ONE LINER OF THE DAY 28th FEBRUARY 2019

1.Piyush Goyal announced 18th zone named South Coast Railway with headquarter at Visakhapatnam. As per item 8 of Schedule 13 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, Indian Railways was required to establish a new railway zone.India’s 1st National Rail & Transportation Institute: Vadodara.

2.Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi and engineers from Pune-based Thermax have joined hands to set up a pilot plant for producing methanol from high-ash content Indian coal. The pilot is expected to be completed in 2021.Union Minister of Science & Tech: Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

3.National Science Day is celebrated every year on February 28 to commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect by Tamil Physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on this day in 1928. The discovery won him the Nobel prize in physics in 1930.C V Raman was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954

4.National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra is conducting a 2-day national workshop on Preparedness, Mitigation and Management of Heat Wave in Nagpur (27-28 February).Ex-officio Chairman of NDMA: Prime Minister (Narendra Modi).

5.Dharmendra Pradhan today handed over the 100th LOI to the Compressed Bio-Gas entrepreneur under the SATAT scheme. SATAT is an initiative aimed at providing a Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation to boost availability of affordable fuel.Dharmendra Pradhan is Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

6.NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Adobe today signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) to collectively drive the charter of developing creative skills and spreading digital literacy across all Atal Tinkering Labs in India.NITI Vice-Chairman: Rajiv Kumar

7.Dr. Jitendra Singh, presented the National e-Governance Awards, 2019 in a function organized by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG). IRCTC Rail Connect App was presented the Special Jury Award.MoS Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions: Dr. Jitendra Singh.

8.IDBI Bank & LIC have signed a bancassurance agreement under which IDBI will offer LIC’s insurance products at its branches. As part of the service-level agreement, the bank will become the preferred bank for LIC premium payments.Rakesh Sharma is the MD & CEO of IDBI Bank.

9.Prakash Javadekar recently launched the Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS) for providing industry apprenticeship opportunities to the general graduates exiting in April 2019 through NAPS, New Delhi.NAPS- National Apprenticeship Promotional Scheme.

10.Narendra Modi addressed the closing ceremony of National Youth Parliament Festival Awards 2019 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi & conferred the National Youth Parliament Festival Awards 2019. He also launched the Khelo India App at the event.MoS for Youth Affairs & Sports: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 27th FEBRUARY 2019

1.World NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Day is an international calendar day annually observed on the 27th of February. The United Nations along with EU leaders and international organizations officially recognized it in 2014.India has the highest number of NGOs (3.3 million or 33 lakhs).

2.India successfully test fired the short-range Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) from a test range along the coast of Odisha. Developed by DRDO, the missile has a strike range of 25-30 km and has a capability of engaging multiple targets.QRSAM will replace the 'Akash' missile defence system.

3.President Ramnath Kovind awarded The Gandhi Peace Prize to Vivekananda Kendra for 2015, Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sulabh International for 2016, Ekal Abhiyan Trust for 2017 & Yohei Sasakawa for 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.2019 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

4.eff Bezos of Amazon tops the list of richest individual with $147 bn. Mukesh Ambani grabs the 10th spot with $54 bn. The ‘Loong Palace Hurun Global Rich List 2019’, lists the richest individuals across the globe having a net worth of $1 billion.India stands at 5th rank in the Global Rich List.

5.As part of the 4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit in New Delhi, the ministers and delegation adopted the Delhi Declaration on Digital Health for sustainable development, which called for WHO’s leadership in digital health.MoS for Health & Family Welfare: Ashwini Kumar Choubey.

6.A giant Bhagavad Gita dubbed as the ‘Astounding Bhagavad Gita’ running into 670 pages & weighing about 800 kgs, was unveiled at Delhi’s ISKCON temple by the PM. It measures 2.8×2 meters & is the largest principle sacred text ever to be printed.ISKCON initiated Akshaya Patra- Mid-Day meal program in 2000.

7.IDBI Bank appointed Hemant Bhargava as non-executive, non-whole-time chairman. Bhargava is currently the CMD of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The life insurer is now the majority shareholder in IDBI Bank with a 51% stake.IDBI Bank Ltd. established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament.

8.Aviation Conclave 2019 to be organized by Ministry of Civil Aviation, in association with Airports Authority of India, AAICLAS and CII at New Delhi. Theme of the event is, “Flying for All” with participation from 200 delegates across industries.Union Minister for Civil Aviation: Suresh Prabhu.

9.8th edition of Indo-Bangladesh joint military exercise Sampriti-2019 to be conducted at Tangail, Bangladesh from 02-15 March 2019. Exercise Sampriti-2019 is a bilateral defence co-operation endeavor between India and Bangladesh.Bangladesh Currency: Taka; Capital Dhaka.

10.Reserve Bank of India exempted 2 public sector banks Allahabad Bank, Corporation Bank & 1 private sector Dhanlaxmi Bank out of the Prompt Corrective Action framework, allowing them to restart normal lending activities and expansion of businesses.Dhanlaxmi Bank Headquarters: Thrissur; CEO: T Latha

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 26th FEBRUARY 2019

1.JP Nadda inaugurated 4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit. The global meeting on digital health is being hosted by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in collaboration with World Health Organization & Global Digital Health Partnership.J P Nadda is the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

2.FCI Aravali Gypsum and Minerals India Limited (FAGMIL) signs MoU with the Himachal Pradesh government to establish a white cement plant in Sirmour district, Himachal Pradesh, at a project cost of Rs.605 cr. It will be 4th white cement plant in the country.FAGMIL is comes under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.

