IAS 2018

02/06/2018

UPSC Civil Services Exam Cycle begins with Preliminary Exam 2018 on 03-06-2018,
IAS 2018 Team personally wishes you all the very best!

All the best! IAS 2018 !

Make us proud :-) Yes, you can!

29/04/2018

Know About 2017 And Their Mantra!!

Hard work of years paid back on 27 April 2018 for selected candidates when Civil Services Exam 2017 result came out. UPSC prepares the rank list of UPSC Civil Services Exam 2017 based on the total in the Main exam (written exam – out of 1750) and Test (personality test – out of 275). Thus, the total marks are calculated out of 2025. Needless to say it is a grandeur moment for all those candidates who made it possible to imprint their name on the merit list. Every year UPSC results come out with plethora of inspiration where we realize that determined candidates’ fortitude finally overcomes all the struggle and even their sober backgrounds can't distract them. This year too, the first three toppers recite a success story that is enough to bestow any aspirant with an exuberant impetus.

The first topper is Hyderabad's who has topped in 2017 Civil Services Exam. while Haryana's is second rank holder and topper among the female candidates while secured the overall third rank. Eight women have made it to the top 25 list.

belongs to other backward classes (OBC) category. He qualified the examination with Anthropology as his optional subject. He has graduated with B.E (Electronics and Instrumentation) degree from BITS, Pilani in Rajasthan. Meanwhile, graduated with B.Sc (Hons) in Physics from Delhi University and has done MBA (Finance and Marketing) from IMT, Nagpur. In Durishetty’s very own words - "This was my fifth attempt. I have failed thrice before, and the journey was not easy for me, he told ANI. He unraveled a long journey of hard work succinctly in a single sentence. He used to study along with his job and didn’t take any coaching to prepare for the examination. The message to learn here is that the journey is same for everyone, but what creates the difference is patience, passion, propriety of disciplined life style and Positive Thinking. is already a civil servant and is currently working as Assistant Commissioner at Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Government of India.

, a mother of a four-year-old child secured the 2nd rank and is now an another exemplar for UPSC aspirants. She said she used to study 10-12 hours a day. This is like a dream come true. This feeling has still not sunk in. Thrashing all the hardships a woman can face in a married life, she never let her focus swayed and set an applauding hallmark for those aspirants who are always complaining and pretend to get crushed under encumbrance.

, belonging to small trader family based in Sirsa town, ranked third in his third attempt. He is presently working as Assistant Director in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He said he was inspired to join the civil services by his father who is a farmer in Sirsa town. After completing school from DAV school in Sirsa, he completed Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Thapar University, Patiala.

If you are determined like concrete, no matter what your age is, and where you come from. Your past, your failures, your countless attempts, and even your destiny can’t stop you from creating a history…a history of Victory!!

Congratulations to the toppers along with all the selected candidates…

And best wishes to all the aspirants who are still waiting for this miracle to happen to clear any exam.

29/04/2018

UPSC 2017 results: Tea seller's son Deshal Dan from Jaisalmer gets the 82nd rank

Deshal Dan Charan, a resident of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan is making headlines after he cleared the Union Public Service Commission exam on Friday. The small town resident secured the 82nd rank for himself when the UPSC results for 2017 were declared on Friday.

29/04/2018

UPSC Civil Services 2017 examinations Results Announced Durishetty Anudeep tops,
Anu Kumari 2nd Rank and Sachin Gupta 3rd Rank

29/04/2018

2017 Civil Services Examination, Final Result Released
Congratulation to all the successful candidates.

08/02/2018

2018 Notification Released

03/02/2018

Railway Recruitment Board( )
Assistant Loco Pilot ( ) & #26502 Vacancies Notification Released

http://www.rrbahmedabad.gov.in/

16/01/2018

IBPS 2018-19 Tentative Calendar Released

11/01/2018

December 31st Current Affairs

Appointments

1. Om Prakash Singh is Uttar Pradesh's new DGP
• Om Prakash Singh will be the new Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh. Om Prakash Singh will succeed incumbent Sulkhan Singh.

