Daily GK Updates - 19th March, 2017

­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Yogi Adityanath takes oath as UP's 21st chief minister: BJP leader Yogi Adityanath took oath as UP chief minister at a ceremony at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan in Lucknow on Sunday. Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya were sworn in asDeputy CMs of the State. PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah attended the ceremony.

2. Amitabh Bachchan launches world's first app for breast health: Mumbai-based Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation has released an app,  ‘ABC of Breast Health’ to provide information under one roof.  Tha App was launched by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, the app will provide information in 12 languages.

3. Kerala becomes first Indian state to declare Internet a basic human right: Kerala, the most literate state in India, has just declared Internet access as a basic right for every citizen just like food, education and water.  The state budget has unveiled a project, which aims to provide internet connections free of cost to 20 lakh poor families and at subsidised rates to others.

4. Govt to launch 'Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojna' for senior citizens: Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot and I&B Minister Venkaiah Naidu will launch 'Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojna' on March 25. As part of the scheme, senior citizens, living below the poverty line, will get for free assistive devices like hearing aids and wheelchairs.

5. Government releases Draft Labour Code on Social Security & Welfare: The Union Labour Ministry has proposed a labour code which will provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country, including self-employed and agricultural workers. In this regard, it has proposed a draft code on Social Security and Welfare with an aim to provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country of about 45 crore workers. 

6. Punjab to provide 33 percent reservation for women in govt jobs: Punjab cabinet has decided to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in all government jobs.  The cabinet also decided to increase representation of women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent. 

7. Indian railways signs agreement with Australian research center: To support future research and technology development, related to critical infrastructure in India, a railway research center in Australia has entered into an agreement with the Indian Railways. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL), a Special Purpose Vehicle set up under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways, has signed an agreement with representatives from Monash University's Institute of Railway Technology (IRT), Australia in New Delhi. Establishment of a new applied research and development institute in India, SRESTHA (Special Railway Establishment for Strategic Technology & Holistic Advancement) will be guided by them.

8. Delegation leaves for Pak to discuss IWT after 6 months: A 10-member Indian delegation left for Pakistan on Sunday to take part in the meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) beginning on Monday in Islamabad. The meeting will take place nearly six months after India decided to suspend talks on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the wake of the Uri terror attack.

9. CVC rejects reports about deletion of its online data: The Central Vigilance Commission has denied reports which had claimed that its entire online data, including complaints filed before November 28, 2016, got deleted following a server crash. The Commission has stated that the complete data and the related information of all actionable complaints are available in files and records with it.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Norway is going to construct the world’s first ship tunnel: It is being constructed to improve the safety in the Stad Peninsula. The 1.7 km long Stad Ship Tunnel will be capable of carrying 16000-tonne freight and passenger ships.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Mumbai removed as Full Member of BCCI in new constitution: Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators has removed 41-time Ranji winners, Mumbai, as Full Member of BCCI and granted it Associate status. As per the Lodha Committee recommendations, only one association from a state is permitted Full Membership, with the Maharashtra Cricket Association representing the state. Bihar, Telangana and all Northeastern states have been given Full Membership.

2. Man Utd become first club to win 600 Premier League matches: Manchester United have become the first club to win 600 matches in the Premier League history after defeating Middlesbrough 3-1 on Sunday. Manchester United are followed by Arsenal (517) and Chelsea (508), the only other clubs to have won 500-plus PL matches. With the win, United extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches and moved up to the fifth place.

OBITUARIES:

3. “Chuck Berry” passes away: Known popularly as Father of Rock and Roll, Chuck Berry passed away in the US. Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive.