ONE LINER OF THE DAY 31st DECEMBER 2018

1.Telangana government’s MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre entered the Guinness Book of World Records.It organised the largest men’s Health Awareness programme on prostate cancer on a single day.Besides the Guinness World Record, the hospital also received recognition from ‘High Range Book of World Records.

2.Portuguese airline ‘Hi Fly’ introduced single-use plastic free flight on 29 December 2018.The flight took off from Lisbon to Natale, Brazil, without a single piece of single-use plastic on board.There were no plastic cups, plastic silverware, plastic cocktail stirrer, and plastic food containers.

3.The United Nations issued the Chinese version of the latest edition of the ‘Basic Facts about the United Nations’.The Basic facts serve as the definitive introduction to the UN and its family of related institutions and agencies.With this, the UN publication has been issued in all the six official languages– Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

4.Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured her third consecutive term on 29 December 2018.Her ruling party Awami League and its allies have won 288 of the 300 parliamentary seats contested, surpassing its previous election wins.

5.International Cricket Council (ICC) announced women’s ODI and T20I teams of the year 2018.New Zealand’s Suzie Bates was named as captain of the 50-over side and Harmanpreet Kaur of India appointed captain of the T20 team.The teams have been selected by Voting Academy comprising of members from media and broadcast.

6.The commerce ministry extended the import restrictions on peas for another three months till 31 March 2019.Such measures help in curbing cheaper imports and boost local prices.The restrictions were imposed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT.India is the largest producer of pulses in the world.

7.India women’s cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana won the ‘Women’s Cricketer of the Year’ and the ‘Women’s ODI Player of the Year’ by the International Cricket Council (ICC).She won the ‘Women’s Cricketer of the Year’ for scoring 669 runs in 12 ODIs along with 622 runs in T20 Internationals in 2018.She became only the second India woman player to win an ICC award after Jhulan Goswami.

8.According to RBI, in the fiscal ended March 2018, banks recovered ₹40,400 crore worth of bad loans as against ₹38,500 crore recovered in FY17.The various channels through which lenders recovered their bad loans include the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), SARFAESI Act, Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) and Lok Adalats.The amount recovered through SARFAESI was ₹26,500 crore in FY18.

9Annual bird census in Chilika lake is slated to be carried out on 4 January 2019.Chilika lake is the biggest brackish water lake in the country.Experts from organisations like Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Wild Odisha, National Board of Wildlife, Regional Museum and Natural History, Chilika Development Authority (CDA) will take part in the census.

10.Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the ‘International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) South Asia Regional Centre’ to the nation in Varanasi.The center will serve as a hub for rice research and training in South Asia.IRRI headquarters is in Manila, Philippines.Narendra Modi was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit IRRI headquarters in November 2017.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 30th DECEMBER 2018

1.The government of India appointed Sudhir Bhargava as Chief Information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission (CIC).

2.US-based Kathak exponent Anindita Neogy Anaam will be honoured with the ‘National Nritya Shiromani’ award for 2019 on 2 January 2019.She will be given the award for promoting the Kathak Dance across the world.The award would be conferred on her in Cuttack on the opening day of the 10th ‘Cuttack Mahotsav: International Dance and Music ​Festival’.

3.The report titled ‘Trends & Progress of Banking in 2017-18’ was released by the Reserve Bank of India on 28 December 2018.As per the report, the number of ATMs has declined marginally to 2.07 lakh in FY18 from 2.08 lakh in FY17, primarily due to branch rationalisation by few banks.The number of operational on-site ATMs too came down to 1.06 lakh in 2018 from 1.09 lakh in FY17.

4.Madhya Pradesh government decided to form a new Spiritual Department.The Religious Trust and Endowments and Happiness Department will be merged in the new department.The objective of the formation of the Spiritual Department is to strengthen inter-communal harmony and Sarvadharma Sambhav in the state covering all religions, sects, and faiths.

5.Legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen passed away in Kolkata on 31 December 2018.He is a Padma Bhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke awardee.

6.An exhibition titled ‘Dandi Yatra’ was inaugurated in New Delhi on 29 December 2018.It was organised by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA).The exhibition is part of the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.The exhibition showcases the unseen drawings of artist Chhaganlal Jadav and also the masterworks of NGMA’s collection of contemporaneous artists.

7.Railway ministry announced that the ‘Honey Bee’ plan will be expanded to other areas of the country.The initiative was started on an experimental basis in Assam in 2017.The aim is to avoid the death of animals particularly elephants on railway tracks.In this plan, a device is used which amplifies the recorded sound of honey bees to keep elephants away from the rail track.

8.Lt Gen Manoj Pande took the command of the Indian Army’s Gajraj Corps on 30 December 2018.He replaced Lt Gen Gurpal Singh Sangha.Prior to this, he was the Chief of Staff in Headquarters Southern Command.The Gajraj Corps (IV Corps) is a military field formation of the Indian Army, created in 1961.

9.The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was awarded Best Capital City in the Solid Waste Management in the Swachh Survekshan 2018 rankings.The Swachh Survekashan survey ranks cities on various sanitation parameters.The GHMC was also at the 27th place among 4,041 cities.

