daily updates 4 March 2019

National News

1. ‘Rice Knowledge Bank- Assam’ Launched Under APART
i. Rice Knowledge Bank-Assam, is an agriculture web portal. It is dedicated to magnifying knowledge on rice production technologies and techniques, best production practices and state agriculture facts. It was launched under the World Bank funded project – Agri-business and Rural Transformation (APART).
ii. This portal is the repercussion of efforts of Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services Society (ARIAS), Assam Agricultural University (AAU) with technical assistance from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

Assam Capital: Dispur, CM: Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

International News

2. US Officially Closes Jerusalem Consulate
i. The United States has officially shuttered its consulate in Jerusalem, downgrading the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians by folding it into the U.S. Embassy to Israel. 
ii. The U.S. State Department stated that the decision was driven to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in diplomatic engagements.

Agreements

3. AIIB Approves USD 455 Million Loan For The Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Project
i. A loan agreement of USD 455 million was signed between the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Government of India for financing the Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Projects.
ii. These projects will connect 3,300 habitations with a population of more than 250, and benefit around 2 million people. It is the third project in Andhra Pradesh signed by the AIIB after two projects in Power Sector and Water Sector.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Uttarakhand District Cooperative Bank Exam:

AIIB President: Jin Liqun, Headquarters: Beijing, China.

4. India Signs Deal With Russian Firm To Produce 7.5 Lakh AK-203 Rifles
i. India has signed a deal with a Russian firm to manufacture 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles. These are the latest derivative of the AK-47 rifles. 
ii. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the AK-203 rifles will be produced at the Indian Ordnance Factory at Amethi's Korwa. The new rifles will replace the indigenous INSAS rifles in the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For LIC AAO Exam 2018:

Russia Capital: Moscow, Currency: Russian ruble.

Appointments

5. Pranay Kumar Verma Appointed As India’s Ambassador To Vietnam
i. Ministry of External Affairs has appointed Pranay Kumar Verma as India’s Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. 
ii. Pranay Kumar Verma is a 1994 cadre Indian Foreign Services Officer and presently working as the Joint Secretary at Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

Vietnam Capital: Hanoi,  Currency: Vietnamese Dong.

6. AN Jha Replaces Shaktikanta Das As 15th Finance Commission Member
i. Former Finance Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha has joined as a member of the 15th Finance Commission. Jha has been posted in place of Shaktikanta Das who had resigned as a member of the Commission after being appointed the RBI Governor.
ii. Jha is a 1982-batch IAS officer of Manipur cadre. He was retired as a Finance Secretary to the central government.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Uttarakhand Cooperative Bank Exam:

Finance Minister of India: Arun Jaitley.

15th Finance Commission Chairman: N K Singh.

Awards

7. Bharti AXA General Insurance Claims The ‘Non-Life Insurer of the Year Award 2019’
i. ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India), which is one of the apex trade associations of India has conferred ‘Non-Life Insurer of the Year Award 2019′ to Bharti AXA General Insurance.
ii. It is a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and French insurance giant AXA. This award recognizes efficacy, excellence and contribution in the insurance industry annually.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

Bharti AXA Life Insurance CEO: Vikas Seth.

Schemes and Committees

8. ‘Jal Amrutha’ Scheme Launched By Karnataka Government
i. A water conservation scheme ‘Jal Amrutha’ was launched by Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, in Bengaluru. A function was organized by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department at Dr. B R Ambedkar Bhavan in Bengaluru.
ii. The scheme plans to make people aware of the importance of conserving water and to prompt them to come up with ways to avoid wastage of water. The state government has declared 2019 as the Year of Water.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

Karnataka Capital: Bengaluru, CM: H.D Kumaraswamy, Governor: Vajubhai Vala.

9. Haryana Government Announces Mukhyamantri Parivar Samman Nidhi Scheme
i. 'Mukhyamantri Parivar Samman Nidhi' scheme was launched by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh. It is primarily meant for farmers of the state who cultivate on land with areas up to 5 acres and the families with an income of less than Rs. 15,000 per month. 
ii. The scheme would provide a sum of Rs. 6,000 yearly and each family has to nominate a member who will be provided with this amount.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

Haryana Capital: Chandigarh, Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar, Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya.

