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• The UK has barred the export of a 17th-century tray designed in Bidar, Karnataka, to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country.


• While most of the tray's ownership history is unknown, it is recorded as having been acquired by antique dealer Bashir Mohamed from 1974 to 2017. It was priced at an estimated £75,000, plus VAT, last month.

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• Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group, reportedly fled a coup attempt last month launched by foreign fighters in his eastern Syrian hideout.


• ISIS has since placed a bounty on the head of the coup's main plotter, the report said. It added the coup attempt was carried out by some of Baghdadi's most trusted people.

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• Union Minister, Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 2nd Phase of River Information System (RIS) between Farakka and Patna on National Waterway-1 (River Ganga) in Prayagraj.


• A new arrangement of Navigation Lock to enable breeding of Hilsa fish in River Ganga and to conserve the river ecosystem is being constructed with the cost of Rs. 361.35 Crore at NW-1 under Jal Marg Vikas Project and it is expected to be completed by June, 2019.


• The 2nd Phase of RIS is aimed at enhancing swift electronic data transfer so as to boost movement of Cargo and Fishery Development in river Ganga.


• One Control station will be made at Patna whereas 5 base stations will be made at Manihari, Bhagalpur, Munger, Barh and Hatidah under the 2nd Phase.


• A Namami Gange Exhibition at kumbh Mela, Prayagraj and National Highway Projects of Rs 7195 were also inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari.

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• Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani launched the India Size project in Mumbai with a aim to get a standard Indian Size for the ready-to-wear clothing industry, on the lines of the standardized sizes available in countries such as the USA and the UK.


• During this ceremony, Minister also launched a Study of Apparel Consumption in India. The report of this study would released by July 2019.

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• Dr. Mahesh Sharma said that Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Qutub Minar are among the top 10 Revenue Generating Monuments for 2015-2018.


• The other monuments in the list are Ellora caves, Sun Temple in Konark, Mamallapuram monuments, Khajuraho monuments, Ajanta caves in Aurangabad, Red Fort.


• Among all, Taj Mahal and Agra Fort both located in Agra come at the top positions for revenue generation.

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• Indian Ocean Rim Association meet was organised in New Delhi in collaboration of Ministry of Home Affairs with the Ministry of External Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) solely based on Disaster Risk Management.


• IORA has set Disaster Risk Management its priority to enhance resilience in IORA countries according to its ‘2017-2021’ Action plan.


• This meet will manifest establishment of a DRM Core Group to take ahead the objective of the work plan.


• It will focus and strengthen cooperation in disaster response intervention and mobilization of relief material to affected countries.

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• RBI has announced to increase the limit on collateral-free agriculture loans to Rs.1.6 lakh from Rs.1 lakh. It will help to boost liquidity particularly among small and marginal farmers in the farming sectors.


• RBI’s move will enhance coverage of small and marginal farmers in the legal loan system. As the input costs and support prices for agriculture products have gone up, the increase of limit was essential for farmers.


• Government has already distributed Rs.11 trillion in Agriculture loans. Tamil Nadu has disbursed Rs.1.58 trillion followed by Andra Pradesh with Rs.1.12 trillion.


• RBI has also decided to set up an internal working group to address issues on disparity, average issues and to review agriculture credit.


• Government along with banks has decided to launch a campaign to bring more farmers under Kisan Credit Card (KCC). The total number of farmer as estimated to be around 14 crore while only 6.95 crore KCCs are made in the country.

• Reserve Bank of India has slapped Rs 1 crorepenalty on SBI for not monitoring the end use of funds in respect of one of its borrowers.


• RBI levied fine on State Bank of India,by exercising its powers under Section 47 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

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• The 24 year old World champion Manipuri weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu notched up gold at EGAT Cup in Chiang Mai city, Thailand.


• Mirabai Chanu has won 48 kg category Gold with effort of 192 kg in the silver level Olympic qualifying event for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.


• She lifted 82 kg in snatch and 110 kg in lean and jerk to finish on top of the event.


• She has made a comeback from the injury in her lower back that kept her away to perform since long time.

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• The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will organise the Hero Gold Cup, a four-nation competition, from February 9 to 15 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. It is organised in association with the Odisha government.


• The tournament will see women’s national teams from India, Iran, Myanmar and Nepal lock horns with each other. The final face-off between the two top teams will be held on February 15.

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• YES BANK has been announced as the winner of the 9th edition of Aegis Graham Bell Award 2018 for its ‘Yes Engage Enrich Excel (EEE)’ project in data science. YES EEE program is an industry-first analytics tool that aids the Bank’s relationship managers with top three talking points to engage with their customers.


• Aegis Graham Bell Award has been promoting innovations and entrepreneurship in the ICT domain.

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• Shri Sailesh, IAS, Assam-Meghalaya Cadre, took charge as the Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs.


• He will also hold the post of Secretary, Department of Official Language as an additional charge.

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• Dinkar Gupta took over the charge of Director General of the Punjab Police.


• He took over the charge as DGP from Suresh Arora at a simple ceremony at the Punjab Police headquarters at Chandigarh.


• He promised of providing a safe and secure environment to the citizens of the state, while listing counter-terrorism as the top priority for the force.


• Declaring zero tolerance against drug abuse during his first meeting with officers, Dinkar Gupta said he would implement DAPO and Buddy programmes in letter and in spirit.

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• Billionaire Richard Branson-led aerospace company Virgin Galactic has donated the hybrid motor of its SpaceShipTwo (VSS Unity) rocket to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.


• The motor is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the most powerful hybrid rocket to be used in manned flight. The motor had powered the SpaceShipTwo to suborbital space on December 13, 2018.