2. Vineet Chowdhary appointed chief secretary to Himachal government
• Vineet Chowdhary, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Himachal cadre, was appointed chief secretary to the Himachal government.
• Chowdhary replaced Vidya Charan Pharka, who was appointed chief secretary superseding six senior IAS officers, He had filed a case in the Central Administrative Tribunal and following directions of the tribunal, he was appointed principal advisor to the state government.

3. Liberia election: Former Chelsea star George Weah elected president
• Mr Weah, 51, defeated the country's vice president Joseph Boakai to win 61.5 percent of the vote.
• The announcement means Mr Weah will succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Liberia's president next month, in what will be the country's first democratic transition since 1944.

4. Rajasthan: NC as the next chief Goel appointed secretary
• NC Goel, a 1982 batch IAS officer has been appointed the next chief secretary of Rajasthan by superseding half a dozen officers.
• His tenure will last only four months unless he is granted extension twice by the centre to take state through assembly polls due in December.

Awards & honours

1. Ronaldo wins fourth Globe Soccer award
• Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo named Globe Soccer's Best Player for the second year in a row and the fourth time overall, although he wasn't present in person to receive his trophy.
• The Portuguese international also won the prize, organised by the EFAA (European Association of Football Agents) and ECA (European Clubs Association) in 2011, 2014 and 2016.

Banking

1. Allahabad Bank ties up with NeSL
• Allahabad Bank entered into an agreement with state-run National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) for utilizing the latter’s Information Utility Services envisaged under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
• MD and CEO of Allahabad Bank Usha Ananthasubramanian stressed on the need for Information Utility Services in the present context when most banks are reeling under NPA pressure, especially in large value accounts, and looking for quick resolutions.

2. Bank of Baroda acquires 51 per cent foreign stake in MF arm
• Public sector Bank of Baroda has entered into an agreement with Italian bank UniCredit S.p.A. to acquire its 51 per cent stake in Baroda Pioneer Asset Management Company, thus increasing its shareholding to 100 per cent.
• The move comes on the back of the acquisition of Pioneer Investments by Amundi a subsidiary jointly created by Crédit Agricole and Societe Generale earlier this year. France-based Amundi has a 37 per cent stake in SBI Mutual Fund.

Deaths

1. Renowned educationist M V Pylee passes away at 98
• Renowned educationist M V Pylee died. At the age of 98.
• An authority on the Constitution of India and a pioneer in the field of management education in the country, Pylee had served as Vice Chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) from 1977 to 1981.

Economy

1. Government generated Rs 14,500cr through BHARAT 22 ETF
• The Central Government revealed that an amount of Rs 14,500 crore has been raised through its BHARAT 22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), which was created to benefit long-term and retail investors by providing an opportunity to purchase equity stocks of government-run companies and earn stable returns.

2. E-wallets get two more months for KYC process
• In a relief to providers of digital wallets and prepaid instruments, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted them two more months (till February) to complete 'know your customer' (KYC) compliance of existing users.
• The RBI had directed all issuers of prepaid instruments to complete minimum KYC of users by December 31, 2017. Given the sheer number of e-wallet users, the deadline was turning out to be difficult for these companies.

International

1. China's ban on ivory trade comes into force
• The move is being hailed as a major development in efforts to protect the world's elephant population. Wildlife campaigners believe 30,000 African elephants are killed by poachers every year.

National

1. Assam gets Rs. 1,250 crore Central fund for inland water transport
• Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that Rs. 1,250 crore has been sanctioned for overall development of inland water transport of Assam.
• The Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping asked the State water resources department to involve a foreign consultant, if required, for preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) within three months.

2. Haryana govt launches ‘Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana’ for vegetable growers
• Assuring farmers of fair prices for their produce and emphasising on diversification of crops, the Haryana government launched 'Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana' in which tomato, onion, potato and cauliflower have been included.
• A separate fund would be constituted by the state government for this scheme at village Ganger in Karnal district.

