February 1st, 2018
1. US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley pays a visit to Indian Embassy in Washington and meets Indian Ambassador Navtej Sarna.
- US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley paid a visit to the Indian Embassy in Washington and met Indian Ambassador Navtej Sarna.
- The Indian-American diplomat said, the India-US relations should grow stronger and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump is a good combination to achieve this. She lauded Mr. Modi, saying that the Prime Minister wants to streamline reforms in India.
2. Anu Kumar wins first gold in Khelo India School Games.
- Anu Kumar of Uttarakhand grabbed the first gold medal of the Khelo India School Games in 1500 meters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
- Anu Kumar is a past 800-meters silver medalist for India at the World School Games in France. Today he won the 1500-meters final comfortably in 4 minutes and 4 seconds.
- In the girl’s category, C Chanthini of Kerala won the gold medal in 1500-meters run. Abhishek Singh of Uttar Pradesh won the Shot Put with an excellent throw of 18.73 meters while Praveen of Tamil Nadu won the triple jump in his sixth attempt with 15.22 meters. Haryana girl Pooja excelled in the Shot Put and won the gold with a best of 13.88 meters.
3. Google has launched the Bulletin app to promote hyperlocal news stories in the U.S.
- The tech giant Google has launched ‘Bulletin’ app where users will be able to update their posts in real-time, adding text and media as the story unfolds. This is the first activity of Google in the hyperlocal news segment.
- Static Part: Google:- CEO- Sundar Pichai|Founded- California, United States|Founders- Larry Page, Sergey Brin|Parent organization: Alphabet Inc.
4. Union budget 2018-19 presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Presenting his fifth straight budget in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Jaitley said, the focus of the government in the coming fiscal would be strengthening agriculture and rural economy, provision of good health care to the economically less privileged taking care of senior citizens, infrastructure creation and providing of more resources to improve quality of education.- He said it has achieved an average growth of 7.5 percent in the first three years of the Modi government. The country is expected to grow at 7.2 to 7.5 percent in the second half of the current fiscal ending 31st March.
- He said “Indian economy is now 2.5 trillion dollar economy – seventh largest in the world. India is expected to become the fifth largest economy very soon. On Purchasing Power Parity basis, we are already the third largest economy. Indian society, polity and economy have shown remarkable resilience in adjusting with the structural reforms”.
- The Fiscal Deficit has been pegged at 3.3 percent of the GDP as against the previous target of 3.2 percent. The Fiscal deficit in 2016-17 was 3.5 percent of the GDP.
Some other highlights of the Budget :
- The government will fund 12 percent of wages for new employees in the EPF for all sectors for next three years. The EPF contribution from women employees to be brought down from 12 percent to 8 percent.
- Women Self-Help Groups will be encouraged to take up organic farming. Loans to the groups will be increased to Rs 75,000 crore by March 2019.
- The target for loan disbursement under Mudra scheme has been set at three lakh crore rupees for the next fiscal.
- Two crore additional toilets to be constructed next year under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
- Education to be treated holistically without segmentation from pre-nursery to Class 12. An integrated B.Ed. Programme for teachers to be initiated.
- Wifi, CCTVs will be progressively provided at all railway stations and trains; escalators at stations with 25,000-plus footfall.
- Ten prominent tourist sites will be developed as iconic tourist spots.
- National Highways exceeding 9,000 kilometers will be completed in 2018-19.
- Government to launch Prime Minister’s Research Fellows Scheme this year. One thousand best B.Tech. students to be identified each year from premier institutions for Ph.D. in IITs and IISc, with a handsome fellowship.
5. The 7th edition of “India Energy Congress (IEC) 2018” organized by World Energy Council India has started in New Delhi with the theme “Energy 4.0: Energy Transition Towards 2030”.
- Mr. R K Singh (Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister) has inaugurated the 7th India Energy Congress 2018. He said India’s economy will grow at 8.5 percent next fiscal and the 7.5 percent growth projection by economists is on the “conservative side”.
- Mr. Singh said that energy consumption in the country will triple or quadruple from the present per capita consumption of 1,020 units. He said the target is By 2030, 40 percent generation capacity will be from renewable sources.
6. India slips to 42nd place on EIU Democracy Index, Norway Tops the list.
- India has slipped to 42nd place on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Global Democracy Index amid the “rise of conservative religious ideologies” and increase in vigilantism and violence against minorities as well as other dissenting voices.
- While Norway has again topped the list, followed by Iceland and Sweden, India has moved down from 32nd place last year and remains classified among “flawed democracies”.
- The index ranks 165 independent states and two territories on the basis of five categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, the functioning of government, political participation and political culture.
- Static Part: Norway:- Capital- Oslo|Currency- krone.
7. The World’s Oldest Man Francisco Nunez Olivera Passes Away at 113.
- He is a veteran of the Spanish Civil War. He was nicknamed “Marchena” after Pepe Marchena, due to his resemblance to the singer.
- He passed away in Spain where he had lived throughout his life. He was born on December 13, 1904.
- Static Part: Spain:- Capital- Madrid|Currency- Euro.
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