DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: DECEMBER 6, 2018

Dear Bankersdaily Aspirants,

Daily Current Affairs ( December 6, 2018) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness , Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

Annual Start-up India Venture Capital Summit 2018 to be held in Goa:

• The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Government of Goa, is hosting the annual Start-up India Venture Capital Summit in Goa.
• The theme of the Summit is ‘Mobilizing Global Capital for Innovation in India.’
• The key objectives of the Summit will be to showcase the India opportunity, increase capital flow for Indian start-ups and further promote ease of doing business.
• Government of Goa is focused on building a vibrant start-up ecosystem in the state. It aims to make the state, one of the most preferred start-up destinations in India, and ensure that Goa features in the top 25 start-up destinations in Asia by 2025.

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis launches SMART initiative for Agribusiness, Rural Transformation:

• In a bid to transform rural Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched a unique initiative called “SMART”, which stands for State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural Transformation. This World Bank assisted project aims to revamp agricultural value chains, with special focus on marginal farmers across 1,000 villages.
• The project will entail an investment of 300 million US dollars of which World Bank would contribute 210 million US dollars. Almost 50 Memorandum of Understanding, involving top corporate houses like Amazon and Tata were signed on the occasion.

MAHARASHTRA

• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief minister: Devendra Fadnavis
• Governor: C. Vidyasagar Rao

EPFO approves re-constitution of three key committees:

• The newly-reconstituted Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation have approved the re-constitution of three key committees. A decision to this effect was taken at the 223rd meeting of the CBT, chaired by labour minister Santosh Kumar Gangwa.
• Gangwar nominated members to the re-constituted committees that included the Finance, Investment and Audit Committee, the Pension & EDLI Implementation Committee and the Exempted Establishments Committee.
• Extending the tenure of current portfolio managers upto March 2019 or till appointment of new Portfolio Managers, whichever is earlier.

Second meeting of the NITI Forum for the North East held in Guwahati:

• The second meeting of the NITI Forum for the North East is being held in Guwahati, Assam. It is co- chaired by Vice Chairman, NITI AAYOG, Rajiv Kumar and Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh.
• NITI Forum for North East was constituted this year to periodically review the development status in the region. It is tasked to identify various constraints on the way of accelerated, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the North East and to recommend suitable interventions for addressing identified constraints.
• The meeting will mainly focus on issues pertaining to five critical sectors – Tourism, Bamboo, Dairy, Fisheries and Tea.

Note:

• The forum’s first meeting was held on April 10, 2018 in Agartala, Tripura.

Odisha Govt Launches ‘PEETHA’ To Create Awareness About Various Schemes:

• With an aim to create awareness among people about various Government schemes and improve transparency, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced a new programme the Peoples Empowerment Enabling Transparency and Accountability of Odisha Initiatives (PEETHA).
• PEETHA is a sub-scheme of the State Government’s flagship Ama Gaon Ama Bikas Yojana.
• The State Government will organise special camps at Gram Panchayat headquarters across the State from 15th to 20th of each month to address the PEETHA. Benefits like LED bulb, Old Age pension, Artist pension, Mission Shakti etc will be distributed to the beneficiaries there. The best panchayat in each Block will be given 5 lakh for organising PEETHA.

ODISHA

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal

80th Session of Policy Commission of World Customs Organization to commence in Mumbai:

• The 80th Session of the Policy Commission of the World Customs Organization (WCO) meeting is being organized by the WCO and hosted by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), India in It was inaugurated by Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley through Video Conference.
• The Indian delegation will be headed by Chairman, CBIC, Shri S. Ramesh, along with Member (Customs), Shri P K Das.
• Hosting of the Policy Commission session will give global presence and leadership role to the country in the area of customs procedures and will also give a boost to India’s thrust in facilitating trade.

Gangotri, Yamunotri included under PRASAD scheme: Tourism ministry

• The Centre has included Gangotri and Yamunotri in Uttrarakhand, Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and Parasnath in Jharkhand under a central scheme to develop pilgrimage and heritage destinations in the country, a tourism ministry.
• With the new additions, the number of sites under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) launched by the ministry in 2014-15.

Government approves Rs 850 crore investment to upgrade DD, AIR: Report

• The country’s largest public broadcasters All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) are set to improve their infrastructure, expand their coverage and strengthen their content by investing Rs 850 crore for the purpose.
• The investment has been approved by the Finance Ministry. The sanctioned amount will be invested over FY19 and FY20.

