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Current Affairs
July – December 2017

Dear readers,

Recently, in many SSC & Railways examinations a change in trend is seen when it comes to current affairs. All
these examinations are now laying more stress on current affairs by increasing the volume of questions.
Not only this, questions were also asked from events held last year. Many of you have requested us for the PDF
of last year's current affairs.
As per the request, we are providing you with the Current Affairs PDF which covers all news events from the
month July to December 2017.

Govt. Schemes & Policy

1. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana extend till 2019-
20 – The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
has extended the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
(RKVY) as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana-
Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied
Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for three
years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20.
Objective of RKVY-RAFTAAR - To make farming
remunerative economic activity by strengthening
farmer’s effort, risk mitigation and promoting
agri-business entrepreneurship. The financial
allocation of scheme is Rs. 15,722 crore.
Note:
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana is launched in 2007 as
a part of the 11th Five Year Plan by the Government
of India. It is a State Plan Scheme of Additional
Central Assistance launched under the aegis of the
National Development Council, it seeks to achieve
4% annual growth in agriculture through
development of Agriculture and its allied sectors.
2. Kerala govt. launched ‘She Pad’ Scheme for
School Girls – The Kerala
government launched “She Pad,’’ a scheme to
distribute free sanitary napkins to girl students from
classes VI to XII in government and aided private
schools affiliated to the state school board. Kerala
became the first state to launch such schemes.
3. Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana - Union Minister of
Communications Manoj Sinha has launched the
Deen Dayal SPARSH yojana which aims to increase
the reach of Philately.
Here SPARSH means - Scholarship for Promotion of
Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby.
Key points –
• Under the scheme, it is proposed to award
annual scholarships to children of Standard
VI to IX having good academic record and
also pursuing Philately as a hobby through a
competitive selection process in all postal
circles.
• Every Postal Circle will select a maximum of
40 scholarships representing 10 students
each from Standard VI, VII, VIII & IX.
• The amount of Scholarship will be Rs.
6000/- per annum @ Rs. 500/- per month.
About Philately
• Philately is the hobby of collection and study
of Postage stamps.
• It also entails the collection, appreciation
and research activities on stamps and other
related philatelic products.
• Philately is called the king of hobbies
because Stamp collection as a hobby has lot
of educational benefits - it teaches a lot
about the socio economic political reality of
the period in which the stamp is issued or
the theme on which it is issued.
4. 'Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran' App - Union
Minister of Railways & Coal Piyush Goyal has
launched the ‘Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App’
which aims to benefit customers of Coal India

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Limited (CIL) lifting coal through road mode. The
app is launched in Kolkata.
Key points –
• The main benefits of the App for the
customers include easy accessibility of the
information at the click of the button.
• The app will monitor whether the dispatches
are made on the fair principle of ‘First in
First Out’ basis.
• It will keep a track on all the activities from
issuance of Sale Order to physical delivery of
coal by road.
5. ‘Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana’ –
Communications Minister Manoj Sinha has launched
the Sampoorna Bima Gram (SBG) Yojana in New
Delhi.
Key points -
• It is an initiative for expansion of client base
of Postal Life Insurance.
• To provide affordable life insurance services
to people living in rural areas of the country.
• All villages under the Saansad Adarsh Gram
Yojana will be brought under its ambit.
• At least one village (having a minimum of
100 households) will be identified in each of
the revenue districts of the country, wherein
endeavour will be made to cover all
households of that identified village with a
minimum of one RPLI (Rural Postal Life
Insurance) policy each.
Note:
➢ Postal Life Insurance (PLI), introduced
in 1884, is one of the oldest life insurance
schemes for benefit of Government and
semi-Government employees.
➢ Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI),
introduced on March 24, 1995 on
recommendations of Malhotra
Committee, provides insurance cover to
people residing in rural areas, especially
weaker sections and women living in
rural areas.
➢ Low Premium and High Bonus is the
unique feature of PLI and RPLI schemes.
➢ As on March 31, 2017, there were 46.8
lakh PLI and 146.8 lakh RPLI policies
across the country.
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6. 'Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana’ (BBY) launched in
MP – The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan launched the 'Bhavantar Bhugtan
Yojna' for the farmers of the state and to provide
financial support in case of losses in crops.
Key points
➢ The scheme is also called the ‘Price Deficit
Financing Scheme’.
➢ At first, the scheme will cover 8 crops which
includes oil seeds and some pulses etc.
Soybean, Groundnut, Til, Ramtil. Maize,
Moong, Urad, Tuar Daal.
➢ The farmers are supposed to register
themselves with mandis to leverage the
benefits of Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana.
➢ The aim of the scheme is to encourage the
farmers to cultivate more oil seeds and
pulses products in the state.
7. 'Prerna' project for Women Farmers launched in
Odisha - Mahindra & Mahindra has launched a
‘Prerna’ programme to empower women working
in the agriculture sector by promoting efficient and
ergonomic farm tools and equipment.
Key points
➢ The project is launched in the state of Odisha,
with the intention to positively impact the lives
of over 1,500 families across 30-plus villages.
8. Union Ministries of Power & Textiles Jointly
launched 'SAATHI' Initiative - The Union
Ministries of Power and Textiles have jointly
launched an initiative 'SAATHI'.
SAATHI stands for - Sustainable and Accelerated
Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help
small Industries.
Key points –
➢ Under this initiative, Energy Efficiency Services
Limited (EESL), a public sector entity under the
administrative control of Ministry of Power,
would procure energy efficient Powerlooms,
motors and Rapier kits in bulk and provide
them to the small and medium Powerloom units
at no upfront cost.
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➢ The SAATHI initiative of the Government will be
jointly implemented by EESL and the office of
the Textile Commissioner on a pan-India basis.
➢ To kick start the implementation, cluster wise
demonstration projects and workshops will be
organized in key clusters such as Erode, Surat,
Ichalkaranji, etc.
9. Ministry WCD launches campaign on 'women for
women': #IamThatWoman - In an attempt to end
Gender bias in women against women, the Ministry
of Women and Child Development is undertaking an
online campaign #IamThatWoman.
Key points –
Schemes under Ministry of Finance
1. Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)-
• For the senior citizens aged 60 years and above
• The Scheme provides an assured return of 8% p.a.
payable monthly (equivalent to 8.30% p.a.
effective) for 10 years.
• The scheme will be operated by LIC.
2. Jan Suraksha Yojana-
(i) PRADHAN MANTRI JEEVAN JYOTI BIMA YOJANA-
• PMJJBY is a one-year life insurance scheme.
• Renewable from year to year, offering coverage for
death due to any reason and is available to people
in the age group of 18 to 50 years
• Premium of Rs.330/- per annum per member
• life cover of Rs. 2 lakhs
(ii) PRADHAN MANTRI SURAKSHA BIMA YOJANA-
• Premium of Rs.12 per year
• Age group 18 to 70 years
• Under it, risk coverage available will be Rs.2 lakh
for accidental death and permanent total disability
and Rs. 1 lakh for permanent partial disability
(iii) Atal Pension Yojana-
• Launched in 2015
• Focussed on all citizens in the unorganised sector
• Age- min 18 years, Max- 40 years
• The Union Govt. would also co-contribute 50% of
the subscriber’s contribution or Rs. 1000 per
annum, whichever is lower.
• Subscribers would receive the fixed pension at the
age of 60 years, depending on their contributions.
3. PRADHAN MANTRI MUDRA YOJANA (PMMY)-
• Launched in 2015
• In this scheme, Mudra (Micro Units Development
and Refinance Agency) bank has been opened to
fund all MFI (Micro Financial institutions) which
provide loans to the MSMEs.
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➢ The campaign aims to highlight the various
aspects of women standing 'by' and 'for'
women.
➢ Ministry of WCD has urged people to shun
stereotypes associated with women harming
other women.
➢ Twitter and Facebook users have been
encouraged to tag and share stories of women
helping women with a photograph and post
online with the hashtag #IamThatWoman.
• The lending priority will be given to SC/ST
enterprises.
• MUDRA Bank has launched three loan instruments:
(i) Shishu- loans up to Rs 50,000 (ii) Kishor- loans
above Rs 50,000 and up to Rs. 5 lakhs
(iii) Tarun- loans above Rs 5 lakh and up to Rs 10
lakh
4. Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana-
• To provide social security to the persons who are
above or equal to 60 years.
• Implemented through LIC.
• It will provide an assured pension based on a rate
of return of 8% per annum for ten years.
Schemes under Ministry of Women and Child
Development –
1. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)-
• Launched by the PM on January 22, 2015 at
Panipat, Haryana.
• Objective- Improve Child Sex Ratio, Protection and
education of girl child.
• Current brand ambassador-Olympic Bronze
medallist Sakshi Malik.
2. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana-
• Launched by the Prime Minister on January 21,
2015.
• Under Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Women
and Child Development.
• It is a part of BBBP (Beti Bachao Beti Padhao).
• Only for girls whose age are equal or below 10
years.
• Tenure- 21 years from the date of opening or girl’s
marriage
• Current interest rate- 8.3 Percent.
• Account can be opened via post offices or
commercial banks.
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3. POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses)
e-Box-
• Online complaint management system
• Action against the offenders under the POCSO Act,
2012.
• Any human being up to the age of 18 years is
recognised as a child under the POCSO Act.
4. SHe-box’ (sexual harassment electronic box) portal-
• Launched in July 2017.
• Online platform to enable women employees of the
central govt. to file complaints related to sexual
harassment at the workplace.
5. ‘SABLA’ Scheme-
• Launched in 2010, also known as Rajiv Gandhi
Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls.
• Development of adolescent girls of 11-18 years by
making them ‘self-reliant’.
• Focus areas- Nutrition, Skill development and
Health.
6. Tejaswini Project-
Other programs and schemes-
1. ‘Saubhagya’ (Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) Scheme-
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Power
for all' scheme today to mark the birth anniversary
of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
• The scheme will be named ‘Saubhagya’ and will
provide subsidy on equipment like transformers,
meters and wires.
2. Mission Indradhanush
• It was launched by Union Health Minister J. P.
Nadda on 25 December 2014.
• It aims to immunize all children under the age of 2
years, as well as all pregnant women, against seven
vaccine preventable diseases.
• The diseases being targeted are diphtheria,
whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis,
tuberculosis, measles and Hepatitis B.
• Later Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus
influenzae type B, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis,
Injectable Polio Vaccine Bivalent and Rotavirus
also added.
3. Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)
• Prime Minister Modi launched the Intensified
Mission Indradhanush (IMI) at Vadnagar in
Gujarat on October 8, 2017.
• Through this programme, Government of India
aims to reach each and every child under two
years of age and all those pregnant women who
have been left uncovered under the routine
immunisation programme.
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• Initially the project has been implemented in 17
districts in Jharkhand.
• Tejaswini Socio-Economic Empowerment of
Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW)
Project.
• Project is financed by World Bank.
7. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
• Launched in October 2, 1975.
• Provides food, education, and primary healthcare
to children under 6 years of age and their mothers.
• Anyone can visit to the Aanganwadi centre and
enroll these services.
8. Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahayog Yojana-
• Provide financial aid of Rs 6,000 to pregnant
women who undergo institutional delivery for
hospital admission.
• The scheme provided cash transfer to pregnant
women above the age of 18 years for up to two live
births.
4. Udaan
• Udaan provides exposure to the youth of J&K to
the best of corporate India and corporate India to
the rich talent pool available in the State.
• The scheme not only provides skill enhancement
and job opportunity but also connects these
bright youths from the J&K with the vibrant
corporate sector of India.
5. UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik)
• is a regional airport development and "Regional
Connectivity Scheme (RCS)"
6. UJALA Scheme-
• Prime Minister of India Sh. Narendra Modi on
January 5, 2015 had launched the world's largest
and most extensive LED distribution programme,
UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for
All).
• Recently UJALA scheme launched in Melaka,
Malaysia.
7. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched by
Prime Minister on May 1st, 2016 in Ballia, Uttar
Pradesh.
• It is an ambitious social welfare scheme which
aims to provide free LPG connections to BPL
households in the country.
8. Sagarmala project
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• Sagar Mala project is a strategic and customer-
oriented initiative of the Government of India to
modernize India's Ports so that port-led
development can be augmented and coastlines can
be developed to contribute in India's growth.
Books & Authors
1. Novel ‘Two’ authored by - Gulzar (Veteran lyricist)
2. Book 'Bollywood: The Films! The Songs! The
Stars!, launched by the Amitabh Bachchan
The book is co-authored by S.M.M. Ausaja, Karan
Bali, Rajesh Devraj and Tanul Thakur.
3. Book titled “The Coalition Years” authored by –
Pranab Mukherjee (Former President of India)
4. Book titled “The Golden House” authored by – Salman
Rushdie.
5. Book titled “India 2017 Yearbook” authored by – Rajiv
Mehrishi
6. Book titled “I Do What I Do” authored by – Raghuram
Rajan (former RBI Governor)
7. Book titled “Immortal India” authored by – Amish
Tripathi.
