Pradeep Nair named Regional Director of Ford Foundation for India

Pradeep Nair named Regional Director of Ford Foundation for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka Pradeep Nair on 8 March 2017 was named the Ford Foundation Regional Director for its office serving India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Nair previously headed the then US President Bill Clinton's Climate Initiative in India. Who is Pradeep Nair?
• Pradeep Nair is a seasoned public and private sector leader.
• He holds a deep regional expertise and more than 20 years of experience building partnerships among government, corporate, philanthropic and civil society partners in the dynamic South Asia region.
• He joined the Ford Foundation with a record of guiding the growth and development of regional institutions.
• As India Country Director, he established the organisation's India office and played pivotal role in forming strong relationships with the Indian government, the private sector and NGO communities across Asia.
• As head of Clinton's Climate Initiative in India, he helped to grow the regional chapter of the global cities network.
• He obtained an MBA in finance from Karnataka University. He also holds an engineering degree in Electronics from Bharathiar University. He also studied filmmaking. About Ford Foundation
• The Ford Foundation is a globally oriented private foundation with the mission of advancing human welfare.
• It is headquartered in New York.
• The foundation was created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford.
• The foundation makes grants through its headquarters and ten international field offices.

Delhi Budget 2017-18

Delhi Budget 2017-18 Delhi State Finance Minister, Manish Sisodia presented the state annual budget for the period 2017-18 on 8 March 2017 in the state’s legislative assembly. The budget has been proposed at 48000 crore, which is 16.5 per cent higher than the Revised Estimates of ₹41200 crore in 2016-17. The presentation of the budget this year moved away from the traditional framework of budgeting into planned and unplanned heads and instead was classified under two sections, Revenue and Capital. The Arvind Kejriwal government also brought out another unique initiative this year in the form of a comprehensive ‘Outcome Budget’ that would monitor the outcome of the projects initiated under the new budget.  The “Outcome Budget” will be put up on the Delhi government’s website by 31 March 2017. Economic Scenario • Despite the negative impact of demonetisation on the economic activities of the state, the Gross State Domestic Product of Delhi at current prices is likely to increase to ₹6,22,385 crore in 2016-17 from ₹5,51,963 crore in 2015-16, indicating a growth of 12.76 percent.
• The per capita income of Delhi at current prices is likely to increase to ₹ 3,03,073 in 2016- 17 which is 10.77% higher than the per capita income of ₹ 2,73,618 in 2015-16.
• The per capita income of Delhi is about three times higher than the per capita income of ₹ 1,03,818 in 2016 at the national level. Good Governance
• The minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers have been increased by around 37 per cent. The increased rates of the wages are as follows: - Unskilled persons – From ₹ 9,724 to ₹ 13,350 per month. - Semi-skilled: From ₹ 10,764 to ₹14,698 per month. - Skilled workers:  From ₹ 11,830 to ₹ 16,182 per month.
• The government has also launched skill development courses in 10 night shelters for the homeless that include sewing, cooking, beautician services and plumbing. In each night shelter, 25 homeless per batch will be trained and given certificates on the completion of 120 hours of training.
• The government has also provided health care facility in the night shelters through Mohalla Clinics.
• The government has also reduced the tax on sanitary napkins costing above Rs 20 from 12.5% to 5%.
• Apart from this, the government has decided to integrate existing database of Aadhar, Permanent Account Number, Election Photo Identity Cards to reduce cost and duplication for better delivery of public services. Education Total budget: ₹ 11300 crore
• The allocation is 24 per cent of the total budget estimate, which is the highest education budget among all the states.
• 24 new schools will start in this year. The construction work of 8000 new classrooms is almost complete and 10000 more new classrooms will be built in the next financial year.
• Pre-primary classes will be introduced in 156 government schools in 2017-18, with upgraded infrastructure facilities.
• Early childhood education centres will be set up all over Delhi for children between the age group of 2-6 years.
• A special library would be set up within the classroom for students of nursery to 5th class and 400 new libraries will be opened in the government schools for Class 6-10. • Besides this, five English-medium schools of Excellence will be set up in the state during the fiscal year and commerce stream will be introduced in all government schools.
• Extra Curriculum Activity Departments will also be started under the Education Department to promote Indian art, dance and music.
• The government has also planned the expansion of NSIT, DTU and IIIT in order to accommodate more students in these institutes.
• The Delhi Pharmaceutical Science and Research University (DPSRU) will be initiating a sports medicine course at both undergraduate and postgraduate level from academic session 2017-18.
• Two multi- storey hostels with modern facilities will also be constructed to accommodate 2350 players
• To impart specialised coaching to the players, 110 additional posts of Physical Education Teachers and Sports Coaches will be created.
• The government has also proposed to expand the coverage of Mid Day Meal scheme to all students of class IX to XII of girl schools. Health Total budget: ₹ 5736 crore.
• 110 Mohalla Clinics are already functional in Delhi and the number is expected to be increased to 150 by the end of the current financial year. The government aims to set up 1000 more Mohalla Clinics in the next financial year.
• Medicines and diagnostics will be made free in Poly Clinics, where a specialist will be available for all diseases. While 23 of such clinics are already working in the capital, their number will be increased to 150 by the end of next financial year.
• The total number of hospital beds in all government hospitals will be increased from 10,000 to 20,000 in the next 18 months.
