Daily GK Updates - 31st December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Vineet Chowdhary and N C Goel appointed Chief Secretary of Himachal and Rajasthan respectively: Vineet Chowdhary, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Himachal cadre, has been appointed as the chief secretary of the Himachal government. IAS officer N C Goel has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Rajasthan.

2. Sivagiri pilgrimage celebrations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 85th annual Sivagiri pilgrimage celebrations at Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conferencing. The Sivagiri Mutt is a major spiritual-cum-pilgrim centre of the Ezhava community in Kerala and was established by Sri Narayana Guru. Sri Narayana Guru propagated the message of ‘One Caste, One Religion and One God for Mankind’.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Pratibha Gai get top British royal honour ‘damehood’: Scientist Pratibha Laxman Gai has been named for damehood, the female equivalent of knighthood, for “services to chemical sciences and technology”. Gai has patented inventions in the fields of hydrocarbon catalysis/polymers, electronic ceramics, Piezoelectrics & nanocoatings for polymers & food.

2. Maiga appointed as the new PM of Mali: Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has appointed Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, a former defense and foreign minister and intelligence chief as the new Prime Minister. Maiga will form a new government. This is done after his predecessor Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga and his entire cabinet’s resignation. The capital of Mali is Bamako.

3. Israel withdraws from UNESCO: Israel has formally notified UNESCO of its withdrawal from the education and science organization. Israel, which has been a member since 1949, has nine sites on the list, including the ancient Masada fortress next to the Dead Sea. Tensions had been bubbling since UNESCO controversially admitted Palestine as a member state in 2011 – a move opposed by the US and Israel.

4. Nepal bans solo climbing on Mt Everest: Nepal banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mt Everest, in an attempt to reduce accidents & make mountaineering safer. New regulations prohibit double amputee & blind climbers from attempting to reach the Everest without a valid medical certificate.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Allahabad Bank and NeSL tie up: Allahabad Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding with National E-Governance Services Ltd (NeSL). The partnership could help in minimising the resolution period for cases referred by the bank to the National Company Law Tribunal. NeSL is India’s first Information Utility registered with Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India under the aegis of Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

2. World’s second largest cryptocurrency: Cryptocurrency ‘Ripple’ has surpassed ethereum as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Ripple had a market cap of $86.3 billion, surpassing ethereum’s $73 billion. Bitcoin remains the largest digital currency by far, having a market capitalization of roughly $247 billion.

3. Saurabh Chawla appointed as DLF Group CFO: DLF has announced the appointment of Saurabh Chawla as the Key Managerial Personnel & Group Chief Financial Officer. The appointment follows the elevation of former Group CFO Ashok Kumar Tyagi as the whole-time director of the company.

SPORTS:

1. Ronaldo won the Best Player award at Globe Soccer Awards: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Best Player of the Year accolade at the Globe Soccer Awards. Ronaldo retained the award, making it four wins overall, after helping his club defend the Champions League and win the Liga title.

Daily GK Updates - 30th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. 78th Session of Indian History Congress starts in Kolkata: The 3 day long 78th session of the Indian History Congress began in Kolkata. The Indian History Congress will have 6 sections this time – Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, Countries Other than India, Archaeology and Contemporary India. The aim of conducting Indian History Congress is for promotion and encouragement of the scientific study of Indian History.

2. Lok Sabha passes bill for GST cess hike: Lok Sabha approved a bill to hike cess on luxury vehicles from 15% to 25% with a view to enhance funds to compensate states for revenue loss following the rollout of GST. The GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017, was passed by the Lower House.

3. India leads in global milk production-Radha Mohan Singh: Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said during the past 3 years, India has outpaced the global milk production with an annual growth rate of 5.53% compared with the 2.09% achieved globally. India has been the largest producer of milk in the world for the past 15 years. Milk production, which was around 17-22 million tonnes in the 1960s, has increased to 163.7 m tonnes in 2016-17

4. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe appointed President of ICCR: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe appointed as the new President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. This appointed has been approved by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is the BJP's national Vice President and a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. George Weah elected as the Liberian President: George Weah has been elected as Liberia’s president. The former football star George Weah won the presidential election, defeating the vice-president, Joseph Boakai, in a runoff with 61.5% of the vote.