10.ESAF Small Finance Bank Ltd has received the RBI’s approval for inclusion in the second schedule of the RBI Act, 1934.Now the bank can seek funds from trusts, associations, religious institutions, and mutual funds.It will also enable the bank to avail higher refinance facility.R Prabha is the Chairman of ESAF Small Finance Bank.The headquarters of the bank is in Thrissur, Kerala.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 29th DECEMBER 2018

1.Investments in the Indian capital market through Participatory notes (P-notes) increased to Rs 79,247 crore in November 2018.P-notes are issued by registered foreign portfolio investors to overseas investors who wish to be part of the Indian stock market without registering themselves directly.The funds’ inflow through P-notes in October 2018 was 69,445 crore rupees.

2.In Assam, the third Dwijing Festival was inaugurated on the bank of Aye river at Chirang district on w27 December 2018.The festival is being organised jointly by Assam’s tourism department, Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) and Bodoland Tourism.The festival would focus on contemporary attractions of Bodoland Territorial Area Districts- Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Udalguri.

3.President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to two bills from Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh.The ‘Himachal Pradesh Early Childhood Care and Education Centers Bill, 2017’ aims to ensure quality education to children.The ‘Tamil Nadu Vanniyakula Kshatriya Public Charitable Trusts and Endowments Bill, 2018’ aims to create a board to maintain and administer public charitable trusts.

4.The Union Cabinet approved the submission of India’s second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).As per the report, India emitted around 2.607 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of Green House Gases in 2014.India had submitted its first BUR in 2016.The scope of BUR is to provide an update to India’s 1st BUR to UNFCCC.

5.Finding Beauty in Garbage’ received the Best Short documentary film award in ‘Asia South East International Short Film Festival’ in Cambodia on 28 December 2018.The Film which is based on the garbage of Dibrugarh town in upper Assam.The seven-minute film was produced, directed, and scripted by Satyamam Dutta who is an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Officer presently posted in Dibrugarh.

6.Public Sector Banks (PSBs) approved more than 1.12 lakh loan applications of MSMEs worth of 37,412 crore rupees under the ’59 minutes’ loan scheme.The scheme was launched by the government of India in November 2018.GST-registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can take the loan up to one crore in just 59 minutes through ‘psbloansin59minutes.com’ portal.

7.The Reserve Bank of India extended the enhanced single borrower limit facility for Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) sector by 3 months.It has now been extended up to March 31, 2019This will provide much-needed liquidity support to NBFCs.In October 2018, RBI increased the single borrower limit for NBFCs from 10% to 15% of capital funds.

8.India will provide Bhutan a transitional trade support facility of Rs 400 crore over a period of five years.The amount will help in strengthening the bilateral trade & economic linkages between India and Bhutan.India and Bhutan reiterated their commitment to jointly develop 10,000 MWs of hydropower generating capacity in Bhutan and in this regard discussed the ‘Sankosh Hydropower’ Project.

9.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) relaxed the restrictions placed on the City Co-operative Bank Ltd., by allowing the depositors to withdraw ₹5,000.In April 2018, the RBI barred the bank from extending fresh loans or making a new investment without prior approval and depositors were allowed to withdraw ₹1,000.City Co-operative Bank Ltd. is based in Mumbai and its Chairman is Anandrao Adsul.

10.As per the RBI Data, ICICI bank topped the list of those taking action against staff for their involvement in frauds during the three years through 2015 to 2017.SBI was at the second position in terms of action initiated against employees involved in frauds, followed by Punjab National Bank.In all, banks took action against 13,949 officials, of which 16 %, or 2,236, belonged to ICICI.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 28th DECEMBER 2018

1.Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame on 26 December 2018.He was named in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame along with former India captain Rahul Dravid in July 2018.He is the 25th Australia cricketer to be formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.He is a three-time ICC Cricket World Cup winner including two times as captain

2.As part of the Swachhta Pakhwada held from 1 to 15 November 2018, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) organised a ‘Swachch Bharat Grand Challenge’.This was organised to reward innovative solutions by DIPP recognized Start-ups in the country.Four areas of sanitation, waste management, water and wastewater management, and air management were selected for the grand challenge.

3.The Reserve Bank of India launched a ‘Survey on Retail Payment Habits of Individuals (SRPHi)’ on 26 December 2018.The survey will cover a sample of 6,000 individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds.The survey will be conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Guwahati.The purpose of the survey is to capture the payment habits of individuals.

4.Russia’s Defence Ministry successfully conducted the final tests of the ‘Avangard’ hypersonic missile system on 26 December 2018.The intercontinental ‘Avangard’ system would be ready for use from 2019.

5.Train 18, has now officially become India’s fastest train, which ran at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour during a trial run.The first trial run of the train was conducted on Bareilly-Moradabad railway section.Train 18 is India’s first indigenously built engine-less train.It was built by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF).It will replace the premier Shatabdi Express.

6.Manipur’s Chief Minister N Biren Singh was conferred with the ‘Champions of Change’ award by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on 26 December 2018.He was awarded for his exemplary leadership in bringing about transformation in governance in the northeastern state.The award selection jury was led by former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishna and former Supreme Court judge Sudha Mishra.

7.Central Railway’s Nagpur division has developed the robot named USTAAD (Undergear Surveillance Through Artificial Intelligence Assisted Droid)It would click pictures and record videos of the under-gears of trains and send them to engineers for repairs and maintenance.By use of this robot, the chances of a mistake and any deficiency overlooked by human eye can be eliminated.

8.The government of India has instituted the ‘Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar’.The award will be given to recognise the excellent work done by individuals and institutions in the field of disaster management.

9.Dr. Hamidi Kashmiri, literary figure in the world of Urdu language, literature, and literary criticism passed away on 26 December 2018.He was a creative writer, an acclaimed critic and propounder of ‘Iktishaafi Tanqueed’.

