09 February 2018 Current Affairs

1. RBI to link base rate with MCLR from 1 April 2018.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it will link the base rate for loans with the marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) from 1 April 2018 to improve monetary policy transmission.
• RBI introduced the Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rates (MCLR) system with effect from April 1, 2016 to facilitate greater passing on of the benefit of reduction in policy rates to lending rates.
• The MCLR for 1-year tenure loan for country's biggest lender State Bank of India (SBI) stands at 7.95 percent for the month of January 2018 while its base rate still stands at 8.65 percent.
• The 1-year MCLR for most commercial banks as on January 2018 ranges between 7.95 percent and 9.75 percent.

Reserve Bank of India(RBI)

Its aim to regulate the issue of Bank notes and keeping of reserves with a view to securing monetary stability in India and generally to operate the currency and credit system of the country to its advantage; to have a modern monetary policy framework to meet the challenge of an increasingly complex economy

Founded : 1 April 1935(RBI Act 1934)

Governor : Dr. Urjit Patel

Head Quarter : Mumbai

2. 6th edition of World Government Summit 2018 held in Dubai, UAE.

• India is a partner country of 6th World Government Summit Held in Dubai, UAE.
• India and UAE will sign at least 12 agreements ranging from finance to skill development during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the oil-rich Gulf nation.
• This summit is set to host a constructive dialogue between leaders, decision-makers, scientists, experts, academics and entrepreneurs to achieve a better future of the societies. 
• A special delegation from the subcontinent will then showcase the country's developmental experience in a special section titled From India to The World, which features streams on Technology and Innovation and India's Service Sector.

United Arab Emirates(UAE)

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Currency: UAE Dirham

Preident: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

3. Bermuda becomes first country in the world to repeal same sex marriage law.

• Governor John Rankin  sought to balance opposition to same-sex marriage on the island, which was legalized through a Supreme Court ruling in May 2017, while complying with European court rulings that ensure legal protections for same-sex couples.

Bermuda

Capital : Hamilton

Currency : Bermudian Dollar

Governor : John Rankin

4. Chile gets five national parks together the size of Switzerland.

• Chile has created five new national parks that are collectively the size of Switzerland.
• The new national parks, which aim to preserve vast tracts of Patagonia, comprise 9 million acres of federal land and over 1 million acres of land donated by American philanthropists.

Chile

Capital : Santiago

Currency : Peso

President : Sebastian Pinera

5. Indian princess Sophia Alexandra Duleep Singh gets UK’s Royal Mail stamp.

• Indian princess Sophia Alexandra Duleep Singh was honoured by the Royal Mail of the UK to marked the centenary of the suffragette movement with 8 special stamps.
• Suffragettes were members of women's organisations in the late-19th and early-20th centuries which advocated the extension of the 'franchise' or the right to vote in public elections, to women.

United Kingdom(UK)

Capital : London

Currency : Pound

PM : Theresa May(Conservative Party)

6.  Saudi Arabia Allows Air India To Use Airspace For Delhi-Tel 

Aviv Flights.

• Israel's tourism ministry has announced a one-time grant of 750,000 euros to Air India for flight operations.
• According to Israeli daily Haaretz ,Saudi Arabia has allowed Air India to use its airspace for flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv.
• According to the official, an approval from Saudi Arabia to use its airspace will allow Air India to take a shorter route by flying over Ahmedabad, Muscat, Saudi Arabia and then land at Tel Aviv.

Saudi Arabia

Capital : Riyadh

Currency : Riyal

PM : Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

7.  IndusInd Bank unveils a new musical logo called 'MOGO'.

• IndusInd Bank launched its new Sonic Identity today, which is essentially a musical logo, as part of its branding initiatives
• The objective for associating to a sonic identity is building the Bank's brand imagery with the strategic use of music and sound for brand experiences and audience connection.
• The sonic identity is derived from the Bank's persona and core values of innovation, courage and dynamism as well as its strong desire to place customers first. 

IndusInd

CEO : Romesh Sobti

Head Quarter : Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Tagline : We make you feel  rich.

8.  Jhulan Goswami first female cricketer to take 200 ODI wickets.

• India's veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami  added another feather to her illustrious cap by becoming the first female cricketer to take 200 ODI wickets.
• Goswami achieved the feat during the second ODI between India and South Africa.
• The 35-year-old, playing her 166th ODI, dismissed opener Laura Wolvaardt for her 200th scalp.
• Indian Cricketer Kapil Dev is the first male cricketer to pick 200 ODI wickets.

Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI)

CEO: Rahul Johri

President: Vinod Rai

9. Hardayal Prasad appointed as SBI Card MD & CEO.

• SBI Card, the country's second largest credit card issuer, hasa new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer in Hardayal Prasad. Prasad has taken over from Vijay Jasuja, who superannuated on January 31.
• Prior to this appointment, Prasad was with State Bank of India, holding multiple leadership positions in the bank. He had joined SBI as a probationary officer in 1983.

State Bank Of India(SBI)

Established : 1 July 1955

Chairman : Rajnish Kumar

Head Quarter : Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Tagline : Pure Banking for All

10. 

Kathakali maestro Madavoor Vasudevan Nair passes away

• Kathakali maestro Madavoor Vasudevan Nair collapsed on stage and died while performing at Agasthyacodu Mahadeva Temple, Anchal.
• He is survived by wife Savithri Amma, son Madhu and daughters Mini and Ganga.

11. Defence Ministry set up panel  to expedite capital acquisition for Armed Forces modernisation.

• Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Defence Minister, has constituted a 13-member advisory committee to monitor and expedite capital acquisition projects for the modernization of the armed forces.
• The committee will undertake an independent review and check the status of ongoing critical projects worth more than Rs 500 crore.

Union Defence Minister : Nirmala Sitharaman (Karnataka Rajya Sabha)