3.The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved the construction of 5,60,695 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in the 43rd meeting of Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee.Secretary, MoHUA: Durga Shankar Mishra

4.The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the centenary (100) celebrations of the DAV College, Kanpur. Dayanand Anglo Vaidik Mahavidyalaya was established in 1919 by Lala Diwan Chand, is the second oldest college in the city.Kanpur is world's worst air polluted city:WHO 2018

5.Suresh Prabhu inaugurated National Institutes of Design at Bhopal in MP and Jorhat in Assam through video conference from New Delhi. Both institutes are autonomous institutions under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.DPIIT- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

6.Minister of Railways & Coal, Piyush Goyal launched Rail Drishti dashboard. It brings information from various sources on a single platform under 15 user-friendly categories. The URL of the dashboard is “raildrishti.cris.org.in”Chairman of the Indian Railway Board: V.K. Yadav

7.The RBI extended its February 28 deadline for completion of KYC norms for digital wallets by six months. It said the decision was based on stakeholders' requests to defer the deadline over difficulties in undertaking Aadhaar e-KYC.Navi Mumbai is the headquarter of both Jio & Fino Payment Bank

8.Suresh Raina has become the first Indian cricketer to reach the 8,000-run mark in T20 cricket. Raina crossed the mark in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019 match between Uttar Pradesh and Puducherry. Raina is the sixth highest run-getter in T20s.Chris Gayle is highest scorer in T20s with 12,000+ runs

9.Walmart India has partnered with PhonePe to be as a payment option at their 23 ‘Best Price’ wholesale cash and carry stores. Now customers will be able to use their PhonePe app to make payments through UPI, PhonePe wallet, as well as stored credit and debi.Walmart is the largest shareholder in Flipkart with 77% shares.

10.PepsiCo’s India-born former CEO Indra Nooyi has joined Amazon’s board of directors. She was Pepsico CEO from October 2006 to October 2018, where she also served as the Chairman of its board of directors from May 2007 to February 2019.Founder, chairman, president & CEO of Amazon: Jeff Bezos

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 25th FEBRUARY 2019

1.The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The first instalment of Rs 2,000 was directly credited to the bank accounts of over 1 crore beneficiary farmers.Gorakhpur is located along the banks of the Rapti river.

2.Central Excise Day was commemorated on 24 February. The purpose is to encourage the employees of excise department to carry out the central excise duty all over the India in better way in order to prevent the corruption.An excise is tax charged on goods produced within the country.

3.NITI Aayog co-hosted a conference on “The Future of Indian Banking” at New Delhi, with the Foundation for Economic Growth and Welfare (EGROW Foundation). The conference aimed to increase and elevate the discourse on the banking sector in India.Dr. Rajiv Kumar,Vice Chairman,NITI Aayog, inaugurated the event.

4.In the 33rd GST Council meeting, GST rate on under-construction properties in normal category cut down to 5 per cent from the earlier 12 per cent. The GST Council has also reduced GST rate for affordable housing to 1 per cent from the earlier 8 per cent.The revised GST rates will come into effect from April 1, 2019.

5.Period-End of Sentence, a documentary that tackles the stigma around menstruation in rural India, has won the Best Documentary Short Subject at the 91st Academy Awards. The film was co-produced by Guneet Monga and directed by Rayka Zehtabchi.Olivia Colman wins best actress for 'The Favourite'.

6.India's 16-year-old shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won a gold medal in men's 10m Air Pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation World (ISSF) Cup at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi with a world record score of 245.HQ of ISSF- Munich, Germany ISSF President- Vladimir Lisin.

7.As per the 2019 Passport Index released by Argon Capital, the Indian passport has jumped from 77th position in 2015 to 67th position in 2019. 25 countries now allow visa-free entry to Indian passport holders, whereas 39 nations offer visa-on-arrival.UAE passport is the most powerful passport in the world.

8.Afghanistan's 20-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan has become the first bowler to take four wickets in four successive deliveries in T20I cricket. He is the second bowler after Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga (ODI) to achieve the feat in international cricket.England & Wales to host 12th ODI Cricket World Cup from 30 May.

9.US President Donald Trump has nominated his envoy to Canada Kelly Knight Craft as the next US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) to succeed Indian-American Nikki Haley.UN HQ- is in New York, USA & was founded on 24 October, 1945.

10.PM Narendra Modi to dedicate the National War Memorial, New Delhi to the nation on February 25. Names of 25,942 battle casualties have been inscribed across 16 walls that consist of granite pieces bearing the name, rank and regiment of the fallen heroes.The layout comprises 4 Chakras-Amar, Veerta, Tyag & Rakshak.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 24th FEBRUARY 2019

1.RBI announced that NBFCs categorized as Asset Finance Companies (AFC), Loan Companies (LCs) and Investment Companies (ICs), will be merged into a new category called NBFC - Investment and Credit Company (NBFC-ICC).Max 25% of fund of NBFC-ICC shall be invested in another company.

2.Commerce Minister launched the SAFAR Mobile App. This app would help to gauge the actual issues faced by transporters on the road. The app tracks the incidence of several parameters faced by transporters and automatically records the location of the issue.The app is available in 8 languages.

