Daily GK Updates - 3rd January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Former RAW chief Rajinder Khanna appointed Deputy NSA: Former chief of the country's external intelligence agency RAW, Rajinder Khanna has been appointed as the Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA). Mr. Khanna is at present Officer on Special Duty (Neighbourhood Studies) in the National Security Council Secretariat.

2. India’s second largest rooftop solar plant: State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd today said it has commissioned the country’s second-largest rooftop solar power plant. The firm has installed a 5.76 MWp (Mega Watt peak) solar plant at its petrochemical complex at Pata in Uttar Pradesh. The plant over the roofs of warehouses covers a total area of 65,000 square meters.

3. A B Mathur appointed interlocutor for talks with ULFA: Government has appointed AB Mathur as the interlocutor on their behalf to hold talks with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Mathur has already served as the former special secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). ULFA is a separatist outfit operating in Assam for the indigenous Assamese and seeks to establish a sovereign Assam with an armed struggle in the Assam conflict.

4. Karnataka to obtain electric vehicles: Karnataka would obtain electric vehicles under the Centre’s FAME-India scheme. Karnataka is set to procure and ply 40 electric buses, 100 four wheelers and 500 three wheelers along with setting up of charging infrastructure. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric (FAME) vehicles, is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, for promoting eco-friendly vehicles.

5. Nagaland declared as ‘disturbed area’: The entire Nagaland has been declared as “disturbed area” for six more months, till June- end, under the AFSPA. AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice. Under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No. 28 of 1958), the central government declared the whole of the said State to be a ‘disturbed area’.

6. Govt exempts cruise tourists with e-visa from biometric enrolment till 2020: According to the Shipping Ministry, the Home Affairs has exempted cruise tourists arriving with e-visa from the requirement of biometric enrolment for a period of three years to promote cruise tourism in the country. This will make immigration clearance of such passengers faster, leaving them with more time to spend on shore. E-Visa has been in place in the five major ports of Mumbai, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin and Chennai.

7. Parliament passes NABARD (Amendment) Bill, 2017: Parliament has passed the (NABARD)National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017 with the Rajya Sabha approving it. The Bill seeks to amend the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981. The Bill allows the union govt. to increase the authorized capital of the Bank from Rs. 5,000 crores to Rs. 30,000 crores. The capital can be increased further by the government in consultation with the RBI.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Turkey’s Bird Language in UNESCO’s List: The unusual and very efficient whistle language used as a means of communication by villagers in remote northern Turkey entered the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO has accepted the “bird language” of Black Sea villagers as an endangered part of world heritage in need of urgent protection. The UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris.

2. Pakistan to use Chinese Currency Yuan: The central bank of Pakistan gave its green signal to using the Chinese currency, Yuan for bilateral trade with China.

The decision to cozy up to Beijing comes just a day after US President Donald Trump vowed to stop all aid to Islamabad. Adoption of the Yuan would mean that Pakistan & China would be able to replace the US dollar for transactions in China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. New night frog species found in Kozhikode: Scientists have just discovered the “mewasinghi” Night frog, belonging to a genus endemic to the Western Ghats, from Kozhikode’s Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. According to a scientific paper published in The Journal of Threatened Taxa, the new night frog “Nyctibatrachus Mewasinghi” is light brown in colour with an off-white underside.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. JNPT wins “Samudra Manthan - Caring Organisation of the Year” award: India’s Premier Container Port, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has won the “Samudra Manthan - Caring Organisation of the Year” award. The port is fully committed to the welfare of its employees and their families.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Devendra Fadnavis orders judicial inquiry into Bhima-Koregaon clashes: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that a judiciary inquiry has been ordered into the violence that erupted at the bicentenary celebrations of the historic 1818 battle of Bhima-Koregaon. Around three lakh people had gathered (for the battle’s bicentenary celebrations).

2. Saubhagya Yojana launched by Jharkhand CM: Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das launched “Saubhagya Yojana”. It is a programme that would provide electricity to all the 29,376 villages in the state.

