Current Affairs Daily Updates: 06 January 2018

  /  
Mentor for Bank Exams
Current Affairs Daily Updates: 06 January 2018
1. RBI Introduces New Rs10 Banknote in Mahatma Gandhi Series
  • The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue Rs10 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series.
  • The new denomination has the motif of Sun Temple, Konark on the reverse.
  • The base color of the note is Chocolate Brown. The dimension of the banknote will be 63 mm x 123 mm.
2. India GDP Growth Likely at 6.5% in 2017-18: CSO
  • The Indian economy will expand by 6.5% in 2017-18, according to the new data of the government’s Central Statistics Office (CSO).
  • It had released its first advance estimate for India’s GDP growth rate in the current financial year.
  • The economy had grown by 6.3% in the September quarter, after slumping to a three-year low of 5.7% GDP growth in the June quarter as the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetization took their toll.
  • The Indian economy grew at 7.1% in 2016-17.
3. Sushma Swaraj 3 Nation Visit: Co-Chairs Meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission
  • External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is visiting Indonesia as part of her three-nation tour, co-chaired the fifth meeting of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.
  • Both the countries agreed to work together for a balanced and sustainable trade by providing greater market access, both in goods and services.
4. Defence Ministry Clears Arms Procurement Contracts worth Rs2,420 crore for Navy and Army
  • Defence Ministry cleared contracts worth 2,420 crore rupees for Navy and Army which includes the procurement of P-8I Training Solution and Low-Intensity Conflict Electronic Warfare System (LICEWS).
  • The training solution accurately simulates P-8I aircraft and mission systems.
  • It will help Indian Navy train and realistically rehearse for sophisticated missions involving P-8I aircraft.
  • The procurement of LICEWS will be done from Bharat Electronics Limited to 470 crore rupees.
5. Himalayan Hydro Expo 2018 Kicked off at Kathmandu
  • The Himalayan Hydro Expo 2018 kicked off at Kathmandu, the capital Nepal. President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the exhibition.
  • Delegates from various countries including India, China, Austria, Czech Republic and Norway are participating in the expo.
  • The basic objective of Expo is to unleash massive hydropower potential of Nepal and bring all stakeholders under one roof.


6. World Book Fair Begins in Delhi
  • The World Book Fair started in New Delhi. Environment issues like climate change, global warming, and water pollution will be the main theme for this year’s Fair.
  • The annual book fair will see around 800 publishers from across the country in different languages.
  • Apart from the EU nations, more than 40 countries are participating in the book fair.
7. Iceland Becomes first country to Legalise Equal Pay
  • Iceland becomes the first country in the world to legalize equal pay between men and women. In Iceland now it will be illegal to pay men more than women for the work.
  • Under the new rules, companies and government agencies employing at least 25 people will have to obtain government certification of their equal-pay policies.
8. MAS Chief Ravi Menon Named Best Central Bank Governor in Asia-Pacific
  • The managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Ravi Menon, has been named the best central bank governor in Asia-Pacific for 2018 by the UK-based magazine, The Banker.
  • Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat was also given this award in 2011 when he was then MAS's managing director.
  • Over the last three years, the award went to the central bankers of Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh.
9. TIHCL Gets RBI Nod to Operate as NBFC
  • Telangana Industrial Health Clinic Limited (TIHCL), a State government initiative, has got RBI clearance to register and function as a non-banking finance company (NBFC).
  • It will be the first State promoted and co-financing NBFC.
  • It had won the SKOCH Platinum Award in September 2017 under the smart governance category in the MSME segment.
10. West Bengal CM Unveils Official Emblem of West Bengal Government
  • West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled the official emblem of the state government, which was recently approved by the center.
  • The logo highlights the Ashoka emblem on the top with the theme of "Biswa Bangla" at the center. Ms. Banerjee has also contributed to the design of the emblem. This new logo will be used in all government documents, including government letterheads.