GS-III

State-owned Canara Bank said it would raise up to Rs. 3,000 crore by issuing Basel III-compliant bonds. The decision was taken at the bank’s board meeting held on Wednesday, it said in a regulatory filing. The board has decided to raise additional tier-I capital through Basel III-compliant additional tier-I perpetual …

The Commerce and Industry Ministry has taken up with the Finance Ministry the issue of ‘angel tax’ notices being sent to start-ups, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu has said. Several start-ups have raised concerns over taxation of angel funds under the Section 56 of the Income Tax Act, which provides for …

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel as well as Deputy Governor Viral Acharya have cautioned the government on the upside risks to inflation due to fiscal slippages, minutes of the December Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting showed. Admitting the pace of inflation slowed in October, Dr. Patel highlighted …

The Centre has mandated the packaging of 100% of foodgrain and 20% of sugar in jute bags for 2018-19 but has also left the window open for the dilution of the order. This includes a stipulation on placing 10% of the orders through reverse auction on the government e-marketplace. The …

Airlines in India will need 2,300 moreplanes, valued at $320 billion, until 2037, aerospace major Boeing said on Wednesday in its market outlook. Globally, the number needed in the next 20 years is projected at 42,370 planes worth $6.3 trillion. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for almost 40% of the worldwide …

Relaxations to risk thresholds mulled; Centre may infuse capital to help banks meet regulatory norms Four public sector banks — Bank of Maharashtra, Corporation Bank, Allahabad Bank and Bank of India — that are under the prompt corrective action framework of RBI, may come out of the restrictions following improved …

Debris caused by Titli cyclone cleared by forest department for nesting Thousands of olive ridleys, as part of their annual mating season, have assembled near the Rushikulya rookery on the Odisha coast. The forest department has stepped up its patrol in the area to safeguard the turtles. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/olive-ridleys-congregate-for-mating-season/article25785560.ece

Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that the government was trying to reduce goods and services tax (GST) on 99% of the items below 18% as ‘belated wisdom’. “Having scrambled the egg needlessly when GST was introduced, government is trying to unscramble it! …

“The hon. Supreme Court, Madam, has recently decriminalised Section 377 and the LGBT community has been accepted to be a part of the mainstream. So, we have same sex couples now. But, in this Bill, there is no mention of them,” she said. The Trinamool MP also called for stopping …

Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa said on Wednesday that the launch of satellite GSAT-7A would enhance the networking and communication capabilities of the Air Force. Big push “We have several platforms (aircraft) which have capabilities of communication through satellite. The communication to the platform (aircraft) through the satellite will be …

The Supreme Court has ordered the West Bengal government to respond to a case of 27 farmers, who are fighting to retain their land against the State’s claim of having acquired it over six decades ago. Srikanta Charan Kanp, the lead petitioner in the case, told an apex court Bench …

A team of scientists from the Fatigue and Fracture Laboratory and the Advanced Seismic Testing and Research Laboratory, CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC), Chennai, conducted a crucial qualification test of the fuel drop tank of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). The laboratory designed and developed the test in consultation …

Officials from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and Food & Drug Administration on Wednesday (FDA) visited some facilities of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to take samples of baby powder to test them for the presence of cancer-causing asbestos. This follows a recent Reuters report on the presence of …

In the aftermath of criticism by scientists, eminent agriculture scientist, M.S. Swaminathan, has said that he’s a “supporter of genetic engineering technology” and that he ought not to have co-authored the article, which was a review of genetic modification (GM) technology in crops, in India. “I wish to… reiterate my …

The sugar cane farmers of Bihar are in distress as the government has not yet announced the cane price for the mill owners for the current season. The farmers are also agitated with the mill owners over non-payment of their dues. Speaking to The Hindu over phone, sugar cane farmers …

An anxious ISRO Chairman K. Sivan on Wednesday watched the flight path of the GSLV-F11 intently as it soared into the evening sky carrying communication satellite GSAT-7A, meant to enhance the communication infrastructure of the Indian Air Force. Three key factors had weighed on the minds of the launch team …

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a Bill banning commercial surrogacy with penal provisions of jail term of up to 10 years and fine of up to Rs. 10 lakh. The Bill, which will become law once the Rajya Sabha approves it, allows only close Indian relatives to be surrogate …

Raise investment, reform agriculture and codify labour laws: vision document A growth rate of 9% is essential to generate enough jobs and achieve universal prosperity, according to a vision document released by NITI Aayog on Wednesday. Towards this, the ‘Strategy for New India @75’ document recommends a number of steps, …

Falling crude oil prices helped the rupee record its highest gain in over five years on Tuesday. The Indian currency appreciated by 112 paise against the U.S. dollar. After making a strong opening at 71.34 a dollar, as compared to the previous close of 71.56, the currency gained further in …

A one-month-old on a remote island in the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu became the first child to be immunised in a trial of drone-delivered vaccines, UNICEF said on Tuesday. If successful, the initiative could be replicated in isolated and far-flung areas around the world, the UN agency said.AFP Source : …