3. Parliament passes Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Amendment Bill: The objective of the Bill is to allow creditors to move to the National Company Law Tribunal incase of insolvency. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government has entered into an unchartered territory as far as Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is concerned and would continue to modify the law dealing with the issue.

4. 2018 declared as Telugu promotion year by Andhra Pradesh CM: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu declared 2018 as Telugu promotion year. He made this announcement at 29th edition of Annual Book Exhibition of Vijayawada.

5. Surajkund crafts mela – UP declared as theme state: The Haryana tourism department disclosed that Uttar Pradesh would be the theme state for the 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela. It would be organized at Surajkund, Faridabad from February 2 to 15. Apart from all other states, about 24 countries would also participate in it.

6. NARI Portal launched: Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi inaugurated an online portal NARI in New Delhi for the empowerment of women. The portal will provide women with easy access to information on government schemes and initiatives for women. The portal summarises over 350 government schemes and other important information.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. US Prez Trump threatens to withhold aid to Pakistan: Donald Trump started the new year by threatening to withhold aid to Pakistan, a longtime US ally. He said that “Islamabad is giving us nothing but lies and deceit” and “thinking of our leaders as fools”. He believes that Pakistan is giving safe haven to the terrorists.

2. Saudi Arabia, UAE Introduces VAT: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates introduced value-added tax. This is first in the Gulf which has long prided itself on its tax-free, cradle-to-grave welfare system. The five percent sales tax applies to most goods and services and analysts project that the two governments could raise as much as $21 billion in 2018, equivalent to 2 percent of GDP.

3. California’s new law on cannabis use: California has become the largest state in the US to legalise recreational cannabis use. As of 1 January 2018, adults aged over 21 can possess up to an ounce (28 grams) of the drug and can grow up to six marijuana plants at home.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. Ginger species found in the northeast: Scientists have discovered two new species of Ginger in easternmost districts, Ukhrul in Manipur and Tuensang in Nagaland. Hedychium chingmeianum, the species discovered in Tuensang district, is an epiphytic plant and grows on tall trees, while Caulokaempferia dinabandhuensis was found growing in rock crevices. Two BSI scientists, Nripemo Odyou and Dilip Kumar Roy, found the plant.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Debit card transactions up to Rs 2,000 to be free: Customers will not have to pay any transaction charges for payments through debit card, BHIM app and other payment made for up to Rs 2,000. The move will have an impact of Rs 2,512 crore on the exchequer.

2. Pankaj Jain becomes IIFCL MD: Pankaj Jain, Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services (DFS), has assumed charge as the Managing Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL).  IIFCL is a state-owned company focused on infrastructure financing and development.

SPORTS:

1. Shiv Kapur Wins Royal Cup at Pattaya: Indian golfer Shiv Kapur won the Royal Cup at Pattaya. The 35-year-old, who had just one win in almost 11 years till April 2017, has now won three times in last eight months. This latest title marks Shiv Kapur’s fourth Asian Tour win and sixth international title.

Daily GK Updates - 1st January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India, Pakistan exchange list of nuclear installations: India and Pakistan on Monday exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities under a three-decade old bilateral pact. According to an External Affairs Ministry release, the two sides exchanged the list under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations between India and Pakistan.

2. Telangana constitutes Finance Commission: The Telangana government constituted State Finance Commission with former minister G Rajesham Goud as its chairman. State Finance Commission is the Constitutional body of experts on public finance and public administration under the article 243I of the Constitution.

3. Vijay Keshav Gokhale is next Foreign Secretary: The government has announced the name of Vijay Gokhale, an officer with formidable experience on China and the East Asian neighbourhood, as its next Foreign Secretary. Mr. Gokhale, a 1981-batch officer, currently Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, will take over from Dr. S. Jaishankar when he demits office on January 28.