8. Book titled “A Horse Walks into a Bar” authored by -
David Grossman (Winner - Man Booker International
Prize 2017)
9. Book titled “How India Sees the World” – Shyam
Saran.
10. Book titled “Hit Refresh” – Satya Nadella.
11. Book titled “Unstoppable: My Life So far” authored by
– Maria Sharapova.
12. Book titled “The Shershah of Kargil” authored by -
Deepak Surana (Biography of Kargil war hero – Late
Captain Vikram Batra)
13. Book titled “Kadve Vachan” authored by – Tarun Sagar
Maharaj.
Honors & Awards
National Awards
1. Mamta Kalia Selected for Vyas Samman 2017 -
Eminent Hindi litterateur & playwright Mamta Kalia
has been selected for ‘Vyas Samman-2017’ for her
novel ‘Dukkham Sukkham’.
Note:
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9. ‘Himayat’ Programme
• It is a training-cum-placement programme for
unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir.
10. DIKSHA Portal
• For teacher training by HRD Ministry
14. Book titled “I am HIV positive, so what?” authored by
– Jayanta Kalita (The book is based on the life of an
international bodybuilding champion Khundrakpam
Pradipkumar Singh hailing from Manipur, who was
diagnosed HIV-positive.)
15. Book titled “Cryptocurrency for Beginners” authored
by – Amit Bhardwaj.
16. Book titled “Making of a legend” authored by –
Bindeshawr Pathak.
17. Book titled “Dalhousie Through My Eyes” authored by
– Kiran Chadha.
18. Book titled “Playing With Fire” authored by – Katie
Price.
19. Book titled “Future of Indian Universities:
Comparative and International Perspectives” authored
by – C. Raj Kumar.
20. Book titled “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”
authored by – Arundhati Roy.
21. Book titled “The Crisis Within” authored by – Ganesh
Devy.
22. Book titled “Indira Gandhi – A life in Nature” authored
by – Jairam Ramesh.
23. Book titled “Beren And Luthien” authored by – J.R.R.
Tolkien.
24. Book titled “Yug Purush, Bharat Ratna, Atal Ji”
authored by – Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank”.
25. Book titled “Matoshree” authored by - Lok Sabha
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
• The novel 'Dukkham Sukkham' depicts the
story of grandmother Vidhyawati and
granddaughter Manisha's relation.
• The book, 'Dukkham Sukkham' was published
in 2010.
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• Currently, she is the editor of Mahatma Gandhi
International Hindi University's quarterly
magazine ‘Hindi’.
• Vyas Samman was instituted in 1991 by the KK
Birla Foundation and carries a cash award of
Rs 3.50 lakh, a citation, and a logo.
• She is also known for her works in Hindi and
English including "Beghar", "Janch Abhi Jaari
Hai", "Nirmohi", and "Bolne Wali Aurat".
• She was born in Vrindavan, Mathura.
2. 3rd Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
Distinguished Indologist Award for the year 2017 -
Professor Hiroshi Marui of Japan.
Note: He spent over 40 years working on Indian
philosophy and Buddhist Studies.
3. Ruskin Bond conferred with Lifetime Achievement
Award by the Chandigarh Literary Society.
4. 2017 Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement Award
- Girish Karnad (Actor-playwright)
5. Most Visited Place of the World’ - Golden Temple
(Amritsar). The award is presented by ‘World Book of
Records’ (WBR), a London-based organisation.
6. Big Little Book Award for year 2017 - Nabaneeta
Dev Sen (Sahitya Akademi awardee Bengali writer).
Note: The award, given out by Parag initiative of Tata
Trusts to recognise and honour authors and illustrators of
children's literature.
7. Indira Gandhi Peace Prize - Manmohan Singh
(Former PM of India) will receive the Indira Gandhi
Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this
year for his leadership of the country between 2004
and 2014.
8. International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Awards –
The 48th International Film Festival of India held this
year in Goa.
Here is the list of winners at IFFI 2017 –
1. Best Film Award at IFFI 2017 - 120 Beats Per
Minute (A French film on fight against indifference
towards AIDS)
Note: The film is directed by - Robin Campillo
2. Indian film personality of the year award - Amitabh
Bachchan
3. Best Female Actress Award – Parvathy Thiruvoth
Kottuvatta for the film ‘Take Off’
Note: The film is directed by - Mahesh Narayanan
4. Best Male Actor Award – Nahuel Pérez Biscayart,
Beats Per Minute
5. Best Director Award – Vivian Qu, Angels Wear
White
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6. Lifetime Achievement Award – Atom Egoyan
7. Best Debut Film of a Director Award – Kiro Russo,
Dark Skull
8. ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal - Marathi Film Kshitij-
A Horizon, directed by Manoj Kadam.
9. 53rd Jnanpith award 2017- Krishna Sobti (eminent
Hindi writer).
Note:
➢ She was born in 1925 in Gujrat, in Pakistan’s
Punjab Province.
➢ Some of her popular works include Daar se
Bichhudi, Dil-o-Danish, Badalom ke Ghere,
Yaaron Ke Yaar, Mitron Marjani, and
Zindaginama.
➢ She is most known for her 1966 novel Mitro
Marajani, an unapologetic portrayal of a
married woman's sexuality.
10. UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017 - The Sri
Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam in Tamil Nadu
won UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017 for
cultural heritage conservation programme.
Note: It is the first temple from Tamil Nadu to win the
prize from the UN body.
11. Best Urban Transport Practices’ of the Union
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs awards -
i. Best City Bus Services Award 2017 - Surat
Municipal Corporation awarded with the ‘Best City Bus
Services Award’ by the Union Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs for attracting 87 per cent of the private
vehicle and auto rickshaw users to use city buses.
ii. ‘Best Non-Motorised Transport’ Award - Mysuru’s
Public Bicycle Sharing won the Best Non-Motorised
Transport’ Award.
iii. ‘Best Urban Transport Initiative’ Award - Kochi
(Kerala) was chosen for the for completing its Metro
Rail Project in a quick time.
iv. Best Intelligent Transport Project’ - The H-TRIMS
of Hyderabad, the Traffic Integraged Management
initiative was awarded with the award. .
12. Vishnudas Bhave award - Mohan Joshi (Veteran
actor)
Note: The award is conferred in memory of Vishnudas
Bhave, the founder of Marathi theatre.
13. Tata Literature Lifetime Achievement Award 2017
- Girish Karnad (Veteran actor).
14. 2017 Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award - Javed Akhtar
(Veteran writer-lyricist).
15. ‘General Insurance Company of the Year’ - Apollo
Munich Health Insurance.
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16. Green Platinum Award - The Govardhan Eco Village,
set up by the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness (ISKCON) in Palghar district won the
‘Green Platinum Award’ by Indian Green Building
Council (IGBC) of Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII).
17. Indira Gandhi National Integration award for
2015-16- T M Krishna (Carnatic music vocalist). He is
being awarded for his services in promoting and
preserving national integration in the country.
18. Cleartrip Named 'Best Mobile App for Travel' at
Mobexx Awards.
19. Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2017 - K Satchidanandan
(Noted Malayalam Poet and literary critic) has been
selected for Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2017. This is
Kerala government's highest literary honour.
20. UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage
Conservation - Mumbai’s The Royal Opera House.
21. Lifetime Achievement Award - Sharmila Tagore
(Veteran actress)
Note: She was bestowed with the recognition by the
PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi
for her contribution in the field of cinema.
22. Golden Peacock Award - N Chandrababu Naidu
(Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) has received the
Golden Peacock Award under the category 'Global
Leadership in Public Service and Economic
Transformation' at a convention in London at 17th
London Global Convention.
23. Mathrubhumi Literary Award - Eminent critic,
biographer and orator M K Sanu has been chosen for
International Awards
1. The Silence Breakers' named Time’s Person of the
Year for 2017 – Time magazine has named 'the
silence breakers' its Person of the Year for 2017
mentioning to those women and men who have raise a
voice to sexual assault and harassment by powerful
public figures in America.
Note:
• The women featured on the cover include
actress Ashley Judd, singer Taylor Swift,
former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, Visa
lobbyist Adama Iwu, Mexican agricultural
worker Isabel Pascual.
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the Mathrubhumi Literary Award for 2016 in
recognition of his rich contribution to the Malayalam
literature.
24. Asia Game Changers Award- 2017--Dev Patel.
25. First Kesari Media Award - T J S George. (Veteran
journalist)
26. Prem Nazir Award 2017 – Sharada (Veteran actress)
27. East Bengal football club’s highest honour 'Bharat
Gaurav' - Dhanraj Pillay
28. 2018 Times Higher Education (THE) World university
ranking, Indian university has been names the top
university in India -- IISc-Bangalore.
29. First lifetime achievement award for his contribution to
Badminton -- Prakash Padukone.
30. Bollywood star has received the ‘Global Diversity
Award’ at Britain’s House of Commons - Salman Khan
31. Best film award at 18th IIFA Awards 2017-- Neerja.
32. JD(U) leader has also received the Lifetime
Achievement Award as a Rajya Sabha MP -- Sharad
Yadav.
33. Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has
received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his
contributions as a Lok Sabha member -- LK Advani.
34. Indian city has been declared as a World Heritage City
(WHC) by UNESCO -- Ahmedabad.
35. Indian film Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars
2018 -- Newton.
Note: Newton is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language black
comedy film directed by Amit V Masurkar and Produced
by Drishyam Films.
• The #MeToo movement which has seen many
people come forward with allegations of
harassment and abuse.
• The runner-up for this year’s Person of the
Year was US President Donald Trump, who
was Time’s Person of the Year in 2016.
2. Children's Peace Prize 2017 – Mohamad Al Jounde
Mohamad Al Jounde (16 years old) from Syria was
awarded the International Children's Peace Prize for
his efforts to ensure the rights of Syrian refugee
children.
Note:
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• He set up a school with the help of his family in
a Lebanese refugee camp which provides
education to the 200 children.
• He received the prize from Malala Yousafzai,
who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her
work for children's rights.
3. Miss Universe 2017 - Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (Miss
South Africa). The event was held at the AXIS theatre at
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, US.
4. Miss World 2017 - Manushi Chhillar (Miss India). The
event was held in Sanya City Arena in China.
Note: She was born in Rohtak, Haryana.
5. European Golden Shoe Award - Lionel Messi
6. 2017 Cervantes Prize - Sergio Ramirez Mercado. It is
the Spanish-speaking world's highest literary honor.
7. Miss International 2017 - Kevin Lilliana (Indonesia)
8. Abu Dhabi Award - The Andhra Pradesh Mineral
Development Corporation (APMDC) has bagged an
international award from Abu Dhabi.
9. Mother Teresa Award 2017 - United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been named
as the recipient of the Mother Teresa Memorial Award
for Social Justice, 2017.
Note: The Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social
Justice was instituted by Harmony Foundation.
10. Jewish Nobel Prize - Natalie Portman (actress) has
been awarded Israel’s 2018 Genesis Prize in
recognition of her commitment to social causes and
deep connection to her Jewish and Israeli roots.
Note: 2018 Genesis Prize is a $1 million award, known
as “the Jewish Nobel Prize.
11. Best Short Film Award - Indian short film ‘The
School Bag’ won the ‘Best Short Film Award' at the
South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM). It tells
a story based in Pakistan.
Note: The movie is directed by Dheeraj Jindal.
List of Nobel Prize 2017 –
1. Nobel Prize in Peace
● Winner - International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear
Weapons (ICAN)
● Field - ICAN for its work to draw attention to the
catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use
of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking
efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such
weapons.
● ICAN headquarter at – Geneva, Switzerland.
● ICAN Executive Director - Beatrice Fihn
2. Nobel Prize in Literature
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12. 2017 Man Booker Prize - George Saunders (US
author).
Note:
➢ He won the award for fiction for his first full-
length novel 'Lincoln in the Bardo.
➢ With this, Saunders became second American
writer to win the award. In 2016, Paul Beatty
became the first American to win the award for
his novel The Sellout.
➢ Lincoln in the Bardo is an extended national
ghost story. It chronicles the death of Abraham
Lincoln’s 11-year-old son Willie using the
accounts of hundreds of narrators. The book
describes the night President Lincoln visited
his son’s body in a Washington graveyard.
13. US Award For AIDS Research - Professors Salim
Abdool Karim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim received
the award from the Institute for Human Virology (IHV)
in Baltimore, US.
Note: Indian-origin South African researchers were
honored with a prestigious award for their exceptional
contributions in the field of HIV/AIDS.
14. 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist
Challenge - Indian-American Gitanjali Rao won the
2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist
Challenge for inventing a quick, low-cost test to detect
lead-contaminated water.
15. 2017 Blue Planet Prize - Prof Hans Joachim
Schellnhuber from Germany won 2017 Blue Planet
Prize, world’s most prestigious award for pioneers in
environmental science.
Note: He was awarded for establishing new field of
science ‘Earth System Analysis’ and introducing most
influential concepts including the notion of tipping
elements in the climate system in Tokyo.
● Winner - Kazuo Ishiguro.