3.IIFL Home Finance signed an MoU with Maharashtra for capacity building for affordable housing through credit-linked subsidy scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Through this MoU, IIFL will educate customers & enlighten them about the benefits of PMAY.Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana launched in 2015.

4.Srei Equipment Finance Limited has tied up with Syndicate Bank to provide financing for construction & farm equipment. Under the arrangement, Syndicate Bank would leverage on its low-cost funds & co-lend equipment loans with Srei at a mutually agreed rate.Mrutyunjay Mahapatra is the MD & CEO of Syndicate Bank.

5.Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade released a draft of the e-commerce policy India which proposes to regulate cross border data flows, locating computing facilities within India to ensure job creation & setting up a ‘data authority’.Minister of State for Commerce and Industry - CR Chaudhary.

6.Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in the women's 10-metre air rifle at the ISSF World Cup 2019. It is India's first medal at the event. She set a new world record by registering a score of 252.9 points in the final.The tournament will now offer 14 quotas for 2020 Olympic Games.

7.The Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Japan have formalized the $75- billion swap agreement, which would act as a cushion against any sharp swings in the local currency whenever the international financial markets turn volatile.Japan: Currency – Yen; Capital – Tokyo.

8.Commerce Ministry and the US Trade Representative are in the process of finalizing a trade package to boost the bilateral trade. India's exports to the US in 2017-18 stood at USD 47.9 billion, while imports were USD 26.7 billion

India is expected to become the third largest economy by 2030.

9.Nitin Gadkari will lay foundation stones for seven national highway projects worth over ₹ 4419 Cr in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. The projects are expected to boost tourism, economic and employment opportunities, will also help in reducing travel time.Himachal Pradesh Governor - Acharya Devvrat.

10.Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has constituted three working groups to study & recommend measures to facilitate trade, promote exports and improve compliance. CBIC will use advanced data analytics tools for augmenting revenue & curbing frauds.CBIC chairman - Pranab Kumar Das.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2019

1.PM Modi will inaugurate the Subhash Chandra Bose museum at Red Fort in the dedication of Netaji and Indian National Army. It would showcase various artefacts related to Netaji and INA including medals, badges, uniforms and other artefacts related to INA.In 1927, Netaji was chosen President of Bengal Congress.

2.Nitin Gadkari inaugurated a 1210-meter Kerrian-Gandyal span-bridge over the river Ravi in Kathua district in J&K. It is expected to benefit over 2 lakh people by reducing the distance between the Katua-Pathankot cities from 45 kms to 8.6 kms.Ravi is an Indus system river originating at Chamba, Himachal.

3.Indian Navy commenced SEA VIGIL Defence exercise, along the entire 7516 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zones, involving all the 13 coastal States & Union Territories along with all maritime stakeholders, including the fishing & coastal communities.President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy.

4.Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, India’s premiere container port ranked 28th amongst the top 30 container ports globally, as per Lloyds Report. A slew of new initiatives undertaken recently led to overall growth of the port business, saving time & cost.Jawaharlal Nehru port also called Nhava Sheva is in Navi Mumbai

5.An All-Women Squad named as ‘JOYMATI BAHINI’, comprising women sub-inspector and constables of the Railway Protection Force was formally introduced at Kamkhaya Railway Station in Guwahati. Its aim is to strengthen women security around Guwahati region.RPF was founded in 1984 under Ministry of Railways.

6.Indian Overseas Bank recently has raised ₹ 217 crore through its Employee Stock Purchase Scheme. By the ESPS issued last month, employees were offered up to 18.24 crore equity shares at a discounted price of ₹11.90.IOB HQ: Chennai; CEO: R. Subramaniakumar.

7.According to the CRISIL report, in fiscal 2018, Bihar clocking 11.3% & Andhra Pradesh clocking 11.2%, were top-rankers in terms of GSDP growth among the other Indian states. Jharkhand, Kerala, and Punjab were ranked at the bottom.CRISIL HQ: Mumbai; CEO: Ashu Suyash.

8.Cliff Sims, having served as a special assistant to Donald Trump has recently authored a book Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House, on Mr Trump’s dealings with white house officials and his accounts of turbulent dealings.Trump belongs to Republican Party & is the 45th President of USA.

9.RBI recently approved for starting of operations for Svamaan Financial Services promoted by Anushree Jindal which aims to offer financial products to unbanked and under-banked sections of population & an ambitious target to reach 1 lac people by 2021.Svamaan’s authorised cap: ₹15 cr.

10.Raghbir Singh Bhola who was part of Indian Hockey team that won Gold in 1956 & 1960 Olympics passed away recently. He was a former Group Captain IAF & a part of Indian Hockey selector group.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 22nd FEBRUARY 2018

1.The government has decided to stop the share of river waters which flow into Pakistan. India will divert water from Eastern rivers namely the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej and supply it to the people in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.Pakistan has control over the water from Indus, Jhelum & Chenab.

2.MobiKwik has announced the launch of digital life insurance on its app to its users. MobiKwik partnered with ICICI Prudential to roll out first the group microinsurance product. It offers a life cover of ₹ 1 Lakh for a monthly premium as low as ₹ 20.The insurance industry in India is likely to reach $280 bn by 2020.

3.International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on Feb 21 with the objective to promote linguistic diversity & multilingual education. ‘Indigenous languages matter for development, peace-building & reconciliation’ was the theme of IMLD 2019.UNESCO served as the lead agency of IMLD for the year 2019.