4. Bhavantar Bharpai scheme in Haryana: To counter farm distress, Haryana government has launched Bhavantar Bharpai scheme (or the price deficit compensation scheme for vegetables). It is set on the lines of Minimum Support Price-type (MSP) formula for four vegetable crops, namely, potato, onion, cauliflower and tomato.

5. Vikas Samiksha Yatra by Nitish Kumar: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has laid foundation stones for more than 100 projects worth Rs 700 crore in Nalanda district as part of his state-wide “Vikas Samiksha Yatra”. At Chamera village in Ekangarsarai block, Nitish Kumar dedicated to the public 132 projects worth Rs 97.63 crore.

6. Cargo Movement on Pandu-Dhubri route of Brahmaputra starts: In a major boost to the inland waterway transport system in the northeast, Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari flagged off cargo movement on the Pandu-Dhubri route of the Brahmaputra river. Transportation of cargo from Pandu in Guwahati to Dhubri along the Assam-Bengal border would reduce logistics cost and save 300-km road travel.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. China Shuts Down Its Legal Ivory Trade: Two years after a joint pledge with the United States to ban the domestic trade in ivory, all of China’s government-licensed carving factories and ivory retailers are about to close. China is one of the world’s biggest consumers of ivory products. By the end of 2017, it has imposed a near-complete ban on buying and selling ivory.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. New endemic ants from the Andamans: Scientists have discovered 2 new ant species of the genus Tetramorium in the evergreen forests of the Andamans. Scientists of the NCBS, Bengaluru and the Okinawa Inst. of Sci. & Tech, Japan discovered the new species Tetramorium Krishnani  and Tetramorium Jarawa in Havelock Island. They are named in honour of late scientist K.S. Krishnan & after the Jarawas, an indigenous people of the islands.

2. Four ‘hot Jupiter’ exoplanets discovered: Using telescopes of Hungarian-made Automated Telescope Network-South (HATSouth) Exoplanet Survey, scientists observe four G-type dwarf stars known as HATS-50, HATS-51, HATS-52 and HATS-53

All the four planets belong to the class of exoplanets known as ‘hot Jupiters.’ Objects of this type are similar in characteristics to Jupiter, with orbital periods of less than 10 days. They have high surface temperatures, as they orbit their parent stars very closely.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Rs 14,500cr generated through BHARAT 22: The government revealed that an amount of Rs 14,500 crore has been raised through its BHARAT 22 Exchange Traded Fund. ETF is created to benefit long-term and retail investors by providing an opportunity to purchase equity stocks of government-run companies. The objective of BHARAT 22 ETF is to invest in constituents (22 companies) of S&P BSE Bharat 22 Index.

2. IndusInd Bank gets $500 mn from overseas lenders: IndusInd Bank on Monday said it had raised a term loan for $500 million (about ₹3,193.75 crore) from overseas lending bodies to expand its business. The private sector bank has concluded the syndicated term loan facility from a group of overseas investors

SPORTS:

1. Vidarbha win their first ever Ranji Trophy: Vidarbha made history by winning their first ever Ranji Trophy title, beating Delhi by nine wickets in Indore. This was Nagpur-based Vidarbha’s first ever appearance in a Ranji Trophy final. Fast bowler Rajneesh Gurbani took 6 for 59, including a hat-trick.

Daily GK Updates - 31st December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Vineet Chowdhary and N C Goel appointed Chief Secretary of Himachal and Rajasthan respectively: Vineet Chowdhary, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Himachal cadre, has been appointed as the chief secretary of the Himachal government. IAS officer N C Goel has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Rajasthan.

2. Sivagiri pilgrimage celebrations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 85th annual Sivagiri pilgrimage celebrations at Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conferencing. The Sivagiri Mutt is a major spiritual-cum-pilgrim centre of the Ezhava community in Kerala and was established by Sri Narayana Guru. Sri Narayana Guru propagated the message of ‘One Caste, One Religion and One God for Mankind’.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Pratibha Gai get top British royal honour ‘damehood’: Scientist Pratibha Laxman Gai has been named for damehood, the female equivalent of knighthood, for “services to chemical sciences and technology”. Gai has patented inventions in the fields of hydrocarbon catalysis/polymers, electronic ceramics, Piezoelectrics & nanocoatings for polymers & food.