10. Gram Samridhi Yojana: New Scheme To Help Unorganised Food Processing Sector
i. Gram Samridhi Yojana, a Rs 3,000 crore scheme funded by the World Bank and the Government of India, is being worked upon by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in order to strengthen the unorganised food processing sector concentrated in rural areas.
ii. NITI Aayog has given its approval to the scheme. World Bank will be giving Rs 1,500 crore, Rs 1,000 crore will be borne by the Centre while state governments will put in Rs 500 crore.
11. Cabinet Approves ‘Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana’
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran (JI-VAN) Yojana’ for providing financial support to the Integrated Bioethanol Projects.
ii. The scheme aims to incentivise the Second Generation (2G) Ethanol sector and support the industry by creating a suitable ecosystem for setting up commercial projects and increasing R&D in this area. The PM JI-VAN Yojana will be supported with the total financial outlay of Rs 1969.50 crore for the period 2018-19 to 2023-24.
12. Textiles Minister Launches Scheme For Development Of Knitwear Sector
i. Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani launched a comprehensive scheme for the development of knitting and knitwear sector under PowerTex India in New Delhi. 
ii. Apart from financial incentives, the two key elements are Yarn Bank and financial assistance for the solar energy scheme.

Banking 

13. India’s First Policy To Protect Bank Locker Launched
i. IFFCO Tokio General Insurance has launched ‘bank locker protector policy’, the first stand-alone bank locker cover offered by any insurance company with a plan to protect the contents of a bank locker such as jewelry, title documents, and other valuables.
ii. The policy offers a cover against various risks including fire, earthquake, burglary, holdup or any act of terrorism. It offers 7 options of sum insured ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 40 lakh and above and the premium rate is affordable with a cover of Rs 3 lakh available at just Rs 300.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Uttarakhand District Cooperative Bank Exam:

IFFCO Tokio is a joint venture between the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co-operative (IFFCO) and its associates and Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Group which is also the largest listed insurance group in Japan.

IFFCO Tokio Chairman: Mr. K. Srinivasa Gowda, Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana.

Sports News

14. Roger Federer Claims 100th ATP Title Of His Career
i. Roger Federer has claimed the 100th ATP title of his career after beating 20-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships. The 20-time grand slam champion is the second man, after American Jimmy Connors to claim 100 titles.
ii. Federer will have to win 10 more titles to beat Connors' men's record of 109, while Martina Navratilova holds the all-time record having won 167 women's singles crowns during her career.

Defence News

15. 'Mainamati Maitree Exercise 2019' Between BSF And BGB Held In Tripura
i. Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) took part in the 3-day ‘Mainamati Maitree Exercise 2019’ as a part of ‘Confidence Building Measures’ between India and Bangladesh held in Agartala, Tripura.
ii. The main objective of this exercise was to plan and conduct anti-smuggling and anti-criminal activity related operations with an aim to achieve better joint operational efficiency and border management in the area.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Uttarakhand District Cooperative Bank Exam:

Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka, Currency: Taka, PM: Sheikh Hasina.

Obituaries

16. Andre Previn, Legendary Composer And 4 Time Oscar Winner Passes Away
i. Legendary composer and pianist Andre Previn has passed away at the age of 89 in Manhattan, New York, USA. He was a 10-time Grammy Award winner and had won 4 Oscars throughout his lifetime.
ii. In 2010 he was honored with a lifetime achievement award. He is known for immortal classics like 1964’s ‘My Fair Lady‘ and 1996’s ‘The Fortunate Cookie.’
17.  Nobel Laureate Zhores Alferov Passes Away
i. Zhores Alferov, a Russian physicist and Nobel Prize laureate, has passed away. He was 88. In 2000, Alferov received the Nobel Prize in Physics together with US scientists Jack Kilby and Herbert Kroemer, for developing semiconductor heterostructures used in high-speed-and optoelectronics. 
ii. He was elected a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1972, and a full member in 1979.

