Daily GK Updates - 6th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jammu & Kashmir Assembly passes resolution to implement GST: The state assembly passed the landmark tax reform during a special session, after two days of heated exchanges and fiery debates between BJP members and the opposition. The resolution moved by state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, was adopted through a presidential order. With this, all the states have implemented the Goods and Services Tax.

2. MERIT app and e-Bidding portal launched: The Power Ministry launched the MERIT app (Merit Order Dispatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency) and the portal for providing e-Bidding solution to states to select Independent Power Producers (IPPs). It will help States to select Independent Power Producers for procurement of power by transferring their domestic coal under the scheme of flexibility in utilization of domestic coal.

3. Indian NGO wins UNDP’s award: Swayam Shikshan Prayog, a city-based NGO, has been awarded the United Nations Development Programme’s Equator Prize for devising an ecologically sustainable agriculture model to combat the adverse impacts of drought.

It is the only Indian organisation to win the award, making the cut from more than 800 nominations across 120 countries.

4. Election Commission to tally paper trail slips with EVMs: Election Commission has decided to mandatorily tally paper trail slips with the results of EVMs in 5% of polling stations in each assembly seat, for all state and Lok Sabha elections. Counting of paper trail slips, however, will not take place in more than 14 polling stations and less than five polling stations in each assembly seat.

5. Railways new “Give it up” campaign: The Indian Railways is set to launch a 'Give-It-Up' campaign that will give travellers the option to forego the subsidy on their train tickets. The passengers will have the option to forego either 100 per cent of the subsidy or 50 per cent or to avail the subsidy. It will be a voluntary decision that we leave to the customers."

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 5th Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers held at Beijing: Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education was held on 5th July, 2017 at Beijing, China. Indian delegation was led by Prakash Javadekar, Minister of HRD. He highlighted some of the initiatives of the Govt. of India in education like National Institutional Ranking Framework which provides a relative ranking of Indian institutions, India’s indigenous MOOCs platform and SWAYAM among others.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Amazon to invest Rs.1680 crores more in India unit: Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder has already highlighted the importance of Indian operations to Amazon. This infusion will be focused on improving against local rival Flipkart.

2. Volvo cars – All electric or hybrid by 2019: Volvo has announced that starting from 2019, all of its new cars will be fully electric or hybrid. This makes Volvo the first major traditional automaker to set a date for phasing out vehicles powered solely by the internal combustion engine. Volvo will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021. Three of them will be Volvo models and two will be electrified cars from Polestar.

3. Shanghai based SAIC Motors to set up Rs 2000cr car plant: China’s SAIC Motor has entered into an MoU with the Gujarat government to establish the plant at Halol where MG brand cars will be manufactured. SAIC will set up a passenger car manufacturing facility at Halol in Panchmahals district of Gujarat with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore.

4. AIIB approves USD 329 mn loan for Gujarat: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved a USD 329 million loan to build access roads to 4,000 villages in 33 Gujarat districts. It aims to construct & upgrade district and farm-to-market roads for the villagers and provide approaches to educational institutions, schools and hospitals.

SPORTS:

5. Germany tops, India at 96th in FIFA World ranking: India has moved four places up to the 96th position in the FIFA World ranking released on 6th July. This is India’s second best ranking, its previous best was the 94th position in February 1996. Germany topped the rankings followed by Brazil and Argentina.

6. Pankaj Advani-led Indian clinched Asian Snooker Championship: India's leading cueist Pankaj Advani teamed up with Laxman Rawat to demolish Pakistan in the final of the Asian Team Snooker Championship in Bishskek, Kyrgyszstan.