3. Odisha police to go digital from January 2018
• Odisha police will go digital from January 1, 2018, as routine work in police stations across the state will be computerised under the Criminal Tracking and Networking System (CCTNS).
• CCTNS project is being implemented under the national e-governance initiative at a cost of Rs. 61 crore.
•
4. Jewar airport construction to start in December 2018
• Construction work on Jewar Airport in Greater Noida will commence in December 2018, earlier than Uttar Pradesh government’s scheduled plan.
• Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) selected professional services firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) to prepare a techno-economic feasibility report (TEFR) for undertaking construction work on Jewar Airport.

5. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar lays foundation stones for more than 100 projects
• Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar laid foundation stones for more than 100 projects worth Rs 700 crore in Nalanda district.
• These projects were launched during the second phase of Nitish Kumar’s state-wide “Vikas Samiksha Yatra” which began on December 28, 2017.

Places in News

1. Krishnapatnam Port to host 9th International Youth Sailing Competition
• Krishnapatnam Port in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, is hosting the 9th edition of International Youth Sailing Competition of India from December 27th to December 31st 2017.
• The event is the largest sailing competition in the country and is organised by the Navayuga Sailing Academy, Tamil Nadu Sailing Association (TNSA) and Yachting Association of Andhra Pradesh (YAAP) under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India (YAI) and the Asian Sailing Federation (ASAF).

Science & Technology

1. NASA’s 2018 to do list includes mission to ‘touch’ Sun
• NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is scheduled for launch in 2018 to explore the Sun’s outer atmosphere and it will perform its scientific investigations in a hazardous region of intense heat and solar radiation.
• The probe will use Venus’ gravity during seven flybys over nearly seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the Sun

Seminars & Meetings

1. Hosting 10 Asean leaders on Republic Day matter of pride: PM Modi
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi Republic Day celebration in 2018 would be "remembered through the ages" because the government for the first time in India's history would host leaders of 10 Asean countries as chief guests on January 26.
• "On January 26, the arrival of great leaders of 10 nations of the world as a unit is a matter of pride for all Indians," in this year's last edition of his monthly radio programme "Mann ki Baat".

Sports

1. Golfer Shiv Kapur wins third Asian Tour title in Thailand to round off great 2017.
• Shiv Kapur shot a stunning four-under-67 to claim his third Asian Tour title of the year, winning the Royal Cup in Pattaya, Thailand. The 35-year-old, who had just one win in almost 11 years till April this year, has now won thrice in the last eight months.

11/01/2018

December 30th Current Affairs

Appointments

1. BJP vice-president named ICCR chief
• National vice-president of the BJP, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who is also member of Rajya Sabha has been appointed the President of Indian Council of Cultural Relations. He will replace Lokesh Chandra, who was a scholar and thinker, and had been appointed by the NDA government in October 2014 and has completed his three-year-term.

2. M Malakondaiah appointed as AP police chief
• The Andhra Pradesh government appointed 1985-batch IPS officer M Malakondaiah as the Director General of Police (Head of Police Force) .
• Malakondaiah, currently managing director of AP State Road Transport Corporation, will take charge of his new assignment from Nanduri Sambasiva Rao.Malakondaiah will retire from service on June 30 next year.

Awards & honours

1. Indian-origin scientist awarded top British royal honour
• Indian-origin scientist Pratibha Laxman G*i has been named for damehood, the female equivalent of knighthood, for "services to chemical sciences and technology". G*i has over 300 referred scientific papers in leading journals and nine co-authored and edited books and journal issues. She is the fourth Indian-origin woman awarded the honour since it was instituted in 1917.

Banking

1. 6 stressed banks get capital of Rs 7,500 crore
• The government has provided over Rs 7,500-crore fresh equity to six stressed state-run banks to help them meet the prescribed regulatory capital requirement and state its commitment to keep banks well-funded.
• Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Uco Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Central Bank of India have received equity through preferential issue of shares with two of them informing stock exchanges about the decision.

2. Federal Bank partners LuLu Exchange for cross-border remittances
• Kerala based Federal Bank announced a partnership with Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Exchange to leverage blockchain technology for cross-border remittances.
• The two financial companies have launched and successfully tested the service using blockchain technology, which is fast revolutionising the financial and commercial world.