2. NASA’s “Girl of the Year” doll in collaboration with the American Girl: NASA, is collaborating with American Girl, a doll and book company, to inspire children to dream big and reach for the stars. The focus of the collaboration is the “Girl of the Year” doll for 2018, an 11-year-old aspiring astronaut named Luciana who wants to be the first person to put boots on Mars. NASA wants to encourage girls and boys to pursue their dreams.

3. China successfully tests its first Photovoltaic road: The first photovoltaic (solar) highway based on home-grown technology was successfully tested in Shandong province of China. The photovoltaic highway is constructed using solar panels which have a thin sheet of transparent concrete on top of them, protecting the surface. It has wireless charging systems for electric vehicles (EVs). The photovoltaic panels of the highway are built to transfer energy to electric vehicles passing on top of them. With this, China became the second country in the world to construct a photovoltaic highway. In 2016 France had introduced world’s first photovoltaic road fitted with solar panels.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. ISRO to launch 31 satellites in one go on January 10: ISRO would launch 31 satellites, including India’s Cartosat-2 series earth observation space craft, in a single mission on January 10. The mission will be the first ‘Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’ (PSLV) mission after the unsuccessful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in August this year. The mission’s main payload would be India’s Cartosat-2 series earth observation satellite.

2. World’s largest Human Genome Research Project launched in China: The world’s largest human genome research project of 100,000 people was launched by China. The aim of the project is to document their genetic makeup for a study that aims to help generate the precision medicines of the future. It is the country’s first large project detecting the genetic links between health and sickness.

3. SpaceX unveils its biggest rocket-Falcon Heavy: SpaceX’s biggest rocket till date, the Falcon Heavy, has been raised on the Cape Canaveral launchpad for the first time. The rocket will look to push forward Elon Musk’s vision of making humans an inter-planetary species. It will have its maiden journey out of Earth’s orbit next month.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. India’s first foreign-owned ARC gets approval from RBI: US buyout giant, KKR & Company, has become the first foreign investor to fully own an asset reconstruction company (ARC) in India. It received approval from the Reserve Bank of India. The New York-headquartered investor plans to set up a separate managed company to put bad loans and bring in expertise to revive the assets.

SPORTS:

1. Jitu Rai bags men’s 50m pistol at Thiruvananthpuram: Ace Indian marksman Jitu Rai won the men’s 50m pistol national title with a new national record score of 233 at the 61st National Shooting Championship in Thiruvananthapuram. Rai’s score of 233 was a new record in the finals of the event.

2. Ronaldo bags the ‘Globe Soccer's Best Player’ award for 2nd year in a row: Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo has bagged the Globe Soccer's Best Player for the second year in a row. He received this honour for the fourth time in his career. The award is organised by the EFAA (European Association of Football Agents) and ECA (European Clubs Association).

Daily GK Updates - 29th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Triple Talaq Bill Passed in Lok Sabha: The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill 2017 making instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband. The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or ‘talaq-e-biddat’. The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for approval.

2. Kannada litterateur Kuppali honoured with a Google doodle on his birth anniversary: Google is honouring the contribution of Kuvempu by dedicating a doodle to the winner of the first Kannada Jnanpith on the occasion of his 113th birth anniversary. The renaissance of Kannada literature was heralded by the publication of Kuvempu’s Sri Ramayana Darshanam, which was awarded the Jnanpith Award, half a century ago. It is also the golden jubilee of his novel Malegalalli Madumagalu.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Ramendra Kumar felicitated in Sri Lanka: Noted writer Ramendra Kumar, whose stories feature in Sri Lankan text books, has been felicitated in the neighbouring country for his contribution to children’s literature. Kumar is an award-winning writer with 32 books to his credit.

2. UNESCO recognizes Panama’s hats: Cultural authorities at UNESCO have recognized the artisans of Panama for their distinctive woven hats. Panama’s real contribution to the world’s hat heritage is the pintao, or painted hat, handmade from five different plants and a dose of swamp mud.

3. India gives medical assistance to Yemen: India provided medical assistance worth about $1 million to Yemen in response to a request from the Yemeni government.

As part of its commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to Yemen, India has been a member of the ‘Friends of Yemen’ Group.