10.The 26th National Childres’s Science Congress was inaugurated by the Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on 27 December 2018.The event will provide a platform for children to showcase their creativity and ability in science innovation.The event is supported by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC).

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 27th DECEMBER 2018

1.Sitar player Manju Mehta was conferred with the ‘Tansen Samman’ for 2018 by the Madhya Pradesh governmentThe award was given for her contribution in the field of music.She was given a cash award of Rs 2 lakh and a memento.She was presented with the award at the inaugural ceremony of the Tansen Music Festival on 25 December 2018.

2.CA Kuttappa has taken over as India’s Chief boxing coach on 26 December 2018.He took over from veteran coach SR Singh, who has now retired.His first major assignment would be the second edition of the India Open scheduled in January 2019 in Guwahati.

3.Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stones of 576 projects worth Rs 161 crore in Lucknow on 25 December 2018.On this occasion, Rajnath Singh also inaugurated 17 projects worth Rs 2 crore undertaken by CSR fund of Gas Authority of India Limited.He also inaugurated ‘Vishram Sadan’ having 210 beds at King George’s Medical University from CSR fund of Power Grid Corporation.

4.Padma Shri award winner Sulagitti Narasamma passed away in Bengaluru on 25 December 2018.She conducted thousands of deliveries for free as a midwife at a time when medical help was hard to come by in rural areas.

5.The photo division of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will organise the 7th National Photography Awards in February 2019. The photographers will be awarded in mainly three categories – lifetime achievement award, awards for professional photographers, and the awards for the amateur photographers.

6.Italy’s Mount Etna erupted on 24 December 2018, causing a magnitude 3.3 earthquake and the closure of Sicily’s Catania Airport.The Mount Etna observatory said lava had spewed from a new fracture near its south-eastern crater.Mount Etna is Europe’s highest and most active volcano.

7.Haryana’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced to name all the Child Care Institutes (CCIs) being run in the state as ‘Jagannath Ashrams.’The Chief Minister made the announcement during an event in Karnal.A child care institution as defined under the JJ Act,2015, is a facility recognized under the Act for providing care and protection to children, who are in need of such services.

8.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the government of India, has set up a six-member committee to review the ‘Economic Capital Framework’ of the central bank.Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan will be the committee’s Chairman.The other members are Economic Affairs Secretary Subash Chandra Garg, RBI Deputy Governor N.S. Vishwanathan and two board members of the RBI.

9.The government of India said that e-commerce companies would be barred from selling products sourced from firms in which they have the stake in or control over.It also said that an e-commerce marketplace will not force any seller to sell any product exclusively on its platform.The norms will come into effect from February 1, 2019.

10.NITI Aayog released the ‘Second Delta Ranking’ of the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) on December 27, 2018.The ranking will measure the incremental progress made by districts between 1 June  2018, and 31 October 2018.The districts have been ranked on parameters like Health & Nutrition, Education etc.The first Delta ranking for the Aspirational Districts was released in June 2018

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 26th DECEMBER 2018

1.India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge – Bogibeel Bridge was inaugurated in Assam on 25 December 2018.The Bridge is situated 17 km downstream of Dibrugarh city in Assam.It crosses the Brahmaputra river and will connect Assam’s Dibrugarh town with Dhemaji.The bridge will also facilitate faster movement of army troops and supplies to Arunachal Pradesh.

2.Watch MCQ Quiz with Detailed Solutions based on Today’s Current Affairs.If you are preparing for Government Exams like Banking, SSC, Railways, then you should have a good hold on the Daily Current Affairs.Don’t forget to Subscribe Testbook.com’s YouTube channel for regular Current Affairs Updates.

3.The ‘Mohammed Rafi Award 2018’ was given to late music composer Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar and playback singer Usha Timothy.Laxmikant was given the Mohammed Rafi Lifetime Achievement Award consisting of 1 lakh rupees and a trophy.Usha Timothy was honoured with the award and 51,000 rupees.The awards were instituted by the NGO Spandan Arts.

4.Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana’ was launched in Uttarakhand on 25 December 2018.Under the scheme, each household in the state will be able to avail medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh annually.The scheme will benefit 23 lakh households and cover 1,350 critical diseases.A total of 99 government and 66 private hospitals have been selected under the scheme.

5.Thailand approved the licensed use of marijuana for medical use and research.The changes will legalize the production, import, export, possession, and use of marijuana products for medical purposes.Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to allow the use of medical marijuana.Recreational use of the drugs remains still illegal in Thailand.

6.Japan has announced its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission (IWC)in 2019.It will resume commercial hunting of whales in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone from July 2019.Japan will not be able to continue hunting of whale for the scientific research in the Antarctic.Japan joins Iceland and Norway which defies the IWC’s ban on commercial whale hunting.

7.The government of India has decided to rename three islands in Andaman and Nicobar.The government has decided to rename Ross Island as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island, Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep, and Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep as a tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.Bose hoisted the national flag in Port Blair on December 30, 1943.

8.Tata Coffee appointed Chacko Purackal Thomas as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.At present he is the Executive Director and Deputy CEO of Tata Coffee.He will take over from Sanjiv Sarin, whose term ends on March 31, 2019.Before joining Tata Coffee, he was the Managing Director of Kannan Devan Hills Plantations Company, Munnar, Kerala.

