Current Affairs 5th February 2018 - Banking, SSC, UPSC Affairs

5th February Current Affairs 2018: Instantly obtain Latest Current Affairs February 5, 2018 with all essential info. Be the first to know all the Current affairs February 5, 2018 top news, Major Issues, Current happenings, Important events in National as well as International level with clear explanation. For all competitive exams and Interviews, equip yourself with the Latest Current Affairs February 5, 2018 granted here.

'Exam Warriors'- A Book Penned Down By PM Narendra Modi Released

The book penned down by PM Narendra Modi named 'Exam Warriors' was launched to reach out to the students across the country ahead of their exams. The book was released by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The book has been written to inspire youths to face the difficult moments of examinations and life, with fresh and new energy. 'Exam Warriors' is published by Penguin India, which runs into 208 pages.

Mahmud Hossain appointed as New Chief Justice Of Bangladesh

The President of Bangladesh, Abdul Hamid appointed Syed Mahmud Hossain as the new Chief Justice of the country. Justice Hossain is the 22nd chief justice of Bangladesh. President administered the oath of office to Justice Hossain.

Maharashtra Government Approves New Wildlife Sanctuary At Ghodazari

The Maharashtra government approved Ghodazari in Chandrapur district as a new wildlife sanctuary in the state. The decision was taken at the 13th meeting of the Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The sanctuary, in the North East of Tadoba, will include 159 sq km of Brahmapuri forest. This will not only save the forest but will also improve tourism in nearly 40 villages in the area.

Sri Lanka Celebrates 70th Independence Day

Sri Lanka celebrated the 70th Independence Day in a grand ceremony at the Galle Face Green in Colombo. The theme of the ceremony was "One Nation". It was on this day in 1948 that country achieved freedom from British rule. Representing Britain's Queen, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and the Countess of Wessex participated in the celebrations as Chief Guests.

India Open 2018- Complete List Of Winners

India Open is a badminton event held annually at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi. In women's singles Defending champion P V Sindhu was defeated by American Beiwen Zhang to finish runner-up at the India Open Super 500 tournament. 1.    Men's Singles    Shi Yuqi (China) 2.    Women's Singles    Beiwen Zhang (America) 3.    Men's Doubles    Marcus Fernaldi Gideon (Indonesia)  4.    Women's Doubles    Greysia Polii (Indonesia) Apriyani Rahayu (Indonesia)    Jongkolphan Kititharakul (Thailand) and Rawinda Prajongjai (Thailand) 5.    Mixed Doubles    Mathias Christiansen (Denmark) Christinna Pedersen (Denmark).

President Ram Nath Kovind to open annual Udyanotsav of Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Ram Nath Kovind will open the annual Udyanotsav of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Mughal Gardens will remain open to the public from the tomorrow to 9th of March between 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The gardens will, however, remain closed for visitors on Mondays on account of maintenance.  The public will also be able to visit the Spiritual Garden, Herbal Garden, Bonsai Garden and Musical Garden. AIR correspondent reports the special feature of this year’s Udyanotsav is bulbs flowering plants. Ranunculus and Tulips which are in bloom since the first week of January, are expected to blossom till the last week of February.  About 10,000 programmed Tulip bulbs in 8 varieties of different colors were imported from the Netherlands and have been planted in the Mughal Gardens. The several beds of roses, including both new and heritage varieties, margined with dwarf trimmed hedge and numerous exotic flowers, including Tulips and other bulbous flowering plants, are the main attraction of the Long Garden.

First Ever International Kala Mela Inaugurated In New Delhi

The First ever International Kala Mela was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi. The International Kala Mela has been organized by the Lalit Kala Akademi in partnership with IGNCA of the Ministry of Culture. More than 800 artists from across the world took part in the Festival.

Floating Treatment Wetland launched to purify Neknampur Lake in Hyderabad

The Floating Treatment Wetland (FTW) was inaugurated on World Wetlands Day (February 2) in Neknampur Lake in Hyderabad to clean and purify the pollution. FTW is a joint effort of NGO Dhruvansh, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), district administration and other organizations. There is no need of soil. There are small holes at bottom of the base which facilitates the flow of nutrients from water to plants through biological uptake.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurates Investors Summit In Assam

One hundred and sixty MoUs with investment proposals of over 64,000 crore rupees were signed on the opening day of the first ever global investors summit at Guwahati in Assam.  The summit hosted by the Assam government is a new beginning and will open a new chapter in boosting the relationship with ASEAN countries. The MoUs were signed by hundreds of industry leaders for investment in the state.

