Daily GK Updates - 1st March, 2017

­­­­                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NFHS 4 shows improved sex ratio, decline in infant mortality rate: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare unveiled last National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4) for 2015-16. It has shown positive trends in key health indicators, including an decline in infant mortality rate (IMR) and improvement in sex ratio at birth during 2015-16. The survey was conducted after collecting information from 6 lakh households, 7 lakh women and 1.3 lakh men. For the first time it provides district level estimates

2. Three Forest Research Institutes develop High-Yielding Varieties of Plant Species: Three institutes of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun have developed 20 high-yielding varieties of plant species. These three institutes are Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun Tropical Forest Research Institute (TFRI), Jabalpur and Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore. ICFRE’s Variety Releasing Committee (VRC) has granted approval for the release of these varieties of plant species. These developed varieties had gone through stringent long field trials and testing before release. Key Facts

3. Hard work more powerful than Harvard: PM Modi: After the latest GDP growth data despite the Centre's demonetisation move, PM Modi on Wednesday said, "Hard work is much more powerful than Harvard." "On the one hand are those who talk of what people at Harvard say and on the other is a poor man's son who through his hard work is trying to improve the economy," he added.

4. Govt. to allow online filing of officers' performance reports: The Centre has decided to amend the rules to allow online filing of performance reports of IAS and IPS officers. The move will reportedly help in checking delayed submission of the confidential reports and claims of bias in giving low ratings to an officer. The rules would be applicable to members of all India services – IAS, IPS and IFoS.

5. India's GDP grew 7% in December quarter despite note ban: India's GDP growth came in at 7% in the December quarter, despite the government's decision to demonetise high-value currency. However, the pace of growth did slow from the 7.4% growth logged in the second quarter of this fiscal.

7. MEITY to promote digital transactions in place of NITI Aayog: The Union Government has shifted the responsibility of promoting digital transactions in the country to the Union Ministry of IT and Electronics (MEITY) from NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. In this regard, Government already has changed the business transaction rules to enable MEITY to promote digital transactions, including digital payments.

8. 4th India-CLMV Business Conclave held in Jaipur: The fourth edition of India – CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam) Business Conclave was held in Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan. The two-day conference organised by Department of Commerce and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) held deliberations on manufacturing, renewable energy, agriculture and skilling among others sectors in the region.

9. World Bank CEO visits Asia's largest slum Dharavi in Mumbai: World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva has visited Asia's largest slum Dharavi in Mumbai. Earlier, Georgieva had also travelled in a Mumbai local train. Georgieva is on her first official visit to India. She will see the operations of World Bank-supported suburban rail system in Mumbai and meet key policy-makers including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, RBI Governor Urjit Patel, among others.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan must vacate illegally occupied PoK: India at UN: India has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to ask Pakistan to fulfil its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions and vacate illegally occupied PoK. Pakistan has had territorial ambitions over Kashmir since 1947, and it illegally occupies 78,000 square km Indian territory in Kashmir, India said. India also asked Pakistan to stop inciting violence in Indian territory.

2. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai calls net neutrality rules a 'mistake': Ajit Pai, the recently-appointed Chairman of Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadband in the US, has called net neutrality rules "a mistake". Pai added, "Rules developed to tame 1930s monopoly were imported into 21st century to regulate the internet." Net neutrality is the principle that data on the internet should not be priced differentially based on users or content.

3. China to build underwater observatory in S China Sea: Report: China will build its first national underwater observatory in the disputed South China Sea, according to reports. Such a platform will reportedly allow the country to keep a check on underwater physical, chemical, and geological dynamics in real time. South China Sea has been a disputed territory with China claiming almost all of the waters.

4. Trump orders new agency for victims of crime by immigrants: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he has ordered Homeland Security to create an office called VOICE – Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement. Trump gave examples of Americans in the audience whose loved ones were killed by illegal immigrants. He condemned the shooting of an Indian engineer while adding that the US would be protected against "radical Islamic terrorism."

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Jitu Rai sets world record to win gold at ISSF World Cup: Indian shooter Jitu Rai won the gold in the 50-metre air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Delhi on Wednesday, with a world record finals' score of 230.1. This is Jitu's third medal in the competition, having won a gold earlier in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event, and a bronze in the men's 10-metre air pistol.

2. 15-year-old Indian para shooter sets junior world record: India's 15-year-old para shooter Avani Lekhara shot a junior world record score of 244.4 at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Al Ain, UAE, winning a silver medal at the competition last week. Another Indian shooter, Pooja Agarwal, also won a silver medal at the tournament. Notably, both Indian shooters were making their international debuts at the competition.

3. India wins bronze at World Women's Chess Championship: Indian grandmaster Harika Dronavalli has won a bronze medal at the 2017 Women's World Chess Championship in Tehran. Harika lost to China's Tan Zhongyi in a semi-final tie-breaker to settle for bronze for the third time in a row. Harika attained the title of Grandmaster in 2011 and is ranked eighth in the world among female players.

BANKING

4. HDFC, ICICI, Axis to levy ₹150 after four transactions a month: HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank have started charging a minimum of ₹150 per transaction for cash deposits and withdrawals beyond four free transactions in a month. The banks will charge ₹5 per thousand rupees or ₹150, whichever is higher, after the free transactions. The banks reportedly said there has been no directive from the government in this regard.

5. Get all accounts on net banking by March 31: Govt to banks: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked banks to get all the accounts enabled with net banking by March 31 this year. A third of all bank accounts across the country are not linked to the internet yet, the government said. One lakh common service centres already launched by the government will help the banks on the move.