• The government is also working on schemes of issuing Health Card and to provide Health Insurance to all citizens of Delhi.
• The government has also initiated a Public Private Partnership model in collaboration with private clinics, test centres and hospitals to deliver quality treatment in 30 critical and life-saving surgeries.
• The government has also decided to honour those who help rush road accident victims to hospitals by giving a cash award of ₹ 2000 along with an appreciation letter from the government.Public Transport The total budget for Public Transport & Road Infrastructure: ₹ 5506 crore.
• The government has proposed to add 736 more buses under cluster scheme during 2017-18.
• To provide last mile connectivity to commuters, Government has approved the Letter of Intent scheme and 10,000 new auto permits will be issued.
• The Government has also approved Metro phase-IV comprising six 104 km long corridors. The construction for the same is expected to commence soon. Road Infrastructure
• All elevated corridors and flyovers at outer ring road from Vikaspuri to Wazirabad stretch have been opened for the public to decongest the outer ring road.
• Construction of underpass at Ashram Chowk along with Mathura road will be initiated in 2017-18.
• The construction work of new flyover /underpass between Mahipalpur to airport road will be started in the year 2017-18.
• The construction of elevated road over Barapullah Nallah Phase-III from Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar is in the final stage of completion. Social Security & Welfare Total budget: ₹ 3467 crore.
• The pension for senior citizens persons with disability and widows has been increased by ₹ 1,000 per month in order to enable them to live life with dignity.
• The government will also be setting up a “Commission for Senior Citizen” in 2017-18 which will look into issues related to the welfare and protection of senior citizens in the state.
• The Government will also be implementing various schemes for students belonging to minority communities such as financial assistance for the purchase of stationery, scholarship and the reimbursement of tuition fees in private schools. Water Supply & Sanitation Total budget: ₹ 2108 crore
• The Government has set the target to lay water pipeline in the whole of Delhi including unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters during this year.
• The water supply network is being evaluated in the entire city through a new programme "Walk the Line' that will provide comprehensive database about the deficiencies of the network.
• The Delhi Jal Board has also started rainwater harvesting system in Burari to increase the water supply.
• Water supply network has been laid in 309 colonies which is a record in the history of Delhi Jal Board.
• Besides this, all sewage pumping stations shall be automated to ensure optimisation of pumping and channel flow in the trunk sewers to reduce the work of desilting of drains.
• The project for laying of Interceptor Sewers along three major drains (Najafgarh, Supplementary & Shahdara) will be completed soon, thereby creating a milestone for cleaning and beautification of Yamuna. The model will then be followed for cleaning of major drains in the city. Housing & Urban Development Total budget: ₹ 3113 crore
• During the last two years, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has relocated 5000 slum dwellers from various JJ Bastis by providing them with flats at Baprolla and Dwarka.
• Apart from this, a number of steps have been taken to make Delhi open Defecation free.
• Also, 8000 clean and modern toilets have been constructed up until now in Delhi with 6000 more in the final stages of completion. 5000 more toilets will be constructed in 2017-18.
• There is also a proposal for construction of new shelters for homeless in several areas in the city including Nangloi Phase-II, Dwarka Sector-3, Rohini Sector-5 and Geeta Colony under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM). Energy Total budget: ₹ 2194 crore
• The government is targeting 1000 MW Solar Photovoltaic installation in next 5 years and 2000 MW till 2025.
• To promote solar installation a Generation Based Incentive (GBI) of ₹2/- per unit / KW will be given to domestic consumers for installation of Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant.
• To overcome the problem of disposal of Municipal Solid Waste, the government has approved Waste to Energy Plants to generate electricity at 3 locations. Environment & Forest
• Total Budget: ₹ 106 crore
• Several steps have been taken to improve the environment condition in the state including afforestation, universal use of CNG by commercial vehicles, subsidy on newly purchased Battery Operated Four Wheelers and Two wheelers and ban on plastic use.
• Besides this, the government has also proposed to increase the number of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations from 6 to 26 in the year 2017-18.
• The government has also proposed to develop a maiden Wildlife (Bird) Rescue Centre at Rajokri on an area of around 6 acres with world class facility. Rural Development & Flood Irrigation Total budget: ₹ 925 crore • The government has decided to enhance the scope of “Delhi Rural Development Board” by including both rural and urban villages of Delhi.
• The government has also decided to develop a Modern Flower Market cum Exhibition Centre at Gazipur to encourage the place as State of the Art Centre of international standards.
• The government is committed to implement the E-mandi project in all mandies to ensure transparency in transactions, better pricing to the farmers and shortening the payment cycle for the farmers.
• To respect the culture and religious customs of all communities, the government has decided to construct Chhat Ghat all over Delhi. Tourism Total budget: ₹ 119 crore
• The government is preparing tourism policy and master plan for the promotion of tourism and tourism infrastructure.
• To promote Delhi as a film shooting destination, it is proposed to introduce “Single Window Clearance Mechanism” for filmmaking facility.
• The government has also planned to develop the Riverfront of River Yamuna to create a place that allows people to connect with nature as well as the river.
• It is proposed to make World Class Ecological River Front of 5 km at upstream of Wazirabad. Get more details on Delhi Budget

