GS-III

Panel questions rationale behind move; says banks stretched to help Centre post note ban The Committee on Government Assurances has questioned the rationale behind banks being asked to bear the cost of soiled and counterfeit notes, particularly during the demonetisation exercise of 2016. In its report tabled in the Rajya …

At Rs. 94,726 cr. in December, it is lower than the Rs. 97,637 cr. collected in November The government’s collections from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) declined for the second month in a row to Rs. 94,726 crore in December, official data released on Tuesday showed. Collections declined from …

The Union Home Ministry has approved a Uttar Pradesh government proposal to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj. The decision comes days ahead of the Kumbh Mela being organised by the State government in the city, and over two months after the State Cabinet decided to rename it. The Kumbh Mela will …

‘Sabarimala is a matter of tradition’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that while triple talaq was a matter of gender equality, entry of women in Sabarimala was related to tradition. The Prime Minister said the ordinance against triple talaq was brought keeping in mind gender equality and social …

Birdwatchers call it a rare sighting It is usually during the winter that a distinctly dark large bird – the Cinereous vulture, with a blacked-tipped pink beak – migrates from the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia to warmer places, including India. While earlier records of this migratory bird have …

The International Advertising Association (IAA) will host the IAA World Congress at Kochi from February 20-22. The event, covering marketing, advertising and media, would be held at the Grand Hyatt Lulu International Convention Centre in that city. Pradeep Guha, chairman, steering committee, IAA World Congress, said: “This is being planned …

Compensation likely to go up from Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh The Odisha Forest and Environment Department has proposed to the State government to increase the compensation for human deaths caused in conflict with animals from Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh. The department has also decided …

Fingerprints and iris scans of about 30 lakh applicants will be collected The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will record biometric data including the fingerprints and iris scans of about 30 lakh applicants who have sought to be included in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) after having been …

Cleaner stretches recorded across all riverine States The water quality of the Ganga in 2018 has “improved over last year”, according to a written statement in the Rajya Sabha on Monday by junior Water Resources Minister Satyapal Singh. The statement said “dissolved oxygen” levels had improved at 39 locations, and …

Action followed heavy footfalls in Central Delhi owing to New Year celebrations Following heavy footfall in the Central Delhi area on Tuesday owing to New Year celebrations, the Delhi police issued an advisory leading to the closure of exit gates of four major metro stations. Police and metro officials said …

The outbreak of Kyasanur Forest Disease, also known as monkey fever, at Sharavathi river valley in Sagar taluk is likely to dent the tourism prospects of the region. The Department of Forest and Wildlife has also closed its nature camp at Muppane in Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/monkey-fever-outbreak-likely-to-hit-tourism/article25886302.ece

Price of cloth bags shoot up from Rs. 3 to Rs. 50, say sellers Day one of the ban on single-use plastics in the State on Tuesday witnessed the hiking of prices of alternatives such as cloth bags and banana leaves, sale of non-woven bags as permissible, many hotels and …

We’ll take a call after the judicial process is completed, says Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made it clear that any decision on bringing an ordinance on the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya could be considered only after the judicial process got over. In an …

Buoyed by over 36% of its procurement coming from micro and small enterprises (MSEs), power giant NTPC has pitched for their universal registration for supplies to all CPSUs. “To promote ease of doing business for MSEs, NTPC chairman Gurdeep Singh has proposed a single window registration for MSEs across CPSUs,” …

Tasked with helping recover unpaid corporate loans, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has helped resolve insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings involving more than Rs. 80,000 crore in 2018. The kitty is expected to swell beyond Rs. 1 lakh crore in 2019 with several big-ticket default cases pending. Plans are afoot …

Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continue to lose steam, with investors pulling out Rs. 280 crore during the April-November period of the current fiscal, preferring to invest in equities despite volatile markets. In comparison, 14 gold-linked ETFs had witnessed a withdrawal of Rs. 511 crore in the first eight months of …

The year 2018 has been one of disruption for the banking industry. A tough loan default classification rule by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the out-of-the-blue IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services) imbroglio and the spat between the government and the central bank have combined to make 2018 a …

For the Indian equity markets, year 2018 will end as the worst in terms of foreign money outflows since 2008 when markets across the globe were reeling under the sub-prime crisis and Lehman Brothers filed for the largest bankruptcy in history. In the Indian context, 2018 would also be only …

Commercial banks, under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), are sitting on a pile of cash as they don’t have too many options to lend, even as the banking system is scrambling for liquidity. The 11 public sector banks under the PCA, enjoying …

The zoo here was closed on Tuesday “until further orders” after strains of avian influenza virus were found in six dead peacocks, forest officials said. Joggers and Christmas revellers were in for disappointment as they found the gates of the ‘Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan’ shut with notices affixed on the …