● He is a British author and best known for his novel
“The Remains of the Day”.
● He was born in Nagasaki, Japan.
3. Nobel Prize in Economics
● Winner - Richard Thaler
● Field – for his work in behavioral economics.
● Richard Thaler born in New Jersey, United States.
He is a professor of behavioural sciences and
economics at University of Chicago.
4. Nobel Prize in Medicine
● Winner - Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and
Michael W. Young
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● Field - for their discoveries on how plants, animals
and humans adapt their biological rhythm so that
it is synchronized with the Earth's revolutions.
● Jeffrey C. Hall – He is from New York, US and
currently Professor at Brandeis University.
● Michael Rosbash – He is from Missouri, US and
currently Professor at Brandeis University.
● Michael W. Young – He is from Miami, Florida, US
and Professor at Rockefeller University, University
of Texas at Austin, Stanford University School of
Medicine.
5. Nobel Prize in Physics
● Winner - Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S.
Thorne.
● Field - Their decisive contributions to the LIGO
(Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave
Observatory) detector and the observation of
gravitational waves.
● Rainer Weiss born in Berlin, Germany. He is a
Professor at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.
concise
Summits & Conference 2017
1. First SAICON 2017 held in –New Delhi.
Note:
• The theme of the conference was ‘Scoring
Goals in Sports with Science and
Technology’.
• The first International Conference on Sports
Medicine & Sports Sciences “SAICON 2017”
was held in New Delhi.
• It was inaugurated by the Minister of State
(I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col.
Rajyavardhan Rathore.
2. Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers Meet held
in Delhi –Foreign Ministers of Russia, India, and
China (RIC) trilateral meeting held in New Delhi.
3. Asean-India Connectivity Summit – New Delhi.
• Theme "Powering Digital and Physical
Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century".
4. 11th Ministerial conference of the World
Trade Organization (WTO) – Buenos Aires,
Argentina.
5. International Conference on Climate change
held in - Nepal
Note:
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● Barry C. Barish born in Nebraska, U.S. He is a
professor at California Institute of Technology.
● Kip S. Thorne born in Utah, U.S. He is a professor
at California Institute of Technology.
6. Nobel Prize in Chemistry
● Winner - Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and
Richard Henderson.
● Field - They developed cryo-electron microscopy
for the high-resolution structure determination of
biomolecules in solution. It’s a method of
simplifying and improving the imaging of
biomolecules.
● Jacques Dubochet born in Aigle, Switzerland. He
is a professor at University of Lausanne.
● Joachim Frank born in Siegen, Germany. He is a
professor at Columbia University.
● Richard Henderson born in Edinburgh, Scotland.
He is a professor at Laboratory of Molecular
Biology.
• The main objective of the conference is
to explore holistic solutions for
adaptation to change in the Hindu Kush
Himalaya region.
• President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari
has inaugurated the event.
6. 6th International Tourism Mart 2017 held in -
Guwahati, Assam.
Note:
• The International Tourism Mart is
inaugurated by the Jagdish Mukhi,
Governor of Assam.
• The main objective of the mart is to
highlight the tourism potential of the
region in the domestic and international
markets.
7. The 3rd edition of the Dialogue between the
NITI Aayog and the Development Research
Council of China was held in Beijing, China.
Note:
• The meeting was co-chaired by Vice
Chairman NITI Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar,
and Mr Li Wei, President (Minister), DRC.
• The MoU was signed during the visit of
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to
China in May 2015.
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• The 2nd Dialogue was held in New Delhi
in November 2016.
• The next 4th NITI Aayog - DRC Dialogue
will be held in India in 2018.
8. 16th Meeting of the SCO Heads of Government
Council held in Sochi, Russia.
Note:
• In 2018, the next SCO Council of Heads of
Government Meeting will be held
in Tajikistan.
9. The first International Exhibition and
Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector-
AROGYA 2017 held in New Delhi.
Note:
• The conference was inaugurated by the MoS
(Independent charge), Ministry of Ayush
Shripad Naik.
• The theme of the conference is ‘Enhancing the
global potential of Ayush’.
• AYUSH is the acronym of - Ayurveda, Yoga
and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and
Homoeopathy.
10. World Food India 2017 - New Delhi.
• The theme of WFI 2017 is ‘Transforming the Food
Economy’.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated
World Food India 2017 (WFI) at the India Gate
Lawns in New Delhi.
• Germany, Japan and Denmark are partner
countries to World Food India.
• This is first time India is hosting such an event for
the Food processing sector.
11. 'India Disaster Response Summit' – New Delhi.
Note:
• Kiren Rijiju has inaugurated the ‘India Disaster
Response Summit’ in New Delhi.
• The summit was organised jointly by the
National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA) and Facebook.
12. India to host UN wildlife summit CMS COP13 in
2020 - United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) announced that India will host the next CMS
Conference of the Parties 13 (CMS COP13) in the year
2020.
Note:
• CMS COP is a global wildlife conference.
• UN wildlife summit CMS COP13 in 217 held
in Manila, Philippines.
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• The theme of the Conference was ‘Their
Future is Our Future - Sustainable
Development for Wildlife and People’.
• CMS COP is held once in three years.
13. World Youth Forum - Egypt.
Note: The Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore
attend the meeting
14. 38th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing – New
Delhi.
• The main theme of the conference is Space
Applications: Touching Human Lives.
15. 21st World Congress of Mental Health - New Delhi.
16. Global Clubfoot Conference – New Delhi.
Note:
• President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated Global
Clubfoot Conference organised by CURE India in
partnership with Union Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare in New Delhi.
• About Clubfoot - It is one of the most common
orthopaedic birth defects where one or both feet
are rotated inwards and downwards. It
describes range of foot abnormalities usually
present at birth in which your baby’s foot is
twisted out of shape or position. In clubfoot,
tissues connecting muscles to the bone
(tendons) are shorter than usual.
17. 11th India-US Trade Policy Forum Meeting -
Washington D.C
Note: The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for
Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu and US Trade
Representative Robert Lighthizer.
18. First International Conference on Consumer
Protection - New Delhi
• The theme of the conference was
“Empowering Consumers in New Markets”.
• It was inaugurated by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
19. First BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine
meeting - New Delhi.
Note:
• The first-ever meeting of BIMSTEC Task Force
on Traditional Medicine (BITFM) was held at
Parvasi Bhartiya Kendra in New Delhi.
• It was organized by Union Ministry of AYUSH.
20. India-UAE Partnership Summit 2017 – Dubai.
• The theme of the summit was - Investment
Implementation.
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• The objective of India-UAE Partnership
Summit is to accelerate bilateral trade and
investment between the two countries.
12. 3rd International Conference on Yoga 2017 – New
Delhi, India.
● Theme of the conference is – “Yoga for Wellness”.
● Conference was organised by – Ministry of Ayush.
● Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the
conference.
13. 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space 2017 – New
Delhi, India.
● Theme of the conference – ‘Cyber4All: An Inclusive,
Sustainable, Developmental, Safe and Secure
Cyberspace’
● The 4th GCCS conference held in The Hague,
Netherlands.
14. India – ASEAN Youth Summit 2017 – Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh
Theme of the summit - “Shared Values, Common
Destiny”
15. First ASEAN – India Music Festival held in New Delhi,
India.
● Note: Theme – ‘Shared Values, Common Destiny’.
16. 14th India - European Union (EU) 2017 Summit –
New Delhi, India.
● President of European Union (EU) – Donald Tusk.
● Member countries – 28
● European Union (EU) headquarter - Brussels,
Belgium.
● The 15th India-EU Summit will be held in Brussels,
Belgium.
● The 13th India-EU Summit was held in Brussels,
Belgium.
17. 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 -
Hyderabad, India.
● Theme of the Summit – ‘Women First, Prosperity
for All’.
● 7th Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2016 –
Silicon Valley, USA.
18. 3rd India International Science Festival (IISF) 2017
– Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
● The 2nd IISF held in New Delhi in 2016.
● The 1st IISF was held at Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) New Delhi in 2015.
19. India Mobile Congress 2017 - New Delhi.
● Note: This is the first time India is all set to host its
own mobile mega show. The Indian telecom market
is the second-largest in the world after China. India
has a total subscriber base of over 1.18 billion
subscribers.
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20. 19th UN Climate Change Summit 2017- Bonn,
Germany.
● Note: The United Nations Climate Change
Conferences are yearly conferences held in the
framework of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
● 18th UN Climate Change Summit 2016 - Marrakech,
Morocco.
21. 9th BRICS Summit 2017 - Xiamen, China.
● Theme of the Summit - “BRICS: Stronger
Partnership for a Brighter Future”.
● The Summit was attended by –
● President of Brazil – Michel Temer
● President of Russia – Vladimir Putin
● Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi
● President of China – Xi, Jinping
● President of South Africa – Jacob Zuma
● Note: BRICS comprises 5-member countries:
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
● Venue of 10th BRICS Summit 2018-
Johannesburg, South Africa.
● Venue of 8th BRICS Summit 2016- Goa, India.
22. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit
2017 – Astana, Kazakhstan.
● Note:
● SCO General Secretary – Rashid Alimov.
● SCO Headquarter - Beijing, China.
● Official Language – Chinese, Russian.
● SCO comprises 8-member countries: China,
Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.
● India and Pakistan became full members of
the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
on 9 June 2017.
● Venue of SCO Summit 2018- China.
● Venue of SCO Summit 2016- Tashkent,
Uzbekistan.
23. ASEAN (30th & 31st) 2017 Summit – Manila,
Philippines.
● Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
organisation comprising 10 South east Asian
countries - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam.
● Its motto is - “One Vision, One Identity, One
Community.
● Note: ASEAN Summit held twice a year.
● Secretary General – Le Luong Minh.
● Chairman - Philippines Rodrigo Duterte
● ASEAN headquarter – Jakarta, Indonesia.
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● Venue of ASEAN (32nd & 33rd) 2018 Summit -
Singapore.
● Venue of 28-29th ASEAN Summit 2016 –
Vientiane, Laos
24. 29 APEC 2017 Summit – Danang, Vietnam
th
● Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC)organisation comprising 21 members
countries – Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada,
Chile, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong,
Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia,
Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The
Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei,
Thailand, United States, Vietnam.
● Chairman - Trần Đại Quang
● Executive Director - Alan Bollard
● APEC headquarter – Singapore
● Venue of 30th APEC 2018 Summit - Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea.
● Venue of 28th APEC Summit 2016 – Peru, Lima
25. 4th BIMSTEC 2017 Summit – Kathmandu, Nepal
● Note:
● Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC)organisation comprising 7 members
countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand.
● Chairmanship – Nepal (since 2014)
● BIMSTEC headquarter – Dhaka, Bangladesh
● Venue of 3rd BIMSTEC Summit 2014 - Nay Pyi
Taw, Myanmar.
26. G-20 Summit 2017 – Hamburg, Germany.
● Theme of the summit – “Shaping an Inter-
connected World”
● The G20 comprises 19 countries plus the
European Union. These countries are Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany,
India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the
United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of
America (USA).
● Meeting of G20 Labour Ministers 2017 – Bad
Neuenahr, Germany.
● Meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and
Central Bank Governors 2017 – Baden,
Germany.
● Venue of G-20 2018 Summit - Buenos Aires,
Argentina
● Venue of G-20 2016 Summit – Hangzhou,
China
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27. 43rd G-7 Summit 2017 - Sicily, Italy.
● Theme of the summit - “Building the foundations of
renewed trust.”
● The G-7 comprises 7 countries – Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United
States.
● Venue of 42nd G-7 2016 Summit – Shima,
Japan
● Venue of 44th G-7 2018 Summit – Canada
28. NATO Summit 2017 – Brussels, Belgium.
● Note:
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
comprises 29 countries – Albania, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherland,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United
States.
● NATO headquarter - Brussels, Belgium.
● NATO Secretary General - Jens Stoltenberg
● NATO 2018 Summit – Brussels, Belgium.
● NATO 2016 Summit -Warsaw, Poland
● Note: Turkey’s offer to host the 2018 NATO summit
is rejected by Canada and 18 European NATO
members. Hence, 2018 NATO Summit will be held in
Brussels, Belgium.
29. 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBS) 2017 –
Bengaluru, Karnataka.
● Theme of 2017 PBS is “Redefined Engagement
With Indian Diaspora”.
● Note:
● Chief Guest at 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017
is - H.E. Dr. Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of the
Republic of Portugal.
● The PBS convention is held on January 9th each year
to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi
from South Africa in 1915. It is celebrated to mark
the contribution of the overseas Indian community
to the development of the country.
● Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBS) 2016 was cancelled.
● 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBS) 2015 –
Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
● Singapore to Host Regional Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas in 2018.
30. 104th Indian Science Congress 2017 – SV University,
Tirupati.
● Focal theme - Science & Technology for National
Development.
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● 105th Indian Science Congress 2018 to be hosted
by Osmania University, Hyderabad.
● Focal Theme - Reaching the Unreached Through
Science & Technology
31. 25th CHOGM 2018 Summit– The next 25th meeting of
the heads of government of the Commonwealth of
Nations will be held in the London, United Kingdom.