Miscellaneous News

18. CISF Sets Guinness Record For Longest Single Line Cycle Parade
i. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) created the Guinness World Record for 'longest single line bicycle parade (moving)' at the Yamuna Expressway, Noida. 
ii. CISF personnel rode 1,327 bicycles non-stop in a single line, maintaining a uniform distance between the bicycles. The record was earlier held by Hubballi Bicycle Club of India, with 1,235 bicycles in a single chain.

daily updates 5 March 2019

National News

1. PM Launches 'One Nation One Card'
i. PM Narendra Modi launched the indigenously-developed National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) to enable people to pay multiple kinds of transport charges, including metro services and toll tax, across the country.
ii. Dubbed as 'One Nation One Card', the inter-operable transport card would allow the holders to pay for their bus travel, toll taxes, parking charges, retail shopping and even withdraw money.

International News

2. U.S. And South Korea End Military Exercises 'Foal Eagle 2019' And 'Key Resolve'
i. The United States and South Korea decided to call off their joint exercise “Foal Eagle” and “Key Resolve” and instead bifurcate them into smaller exercises. This is being done to ease tensions with North Korea. “Key Resolve” will be replaced by “Dongmaeng” which is also known as alliance in English, Foal Eagle drills will be replaced by a smaller battalion-sized exercise.
ii. This decision has been made after there was a failure to reach an agreement on denuclearisation during the summit in Hanoi, Vietnam between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Appointments

3. Bhagwan Lal Sahni Appointed Chairman Of the National Commission For Backward Classes
i. Bhagwan Lal Sahni has been appointed as the chairman of the newly constituted National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). Kaushalendra Singh Patel, Sudha Yadav and Achary Talloju have been appointed as members of the commission.
ii. Their names were approved by President Ram Nath Kovind. The NCBC was given constitutional status by Parliament in 2018, after repealing the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.

Awards

4. Indian Bank Receives Best Bank Award From The State Government Of Tamil Nadu
i. Indian Bank, a Public Sector Bank (PSB), headquartered at Chennai, Tamil Nadu has been awarded the Best Bank Award by the Tamil Nadu government for successfully meeting the needs of women’s self-help groups (SHGs).
ii. The award was given to MK Bhattacharya, the executive director of Indian Bank by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu K Palaniswami at Salem, Tamil Nadu.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Uttarakhand District Cooperative Bank Exam:

Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai, CM: Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Governor: Banwarilal Purohit.

5. Tata Steel Recognised As One Of World’s Most Ethical Companies
i. Tata Steel has received the award as one of the 2019 World’s Most Ethical Companies. The award has been given by Ethisphere Institute, USA. 
ii. The company was also recognised 7 times previously and is one of the only two awardees in the ‘Metals, Minerals and Mining’ industry. In 2019, 128 honourees across 21 countries and 50 industries have been recognised.

6. DRDO Chairman Wins Missile Systems Award
i. Satheesh Reddy, the Secretary of India’s Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been chosen by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as the co-winner of the 2019 Missile Systems Award.
ii. The other co-winner is Rondell J. Wilson who is a former Principal Engineering Fellow of Raytheon Missile Systems. Satheesh Reddy is the first person to be honoured with this award outside the USA in 40 years.

Schemes and Committees

7. 'Notun Disha' Initiated By Tripura Government
i. The government of Tripura announced ‘Notun Disha’ (New Direction) for assessing the academic level of students in classes III-VIII and then improving their current level. It was launched by state Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath.
ii. Training will be provided by NGOs and educational institutions to 800 teachers. The duration of the project is 1 month. Rs. 28 crores have been allocated to the project.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Uttarakhand District Cooperative Bank Exam:

Tripura Capital: Agartala, CM: Biplab Kumar Deb, Governor: Kaptan Singh Solanki.

Summits and Conferences

8. Abu Dhabi Hosted Organization Of Islamic Corporation (OIC) Meeting
i. Abu Dhabi hosted the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC). It was a two-day gathering dedicated to discussing ways to combat hate speech, extremism and conflict in the region.
ii. This is the first time that India participated in the meeting. Sushma Swaraj attended the inaugural session of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation meeting in Abu Dhabi where she was welcomed as a “guest of honour”.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Capital: Abu Dhabi, Currency: Dirham.