2. Maiga appointed as the new PM of Mali: Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has appointed Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, a former defense and foreign minister and intelligence chief as the new Prime Minister. Maiga will form a new government. This is done after his predecessor Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga and his entire cabinet’s resignation. The capital of Mali is Bamako.

3. Israel withdraws from UNESCO: Israel has formally notified UNESCO of its withdrawal from the education and science organization. Israel, which has been a member since 1949, has nine sites on the list, including the ancient Masada fortress next to the Dead Sea. Tensions had been bubbling since UNESCO controversially admitted Palestine as a member state in 2011 – a move opposed by the US and Israel.

4. Nepal bans solo climbing on Mt Everest: Nepal banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mt Everest, in an attempt to reduce accidents & make mountaineering safer. New regulations prohibit double amputee & blind climbers from attempting to reach the Everest without a valid medical certificate.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Allahabad Bank and NeSL tie up: Allahabad Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding with National E-Governance Services Ltd (NeSL). The partnership could help in minimising the resolution period for cases referred by the bank to the National Company Law Tribunal. NeSL is India’s first Information Utility registered with Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India under the aegis of Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

2. World’s second largest cryptocurrency: Cryptocurrency ‘Ripple’ has surpassed ethereum as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Ripple had a market cap of $86.3 billion, surpassing ethereum’s $73 billion. Bitcoin remains the largest digital currency by far, having a market capitalization of roughly $247 billion.

3. Saurabh Chawla appointed as DLF Group CFO: DLF has announced the appointment of Saurabh Chawla as the Key Managerial Personnel & Group Chief Financial Officer. The appointment follows the elevation of former Group CFO Ashok Kumar Tyagi as the whole-time director of the company.

SPORTS:

1. Ronaldo won the Best Player award at Globe Soccer Awards: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Best Player of the Year accolade at the Globe Soccer Awards. Ronaldo retained the award, making it four wins overall, after helping his club defend the Champions League and win the Liga title.

Daily GK Updates - 30th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. 78th Session of Indian History Congress starts in Kolkata: The 3 day long 78th session of the Indian History Congress began in Kolkata. The Indian History Congress will have 6 sections this time – Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, Countries Other than India, Archaeology and Contemporary India. The aim of conducting Indian History Congress is for promotion and encouragement of the scientific study of Indian History.

2. Lok Sabha passes bill for GST cess hike: Lok Sabha approved a bill to hike cess on luxury vehicles from 15% to 25% with a view to enhance funds to compensate states for revenue loss following the rollout of GST. The GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017, was passed by the Lower House.

3. India leads in global milk production-Radha Mohan Singh: Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said during the past 3 years, India has outpaced the global milk production with an annual growth rate of 5.53% compared with the 2.09% achieved globally. India has been the largest producer of milk in the world for the past 15 years. Milk production, which was around 17-22 million tonnes in the 1960s, has increased to 163.7 m tonnes in 2016-17

4. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe appointed President of ICCR: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe appointed as the new President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. This appointed has been approved by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is the BJP's national Vice President and a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. George Weah elected as the Liberian President: George Weah has been elected as Liberia’s president. The former football star George Weah won the presidential election, defeating the vice-president, Joseph Boakai, in a runoff with 61.5% of the vote.

2. NASA’s “Girl of the Year” doll in collaboration with the American Girl: NASA, is collaborating with American Girl, a doll and book company, to inspire children to dream big and reach for the stars. The focus of the collaboration is the “Girl of the Year” doll for 2018, an 11-year-old aspiring astronaut named Luciana who wants to be the first person to put boots on Mars. NASA wants to encourage girls and boys to pursue their dreams.