4. Russia launches satellite for Angola: Russia on Tuesday launched a rocket carrying Angosat-1, the first national telecoms satellite for Angola. The Zenit-2SB rocket carrying Angosat to orbit was supplied by Ukrainian maker Yuzhmash, making the launch a rare joint project between the two countries since 2014. The Angosat project was agreed by Russia and Angola in 2009.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. Spider named after Bob Marley: Scientists have named new water adapted species of spider after Bob Marley, as a homage to his famous song “High tide or low tide.” The species of water-adapted spider was first discovered in the year 2009, when the sea along the coastline of Queensland in Australia receded and revealed the population of spider. The study was published in the Evolutionary Systematic journal.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. India’s first bitcoin trading app by Pluto: Cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange announced the launch of India’s first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies. The Pluto Exchange mobile app offers a solution to the coordination problem between payment processors, financial gateways, and banks. By using a four-digit personal identification number, users can now buy, sell, store and spend bitcoins via a mobile number.

SPORTS:

1. Viswanathan Anand wins World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh: Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand has won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh. He remained unbeaten through the tournament and bagged the top position on a tie-break after a three-way tie with Russians Vladimir Fedoseev and Ian Nepomniachtchi at 10.5 points from a possible 15. The World Rapid Chess Championship is a tournament to determine the World Champion in chess played under rapid time controls.

DEFENCE:

1. India Test-Fires AAD Supersonic Missile: India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence supersonic interceptor ​missile from Odisha. It is capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile at low altitude. This was the 3rd supersonic interceptor test carried out this year. The interceptor is a 7.5 m long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system.

Daily GK Updates - 28th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Mumbai to Kabul air corridor inaugurated: India and Afghanistan on Wednesday inaugurated their second air cargo route linking Mumbai and Kabul. The new route is expected to boost Afghanistan’s export of fruits and medicinal plants.

2. ‘Mann Ki Baat’: most trending hashtag on twitter in India: Modi’s programme “Mann Ki Baat” was the most trending hashtag on Twitter in 2017, followed by #jallikattu & #GST. “Mann Ki Baat” is a radio programme hosted by Modi on the last Sunday of every month to addresses people of the nation on All India Radio, DD National & DD News.

3. K S Chitra bags ‘Harivarasanam’ Award: Veteran singer K S Chitra has been selected for prestigious ‘Harivarasanam’ award 2017, instituted by the Kerala government. Chitra has been selected for the award in recognition of her contribution to propagate the spirit of secularism and universal brotherhood. The award carrying a cash prize of Rs one lakh, citation and plaque would be presented at a function on January 14, 2018.

4. Anushka is PETA’s ‘Person of the Year’: Anushka Sharma has been named PETA’s Person of the Year by animal rights organisation ‘People for Ethical Treatment of Animals’. She is a vegetarian and has nabbed the title for helping in protections of dogs and advocating for horses who are forced to pull carriages in Mumbai.

5. More than 71 crore mobiles and 82 crore bank accounts linked with Aadhaar: Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that nearly 71.24 crore mobile numbers, both new connections and existing, have been linked with Aadhaar till December 8, 2017. He also revealed that about 82 crore bank accounts have been linked with Aadhaar. The deadline for linking Aadhaar number to all services and government schemes is March 31, 2018.

6. Government cuts small savings interest rate: The government has cut the interest rate on small savings schemes, such as Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC), by 0.2 percentage points for the January-March quarter.

PPF and NSC will now fetch a lower annual rate of 7.6%.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Vin Diesel is the Top-Grossing Actor for 2017: Vin Diesel has been named the top-grossing actor of 2017 by Forbes, with $1.6 billion in global ticketing receipts from his film ‘The Fate of the Furious’. The second spot was occupied by Dwayne Johnson ‘The Rock’, with $1.5 billion receipts. ‘Wonder Woman’ actress Gal Gadot, whose films earned $1.4 billion worldwide, featured at the third spot on the list.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. New species of fish discovered in Meghalaya: A new species of blind fish has been discovered inside a cave in East Jaintia Hills, in Meghalaya. The fish “Schistura larketensis” gets its name from Larket village, where the cave has been found. The species has apparently lost its sight living in the perpetual darkness inside the cave.

Daily GK Updates - 27th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Jai Ram Thakur sworn-in as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh: Jai Ram Thakur, along with his 11 ministers, took the oath of secrecy from Himachal Pradesh’s Governor Acharya Devvrat at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla. The Ministers who took oath include Mahendra Singh, Suresh Bhardwaj, Anil Sharma and Vipin Singh Parmar. Thakur is elected to ‘Himachal Pradesh Assembly election 2017’ from Seraj in Mandi.

