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Current Affairs Updates - 8th January 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 8th January 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 8th January 2018

Here we are with some of the sorted out headlines for today. The current affairs updates for 8th of january 2018 consists of all the important news from national and international affairs other than some headlines from banking and economic affairs. Candidates can go through the headlines marked in red and the rest of it given in bullet points.
Banking/Economic Affairs
According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s foreign exchange (Forex) reserves have scaled to a fresh record high of 409.366 billion dollar as on December 29, 2017.
  • The components of India’s FOREX Reserves include Foreign currency assets (FCAs), Gold, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and RBI’s Reserve position with International Monetary Fund (IMF). FCAs constitute the largest component of Indian Forex Reserves.
Paytm Payments Bank has partnered Induslnd Bank to introduce a facility to create a fixed deposit when the customer balance exceeds Rs 1 lakh at the end of day.
  • Paytm Payments Bank customers can redeem their deposits instantly, anytime without paying any pre-closure or miscellaneous charges and can earn up to 6.85% annual interest, the company said in a statement.
Centre introduces 7.75% taxable savings bonds designed to help citizens invest in a taxable instrument, without any monetary ceiling.
  • The instruments would be available for sale from January 10, 2018.
  • The bonds are open to investment by individuals, including joint holdings and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs). Non-resident Indians are not eligible to invest in these bonds.
National Affairs
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA)-run Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has reached a subscriber base of 80 lakh where Uttar Pradesh is the highest contributing state at 11.41 lakh APY subscribers, followed by Bihar and Tamil Nadu at 8.87 lakh and 6.60 lakh respectively.
  • "Now, the subscribers' base under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has reached more than 80 lakhs and growing at a good pace," the PFRDA said in a statement.
  • Uttar Pradesh is the highest contributing state at 11.41 lakh APY subscribers, followed by Bihar and Tamil Nadu at 8.87 lakh and 6.60 lakh respectively.
Chandigarh has recorded the highest Gross Enrolment Ratio or GER for females in all categories of higher education at 68.8 per cent, according to the 2016-17 report of All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) launched by Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar.
  • However, the figure registered a drop of 1.6 per cent, compared to last year’s 70.4 per cent that was also the highest in this category. The GER is calculated for 18 to 23 years of age group.
The Income Tax Department has launched an 'online chat' service for taxpayers so that they can seek answers to their basic queries and doubts relating to direct tax issues. 
  • A window has been hosted on the main page of the department's website -- www.incometaxindia.gov.in/ -- with a prominent icon stating 'Live Chat Online- ask your query'. 
The Income Tax Department relaxed norms for levy of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) on companies facing corporate insolvency proceedings.
  • As per Section 115JB of the Income Tax Act, MAT is levied on book profit after deducting the amount of loss brought forward or unabsorbed depreciation, whichever is less.
Global IT security firm Quick Heal's Security Labs  has spotted an  Android Banking Trojan  malware known as "Android.banker.A2f8a" which is being distributed through a fake Flash Player app on third-party stores.
  • "Users are advised to avoid downloading apps from third party app stores or links provided in SMSs and emails to keep their credentials safe," Sanjay Katkar, Joint Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer, Quick Heal Technologies Limited, said in a statement.



International Affairs
Arab states to seek recognition of East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital.
  • Jordan's foreign minister and the head of the Arab League said they would push for an international resolution on naming Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. This follows the US move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's.
NASA Releases Logo For 60th Anniversary. The logo depicts how NASA is building on its historic past to soar toward a challenging and inspiring future.
  • “NASA” and “60” are stacked, bold and tall, atop the continental United States, the curvature of Earth, and the light of an approaching dawn. This placement captures the spirit of a metaphor about knowledge and discovery, often attributed to 17th century physicist Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” 
After Djibouti, China to Build Second Foreign Naval Base in Pakistan.
  • China is planning to build its second overseas naval base near Pakistani’s Gwadar port following the opening of its facility in Djibouti last year.
  • A report in the South China Morning Post said that Gwadar port was a key part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Agreements (MoU)
Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) and Ministry of Science & Technology have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for joint funding of Technology Mission for Indian Railways (TMIR).
  • The MoU aims to facilitate co-financing of (TMIR) by investment sharing for identified railway projects for applied research.
  • Indian Railways will be benefited with the availability of world-class indigenized technologies at very reasonable cost through this consortium approach.
Summit /Conference / Events / Host
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address top police officers of the country at a three-day annual conference organised by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) at Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Counter-radicalisation, Left-wing extremism, issues pertaining to the Northeast, security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and policing in the future are some of the topics to be discussed.
Sports: Awards & Honours
Gilles Simon beats Kevin Anderson to win inaugural Tata Open Maharashtra
  • The unseeded French player, ranked 89, tamed big-serving Anderson, ranked 14 in the world, 7-6(4), 6-2 in the summit clash, watched by a packed house at Balewadi Sports Complex.
Obituary 
John Young, 'most experienced' U.S. astronaut, dies at 87.
  • U.S. astronaut John Young, who walked on the moon in 1972 and even smuggled a corned beef sandwich into orbit during a career that made him the only person to fly with three NASA space programs, has died at age 87, officials said on Saturday.
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