IDFC Bank launches Aadhaar Payment App

IDFC Bank launches Aadhaar Payment App IDFC Bank on 8 March 2017 launched biometric-based Aadhaar Pay App, India’s first Aadhaar-linked application that uses shopkeeper's Android smartphone to enable cashless payments. The app can be download only by the link sent to the merchant’s mobile number after e-KYC verification of merchant’s account number. To get the app, the merchants are required to visit the nearest branch of IDFC bank. Aadhar Pay App was developed by the IDFC Bank along with UIDAI and National Payments Corporation of India. How Aadhar Payment App will Work?
• Merchants will be required to download the Aadhar Pay payment app on their android smartphone connected to a biometric reader which costs Rs 2000.
• While, a customer, who wants to make payment, just needs to enter his Aadhar Number in the app of the merchant and select the bank from which the payment is to be made and use the biometric scan as the password for the transaction.
• Upon entering the Aadhar Number, the app will automatically fetch the bank accounts linked with your Aadhar number.
• Customers will not require any app or password to pay to merchants against any purchase.
• However, only the bank account holders whose Aadhar number is linked with their bank account will be eligible to make payments through Aadhar Pay Payment app. • The merchants will be required to connect their bank accounts and register themselves on the app. Comment The IDFC Aadhar Pay App will help eliminate the long waiting period and hassle of getting a new PoS (Point of Sale) machine. Presently, there are only 15 lakh PoS machines deployed by the banks across the country. SBI alone has deployed over 3 lakh PoS followed by HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. Customers will not be required to carry debit or credit cards, download mobile applications or even carry a mobile to make cashless transactions through this app. This simply eliminates the hassles of remembering passwords, account numbers or setting up virtual payment addresses to transfer money.

