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.