Current Affairs 4th February 2018 - Banking, SSC, UPSC Affairs

4th February Current Affairs 2018: Instantly obtain Latest Current Affairs February 4, 2018 with all essential info. Be the first to know all the Current affairs February 4, 2018 top news, Major Issues, Current happenings, Important events in National as well as International level with clear explanation. For all competitive exams and Interviews, equip yourself with the Latest Current Affairs February 4, 2018 granted here.

John Hennessy appointed as Alphabet's New Board Chairman

Alphabet appointed John L. Hennessy as the new board chairman of the company. Hennessy has been on the board since 2004 and Lead Independent Director since 2007. He replaced Eric Schmidt. Schmidt will remain as a "technical advisor" to Alphabet. Hennessy is a former president of Stanford University and has had an extensive career in the tech industry.

India Lifts U-19 World Cup 2018

India defeated Australia to lift the Under 19 World cup for the fourth time. The Men in Blue defeated the three-time champions Australia at Bay Oval, New Zealand. The Australian team had set the target of  214 runs and was chased down easily by India. Manjot Kalra was the Hero of the match with his brilliant century.

Railways Ministry may introduce dynamic pricing system

The Railways Ministry the current flex-fare system and is considering introducing a dynamic pricing system for train tickets, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has said. Under dynamic pricing system, fares will be decided as per the season and demand. The Fares will be automatically adjusted via artificial intelligence, algorithms or technology, to help trains have more occupancy

IOC to invest Rs 3,400 crore in Assam to augment operations

Indian Oil Corporation will invest Rs 3,400 crore in Assam over the next five years to expand its operations by setting up new units as well as upgrading the existing ones. The company will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Assam Government to this effect at the two-day ‘Advantage Assam – Global Investors Summit 2018’, beginning in Guwahati. They are signing an MoU with the state government that will empower us to invest Rs 3,400 crore in Assam over the next five years. This will be for various projects across the state,” Indian Oil Corporation, Executive Director (IndianOil-AOD), Dipankar Ray.

Maharashtra launches 4 schemes to financially aid agriculture, small businesses

Maharashtra launched four new schemes for funding businesses, agriculture and skill development. The schemes were launched are expected to benefit ‘Maratha’ community. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the schemes at the Sahyadri guest house, saying that the schemes will train youngsters in developing skills in agriculture and industries, besides funding enterprising endeavors. The state will back financially to help farmers and youngsters. The state will bear the interest of the loans taken from various banks. Those active in the field of agriculture, small-scale industries, self-help groups and farm product companies will also be eligible for the funding.

Fifth International Biennial Conference of Indian Heritage Network opened up to signify cultural heritage in Odisha

Fifth International Biennial Conference of Indian Heritage Network (IHCN) was opened up in Odisha signifying socio-cultural heritage surrounding art and craft of India which will go on for three days. International Biennial Conference of Indian Heritage Network was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.  Addressing the inaugural session CM Patnaik said that “along with the development of modern amenities and facilities, our cities should also be vibrant with the socio-cultural life, centered on heritage, art and craft. The outcome of the dialogue series is to arrive at policy-level recommendations to address the issues relevant to Odisha and also to raise awareness and be a platform for advocacy.

India and World Bank signs loan agreement for development of Jal Marg Vikas Project

India and World Bank signed a US $ 375 million loan agreement for the construction and development of Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP). Notably, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed a project agreement with the World Bank today, even as the latter entered into a US $ 375 million loan agreement with the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance for Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP). However, the signing of the Agreement follows the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, for the implementation of the US $ 800 million JMVP for capacity augmentation of navigation on National Waterway-1(River Ganga) from Varanasi to Haldia. Out of the remaining amount, US $ 380 million is to be sourced from the Government of India counterpart funds from budgetary allocation and proceeds from the bond issue. Another US $ 45 million will come from private sector participation under the PPP mode.

Arunachal Pradesh nods to much awaited Advertisement Policy 2018

Arunachal Pradesh gave a nod to much awaited “Arunachal Pradesh Advertisement Policy 2018.” State Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu approved Arunachal Pradesh Advertisement Policy 2018 which will enable the government to make payment of government advertisement bills to media houses on a timely basis.  In another decision, the Cabinet approved the release of gratuitous relief of Rs 2,000 for all contingency and casual workers serving under Arunachal Government. Apart from approving the creation of 25 posts of Assistant Professors for government colleges of the state under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), the Cabinet also approved enhancement of salary of teachers working under SSA and RMSA on contractual basis up to 22% with effect from April 1, 2018. The Cabinet directed the education department to ensure that salaries are disbursed by the first week of the subsequent month through the Aadhaar-based DBT through PFMS method.