Ranks & Reports

9. Assam’s Hailakandi Became The Top Aspirational District
i. According to the Delta ranking report released by NITI Aayog, Assam’s Hailakandi has become the top aspirational district among the 112 aspirational districts of the country.
ii. Hailakandi in Assam has made a giant leap from 52nd position to no. 1 position on the basis of its performance during November-December 2018 and January 2019. For securing the first rank as an aspirational district, Hailakandi will be given an allocation of Rs. 10 crore.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Uttarakhand district Cooperative Bank Exam:

Assam Capital: Dispur, CM: Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

Science and Technology

10. ISRO Launches 'Yuva Vigyani Karyakram' For School Children
i. Indian Space Research Organisation has launched 'Yuva VIgyani Karyakram', a 'Young Scientist Programme' for the School Children to be studying in the 9th standard.
ii. 'Catch them young' residential training programme will be of around two weeks duration during summer holidays with a proposal to select 3 students from each State and Union Territory, covering CBSE, ICSE and State syllabus.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For LIC AAO Mains Exam:

ISRO Director: K. Sivan, Headquarters: Bengaluru.

Important days

11. World Wildlife Day: March 3
i. World Wildlife Day is observed on 3rd March every year to spread awareness about wildlife. This date was designated as the World Wildlife Day on 20 December 2013 at the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
ii. On this day, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed. The theme for World Wildlife Day 2019 is ‘Life below water: for people and planet’, which corresponds to goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which is 'Life below water'.

Obituaries

12. American Actor Luke Perry Passes Away
i. American actor Luke Perry has passed away in California at the age of 52, less than a week after suffering a massive stroke. 
ii. The actor rose to fame for his roles in 'Beverly Hills 90210' and "Riverdale".

daily news 6 Mar 2019

National 

1. Government brings transport scheme to boost agriculture exports
i. The government has introduced a scheme for providing financial assistance for transport and marketing of agriculture products with a view to boosting export of farm commodities to certain countries in Europe and North America.
ii. Under the Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme, the government would reimburse a certain portion of freight charges and provide assistance for marketing of agricultural produce. The scheme covers freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea (both normal and refrigerated cargo).
2. President presents Swachh Survekhshan-2019 Awards
i. President Ram Nath Kovind has presented Swachh Survekhshan-2019 Awards in New Delhi. Indore bagged award for the cleanest city for the third straight year in Swachh Survekshan.
ii. New Delhi Municipal Council area gets cleanest small city award while Uttarakhand’s Gauchar was adjudged Best Ganga Town in the survey. Top-ranked cities received a statue of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi as the award for their work towards cleanliness. Swachh Survekshan 2019 covered all Urban Local Bodies in the country, making it the largest such cleanliness survey in the world.
3. Women To Get Permanent Commission In 10 Army Branches
i. Women officers can now get permanent commissions in 10 branches of the Indian Army, the government announced. The Defence Ministry stated that it has taken necessary steps to ensure that women, who were earlier inducted for short service commission (SSC), get the permanent commission in the armed forces.
ii. The permanent commission will be granted to women officers inducted in branches such as Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Intelligence.
4. ‘Azaadi Ke Diwane’ museum inaugurated at Red Fort
i. Union Minister Mahesh Sharma has inaugurated ‘Azaadi Ke Diwane’ museum, dedicated to the unsung heroes of the country’s freedom struggle, on the Red Fort premises in New Delhi.
ii. Built by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the museum is the fifth in a series of recently inaugurated ones — the others being the Subhash Chandra Bose and INA museum, the Yaad-e-Jallian museum, the Museum on 1857 (on the country’s first war of Independence) the Drishyakala (a museum on Indian Art) on the sacrifices of India’s freedom fighters.