9.Haryana government launched 485 schemes under the ‘Digital Haryana’ initiative on 25 December 2018.Haryana became the first state in India, where 4000 ‘Atal Seva Kendras’ in rural areas, 22 at district headquarters, 51 at the sub-divisional level, & 20 ‘Antyodya Saral Kendras’ at Tehsil level, has been launched simultaneously.A toll-free Antyodaya Helpline number was also inaugurated.

10.Maharashtra government launched Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Schools in Mumbai on 25 December 2018.The schools are affiliated to the newly formed Maharashtra International Education Board (MIEB).The State aims to introduce international curriculum in 100 schools run by civic bodies, the tribal development department, the social justice department, and the education department.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 25th DECEMBER 2018

1.A commemorative coin worth Rs 100 in honour of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was launched on 24 December 2018.The coin features the Emblem of India on the front side.The reverse side of the coin features a portrait of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.The years 1924 and 2018 are inscribed below Vajpayee’s portrait to mark the year of his birth and death respectively.

2.Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to appoint out-of-state trade representatives.The Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) appointed six trade representatives to promote trade in semi-perishable commodities.They will also collect relevant market information.They have been posted in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu.

3.Turkmenistan launched its first messaging app on 24 December 2018.The name of the messaging app is ‘BizBarde’.The app will allow the exchange of messages, files, photos, and videos.The application is available via the Google Android platform as well as Apple’s iOS and Microsoft Windows.

4.The 106th Indian Science Congress will be held on 3 January 2019 at Lovely Professional University in Punjab.The theme of the four-day event is ‘Future India: Science and Technology’.The aim of the event is to bring together science fraternity from across the world to discuss innovations and researches.It is organized by the Indian Science Congress Association.

5.Punjab’s Chief Minister Amarinder Singh released a book on former ruler Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala on 24 December 2018.The title of the book is ‘Prince, Patron, and Patriarch – Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala’.It is co-authored by Brigadier (Retd) Sukhjit Singh and Cynthia Meera Frederick.

6.Sadaiv Atal’, the memorial of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was inaugurated in Delhi on 25 December 2018.He passed away on 16 August 2018 after a prolonged illness.The memorial project was funded by the Atal Smriti Nyas Society.‘Sadaiv Atal’ memorial will be managed by a trust headed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

7.The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet gave its approval for setting up of development boards for Bundelkhand and Purvanchal.It will be chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.Both boards will be formed for 3 years.The Chairperson of the board will select two Vice-Chairmen, 11 non-government members and two experts for each board.

8.Ministry of Power, Government of India has decided to make all meters smart prepaid in 3 years from 1st April 2019.Advantages of this step: Reduction of AT&C losses, better health of Discoms, energy conservation, ease of bill payments, and doing away with the paper bills.Consumers need not to pay the whole month’s bill in one go instead they can pay as per their requirements.

9.The first meeting of the Follow-up Committee for implementation of the Trilateral Chabahar Agreement between India, Afghanistan, and Iran was held in Chabahar in Iran on 24 December 2018.They agreed on the routes for the trade and transit corridors between the three countries.‘India Ports Global Limited’ company opened its office and took over operations of Chabahar port on this occasion.

10.Good Governance Day is observed annually on 25th December, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.Good Governance Day was established by the government of India in 2014.The aim of the day is to make people aware of the government’s commitment to providing a transparent and accountable administration in the country.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 24th DECEMBER 2018

1.Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced annual ‘Sardar Patel Award for National Integration’ on 22 December 2018.The award was announced by him while addressing the conference of DGPs/IGPs in Gujarat’s Kevadia.The award will be given every year for ‘outstanding efforts’ in the field of furthering national integration.

2.National Consumer Day is observed in India every year on 24 December.The theme for 2018 National Consumer Day is ‘Timely Disposal of Consumer Complaints’.On this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 had received the assent of the President.

3.Lewis Hamilton won the ‘Drivers’ Driver of the Year’ award.For the first time, voting was done to determine the winner of the award.He won the award after he claimed the 5th World Drivers’ Championship.

4.P V Bharathi has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation Bank on 24 December 2018.She is at present Executive Director of Canara Bank.She will take over the charge on or after 1 February 2019 and remain in the post till March 31, 2020 – the date of her superannuation.

5.Sangeeta Verma has joined the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as its member on 24 December 2018.She is a former Indian Economic Services (IES) officer.She has been appointed for a period of 5 years.The Commission was established in 2003 to replace the erstwhile Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission.Ashok Kumar Gupta is the Chairperson of CCI.

6.Belgium ended the year at the top of the FIFA rankings for December released on 20 December 2018.They are one point ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup champions France.Belgium has 1,727 points by FIFA’s calculations and France has 1,726 points.France was ranked second.France is followed by Brazil, Croatia, and England.

7.SpaceX successfully launched the US Air Force’s first Global Positioning System (GPS) III satellite, nicknamed ‘Vespucci’, on 23 December 2018.The new GPS satellites, built by Lockheed Martin, will provide three-times better accuracy than the current system of GPS and will be eight times better at anti-jamming.The GPS is owned by the U.S. military and operated by the U.S. Air Force.

8.Researchers have discovered a new exotic planet outside the solar system in the constellation ‘Cassiopeia’.The planet has been named ‘HD219134 b’.It is located 21 light years away from earth.It has a mass of almost five times that of Earth, which is considered a so-called ‘super-Earth’.It is rich in calcium and aluminum alongside magnesium and silicon.