CRISIL, SIDBI Launch Indias First MSE Sentiment Index

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Mr. Arun Jaitley launched CriSidEx, India’s first sentiment index for micro and small enterprises ( MSEs) developed jointly by CRISIL & SIDBI. CriSidEx is a composite index based on a diffusion index of 8 parameters and measures MSE business sentiment on a scale of 0 (extremely negative ) to 200 ( extremely positive). CriSidEx will have 2 indices, one for the ‘survey quarter’ and another for the ‘next quarter’ once a trend emerges after few rounds of the survey, providing independent time series data.

Indo-Bhutan relations: Royal Bhutanese Consulate Office comes up in Guwahati

Royal Bhutanese Consulate was inaugurated in Guwahati seeking to strengthen North East and Bhutanese bond. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bhutan Lyonpo Damcho Dorji on Friday jointly inaugurated the Royal Bhutanese Consulate.  CM Sonowal said that opening of the Consulate General’s Office will not only benefit Bhutanese and North Eastern tourists, pilgrims and students and businessmen but also strengthen friendship between people from Assam and neighboring states and Bhutan. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also commented that the historical and cultural linkages between Assam and Bhutan have made both the geographical entities their respective natural friends and partners. Thanking Bhutanese Prime Minister Tobgay and Foreign Minister Damcho Dorji for announcing direct flight service between India-Bhutan and Singapore. The move will propel inter-regional growth and connectivity in the backdrop of Act East Policy.

Current Affairs 3rd February 2018 - Banking, SSC, UPSC Affairs

3rd February Current Affairs 2018: Instantly obtain Latest Current Affairs February 3, 2018 with all essential info. Be the first to know all the Current affairs February 3, 2018 top news, Major Issues, Current happenings, Important events in National as well as International level with clear explanation. For all competitive exams and Interviews, equip yourself with the Latest Current Affairs February 3, 2018 granted here.

Saurav Ghosal Becomes The Highest-Ranked Indian Squash Player

India’s leading squash player, Saurav Ghosal jumped five places to No. 14 to become the highest ranked Indian in the latest Professional Squash Association (PSA) rankings. Ghosal beat Joshna Chinappa who slipped three places to No. 17 while Dipika Pallikal Karthik remained on 20. Former Indian national champion Harinder Pal Sandhu was placed at 49th.

Shabnam Asthana Wins Times Power Woman 2017 Award

Shabnam Asthana was awarded the 'Times Power Women of the Year 2017'- Pune for Global PR. The Times Group celebrated the invaluable contribution of women by introducing The Times Power Woman 2017 (Pune) awards. These awards focused on the women of Pune and the prestigious list included 34 select women with power, supremacy, command, and control. The award was conferred on her by Dilip Kamble, Minister of State for Social Justice and Special Assistance in the Government of Maharashtra.

Shyam Benegal Awarded V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award

Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) committee decided to bestow V. Shantaram lifetime achievement Award to veteran film producer and director Shyam Benegal. The award will be presented at concluding ceremony of MIFF in Mumbai. He will be awarded a trophy, cash price of 10 lakh rupees, a certificate and a shawl by Governor of Maharashtra C. Vidyasagar Rao. Benegal has been selected for his contribution to the promotion of the documentary movement.

Two athletes to represent India at the Winter Olympics

Luger Shiva Keshavan and cross-country skier Jagdish Singh will represent India at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics which begins on February 9. Thirty-six-year-old Keshavan, the country's best known Winter Olympian, will be taking part in his sixth Games since his debut at Nagano in Japan in 1998. Meanwhile, this will be Jagdish Singh's maiden Winter Games appearance.

Neelam Kapur appointed as DG Of Sports Authority Of India

Senior-most Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Neelam Kapur was appointed Director-General of Sports Authority of India (SAI). She is at present the Principal Director General of the Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP). It is for the first time that an IIS officer has been appointed as SAI chief. The post is usually held by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

Cochin Shipyard Limited Signs MoU With Russian Firm USC

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and  Joint Stock Company United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Russia have signed an MoU to collaborate and engage in Design, Development and Execution of contemporary, State-of-Art vessels for Inland and Coastal Waterways.  The MoU will give a push to the  Government’s Make-in-India programme, as also its plans to develop eco-friendly and economic transportation along India’s inland waterways and coastal shipping routes under SAGARMALA.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurates Global Investment Summit In Assam

The first two-day Global Investment Summit has been organized in Assam. The summit emphasizes on promoting investments in the state and the North East. The conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  Businessmen like Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani are taking part in the Summit. Investor's from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Germany, and Japan as well as ASEAN countries will attend the summit.

