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Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update

Dear Aspirants,

The General Awareness Section of Banking Exams covers numerous sections in it like Banking Awareness, Static GK, and Current Affairs. But the most important thing that you might have noticed is that both the Banking Awareness and Static Awareness questions asked in the General Awareness Section are based on Current Affairs only. The questions on Static and Banking Awareness are related to the countries, events or anything that has been in news for a while. Apart from the GA Section, an excellent knowledge of current news also helps you deal with the PI (Personal Interview) more efficiently so you do not give a mumble jumble answer to the interviewee’s simple questions. Here is the Daily GK Update to get you acquainted with the top events that made the headlines today!!
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_2.1

National News

1. All about National Youth Day- 12 January
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_3.1
i. The National Youth Day has been celebrated every year on 12 January. This is the day when Swami Vivekananda, one of the greatest social reformers, thinkers, and philosophers of India, was born. The Indian government had declared back in 1984 that Swamiji’s birthday would be celebrated as the National Youth Day.
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Youth Festival in Greater Noida through Video conferencing. The Theme of the Festival is ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’. Culture Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma will be the guest of honour on the occasion.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-
  • The first National Youth Day was celebrated on 12 January 1985.
  • He founded the Ramakrishna Math and Mission on 1 May 1897.
  • In 1898, he established Belur Math.

2. All You Need to Know about ISRO’s Successful Launch of 42nd PSLV
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_4.1
i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its 42nd Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The PSLV-C40 is to place 31 satellites, originating from seven countries, across two orbits.

ii. Its primary payload was the fourth satellite in the advanced remote sensing Cartosat-2 series. The satellite’s design life is five years. ISRO successfully sent up a rocket carrying India’s 100th satellite along with 30 others.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-
  • Rocket scientist Sivan K was recently appointed as the 9th chairman of ISRO.
  • ISRO was established in 1969.
  • Founder and 1st Chairman of ISRO- Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai, Headquarters in- Bengaluru, Karnataka.

3. India Tops Domestic Air Traffic Demand at 16.4% in November: IATA
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_5.1
i. India’s domestic air passenger traffic grew by 16.4 percent in November 2017, topping the growth chart worldwide, according to the global aviation body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
ii. Globally, the total revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) increased 8 percent compared to November 2016. The available seat kilometres (ASKs) or capacity grew by 6.3 percent. The ASK for India was at 10.4 percent, second only to China where capacity grew by 12.9 percent, according to the IATA’s monthly data.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-
  • IATA’s Director General and CEO– Alexandre de Juniac, Headquarters- Montreal, Canada.


4. 5th Bilateral Meeting Between India and Malaysia Held in New Delhi
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_6.1
i. The 5th Bilateral Technical Meeting on cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine between Govt. of India and Malaysia was held in New Delhi.
ii. The Meeting had discussed the following agenda:-
  • Establishment of Ayurveda Chair in University of  UTAR, Malaysia,
  • Professional training in Panchakarma therapy for Malaysian experts in India,
  • The evaluation of safety and efficacy of combination Ayurvedic/ traditional products for clinical trials.
  • Safety evaluation of Ayurvedic products based on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
  • Bilateral MoU between National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH and Malaysia for Cooperation in the field of Medicinal Plants.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-
  • AYUSH- Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
  • AYUSH Minister- Shripad Yesso Naik.
International News

5. China Becomes Nepal’s 2nd Internet Service Provider
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_7.1
i. China became Nepal’s second internet service provider, breaking India’s monopoly in providing internet access to Nepal. 

ii. The Hong Kong and Beijing based China Telecom Global (CTG) has teamed up with Nepal Telecom to provide alternate cyber-connectivity to Nepal. CTG was formed in 2012.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-
  • Nepal Capital- Kathmandu, Prime Minister- Sher Bahadur Deuba.
  • China Capital- Beijing, President- Xi Jinping.
  • China’s Hong Kong Data Center is one of Asia’s largest global data centres.

6. UN Environment and WHO Agreed to Major Collaboration on Environmental Health Risks

Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_8.1
i. UN Environment and the World Health Organization have agreed a new, wide-ranging collaboration to accelerate action to curb environmental health risks that cause an estimated 12.6 million deaths a year. 
ii. Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment, and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, signed an agreement to step up joint actions to combat air pollution, climate change and antimicrobial resistance, water quality, and food and nutrition issues, in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya.
Banking News

7. IndusInd Bank to Introduce India’s First Battery-Powered Interactive Payment Card
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_9.1
i. IndusInd Bank and Dynamics Inc. at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) announced plans to introduce the first battery-powered, interactive payment cards to the Indian market in 2018.
ii. The new IndusInd Bank card from Dynamics has multiple buttons that let the consumers use a single card to pay in multiple ways. 
Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-
  • IndusInd Bank commenced operations in 1994
  • IndusInd Bank Chairman- R. Seshasayee, Headquarter- Mumbai, Owner- Hinduja Group.



Appointments

8. V J Mathew Appointed Maritime Board Chairman
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_10.1
i. V J Mathew was appointed Maritime Board Chairman. The decision in this regard was taken by the Kerala cabinet.

ii.Mathew is the legal consultant of Vizhinjam International container terminal company and Indian Maritime Association Co-President.


Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-
  • Kerala State Maritime Development Corporation Limited is a fully owned Government Company incorporated on 06th December 1994.
Obituaries
9. Nuclear Physicist and NIAS Director Baldev Raj Passes Away
Current Affairs 12th January 2018: Daily GK Update |_11.1
i. Baldev Raj, the director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, and a renowned administrator of nuclear power technologies in the country has passed away. He was 70 years old.
ii. Mr Raj had assumed leadership of the NIAS in 2014. Before that, he was president of research at P.S.G. Institutions (2011-2014).
Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-
  • For his contributions to studies of nuclear power and his administration, Raj was conferred the Padma Shri in 2007.
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