2 – Day Conference on the partnership between EU and India for Cultural Heritage Conservation held in New Delhi:

• Organized by the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to India and the embassies of EU member states, the conference on “EU-India Partnership for Cultural Heritage Conservation” is being hosted by the National Museum Institute of Art, Conservation and Museology in New Delhi.
• Promoting cultural links between European regions and India is one of our priorities of EU-India strategic partnership.

 INTERNATIONAL

India signs an agreement with Peru for co-operation and mutual assistance in Customs Matters:

• India has signed an agreement with Peru for co-operation and mutual assistance in Customs Matters. It provides a legal framework for the sharing of information and intelligence between the Customs authorities of the two countries.
• It is also expected to facilitate trade and ensure efficient clearance of goods traded between the two sides.

World’s 1st 3D-printed functional e-bike made in Germany:

• After years of hard work, the Slovak company Kinazo has released the world’s first ever 3D printed bike, which was introduced at the conference “The Current Evolution of 3D Printing” in Volkswagen Slovakia, Stupava. E1 was printed in VW Slovakia by Concept Laser X Line 2000R which is actually being the largest serial made metal melting machine with building envelope 80 x 40 x 50 cm.

 BANKING & BUSINESS

Cashe Partners with Mswipe to launch EMI cards:

• Digital lending startup Cashe has partnered with card payment company Mswipe to launch EMI cards for its consumers. The co-branded card will give customers an instant pre-approved credit of up to Rs 10,000 with a three EMIs (equated monthly instalments) repayment plan.
• The Mcards will allow customers to do transactions for a minimum of Rs 2500 and up to a limit of Rs 10,000 at any merchant outlet which has Mswipe terminal. Further to enhance customer convenience the Cashe application will also allow customers to find out merchants who accept the EMI card.

Paisabazaar.com launches India’s first chance of approval feature for lending products:

• Paisabazar.com, India’s largest online marketplace for financial products has launched an industry-first feature that will help loan applicants choose their most-suited lender on its platform.
• Named ‘Chance of Approval’, this advanced predictive algorithm has been created by Paisabazaar.com by using the last four years of lending data. While this is the first such initiative in India, globally a few leading players, like Credit Karma in the US, have developed similar features to improve the acceptance rate on their platforms.

ICICI Securities launches eATM service for retail investors:

• Brokerage firm ICICI Securities Ltd has announced launch of eATM orders, which instantly credits into a retail investor’s bank account funds accrued from stock sales. Under the current settlement system, an investor gets money into their accounts after two days (T+2) after a transaction.
• The money would be credited within 30 minutes with a limit of 50,000 per client per day. This new feature is offered to all ICICI direct customers at no additional cost and will be available to stocks sold on the BSE.

 RANKING/REPORTS/INDEXES BY VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS

UAE passport topped the Global Passport Power Rank List 2018: Arton Capital

• The UAE now has the World’s Most Powerful Passport, achieving the top ranking in an achievement hailed as a tribute to the legacy of the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, and the country’s diplomacy. The index, compiled by Arton Capital, ranks national passports based on the number of countries a holder can enter without a visa or by obtaining one on arrival.
• The UAE passport holder can now travel to 167 countries without the need for pre-visa requirements, which is 84 per cent of the number of countries listed in the index. Singapore ranks second with 166 countries. India ranked 66^th position in the list.

India catches up with China, records 2nd highest fintech adoption rate:

• As per the EY FinTech Adoption Index, India is finally catching up with its neighbour and biggest competitor China. The country now has the second highest fintech adoption rate of 52%, only behind China’s 69%, which also throws a huge opportunity for India to not only make best out of financial services sector but also to disrupt it.
• In India, fintech industry is being encouraged by the various government initiatives such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and the emergence of UPI which provide a good foundation to boost financial inclusion in India.

Number of patents granted by India shot up by 50% in 2017: UN’s WIPO

• The number of patents granted by India shot up by 50 % in 2017, keeping up a trend of steep increases, according to the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). The patents granted by India increased from 8,248 in 2016 to 12,387 last year, the WIPO’s World Intellectual Property Indicators 2018 report released in Geneva, Switzerland.
• China’s patent authority led the world in the number of patents granted with 420,144 and was followed by the US with 318,829, according to the WIPO.
• While India ranked 10th in the number of patents given last year, no Indian company or university figures in last year’s global list of the top 50 patent applicants.

