Gujarat establishes cashless system for PDS
i. Gujarat has become the first state in the country for establishing the cashless system in its public distribution system (PDS) of food grains. The beneficiaries who are eligible for subsidised food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) will now need to carry only Aadhaar cards for getting their food grains in Gujarat.
ii. According to the Food ministry, there are over 81 crore beneficiaries under NSAI in the country.
Govt to open 56 Post Office Passport Seva Kendra facilities
i. Enthused by the success of two pilot projects on utilising the head post offices as Passport Seva Kendra, the government has now decided to scale up this programme by opening 56 such facilities across the country. The ministry of external affairs and the department of posts had earlier decided to join hands to deliver passport- related services to the citizens.
ii. MEA and department of posts are working closely for the early commencement of passport-related services at such Kendras located in various states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Hemant Bhargava appointed as LIC’s MD
i. Hemant Bhargava has appointed as Managing Director of state-owned Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India. He is at present LIC’s zonal manager, Delhi.
ii. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved Bhargava’s appointment to the post till his superannuation, ie, July 31, 2019, an order issued by Personnel Ministry said. The top LIC management consists of the chairman and three managing directors.
BoB to finance small units in diamond sector at concessional rates
i. To give a leg up to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the diamond industry, Bank of Baroda is planning to launch a supply chain financing product for the industry on a pilot basis in Surat. Cutting and polishing units, which procure roughs from large companies and supply finished products back, will be provided finance at a competitive rate of interest.
ii. This move is expected to give a boost to MSMEs as well as the corporate segment within the diamond industry, said Rajneesh Sharma, General Manager, Bank of Baroda. The product will be launched in the next 10-20 days.
Official mascot of FIFA U-17 World Cup ‘Kheleao’ unveiled
i. With just 238 days remaining for the start of FIFA Under-17 World Cup India 2017, the official mascot of the tournament ‘Kheleao’ was unveiled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on 10th February 2017. A clouded leopard called Kheleao was introduced to hundreds of football fans in a ceremony attended by Sports Minister Vijay Goel and All India Football Federation President Praful Patel.
ii. The clouded leopard is an endangered wild cat whose habitat extends from the Himalayan foothills to mainland Southeast Asia. Kheleo will participate in numerous activities in the run-up to the first-ever FIFA tournament to be hosted by India, which will be played from October 06th to 28th this year.
Kohli record for most Test 150s by an Indian captain
i. Virat Kohli recorded his sixth Test 150, against Bangladesh at Hyderabad on 10th February 2017, to set the record for most 150-plus scores by an Indian captain in Tests. Kohli went past Sunil Gavaskar and Mohammad Azharuddin, who both have five 150-plus Test scores each as captain. Notably, all of Kohli’s last five Test centuries have been of 150+ runs.
Hyderabad Test: Cheteshwar Pujara breaks 52-year-old record on Day 1
i. India’s top-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara added another feather to his cap on the first day of the Hyderabad Test at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against Bangladesh. During his knock of 83 runs, Pujara surpassed the 52-year long-standing record of former Indian cricketer Chandu Borde of highest first-class runs in a single cricketing season.
ii. Borde had scored 1604 runs in the 1964-65 season that included runs in Tests as well as first-class matches. When Pujara scored his 83rd run, he eventually surpassed Borde’s record by a run and now has 1605 runs in the season with India still to play 4 more Test matches to play against Australia at home.
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