Daily GK Updates - 31st October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Benami Transactions Act to curb black money comes into effect: The new law to prohibit benami transactions will come into effect from 1st of next month (01st November 2016). Parliament had passed the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 to curb black money. After coming into effect, the existing Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988 will be renamed as the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions, PBPT, Act, 1988. The new legislation provides for seven years imprisonment and fine for those indulging in illegal transactions.

2. 47^th International Film Festival of India to be held in Goa in November: SEVEN MARATHI films — including four feature and three non-feature films — have made the cut to be screened at the Indian Panorama of the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa from November 20 to 29. The blockbusters like Sultan, National-award winning Baahubali and Airlift will be screened at the upcoming 47th International Film Festival of India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Spain breaks deadlock and re-elects Rajoy as Prime Minister: Mariano Rajoy, Spain's acting prime minister and leader of its center-right Popular Party, was re-elected after winning a parliamentary vote. Mr Rajoy has led a caretaker administration since losing his overall majority in an election last December. A repeat election in June failed to end the impasse but strengthened his hand.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. World Bank appoints Kristalina Georgieva as Chief Executive: Kristalina Georgieva, a former head of EU humanitarian affairs and vice-president of the European commission, has been appointed chief executive of the World Bank.

SPORTS:

2. SaniaMirza retains world number ranking in Women’s Doubles for the 2^nd consecutive year: Ace Indian tennis star Sania Mirza will end the season as world's top doubles Tennis player for the second straight year. Sania finished this season with seven Women's Tennis Association, WTA titles, a Grand Slam and a semi-final finish in the year ending WTA Finals in Singapore.

3. India beat Pakistan in final to win Asian Champions Trophy: India celebrated Diwali by winning gold medal in the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy by beating arch-rivals Pakistan 3-2 in the final in Malaysia. This is the second time India have won the title of this tournament. India won the inaugural tournament in 2011.

Daily GK Updates - 30th October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi pays tribute to Sardar Patel on his 141^st birth anniversary: Prime Minister NarendraModi on Monday paid rich tribute to SardarVallabhbhai Patel on his 141st birth anniversary. The day is being celebrated as ‘RashtriyaEktaDiwas’ (National Unity Day). Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the founding fathers of the Indian Republic, played a key role in the country’s struggle for independence.

2. Ease of doing business: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana top in 2016 all-India ranking: Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has released the report on State-wise Ease of Doing Business rankings on 31st October 2016. The rankings are on the basis of 340-point business reform action plan and their implementation by the States. This covers the period from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. Andhra Pradesh and Telengana topped the all-India ranking with 98.78 per cent each, followed by Gujarat with 98.21 per cent; Chhattisgarh with 97.32 per cent and Madhya Pradesh with 97.01 per cent.

3. Vigilance Awareness Week commences on 31^st October: The Central Vigilance Commission, as part of its efforts to promote probity in public life and to achieve a corruption free society, observes Vigilance Awareness Week every year. The week in which 31st October, the birthday of late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel falls is observed as Vigilance Awareness Week. The observance of the Vigilance Awareness Week has commenced from today (31st October 2016), with pledge taking by public servants in the Ministries/Departments/Central Public Sector Enterprises/Public Sector Banks and all other Organizations.

4. Maharashtra tops NITI Aayog’sagri marketing index: Maharashtra is the top State in the implementation of agricultural reforms and offers the best environment for doing agri-business, according to an assessment by the NitiAayog. Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are in the next three positions in the 'Agricultural Marketing and Farm Friendly Reforms Index' which is based on a number of criteria identified by NitiAayog.

5. November 1 to be observed as ‘No Tobacco Day’ in Punjab: Punjab government will observe November 1 as ‘No Tobacco Day’ in an effort to discourage tobacco use in the state. Chief MinisterParkash Singh Badal has issued directions to all the deputy commissioners in this regard.