3. SoftBank to buy 15% stake in Uber, pump in $1 bn in early 2018
• Japanese conglomerate SoftBank will pick up 15 per cent stake in Uber and pump in $1 billion as primary investment in the US-based ride-hailing app in early 2018.
• SoftBank Group Capital Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group, will hold 15 per cent share in Uber and is expected to also get two seats (out of 17) on Uber's Board.

Deaths

1. Mystery writer Sue Grafton passes away
• Sue Grafton, the mystery writer who penned best-selling novels with alphabet-based titles, starting with "A Is for Alibi" and ending with "Y Is for Yesterday," has died. She was 77.
• Grafton started the alphabet novels in 1982, according to the author's webpage. All of them featured private eye Kinsey Millhone, a former police officer who was a quiet rebel.

Economy

1. Digital currency ripple soars nearly 56 percent, becomes second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap
• Ripple surged nearly 56 percent to an all-time high, surpassing ethereum as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.
• Officially called XRP, ripple climbed 55.9 percent to a record high of $2. The digital currency had a market cap of $86.3 billion, surpassing ethereum's $73 billion, according to the website. Earlier, the two cryptocurrencies vied for the second-place spot as prices fluctuated trading.

International

1. UNESCO chief receives Israel’s withdrawal notice: ‘I regret this deeply’
• Israel has formally notified the UN’s culture and education body of its withdrawal from the organization, two months after it announced it would follow the US by walking out over resolutions critical of the Jewish state.
• According to the statement of UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay had been officially notified that Israel would leave on December 31, 2018.

2. Pakistan to set up USD 1.51 bn hydropower project in PoK
• Pakistan has decided to set up a new hydropower project of over 700 megawatts in PoK through foreign financing at an estimated cost of USD 1.51 billion by 2022.
• The Azad Pattan Hydropower Project (APHP) is a run of river scheme located on Jhelum River in the Sudhanoti district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and about 90 kilometres from Islamabad.

National

1. Kolkata Police bans public display of weapons in 2018
• Kolkata Police has issued a notification that imposes a ban on public display of weapons in Kolkata.
• This notification was issued by the Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. It bans carrying of swords, spears, bludgeons, etc. in any public place in the Kolkata town or in its suburb regions.
•
2. Nirmala Sitharaman launches Centre for Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Learning (CEOL) in Mangaluru
• Nirmala Sitharaman who, as a Union Minister of State for Commerce, had written to members of parliaments (MPs) to set up start-up incubation centres in their respective constituencies has done that on her own in Mangaluru.

3. Chhattisgarh signs agreement to lay 32,000 km optical fiber network
• The Chhattisgarh Government signed a MoU with Central Government for the 2 phase of Bharat Net project.
• A four-party agreement was signed by the union telecommunications department, Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), Chhattisgarh’s Information and Technology Department and Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (ChIPS).

4. Nitin Gadkari flags off Cargo Movement on Brahmaputra River in Assam
• In a move to give boost to inland water transport sector in Northeast, Union shipping minister Nitin Gadkari will flag off regular cargo movement on Brahmaputra from Assam's Majuli.
• The 891 KM length of Brahmaputra from Sadiya in the easternmost part of upper Assam to Dhubri was declared as the National Waterway-2 in 1988.

5. Assam CM launches Skill Development Training Centres across the state
• Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal launched skill development training centres across the state.
• Mr. Sonowal launched the centres at a programme organized by Department of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati.

6. Centre approves Rs. 4066 cr for internet in all panchayats
• Communication Minister of State (Independent Charge), Manoj Sinha informed the Parliament that Central Government has approved Rs. 4066 crore for providing internet connectivity to people in all gram panchayats (GPs) under BharatNet project.

Persons in news

1. Woman performs 105-hour non-stop yoga, attempts world record
• Kavitha Bharanidaran, a Chennai resident, has attempted a new Guinness World Record for performing yoga continuously for over 105 hours. Bharanidaran, who took five-minute breaks after each hour. The 31-year-old, whose husband is her yoga teacher, broke the previous record of 103 hours of non-stop Yoga.