4.Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation suggested an interest rate of 8.65% for FY19. The Central Board of Trustees headed by Labour Minister is the apex decision-making body of EPFO that finalizes the interest rate on PF deposits for the financial year.EPFO is under the control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

5.India & Sri Lanka signed an MoU to establish a centre for ICT incubators in Jaffna via a grant of 25 Cr Sri Lankan rupees from India. The centre would provide chances to enable an environment for ICT & services in the Northern region inhabited by minority Tamils.Prime Minister of Sri Lanka - Ranil Wickramasinghe.

6.Uttar Pradesh launched a Scheme for Adolescent Girls. It focuses on girls aged between 11 to 14 years who have left studies & will take steps for proper nutrition & special care for them. UP govt decided to observe Adolescent girls day on 8th of every month.Governor of Uttar Pradesh – Ram Naik.

7.The Odisha government has agreed to implement the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). The Centre is expected to formally launch the PM-KISAN scheme at a farmers’ conclave in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on February 24.Odisha had refused to implement the Ayushman Bharat -PM JAY.

8.A small brown rat which lived on an island off northern Australia is the world's 1st mammal known to have become extinct due to human-induced climate change. Acc. to the University of Queensland report in 2016, the mammal had not been seen for almost 10 yrs.Highest risk of extinction of Species - Australia, New Zealand.

9.SC appoints former judge Justice DK Jain as ombudsman for BCCI.The Supreme Court has appointed Justice DK Jain as the first court-appointed ombudsman for the BCCI. The role of the ombudsman would be to resolve the disputes relating to the players within the state cricket associations and also financial issues.Board of Control for Cricket in India is headquartered at Mumbai.

10.PM Modi launched India Korea start-up hub in Seoul. It is a one-stop platform to bring Indian & Korean start-up ecosystems closer & to facilitate joint innovation b/w the 2 economies. It was abstracted as part of a joint statement b/w KOTRA & Invest India.Moon Jae-in is the President of South Korea.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 21st FEBRUARY 2018

1.The World Day of Social Justice is annually observed on February 20 to encourage people to look at how social justice affects poverty eradication. 2019 theme for the day was If You Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice.World Day of Social Justice has been observed since 2009.

2.According to the draft guidelines of IRDAI, the Mediclaim product will have the basic mandatory covers & no additional/add-on covers will be allowed. The minimum basic sum insured under standard product shall be ₹ 50000 with a maximum limit of ₹ 10 lakh.Pre-hospitalisation costs(not less than 30 days) will be covered.

3.India & Saudi Arabia will set up a high cooperation council to provide a huge impetus to bilateral ties between the nations. It would enable the two nations to discuss any problem and engage directly on various aspects including business, politics & defence.Saudi Arabia Crown Prince - Mohammed bin Salman.

4.HDFC ERGO announced the launch of Trip Protector insurance policy. It would safeguard travellers against the cost of cancellation levied by Hotels/Airlines. It covers the cancellation of pre-booked flights & hotels for domestic and international travel.CEO of HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company - Ritesh Kumar.

5.Kerala Police introduced the humanoid robot called ‘KP-Bot’. It is designed to provide round-the-clock service, involving public interface and front office administration and overcome human limitations to avoid, to the extent possible, human error.KP-Bot would work alongside human beings seamlessly.

6.Govt has launched Operation Digital Board on the lines of Operation Blackboard to provide better digital education. Under the program, 7L classrooms of 9th, 10th,11th std & 2L classrooms of colleges, Univ will be equipped with digital boards in the next 3 yrs.UGC will be the implementing agency for ODB in HEIs.

7.Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a tele-law mobile app that is integrated with a dashboard & an application called Nyaya Bandhu. The pro bono legal service was built to accelerate & facilitate practicing advocates to register & connect with the beneficiaries.Ranjan Gogoi is the Chief Justice of India.

8.Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a tele-law mobile app that is integrated with a dashboard & an application called Nyaya Bandhu. The pro bono legal service was built to accelerate & facilitate practicing advocates to register & connect with the beneficiaries.Ranjan Gogoi is the Chief Justice of India.

9.Sports Minister will inaugurate the International Shooting Sports Federation World Cup in New Delhi. The ISSF World Cup is crucial for Indian shooting as it has 16 quotas up for grabs for Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification.The mascot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is named Miraitowa.

10.The Govt will start Water transport in the Yamuna river in Uttar Pradesh. A water port will be set up in Baghpat dist. Govt is planning to export sugar from western UP to Bangladesh via Yamuna water transport which will be connected to Allahabad.Allahabad is officially known as Prayagraj.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 20th FEBRUARY 2018

1.The Cabinet approved the solar pump scheme KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyan). It aims to achieve a cumulative capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar Projects by the year 2022.The centre will provide financial support of ₹ 11814 Crore.

2.Suresh Prabhu launched SWAYATT in New Delhi. It is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage through eTransactions on Government e-Marketplace. It will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem.CEO GeM Radha Chauhan introduced the concept of SWAYATT.

3.PayU India has named a new CEO in Anirban Mukherjee, who was still the co-chief executive of Reliance Payments. It has planned to double its loan book to about $ 2 bn. Jitendra Gupta, MD of PayU will head the company’s credit product LazyPay.Parent Organization of PayU – Naspers Ltd.