PM Narendra Modi presents Swachh Shakti Awards 2017

PM Narendra Modi presents Swachh Shakti Awards 2017 to women sarpanch PM Narendra Modi on 8 March 2017 presented Swachh Shakti Awards 2017 to women sarpanch in Gandhinagar, Gujarat who have contributed immensely to the movement towards a clean India. The awards were presented on the occasion of International Women's Day 2017. Awardees PM Modi honoured ten women with the Swachh Shakti Samman for their exemplary work in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Among the women awardees were Manju Maurya from UP, Uttara Thakur from Chhattisgarh, Kumari Neelam from Haryana, Shivani Dakoy from West Bengal, Asha Putri from Rajasthan, Sumitra Kumari from Assam, Ramila Ben Rai Singh Gavit from Gujarat, Akamma Harval from Karnataka, M. Malika from Tamil Nadu, and Sushila Kurkute from Maharashtra. All of them were given the name of Swachhta Champion. Background Around 6000 women sarpanches from across the country participated in the Swachh Shakti Sammelan. Among them were mostly those women sarpanches who played a key role in making their villages open defecation free. On the same occasion, a digital exposition was also displayed where one could see how a clean village is transforming itself into being digital. These include those 25 villages out of 33 in Gujarat which have become Open Defecation Free. Click below to see the complete story

Cultural festival 'India by the Nile' starts in Egypt

Cultural festival 'India by the Nile' starts in Egypt The fifth edition of the mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’ began in Cairo, Egypt on 8 March 2017. The festival aims to showcase the diversity in India’s culture, art and cuisine and also to strengthen India’s partnership with Egypt. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the festival, India’s Ambassador to Egypt, Sanjay Bhattacharyya said that the event is a special moment as this year commemorates 70 years of India’s independence as well as 70 years of its diplomatic relations with Egypt. Key Highlights
• The festival will continue till 27 April 2017 and will be held in Cairo as well as several other cities.
• The inaugural ceremony was attended by the Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, Khaled Al-Anani and other prominent dignitaries.
• It took off with a Crafts Mela, which will run from 8 to 14 March. The mela showcases a joint handicraft exhibition of India and Egypt.
• It is being organised by the Embassy of India in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (India), the Ministry of Social Solidarity (Egypt) and the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI).
• The craftsmen displayed their crafts at the Pyramids Light and Sound Theatre in Giza on 8 March at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University, Zamalek and on 9 March at the Misr Public Library in Zawya
• On 11 March, the exhibition would be displayed at the Children’s Civilisation & Creativity Centre in Heliopolis and on 12 March at the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture in Zamalek and on the 13th at the Manipuri Restaurant in Sofitel Cairo. Overall, the festival is the largest foreign festival in Egypt, showcasing at least 70 events across the country. According to Bhattacharyya, the event will provide an opportunity to several craftsmen to demonstrate their expertise, share their experience and relive the ties shared by the two ancient civilisations.