India Open Boxing: Mary Kom Clinches Gold India Bag 10 Medals

The five-time World Champion MC Mary Kom claimed the gold medal in the India Open International Boxing tournament at Thyagraj Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. She defeated Josie Gabuco from the Philippines in a split 4-1 decision to grab the gold in the women's 48kg weight category. The 12th seeded boxer had earlier booked her place in the finals after defeating Mongolian Altansetseg Lutsaikhan in the semi-final clash. Pinki Rani also fetched gold for India after defeating Mongolia’s Jargalan Ochirbat in the final of fly (48-51 kg) category.

UAE Launches World's Longest Zip Line

The United Arab Emirates made a record by opening the world's longest zip line, measuring 2.83 km in length. Guinness World Records officials certified the zip line in Ras al-Khaimah. The Jebel Jais Flight takes thrill-seekers atop the country's largest mountain peak, from a launch pad 1,680 meters (5,512 feet) above sea level.

Indian Overseas bank receives Rs173 crores Capital Infusion From Government

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) received Rs173.06 crore capital infusion from the government in the current fiscal. In a regulatory filing, IOB has received Rs173.06 crore a the contribution of the central government in the preferential allotment of equity shares of the bank as government’s investment during the 2017-18 fiscal.

Current Affairs 2nd February 2018 - Banking, SSC, UPSC Affairs

2nd February Current Affairs 2018: Instantly obtain Latest Current Affairs February 2, 2018 with all essential info. Be the first to know all the Current affairs February 2, 2018 top news, Major Issues, Current happenings, Important events in National as well as International level with clear explanation. For all competitive exams and Interviews, equip yourself with the Latest Current Affairs February 2, 2018 granted here.

IOA Joint Secretary Vikram Singh Sisodia Named Chef-De-Mission For CWG

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed its joint secretary Vikram Singh Sisodia as the Chef-de-Mission for the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast, Australia. The IOA also appointed three team managers to accompany Sisodia and help him in the day-to-day duties during the Games. Sisodia is also currently the president of Chhattisgarh State Tennis Association.

Shesh Anand Madhukar honoured with Sahitya Akademi Bhasha Samman award

Magahi writer Shesh Anand Madhukar honored with Sahitya Akademi Bhasha Samman award. He is a second writer of Magahi language to be given this award. Magahi language also known as Magadhi is the language spoken in Bihar-Jharkhand region of eastern India. It has been derived from ancient language Magadhi is the language spoken in Bihar-Jharkhand region of eastern India. It has been derived from ancient language Magadhi Prakrit, spoken in the ancient kingdom.

Odisha wins Geospatial World Excellence Award 2018

Odisha Government won ‘Geospatial World Excellence Award-2018’ for successful IT application for tracking of mineral production. The award was presented at the Geospatial World Forum Meeting held at Hyderabad, Telangana. The event was attended by more than 3,000 geospatial experts from 90 different countries. i3MS is GPS-linked web-based software designed by scientists of Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC), Bhubaneswar.

Union Government makes PAN mandatory for transactions over 2.5 lakhs

The union government made Permanent Account Number (PAN) mandatory for any entity conducting financial transactions of 2.5 lakh or more. Adding that an Aadhaar-like identity number is being developed for enterprises PAN card will also be used as a Unique Entity Number for non-individuals from April 1.

Thirty Second Surajkund International Crafts Mela Begins

The 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela begun in Faridabad, Haryana. The Mela is organized by the Surajkund Mela Authority and Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs. The 17-day cultural extravaganza will see a spectacular showcase of regional and international crafts, handlooms, traditions along with some mouth-watering multi-cuisine food for the visitors. This year Uttar Pradesh is the theme state and Kyrgyzstan is the Partner Nation.

Andhra Pradesh to organize urban innovation summit

In order to boost the rapidly developing sector of Urban development, Andhra Pradesh government will be organizing a three-day innovation summit on the theme of ‘Urban transformation to Global Living’. Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu announced that Happy Cities Summit will be held between April 10 and 12 in Bhavani Island on Krishna River where experts and various industry players will attend that grand event to brainstorm on various dimensions of building smart and sustainable cities. Addressing the meeting of CRDA officials, the Chief Minister suggested that subject like citizen-centricity urban innovation, next-generation technology, urban planners, urban transportation, architecture, and designing should be included during Happy Cities Summit.