Salman Khan tops Forbes India highest earning celebrity list for third time:

• Bollywood actor Salman Khan has emerged as the richest Indian celebrity for the third time in a row, according to Forbes India Celebrity 100 list.
• Indian cricket skipper Virat Kohli is at number two position after minting Rs 228.09 crore. He is the first sportsperson to make it to the spot, regularly dominated by a showbiz personality.
• With Rs 112.8 crore, Deepika Padukone is 4 on the list as the highest-earning woman celebrity. The “Padmaavat” star has become the first woman to break into the top five positions since the inception of the list in 2012.

Credit to MSEs up 5 times to Rs 1.23 lakh crore, post-GST: SBI Report

• As per the SBI Ecowrap research report, Incremental credit to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) has increased five times to Rs 1.23 lakh crore compared to Rs 25,700 crore in the post-GST period.
• According to International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimates, the potential demand for India’s MSME finance is about USD 370 billion as against the current credit supply of USD 139 billion, resulting in a finance gap of USD 230 billion.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Axis Capital CEO Dharmesh Mehta stepped down:

• Leading Investment Bank Axis Capital said its MD & CEO Dharmesh Mehta has stepped down. The bank also said it has elevated Salil Pitale and Chirag Negandhi as Joint Managing Directors and Co-Chief Executive Officer.

AWARDS

Eliud Kipchoge and Caterine Ibarguen named IAAF athletes of the year:

• Kenyan distance runner Eliud Kipchoge and Colombian long and triple jumper Caterine Ibarguen have been named male and female world athletes of the year. The pair were honoured by the IAAF at a ceremony in Monaco.
• Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who won three European sprint titles and relay gold at the Commonwealth Games, was nominated for the women’s award.
• Sweden’s 19-year-old pole vaulter Armand Duplantis won the men’s rising star award while the women’s rising award went to American 400m runner Sydney

Sahitya Academy awards for 2018:

• Sahitya Akademi Awards 2018 has announced its annual Awards in 24 languages. Seven books of poetry, six novels, six short stories, three of literary criticism and two of essays have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards, 2018. It will be presented at a roadshow function to be held on 29th January next year at New Delhi during the Festival of Letters to the organised by Sahitya Akademi.
• Poetry:

Sananta Tanti – Assamese, Paresh Narendra Kamat – Konkani, S Ramesan Nair Malayalam, Dr Rama Kant Shukla – Sanskrit, Dr Mohanjit – Punjabi, Dr Rajesh Kumar Vyas – Rajasthani and Khiman U.Mulani – Sindhi.

• Short Stories:

Sanjib Chattopadhyay – Bengali, Mushtaq Ahmed Mushtaq – Kashmiri (“AAKH’’), Prof Bina Thakur – Maithili, Rituraj Basumatary – Bodo, Buchichandra Heisnamba – Manipuri and Lok Nath Upadhaya Chapagain – Nepali.

• Novels:

Inderjeet Kesar – Dogri, Anees Salim – English, Chitra Mudgal – Hindi, Shyam Besra – Santali, Rama Krishnan – Tamil (Sanchaaram), Rahman Abbas – Urdu.

• Literary Criticism:

G Nagarajappa – Kannada, Ma Su. Patil – Marathi and Desarathi Das – Odia.

• Essays:

Sharifa Vijliwala – Gujarati and Dr. Kolakaluri Enoch – Telugu.

SPORTS

Delhi Daredevils renamed as Delhi Capitals ahead of 2019 IPL season:

• Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Daredevils were renamed “Delhi Capitals” and the announcement was made in a function in the capital by owners GMR Group and JSW Sports. Co-owners Parth Jindal, representing JSW Sport, and Kiran Kumar Grandhi of GMR, unveiled the new name of the team.

IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE DAY

Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Diwas 2018:

• Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Diwas 2018 will be observed on 6th of December every year. This year the 63rd Dr. Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Diwas (death anniversary) will be observed.

 World Soil Day: 5 December

• World Soil Day is celebrated annually on the 5th of December at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, the regional offices and through national and local events.
• World Soil Day 2018 aims to raise awareness and call people to #StopSoilPollution.

International Volunteer Day (IVD): December 5

• International Volunteer Day (IVD) mandated by the UN General Assembly, is held each year on 5 December. To promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.
• IVD 2018 Theme – “Volunteers build Resilient Communities“.

OBITUARY

Noted agriculturalist Jayaraman passes away:

• Noted agriculturalist Jayaraman, who pioneered the protection and propagation of indigenous paddy varieties in Tamil Nadu, passed away in Chennai. His diligent work in the field of protecting the gene prototypes of indigenous paddy varieties won him the National Award in 2015 and a state award in 2011.

Aspirants can check the Whole planner of IBPS CLERK Prelims Exam 2018 from the below given link. 

IBPS CLERK prelims Exam 2018 – Planner