9.The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has proposed to establish a governing council to ensure the efficient delivery of all export-related interventions.The step is a part of its action plan to boost shipments from micro, small and medium enterprises.The governing council shall be chaired by Secretary, MSME and co-chaired by Development Commissioner in MSME Ministry.

10.Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a special card for Kumbh Mela 2019.The bank has partnered with the Uttar Pradesh government to create a model for digitization at Kumbh Mela 2019.For convenient and hassle-free transactions at these shops, the bank has created the ‘PNB Rupay’ card which works even without the internet.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 23rd DECEMBER 2018

1.Wrestler Bala Rafique Shaikh won the ‘Maharashtra Kesari’ title on 23 December 2018.He defeated Abhijeet Katke of Pune in the final round.He was honoured with a silver mace and cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.Maharashtra Kesari is an Indian-style prestigious wrestling championship, established in 1961.

2.Burundi government declared the small central city of Gitega as the country’s new political capital on 22 December 2018.Burundi’s previous capital Bujumbura will function as the country’s economic centre.Cabinet meetings will henceforth be held in Gitega, where five ministries will also be established from the start of 2019.Pierre Nkurunziza is the President of Burundi.

3.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth 15,000 crore rupees in Odisha on 24 December 2018.The projects are related to health, road and highways, higher education, and culture.He also laid the foundation stone for new campus of IIT-Bhubaneswar at Aragul.He also released a commemorative coin and a postage stamp in the memory of Paika Rebellion.

4.B V P Rao was elected as President of the Archery Association of India (AAI) on 22 December 2018.He represented Archery Association of Assam.

5.India’s first music museum will be set up with assistance from the Central government in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamilnadu.Thiruvaiyaru is the birthplace of Tyagaraja, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music.This was announced by the State Minister for Culture and Tamil Development, K Pandiarajan in Madurai on 23 December 2018.

6.The ‘Buddhist site’ museum was inaugurated at Lalitgiri in Odisha on 24 December 2018.The site is one of the earliest Buddhist settlements in Lalitgiri, where excavations have yielded ancient seals and inscriptions and have been converted into a museum.It is the 3rd site museum of the Bhubaneswar circle of the Archaeological Survey of India after Ratnagiri and Konark.

7.Manipur’s Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who also holds charge of the Home Department, moved the ‘The Manipur Protection from Mob Violence Bill, 2018’ in the state Assembly.The bill was passed by the Assembly unanimously on 21 December 2018.It recommends a rigorous life imprisonment term if the crime results in the death of a victim.

8.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shortlisted six major IT companies to set up a digital Public Credit Registry (PCR) The IT companies are TCS, Wipro, IBM India, Capgemini Technology Services India, Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India, and Mindtree Ltd.PCR will be capturing details of all borrowers and wilful defaulters.It will strengthen the credit culture in the economy.

9.India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range ‘Agni-IV’ on 23 December 2018.It has a strike range of 4,000 km.The strategic surface-to-surface missile was flight tested from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr. Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.

10.Indian woman Vedangi Kulkarni has become the fastest Asian to cycle the globe.She completed the 29,000 kilometers’ distance required to qualify as bicycling across the globe.She spent 159 days peddling up to 300 kilometers a day in 14 countries.British adventurer Jenny Graham is the fastest woman to have cycled the globe in 124 days in 2018.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 22nd DECEMBER 2018

1.Every year, the country celebrates National Mathematics Day on December 22 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. 

2.The UN General Assembly has adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the first-ever negotiated global framework on a common approach to international migration in all its dimensions.The compact was adopted by the General Assembly with 152 votes in favour in Marrakesh, Morocco. India voted in favour of the resolution.

3.The 15th edition of a two day Global SME Business Summit was organised by the Ministry of MSME and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with Government e-marketplace in New Delhi. The theme of the event was ‘Building Partnerships through Global Value Chains.’Suresh Prabhu is the Minister of Commerce and Industry of India.

4.Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced a Rs10,000 crore scheme for the overall development of farmers.Named Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA), the scheme will provide farmers with Rs10,000 a year at the rate of Rs5,000 each for Kharif and Rabi season. Additionally, crop loans of up to Rs50,000 will be interest-free under the scheme.

5.World Bank published the new report titled ‘In the Dark: How Much Do Power Sector Distortions Cost South Asia’.As per the report, distortions in the power sector annually cost India around $86.1 billion or 4.1% of GDP due to power distortions in 2016.It also said that India achieved 100% village electrification in 2018 and 178 million Indians still remain unconnected to the grid.

6.Tsunami struck coastal towns of Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on 22 December 2018.It is thought undersea landslides from the Anak Krakatau volcano caused them.The Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.Indonesia is prone to tsunamis because it lies on the Ring of Fire, the line of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

7.Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a stamp and a coin to commemorate the Paika rebellion of 1817 in Odisha.The Paika Rebellion was the first war of Independence against the British.In the early 1800s, the farming community of Odisha had risen in rebellion against British’s revenue model.The rebellion of 1817 came to be known as Paika Bidroh.

8.The Railways has bagged 17 awards at the ‘National Energy Conservation awards 2018′ on 14 December 2018.It participated in three categories: Railway stations, hospitals, and institutions.Under ‘transport’ category, railways obtained 10 awards for the sub-sector railway station.Under ‘building’ category, it bagged three awards for sub-sector Railway hospitals.

