1) Finance Minister Holds 5th Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting
•The Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley holds his 5th Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting with the leading Economists in New Delhi. According to the Finance Minister, India has recorded an average growth of 7.5% from 2014-15 to 2016-17, significantly higher as compared to the growth in the previous two years.
•The fiscal deficit as a ratio of GDP stood at 3.9% in 2015-16 and 3.5% in 2016-17 and is budgeted to be 3.2% for the Current Financial Year 2017-18.
2) Electronics and IT Ministry Launched First NIC-CERT
•Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched first NIC-CERT, a setup of National Informatics Centre to prevent and predict cyber attacks on government utilities. It was launched in New Delhi.
•NIC-CERT has been set up with the objective of creating a comprehensive framework that integrates world-class security components and inbuilt threat intelligence for detection, prevention and incident response.
3) Vice President Confers 'Yeraringan' Award to M.S. Swaminathan
•The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has conferred 'Yeraringan' Award to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, in Chennai. Prof. M.S. Swaminathan was a transformative leader who has inspired many scientists to focus on the problem of Indian agriculture.
•The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri Banwarilal Purohit was present on the occasion. He has shown to the entire world how research can reach the farms and transform farmers’ lives.
4) Mount Hope Becomes UK's New Highest Mountain
•Britain has a new highest mountain after new satellite data revealed the peak was almost 400 metres taller than previously thought. Mount Hope, in the British Atlantic Territory, was recently re-measured and found to be 377 metres taller than previous calculations.
•This takes it to 3,239 metres, meaning it knocks Mount Jackson, the current title holder at 3,184 metres, off the top spot.
5) Government Fixes Sovereign Gold Bond Rate at Rs 2890/gram
•The government has fixed Rs 2,890 per gram as the price of new series of sovereign gold bonds (SGBs). The government, in consultation with the Reserve Bank, has decided to offer a discount of Rs 50 per gram to investors applying online and making payments digitally.
•Earlier, Government, had floated Series III of Sovereign Gold Bonds 2017-18, for the period from October 09, 2017 to December 27, 2017. Under the scheme, the bonds are denominated in units of one gram of gold and multiples thereof. Minimum investment in the bonds is one gram, with a maximum limit of 500 grams per person, per financial year.
6) India to Host 2021 Champions Trophy, 2023 World Cup
•India is all set to host the 2023 World Cup, the global cricketing event’s 13th edition after the BCCI confirmed the host nation. India will also host the upcoming Champions Trophy in 2021.
•The ICC World Cup 2019 will be held in England and Wales. This will be the first time that the event will be held entirely in India: the nation has, on three occasions previously, hosted the World Cup partially (1987, 1996 and 2011).