2. Centre gives fund for border development: Home Ministry has released Rs 167 crore to 9 states – Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Sikkim, under the Border Area Development Programme. BADP is fully funded by Central Government. Under this programme, development work is carried out in all villages which are located within the 0-10 km of the international border.

3. IAF conquers ‘Seven Summits’: After scaling of Mt Everest in 2005, IAF launched a unique and unprecedented series of mountaineering expedition ‘Mission Seven Summits’. It had the aim to fly the tricolour and the IAF flag on the highest peaks in every continent. A team comprising 5 IAF mountaineers, led by Capt RC Tripathi has successfully scaled Mt Vinson in Antarctica, thus completing the assigned Mission.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. ‘World Economic League Table’ Report: Indian economy will surpass Britain and France in 2018 and will thus become the 5th largest economy. This is as per 2018 World Economic League Table released by Centre for Economics and Business Research. USA economy will be able to retain its No. 1 position for a year longer than what was anticipated in the last report. In 2032, China is likely to overtake the US as world’s No. 1 economy.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. India’s first pod taxi on the way: The much-awaited India’s first pod taxi project has moved a step closer to reality. The projected Rs 4000-cr pod taxi scheme is also known as Personal Rapid Transit. It will run from Delhi-Haryana border to Rajiv Chowk in Gurgaon on a PPP (public-private partnership) basis.

SPORTS:

1. Saudi Arabia hosts world chess games: Saudi Arabia hosted a world chess tournament for the first time at the APEX Convention Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The tournament is called the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships. It has around 400 international players. 16 players are participating from Saudi Arabia.

Daily GK Updates - 26th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Vijay Rupani sworn-in as the CM of Gujarat: Vijay Rupani was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat state. Governor of Gujarat, Om Prakash Kohli, administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy to 21 ministers including Mr. Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel. Along with Mr. Rupani as Chief Minister and Nitin Patel as his Deputy, a total of 19 ministers nine of them in cabinet rank and 10 MoS were sworn in.

2. Only 1.7% Indians paid income tax in AY 2015-16: Just over 2 crore Indians, or 1.7 % of the total population, paid income tax in the assessment year (AY) 2015-16, according to data released by the I-T department. The number of income-tax return filers increased to 4.07 crore in assessment year 2015-16 (FY 2014-2015) from 3.65 crore in the previous year. Only 2.06 crore actually paid tax as the others claimed income below taxable limits.

3. Uttar Pradesh introduces Kisan Uday Yojana power scheme: UP has launched Kisan Uday Yojana, for the poor in the state to mark Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. Lohban and Gausana, the two villages of Mathura district have been covered for 100 per cent electrification. The government has a target of covering 16 million by 2018-end, driven by Yogi Adityanath government’s motto ‘Prakash hai to vikas hai’.

4. Teesta Rangit Festival to revive tourism in the hills: Darjeeling will host the 5-day Teesta Rangit Tourism Festival 2017. The 4-month strike has severely affected tourism, one of the biggest sources of income in the Darjeeling hills. The festival will be held in phases in different hill towns. It will be held from Dec 27 to 29 in Darjeeling; Dec 28 and 29 in Kurseong; Dec 29 and 30 in Kalimpong; and Dec 30 and 31 in Mirik.

5. First runway on sea bridge in Lakshadweep: India is all set to get its first runway on a ‘sea bridge’, as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been given a nod to extend Lakshadweep’s Agatti Airport. The task will be carried out by building an RCC platform on the beach and shallow area which will allow bigger ATRs to operate on the island.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. World’s largest amphibious aircraft developed by China: China has launched homegrown AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft. The plane is codenamed Kunlong. With a wingspan of 38.8 metres (127ft) and powered by four turboprop engines, the aircraft is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne for 12 hours. The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will be used for fire fighting and marine rescue.