3. China successfully tests its first Photovoltaic road: The first photovoltaic (solar) highway based on home-grown technology was successfully tested in Shandong province of China. The photovoltaic highway is constructed using solar panels which have a thin sheet of transparent concrete on top of them, protecting the surface. It has wireless charging systems for electric vehicles (EVs). The photovoltaic panels of the highway are built to transfer energy to electric vehicles passing on top of them. With this, China became the second country in the world to construct a photovoltaic highway. In 2016 France had introduced world’s first photovoltaic road fitted with solar panels.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. ISRO to launch 31 satellites in one go on January 10: ISRO would launch 31 satellites, including India’s Cartosat-2 series earth observation space craft, in a single mission on January 10. The mission will be the first ‘Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’ (PSLV) mission after the unsuccessful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in August this year. The mission’s main payload would be India’s Cartosat-2 series earth observation satellite.

2. World’s largest Human Genome Research Project launched in China: The world’s largest human genome research project of 100,000 people was launched by China. The aim of the project is to document their genetic makeup for a study that aims to help generate the precision medicines of the future. It is the country’s first large project detecting the genetic links between health and sickness.

3. SpaceX unveils its biggest rocket-Falcon Heavy: SpaceX’s biggest rocket till date, the Falcon Heavy, has been raised on the Cape Canaveral launchpad for the first time. The rocket will look to push forward Elon Musk’s vision of making humans an inter-planetary species. It will have its maiden journey out of Earth’s orbit next month.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. India’s first foreign-owned ARC gets approval from RBI: US buyout giant, KKR & Company, has become the first foreign investor to fully own an asset reconstruction company (ARC) in India. It received approval from the Reserve Bank of India. The New York-headquartered investor plans to set up a separate managed company to put bad loans and bring in expertise to revive the assets.

SPORTS:

1. Jitu Rai bags men’s 50m pistol at Thiruvananthpuram: Ace Indian marksman Jitu Rai won the men’s 50m pistol national title with a new national record score of 233 at the 61st National Shooting Championship in Thiruvananthapuram. Rai’s score of 233 was a new record in the finals of the event.

2. Ronaldo bags the ‘Globe Soccer's Best Player’ award for 2nd year in a row: Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo has bagged the Globe Soccer's Best Player for the second year in a row. He received this honour for the fourth time in his career. The award is organised by the EFAA (European Association of Football Agents) and ECA (European Clubs Association).

Daily GK Updates - 29th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Triple Talaq Bill Passed in Lok Sabha: The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill 2017 making instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband. The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or ‘talaq-e-biddat’. The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for approval.

2. Kannada litterateur Kuppali honoured with a Google doodle on his birth anniversary: Google is honouring the contribution of Kuvempu by dedicating a doodle to the winner of the first Kannada Jnanpith on the occasion of his 113th birth anniversary. The renaissance of Kannada literature was heralded by the publication of Kuvempu’s Sri Ramayana Darshanam, which was awarded the Jnanpith Award, half a century ago. It is also the golden jubilee of his novel Malegalalli Madumagalu.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Ramendra Kumar felicitated in Sri Lanka: Noted writer Ramendra Kumar, whose stories feature in Sri Lankan text books, has been felicitated in the neighbouring country for his contribution to children’s literature. Kumar is an award-winning writer with 32 books to his credit.

2. UNESCO recognizes Panama’s hats: Cultural authorities at UNESCO have recognized the artisans of Panama for their distinctive woven hats. Panama’s real contribution to the world’s hat heritage is the pintao, or painted hat, handmade from five different plants and a dose of swamp mud.

3. India gives medical assistance to Yemen: India provided medical assistance worth about $1 million to Yemen in response to a request from the Yemeni government.

As part of its commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to Yemen, India has been a member of the ‘Friends of Yemen’ Group.