9.Real Madrid won the ‘FIFA Club World Cup 2018’ in United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 23 December 2018.They defeated Al Ain in the final match.With this win, Real Madrid becomes the first ever to claim three straight Club World Cup or Intercontinental Cup.They also became the first to win four Club World Cup titles.

10.Researchers from the California Institute of Technology have developed the world’s smallest tic-tac-toe game board by using dynamic DNA origami tiles.DNA origami tiles are microscopic organic structures that can be programmed to transform into predesigned patterns.Earlier, scientists had developed the world’s smallest version of the iconic Mona Lisa using the same technique.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 21st DECEMBER 2018

1.Former India opener, W. V. Raman was appointed as the new coach of the Indian women’s cricket team.

2.India and China held the first ever meeting of the ‘India-China High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges’.The meeting was held in Delhi on 21 December 2018.The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

2.Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 that seeks to replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.The Bill enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding deficiencies in goods and services.It seeks to establish Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions at District, State,​ and National levels.

3.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a cap for outstanding stock of External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) at 6.5% of GDP of the country.The outstanding stock of ECB as on 30 September 2018 was $126.29 billion.ECBs refer to commercial loans in the form of bank loans, securitised instruments buyers’ credit, suppliers’ credit availed of from non-resident lenders.

4.The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order authorising 10 Central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt ‘any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer’.The MHA gave the authorisation under 69 (1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.The agencies are the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate etc.

5.The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the ‘Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ on 20 December 2018.The aim of the project is to protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.The project will be funded from the Centrally Sponsored Scheme- ‘Development of Wildlife Habitat’ (CSS-DWH).

6.The ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index: Baseline Report 2018’ was released by the NITI Aayog on 21 December 2018.SDG India Index is a comprehensive Index to measure the progress of States /UTs, through a single measurable Index.The First Baseline Report for 2018 was prepared with the support of Global Green Growth Institute and UN in India.

7.‘iGOT’ (Integrated Government Online Training Programme) was launched on 20 December 2018.It was developed by Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.It will augment the existing training mechanism, provided to government servants, with online module-based training coupled with certification.

8.The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is organising an ‘India-China Film festival’ from 22 to 24 December 2018.It will be organised during the first ‘India-China High-Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges’.The list of Indian films that will be screened includes ‘Dangal'(Hindi), ‘Maacher Jhol’ (Bengali), and ‘Ventilator’ (Marathi).

9.The government of India will infuse Rs 83,000 crore in Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in the next few months in the current fiscal.The government of India moved the proposal in Parliament for enhanced bank recapitalisationThe recapitalisation will enhance the lending capacity of PSBs and help them come out of the RBI’s Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework.

10.The Assam government has approved the release of the second installment of the ‘Chah Bagicha (tea estate) Dhan Puraskar Mela’.Rs 2500 will be deposit in each bank accounts of tea garden workers that were opened just after the demonetisation in 2016.This amount is the second installment of the Rs 5,000 incentive announced in the budget for 2017-18.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 20th DECEMBER 2018

1.UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Nahyan declared 2019 as the ‘Year of Tolerance’.2019 would highlight the UAE as a global capital for tolerance, and instilling the values of co-existence and peace in local, regional and international communities.The ‘Year of Tolerance’ will focus on five main pillars.

2.The ‘9th India-ROK Joint Commission’ meeting was held in New Delhi on 19 December 2018.India and South Korea reviewed the progress of their special strategic partnership.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Affairs Minister of South Korea Kang Kyung-wha co-chaired the meeting.The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of common interest.

3.The European Union (EU) will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from new cars and vans by 2030.According to the EU, new cars sold in 2030 will emit 37.5% less carbon dioxide on average as compared to 2021 levels.Emissions from new vans will have to be 31% lower.The new plan will help the EU to meet its commitments under the Paris climate accord.

4.NITI Aayog unveiled its comprehensive national Strategy for New India, which defines clear objectives for 2022-23.The Strategy Document advocates empowering and encouraging women to participate in all sectors of the economy, to build a strong and inclusive New India.It vouches for the transformation of the rural economy.

5.International Human Solidarity Day is observed every year on 20 December.The aim of the day is to remind people about the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty, hunger, and disease.The day also aims to remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements.

6.Assam government has announced 3 schemes for the welfare of farmers on 19 December 2018.The 3 schemes are the Assam Farmers’ Credit Subsidy Scheme (AFCSS), Assam Farmers’ Interest Relief Scheme (AFIRS), and Assam Farmers’ Incentive Scheme (AFIS).Under AFCSS, farmers who took loans from banks and whatever amount they repaid, 25% of the money will be reimbursed by the state government.

7.The central government imposed President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir from December 20, 2018.President’s rule was first imposed in J&K in 1986, whereas it was imposed for the second time in 1996.President’s Rule is the imposition of Article 356 of the India Constitution on a state which gets incapable of running the constitutional machinery.

8.The UN General Assembly officially adopted the ‘Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration’ on 19 December 2018.The compact was adopted by the General Assembly in Marrakesh, Morocco on 10 December 2018.It is the first-ever negotiated global framework on a common approach to international migration.It is non-legally binding compact.

9.The third edition of the 12-day ‘Dwijing Festival’, a river tourism project of the Assam government, will begin from 27 December 2018 in Chirang district in Assam.‘Dwijing’ means river bank and the festival will cover areas around the river Aie.The river Aie originates from the Himalayas of Bhutan flowing through Chirang and Bongaigaon districts before meeting the river Brahmaputra. 