2. World’s longest glass bridge opened to public in China: The world’s longest glass bridge has been opened in China to the public. Though it has a capacity to hold 2000 people, only 500 would be allowed at a time Located in Shijiazhuang, the bridge lies 218 meters above hanging between the two cliffs in Hongyagu Scenic Area in Pingshan county. The bridge is 488 meters long & 2 meters wide

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Solar-based cold storage developed at IARI: Engineers at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi have developed a solar-powered on-farm storage structure. It can increase the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables in regions where cold storage facilities are absent. It is designed by Pramod Kumar Sharma & others, which can retain the quality and freshness of fruits & vegetables for an additional period of up to five days.

Daily GK Updates - 25th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Good Governance Day observed: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday is being celebrated as Good Governance Day across the country. Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Mr. Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the people of accountability in government. On December 23, 2014, Mr. Vajpayee was announced as the recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

2. PM Modi flags off Metro’s Magenta line: PM Modi will inaugurate the Magenta Line of Delhi Metro, which is expected to make commuting b/w South Delhi & Noida hassle-free. The 12.64-km stretch runs b/w Kalkaji & Botanical Garden and accounts for a travel time of 19 mins. The coaches will have LED display, power charging capacity and colourful seats, while the stations will portray themes of nature, yoga, and cultural landmarks.

3. Bengaluru to get its own logo: The Karnataka government has launched the Bengaluru city logo, the first Indian city to do so, in a bid to resurrect its image as a tourism destination. With this, it joins cities like Amsterdam in The Netherlands and New York in the US to have its own logo. The logo was designed by Nammur, a design start-up.

4. Jairam Thakur to be the CM of Himachal: Five-time legislator Jairam Thakur will be the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. The decision was taken after Prem Kumar Dhumal, whom BJP had named as its prospective Chief Minister before the elections pulled out of the race.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Tunisia bans UAE Emirates airline: Tunisia has banned Emirates airline from landing in the capital Tunis after a number of Tunisian women were prevented from boarding its flights. The move comes amid widespread anger in Tunisia, with rights groups condemning “racist and discriminatory” measures. The measure will continue to be in place until Emirates operates flights in accordance with law and international agreements.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. PSU Banks’ NPA hit Rs. 7.34 lakh crore: According to Reserve Bank data, Bad loans of Public sector banks stood at Rs 7.34 lakh crore by the end of second quarter this fiscal. Leading corporate houses & companies accounted for approximately 77% of the total gross NPAs from domestic operations for the banks. Among the major public sector banks, SBI had the highest amount of NPAs at over Rs 1.86 lakh crore followed by PNB.

2. Samsung, Axis Bank tie-up: Samsung has launched its ‘Bill Payments’ on its flagship payments service, Samsung Pay in partnership with Axis Bank. The new feature will enable users to pay their utility bills seamlessly via Samsung Pay’s secure and convenient platform.

3. IndiGo operates 1,000 flights in a day: IndiGo has become the first Indian airline to operate over 1,000 daily flights across its domestic and international network. The company reached the milestone with its Flight from Mumbai to Cochin. With the addition of the latest aircraft, Airbus A-320 Neo, under its wings, IndiGo now boasts a massive fleet of 150 Airbus and a ATR aircraft.

4. Amazon acquires Blink: Amazon has reached a deal to acquire Blink, a startup developing battery-powered home-automation devices, including a wireless security camera and doorbell. The acquisition positions Amazon to be more competitive against Google parent Alphabet’s Next subsidiary. Blink products are already compatible with Amazon’s Echo home assistant, which runs the Alexa voice service powered by Lex.

SPORTS:

1. India finish runners-up at SAFF U-15: India finished as runners-up after going down by 1-0 to Bangladesh in the final of the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship in Dhaka. Shamsun Nahar’s strike in the 41st minute sealed the issue in Bangladesh’s favour. India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan participated in the tournament with India bagging impressive wins against Nepal and Bhutan.

Daily GK Updates - 24th December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India’s first AC local to start in Mumbai: India’s first air-conditioned local will ply between Churchgate and Virar from December 25. The first service of the 12-coach EMU will commence at 2:10 pm. The services will replace 12 existing non-air conditioned services. This will be the first train with automatic doors in the suburban system.

2. Uttarakhand CM launches his biography: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched his biography ‘Trivendra Ek Zindaginama – Khairasain ka Sooraj’. It has been written by Nandan Singh Bisht, a doctor.

3. Dhirendra Pal appointed as UGC chairman: Professor Dhirendra Pal Singh, director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council was appointed the chairperson of UGC. He has been serving as director of NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) since August 2015.