6. Kerala CM PinarayiVijayan launches paddy cultivation in land set apart for airport: Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has launched paddy cultivation in AranmulaPuncha near Cochin. The programme, under the HaritaKeralam project, is part of the Government’s earnest efforts to revive paddy cultivation at AranmulaPuncha that has been lying fallow for the past several years.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

2. After seven years, Jhulan Goswami becomes World No. 1 bowler again: Affectionately known as the ‘Chakdaha Express’ back home in Bengal, Jhulan Goswami is only one of two women’s national team cricketers still remaining from the 2005 World Cup squad, that finished second in South Africa. Now, seven years after reaching the pinnacle of the sport, the 33 year old has pipped England pacer Katherine Brunt to become the world number 1 bowler.

Daily GK Updates - 29th October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. After Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh becomes India’s second open defecation Free State: The newly acquired status will entitle Himachal Pradesh to receive World Bank funding under Rs 9,000 crore projects to sustain sanitation campaign

2. Odisha Govt. comes up with a new scheme to provide legal assistance to deprived sections: The Odisha government has come up with a new scheme to provide legal assistance to the deprived sections of the society at the grassroots level in all its 6,812 gram panchayats across the state.

3.India ranks poorly in Commonwealth youth index: India has ranked very poorly at 133 in a new Global Youth Development Index compiled by theCommonwealth Secretariat on the countries' prospects for young people in employment, education, health, civic and political spheres.

4. IIID to conduct 'Design Yatra' in Kozhikode:India's first 'Design Yatra' will be conducted in Kerala's Kozhikode city between October 29-31, during which competitions, heritage walk, talks and interaction with students will be conducted. Launched by Institute of Indian Interior Designer in February this year, the yatra is aimed at spreading awareness and taking designs to the masses and is scheduled to travel to 29 Indian cities.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bangladesh introduces temporary ban on catching Hilsa Fish: Bangladesh has arrested more than 900 fishermen and deployed the army to patrol its waterwaysafter introducing a temporary ban on catching hilsa in an effort to save the hugely popular fish.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India Wins Its First Ever International Medal in Roller Skating at Asian Championships: The team of Indian Roller Skaters claimed their first ever International medal in the sport. Vikram Ingale, Nikhilesh Tabhane and Dhanush Babu have won India’s first ever senior international roller.

Daily GK Updates - 28th October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.National Ayurveda Day being observed: The National Ayurveda Day is being observed on 28-10-2016. The Ministry of AYUSH is organizing a day-long national seminar on Prevention and Control of Diabetes through Ayurveda in New Delhi. The Ministry will launch Mission Madhumeha through Ayurveda on this occasion. 

2. Union Cabinet approves the establishment of National Academic Depository: The Union Cabinet on 27 October 2016 gave its green signal for establishment and operationalization of a National Academic Depository (NAD).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Antarctica’s Ross Sea declared world’s largest marine reserve: Delegates from 24 countries and the European Union have agreed that the Ross Sea in Antarctica will become the world's largest marine protected area (MPA).

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.Punjab wins NCC National Games: Punjab Directorate on 27 October 2016 won the 2016 National Cadet Corp (NCC) National Games. Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence, presented trophies to the winners at the closing ceremony at Delhi Cantonment.

AWARDS:

2. Two Yazidi women, Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar, who escaped sexual enslavement by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq, have won Europe's top human rights award, the Sakharov prize.

OBITUARIES:

3. Japan's Prince Mikasa, world's oldest royal, dies at 100:Japanese Prince Mikasa, uncle of Emperor Akihito, died at the age of 100 on Thursday, 27 October. He was the oldest imperial family member in the world.

Daily GK Updates - 27th October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Justice Reddy committee on One Rank One Pension submits report:The one-man judicial committee on One Rank One Pension submitted its report to the Defence Minister ShriManoharParrikar.The Central Government had appointed the committee under the Chairmanship of Justice L Narasimha Reddy retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court.

2.Govt notifies revised DTAA with South Korea: India and South Korea on 26 October 2016 signed a revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

3.Sunil Bharti Mittal elected as GSMA Chairman: Bharti Enterprises Founder and Chairman Sunil Mittal has been elected as GSMA (Global System Mobile Association) Chairman for a two-year period from January 2017 through December 2018.

4. Dr. Ajay M. Gondane appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia:Dr. Ajay M. Gondane has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia. Currently he is working as the Additional Secretary (Political) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). 