4.Life Insurance Corporation launched a new microinsurance plan 'Micro Bachat'. It offers a combination of protection & savings. It provides the coverage up to ₹ 2 Lakh. This plan is available for standard healthy lives only in the age group of 18-55 years.Interim Chairman of LIC – Hemant Bhargava.

5.President inaugurates a 3-day International Conference & Exhibition on Energy & Environment in New Delhi. It aims to deliberate and identify the R&D needs to innovate new techniques for clean, safe, symbiotic sustenance of society in the post-2020 era.Event organizer: CSIR-Central Inst. of Mining & Fuel Research.

6.PM inaugurated ‘Param Shivay’ Supercomputer of 833 teraflop capacity built at the cost of ₹ 32.5 Cr under National Super Computing Mission at IIT- BHU. The issues such as irrigation schemes, traffic management can be managed by this supercomputer.India’s 1st supercomputer called PARAM 8000 was launched in 1991.

7.Thiruvananthapuram is all prepared to host the Attukal Pongala festival which is considered as one of the world's largest religious gathering of women on a single day. Attukal temple is also called 'women's Sabarimala' as only women perform the ritual.Palanisamy Sathasivam is the governor of Kerala.

8.Nikhat Zareen & Meena Kumari Devi became the 1st Indian women boxers to win gold medals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria. Zareen defeated Filipino Irish Magno in 51Kg category & Meena defeated Filipino Aira Villegas in the 54Kg category.Manju Rani (48kg) defeated Josie Gabuco & settled for a silver.

9.Rajnath Singh inaugurated a national cyber forensic lab & Delhi Police's cyber-crime unit ‘CyPAD’. The facility would help in solving cyber-crimes & financial frauds. Home Ministry's Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) consists of seven verticals.Delhi Police launched NIPUN portal to keep police forces updated

10.Noted Hindi writer Namvar Singh passed away in New Delhi. He was 92. He was the first chairman of JNU's Centre of Indian Languages. He received Sahitya Academy Award for literary criticism in 1971 for 'Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'.His books are Dusri Parampara Ki Khoj, 'Chhayavad' etc.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 19th FEBRUARY 2018

1.RBI has decided to transfer an interim surplus of Rs 28,000 crore to the central government for the half-year ended 31st Dec 2018. The decision has been based on a limited audit review and after applying the extant economic capital frameworkRBI uses OMO to inject liquidity in Banking system.

2.Home minister Rajnath Singh would launch Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) in 16 states and Union territories for women safety from New Delhi. It gives access for a pan-India distressed call at 112 for a person in need in all 16 states & UTs.Minister of State for Home Affairs: Kiren Rijiju.

3.Sportswear brand Puma recently appointed World Boxing Champion Mary Kom as its new brand ambassador for a period of 2 years for their women’s training category. She would be a part of advertising campaign #DoYou that aims to motivate women across nation.She is only woman boxer to win medal in 6 world championships.

4.Union Minister Gadkari to launch PCS1x at Regional Maritime Safety Conference in Mumbai, e-commerce portal developed in record time by Indian Ports Association to facilitate electronic submission of trade document, resulting in faster turnaround time & dwe.Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust: India's largest container terminal.

5.In order to put a mechanism for coordinated decisions regarding strategically important issues, India & Saudi Arabia would jointly launch a Strategic Partnership Council that will cover critical areas of mutual interest.Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh; Currency: Saudi riyal.

6.Wallace Smith Broecker, who popularised the term “global warming” into common use with a 1975 paper that correctly predicted that rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere would lead to a pronounced global warming passed away at the age of 87.Montreal protocol(1987): To mitigate depletion of ozone layer.

7.National rate of unemployment stood at 6.1% while youth who received formal training increased from 2.4% in 2011-12 to 2.5% in 2017-18, for all age groups. Unemployment among trained persons was at 12.4% in 2017-18, compared to 5.9% in 2011-12.Minister of Statistics & Programme Implementation: DV S Gowda.

8.On the eve of Ravidas Jayanti on 19 Feb, President and Prime Minister greeted the nation. Sant Ravidas was a 14th-century saint and reformer of the Bhakti movement in North India born, who gave the message of peace, harmony and fraternity.Article 25 guarantees Religious freedom of individual person.

9.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Iran’s Dy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi agreed on close cooperation to combat terrorism in the region in the wake of heinous terrorist attacks which took place in the past few days.Iran Capital: Tehran; President: Hassan Rouhani.

10.State Association of Football Delhi awarded the 1st-ever ‘Football Ratna’ to Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri for his professionalism, dedication, discipline and passion, on and off the field and inspire Indian football fraternity.Sunil Chhetri received Padma Shri in 2019.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 18th FEBRUARY 2018

1.President awarded 9 progressive farmers with Haryana Krishi Rattan Pursakar for commendable work in the production of various crops & visited Agri Exhibition at International Horticulture Market which saw participation of 1.5 lac farmers from 14 countries,Haryana Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya; Capital: Chandigarh

2.Sushma Swaraj became the 1st Indian External Affairs Minister to visit the nation of Bulgaria. She lauded the Indian diaspora for commendable role in boosting bilateral ties & invited them to invest in the country & be a part in its transformative journey.Bulgaria Capital: Sofia; Currency: Bulgarian lev.

3.Vidarbha beat Rest of India to retain the Irani Cup title for 2nd time (only 3rd team after Mumbai & K’taka to do so). Their captain Faiz wished for the entire prize money be donated to the families of the CRPF personnel martyred in Pulwama terror attack.Vidarbha team also clinched Ranji Trophy for 2nd time.