● Note: In 2017, Vanuatu was selected to host 25th
CHOGM Summit but due to the damage done by
Cyclone Pam, it was decided to be held in United
Kingdom in 2018.
National Affairs
1. UNESCO names Kumbh Mela in list of Intangible
Cultural Heritage – The Intergovernmental
Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural
Heritage under UNESCO has inscribed ´KumbhMela´
on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity.
Note:
• The inscription of Kumbh Mela in list was
undertaken following recommendation by
expert body which examines nominations
submitted by member countries of UNESCO
during its 12th session of Committee held at
Jeju, South Korea.
• KumbhMela is the 14th intangible cultural
heritage from India to be listed in UNESCO’s
list.
2. Uttar Pradesh first State to approve Centre’s triple
talaq draft bill – Uttar Pradesh became first state to
approve Union Government’s draft law — Muslim
Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act that
makes practice of instant “triple talaq” or talaq-e-
biddat. a cognisable and non-bailable criminal offence.
The draft law was endorsed by the state cabinet
meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Background
3. India and Israel open centre for floriculture in
Tamil Nadu – India and Israel have jointly set up a
centre for excellence in floriculture at Thally in
Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. It is first agro-
technology development centre to be set up with
Israel’s assistance in Tamil Nadu.
4. Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist
Heritage held in New Delhi – India hosted “Bodhi
Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage” at New
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● Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held
after a gap of every two years.
● Total member countries – 52.
● Headquarter – London, United Kingdom.
● CHOGM 2015 Summit – Malta.
32. 3rd World Conference on Environment 2017 – New
Delhi, India.
● It was organized by the National Green Tribunal
(NGT) and inaugurated by the President Pranab
Mukherjee.
Delhi as part of celebrations of 20th Anniversary of
BIMSTEC. The Festival was inaugurated by Minister of
State (IC) for Culture Dr. Mahesh Sharma.
5. India’s first mobile food testing lab unveiled in Goa
– India’s ‘first’ mobile food testing laboratory enabling
on-the-spot food safety tests was launched in Goa. It
was launched by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Note:
• This is the first ever ‘Food Safety on Wheel’
mobile laboratory in the country.
• The vehicle is equipped to conduct on-the-
spot tests to check food quality and curb
adulteration.
• It will also check hygiene level of water
and the results can be received within 15
minutes.
6. Mt Hope new tallest mountain in British Antarctic
Territory – As per new discovery from cartographers
surveying Antarctica, Mt Hope is the tallest mountain
in the British Antarctic Territory (BAT). Its height is
measured at 3,239 meters above sea level.
Note: Earlier, maps showed Mt Jackson with the
height 3,184 meters as the tallest mountain in the
territory according to researchers at British
Antarctic Survey (BAS).
7. Uttarakhand government makes LED bulbs
compulsory in all government offices – The state
government of Uttarakhand has taken a new initiative
for energy conservation by making it compulsory for
all government offices to install LED bulbs.
8. Kerala’s Alappuzha in top UN clean city list - The
waste management system was being implemented in
Kerala’s coast town of Alappuzha has been recognised
by the United Nations Environment Programme
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(UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for
fighting the pollution menace.
Note:
• Alappuzha called “the Venice of East” has
been listed in the UNEP environment
report.
• PM Narendra Modi Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan ranked Alappuzha at 380 among
the 500 cities in the country in the Swachh
Survekshan Survey 2017.
9. Farmer engagement app ‘Jai Kisaan’ launched in
Goa – The Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar
launched a farmer engagement app named ‘Jai Kisaan’
which aims to fulfil the needs of the farmer's
community in India.
10. PM Narendra Modi launches UMANG App – Prime
Minister Narendra Modi launched the UMANG App
(Unified Mobile Application), a platform that brings
more than100 government services on a single mobile
app.
11. PM Modi inaugurated Dr. Ambedkar International
Centre in New Delhi - Prime Minister Narendra
Modi inaugurated the B.R Ambedkar International
Centre in the New Delhi.
12. Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh has been included
in the National Capital Region (NCR). Now there are
total 23 districts which come under the National
Capital Region.
13. Kacheguda becomes first energy-efficient rail
station – Kacheguda railway station (South Central
Railway) has earned the unique distinction of being
the First Energy Efficient ‘A1 Category’ Railway
Station on Indian Railways. The station has achieved
100% energy efficiency replacing 1,312 conventional
lights with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting.
14. India’s largest floating Solar Power Plant opened in
Kerala by the State power minister MM Mani in Kerala.
The total budget for the project is Rs. 9.25 crore. The
plant is built at Banasura Sagar dam Kerala.
About Banasura Sagar Dam
• The Banasura Sagar Dam is located in
Wayanad District of Kerala in the Western
Ghats. It is built over Kabini River.
• It is the largest earthen dam in India and the
second largest in Asia.
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• The Dam is named after the Banasura, the son
of Mahabali who was a very respected king of
Kerala.
15. Core sector grows 4.7% in October 2017 - The
growth of Core sector has grown till 4.7% in the
month of October 2017. The data is shared by the of
eight core industries released by Ministry of
Commerce and Industry.
Note:
• This is the highest core sector growth since
March 2017.
• The eight core sectors include - coal,
natural gas, crude oil, refinery products,
cement, fertilizers, steel, and electricity.
16. National Nutrition Mission approved by Union
Cabinet - The Union Cabinet has approved the setting
of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) with an outlay of
9046.17 crore rupees for three years. It will be rolled
out in three phases from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
Note:
• The function of NNM is to monitor various
schemes contributing towards addressing
malnutrition.
• More than 10 crore people will be
benefitted by this programme.
• All the States and districts will be covered
in a phased manner i.e. 315 districts in
2017-18, 235 districts in 2018-19 and
remaining districts in 2019-20.
• It is an apex body under Ministry of
Women and Child Development.
17. Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium held in
New Delhi - The 22nd meeting of the Small Farmers’
Agri-Business Consortium held in New Delhi. The
meeting was chaired by Union Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh.
About Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium
• The Small Farmers Agribusiness
Consortium (SFAC) is an autonomous
society established in 1994 and is
registered under Societies Registration Act
1860.
• It is promoted by Union Ministry of
Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers’
Welfare.
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• SFAC is also registered as Non-Banking
Financial Institution (NBFC) by Reserve
Bank of India (RBI).
18. 'Kathakar - International Storytellers Festival’
held in New Delhi - The 7th edition of the Kathakar -
International Storytellers Festival’ held at the Indira
Gandhi National Centre for the Arts ( IGNCA), New
Delhi.
Note:
• The festival was inaugurated by the
Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri
Kiren Rijiju.
• The festival was started under the aegis of
UNESCO in 2010.
• It is the only oral storytelling festival in
India and is a part of Ghummakkad Narain-
the Travelling Literature Festival.
• The festival this year will be hosted in the
cities of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and
Mumbai.
19. BSF celebrated 52nd formation - The Border
Security Force is celebrating its 52nd formation day on
1st December 2017.
Note:
• India's Border Security Force was formed on
December 1 in 1965 after the Indo-Pak and
India-China wars.
• The KF Rustamji, from the Indian police
service, was the first Director General of BSF.
• Krishan Kumar Sharma is the
present Director General of BSF.
• BSF headquartered in New Delhi.
20. One Rupee note turns 100 - The one rupee note turns
100 years old on 30th November 2017.
Note:
• The first one-rupee note was introduced
on November 30, 1917, with the photo of
King George V.
• In 1926, the RBI discontinued issuance of
one-rupee note but it got reintroduced in
1940. In 1994 again, the note get
discontinued which got back reintroduced
in 2015.
• The One Rupee note is issued by Ministry
of Finance and it bears the signatures of
Finance Secretary.
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21. Cyclone Ockhi strikes in the Tamil Nadu & Kerala - The
cyclone Ockhi strikes in the southern districts of Tamil
Nadu and some parts of Kerala state.
22. PM Narendra Modi launches Hyderabad Metro Rail
Project – Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated
the first phase of the 72-km elevated Hyderabad Metro
Rail project.
Moreover, PM Modi also launched the mobile app
named 'T Savari' for Metro passengers. The first
phase of Hyderabad Metro Rail project has 24
stations in 30-km stretch between Miyapur and
Nagole.
23. ‘Project Saksham’ launched by Railways Ministry -
‘Project Saksham’ is a complete training programme,
which aims to train all employees of Indian Railways
with a view to upgrade their skill and knowledge. It
was launched by Union Minister of Railways & Coal
Piyush Goyal.
24. 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space held in New
Delhi.
Note: The theme of the conference is Cyber for all,
a secure and inclusive cyberspace for sustainable
Development.
25. India re-elected member of UNESCO’s executive
board - India was re-elected as member of executive
board of United Nations educational, scientific and
cultural organization (UNESCO).
Note: Executive board is UNESCO’s top decision-
making body. The election was held at 39th session of
General Conference of UNESCO in Paris, France.
26. Facebook launches Disaster Maps in India - The
social networking giant Facebook Inc. has rolled out
Disaster Maps for India in a bid to help communities
recover and rebuild faster in aftermath of natural
disasters. It was launched at Facebook’s first Disaster
Response Summit in India along with National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) to improve disaster
response and disaster management in India.
Note: Government has claimed that India will be the
first country to partner with Facebook on disaster
response.
27. India’s second Technology & Innovation Support
Centre established at Centre for Intellectual Property
Rights (CIPR), Anna University, Chennai.
Note:
• The objective of TISC is to stimulate dynamic,
vibrant and balanced Intellectual Property Rights
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(IPRs) system in India to foster creativity and
innovation.
• It will thereby help to promote entrepreneurship
and enhancing social, economic and cultural
development by establishing network of TISCs in
India.
28. Supreme Court refuses to ban Kambala - The
Supreme Court has refused to pass an interim order to
stay Ordinance allowing kambala, the traditional
buffalo slush track race in Karnataka. People for
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a non-
governmental organisation, had challenged the
Ordinance.
Note: Kambala is traditional slush track buffalo race
that is held annually in coastal districts of Karnataka
to entertain rural people of the area. The sports season
generally starts in November and lasts till March.
29. Govt. to provide financial assistance of Rs 2302.05
crore for Sagarmala projects - The Union Ministry of
Shipping undertook projects worth Rs 2302 crore for
financial assistance under the Coastal Berth Scheme of
the Sagarmala Programme. The Ministry also extended
the period of the scheme for three years up to 31
March 2020 and expanded its scope to cover capital
dredging at Major Ports and preparation of DPR for
coastal berth project.
Key points-
➢ The 47 projects under Coastal Berth Scheme are
distributed over eight states with the highest
number of projects in Maharashtra (12 projects),
Andhra Pradesh & Goa (10 projects), Karnataka (6
projects), Kerala and Tamil Nadu (3 projects),
Gujarat (2 projects) and West Bengal (1 project).
➢ The most recent beneficiaries of the scheme were
Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and
Karnataka Government respectively for
developing coastal infrastructure at Jawahar Lal
Nehru Port, Karwar Port and Old Manglore Port.
About Coastal Berth Scheme of Sagarmala
Programme
➢ The Coastal Berth Scheme aims to provide
financial support to ports or state governments
for creation of infrastructure for movement of
cargo and passenger by sea or national
waterways.
➢ The total financial assistance from Central
Government is 50 per cent of the total cost of the
project subject.
17 | Page
30. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
approved implementation of Special Banking
Arrangement (SBA) for Rs. 10,000 crore for
payment of outstanding claims on account of fertilizer
subsidy in year 2016-17.
31. Railways launch main arch on world's highest
bridge on Chenab - The Indian Railways has
commenced the main arch of the world's highest
bridge on the River Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir's
Reasi district.
32. BRO builds world's highest motorable road in
Ladakh - The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has
constructed the world's highest motorable road in
Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, passing
through Umlingla Top at a height of over 19,300 feet.
The feat was achieved under 'Project Himank' of the
organisation.
33. Govt. launched Food Regulatory & Nivesh Bandhu
portal - Union Minister of Food Processing Industries
Harsimrat Kaur Badal announced the launch of the
Food Regulatory Portal and Investor Facilitation
Portal “Nivesh Bandhu”.
About Nivesh Bandhu Portal –
➢ “Nivesh Bandhu” portal will assist investors to
make informed investment decisions.
➢ It will provide information on Central and State
Governments’ investor friendly policies, agro-
producing clusters, infrastructure, and potential
areas of investment in the food processing sector.
34. India sends first wheat shipment to Afghanistan
via Chabahar port - India has flagged off shipment of
wheat for Afghanistan through Iran’s Chabahar port.
Note: Chabahar port is strategically located in Sistan-
Balochistan province on energy-rich Iran’s southern
coast in Gulf of Oman near its border with Pakistan
and can be easily accessed from India’s western coast.
35. Govt. launched MSME Samadhaan Portal - The
Union Government has launched MSME (Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprise) delayed payment portal
'MSME Samadhaan'.
