Monday, 20 February 2017

Daily GK Updates - 15th February, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. A journey into history: ISRO’s 104 satellites launch: ISRO, on Wednesday – 15^th February 2017, registered itself in record books with the launch of 104 satellites in a single mission. With this, the Indian space agency broke the previous record of launching 37 satellites in one go held by Russia. In this mission, the Cartosat-2 series satellite meant for earth observation, and 103 other co-passenger satellites were put in their respective orbits

2. Nearly three-fold hike in UPSC chief's salary: Union Public Service Commission chairperson has got nearly three-fold hike in his monthly salary as President Pranab Mukherjee cleared a proposal for the increase in salaries of members of the UPSC. As per the new norms, the Chairman shall receive a pay of ₹2.50 lakh and each of the other members shall receive a pay of ₹2.25 lakh per month.

3. PSLV can even launch 400 nano satellites: G Madhavan Nair:After the ISRO's launch of 104 satellites in one go, space scientist G Madhavan Nair said that the PSLV has the capability to even launch 400 nano spacecraft if India makes 3 or 4 kg satellites. "This is no new technology. We started with ten satellites then went to 18 or something; then it's 35. Now it's 100," he was quoted as saying.

4. India in talks with Vietnam for first missile sale - DRDO: India is in talks to sell short-range surface-to-air Akash missiles to Vietnam, the head of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said on Wednesday. The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wish to establish India as an arms exporter. Modi had also announced a $500 million credit line to Vietnam to buy defence equipment last year.

5. Centre hikes immediate assistance for bonded labour to ₹20k: The government has increased the immediate assistance to rescued bonded labourers to ₹20,000 from ₹5,000, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said. Besides, financial assistance for adult male beneficiaries was hiked to ₹1 lakh from the existing ₹20,000. It has been increased to ₹2 lakh for females and minors, and to ₹3 lakh for the most deprived and marginalised victims.

6. IMF opens technical assistance and training centre SARTTAC in New Delhi: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has opened a first-of-its-kind South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Centre (SARTTAC) in New Delhi for economic capacity building in South Asia. It will work to support local member countries of South Asia viz. India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka to build human and institutional capacity and implement policies for growth and poverty.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Surge in US air strikes brings ISIS death toll to 60,000: At least 60,000 militants fighting for the Islamic State have been killed in US air strikes in the war on terror, US Special Operations Commander, General Raymond Thomas announced on Tuesday. It was previously reported that 50,000 IS fighters were killed in the two-year campaign till December last year. US officials said the anti-ISIS campaign was escalated in recent months

2. Donald Trump lifts anti-corruption rules for oil companies: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lifted anti-corruption rules which forced oil companies to disclose payments made to foreign governments to secure mining and drilling rights. The regulations were a part of financial reforms passed by the Barack Obama administration after the 2008 financial crisis. The oil industry had opposed the rules claiming they gave global rivals a competitive edge.

3. Russia deployed missile violating arms treaty - US: Russia has secretly deployed a cruise missile in violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a Trump administration official said on Tuesday. The Obama administration had accused Russia of violating the treaty three years ago by developing and testing the missile and had anticipated that Russia would eventually deploy it. However, Russia denied that it violated the treaty.

4. USA's tallest dam collapse warnings were ignored for 12 yrs:Environmentalist group South Yuba River Citizens League has revealed that it had warned authorities about the collapse of USA's tallest Oroville Dam 12 years ago but they were ignored. Notably, on Sunday nearly 2 lakh residents living near the dam were ordered to evacuate over fears of collapse of the dam's spillway.

5. Russia tells US that Crimea won’t be ‘given back’ to Ukraine:Russia's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said Russia will not hand back control of Crimea to Ukraine. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is [a] territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. This comes after White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said US President Donald Trump expects Moscow to return Crimea.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Mithali Raj becomes second woman to score 5,500 ODI runs: Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj has become the second woman player to cross 5,500 runs in ODIs, achieving the feat during India's women's World Cup qualifier against South Africa on Wednesday. The 34-year-old recently rose to the second spot in the women's ODI rankings, and is India's highest ODI run-getter, besides playing most 50-over matches for the country.

2. Yusuf Pathan's Hong Kong T20 Blitz stint cancelled: Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan's stint at the Hong Kong T20 Blitz next month has been scrapped by the BCCI. The 34-year-old was set to play for the Kowloon Cantons in the competition, but the board has now returned to its previous stance of not providing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for players to compete in overseas cricket leagues.

BANKING/FINANCE:

3. Cabinet approves merger of SBI with 5 subsidiary banks: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday announced that the Cabinet has approved the merger of State Bank of India with its five subsidiary banks. The associate banks include State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, and State Bank of Hyderabad. The proposal was cleared by SBI last year.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. Scientists develop Thubber, stretchable rubber material with high thermal conductivity: It is an electrically insulating composite material that exhibits an unprecedented combination of metal-like thermal conductivity, elasticity similar to soft, biological tissue.

Daily GK Updates - 14th February, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian kids fly 7,730 paper planes in a minute to set record:As many as 80 students of Moginand Senior Secondary School in Himachal Pradesh have set a world record by flying 7,730 paper planes in one minute. This record was set as a part of a campaign against drugs. The record was previously held by 87 students of a New Zealand school, where 3,622 paper planes were flown in a minute.