4.Developed by CBSE itself, Theory Evaluation Trend Analysis (TETRA) software to establish a better level playing field for students and avoid paper leaks of any kind. software displays the live trend of average marks scored across the centres.Minister of HRD: Prakash Javadekar.

5.39-year old West Indian batsman Chris Gayle has announced that he would retire from One-day Internationals after the forthcoming World Cup 2019 in England. He debuted in 1999 & has scored record of 23 ODI 100s, & first ever World Cup 200 against Zimbabwe.Gayle has the 6th highest individual score of 215 in ODIs.

6.President Kovind would present the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony to Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Chhayanaut (cultural institute of Bangladesh) & Ram Sutar Vanji for the years 2014, 2015 & 2016 respectively in New Delhi.Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony is given by GoI since 2012.

7.Indian Air Force carried out a mega exercise in Pokhran involving around 140 fighter jets and attack helicopters to demonstrate of the force's capability to hit targets with "pinpoint accuracy" and carry out missions at short notice.Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.

8.Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the 10-floor Millennium Tower-1 at Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam to promote the city as a destination for investment in IT & ITES. It is built in an area of four acres with an investment of ₹145 crore.Andhra Pradesh Governor: E. S. L. Narasimhan.

9.Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India jointly with SBI and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, organised a 1st of its kind 2-day workshop on “Committee of Creditors: An Institution of Public Faith” in Mumbai.IBBI Chairperson: M. S. Sahoo

10.The lead bank scheme administered by RBI since 1969, abank(can be private or public) leads the consortium of all banks in the area. The role of lead bank is to coordinate the efforts of all banks in the area for credit expansion to sectors which are important to economy.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 17th FEBRUARY 2018

1.light Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal scripted history by becoming the first woman flight engineer to be inducted into the Indian Air Force. Till last year, the Flight Engineer branch was exclusively the men's domain.A Flight Engineer is the member of an aircraft's flight crew.

2.PETA’s Film and Television Division handed out its second annual “Oscat” awards, promoting good behaviour toward animals on screen and on set. Bradley Cooper earned the Best Director prize.PETA-People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

3.Argentina's President Mauricio Macri will arrive in India today for a three-day visit during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance cooperation in key sectors such as economy, nuclear technology and space.Argentina Capital-Buenos Aires.

4.IndianMoneyInsurance.com, a subsidiary of the Bengaluru-based IndianMoney.com Group, has received the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s insurance broking licence to enter the insurance business.CS Sudheer, founder, IndianMoney.com Group.

5.The Centre has increased the minimum selling price of sugar by two rupees per kilogram to 31 rupees a kilogram. It has been done by considering the rising arrears of sugarcane growers.UM Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution-Ram Vilas Paswan.

6.Saina Nehwal won her second consecutive and fourth overall Senior Nationals women’s single badminton title defeating PV Sindhu 21-18, 21-15 in the final in Guwahati. Sourabh Verma clinched men’s title.Badminton Association of India, President- Himanta Biswa Sarma.

7.The Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed Himachal Pradesh Official Language Bill, 2019 (Amendment). It was introduced to make Sanskrit the second official language of the state.Himachal Pradesh CM-Jai Ram Thakur.

8.The Union government has hiked the basic customs duty on all goods imported from Pakistan to 200 percent with immediate effect. This comes after India revoked the 'Most Favoured Nation' (MFN) status to Pakistan.The MFN applied rate is 32.8% for farm products.

9.Hero Motors Company firmed up plans to invest Rs 2,000 crore across its hospitality, auto components and bicycles businesses by the end of next year to scale up operations.Pankaj M Munjal, managing director, Hero Cycles.

10.Andrea Levy, a prize-winning novelist who chronicled the hopes and horrors experienced by the post-World War II generation of Jamaican immigrants in Britain, has died. She was 62.She was born in London in 1956.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 16th FEBRUARY 2018

1.Senior bureaucrat Pramod Chandra Mody has been appointed as chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a top policy-making body for the income tax department. He has been working as the Member (Administration) in the CBDT..CBDT is headed by a chairman & can have a max of 6 members.

2.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) withdrew the 20 percent limit on investments by FPIs in corporate bonds of an entity with a view to encouraging more foreign investments. It was aimed at incentivizing FPIs to maintain a portfolio of assets.RBI Founded-1 April 1935

3.J.P. Morgan became the first U.S. bank to create and test a digital coin for payments called the JPM Coin. It is intended for the bank’s wholesale payments business that moves $6 trillion around the world daily.cryptocurrency uses cryptography for security.

4.The World Bank accepted the Government of India proposal for funding Rs 11,000 crore to rehabilitate around 700 dams. The two-day International Dam Safety conference recently concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.Kristalina Georgieva, interim president & CEO of the World Bank.

5.Union Minister Arun Jaitley resumed charge as finance minister after his return from the US. He will now address the board meeting of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) scheduled to take place in New Delhi on 18 February.Piyush Goyal presented the 6th budget of the NDA government.

6.Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India's first semi-high-speed train, the Vande Bharat Express, carrying a contingent of journalists and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal from New Delhi to Varanasi.It can run at a maximum speed of 180 km per hour.

7.The government has raised ₹10,000 crore by the additional offering of Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). It would help the government move towards meeting the ₹80,000 crore disinvestment target set for the current fiscal.ETF include ONGC, IOC, SBI, BPCL, Coal India and Nalco.