Key points –
➢ The portal will give information about the
pending payments of MSEs with individual
CPSEs, Central Ministries, State Governments,
etc.
➢ The portal will help in monitoring the delayed
payments in a more effective manner.
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➢ It will also empower the MSEs to access the
portal and monitor their cases.
36. Indian Railways to get its first set of solar plants -
Indian Railways’ first set of solar plants having a total
capacity of 5 megawatt peak (MWp). The plants built
on the roof tops of Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi,
Anand Vihar and Delhi railway stations would be
generating 76.5 lakh units of solar power cumulatively
every year and are expected to meet about 30 per cent
of the energy requirement of these stations.
37. BharatMala Pariyojana: The Union Government has
approved mega highway projects to build 83677 km of
highways over the next five years at a cost of Rs 7 lakh
crore.
Note:
➢ These highway projects include the ambitious
Bharatmala project which is the second-largest
highway project after National Highways
Development Project (NHDP) that saw
development of about 50000 km of roads.
➢ The Bharatmala Pariyojana or Project will
subsume all the existing highway projects,
including the flagship National Highways
Development Project (NHDP).
➢ Bharatmala project is an umbrella programme for
roads under which 34800 km of highways will be
constructed at a cost of Rs 5.35 lakh crore.
➢ Bharatmala Project will include 9000 km of
economic corridors, 6000 km of inter-
corridor and feeder routes, 5000 km of national
corridors efficiency improvement, 2000 km of
border road connectivity, 800 km of
expressways and 10000 km of balance
NHDP projects.
➢ A study under the Bharatmala project by global
consultancy firm AT Kearney identified 44
economic corridors for development. The
corridors included Mumbai-Cochin-Kanyakumari,
Bengaluru-Mangaluru, Hyderabad-Panaji and
Sambalpur-Ranchi among others.
➢ The government has assigned NHAI, National
Highway and Industrial Development Corporation
(NHIDCL) and state Public Work Departments
(PWDs) for the Bharatmala Project.
38. India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra for
Skilling in Smart Cities Inaugurated - Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh along with Skill Development
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated India's
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first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for
Skilling in Smart Cities in New Delhi. The main aim
behind the development is to bring momentum in
skilling through collaborative efforts.
Note: The PMKK Centre for Smart Cities will provide
skill training for unemployed youth through its short-
term training (STT) module and contribute to capacity
building of municipal employees through Recognition of
Prior Learning (RPL) program.
39. PM Modi launches 'Ro-Ro' ferry service in Gujarat -
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Phase 1
of the RO RO (Roll on, Roll off) ferry service between
Ghogha in Saurashtra and Dahej in south Gujarat. This
is the first of its kind project not only in India but also
in South-East Asia,”
About RO RO Ferry Service
➢ The term ro-ro is generally taken for large
ocean-going vessels. This is in opposite to the lo-
lo (lift-on and lift-off) vessels, which apply a
crane to load and unload cargo.
➢ This is a first of its kind of services in India. The
RO RO ferry service will be able to bear up to
hundred of vehicles (cars, bus, truck etc.) and
250 passengers linking the two ports.
➢ The ro-ro ferry services will take wheeled cargo
on and off the ferry on their own wheels or
using a platform vehicle. The wheeled cargo
includes, cars, trucks, semi-trailer trucks,
trailers, and railroad cars.
40. Jaipur & Srinagar Airport ranked first and second
in ACI-ASQ Survey - The Jaipur and Srinagar Airport
were ranked first and second respectively in ACI
(Airports Council International)-ASQ (Airport Service
Quality) Survey in the category of 2-5 million
passengers.
41. Times Higher Education Rankings: IISC & IIT
Bombay among world’s top 200 for engineering -
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore and
Indian Instituted of Technology (IIT) Bombay were
ranked among world’s top 200 institutions for
engineering and computer science in Times Higher
Education subject-wise rankings.
Note: IISc was placed at the 89th spot, while IIT
Bombay was placed in the 126 spot.
42. JP Nadda has launched 15 medical outlets of ‘AMRIT
Deendayal’ in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab
through Video Conference from Shimla.
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43. PM dedicated first All India Institute of Ayurveda
to nation - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
dedicated first All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in
New Delhi to the nation on the occasion of National
Ayurveda Day.
Note:
44. India’s first micro forest being built in Chhattisgarh. 47. Country’s first ‘Videsh Bhavan’ launched in Bandra Kurla
45. The union minister Harsh Vardhan has launched SECURE
Himalaya project in association with UNDP at the Global
Wildlife Programme (GWP) conference in New Delhi.
46. The National Highways Authority of India has launched a
mobile app for smooth functioning of electronic toll
collection --MyFASTag.
States News
1. Konark festival held in Odisha – The 31st edition
of the Konark festival held in Odisha. The festival
held every year from 1st to 5th December. The
objective of the festival is to promote the diverse
Indian dance heritage as well as the popularity of
Konark Temple and Odisha as a tourist destination.
2. Death for rape of girls aged 12 or less: MP - The
Assembly of Madhya Pradesh has passed a bill
awarding death to those found guilty of raping girls
aged 12 and below.
Note:
• The Bill will now be sent to the President
for his assent, after which it will become
a law.
• If President approved the bill, then
Madhya Pradesh will become the first
state where those convicted of such
rapes will face the death penalty.
• The bill introduced a section--376 (A)
(A)--to the Indian Penal Code (IPC)
under which a person convicted of
raping a girl aged 12 years or below may
be awarded death penalty, life
imprisonment or a minimum
imprisonment of 14 years with a fine.
3. Nagaland celebrated 54th formation Day –
Nagaland state celebrated its 54th formation day. On
1 December 1963, Nagaland became the 16th state
of India.
19 | Page
➢ The first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda
(AIIA)is an apex institute under Ministry of
AYUSH.
➢ It aims to bring synergy between the traditional
wisdom of Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools
and technology. It has been set up on lines of
AIIMS
Complex (BKC), Mumbai by External Affairs Minister
‘Sushma Swaraj’.
48. India’s first Hyperloop project will come up in Andhra
Pradesh.
49. The ‘Kandla Port’ has been renamed as -- Deendayal Port.
Note: Kandla Port is the largest sea port of India (by
volume of cargo handled) located in Kutch District of
Gujarat.
Note:
• The key economic activity of the state is
Agriculture and the main crops include –
rice, corn, millets, pulses, oilseeds, etc.
• The state shares its borders with the
state of Assam to the west, Arunachal
Pradesh to the North, Manipur to the
South and Burma to the east.
• The capital of Nagaland is Kohima.
Dimapur is the largest city in Nagaland.
• TR Zeliang is the present Chief Minister
of the state.
• Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya is the
Governor of the Nagaland.
4. Hornbill festival held in Nagaland - The 18th
Hornbill festival held in Nagaland. The festival is
celebrated from 1-10 December every year in
Nagaland. It is also called the 'Festival of Festivals'.
5. Telangana Govt: Urdu as Second Official
Language - Telangana Chief Minister K
Chandrashekar Rao declared Urdu as the state's
second official language. Every office in the state will
now have an Urdu speaking officer. First official
language is Telugu.
6. PM lays Foundation Stone for Infrastructure
Projects in Bihar - The Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has laid the foundation stone for four
sewerage projects under the Namami Gange
programme; and four National Highway projects, at
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Mokama in Bihar. The total outlay of these projects
is over Rs. 3700 crore.
The projects include - The four sewerage projects
include Sewage Treatment Plant at Beur, Sewerage
System with Sewer Network at Beur, Sewage
Treatment Plant at Karmalichak and STP and Sewer
Network at Saidpur.
7. Aerospace Park to be set up in Tamil Nadu – The
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Edapaddi K Palaniswami,
laid the foundation stone for an aerospace park at
Kanchipuram district to be set up by the State
Government in 245 acres and at an estimated cost of
Rs 198 crore.
8. Maharashtra to build 210m World’s Tallest
statue of Shivaji – Maharashtra government has
decided to build the 210-metre-high statue of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the sea off the
Mumbai coast.
Currently, the Spring Temple Buddha statue, which
stands at 208 metres in China, is the world’s tallest
statue.
9. Allahabad to get India’s First Black Buck
Conservation Reserve - Uttar Pradesh cabinet
decided to make India's first conservation reserve
for blackbuck in Allahabad's Meja. The decision
taken for the protection of black deer will also help
in wooing tourists.
10. Haryana became the first State in India to treat
Hepatitis-C Patients with Oral Medicine - Haryana
has emerged as the first state in the country to treat
Hepatitis-C patients through oral medicine. This
medicine would be provided free of cost to
permanent residents of all categories at district
level.
11. Goa to host Nobel Prize Event in February 2018 -
The state government of Goa signed a trilateral
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the
Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of
Science and Technology and Nobel Media, Sweden to
host the Nobel Prize Series - India event during 1-28
February 2018.
The event will be jointly organized by Department of
Bio-Technology, Union Ministry of Science and
Technology in collaboration with Department of
Science and Technology and Nobel Media AB,
Sweden.
12. Goa tops Gender Vulnerability Index – Goa has
topped the Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI). The
20 | Page
index was prepared by Child development NGO Plan
India. Kerala and Mizoram secured second & third
rank respectively.
Bihar ranked at the bottom which is followed by
Uttar Pradesh. Delhi was placed near bottom at the
24th place
13. Lifetime pensions for 'Hindi Satyagrahis':
Haryana Govt. - The state government of Haryana
announced the lifetime monthly pension of Rs
10,000 for 'Hindi Satyagrahis' and those from the
state who were jailed during the Emergency.
14. Vrindavan, Barsana declared as Sacred Sites -
The Uttar Pradesh government issued an order
notifying Vrindavan and Barsana towns in Mathura
district as 'sacred pilgrimage sites' ('pavitra teerth
sthals'). With this, Vrindavan and Barsana became
the first two places to be notified as teerth sthal in
government records. No meat and liquor shops will
be allowed in these towns anymore.
15. Madras HC bans photographs of living persons
on sign-boards and banners - The Madras High
Court banned the use of photographs or pictures of
living persons on banners, flex boards and sign-
boards across the state of Tamil Nadu.
16. Meghalaya Election department to feature in Limca
Book of Records - The Election department of
Meghalaya state has won an entry in the Limca Book
of Records for forming a human logo with newly-
enrolled young voters of Meghalaya on 1 July 2017.
The information was shared by Limca official
Garima Manon with the office of Meghalaya Chief
Electoral Officer on 24 October 2017.
17. Assam to host Global Investors Summit in 2018 -
Assam would be hosting its first Global Investors
Summit in Guwahati from 3- 4 February 2018.
18. The state government of Chhattisgarh has reduced
the rate of interest on loan given to women and their
self-help groups under Saksham Yojna. The rate of
interest on loans has been cut from 6.5 per cent to 5
per cent to benefit more women and their SHGs
under the Yojna.
19. India’s first-ever Industrial Training Institute for the
Divyangans will come up in the state-- Assam.
Note: The foundation stone for the institute was laid at
Dibrugarh ITI Complex at Borboruah in Assam.
20. Prime Minister ‘Narander Modi’ laid the foundation
stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
at Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.
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21. Uttar Pradesh state govt. has launched a mass
marriage scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah
Yojana’ for BPL families.
22. Karnataka. state govt has launched 'Vision-2025'
project across the state.
Note: The project aimed at evolving a draft policy for
development of the state for the year 2025 by
seeking the opinion of the general public.
23. Odisha state Govt. has launched a Sampurna Yojna
scheme for pregnant women.
24. The Union Minister Dr. Harshvardhan has launched 'Pt
Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul
Pariyojana' in Uttarakhand.
25. Himachal Pradesh became the first Indian state to
launch electric bus service.
26. Jharkhand state government has launched Shaheed
Gram Vikas Yojana to provide houses to freedom
fighters.
27. Tripura became the first Indian state to set up family
welfare district committees to examine the complaints
International Affairs
1. Saudi Arabia lifts 35 years ban on cinemas, movie
theaters.
2. Taj Mahal named second-best UNESCO world
heritage site – According to a survey, the Taj Mahal
of Agra, India is the second-best UNESCO world
heritage site in the world.
Note:
• Angkor Wat of Cambodia named as the
Best UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Angkor is one of the most important
archaeological sites in South-East Asia.
• The survey was conducted by the
world’s largest travel portal TripAdvisor
which lists the UNESCO Cultural and
Natural heritage sites which are rated by
travellers around the globe.
• Taj Mahal is followed by Great Wall,
China; Machu Picchu, Peru; Iguazu Falls,
Argentina/Brazil; Sassi of Materia, Italy;
Auschwitz, Poland; Old City of Jerusalem,
Israel; Historic areas of Istanbul, Turkey;
and Historic Krakow, Poland.
3. Venezuela Airlines banned from European Union
skies - The Airline of Venezuela Avior has been
barred from European Union skies after a committee
21 | Page
of women against their husbands and in-laws and find
an amicable solution.
28. Jammu & Kashmir government has inaugurated the
second International Yoga Festival and International
Yoga Sports Championship 2017.