10.Kabaddi player Anup Kumar announced his retirement on 19 December 2018.He began his international career in 2006 at the South Asian Games in Sri Lanka.He led India to victory at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 19th DECEMBER 2018

1.World Economic Forum’s (WEF) ‘Global Gender Gap Report 2018’ was released on 18 December 2018.As per the report, India was ranked 108th in the World Economic Forum (WEF) gender gap index 2018.Iceland was ranked 1st in the WEF gender gap index 2018.WEF also noted that India continues to rank third-lowest in the world on health and survival.

2.The Haryana government has launched the ‘Shiksha Setu’ app on 18 December 2018.The app will provide students information on attendance, fee, online admission, and scholarships of all government colleges of the state.The app will provide instant updates of important notices, circulars and other programmes to students and teachers.The students will also get information on assignments.

3.Sonam Kapoor was named PETA India’s ‘Person of the year’ for 2018 for her animal advocacy efforts.People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an animal rights organisation based in Virginia, USA.Past recipients of PETA India’s Person of the Year Award include Anushka Sharma, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Hema Malini, and others.

4.‘Sangeet Kala Sangam’ was organised by Ministry of Human Resource Development on 18 December 2018.Sangeet Kala Sangam provides a national platform for the art and music teachers of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas.The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navoday Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) are two organisations of the HRD Ministry.

5.The two-day ‘Rashtriya Balrang-2018’ will be organised in Bhopal on 20 December 2018.It will be organised by the School Education Department of Madhya Pradesh in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalya.Students from various schools in 18 states and two union territories will present folk dances, songs, and other cultural programmes.

6.The Home Ministry approved new tourist and trekking routes in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.The aim is to promote adventure tourism and enhance economic activities in Ladakh.The proposed routes include the Merak-Lema Bend and the Chusul-Kartsangla-Mahe.The Phyang-Dokla-HunderDok-Hunde is one of the proposed trekking routes.

7.The RBI will increase the amount of liquidity infusion by Rs.10,000 crore to Rs. 50,000 crore in December 2018.It earlier announced that it will infuse liquidity amounting to Rs. 40,000 crore through Open Market Operations (OMOs) in December 2018.OMO refer to the buying and selling of government securities in the open market in order to expand or contract the amount of money in the system.

8.Former Prime Minister of Nepal Tulsi Giri passed away in Kathmandu on 18 December 2018.He twice served as the Prime Minister of Nepal first from 1962 to 1964 and again from 1975 to 1977.He also served as the Vice-Chairman of the Nepal’s Cabinet (equivalent to the Prime Minister’s post).He started his political career from Nepali Congress party.

9.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) promoted M. Nageswar Rao to the rank of an Additional Director.At present, he is holding the post of interim CBI Director.He had joined the CBI as a joint director in 2016.He is a 1986-batch IPS officer from the Odisha cadre.

10.IDFC Bank completed the merger process with non-banking financial company ‘Capital First’ on 18 December 2018.After the merger, ‘Capital First’ has been renamed as ‘IDFC First Bank’.V. Vaidyanathan is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the merged entity.Rajiv Lall, who was the MD & CEO of IDFC Bank, will now become part-time non-executive chairman of the merged entity.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 18th DECEMBER 2018

1.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch infrastructure and housing projects worth around 41,000 crores rupees in Maharashtra on 18 December 2018.He also laid the foundation stone for two important metro corridors: Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro and the Dahisar-Mira-Bhayander Metro in Thane district.He also launched mass housing scheme for economically weaker section.

2.The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of two new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Madurai, Tamil Nadu and Bibinagar, Telangana.The AIIMS will be set up under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

3.The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, released the coffee table book ‘Timeless Laxman’ on 18 December 2018.The book is based on the famous cartoonist RK Laxman.RK Laxman was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist.He was best known for his creation ‘The Common Man’ and for his daily cartoon strip, ‘You Said It’ in The Times of India.

4.International Migration Day is observed every year on 18 December.The aim of the day is to recognize the efforts, contributions, and rights of migrants worldwide.The theme for 2018 is ‘Migration with Dignity’.

5.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its in-principle approval for setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools for tribals.The schools will be set up in every block with more than 50% Scheduled Tribes population and at least 20,000 tribal persons.It has also approved the constitution of an autonomous society under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to run the schools.

6.A 220-MW unit of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited’s (NPCIL) Kaiga Atomic Power Station has created a world record for continuous operation for 941 days.The previous world record of 940 days held by ‘Heysham 2’ Unit-8 of the United Kingdom.Earlier in October 2018, the unit surpassed the world record of 894 days for continuous operation among all pressurized heavy water reactor.

7.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has retained the highest aviation safety ranking for India.India’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating remains ‘Category 1’.FAA has carried out an audit in July 2018 to confirm India’s adherence to the standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

8.EU countries and the European Parliament agreed details of a ban on single-use plastics, including plates, cutlery and drinking straws, in a bid to cut marine pollution.The new rules target the top 10 items most frequently found littering European beaches.Plastic cotton bud sticks and expanded polystyrene food containers have also been barred.

9.NITI Aayog unveiled its comprehensive national Strategy for New India, which defines clear objectives for 2022-23.The Strategy Document advocates empowering and encouraging women to participate in all sectors of the economy, to build a strong and inclusive New India.It vouches for the transformation of the rural economy.

