4th January Current Affairs 2018 1. The Centre unveiled the contours of the Electoral Bonds scheme ● The Centre unveiled the contours of the Electoral Bonds scheme, which seeks to ensure the flow of clean money to political parties, without revealing the donors’ names. ● Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the electoral bonds will be a bearer instrument in the nature of a Promissory Note and an interest-free banking instrument. ●
A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond from specified branches of the State Bank of India.
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The bonds can be purchased for any value in multiples of ₹1,000; ₹10,000; ₹1 lakh; ₹10 lakh; and ₹1 crore.
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The bonds will not carry the name of the payee and will be valid only for 15 days during which it can be used to make a donation only to certain political parties.
2. Six countries enter UN Security Council ● Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Peru, Poland and the Netherlands formally joined the ranks of the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council to make a difference.
and the United States. ●
● The United Nations Security Council has 15 members, including five with permanent seats who have the power to veto resolutions – Britain, China, France, Russia
The six countries who left the UN Security Council on December 31 are Egypt, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay.
Important Points: United Nations Security Council ➢ Headquarters: New York City, United States ➢ Head: Koro Bessho ➢ Founded: 24 October 1945
3. GAIL commissions India’s second largest rooftop solar power plant in UP ● State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd has commissioned the country’s second largest rooftop solar power plant in Uttar Pradesh. ● The firm has installed a 5.76 MWp (Mega Watt peak) solar plant at its petrochemical complex at Pata in Uttar Pradesh. ●
The plant over the roofs of warehouses covers a total area of 65,000 square meters.
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“With an expected PLF of around 15 percent annually, over 79 lakh KWh (or units) of electricity is targeted to be generated for captive use of India’s largest gas-based petrochemicals plant”.
4. Cabinet approves Agreement between India, Myanmar on Land Border Crossing ● The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Agreement between India and Myanmar on Land Border Crossing. ● The Agreement will facilitate regulation and harmonisation of already existing free movement rights for people ordinarily residing in the border areas of both countries. ●
It will also facilitate movement of people on the basis of valid passports and visas which will enhance economic and social interaction between the two countries.
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The Agreement is an enabling arrangement for movement of people across India-Myanmar border.
Important Points: Myanmar ➢ Capital: Naypyidaw ➢ Currency: Burmese kyat ➢ President: Htin Kyaw ➢ Prime Minister: Aung San Suu Kyi
5. Sushma Swaraj to embark on five-day, three nation-visit ● External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, will undertake her first visit to three South East Asian countries – Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. ● The visit is aimed at giving further boost to bilateral relations the South East Asian countries within the framework of India’s Act East Policy. ● On the first leg of this visit, EAM Swaraj will be in Thailand. She will hold an official meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Don Pramudwinai. ●
During the visit to Indonesia, EAM Swaraj will co-chair the 5th meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission.
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Swaraj will inaugurate the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) of ASEAN countries in Singapore.
6. SBI, NABARD tie up to promote joint liability groups in Bengal ● State Bank of India (SBI) and Nabard have signed an agreement with five NGOs in Bengal for the promotion of 2,500 joint liability groups (JLGs) in select districts of the State. ● JLGs are informal groups of 4-10 members engaged in similar economic activities and willing to jointly undertake the responsibility to repay loans taken by the group from a bank.
Important Points: NABARD – National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development ➢ Chairpersons: Harsh Kumar Bhanwala ➢ Headquarters: Mumbai
7. MoU between India and Israel for cooperation in Oil and Gas Sector ● The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Israel on cooperation in oil and gas sector. ● The cooperation envisaged under the agreement will facilitate promotion of investments in each other’s countries, technology transfer, R&D, conducting joint studies, capacity building of human resources and collaboration in the area of Start-ups. Important points: Israel ➢ Capital: Jerusalem ➢ Currency: Israeli new shekel ➢ Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu ➢ President: Reuven Rivlin 8. Former RAW chief Rajinder Khanna appointed as deputy NSA ● Rajinder Khanna, a former chief of the country’s external intelligence agency RAW, was appointed as the Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA). ● He headed the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) from December 2014 for a fixed two-year period. ● Khanna is at present Officer on Special Duty (Neighbourhood Studies) in the National Security Council Secretariat.
9. IICA, IPPB sign MoU to provide training on payment banking ● Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) signed an agreement for the training of employees of the latter in the area of payment banking. ● Under the agreement, IICA has been entrusted with the key responsibility of capacity building of IPPB through training of its officials/employees besides providing research support by instituting Research Chairs in the emerging area of payment banking. Important points: ➢ India Post Payments Bank MD & CEO: Suresh Sethi
10. APGVB introduces Desktop ATMs in rural India ● Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) has operationalised it’s first desktop ATM at Kasibugga in Mandi Bazar of Warangal in Telangana. ● At the same time regular bank account holders can withdraw money and do other banking activities. With these ATMs, there will be no need for separate ATM rooms, so there is no security issue. ●
This is another IT initiative that the bank, which is the biggest under the SBI and among the best regional rural banks (RRBs). There
Important Points: Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) ➢ Chairman: Shri. V. Narasi Reddy