29. India’s first-ever railways disaster management centre
will come up near Bengaluru, Karnataka by 2018.
30. India’s first-ever aviation university Rajiv Gandhi
National Aviation University (RGNAU) will come up in
Fursatganj in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh.
31. The 2017 Aadi Perukku festival is celebrated in Tamil
Nadu.
32. India’s biggest Global Skill Park will be set up in the
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
33. India’s first automatic coastal warning for disasters
will set up in Odisha.
34. India’s first freight village will be developed by the
Inland waterways authority of India (IWAI) in --
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
determined it no longer meets international safety
standards.
4. Donald Trump recognise Jerusalem as Israel's
capital – Donald Trump has announced that the U.S.
will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
5. Wassenaar Arrangement decides to admit India
as its new member – The elite export control
regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) has decided
to admit India as its new member at the two-day
plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna.
It would enhance its credentials in the field of
non-proliferation despite not being a signatory
to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The Wassenaar Arrangement plays a significant
role in promoting transparency and greater
responsibility in transfers of conventional arms
and dual-use goods and technologies.
Note:
India will become the Arrangement's 42nd
participating state as soon as the necessary
procedural arrangements for joining the WA are
completed.
The Wassenaar Arrangement participating
states reviewed the progress of the number of
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current membership applications and agreed at
the plenary meeting to admit India.
6. ISA become Treaty-based International
Intergovernmental organization –The
International Solar Alliance (ISA) has become the
treaty-based international intergovernmental
organization one month after Guinea became the
15th country to ratify it.
Note:
• Till now, 46 countries have signed and
19 ratified Framework Agreement of
International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• It is the first treaty-based international
government organisation to be based in
India.
• Its headquarter is located on the campus
of National Institute of Solar Energy
(NISE), Gwalpahari, Gurgaon, Haryana.
About ISA
• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is
jointly launched by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and French President
Francois Hollande on the sidelines of
COP-21 of UN Climate Conference in
Paris in November 2015.
• The ISA is an alliance of more than 121
countries. The institutional structure of
ISA consists of an Assembly, a Council
and a Secretariat.
• The alliance is also called International
Agency for Solar Policy and Application
(IASPA).
7. PM Modi emerges as most tweeted about world
leader after Trump - According to the
microblogging site Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has emerged as the most tweeted about world
leader after US President Donald Trump this year.
Note:
• With 44.1 million followers, Donald
Trump top the “most tweeted about
world leaders” for the year 2017.
• Narendra Modi ranked on the second
spot with 37.5 million followers about
the world leader, after Donald Trump.
8. Iran President opened the first phase of
Chabahar port which is known as the Shahid
Beheshti port. Iran President Hassan Rouhani
22 | Page
inaugurated the port. The Shahid Beheshti Port of
Chabahar is now the only and largest port in Iran on
the Indian Ocean and will significantly help in
regional development with the rest of world
countries.
9. US withdraws from UN Migrant & Refugee pact. –
The United States has withdrawn itself from a
United Nations Migrant & Refugee pact. to improve
the handling of migrant and refugee situations.
10. Venezuela to launch new cryptocurrency ‘Petro’
- According to the Venezuelan President Nicolas
Maduro, the country is set to launch a digital
currency called the “petro” to combat US -led
financial "blockade,".
The ‘Petro’ a cryptocurrency will be backed by
Venezuela’s oil, mineral and gold reserves. It
would help Venezuela to make financial
transactions and overcome the financial
blockade.
11. India re-elected to International Maritime
Organisation Council. YK Sinha, India’s
ambassador to the UK, represented India at the
assembly in London. India joined the International
Maritime Organisation Council as a member in 1959.
Note:
• The International Maritime Organization
(IMO) is the agency of United Nation which
plays an important role in relation to the
global shipping industry.
• It was established in 1959.
• The IMO has 172 Member States and three
Associate Members.
• Headquarter of IMO – London, United
Kingdom
• Head - Kitack Lim
12. Bank of China Begins Operations in Pakistan - Bank
of China has formally launched its operations in
Pakistan, with its first branch inaugurated in Karachi.
13. Priti Patel resigned from UK Cabinet - Priti
Patel, Britain’s first Indian-origin Cabinet Minister
resigned as International Development Secretary.
Note: This was the second Cabinet resignation within a
week. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has also
resigned recently over sexual harassment allegations.
14. EU Launches Election Observation Mission for
Nepal Polls - The European Union Election
Observation Mission was officially launched to monitor
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the general and provincial polls in Nepal which are
scheduled for November 26 and December 7.
15. Hong Kong, World's Top City for International
visits - Hong Kong remains the world's most visited
city by international travellers in spite of strained
relations with neighbouring China. The report is
published by Euromonitor International.
Top 3 Countries in the list are - Hong Kong, Bangkok &
London.
16. India to contribute USD 100 million to UN
partnership fund - India has pledged an additional
amount of USD 100 million towards the UN
partnership fund, scaling up its support to sustainable
development projects across the developing world.
17. ICIJ releases Paradise papers - The International
Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has
released ‘The Paradise Papers’, a global investigation
that reveals the offshore activities of some of the
world’s most powerful people and companies.
Note: Among 180 countries represented in the data,
India ranks 19th in terms of number of names. In all
names of 714 Indians have figured in this largest ever
black money data leak.
International Consortium of Investigative
Journalists (ICIJ) - The ICIJ is global network of more
than 200 investigative journalists in 70 countries who
collaborate on in-depth investigative stories. It was
founded in 1997 by respected American journalist
Chuck Lewis. It is headquartered in Washington DC,
US. Earlier in 2016, it had released Panama Papers.
18. Guinea ratifies International Solar Alliance
Framework Agreement - The Republic of Guinea
ratified the International Solar Alliance (ISA)
Framework Agreement. The instrument of ratification
was handed over to External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj by Guinea’s Foreign Minister Mamady Toure,
who was on his 4 day visit to India from 3-6 November
2017.
Note:
➢ With this, Guinea became the 15th country to
ratify the agreement.
➢ With the ratification of ISA pact by 15
countries, ISA will now be an international
legal body.
About International Solar Alliance Pact
➢ The International Solar Alliance was launched
jointly by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and French President Francois Hollande on the
first day of the COP-21 summit at Paris in 2015.
➢ The ISA headquartered in India.
23 | Page
➢ The alliance was conceived as a coalition of solar
resource rich countries to collaborate on meeting
their energy needs through a common and agreed
approach.
➢ The alliance will become a legal entity once at least
15 countries ratify and deposit the framework
agreement.
19. Saudi Arabia to allow women into sports stadiums
from 2018 - Turki Al-Asheikh, Chairman of the
General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia announced
that Saudi women will now be able to attend sports
events in stadiums starting from 2018. The move is
aimed at empowering and engaging women in the
society as an integral part of the development process.
20. WHO removes Robert Mugabe as Goodwill
Ambassador for NCDs in Africa- The World Health
Organisation (WHO) cancelled the appointment of
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's appointment as
its Goodwill Ambassador for Non-Communicable
Diseases (NCDs) in Africa.
21. Nicaragua signs Paris Climate Agreement - Central
American country Nicaragua signed the Paris
Agreement on climate change, leaving the United
States and Syria as the only two countries holing out to
sign this global climate pact.
Note: As per Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega,
the Paris Agreement is the only international
mechanism that offers the conditions to face global
warming and its effects.
➢ US withdrawal from Paris agreement -
President Donald Trump on 1 June 2017
withdrew the United States from the landmark
2015 Paris agreement to fight climate change.
Trump stated that the Paris accord will
undermine the US economy, cost US jobs, weaken
American national sovereignty and put the
country at a permanent disadvantage to the other
countries of the world.
22. 14th SAARCLAW Conference held in Colombo, Sri
Lanka - The 14th South Asian Association for Regional
Co-operation in Law (SAARCLAW) Conference was
held in Colombo, capital city of Sri Lanka along with
11th SAARC Chief Justices Conference.
23. China Unveils Asia's Largest Island-Building Vessel
- China unveiled Asia's largest artificial island-building
ship. The 140-metre-long vessel, which has been
dubbed as"magic island maker", is capable of digging
6,000 cubic metres an hour, which is equivalent to
three standard swimming pools. The boat named Tian
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Kun Hao is equivalent of three standard swimming
pools.
24. World’s Third Largest Book Fair Opens in Sharjah -
With more than 1.5 million book titles and 1,650
publishing houses from 60 countries, Sharjah
International Book Fair (SIBF) opened its doors to
public and trade visitors. It is the third largest book fair
in the world.
Note:
➢ The book fair was held under the theme ‘A
World in My Book’. The event has been
organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).
➢ United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recently
announced Sharjahas as the ‘World Book
Capital 2019’.
25. World’s First Hydrogen Tram Begins Operation in
China - The world’s first hybrid electric tram powered
by hydrogen fuel cells has started running in China,
marking a big step in the application of green energy in
public transport.
26. Burundi, first Nation to leave International
Criminal Court - Burundi became the first nation ever
to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC), set up
15 years ago to prosecute those behind the world’s
worst atrocities.
Note:
➢ Bujumbura is the capital of Burundi and
Burundian franc is its currency.
➢ International Criminal Court established in
2002. Its head office is located in the Hague,
the Netherlands.
27. Peru approves medicinal use of marijuana - The
Peru government = has approved a bill to authorises
the medicinal and therapeutic use of cannabis
(marijuana) in the country.
Note: With this Peru became sixth country in Latin
America to legalise cannabis. Uruguay was first in
2013, allowing sales of cannabis any purpose. It was
followed by Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Chile.
28. Chile named Best Country to Visit in 2018 - The
travel guide company Lonely Planet has ranked Chile
as the number one country to visit in 2018 in its Best
in Travel 2018 list.
Note:
➢ The guide has published the 13th edition of its
annual list of the top 10 countries every traveller
should have on their bucket list for 2018.
24 | Page
➢ Chile was the only South American country to earn
the top spot on the list.
➢ Top 3 Countries in the list are – Chile, South Korea
& Portugal
29. Gina Miller Named UK’s Most Influential Black
Person of the Year - Indian origin campaigner Gina
Miller was named UK’s most influential black person of
the year. She won a legal challenge seeking
Parliamentary approval for triggering Brexit.
Note: Gina Miller (52-year-old) ranked on top in the
2018 'Powerlist' of 100 people of African and
African Caribbean inheritance published in London
by Powerful Media.
30. Saudi Arabia lift its ban on internet calling
applications, easing restrictions online as the
conservative kingdom faces new criticism over
censorship.
31. The world’s highest sandcastle has built in the
Germany.
Note: According to the Guinness World Records, the
world's highest sandcastle is now standing 16.68
meters tall in the German city of Duisburg.
28. Two-day Indian Ocean Conference 2017 being
organized by India Foundation in Temple Trees in --
Colombo.
Note: The theme of this year’s conference is Peace,
Progress and Prosperity and will involve participants
from more than 35 countries. This will be second IOC
conference (first edition-Sep16 in Singapore).
28. Kenya imposed the world's toughest law against plastic
bags in the country to reduce plastic pollution.
29. Google has launched the latest version of its mobile
operating system -- Android Oreo.
30. British scientists developed the world’s smallest
surgical robot named -Versius, which could transform
daily operations for tens of thousands of patients.
32. China launched its first cyber court specializing in
handling Internet-related cases in the e-commerce hub
of Hangzhou.
33. Montenegro Officially joined North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) and become the 29th member
country.
34. The world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge has
opened in Switzerland.
35. Peggy Whitson (an Astronaut) returned to Earth,
wrapping up a record-breaking flight that catapulted
her to first place for U.S. space endurance.
Note: Whitson’s 665 days off the planet 288 days on this
mission alone exceeds that of any other American and
any other woman worldwide.
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Sports News
1. Hockey World League winner – Australia beat
Argentina by 2-1 in the final to retain their Hockey
World League title. The final was played in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Note: India defeated Germany by 2-1 to grab the
bronze medal at the event.
2. FIFA Lifts Kuwait Football Ban – The international
football federation, FIFA, has lifted a two-year
suspension against Kuwait’s football association that
has prevented the country from participating in
international tournaments.
3. Kanchanmala Pande wins India’s 1st World Para
Swimming Championship Gold – Kanchanmala
Pande of Nagpur has created history as she became the
first Indian to secure pole position at the World Para-
Swimming Championship in Mexico.
Note: She won the gold in the 200-meter medley event
in the S-11 category and was also the only Indian to
qualify for the women’s category.
4. Mujeeb Zadran From Afghanistan Becomes First
Cricketer Born in 21st Century - Mujeeb-ur-Rehman
Zadran, the 16-year-old off-spinner, became the
youngest ever from Afghanistan to play International
cricket and overall, he is the 9th youngest to make
debut in ODI cricket.
5. Gurdeep creates three national records in IWF
C'ships – Lifter Gurdeep Singh has created three new
senior national records in +105 Kilogram weight
category in IWF World Weightlifting Championships at
Anaheim in USA.