4. Gujjars, 4 Others get 1% Reservation in Rajasthan: Rajasthan government announced 1% reservation within the 50% legal limit, for Gujjars and four other communities. The five communities that have been declared eligible for this reservation are: Gujjar, Banjara, Gadia-Lohar, Rebari and Gadaria These 5 communities were listed in the OBC category in 1994. The additional quota is given in the ‘More Backward Classes’ category.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Henrietta Fore appointed to head UNICEF: UN has appointed Henrietta Fore, a former head of the USAID as the new Executive Director of United Nations Childrens’ Fund. Henrietta Fore was the first woman to be appointed Administrator of the US Agency for International Development.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Govt. launches Gold Purity Standard – Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya: India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard – the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) - was launched at the India Government Mint, Mumbai. BND-4201, which is the reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness will ensure purity of gold.

2. India’s most trusted Brand: Patanjali: Patanjali has been ranked as India’s most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Brand by the Brand Trust Report India Study 2017. SK Tijarawala, Spokesman, HH Swami Ramdev, took to his Twitter handle to announce this news, along with the picture of the certification.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. 7th International Coffee Festival to be held in Bengaluru: The seventh edition of the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) will be held in Bengaluru from January 16-19. The four-day IICF 2018 is being organized by the India Coffee Trust and State-run Coffee Board to promote the Indian coffees globally. IICF 2018 would be a precursor to the International Coffee Organisation’s World Coffee Conference being hosted by India in Bengaluru in 2020.

2. India to set up IT Centre of Excellence in Egypt: India will be establishing a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) at Al Azhar University. It is Egypt’s highest religious authority and one of the world’s most eminent seats of Sunni Muslim learning.

3. MEA Launches ‘SAMEEP’ Policy: With an aim to bring foreign policy to the masses the External Affairs Ministry has come up with an initiative called SAMEEP – ‘Students and MEA Engagement Programme’. Under this, MEA officials will talk to students to help them better understand foreign policy. The main objective of SAMEEP is to take Indian foreign policy and its global engagements to students across the country.

4. Kisan Diwas celebrated – 23rd December: Kisan Diwas (Farmer’s Day) is observed every year on 23 December to celebrate the birth anniversary of the fifth prime minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh. A kisan leader, Late Chaudhary Charan Singh belonged to a peasant family. He also served as the Deputy PM during the reign of Morarji Desai.

5. ‘Blue Flag’ Beach Project launched: Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched a pilot project named “Blue Flag” for beach cleanup and development. The objective of the project is to enhance standards of cleanliness and upkeep basic amenities at beaches. Under the pilot programme, each of the coastal State/UT has identified a beach, to be funded through the ongoing Integrated Coastal Management Programme.

6. Government Launched ‘Ganga Gram’ project: The government had formally launched the ‘Ganga Gram’ project at the Ganga Gram Swachata Sammelan in New Delhi. It is a part of clean Ganga mission. Namami Gange, the Ganga Gram project is an integrated approach for the holistic development of villages situated on the banks of the holy river with the active participation of villagers.

7. Vijay Rupani to continue as Gujarat’s CM: Vijay Rupani will continue as chief minister of Gujarat and Nitin Patel as his deputy chief minister. The BJP had won 99 seats, only seven more than it needed for a majority to form the government. The decision was taken at a meeting of all the newly-elected BJP MLAs and the announcement was made by union minister Arun Jaitley.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Kumi Naidoo is next Secretary General of Amnesty International: The human rights activist of South African Kumi Naidoo has been appointed as the next Secretary General of Amnesty International. In August 2018, he will take over from Indian activist Salil Shetty (since 2010).

2. New species of scorpions discovered: Tripura has identified a new species of scorpions in Tripura’s Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary. The Schaller’s wood scorpion has large and powerful pincers. The study was published in Zootaxa, an international journal devoted to new species descriptions. Mr. Mirza discovered them. He named the new species Liocheles schalleri in honour of celebrated wildlife biologist George Schaller.

3. Jerusalem no longer Israel’s capital: The U.N. General Assembly denounced President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The resolution reaffirmed what has been the United Nations’ stand on the divided holy city since 1967- that Jerusalem’s final status must be decided in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Quikr acquires HDFC’s Realty arms: HDFC has sold its realty brokerage business HDFC Realty and its digital real estate business HDFC Developers to Quikr. The all-stock deal will see HDFC pick up around 3.5% stake in Quikr for the two businesses, which have collectively been valued at about Rs 357 crore.