5. Karnal Singh appointed as chief of Enforcement Directorate:Senior IPS officer Karnal Singh on 25-10-2016 was appointed the chief of Enforcement Directorate(ED), the agency entrusted with probing money laundering cases. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Ericsson appoints BorjeEkholm as new president, CEO:  Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson has appointed BorjeEkholm as President and CEO. Ekholm joins Ericsson from his current position as CEO of Patricia Industries, a division within Investor.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. MMTC ties up with major banks to retail gold coins:Public sector major MMTC (Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India) has joined hands with HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Andhra Bank to retail gold coins with a new buyback option. 

2. SalimGangadharan to replace AmitabhaGuha as non-executive chairman in South Indian Bank: Former Reserve Bank of India chief general manager SalimGangadharan is appointed as the next non-executive chairman of South Indian Bank.Gangadharan will replace AmitabhaGuha will resign on November 1, 2016.

OBITUARIES:

3.Legendary Kashmiri singer Raj Begum dies: Celebrated Kashmiri singer Raj Begum passed away on 26 October 2016 in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Begum was one of the most recognized female singers in the Kashmir Valley.She was 89. She was also awarded with Padma Shri in 2002.

Daily GK Updates - 26th October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India ranks 130 in ease of doing business: According to the World Bank’s Ease of doing Business Report 2017, India now ranks 130 out of 190 countries. New Zealand has surpassed Singapore to become the easiest country in the world to do business.

2. India up 21 places in WEF Gender Gap report: India has climbed 21 spots to rank 87th on the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2016. With this jump in ranking, India has now overtaken China which is ranked 99th out of 144 countries.  Iceland tops the latest rankings followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden.

3. Urban Development Ministry, NBCC, CPWD sign MoU to redevelop colonies: The Union Ministry of Urban Development has signed a MoU with National Buildings Construction Corporation (India) Ltd and Central Public Works Department (CPWD). The MoU was signed for the redevelopment of General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) colonies in New Delhi.

4. India and New Zealand sign three agreements: India and New Zealand today signed three agreements in the areas of double taxation avoidance, food security and sports to carry forward the ties between both sides.The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart John Key after the delegation-level talks.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. International Hockey Federation appoints Jason McCracken as new CEO: McCracken will be leaving his role as Head of Insurance and Investment Risk at banking group ANZ to take on his new post at FIH's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

AWARDS:

2. Beatty becomes first US Author to win Man Booker Prize: Paul Beatty became the first author from the United States (US) to be awarded the Man Booker prize, for his book, 'The Sellout'. Beatty's book was awarded the 2016 prize of £50,000, in the third year since the award was opened to American writers.

OBITUARIES:

3. Legendary football Carlos Alberto Torres passed away at the age of 72: Legendary footballer Carlos Alberto Torres passed away on 25 October 2016 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Daily GK Updates - 25th October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi launches 7 schemes worth Rs 5000 crore in Varanasi: The schemes launched includes "Urja Ganga".

a. Expansion of Diesel Locomotive Works, the dedication of 765/400 KV GIS Varanasi Power Sub-station and inauguration of Varanasi Postal Region. 

b. Inaugurated second line and electrification of Allahabad-Varanasi rail line and setting up of perishable cargo centre at Rajatalab Railway Station. 

c. Doubling and electrification of 120-km-long Varanasi-Madhosingh-Allahabad railway line involving an expenditure of Rs 750.66 crore.

d. An expansion project of the Diesel Locomotive Works and Felicitation of selected beneficiaries of SukanyaSamriddhiYojana, and handed over LPG connections to select Ujjwala beneficiaries.

e. Released a commemorative postage stamp on Varanasi City.

2. Bilal Nazki appointed as chairperson of JKHRC: Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has appointed former Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Bilal Nazki as the chairperson of the State Human Rights Commission.