6. Sushil Kumar quits as National Sports Observer for
wrestling –The Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar has
resigned from the post of a National Sports Observer
for wrestling. Earlier, Boxing Champion Mary Kom had
resigned as the national observer for boxing.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo wins fifth Ballon d'Or award –
The Real Madrid forward ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’ (32-year)
has won the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time to move level
with rival Lionel Messi at a ceremony in Paris. Ronaldo
previously won the award in 2008, 2013, 2014 and
2016.
8. IOC banned Russia from 2018 Winter Olympics
Games - The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
has banned Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics
Games.
Note:
25 | Page
• The decision was announced by the IOC
president Thomas Bach and his board
members on the findings and
recommendations of a 17-month investigation
on the state-sponsored doping at the 2014
Games hosted by Russia in Sochi.
• The 2018 Winter Olympics Games will be held
in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
9. India win first-ever South Asian Regional Badminton
Team Championship - India defeated Nepal by 3-0 to
win the first-ever South Asian Regional Badminton
Team Championship.
The final match was played at Tarun Ram Phookan
Indoor Stadium in Guwahati.
10. Jason Holder, captain of West Indies suspended for
2nd test –
The Captain of the West Indies team Jason Holder has
been suspended for the 2nd test against New Zealand
because of his team's slow over-rate in the opening
fixture.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC),
the sentence was forced after the West Indies were
ruled to be three overs short of their target in the
Wellington Test, which they lost by an innings and 67
runs.
11. Virat Kohli became the first captain to hit six
double centuries in Test cricket. He scored his
record sixth Test double hundred in 238 balls on the
second day of the ongoing third Test against Sri Lanka
at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
Note: Also, Virat Kohli became the second Indian
cricketer to score back-to-back double hundreds after
Vinod Kambli.
12. Prithvi Shaw to lead in 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket
World Cup – The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup will be
held in New Zealand from 13th January to 3rd
February 2018.
13. Deepika Kumari of India has won the bronze medal at
the Indoor Archery World Cup which was concluded in
Bangkok.
14. Mirabai Chanu becomes the second Indian to win the
Gold medal in World Weightlifting Championships at
Anaheim, USA.
Note:
• She won the Gold medal in the women’s 48kg
category.
• She became the second Indian after Karnam
Malleswari to achieve the feat.
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• Karnam Malleswari won the Gold medal in
World Weightlifting Championships in 1995 in
China.
• Chanu belongs from Manipur state.
15. Gopi Thonakal became the first Indian man to win
Asian Marathon Championship held at Dongguan in
China. He belongs from Kerala state.
16. Ankushita wins 'Best Boxer' title in World Youth
Women's Boxing Championship
• Ankushita Boro, of Assam, has won the Best Boxer' title in
World Youth Women's Boxing Championship held in
Guwahati.
• She clinched the fifth gold for India after defeating Russia’s
Ekaterina Dynnik in the 64kg final.
• She belongs from Megaai Gairrani village in Assam and
began boxing in 2012.
17. Pankaj Advani wins World Snooker Championship
- Pankaj Advani defeated Amir Sarkhosh of Iran 8-2 to
win the 15-frame IBSF World Snooker Championship
in Doha
It was the Indian star’s 18th world title.
Advani had won his 17th world title at the same venue
when he won the IBSF World Billiards Championship
defeating Mike Russell of England.
18. AIBA Youth Women’s World Boxing Championship
2017 - India's first youth world boxing championship
will be held from 19 to 26 November 2017 in
Guwahati, Assam.
• The official mascot, named - Guppy, is a
female version of Assam's one-horned rhino.
• The logo infuses two key elements-- the
strength of an Indian woman in the form of a
female boxer and the culture of Assam
through the 'gamosa', a hand-woven piece of
cloth in the state.
• The World Championship's official anthem
is 'Make Some Noise'. It is composed by Shaan
and rendered by renowned singer Sunidhi
Chauhan.
• Mary Kom named ambassador of the AIBA
Youth Women’s World Boxing Championship.
19. FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 – For the first time, India
hosted the 17th edition of FIFA U-17 World. Nicolai
Adam is the coach of Indian team. Amarjit Singh Kiyam
(Manipur) is the captain of U-17 FIFA Indian team.
Key Facts –
➢ Winner – England won the title by defeating
Spain by 5-2 in the final.
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➢ Best Player Award - Phil Foden of England has
been adjudged tournament’s best player and has
been awarded ‘Golden Ball’.
➢ Golden Glove’ Award - Gabriel Brazao the
goalkeeper of Brazil’s national football team has
won the ‘Golden Glove’.
➢ Brazil has won the Fair Play Award.
➢ Jeakson Singh (Manipur) creates history by
scoring India’s first ever goal in FIFA U-17
World Cup against Colombia.
➢ FIFA U-17 WC in India becomes most attended
in event’s history for the first time.
➢ USA-Based Namit Deshpande becomes the
First NRI to Play for India’s U17 World Cup
Team.
➢ Esther Staubli (Switzerland) became the first
female football referee to officiate a match.
➢ The official Mascot for the FIFA U-17 World
Cup 2017 was clouded leopard named ‘Kheleo’.
➢ The official ball for Under-17 football World Cup
is called ‘Krasava’.
➢ The final match of the event was held in Salt
Lake Stadium, Kolkata.
20. Asian Boxing Championship 2017: Indian boxer MC
Mary Kom won Gold in 48 kg category. She defeated
North Korea’s Hyang Mi Kim by 5-0. The tournament
held in Vietnam.
21. Badminton Men’s National Champion – H.S.
Prannoy. He defeated Kidambi Srikanth at 82nd
Senior National Championship, in Nagpur,
Maharashtra.
22. Badminton Women’s National Champion – Saina
Nehwal. She defeated P.V. Sindhu at 82nd Senior
National Championship, in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Note: World Senior Badminton Championship held in
Kochi.
23. Jasprit Bumrah (bowler) ranked at top spot in ICC
T20 Rankings.
24. Puducherry becomes an Associate Member of BCCI
- The Cricket Association of Puducherry (CAP) was
chosen by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) as
an associate member of the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI). Now Puducherry will be
allowed to play the Ranji Trophy in 2018.
25. International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup
2017 (ISSF) – Host country – India. Heena Sidhu and
Jeetu Rai won the Gold medal at 10m Air Pistol event.
Note:
• The ISSF headquarters is located in Munich,
Germany. Olegario Vazquez Rana has been serving
as the President of the organisation since 1980.
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26. Heena Sidhu wins Gold at 10m Air Pistol event in
Commonwealth Shooting Championships held in
Brisbane, Australia.
27. Roger Federer wins ATP World Tour 8th Basel Title by
defeating Juan Martin del Potro in the final.
28. Yonex French Open Badminton 2017: The
tournament was held in Paris, France.
List of Winners –
• Men’s Singles - Kidambi Srikanth (India) beat
Kenta Nishimoto (Japan).
• Women’s Singles - Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei)
beat Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
Note:
➢ Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth became the
first Indian to win the men’s singles title at
French Open badminton tournament.
29. Scott Fleming joined National Basketball Association
(NBA) India as Head of Basketball Operations.
30. Amjyot Singh becomes third Indian in National
Basketball Association (NBA) league. Amjyot
Singh became the third Indian after Satnam Singh and
Palpreet Singh Brar to walk into the National
Basketball Association (NBA) league.
31. Gokul Natesan, second Indian-Origin Player to be
Signed by NBA G-League side. He was picked by Canton
Charge, a minor league affiliate team of Cleveland
Cavaliers.
32. Patna Pirates beats Gujarat Fortunegiants to clinched
Third Pro Kabaddi Successive Title.
33. 2017 Sultan of Johor Cup Hockey: The tournament
was held in Malaysia.
Key points
➢ Australia won the title by defeating Great Britain
in the final.
➢ Indian won the Bronze medal by defeating
Malaysia.
34. Martina Hingis announces retirement from Pro
Tennis.
Key facts –
➢ Martina Hingis is from Switzerland.
➢ She is the youngest Grand Slam champion in
history, having won the Wimbledon doubles
title when she was just 15 yrs. old.
➢ Hingis was inducted into the International
Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.
➢ She also won the Women’s Doubles and Mixed
doubles of US Open 2017.
35. Aditi Ashok (golfer) won third Ladies European Tour
title in Abu Dhabi.
36. Shiv Kapur (golfer) won the Panasonic Open Title.
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37. Women’s Asia Cup Hockey 2017 - Indian women's
hockey team defeated China by 5-4 to win the Asia Cup
2017 title. The final was held in Kakamigahara city in
southern Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Note:
➢ With the victory, Team India has secured a
berth for itself at the 2018 Hockey World Cup.
This is the second time that India has claimed
the top spot in the history of the tournament.
➢ The first time was 13 years ago in the year
2004.
38. Men’s Asia Cup Hockey 2017 - India beat Malaysia in
the final to clinch Asia Cup 2017 title. The final was
played in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Note: It last clinched the trophy in 2003 and 2007 in
Kuala Lumpur and Chennai respectively.
39. Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth achieves career-
best World No 2 ranking. He won back-to-back titles
at Indonesia and Australia and then at Denmark and
France.
Note:
➢ Kidambi Srikanth wins Men's Singles Title in
French Open. He defeated Japan's Kenta
Nishimoto in the final.
➢ Kidambi Srikanth wins Men's Singles Title in
Denmark Open. He defeated Hong Kong's
Wong Wing Ki Vincent in the final.
➢ Kidambi Srikanth wins Men's Singles Title in
Indonesia Open. He defeated Japan's
Kazumasa Sakai in the final.
➢ Kidambi Srikanth wins Men's Singles Title in
Australia Open. He defeated China’s Chen
Long in the final.
40. Virat Kohli & Mithali Raj top the ICC ODI Rankings -
Indian cricket team captains Virat Kohli and Mithali Raj
became number one at ICC ODI rankings for batsman
and batswomen.
Key points –
➢ Indian captain Virat Kohli reclaimed the top
spot of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen with
889 rating points.
➢ Mithali Raj was ranked number with 753
rating points.
41. Virat Kohli becomes fastest batsman to score 9000-
run mark - Indian skipper Virat Kohli became the
sixth Indian and fastest to complete 9000 ODI runs
during India’s third and final one-day international
against New Zealand in Kanpur. Kohli has played his
202nd innings, has become the 19th batsman to break
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the 9000-run mark, making him the fastest to get
there.
42. Delhi Olympic Games to be held in December - The
Delhi State Olympic Association has announced to
organise Delhi Olympic Games in the capital city. The
sporting events will be held from 9 December 2017- 18
December 2017. The announcement to conduct a
sporting event of Olympic level came in order to
promote Olympics and also the spirit of sports and
sportsmen in Delhi.
Note: Olympic wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt was
confirmed as the brand ambassador of Delhi Olympic
Games 2017.
43. Cristiano Ronaldo wins the Best FIFA Men's Player
Award - Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo won the
Best FIFA Men's Player Award for the second year in
London.
Note:
➢ Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi and Brazil’s
forward Neymar were runners up for the
award.
➢ Ronaldo got 43.16 per cent of the total votes,
while Lionel Messi and Neymar fetched 19.25
and 6.97 per cent votes respectively.
➢ Best FIFA Men's Coach - Zinedine Zidane
➢ Best FIFA Goalkeeper - Gianluigi Buffon
➢ Best FIFA Women's Player - Lieke Martens
➢ Best Women's Coach - Sarina Wiegman
➢ FIFA Fan Award - Celtic
44. Kavita Devi becomes first Indian Woman to sign
with World Wrestling Entertainment - Kavita Devi
became the first Indian woman to tie-up with the
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Note:
➢ Shadia Bseiso became the first Arab woman
from the Middle East to sign a WWE
developmental contract.
➢ Kavita Devi hails from Haryana and was an
accomplished kabaddi player in high school.
➢ In 2016, she won gold in the 75kg weightlifting
division at the South Asian Games.
➢ She is the first Indian woman to compete in a
WWE ring.
45. Ashish Nehra retired from all format of Cricket –
Ashish Nehra has announced his retirement from all
formats of Cricket during the third T-20 match against
India and New Zealand in Delhi.
Note:
➢ Ashish Nehra made his cricket debut in 1999
under Mohammed Azharuddin in India.
28 | Page
➢ He made his international debut in a Test
match against Sri Lanka in Colombo in
February 1999.
➢ He has taken 44 Test wickets, besides 157 ODI
and 34 T20.
46. FIFA suspends the Pakistan Football Federation -
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA) has decided to suspend the Pakistan Football
Federation (PFF) with immediate effect in accordance
with the verdict of the Bureau of the FIFA Council on
10 October 2017 on account of undue third-party
interference. Following its decision to suspend the PFF,
the Pakistan Football Federation loses all its
membership rights as per FIFA Statutes.
47. Iceland makes history to Qualifies for FIFA 2018
World Cup - Iceland created history by qualifying for
the 2018 World Cup. This is the first time that Iceland
qualified for the World Cup.
Note:
➢ Iceland became the smallest country to clinch a
position at the 21st FIFA World Cup.