Science & Technology

1. ISRO to launch 31 satellites in one go aboard PSLV on Jan. 10
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch 31 satellites, including India’s Cartosat-2 series earth observation space craft, in a single mission on January 10.
• The mission will be the first ‘Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’ (PSLV) mission after the unsuccessful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in August this year.

2. NASA's flying observatory to explore Saturn's moon
• NASA's flying observatory is preparing its 2018 observing campaign, which will include observations of celestial magnetic fields, star-forming regions, comets and Saturn's giant moon Titan.
• This will be the fourth year of full operations for Sofia, with observations planned between February 2018 and January 2019.

Seminars & Meetings

1. Bilateral Meeting Between External Affairs Minister of India and Jordan Held in New Delhi
• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi and discussed deepening bilateral ties across multiple sectors.
• Mr Safadi discussed steps to set up a robust agenda for deepening and diversifying areas of cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contact.

Sports

1. Viswanathan Anand wins bronze at World Blitz Chess Championship
• Viswanathan Anand continued his excellent run bagging a bronze in the World Blitz Chess Championship following his gold winning performance in the Rapid section only a couple of days back.
• After ending the first day of the Blitz category on a disappointing note when he suffered a loss at the hands of Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, Anand was a class act on the final day as he won against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France.

11/01/2018

December 29th Current Affairs

Appointments

1. Prince Harry named President of African Conservation Group
• Prince Harry has been named the president of African Parks, a conservation group that manages a dozen wildlife areas across the continent.
• The "influential role" played by Prince Harry will contribute to its effort to protect Africa's natural heritage and support both wildlife and communities, who live in and around conservation areas, reported Sputnik.

2. Chander Prakash, Arun Sangwan take oath as Information
• Retired IAS officer Chander Prakash and advocate Arun Sangwan were administered the oath of office and secrecy as State Information Commissioners of Haryana.
• Chief Secretary D S Dhesi, family members of Prakash and Sangwan, senior administrative secretaries and top police officers were also present on the occasion.

3. G Rajesham Goud to head Telangana State Finance Commission
• The Telangana government constituted State Finance Commission with former minister G Rajesham Goud as its chairman.
• Retired Zilla Parishad CEO M Chennaiah Kuruma from Ranga Reddy district has been appointed as a member.

Banking

1. KKR gets RBI nod to start India’s 1st foreign-owned ARC
• US buyout giant KKR & Co has become the first foreign investor to fully own an asset reconstruction company (ARC) in India as it received approval from the Reserve Bank of India at a time when lenders are fighting with a pile of bad loans that have crippled their businesses.

2. Standard & Poor's (S&P) puts Indian banks in 'Group 5' with Italy, Spain, UAE
• The Indian banking sector has been classified under 'Group 5' along with countries such as Italy, Spain, Ireland, the UAE and South Africa by rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) on the basis of their economy and industry risk criteria.
• Noting that the "low-income" Indian economy and the government's limited fiscal flexibility constrain the country's economic resilience, S&P in its "Banking Industry Country Risk Assessment: India.

3. No income tax exemption to cooperative banks: government tells Lok Sabha
• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced in Lok Sabha that the cooperative banks functioned like any other commercial bank and the principle of mutuality, which is central to granting exemption under Section 80P of the Income Tax Act, does not apply to them because their area of operations extends even to non-members.
• Income tax is a tax on profits and there is no rationale for exempting profit-making cooperative banks from payment of income tax.

Deaths

1. ‘Hoshi’ Amroliwala passes away
• Hoshang Dadiba Amroliwala, affectionately known as “Hoshi” and who played 44 first class matches, including 38 Ranji Trophy matches for Bombay from 1956-57 to 1963-64, passed away. He was 86.
• A right-hand batsmen and leg-spinner, Amroliwala scored 1782 runs (1410 in Ranji Trophy) and took 14 wickets. He was part of five Ranji finals Bombay won. He scored 139 in the final against Bengal in 1958-59.

Economy

1. Dubai's Pluto Exchange launches mobile app for Bitcoin trade
• Dubai-based Pluto Exchange launched a pin-secured mobile application for Indian traders who are keen to trade in Bitcoin virtual currency.
• The app is different from other such platforms because the transaction happen through mobile-number-to-mobile number than the Bitcoin-to- Bitcoin-address.