Current Affairs One liner of the day: 9 March 2017

The one liner of 7th March covers important current happenings that are relevant to competitive exams. The day’s one liner’s cover important the happenings like the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, Jeevan Pramaan Patra (JPP) and Trump’s new immigration order among others.
• The Indian pacers that are currently sharing the Number One spot in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers are - Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin
• Indian women hockey team recently clinched a five-match Test series against – Belarus
• The person recently named as the Regional Director of Ford Foundation for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka is - Pradeep Nair
• This country is hosting the fifth edition of the mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’ – Egypt
• This state among the United States of America is seeking to challenge Trump’s new immigration order – Hawaii
• The citizens of this country gained permission to travel to the European Union nations without having a visa- Georgia
• Noted Bengali folk music singer who passed away recently - Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya
• Online web platform launched by Karnataka to report the performance and achievements of the government to the citizen - Pratibimba
• India’s first biometric-based payment system Aadhaar Pay was launched by - IDFC Bank
• The Advanced S-300 Missile Defence System of Iran which became operational was manufactured by - Russia
• BSE Institute will organise a two-day 'Dalal Street Lit Fest 2017' at its premises in from 10 March 2017 in – Mumbai
• In US, former Utah Republican Governor who has accepted President Donald Trump's offer to be Ambassador to Russia is - Jon Huntsman
• State Bank of India has decided to reintroduce penalty on non-maintenance of minimum balance in accounts from – 1 April 2017
• The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, the retirement fund body of India, has extended the last date of submission of digital life certificate through Jeevan Pramaan Patra (JPP) under Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) to - 31 March 2017  
• Veteran journalist Arvind Padmanabhan passed away recently. He worked with – IANS

SC Asked Union Government to secure India-Bangladesh border

SC Asked Union Government to secure India-Bangladesh borde To check cross-border influx of illegal Bangladesh nationals into Assam, the Supreme Court (SC) on 8 March 2017 directed the Union Government to release funds for fencing the India-Bangladesh border. The bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice RF Nariman perused the status report on the progress made in the works relating to securing and fencing the border, which was presented by the Union Government and said the task has to be completed soon. It also said the Madhukar Gupta committee would "oversee and supervise" it. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) PS Patwalia, who appeared in the court on the behalf of the Union Government, said some tenders have been finalised and work orders issued to successful bidders to undertake the exercise of border fencing. The court issued the direction to the center while hearing the pleas of Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, Assam Public Works and All Assam Ahom Association. The pleas were filed in the aftermath of large-scale riots in 2012 and 2014 resulting in the death of many people. ASG PS Patwalia said that the Expenditure and Finance Committee will meet on 9 March 2017 to decide on the issue of releasing funds. Later the court posted the matter for further hearing on 19 April 2017. Besides, the court also made clear that the work of updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify original residents of Assam would continue under state coordinator Prateek Hajela. It said that, the court wants to make it clear, to the state, that whatever manpower, Hajela committee want has to be given.

Current Affairs Quiz: 9 March 2017

These quizzes will help you in answering questions which can/may be asked in the next exam that will be faced by you. The day’s updated quizzes cover the topics like mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’, ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers and folk singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya among others.
1. Who of the following was recently named as the Regional Director of Ford Foundation for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka?
a) Vijay Laxman
b) Sujata Giri
c) Vinod Singhal
d) Pradeep Nair

2. Indian women hockey team recently clinched a five-match Test series against which of the following countries?
a) Pakistan
b) Bangladesh
c) Belarus
d) Netherlands
3. Who of the following Indian pacers are currently sharing the Number One spot in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers?
a) Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin
b) Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin
c) Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina
d) None of the above

4. Veteran journalist Arvind Padmanabhan passed away recently. He worked with which of the following organisations?
a) IANS
b) PTI
c) Times of India
d) Asian Age

5. Which country is hosting the fifth edition of the mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’?
a) Ethiopia
b) Egypt
c) Burundi
d) Uganda

6. Which state among the United States of America is seeking to challenge Trump’s new immigration order?
a) Hawaii
b) California
c) Ohio
d) Colorado

7. The citizens of which country have gained permission to travel to the European Union nations without a visa?
a) Ukraine
b) Georgia
c) Moldova
d) Turkey

8. Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya, who recently passed away, was the noted folk singer of which language?
a) Odia
b) Hindi
c) Bengali
d) Marathi

9. Online web platform Pratibimba was launched by which state government to report the performance and achievements of the government to the citizen?
a) Karnataka
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Rajasthan
d) Maharashtra

