in Siem Reap topped the list followed by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center in Abu Dhabi.

According to the Asia list, Taj Mahal was at No. 2 spot after Angkor Wat

1st - Angkor Wat (Cambodia).

2nd - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (Abu Dhabi)

3rd - Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba (Spain)

4th - St Peter's Basilica (Vatican City)

5th - Taj Mahal (India)

4. India’s Ambassador to Philippines: Jaideep Mazumdar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Philippines. He is presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Earth sized storms over poles of Jupiter: Nasa’s exploratory spacecraft Juno has found Earth-sized storms are swirling violently above Jupiter’s poles. Jupiter’s poles are covered in huge storms that are densely clustered and rubbing together.

2. G7 summit begins in Italy: A two-day G7 summit began in Sicily’s picturesque town of Taormina, Italy. The summit will focus on issues surrounding security and growth. A tough debate is expected on issues including trade and climate change.

G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US. The EU also has representatives.

3. Indo-Thailand Siam Bharat 17: Indo-Thailand Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Table Top Exercise 2017 was recently held at Chiang Mai, Thailand. The exercise was carried out between the Indian Air Force and Royal Thailand Air Force.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Virat Kohli's Winning Formula Revealed in New Book by Abhirup: A new book “Winning like Virat: Think & Succeed like Kohli” has revealed by Abhirup Bhattacharya. The book unravels the secrets of Virat Kohli's consistent form, while attempting to decode his philosophy towards life.

OBITUARIES/ TRIBUTES:

2. Jawaharlal’s death anniversary, Modi pays tribute: PM Narendra Modi paid tributes to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his 53rd death anniversary. Jawarharlal Nehru remains the longest-serving prime minister of India as he remained in power for 17 years.

Daily GK Updates - 26th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s longest bridge inaugurated by PM Modi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the strategically important Dhola-Sadiya Bridge in Assam. It spans the Lohit River to connect the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and is 9.15 kms in length. The construction began in 2011 and was completed on 10 March 2017. It was built by Navayuga Engineering Company Limited.

2. Govt. changes start-up definition: The union government has introduced minor changes to the Startup definition. An entity shall be considered as a Startup if its turnover is less than Rs. 25 crore (unchanged) and has not completed seven years from the date of its incorporation /registration. Earlier, only companies up to five years from the date of incorporation were eligible for concessions.

3. Anurag Tripathy appointed as Secretary of CBSE: Anurag Tripathy (1998 batch-IRPS officer) has been appointed as the Secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for a period of five years.

4. Centre bans sale of cattle for slaughter: The central govt. has banned sale of cattle for slaughter and has allowed its trade only among farm land owners. Cattle can be sold only to a person having documents to prove he is an “agriculturist”, the rule says, adding “young” and “unfit animals” cannot be sold. Rules have been notified under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian-American, Amul Thapar, to get key judicial post: US Senate has confirmed Indian-American Judge Amul Thapar to a key judicial position on powerful US court of appeals. He is he the first Indian-American to be nominated by US President Donald Trump for the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals and second South Asian judge to be on the US Circuit Court of Appeals.

2. Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison, honoured by Authors Guild: The Authors Guild has honoured Nobel literature laureate Toni Morrison at its 25th annual gala. Morrison received Distinguished Service Award and praised the power of literature and the “community” of writers. Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award in 1988 for Beloved.

3. Mark Zuckerberg gets honorary degree: Facebook Co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg received an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard, 13 years after dropping out from the University. He dropped out of the Ivy League school to focus on Facebook. He started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2004.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Govt selects bankers for IOC stake sale: Govt. has selected five merchant bankers to manage 3% stake sale in Indian Oil Corporation. Govt. has set a target of raising 46,500 crore rupees through minority stake sale and 15,000 crore rupees from strategic disinvestment. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Deutsche Equities, SBI Capital Markets and ICICI Securities are the bank that are selected.

2. India retains world’s highest FDI crown: India has retained its top rank of being the world’s premier greenfield FDI investment destination for the second consecutive year. China has overtaken the US to become the second biggest country for FDI.

3. BHEL commissions thermal unit in Maharashtra: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has commissioned a 270 megawatt thermal unit at Sinnar in Nashik district of Maharashtra. This is a part of Rattan India Nasik Power Ltd’s 5×270 MW thermal power project.

BANKING & FINANCE:

4. RBI allows co-operative banks to issue Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs): RBI has allowed co-operative banks, who are permitted to install ATMs and issue debit cards, to also issue prepaid payment instruments PPIs like mobile wallets. RBI laid down strict norms and conditions to be followed by co-operative banks before permitting them to issue wallets for utility bill payments and other activities up to a limit of Rs 10000.