3. FIFA U-17 World Cup in India to start from October 6 next year: The U-17 FIFA World Cup will be held in India from October 6 to 28 next year, with the draw scheduled for July 7. The tournament will be held in six cities across the country, namely Kochi, Mumbai, Guwahati, Delhi, Goa and Kolkata.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China’s space lab launches micro satellite: Tiangong-2, the experimental space lab of China has successfully launched a micro-satellite, Banxing-2 (the word means Companion Satellite). The micro-satellite is roughly the size of a desktop printer. At present, Tiangong-2 is orbiting the Earth with two astronauts on board.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Bank of America unveils AI-powered ‘personal finance’ bot: Bank of America has unveiled a virtual assistant called Erica,that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to learn consumers' personal spending habits and offer financial advice. It will help users understand financial concepts and warn them of imminent risks, among other things.

SPORTS:

2. Portugal’s Renato Sanches wins 2016 European Golden Boy Award: Portugal’s Renato Sanches on 24 October 2016 was awarded the 2016 European Golden Boy award. Sanches will be handed a trophy at a Monte Carlo ceremony. He defeated Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Bayern's Kingsley Coman and AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to bag the prize.

AWARDS:

3. 54 eminent personalities selected for Yash Bharti Awards 2016: The Uttar Pradesh government has declared the list of Yash Bharati awardees 2016. 54 personalities have been selected for the coveted award for the year 2016-17. The award is given by the Uttar Pradesh Government for excellence in literature, fine arts, folk and classical music and sports.Some of the prominent names: 1. Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah. 2. PayTM CEO Vijay Shekhar 3. Paralympic athlete Varun Kumar. 4. Qawwali singers Aftab and Hashim (Sabri Brothers) 5. Film director Saurabh Shukla.

Daily GK Updates - 24th October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ratan Tata replaces Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons Chairman: In one of the biggest upheaval in the corporate sector, the Tata Sons Board has appointed Ratan Tata as the interim chairman of the group, replacing Cyrus Mistry.

2. ITBP is celebrating its 55^th Raising Day: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police celebrated its 55th raising day on 24 October. The force was created on 24th October in 1962. ITBP is deployed on border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh covering 3488 kilometer of India-China Border.

3. Indian Army Team wins gold medal in gruelling Cambrian Patrol Exercise: A team from the Indian Army's Gorkha Rifles has won a gold medal at one of the most gruelling exercises in the world. Team 2/8 Gorkha was awarded a gold medal in Exercise Cambrian Patrol organized by the British Army.

4. AIIMS, Ganga Ram doctors chosen for Dr B C Roy Award: RandeepGuleria, Head of Pulmonology from the AIIMS and C S Yadav, department of orthopaedics from the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital have been selected for the prestigious Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy Award for excellence in the field of medicine.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. United Nations Day observed on 24^th October 2016: 24 October is celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. This year's UN Day will be used to highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 United States Grand Prix: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (England) has won the 2016 United States Grand Prix. The race was held at the Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, United States. Nico Rosberg (German) finished second while Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer’s Daniel Ricciardo finished third in the race.

OBITUARIES:

2. Tom Hayden, famed anti-Vietnam war activist, dies at 76: Tom Hayden, a 1960s anti-war activist and one of the era's most prominent, counter-culture radicals who went on to serve in the California state assembly and senate, has died aged 76. Hayden died in Santa Monica, California, after a long illness.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.PM launches #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a campaign through which people can send their Diwali greetings and messages to the soldiers to boost their morale.

2. Aviation scheme UDAN(Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) takes off: The Centre unveiled a regional connectivity scheme, known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), with flights priced at Rs.2,500 for one hour of flying time to and from regional airports.

3. Aditya Birla Group to invest Rs. 20,000 cr in Madhya Pradesh: Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla today pledged an investment of Rs. 20,000crore for the state in sectors like retail, telecom and cement.

4. Power Grid's board approves investments of Rs1k crore: Power Grid Corporation has said that its board has approved three proposals to invest Rs1, 184.45 crore in power transmission projects across the country.

5. President inaugurates Sardar Patel Heart Institute at Ankleshwar: President Pranav Mukherjee has inaugurated the Sardar Patel Heart Institute at Ankleshwar in Gujarat.