2. The Way I See It  - Book on Gauri Lankesh’s writings: A book containing selected writings by late journalist Gauri Lankesh was launched at the Mumbai Press Club. The book named “The Way I See It” has been edited by writer and sociologist Chandan Gowda. The six sections of the book comprise Lankesh’s early reportage in various publications and selected articles.

OBITUARIES:

1. Bengali Singer Jatileswar passes away: Acclaimed Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passed away in Kolkata following a prolonged illness. The West Bengal government had conferred him with the Sangeet Samman award in 2012. Among his popular numbers were E kon sakal, Tomar Sange Dekha Na Hole, Aamar Swapan Kinte Paare and Bondhuya Amar Chokhe Jal Enechhe.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. National Mathematics Day- 22nd December: Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan’s birth anniversary on December 22 is celebrated as National Mathematics Day. It was in 2012 that then PM Manmohan Singh declared December 22 as National Mathematics Day. In 1917, Ramanujan was elected to be a member of the London Mathematical Society. In 1918 he also became a Fellow of the Royal Society, becoming the youngest person to achieve the feat.

2. Mamang Dai wins Sahitya Akademi Award: Authors Mamang Dai & Ramesh Kuntal Megh have won this year’s Sahitya Akademi award for their work The Black Hill, a novel, and Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar, a literary criticism, in English and Hindi respectively. Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 24 languages.

3. Kohli becomes India’s most valued celebrity (in terms of brand value): For the first time, a cricketer, Virat Kohli has emerged as the top-ranked celeb with a brand value of $144 million. In 2016, SRK was on the top spot with $131.2m brand value. He has slipped to the second rank this year, with a brand value of $106m.

4. Salman Khan tops Forbes India Celebrity List: With earnings of Rs232.83 crore, actor Salman Khan has topped the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list 2017 for the second consecutive year. While Shah Rukh Khan featured in the second spot with earnings of Rs170.50 crore, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli came third with Rs100.72 crore earnings. Akshay Kumar and Sachin Tendulkar featured in the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

5. India’s first design university starts its operations: India’s first and only design university, World University of Design opened its campus at Sonipat, Haryana. WUD offers country’s largest creative course catalog – 23 specialized UG and PG programs in various design arenas.

6. Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS ‘Sujay’ commissed: Indian Coast Guard Ship “Sujay”, the sixth in the series of six 105m Offshore Patrol Vessel was commissioned at Goa. ‘Sujay’ meaning ‘Great Victory’ is projection of Indian Coast Guard’s will and commitment “To serve and Protect” the maritime interest of the nation. This 105 meter OPV has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd.

7. NHAI creates Highways Investment Promotion Cell created: The NHAI has created a National Highways Investment Promotion Cell for attracting domestic & foreign investment for highways projects. The cell will focus on engaging with global institution investors, construction companies for building investor participation in road infrastructure projects. The primary focus of NHIPC will be to promote foreign and domestic investment in road infrastructure

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Scientists discover new frog species: Scientists have discovered a new frog species from its home in the fast flowing streams in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district. The new species discovered from Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary has been named as Odorrana arunachalensis, after the state where it was discovered.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. DARPAN Project launched for financial inclusion: Manoj Sinha launched DARPAN- “Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India”. It is a project to improve the quality of service, add value to services and achieve ‘financial inclusion’ of the unbanked rural population. The goal of the IT modernization project with an outlay of Rs. 1400 Crore is to provide a low power technology solution to each Branch Postmaster.

SPORTS:

1. Shooting excluded from 2022 Commonwealth Games: Shooting has been excluded from the Commonwealth Games 2022 edition. At the same time, the push to bring cricket back into the fold has gathered momentum, with Commonwealth Games Federation. The CGF declared Birmingham as the host city on Thursday after Durban, the original pick, had pulled out earlier this year due to financial constraints.

2. International Youth Sailing Competition to be held in Nellore: Krishnapatnam Port in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, is hosting the 9th edition of International Youth Sailing Competition of India from December 27th to December 31st 2017. The event is the largest sailing competition in the country and is organised by the Navayuga Sailing Academy.