8.Bihar government has announced a universal old age pension scheme - Mukhyamantri Vridhajan Pension Yojna- MVPY for all people above 60 years of age. All will be eligible for 400 rupees monthly pension irrespective of caste, religion or community.Governor of Bihar- Lalji Tandon

9.As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, The total number of people infected with the measles virus in 2018 was the highest this decade – three times the total reported in 2017 and 15 times the record low number of people affected in 2016.World Health Organisation Headquarter-Geneva, Switzerland.

10.Kurkure, the snack brand owned by PepsiCo India, announced that it has appointed actor Taapsee Pannu as its brand ambassador. It also unveiled a new brand positioning ‘Khayal toh chatpata hai’.PepsiCo was founded by Caleb Bradham.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 15th FEBRUARY 2018

1.Amazon has enabled payments via India’s unified payments interface for customers using Android smartphones, the segment that comprises the bulk of smartphone users in the country. It has partnered with India’s Axis Bank to issue UPI IDs to its customers.Amazon -Seattle-based ecommerce giant.

2.Founder and Chairman Emeritus Analjit Singh will take over as Chairman of Max India & Max Life. He would be taking over the chairmanship of the two companies from Group President Rahul Khosla.Max Life Insurance, a subsidiary of Max Financial Services.

3.A government-appointed expert committee has proposed doubling the national-level minimum wage for a worker in the country to Rs 9,750 a month, up from a floor of Rs 4,576 at present.Expert committee, led by -Anoop Satpathy.

4.India and Sweden have concluded a security protection agreement that will enable both countries to share classified information with each other. The Scandinavian country is eyeing projects worth billions of dollars under the “Make in India” initiative.Prime Minister of Sweden is Stefan Lofven.

5.Scientists have found that nanoparticles of selenium, an essential micronutrient, can be used as an antibacterial agent. It is an antioxidant and immunity booster. Selenium nanoparticles were made by combining sodium selenite with vitamin C.Selenium is found naturally in wheat,eggs, cheese & sea food etc.

6.CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra was appointed the new Election Commissioner ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, making the poll panel a three-member entity again.The other two members are CEC Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner (EC) Ashok Lavasa.Election Commission formed on-25 January 1950.

7.India and European Union is set to jointly take up seven research and innovations projects costing ₹320 crore to address urgent challenges in areas relating to water in India. The projects will also support transfer of European technologies to India.Tomasz Kozlowski, EU Ambassador to India.

8.National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) is an electronic funds transfer system maintained by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Started in November 2005, the setup was established and maintained by Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT).NEFT is a facility enabling bank customers in India to transfer funds between any two NEFT-enabled bank accounts on a one-to-one basis.

9.Real-time gross settlement (RTGS) systems are specialist funds transfer systems where the transfer of money or securities takes place from one bank to any other bank on a "real time" and on a "gross" basis. Settlement in "real time" means a payment transaction is not subjected to any waiting period, with transactions being settled as soon as they are processed. 

10.Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is a mobile app developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), based on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI). It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at Digi Dhan mela at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on 30 December 2016. It was named after B. R. Ambedkar and is intended to facilitate e-payments directly through banks as part of the 2016 Indian banknote demonetisation and drive towards cashless transactions.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 14th FEBRUARY 2018

1.In recent ICC T20 rankings Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav grabbed his career-best 2nd position in bowlers while Rashid Khan from Afghanistan leads the chart. Pakistan’s Babar Azam is No.1 in batsmen ranking.ICC T20 world Cup 2020 host: Australia.

2.Ashwani Lohani to head the National carrier, Air India in as its Chairman & MD for a second term. He first headed the Air India from 2015-1017 & also served as Chairman of Railway Board in Railway Ministry.Alliance Air is a subsidiary of Air India founded in 1996.

3.Health Department of Kerala state has come up with an action plan to generate public awareness on the harmful effects of trans fatty acids in commercially available food items and encourage the local food industry to meet the statutory limits set for TFA.Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram; CM: P Vijayan.

4.e-AUSHADHI portal, launched at New Delhi would provide for online licensing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and related matters. It would also provide real time information of the licensed manufactures and their products.MoS (I/C) for AYUSH: Shri Shripad Yesso Naik.

5.MoU will provide impetus to explore newer research activities and application possibilities in the field of remote sensing of the earth; satellite communication; satellite navigation; space science and exploration of outer space.Finland Capital: Helsinki; Currency: Euro.

6.Union Cabinet approved Patna Metro Rail Project with two Metro Rail Corridors at an estimated cost of Rs.13365 cr. Project is slated to be completed in 5 years & provide Eco friendly and sustainable Public Transport to residents, commuters.Bihar Governor: Lalji Tandon; CM: Nitish Kumar.

7.MOU was signed to attract potential investments into the infrastructure sector for creation jobs, growth of ancillary sectors. MOU was also signed for strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism encouraging mutual investment in tourism projects.Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh; King: Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

8.Registration of Marriage of NRI Bill would provide for amendment of the legal framework acting as a deterrent to the erring NRI spouses & create more accountability while offer protection against exploitation of Indian Citizens married to NRIs.Minister of External Affairs: Sushma Swaraj.

9.CCEA recently approved the Credit Linked Capital Subsidy & Technology Up-gradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS) with a total outlay of Rs 2900 cr. Aim of the scheme is to facilitate technology up-gradation, Quality improvement & waste reduction in MSME industries.Cabinet Committee is headed by Prime Minister.