10.The European Union (EU) will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from new cars and vans by 2030.According to the EU, new cars sold in 2030 will emit 37.5% less carbon dioxide on average as compared to 2021 levels.Emissions from new vans will have to be 31% lower.The new plan will help the EU to meet its commitments under the Paris climate accord.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 17th DECEMBER 2018

1.Belgium won the ‘Hockey World Cup 2018’ in Bhubaneswar on 16 December 2018.They defeated the Netherlands in a shoot-out in the final of the Men’s Hockey World Cup.The ‘Hockey World Cup 2018’ was held in Bhubaneswar, India from 28 November 2018 to 16 December 2018.

2.The severe cyclonic storm ‘Phethai’ struck Andhra coast near Kakinada on 17 December 2018 with a wind speed of 70-90 km per hour.East and West Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Krishna, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam district of Puducherry are likely to experience very heavy rainfall.

3.The Navy will inaugurate the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).Through this Centre, information on ‘white shipping’, or commercial shipping, will be exchanged with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean.The IFC has been established at the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram, Haryana.

4.Bhupesh Baghel was appointed as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.He took the oath of Chief Minister on 17 December 2018 in Raipur.Baghel will be Chhattisgarh’s third Chief Minister and the Congress’s second CM in the state.

5.The Philippines’ Catriona Gray was named ‘Miss Universe 2018’ in the pageant competition concluding in Bangkok on 17 December 2018.She is the fourth person from the Philippines who has won the international beauty pageant.The first runner-up was Tamaryn Green of South Africa and the second runner-up was Sthefany Gutierrez of Venezuela.

6.PV Sindhu won the season-ending Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals tournament on 16 December 2018.She is the first Indian to win the gold medal in BWF World Tour Finals tournament.She defeated the Nozomi Okuhara in the final match.

7.The 37th Senior National Rowing Championship began in the Army Rowing Node in Pune on 17 December 2018.Around 500 rowers and coaches from various rowing associations across the country will take part in the Championship.The Rowers for the World Championships – 2019 will be selected from this event.World Championship – 2019 is the first qualifying Championship for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

8.The Central government-appointed advocate Madhavi Divan as the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India.Divan will represent the government in the Supreme Court.She is the third woman who has been appointed as ASG in the apex court.Senior advocate Indira Jaising was the first woman to be appointed as the ASG.

9.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the expansion of beneficiaries list under ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana’.The scheme, launched in 2016, originally targeted giving LPG connections to mostly rural women members of below the poverty line (BPL) households.The list was later expanded to include all SC/ST households and forest dwellers among others.

10.The Union cabinet approved the MoU with Afghanistan in the field of education which will allow students from that country to use courses devised in India.It will facilitate students and faculty of educational institutions in Afghanistan to register and use the SWAYAM courses.SWAYAM is a government of India programme designed to achieve access, equity and quality in education.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 16th DECEMBER 2018

1.Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year in India on 16 December.The day marks the Indian military’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 during the war for the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December.

International Mountain Day (IMD) is observed every year on 11 December.

International Day of Neutrality is observed every year on 12 December

International Universal Health Coverage Day is observed on 12 December

National energy conservation day is celebrated every year in India on 14 December.

2.Foreign Affairs Minister of Denmark Anders Samuelsen arrived in New Delhi on a two-day official visit to India on 17 December 2018.Mr Samuelsen will meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.They will hold discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues.The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen and its currency is Danish krone.

3.Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep were named as the ‘2018 ITF World Champions’ by the governing body of global tennis.Djokovic received the honour from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for the sixth time.It is the first time that Romania’s top-ranked Halep has been named for ‘2018 ITF World Champions’.

4.Film producer Ashok Amritraj was honoured with the ‘French Knight of the National Order of Merit’ on 14 December 2018.Mr Amritraj has been the producer of Hollywood films such as Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance with Nicholas Cage and 99 Homes starring Andrew Garfield.

5.Sports Minister Col Rajyavardhan Rathore flagged off a special marathon ‘Soldierathon’ in New Delhi on 16 December 2018.The marathon was organised in the honour of Martyrs and wounded Soldiers.The proceeds from the event will be donated to Indian Army’s Artificial Limb Centre for wounded soldiers to help them acquire state-of-the-art prosthesis at the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre.

6.Geographical Indications Registry at Chennai has granted Geographical Indication(GI) tag to Silao Khaja on 11 December 2018.Silao Khaja is the traditional delicacy of Nalanda district of Bihar.Silao is located close to Buddhist sites.The application was filed by Silao Khaja Audyogik Swavalambi Sahakari Samiti Limited.

7.Mount Soputan in central Indonesia has erupted, ejecting columns of thick ash as high as 7,500 metres into the sky on 16 December 2018.It is located on the northern part of Sulawesi island.Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’.

8.Indian-American Shree Saini won the ‘Miss India Worldwide 2018’ title at the 27th annual global pageant competition held in New Jersey on 15 December 2018.Sakshi Sinha from Australia and Anusha Sareen from United Kingdom were respectively declared first and second runner-ups.The competition was organised by the New York-based India Festival Committee.

9.The government of India notified rules for providing in-flight & maritime mobile phone services.Indian and foreign airlines and shipping companies operating in the country can provide in-flight and maritime voice and data services with a valid Indian telecom licence holder.The connectivity can be provided using telecom networks on the ground as well as using satellite.

10.Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was reinstated by President Maithripala Sirisena on 16 December 2018.President Sirisena administered the oath that restored Wickremesinghe to the office of Prime Minister.In October 2018, President Sirisena dismissed the cabinet and replaced Wickremesinghe with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.