➢ The previous smallest country to have reached
the World Cup was Trinidad & Tobago which
had a population of 1.3 million.
➢ The 21st edition of FIFA World Cup 2018 will
be held in Russia.
➢ This is the first time when Iceland and Panama
will be participants.
48. Gaganjeet Bhullar Clinches Macao Open Golf Title
2017 – With this win Gaganjeet Bhullar has lifted
his eighth Asian Tour title at the Macau Open.
49. India to host Junior Asian Wrestling Championship
(JAWC) 2018.
50. Sivalingam Sathish Kumar and Ragala Venkat Rahul
qualified for next year’s Commonwealth Games after
winning a gold medal each in their respective weight
divisions at the Commonwealth Senior (men & women)
Weightlifting Championships in Gold Coast, Australia.
51. India's Pooja Kadian has won the first ever gold medal
at Wushu World Championships in Kazan, Russia.
Note: Pooja defeated Evgeniya Stepanova in the final.
52. Maharashtra won the Chief Minister's cup with 45
gold medals at the National kickboxing championship
held in Raipur.
53. India has lost the World Group Play-off tie of Davis
Cup Tennis Tournament to the host Canada 2-3.
54. India finishes 5th in medals tally with one gold and two
silver medals at Moscow Shotgun World
Championships.
Note: Italy topped the tally with nine gold medals for a
total of 17 medals in all and USA (12 medals) -2nd.
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55. India will host the 2019 edition of the Commonwealth
(Youth, Junior and Senior) Weightlifting
Championships.
56. Ankur Mittal has won silver in senior men’s double
trap at 2017 ISSF World Shotgun Championship in
Moscow.
57. Star India has won the coveted Indian Premier League
(IPL) media rights for 2018-23.
58. Para Athlete & Hockey player have been selected for
this year's Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award_-- Sardar
Singh & Devendra.
59. Lakshya Sen (shuttler) clinched the Bulgaria Open
International Series title in Sofia, Bulgaria
60. PV Sindhu won the 2017 BWF Korean Open Super
Series Women’s Singles title.
61. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has
nominated Mahendra Singh Dhoni for Padma
Bhushan award for his contribution to the game.
62. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the first
wicketkeeper in world cricket to effect 100 stumpings
in One Day Internationals(ODI).
Note: Mr. Dhoni achieved the feat in his 301st ODI in
Colombo (Sri Lanka), when he whipped off the bails to
remove batsman Akila Dananjaya (Sri Lankan) off leg-
spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's bowling.
63. ICC has chosen captain of the ICC Women’s World Cup
2017 team -- Mithali Raj.
64. India will host the Men's World Boxing Championship
for the first time in 2021.
65. Rahul Yadav Chittaboina (shuttler) has won the
men’s singles Lagos International 2017
List of Upcoming Sports Venue
1. Asian Games - The Asian Games, also known as Asiad
is a Pancontinental multi-sport event held every four
years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games
were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF).
Note: First Asian games were held in New Delhi, India
in 1951.
● Venue of Asian Games 2014 – Incheon, South
Korea.
● Venue of Asian Games 2018 - Jakarta-Palembang,
Indonesia.
● Venue of Asian Games 2022 – Hangzhou, China.
● Venue of Asian Games 2026 – Nagoya, Japan.
2. Commonwealth Games (CWG) - The Commonwealth
Games is an international multi-sport event involving
athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations held every
four years.
Note: The first Commonwealth Games held in 1911 in
London, England.
● Venue of CWG Games 2010 – New Delhi, India.
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66. Boxer Sachin Siwach wins gold at Commonwealth
Youth Games held in Bahamas.
67. Real Madrid won the 2017 UEFA Champions League
trophy by defeating Manchester United in the final.
68. Los Angeles (USA) will host the 2028 Olympics and
Paris will host 2024 Olympic Games.
69. US Open Title 2017 – List of Winners –
• Men’s single – Rafal Nadal (Spain) defeated Kevin
Anderson (South African)
• Women’s single - Sloane Stephens (American)
defatted Madison Keys (American)
70. Lewis Hamilton won the 2017 Italian Formula One
Grand Prix tournament.
71. Lewis Hamilton won the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix of
Formula.
72. Australian fast bowler retired from Test Match and
ODIs --John Hastings.
73. Usain Bolt (legendary sprinter) retires from the
Athletics world.
74. FIBA Asia Championship (Asia’s biggest basketball
tournament) 2017 held in Lebanon.
75. Rafael Nadal won 6th ATP title of 2017 – Rafael
Nadal beats Nick Kyrgios of Australia in straight sets of
6-2, 6-1 in the China Open final to win his sixth ATP
title of 2017.
Note: In the women’s event, France’s Caroline Garcia
defeated world no.1 Simona Halep (Romania) in
straight sets of 6-4, 7-6 (3) to clinch the China Open.
● Venue of CWG Games 2014 – Glasgow, Scotland.
● Venue of CWG Games 2018 – Gold Coast,
Australia.
● Venue of CWG Games 2022 – Birmingham,
England.
Note: The 2022 Commonwealth Games will no
longer take place in Durban, South Africa as the
South African government failed to give financial
guarantees for the event.
3. Olympics Games - The Olympic Games are held every
four years, with the Summer and Winter Games
alternating by occurring every four years but two
years apart.
Note:
● The first modern Olympics games were held in
Athens, Greece, in 1896.
● International Olympic Committee (IOC)
headquarter - Lausanne, Switzerland.
● IOC President - Thomas Bach
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Summer Olympic -
● Venue of Summer Olympic Games 2016 – Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
● Venue of Summer Olympic Games 2020 – Tokyo,
Japan
● Venue of Summer Olympic Games 2024 – Paris,
France
Winter Olympic –
● Venue of Winter Olympic Games 2014 – Sochi,
Russia.
● Venue of Winter Olympic Games 2018 –
Pyeongchang, South Korea.
● Venue of Winter Olympic Games 2022 – Beijing,
China.
4. ICC World Cup Cricket - The ICC Cricket World Cup is
the international championship of One Day
International (ODI) cricket. The event is organised by
the International Cricket Council (ICC), every four
years.
Note: The first World Cup was held in England in June
1975. West Indies won the title by defeating Australia
in the final.
Australia has been the most successful team in the
World Cup, with 5 titles and 2 runners up.
India won the first World Cup title in 1983 by
defeating West Indies in the final.
Australia won the World Cup title in 2015 after
defeating New Zealand in the final.
● International Cricket Council (ICC) headquarter -
Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
● President of ICC – Zaheer Abbas.
● Chairman of ICC – Shashank Manohar.
● CEO – David Richardson.
● Venue of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 – India, Sri
Lanka, Bangladesh.
● Venue of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 – Australia &
New Zealand.
● Venue of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 – England,
Wales.
● Venue of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – India.
5. ICC World Cup T20 – The ICC World Twenty20 is the
international championship of Twenty20 cricket. It is
organised the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Note:
● The first T20 World Cup was held in Johannesburg,
South Africa in 2007.
● India won the first T20 world cup title after
defeating Pakistan in the final.
● West Indies won the T20 World Cup title two
times.
West Indies wont the title in 2016 after defeating
England in the final.
● Venue of World Cup 2014 – Bangladesh.
● Venue of World Cup T20 2016– India.
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● Venue of World Cup 2020 – Australia.
6. ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – The ICC Women's
Cricket World Cup is the oldest and most prestigious
international women's cricket tournament.
Note:
The first Women’s World Cup was held in England in
1973, two years before the inaugural men's
tournament. England won the title by defeating
Australia in the final.
Australia has been the most successful team in the
Women’s World Cup, with 6 titles and 3 runners up.
England won the Women’s World Cup in 2017 by
defeating India in the final.
● Venue of ICC Women Cricket World Cup 2013 –
India.
● Venue of ICC Women Cricket World Cup 2017 –
England.
● Venue of ICC Women Cricket World Cup 2021 –
New Zealand.
7. ICC Women’s World Cup T20 - The ICC Women’s
World Twenty20 is the international championship for
Women’s Twenty20 cricket. It is organised the
International Cricket Council (ICC).
Note:
● The first Women’s T20 World Cup was held in
England in 2009.
● England won the first T20 world cup title after
defeating New Zealand in the final.
● Australia has been the most successful team in the
Women’s World Cup, with 3 titles and 1 runners
up.
● West Indies won the title in 2016 after defeating
Australia in the final.
● Venue of World Cup 2014 – Bangladesh.
● Venue of World Cup T20 2016– India.
● Venue of World Cup 2020 – Australia.
8. Hockey Men’s World Cup – The Hockey World Cup is
an international field hockey competition organised by
the International Hockey Federation (FIH). It is held
every four years, bridging the four years between the
Summer Olympics.
Note: The first Men’s Hockey World Cup was held in
1971 Barcelona, Spain. Pakistan won the title after
defeating Spain in the final.
Pakistan has been the most successful team in the
World Cup, with 4 titles from 6 appearances in the
final.
Australia won the title in 2014 after defeating
Netherlands in the final.
Note:
● International Hockey Federation (IHF)
headquarter - Lausanne, Switzerland.
● President of IHF - Narinder Batra.
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● Venue of Hockey Men’s World Cup 2010 – New
Delhi, India.
● Venue of Hockey Men’s World Cup 2014 – The
Hague, Netherlands.
● Venue of Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 –
Bhubaneswar, India.
9. Hockey Women’s World Cup - The Women’s Hockey
11. FIFA Women's World Cup – The FIFA Women's
World Cup is an international field hockey competition
organised by the International Hockey Federation
(FIH). It is held every four years, bridging the four
years between the Summer Olympics.
Note: The first Women’s Hockey World Cup was held
in 1974 in Mandelieu, France. Netherlands won the
title after defeating Argentina in the final.
Netherlands has been the most successful team in the
World Cup, with 7 titles from 11 appearances in the
final.
Netherlands won the title in 2014 after defeating
Australia in the final.
● Venue of Hockey Men’s World Cup 2010 – Rosario,
Argentina.
● Venue of Hockey Men’s World Cup 2014 – The
12. FIFA (U-17) World Cup – The FIFA U-17 World Cup,
Hague, Netherlands.
● Venue of Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 – London,
England.
10. FIFA (Football) World Cup – The FIFA World Cup is
an international association football competition
contested by the senior men's national teams of the
members of Fédération Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA). It is held every four years.
Note: The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 in
Uruguay. Uruguay won the title after defeating
Argentina in the final.
Brazil has been the most successful team in the World
Cup, with 5 titles from 7 appearances in the final.
Germany won the title in 2014 after defeating
Argentina in the final.
Note:
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● Fédération Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA) headquarter - Zürich, Switzerland.
● President of FIFA - Gianni Infantino.
● Venue of FIFA World Cup 2014 – Brazil.
● Venue of FIFA World Cup 2018 – Russia.
● Venue of FIFA World Cup 2022 – Qatar.
World Cup is an international football competition
contested by the senior women's national teams of the
members of Fédération Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA). It is held every four years.
Note: The first FIFA Women’s World Cup was held in
1991 in China. United States won the title after
defeating Norway in the final.
USA is the most successful nation in the tournament's
history, with 3 titles and 1 runners up.
USA won the title in 2015 after defeating Japan in the
final.
● Venue of FIFA World Cup 2015 – Canada.
● Venue of FIFA World Cup 2019 – France.
founded as the FIFA U-16 World Championship, later
changed to its current name in 2007, is the world
championship of association football for male players
under the age of 17 organized by Fédération
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). It is held
every two years.
Note: The first FIFA (U-17) World Cup was held in
1991 in Italy. Ghana won the title after defeating Spain
in the final.
Nigeria is the most successful nation in the
tournament's history, with five titles and three runners
up.
Nigeria won the title in 2015 after defeating Mali in the
final.
● Venue of FIFA (U-17) World Cup 2015 – Chile.
● Venue of FIFA (U-17) World Cup 2017 – India.
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Science & Defense

Military Exercise -

1. 'Ajeya Warrior- Indo-UK military exercise 2017' held
in Bikaner, Rajasthan
2. ‘Vigilant Ace’ - Largest Air exercise between United
States & South Korea held in Seoul, South Korea.
3. “Flag4” - UAE Armed Forces along with the UK, US
and French armies conducted a joint exercise in Abu
Dhabi.
4. PRABAL DOSTYK 2017: India & Kazakhstan Joint
Exercise held at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
5. Indra-2017 – India & Russia. First mega tri-services
war game involving their armies, navies and air forces
with an aim to boost their operational coordination
conducted at Vladivostok in Russia.
6. 'Sampriti' 2017 – India & Bangladesh Joint Military
Combat Exercise held in Meghalaya and Mizoram.
7. 'MITRA SHAKTI 2017' – India & Sri Lanka Joint
Training Exercise conducted at Aundh Military Station,
Pune.
8. ‘Blue Flag-17’ – India & Israel bi-annual multilateral
exercise held at Uvda Air Force Base in Israel.
9. CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) – The bilateral exercise
between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy
conducted at Belawan Indonesia.

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