3. Birmingham to Host Commonwealth Games: The central English city of Birmingham will host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The 2022 Commonwealth Games were originally given to Durban in 2015, but the South African city was stripped of the event this year because of financial difficulties. The multisports event was last in Britain in 2014 when it was held in Glasgow.

Daily GK Updates - 21st December, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Modi’s approval to India’s first Rail and Transportation University: The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved the Ministry of Railways’ initiative to set up India’s first ever National Rail and Transport University. The university set up in Vadodara, Gujarat will skill its human resources and build capability. The University will be set up as a Deemed to Be University under de novo category as per the UGC Regulations, 2016.

2. Laser fences to be set up in poorly inhabited areas: Laser fence will be installed at certain points along India’s open borders with Nepal and Bhutan to prevent infiltration. Laser fence would be put up at one location each along the 1,751-km Indo-Nepal & 699-km Indo-Bhutan boundaries. The laser fences will be deployed in areas that are “uninhabited” due to difficult geographical terrain and are prone to smuggling and other terror activities.

3. Justice Umesh Salvi takes charge as acting NGT Chairman: Justice Umesh Dattatraya Salvi (Judicial Member, NGT) took charge as the acting Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) following the retirement of Justice Swatanter Kumar. He will continue in office until the date a new chairperson is appointed or the date of his superannuation.

4. ‘R-MITRA’ app for security of passengers: Eastern Railway has launched a mobile application “R-MITRA” (Railway Mobile Instant Tracking Response & Assistance) for security of passengers. It is launched especially for the safety of women passengers. It is an attempt to prevent and detect crime against passengers during travel.

5. ‘Chillai Kalan’ – harsh winter season, begins in Kashmir Valley:  the traditional 40-day long period of harsh winter known as the ‘Chillai Kalan’ has begun in the Kashmir Valley. Chillai Kalan is a period of forty extremely cold days starting from 21st of December. This is the date on which Winter Solstice is observed in the Northern Hemisphere. Chillai Kalan is followed by a period of another 20 days of Chillai Khurd and 10 days of Chillai Bacha.

6. Indian Navy conducts naval exercise with Oman Navy – Naseem Al Bahr: Indian Naval Ships Trikand and Teg are deployed to Oman for bilateral exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ or ‘Sea Breeze’. The first exercise Indian Navy with Royal Navy of Oman was conducted in 1993 and this year marks 24 years of Indian Navy -Royal Navy of Oman bilateral exercises.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. A first in the world - France bans all gas and oil production by 2040: France’s parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040. Under the law, existing drilling permits will not be renewed and no new exploration licenses will be granted in France or its overseas territories. The French government claims the ban is a world first.

2. UK Tops Forbes’ List of Best Countries: The United Kingdom has topped Forbes’ rankings of best countries in the world for business in 2018. The list ranks 153 countries on 15 factors including property rights, innovation, taxes and red tape. The UK is followed by New Zealand and the Netherlands, while India was ranked 62nd on the list. The UK’s $2.6 trillion economy is the fifth largest in the world.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. ‘World’s smallest’ DRAM chip by Samsung: Samsung Electronics developed the world’s smallest DRAM chip. The “2nd-generation” 8-gigabit DRAM chips with improved energy efficiency and data processing performance will be used in mobile devices and high-speed graphics cards. The advantage of DRAM is the structural simplicity of its memory cells. Only 1 transistor and a capacitor are required per bit, compared to 4 to 6 in SRAM.

2. IGNOU to offer World’s first Sand Art certificate course: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will launch world’s first online certificate course in sand art in March 2018. It will help sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik’s dream come true. Pattnaik said he wanted India to become the first country across the globe to offer such training to sand artists. The course will provide desired skills to the persons.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. RBI puts Bank of India under PCA: After an on-site inspection, RBI has put Bank of India under the PCA framework. This action will contribute to the overall improvement in risk management, asset quality, profitability, efficiency, etc of the bank. To ensure that banks don’t go bust, RBI puts in place some trigger points to assess, monitor, control and take corrective actions. These are known as Prompt Corrective Action.

SPORTS:

1. Lionel Messi wins La Liga Best Player Award: Lionel Messi, the star forward of Barcelona, has received La Liga’s top scorer and best player awards for the 2016-2017 football season. Messi scored 37 goals in league action last season to earn his fourth Pichichi award.