2. India witnessed maximum bombings worldwide in 2016 – Report: India witnessed the maximum bombings worldwide in 2016, according to a report by the National Bomb Data Centre. While there were 406 bombing incidents, including IED and ordnance explosive blasts, in India, Iraq came second with almost half the number at 221. Notably, Pakistan witnessed 161 bombing incidents in 2016, followed by Afghanistan at 132 and Turkey at 92.

3. New District in West Bengal created: CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday made Kalimpong West Bengal's 21st district after separating it from Darjeeling. She also announced a ₹220 crore road link project which will connect Kalimpong to Sikkim via the old Silk Route. Kalimpong has seen separate statehood demands since the 1980s. Notably, when TMC government was formed in 2011, Bengal had 19 districts.

4. Czech brewery using Ganesha image on beer bottles sparks row: A Czech Republic brewery has sparked a row for using images of Lord Ganesha and other Hindu deities on bottles of Primator IPA, which has 6.7% alcohol by volume. Terming it as 'inappropriate' and 'disrespectful', Hindu officials have asked the Czech Republic brewery to remove images of Indian deity Lord Ganesha from beer bottles according to reports.

5. Eleventh edition of Aero India begins: The 11th edition of Aero India kicked off on Tuesday at the Indian Air Force Station in Yelahanka, Bengaluru. The event is being organised from February 14-18. The opening ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the three service chiefs. Industrialist Anil Ambani will fly a sortie in Rafale fighter jets at the event on Wednesday.

6. Sasikala gets 4-year jail in disproportionate assets case: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sentenced AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala to four years imprisonment in the disproportionate assets case. With this, she stands disqualified to take over as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and also she can't contest any election for a period of 10 years. Notably, the apex court has asked her to surrender immediately.

7. Not mandatory to stand if National Anthem part of movie - SC: The Supreme Court on Tuesday clarified that it was not necessary to stand during the National Anthem if it was a part of a movie or a documentary. The government guidelines state that standing during a movie would only create disorder and confusion. Notably, the court recently directed theatre owners to play the National Anthem before movie screenings.

8. IAF inducts first indigenously developed surveillance plane:The Indian Air Force on Tuesday inducted its first indigenously developed all-weather airborne early warning and control system at the Aero India 2017 in Bengaluru. Mounted on a Brazilian Embraer-145 jet, the surveillance plane has the capability to detect enemy aircraft and missiles. The AeW&CS system has been developed by the DRDO and has a range of around 200 km.

9. Lufthansa brings Airbus A350-900 to India: Airbus A350-900, which is part of Airbus' new fleet, has been brought to India via Lufthansa Airlines. The aircraft landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Saturday. The new model, which weighs 280 tonnes and can seat 325 passengers, has been personalised by Lufthansa to accommodate large TV screens and personalised playlists.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US puts sanctions on Venezuelan Vice President for drug trafficking: US President Donald Trump's administration on Monday imposed sanctions against Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami, accusing him of involvement in international drug trafficking.

2. Indonesian authorities ban Valentine’s Day: Authorities reportedly banned students from celebrating Valentine's Day in various parts of the country. Authorities claimed that the romantic tradition encourages casual relationships and runs against cultural norms.

3. 2 mn deaths in China, India in 2015 due to pollution - Study: A research by the US-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) has claimed that 2.2 million deaths out of the total 4.2 million deaths caused due to air pollution worldwide in 2015 were recorded from China and India alone. "India still appears to have some ministers who say there is not a strong connection between air pollution and mortality," said HEI President.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India's wholesale inflation rises to 2.5-year high: The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation in January expanded to a 30-month high at 5.25% year-on-year, as against 3.39% in December. The rise was attributed to a surge in fuel prices, which jumped 18.14%, the fastest since October 2008. Notably, oil prices have been on a rise since OPEC decided to cut output for the first time in eight years.

SPORTS:

2. Sachin adopts a village in Maharashtra, sanctions ₹4 crore: Former Indian cricketer and Member of Parliament Sachin Tendulkar is set to adopt Donja village in Osmanabad, Maharashtra, under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna. The Rajya Sabha MP has sanctioned over ₹4 crore from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development fund for developing a school building, a water supply scheme, concrete roads and a sewage line in the village.

3. India's maiden sport-themed literary festival, SporTale to be organised: It will be held in Pune on February 21 and 22. The event will feature as many as 38 luminaries from the field of sports, media, cinema, books and photography. Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Shane Warne and Dipa Karmakar will be speaking at the event among others.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. Triangle-shaped molecule synthesised for the first time: A triangle-shaped carbon-based molecule has been synthesised for the first time since its prediction 70 years ago. 'Triangulene', made of six fused circular benzene molecules has an even number of atoms and electrons. Due to its unique geometry, two of its electrons are not able to pair up, which could make it magnetic and valuable for quantum computing, researchers said

Daily GK Updates - 13th February, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

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

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

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

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

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

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

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

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

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

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

BANKING AND FINANCE:

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

Daily GK Updates - 12th February, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

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

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

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

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

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

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

Daily GK Updates - 9th February, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other UPDATES

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

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

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

AWARDS

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

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

BANKING AND FINANCE

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