Daily GK Updates - 6th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. National Board of Wildlife clears Rutland Island for DRDO’s missile testing project: The Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife has approved Rutland Island (South Andaman) site for the country’s long-range missile test facility.

Since 2012, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been seeking the approval for the test facility. The proposal involves diversion of 49.978 acres forest of which 0.84 ha falls in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park and 49.138 ha reserve forest within 10km of the Eco Sensitive Zone.

2. Habibganj to be India’s first private station: Bhopal’s Habibganj station has become the first railway station of the country to be built in a Public-Private partnership. Bansal Group will manage the same for a period of 8 years. Station will be powered by solar energy and will also be differently-abled friendly.

3. Honourable PM inaugurates the 5th international conference of SPIC MACAY at IIT Delhi:  SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth) is a non-political, nationwide, a voluntary movement founded in 1977 by Dr. Kiran Seth at IIT Delhi. SPIC MACAY organizes an International Convention every year to expose the youth from across the world to the rich and multi-hued culture of India.

4. Central govt sets deadline for handling corruption cases against government employees: The Central Govt. has changed an over 50-year-old rule by setting a deadline of 6 months to complete probes in corruption cases involving government employees. Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)has amended Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules and decided time-line for critical stages of investigation and enquiry proceedings.

5. World Bank projects 7.2% growth rate for India: World Bank has projected 7.2% growth rate for India this year, against 6.8% growth in 2016. World Bank in its latest Global Economic Prospects, projects India’s growth to 7.5% in 2018 and 7.7% in 2019.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UN Russian Language Day: The United Nations (UN) Russian Language Day is observed annually on 6th June to maintain the equality of all six official UN languages. The day coincides with the birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin (Russian poet), who is considered the father of modern Russian literature.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sachin Joins UN ‘Super Dads’ Campaign: Sachin Tendulkar joined Beckham, Jackman, Djokovic and Lewis Hamilton for UNICEF’s Super Dads campaign. Campaign highlights the significant role played by fathers in children’s early development. Super Dads initiative forms part of UNICEF’s EarlyMomentsMatter campaign, which aims to drive understanding of how children’s environments and experiences in early childhood can shape their future.

2. Ramkumar wins ITF Futures title: Indian tennis player Ramkumar Ramanathan lifted the ITF men’s Futures tennis title after outplaying Raymond Sarmiento. He outplayed Raymond Sarmiento 6-2, 6-2 in the finals.

BANKING & FINANCE:

3. SBI to organise mega farmers’ meet: Ahead of kharif season, SBI will meet 10 lakh farmers to understand their credit need and provide finance. The meeting will be organised at bank’s 15500 rural and semi-urban branches across the country on June 8.

4. Vijaya Bank to develop 100 Digital Villages: Vijaya Bank is going to develop 100 digital villages in various States to promote digital banking among rural population.

Bank would offer free Wi-Fi connectivity, mobile payment facilities, ATM cards, online banking and will carry out a door-to-door campaign to educate villagers.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

5. Apple unveils new operating system: Apple has unveiled iOS 11, a new and advanced operating system for its devices. It features a “Do Not Disturb while Driving” mode that turns iPhone screens black and stops users from replying to messages.

6. NSE launched in GIFT city: National Stock Exchange has launched its international exchange in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City. NSE IFSC Ltd is the global exchange which is promoted by NSE. It will remain operational for a longer period than NSE.