The government has amalgamated three Regional Rural Banks -- Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank and Sutlej Gramin Bank -- into a single RRB with effect from January 1.

In a filing to the BSE, Punjab and Sind Bank said the central government, after consulting the sponsor banks of the three RRBs, felt that in the interest of the banks and the areas served by them, they should be amalgamated into a single RRB.

"The Central Government has amalgamated the said Regional Rural Banks in to a single Regional Rural Bank with effect on and from January 1, 2019," the filing said.

The sponsor banks of the RRBs are National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Government of Punjab and Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India and Punjab and Sind Bank, it added.

Roger Federer geared up for his Australian Open title defence in convincing fashion, guiding Switzerland to a 2-1 triumph over Germany on Saturday for their fourth Hopman Cup crown. Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber 4-0 1-4 4-3(4) in the mixed doubles decider to win the trophy at the Perth Arena in a repeat of the 2018 final.

“I’m happy I’m feeling this good and playing as well as I am,” said Federer, who has won the last two Australian Open titles after taking part in the mixed-team event.

Federer has beaten Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Cameron Norrie and Zverev in straight sets and will be full of confidence heading into Melbourne Park later this month. “It’s good to finish on a singles performance like this. I’m a bit surprised the matches have gone as well as they have,” the 37-year-old added.

The Ministry of Home Affairs Saturday notified the high-level committee that is expected to look into the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord of 1985.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr K Sivan has said that the Union Government has allocated 10,900 crore rupees for the development of 40 satellite launch vehicles in the next four years. He was delivering the graduation Day lecture at the historic St Joseph’s College, Trichy, Tamilnadu, which is celebrating its 175th anniversary.
           
Dr Sivan said that Chandrayan Mission will be launched within three months. It will land in one part of the Moon which is still unexplored. He also said that the human space flight Gaganyaan is planned to be launched by 2022, the 75th anniversary of Independence.
           
Pointing out that the Centenary year celebrations of ISRO founder Dr Vikram Sarabhai will be held next year, Dr Sivan said that ISRO will rededicate itself to become a world class organization, capable of addressing the varied socio economic challenges of the nation.
           
He further said that as a part of the celebrations, Space Technology Incubation Centres will be set up in different parts of the country, including Trichy.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said, the government will soon make it mandatory for linking Aadhaar with driving licences. The minister for Law, Electronics and Information Technology said, they are soon going to bring a law which will make it mandatory. Mr Prasad was delivering his presidential address at the ongoing 106th Indian Science Congress in Jalandhar yesterday. 
 
Explaining the need for the linkage, the Minister said that at present, the guilty person who causes an accident flees the scene and gets a duplicate licence which helps him go scot-free. However, with the Aadhaar linkage, one can change his/her name but cannot change his/her biometrics, neither iris nor fingerprints. 
 
Eulogising about the Centre's 'Digital India' programme, the minister claimed that it had bridged the urban-rural divide.

Through a power presentation, Mr Prasad said, this is digital profile of India -- 123 crore Aadhaar cards, 121 crore mobile phones, 44.6 crore smart phones, 56 crore internet users, there has been 51 per cent growth in e-commerce. He also said, digital payment transactions in the country have increased manifold to over 2,070 crore rupees in 2017-18.

Virat Kohli on Monday became the first captain to lead India to a Test series win in Australia. India and Australia played out a draw in the fourth Test after continuous rainfall on the last two days of the match disrupted proceedings and washed away Australia’s chances of equalising the series. With the anti-climax, India won the series 2-1.

In 11 previous attempts, India had drawn a series in the longest format only twice, while losing nine. Bishan Singh Bedi had led India to a series draw in 1977-78 tour, after which Sourav Ganguly had done the same in the 2003-04 tour.

Kohli became the first Indian captain to record two overseas series wins with victories in three matches. The The 33-year-old had previously led India to a historic whitewash in a Test series against Sri Lanka in 2017. Kohli also became the first Indian skipper to register three Test match wins in a series outside the Asian subcontinent in 50 years. It was Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi who had done the same with a 3-1 series win against New Zealand in 1967-68.

With the series win, Kohli also surpassed Ganguly as the most successful Indian captain in overseas conditions in Tests format with 12 wins to his name. He also joined an elite list, comprising of Bishan Singh Bedi and Mushtaq Mohammad, in becoming the most successful Asian captain in Tests in Australia with three wins

Kevin Sweeney, the chief of staff of the US Department of Defence, has announced his resignation from the post.

"After two years in the Pentagon, I've decided the time is right to return to the private sector," Sweeney said in a statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

His departure comes after former Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis stepped down in December.

Mattis, who worked with Sweeney when he led the US Central Command, picked Sweeney to be his chief of staff in early 2017. Sweeney retired as a Rear Admiral from the US Navy in 2014.

Sweeney's decision is the latest by a senior official to leave the Pentagon. Earlier this week, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White announced her departure.

Deputy Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan is now Acting US Secretary of Defence.

In a second major setback for erstwhile liquor baron Vijay Mallya, the special court in Mumbai today declared has declared him a ‘Fugitive Economic Offender’, making him first businessman to be charged under the new anti fugitive law. This means now the government can initiate to confiscate his properties in alleged Rs. 9,000 crore loan default case.

On Saturday, Special Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) judge M.S. Azmi in his oral order declared Mallya, a fugitive economic offender under Section 12 of the act, on a plea of Enforcement Directorate (ED).

“Section 17 of the FEO act provides from the challenge of the proclamation in the High Court within 30 days and I am very sure that Mallaya’s lawyers will want to explore the option,” said Zulfiqar Memon, managing partner of law firm MZM Legal. “More than anything, this order could mean that his properties can now be confiscated and sold by the Government, which may be most detrimental to Mallaya.”

In July 2018, the ED had filed an application before the court, seeking to declare Mallya a ‘fugitive economic offender’ under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 and had also sought to immediately confiscate his assets of over Rs. 12,500 crore.

The Lok Sabha on Friday passed Aadhaar and other laws (Amendment Bill) 2018 and Companies Amendment Bill 2018.

The Aadhaar Bill seeks to amend the Aadhaar Act, 2016, the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. 

It provides for voluntary sharing of the 12-digit identification number for obtaining new mobile phone connections and opening bank accounts. 

The government move comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s judgment. 

The Apex court in September last year struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act that made seeding of the biometric ID with SIMs and bank accounts mandatory, stating that it had no legal backing.

The Companies (Amendment), Bill, 2018 replaces the Ordinance promulgated in November last year. 

The Bill amends several provisions in the Companies Act, 2013 related to penalties. It also prescribes strong action against non-compliant companies.

Replying to a debate on the bill in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs P P Chaudhary said, the bill has been brought with a view to declog the Special Courts and National Company Law Tribunal, NCLT. 

He said, it will also reduce the burden on NCLT and Special Courts and improve ease of doing business in the country.

The 27th New Delhi World Book Fair will begin today at Pragati Maidan. Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the 9-day annual event.

The theme of this year is 'Readers with Special Needs'. All India Radio is the radio partner for the fair.

To mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, there will be special book exhibition of books on and by Mahatma Gandhi. More than 600 publishers will display books at more than 1350 stalls at the fair.

Tickets will be of 30 rupees for adults and 20 rupees for children. Tickets will be available online, at selected metro stations and Pragati maidan gate no. 1 and 10.

There will be free entry for students in school uniform, senior citizens and differently abled. Over 20 countries will participate in the fair.