10. India’s first biometric-based payment system Aadhaar Pay was launched by which bank?
a) ICICI Bank
b) IDFC Bank
c) HDFC Bank
d) IDBI Bank

11. The Advanced S-300 Missile Defence System of Iran which became operational was manufactured by which country?
a) Russia
b) Germany
c) China
d) France

12. EPFO has extended the last date of submission of digital life certificate through Jeevan Pramaan Patra (JPP) under Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) till
a) 15 March 2017
b) 31 March 2017
c) 10 April 2017
d) 30 April 2017

13. Name the rating agency that predicted that Indian economy will grow 7.1% in fiscal 2016-17.
a) FITCH
b) MOODY’s
c) Standard & Poor's
d) China Lianhe Credit Rating Co. Ltd.

14. Who authored the book The Rise of Sivagami: Book 1 of Baahubali - Before the Beginning? a) Ram Kamal Mukherjee
b) Anand Neelakanthan
c) Yasser Usman
d) K Vijay Kumar

15. BSE Institute will organise a two-day 'Dalal Street Lit Fest 2017' at its premises in from 10 March 2017 in
a) Delhi
b) Lucknow
c) Hyderabad
d) Mumbai

ANSWER 1. (d) Pradeep Nair
2. (c) Belarus
3. (b) Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin
4. (a) IANS
5. (b) Egypt
6. (a) Hawaii
7.(b) Georgia
8. (c) Bengali 9.
(a) Karnataka
10. (b) IDFC Bank
11. (a) Russia
12. (b) 31 March 2017
13. (a) FITCH
14. (b) Anand Neelakanthan
15. (d) Mumbai

Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran

Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran XI commences The Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran XI commenced on 7 March 2017 at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. During the 14-day long exercise, the Nepal Army is being represented by the officers and troops of the elite Durga Baksh Battalion. The Indian Army is represented by the Ekta Shakti Battalion of the Punjab Regiment. Surya Kiran XI is the eleventh such battalion level exercise between the two nations. It is aimed at training of troops in counter insurgency operations in mountainous terrain. The exercise formally incorporates issues related to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management (HADR). It will also help enhance defence co-operation and military relations between the two India and Nepal. The Surya Kiran series of exercises are conducted annually, alternatively in Nepal and India. Notably in the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries, Surya Kiran series with Nepal is the largest in terms of troop’s participation.

International Yoga fest to begin in New Delhi

International Yoga fest to begin in New Delhi The two-day International Yoga festival is scheduled to begin in New Delhi on 8 March 2017. The festival is expected to witness participation from more than 3500 participants including well-known yoga gurus, masters, scholars, policy makers and representatives from over 15-18 countries from across the world. Key Highlights
• The event is reportedly going to be inaugurated by Venkaiah Naidu, the Information and Broadcasting Minister at the Talkatora stadium.
• It is being organised by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in association with the Indian Yoga associations.
• The mega event will include parallel yoga workshops, lectures, satsang, yoga demos and various other cultural programmes.
• It would also include an exhibition comprising more than 50 stalls with yoga appliances, other yoga related products, dvds and books on display.
• Apart from this, the event would comprise a half-day seminar on the life sketch and contributions of two eminent yoga gurus- Swami Ved Bharati and T KV Desikachar for the promotion and further development of yoga.

Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee passes away

Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee passes away Famed Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee passed away in a car accident on 7 March 2017 in Hooghly district's Gurap town. He was 56. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.He was on his way to a show in Birbhum, when his car was hit by a truck. Following the smash, his car fell into a ditch on Durgapur expressway at Gurap, Hooghly. Four other singers of Kalika Prasad's band Dohar were also in the car. However, driver and other three people were injured. About Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee • He was best known for popularising folk songs of rural Bengal among the present generation in the albums of his band 'Dohar'.
• In 1999, he co-founded the band Dohar and was the lead singer of this Bangla band.
• He had also lent his voice in films like Jaatishwar (2014), Moner Manush (2010) and Bhuban Majhi (2017).
• He studied Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University.
• He was born and raised in Silchar, Assam.