Economy/Business/Banking

5. World Bank to provide 250 Million dollars for NRETP to boost Rural incomes in India
i. The World Bank will provide a $250-million loan for the National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) to help women in rural households develop viable enterprises for farm and non-farm products. An agreement in this regard was signed between the World Bank and the Government of India.
ii. The $250 million loans have a 5-year grace period and a final maturity of 20 years. The NRLP, which is currently being implemented across 13 states, 162 districts and 575 blocks, has so far mobilised more than 8.8 million women from poor rural households into 7.5 lakh self-help groups (SHGs).
6. SBI, Hitachi arm to roll out digital payments platform
i. State Bank of India (SBI) and Hitachi Payment Services Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd has launched their merchant-acquiring joint venture, SBI Payment Services Pvt Ltd (SBIPSPL) in Mumbai for establishing a digital payments platform for India and other countries in the region.
ii. The joint venture (SBI) has a 74 percent stake, and the balance is with Hitachi Payment Services) will facilitate expansion of the digital payments landscape in India via its digital payments platform.
7. Bharat Electronics launches SWAGAT- Automatic Fare Collection Gating System
i. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a defence public sector undertaking, presented SWAGAT – the Automatic Fare Collection Gating System. PM Narendra Modi launched the system as part of the inaugural of Phase-I of the Ahmedabad Metro.
ii. SWAGAT is an initiative steered by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with BEL and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) with the support of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) and State Bank of India (SBI).
8. India Signs Loan Agreement with the World Bank for USD 25.2 Million
i. The Government of India, the State Government of Chhattisgarh and the World Bank signed a $25.2 Million Loan Agreement to support the State’s Reforms in Expenditure Management. This support will cover Expenditure Planning, Investment Management, Budget Execution, Public Procurement, and Accountability.
ii. The Chhattisgarh Public Financial Management and Accountability Program, which is the First Bank-Financed State-Level Project in Chhattisgarh in nearly a decade, will also help the State strengthen its Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Tax Administration Systems.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh: Bhupesh Baghel, Capital of Chhattisgarh– Raipur

Headquarters of World Bank: Washington, DC

International 

9. China slashes its GDP target to 6-6.5% amid slowdown
i. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has expressed concern that the country will face a graver and more complicated environment to development, amid an ongoing trade war with the US and continued economic slowdown.
ii. The world’s second-largest economy has slashed its GDP target to 6.00 to 6.50 percent this year.
10. Bilateral joint exercise between India, Oman to begin from 12th March
i. The third edition of the bilateral joint exercise between India and Oman, Al Nagah 2019 will begin from 12th of this month (March) at Jabel Al Akhdar Mountains in Oman.
ii. It will continue till 25th of March. In the exercise, both the armies will exchange expertise and experience in tactics, weapon handling and firing.
11. Kylie Jenner becomes world’s youngest self-made billionaire
i. Kylie Jenner was named the youngest self-made billionaire of all time by Forbes magazine, thanks to the booming cosmetics company she founded three years ago.
ii. Jenner, 21, the half-sister of reality television stars Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, made it onto the annual Forbes list of billionaires after debuting her Kylie Cosmetics online in 2015 with $29 lip kits containing matching lipstick and lip liner.

Award

12. Nobel prize in literature to be awarded twice this year
i. Two Nobel prizes in literature will be awarded this year, to make up for the lack of one in 2018 while the scandal-plagued Swedish Academy attempted to get its house in order.
ii. Last year’s Nobel was withheld for the first time since 1949 after the Swedish Academy, the august institution that selects the winners was hit with a sexual misconduct scandal that saw the husband of one member imprisoned for rape.
13. TVS Motor Company bags International Sustainability ‘Green Era’ Award
i. TVS Motor Company has recently bagged the International Sustainability Award – ‘Green Era Award for Sustainability’ in Lisbon, Portugal. The company also won the ‘Quality and Business Excellence Award’ in acknowledgment of its endeavor to create new benchmarks in product quality.
ii. The ‘Green Era Award for Sustainability’ was set up to recognize the true global exemplars who have been innovative and creative in pursuing the sustainable imperative. TVS Motor Company bagged the award because of its sincere commitment towards being a responsible manufacturer. The company has bagged this award for the second time.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for ESIC UDC and Steno Exam:

KN Radhakrishnan- Director & CEO of TVS Motor