4. Russia launches satellite for Angola: Russia on Tuesday launched a rocket carrying Angosat-1, the first national telecoms satellite for Angola. The Zenit-2SB rocket carrying Angosat to orbit was supplied by Ukrainian maker Yuzhmash, making the launch a rare joint project between the two countries since 2014. The Angosat project was agreed by Russia and Angola in 2009.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. Spider named after Bob Marley: Scientists have named new water adapted species of spider after Bob Marley, as a homage to his famous song “High tide or low tide.” The species of water-adapted spider was first discovered in the year 2009, when the sea along the coastline of Queensland in Australia receded and revealed the population of spider. The study was published in the Evolutionary Systematic journal.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. India’s first bitcoin trading app by Pluto: Cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange announced the launch of India’s first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies. The Pluto Exchange mobile app offers a solution to the coordination problem between payment processors, financial gateways, and banks. By using a four-digit personal identification number, users can now buy, sell, store and spend bitcoins via a mobile number.

SPORTS:

1. Viswanathan Anand wins World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh: Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand has won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh. He remained unbeaten through the tournament and bagged the top position on a tie-break after a three-way tie with Russians Vladimir Fedoseev and Ian Nepomniachtchi at 10.5 points from a possible 15. The World Rapid Chess Championship is a tournament to determine the World Champion in chess played under rapid time controls.

DEFENCE:

1. India Test-Fires AAD Supersonic Missile: India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence supersonic interceptor ​missile from Odisha. It is capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile at low altitude. This was the 3rd supersonic interceptor test carried out this year. The interceptor is a 7.5 m long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system.

Daily GK Updates - 28th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Mumbai to Kabul air corridor inaugurated: India and Afghanistan on Wednesday inaugurated their second air cargo route linking Mumbai and Kabul. The new route is expected to boost Afghanistan’s export of fruits and medicinal plants.

2. ‘Mann Ki Baat’: most trending hashtag on twitter in India: Modi’s programme “Mann Ki Baat” was the most trending hashtag on Twitter in 2017, followed by #jallikattu & #GST. “Mann Ki Baat” is a radio programme hosted by Modi on the last Sunday of every month to addresses people of the nation on All India Radio, DD National & DD News.

3. K S Chitra bags ‘Harivarasanam’ Award: Veteran singer K S Chitra has been selected for prestigious ‘Harivarasanam’ award 2017, instituted by the Kerala government. Chitra has been selected for the award in recognition of her contribution to propagate the spirit of secularism and universal brotherhood. The award carrying a cash prize of Rs one lakh, citation and plaque would be presented at a function on January 14, 2018.

4. Anushka is PETA’s ‘Person of the Year’: Anushka Sharma has been named PETA’s Person of the Year by animal rights organisation ‘People for Ethical Treatment of Animals’. She is a vegetarian and has nabbed the title for helping in protections of dogs and advocating for horses who are forced to pull carriages in Mumbai.

5. More than 71 crore mobiles and 82 crore bank accounts linked with Aadhaar: Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that nearly 71.24 crore mobile numbers, both new connections and existing, have been linked with Aadhaar till December 8, 2017. He also revealed that about 82 crore bank accounts have been linked with Aadhaar. The deadline for linking Aadhaar number to all services and government schemes is March 31, 2018.

6. Government cuts small savings interest rate: The government has cut the interest rate on small savings schemes, such as Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC), by 0.2 percentage points for the January-March quarter.

PPF and NSC will now fetch a lower annual rate of 7.6%.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Vin Diesel is the Top-Grossing Actor for 2017: Vin Diesel has been named the top-grossing actor of 2017 by Forbes, with $1.6 billion in global ticketing receipts from his film ‘The Fate of the Furious’. The second spot was occupied by Dwayne Johnson ‘The Rock’, with $1.5 billion receipts. ‘Wonder Woman’ actress Gal Gadot, whose films earned $1.4 billion worldwide, featured at the third spot on the list.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. New species of fish discovered in Meghalaya: A new species of blind fish has been discovered inside a cave in East Jaintia Hills, in Meghalaya. The fish “Schistura larketensis” gets its name from Larket village, where the cave has been found. The species has apparently lost its sight living in the perpetual darkness inside the cave.