First smart tribal village Habbi inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir Habbi

First smart tribal village Habbi inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir Habbi: A tribal village in Jammu and Kashmir Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, Jammu and Kashmir Minister for food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, on 5 March 2017 inaugurated the first tribal model village Habbi in Kotranka in Jammu and Kashmir. Kotranka is located Rajouri District of the state. The village is developed under the Rural Development Department of the State Government.  The village has been introduced with smart classes in the schools, better roads, electricity and water facility. About Jammu and Kashmir Government
• The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which has 3 Divisions and 22 districts.
• It consists of an executive, a judiciary and a legislative branch. The executive is led by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Governor is the head of state of J & K. The Governor is appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Union Government.
• Srinagar and Jammu are the summer and winter capitals of Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.
• The present Legislature of the state is bicameral, consisting of a lower house of 89 Member of the Legislative Assembly and an upper house of 36 members.

Brexit Bill: House of Lords votes to give Parliament

Brexit Bill: House of Lords votes to give Parliament a final say The upper house of British Parliament, the House of Lords called for a meaningful parliamentary vote on the final terms of Brexit on 7 March 2017, further delaying the passing of the bill. This is the second defeat for British Prime Minister Theresa May who looked forward to meeting her deadline of triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty to start the process of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Brexit bill delayed as House of Lords backs EU nationals' rights Theresa May urges House of Lords Members to not hold up Brexit Bill Key Highlights
• The House voted 366 to 268 for an amendment in the legislation for the second time in a week after a three-hour long debate.
• The peers voted in favour of giving the Parliament a final say over the Brexit bill, thereby sending it back for review to the House of Commons.
• Ministers in the House of Commons called the vote disappointing and said that they would seek to overturn the move when the bill returns to the lower house for further debate and discussions.
• The House of Lords earlier on 1 March voted in favour of an amendment to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK after it exits from the bloc. This was May’s first defeat.
• The turnout in this time’s vote at the House of Lords was by far the largest. The last time the house witnessed a gathering larger than this was way back in 1831.

launched fifth satellite of Copernicus observation program

launched fifth satellite of Copernicus observation program The European Union (EU) on 7 March 2017 launched the fifth satellite of the Copernicus observation program from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. The Sentinel-2B satellite is a part of Sentinel Earth observation satellites, a system of satellites that monitors Earth. This fifth Sentinel satellite will cut the time of imaging the earth by half and will ensure speedy provision of images of land, oceans and waterways. This will improve services for farmers, fishermen and other users of land and sea maps. Now, the globe’s image will take only five days. The acceleration of the building up of the globe’s image will positively affect the activities of fishermen by allowing them to monitor the emergence of toxic algal blooms in sea. About Sentinel-2B satellite
• It will join its twin Sentinel-2A, which has been in orbit since 2015, to take high-resolution, color and infrared images for a wide array of environmental initiatives.
• These two satellites will orbit 488 miles (786 km) above Earth on opposite sides of the planet.
• Together, they will cover all of Earth's land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waterways every five days.
• They will provide more up-to-date images and at higher resolution than the available ones. • It will help track pollution of lakes and coastal waters, monitor land changes or produce disaster maps by providing information on floods, volcanic eruptions and landslide. About Copernicus earth observation program The Copernicus project is described by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the most ambitious Earth observation program till date. The European Union and the ESA have committed funding of more than USD 9 billion to it until 2020. The program is aimed at improving the life of EU communities by providing near-real-time global environment data. Click below to see the complete story