10.Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) is an instant payment inter-bank electronic funds transfer system in India. IMPS offers an inter-bank electronic fund transfer service through mobile phones. Unlike NEFT and RTGS, the service is available 24/7 throughout the year including bank holidays. IMPS Formation : 22nd Nov 2010. Owner : NPCI.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 13th FEBRUARY 2018

1.2019 Theme: Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace; Aim is to celebrate radio as a forum for information and entertainment, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people.UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France.

2.PM Narendra Modi to address the YouthCon 2019 hosted by CREDAI at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. Theme for the event: Next Generation aimed to enlighten the young minds of next generation of real estate builders and developers.CREDAI represents real-estate developers from over 200 cities.

3.Aim of the conference is to give a unique platform to the officers of the Indian Information Service working in different Media Units to converge at an All-India level and strengthen synergy between the Media Units.MOS I&B Ministry: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

4.Swachh Shakti 2019 (Kurukshetra, Haryana) was an event to recognise the leadership role played by rural women in Swachh Bharat Mission, participated by woman sarpanchs and women associated with the 'Swachhta' campaign from across the country.Haryana Capital: Chandigarh; CM: Manohar Lal Khattar.

5.Swachh Shakti 2019 (Kurukshetra, Haryana) was an event to recognise the leadership role played by rural women in Swachh Bharat Mission, participated by woman sarpanchs and women associated with the 'Swachhta' campaign from across the country.Haryana Capital: Chandigarh; CM: Manohar Lal Khattar.

6.Australian legendary spinner Shane Warne named the brand ambassador of Rajasthan Royals for the IPL 2019 edition. He was earlier captain of the team for first 4 editions of IPL, and led the team to its only IPL win in 2008.IPL Current champion: Chennai Super Kings.

7.In the ICC T20 rankings Indian batswomen Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana moved four places up to be 2nd and 6th places respectively. Radha Yadav the bowling champ moved to 10th position.Smriti Mandhana is ranked No.1 in ODI rankings.

8.Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO, Eicher Motors, named as the ‘EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2018’ while Azim Premji, chairman, Wipro, awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award and MD of Titan Company Limited Bhaskar Bhat gets the Entrepreneurial CEO award.Royal Enfield bike is the most famous product of Eicher Motors.

9.World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union recently issued the standards for music devices with aim to encourage safe listening practices & prevent young people from going deaf due to prolong and excessive use.World Hearing Day: March 3.

10.Currency chests are select branches of scheduled banks, which are authorised by the RBI to facilitate distribution of notes and coins. In these branches, notes and coins are stocked on behalf of the RBI. These currency chests are expected to distribute notes and coins to other bank branches in their area of operation.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 12th FEBRUARY 2018

1.In the recent state budget, Rs 300 crore has been earmarked for Arundhati scheme offering 10 gm gold worth Rs 38000, limited to economically weaker sections, with annual income below Rs 5 lakh. Scheme can be availed upon formal registration of marriages.Assam Capital: Dispur; CM: Sarbananda Sonowal,

2.PM Modi inaugurated the 13th International Oil and Gas Conference - PETROTECH-2019 in Greater Noida, NCR. The event underlines the need to move towards responsible pricing of Oil and Gas to balance the interests of both the producer and the consumer.Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas: Dharmendra Pradhan.

3.Indian MoEFCC & Norwegian External Affairs Ministry signed letter of Intent for joint Marine Pollution Initiative & formation of a Task Force on Blue Economy with government officials, researchers and experts as well as private sector for sustainable solut.Norway Capital: Oslo; Currency: Norwegian krone.

4.It is observed bi-annually on 10 February & 10 August in all states and UTs Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is a single fixed-day approach to treating intestinal worm infections in all children aged 1- 19 years.Minister for Health and Family Welfare: J P Nadda.

5.Abu Dhabi Judicial Department recently announced its decision to include Hindi as the 3rd official language to be used in its courts, alongside Arabic and English with an aim to improve access to justice delivery system for Indian expatriates.UAE Capital: Abu Dhabi, Currency: Dirham.

6.83rd edition of Senior National Badminton Championships begins in Guwahati, Assam. The top Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth among others are deemed to be the main attractions.Saina & Sindhu stand at 9th and 6th in Women Singles rankings.

7.India jumped 8 places to 36th position on IP Index, with scoring on reforms implemented by Indian policymakers towards building a sustained innovation ecosystem. Index ranks Countries on the basis of 45 indicators.USA’s Global Innovation Policy Centre publishes the Index.

8.NTPC recently went into a term loan agreement for ₹5,000 crore with SBI at an interest rate linked to 3-Month MCLR of the bank. The loan will be utilised to part finance the capital expenditure of NTPC.NTPC Founded: 1975, HQ: New Delhi.

9.Vodafone Idea Ltd, which is now India's largest telecom operator appointed Suresh Vaswani as an independent director for a period of 3 years. He is an alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur and IIM-Ahmedabad.Vodafone-Idea CEO: Balesh Sharma.

10.Prajnesh Gunneswaran jumped 6 places to 97th rank to break into men’s singles top-100 ATP rankings for the first time in his career. In doubles ranking, Rohan Bopanna was put at 37 and Divij Sharan at 39.Women's Tennis Association HQ: St Petersburg, USA