India Joins Ashgabat agreement

India joined Ashgabat Agreement on the establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor between the Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The agreement was signed in 2011, which envisages facilitation of transit and transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.  According to the External Affairs Ministry, the accession to the Agreement would diversify India’s connectivity options with Central Asia and have a positive influence on its trade and commercial ties with the region.

Lt. Gen Anil Chauhan Takes Charge As DGMO Of Indian Army

Lt. Gen Anil Chauhan took charge as the new Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army. He succeeds Lt General A K Bhatt. Lt Gen Chauhan has held several important posts in the Army and is known for his expertise in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.

India Slips To 42nd Place On EIU Democracy Index, Norway Tops

India slipped to 42nd place on an annual Global Democracy Index according to the data compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). India has moved down from 32nd place last year. The top 5 Countries in the list are Norway,  Iceland,  Sweden, New Zealand and Denmark. The index ranks 165 independent states and two territories on the basis of five categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, the functioning of government, political participation and political culture. The list has been divided into four broad categories- full democracy, flawed democracy, the hybrid regime and authoritarian regime. North Korea is ranked the lowest at 167th, while Syria is a notch better at 166th place.

Learn Excel Formulas Functions

Introduction

A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values in a particular order. All spreadsheet programs include common functions that can be used for quickly finding the sum, average, count, maximum value, and minimum value for a range of cells. In order to use functions correctly, you'll need to understand the different parts of a function and how to create arguments to calculate values and cell references.

The parts of a function

In order to work correctly, a function must be written a specific way, which is called the syntax. The basic syntax for a function is an equals sign (=), the function name (SUM, for example), and one or more arguments. Arguments contain the information you want to calculate. The function in the example below would add the values of the cell range A1:A20.

Working with arguments

Arguments can refer to both individual cells and cell ranges and must be enclosed within parentheses. You can include one argument or multiple arguments, depending on the syntax required for the function.

For example, the function =AVERAGE(B1:B9) would calculate the average of the values in the cell range B1:B9. This function contains only one argument.

Multiple arguments must be separated by a comma. For example, the function =SUM(A1:A3, C1:C2, E2) will add the values of all cells in the three arguments.

Using functions

There are a variety of functions. Here are some of the most common functions you'll use:

• SUM: This function adds all the values of the cells in the argument.
• AVERAGE: This function determines the average of the values included in the argument. It calculates the sum of the cells and then divides that value by the number of cells in the argument.
• COUNT: This function counts the number of cells with numerical data in the argument. This function is useful for quickly counting items in a cell range.
• MAX: This function determines the highest cell value included in the argument.
• MIN: This function determines the lowest cell value included in the argument.

To use a function:

In our example below, we'll use a basic function to calculate the average price per unit for a list of recently ordered items using the AVERAGE function.

1. Select the cell that will contain the function. In our example, we'll select cell C11.
   
2. Type the equals sign (=) and enter the desired function name. In our example, we'll type =AVERAGE.
   
   
   
3. Enter the cell range for the argument inside parentheses. In our example, we'll type (C3:C10). This formula will add the values of cells C3:C10 and then divide that value by the total number of cells in the range to determine the average.
   
   
   
4. Press Enter on your keyboard. The function will be calculated, and the result will appear in the cell. In our example, the average price per unit of items ordered was $15.93.
   
   
   

Your spreadsheet will not always tell you if your function contains an error, so it's up to you to check all of your functions. To learn how to do this, check out the Double-Check Your Formulas lesson.

Working with unfamiliar functions

If you want to learn how a function works, you can start typing that function in a blank cell to see what it does.

You can then type an open parenthesis to see what kind of arguments it needs.

Understanding nested functions

Whenever a formula contains a function, the function is generally calculated before any other operators, like multiplication and division. That's because the formula treats the entire function as a single value—before it can use that value in the formula, it needs to run the function. For example, in the formula below, the SUM function will be calculated before division:

Let's take a look at a more complicated example that uses multiple functions:

=WORKDAY(TODAY(),3)

Here, we have two different functions working together: the WORKDAY function and the TODAY function. These are known as nested functions, since one function is placed, or nested, within the arguments of another. As a rule, the nested function is always calculated first, just like parentheses are performed first in the order of operations. In this example, the TODAY function will be calculated first, since it's nested within the WORKDAY function.