China overtakes eurozone as world’s biggest bank system

China overtakes eurozone as world’s biggest bank system A new analysis by the Financial Times shows that the banking system of China has overtaken the eurozone to become the world’s biggest by assets. The analysis indicates China’s increasing global influence and its reliance on growth driven by debt.Key highlights of the analysis
• China’s GDP surpassed that of the European Union’s in 2011 at market exchange rates. However, its banking system did not take over the top spot until the end of 2016.
• That lag was stimulated by an extraordinary increase in bank lending since 2008 when the Chinese government unleashed aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus to soften the impact of the global crisis.
• Data show that Chinese bank assets hit USD 33 trillion at the end of 2016, versus USD 31 trillion for the eurozone.
• Also, the value of China’s banking system is more than 3.1 times the size of the country’s annual economic output, while it is 2.8 times for the eurozone and its banks.
• It was also noted that, unlike in developed markets, Chinese local governments have relied heavily on bank loans to finance infrastructure.Banking in China
• China's banking system has undergone significant changes in the last 20 years.
• China's banking industry has remained in the government's hands even though banks have gained more autonomy.
• In 1995, the Government of China introduced the Commercial Bank Law to commercialize the operations of the four state-owned banks. These "big four" state-owned commercial banks are: the Bank of China, the China Construction Bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and the Agricultural Bank of China. • The central bank of China is the People's Bank of China, which formulates and implements monetary policy.

Funds transferred from Provident Fund to National Pension System

Funds transferred from Provident Fund to National Pension System not taxable PFRDA The Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) on 7 March 2017 unveiled certain rules for transfer of funds from recognised provident and superannuation funds to the National Pension System (NPS). The regulator mentioned that as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961, the amount transferred from recognised provident or superannuation fund to NPS was not treated as income for the current year and hence it is not taxable. Key Highlights
• As per the rules, funds transferred from Provident Fund to the National Pension System will not be taxable.
• The transferred recognised provident fund or the superannuation fund will not be treated as contribution of the current year by employee or employer and accordingly the subscriber cannot make income tax claim of contribution for this transferred amount.
• Any subscriber interested in such a transfer should have an active NPS Tier I account.
• The NPS Tier I account can be opened either through the employer (where NPS is implemented) or through the points-of-presence (POPs) or online through eNPS on the NPS Trust website.
• The subscriber should approach the recognised provident or superannuation fund trust through the current employer requesting transfer to the NPS account.
• The recognised provident fund or the superannuation fund trust may then initiate transfer of the fund as per the provisions of the trust deed read with the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• In case of a government or private sector employee, the employee should request the recognised provident or superannuation fund to issue a letter to his present employer mentioning that the amount was being transferred from the recognised fund to the NPS Tier I account of the employee. The return on NPS for central government employees for one year comes out to be 15.9 per cent while for five years it stands at 11 per cent.

Longest extradosed bridge across River Narmada

Longest extradosed bridge across River Narmada dedicated to nation at Bharuch Bharuch: Bharuch, formerly known as Broach, is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat. Bharuch was in the news on 7 March 2017 as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated India’s longest extradosed bridge at this place. Previously, the record for being India’s longest extradosed bridge was held by the Nivedita Setu over the Hooghly in West Bengal. Features of Bharuch Bridge
• The 1.4 kilo metre edtradosed bridge is located across River Narmada at Bharuch in Gujarat. An extradosed bridge employs a structure which combines the main elements of both a prestressed box girder bridge and a cable-stayed bridge.
• The project has been completed in 34 months at a cost of Rs 380 crore.
• The bridge is 20.8 metre wide, with 14.5 metre carriageway and 3 metre footpath.
• It is supported on 9 pylons of 36 meter height on pile foundation of 1.5 metre  diameter.
• The bridge will be lit by more than 400 light emitting diode (LED) lights.
• The bridge is a part of National Highways Authority of India’s  project for six laning of Ahmedabad-Mumbai section of NH-8.
• This section of NH-8 will have state-of-the-art Highway Traffic Management System (HTMS), variable message sign boards, median plantation, traffic aid post, medical aid post and radio-frequency identification (RFID).
• Smart card swapping enabled infrastructure was put in place at the toll plaza of the bridge.