6.India's first start-up magazine launched:The Cofounder launches itself as India's first start-up magazine that will help boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country through its stories.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. ICICI, Axis, StanChart get back $2.5 bn of Essar loans: Within days of Essar Group signing a mega USD 12.9-billion asset sale in its oil business, three top lenders - ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and StanChart, have got back an estimated USD 2.5 billion as part of the first payment for their debt exposure to the Ruias-led conglomerate.

SPORTS:

2. India beat Iran 38-29 to win 2016 Kabaddi World Cup: A brilliant second half performance saw India stage a memorable comeback as they beat Iran 38-29 in the title clash to lift the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Ajay Thakur was the star performer claiming 12 points in the final.

3. North Korea won 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: North Korea won the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup on Friday, after defeating Japan onpenalties in the final of the tournament.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Narendra Modi announces India's first Railway University in Vadodara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the integrated terminal building of Vadodara's Harni. Airport on 22nd October 2016. He is also scheduled to attend a programme to distribute artificial limbs and other implements to more than 8000 'Divyangs' (disabled persons) in the city.

2. Aviation scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) takes off: The Centre unveiled a regional connectivity scheme, known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik),with flights priced at Rs.2,500 for one hour of flying time to and from regional airports. Under the scheme, airlines will be offered a slew of sops at smaller airports such as waiver of landing and parking charges.

3. Mahesh Sharma chairs first meeting of reconstituted CABC: I. Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma has chaired the first meeting of the Reconstituted Central Advisory Board on Culture (CABC).

4. 2,000 notes will be in circulation soon: Banknotes of the denomination of Rs.2, 000 will be in circulation. The Reserve Bank of India has very nearly completed preparations for introducing this new high-value currency.

5. TRAI suggests Rs 3,000-crore fine on incumbents: In a setback to incumbent mobile operators, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has proposed a penalty of about Rs 3,050 crore on three telecom companies - BhartiAirtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular for failing to provide sufficient interconnect points to Reliance Jio which has led to massive call failures.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. FIFA unveils mascot for 2018 World Cup: Zabivaka the wolf followed in the footsteps of Naranjito the orange, Footix the football-playingrooster and Fuleco the armadillo by being named as the official mascot of the 2018 World Cup.

Daily GK Updates - 21st October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.India, China hold first joint army exercise in Jammu and Kashmir: As part of the ongoing initiative to enhance interaction and cooperation between India and China, under the provisions of Border Defense Cooperation Agreement, 2013, the Indian and Chinese armies held the second joint exercise "Sino-India Cooperation 2016".

2. Government Funds Ro Pax Ferry in Gulf of Cambay under Sagarmala Programme: Union Ministry of Shipping sanctioned the Capital Dredging Project of Ro Pax Ferry Servicesbetween Gogha & Dahej in Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat. Ministry released Rs 58.50 Crore as first installment of grant-in– aid to Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB).

3.Finance Ministry announces fresh tranche of gold bonds: The Finance Ministry announced the sixth tranche of sovereign gold bonds. The duration of the bond will be for a period of eight years with exit option from the fifth year to be exercised on the interest payment dates.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.India, Algeria mull fertilizer Joint Venture: India’s plan for a joint venture arrangement with Algeria for a multi-billion dollar fertilizer plant located in the North African country seemed to have been initiated on following a meeting between Algerian Minister for Industry and Mining and the Indian Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh L. Mandavia.

2. World Bank pledges $2b aid to Bangladesh to tackle climate change: The World Bank has pledged 2 billion US dollars aid to Bangladesh to tackle climate change. The Bank's president Jim Yong Kim said that Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change accounting for almost 70% of all storm surges in the world.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.Indian Boxing Council inducted in WBO: The Indian Boxing Council, a licensing body for the country’s professional boxers, has been inducted into the World Boxing Organisation with voting rights in the WBO’s annual convention at Puerto Rico.

2. India rise to best FIFA rankings in 6 years: The Indian football team achieved its best FIFA ranking in over six years when the side jumped 11 places to be 137th in the latest list released.

3. Indian Railways have won the World Railway Shooting Championship Cup held at Saint Mandrier, France.

AWARDS:

4. Noted British statistician Sir David Cox was named the inaugural recipient of the International Prize in Statistics. He is honoured for Survival Analysis Model.