International

1. China successfully tested its first Photovoltaic road
• China successfully tested its first photovoltaic highway based on home-grown technology in the country’s eastern Shandong province, according to reports from Xinhua. The road has wireless charging systems for electric vehicles.
• The road is constructed using solar panels which have a thin sheet of clear concrete on top of them, protecting the surface. The panels were built to transfer energy to electric vehicles passing on top of them.

2. Former football star George Weah has been elected as Liberia's president.
• Mr Weah is well ahead of opponent Joseph Boakai with more than 60% of the vote. As news of Mr Weah's victory emerged, his supporters began celebrating in the capital Monrovia.
• He will succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female president, in Liberia's first democratic handover in decades.

National

1. Environment Ministry Launches a Regional Project to Tackle Stubble Burning
• In another significant step to combat climate change, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved a regional project on ‘Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management’ under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
• The project was approved at the meeting of the National Steering Committee on Climate Change, under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri C.K Mishra.

2. Ministry may revamp IMC to curb content violation by TV channels
• The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry may look at reconfiguration of the the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) that looks into complaints of content violations by TV channels in the light of the NDTV controversy.
• This is likely to be done to make the institutional process that looks into content violation of private television channels more robust.

3. Centre releases Rs 24,500 crore to compensate states post GST
• The revenue loss to states on account of GST implementation was Rs 24,500 crore between July-October and the Centre has released compensation to make up for it, Parliament was informed.
• As per the details of GST compensation released to states, Karnataka got maximum compensation from the Centre at Rs 3,271 crore, followed by Gujarat (Rs 2,282 crore) and Punjab (Rs 2,098 crore).

4. MP CM flags off mobile museum 'Adi Shankara Sandesh Vahini'
• As part of the 'Ekatm Yatra', Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan flagged off a mobile museum, showcasing various aspects of the life of Adi Shankaracharya, from the home of the saint's mother.

5. ‘Modi Kaka Ka Gaon’ – Film inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Nearly 11 months after it was denied a censor certificate on various grounds, Hindi feature film 'Modi Ka Gaon' now renamed as 'Modi Kaka Ka Gaon' loosely inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda, will finally hit the screens all over India.
• In the first phase, the Hindi film will be released for around screens in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, East Punjab and Uttarakhand. The rest of the country will be covered soon thereafter.

Science & Technology

1. Stubble burning project gets Cental govt’s nod
• With Delhi-NCR and other northern States facing severe pollution, the Environment Ministry approved a regional project to tackle stubble burning, one of the major contributors to air pollution.
• Awareness generation and capacity building activities for farmers to adopt alternative practices and a slew of technological interventions for management of crop residue along with existing machineries will be part of the project.

Seminars & Meetings

1. 78th session of Indian History Congress begins
• The three-day long 78th session of the Indian History Congress began at the Jadavpur University campus.
• The Indian History Congress will have six sections this time - Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, Countries Other than India, Archaeology and Contemporary India.

Sports

1. Viswanathan Anand wins World rapid championship
• Viswanathan Anand did all that at the age of 48, as he lifted the World rapid chess championship in Riyadh. The genial genius from Chennai, who defeated Magnus Carlsen of Norway earlier in the tournament, went on to finish on top with 10.5 points at the end of the 15th and final round.

2. Jitu Rai wins gold with record score in national 50m pistol event
• Ace Indian marksman Jitu Rai won the men’s 50m pistol national title with a new national record score of 233 at the 61st National Shooting Championship in Thiruvananthapuram.
• Rai got the better of Navy man Omkar Singh who shot 222.4 in the finals while Jitu’s army teammate Jai Singh secured bronze with an effort of 198.4. Rai’s score of 233 was a new record in the finals of the event.

States

1. Telangana becomes first state to offer free power to farmers 24 hours a day
• From being a chronically power deficit region to becoming the first state in the country where farmers are given 24/7 free electricity supply to run their 2.3 million agriculture pump sets, Telangana has made dramatic strides on the power front in just three and a half years.