Daily GK Updates - 31st August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Anganwadi workers to provide pre-school education to kids: Anganwadi workers across India will be trained to provide pre-school education to children between three and six years of age, reports said. The idea is to make Integrated Child Development Services more meaningful and effective.

2. Andhra government to ensure Rs. 10000 monthly income for poor by 2019: The Andhra Pradesh government is trying to make sure that every poor family in the state gets a monthly income of at least ₹10,000 by January 2019, Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh said on Thursday. Adding that an action plan will be decided next week, he said the state will use various technologies to become a poverty-less state.

3. ISRO launched IRNSS-1H satellite from PSLV C39: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its navigation satellite IRNSS-1H from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, on board the rocket PSLV C39. The PSLV-C39 however has failed in its mission, as its heat shield failed to separate, preventing the satellite IRNSS-1H to reach its designated orbit. The satellite IRNSS-1H is a part of the indigenous navigation system called ‘NavIC’ (Navigation with Indian Constellation).

4. Govt. approves increase in income criteria for Creamy Layer: The union Govt. has approved an increase in income criteria for the creamy layer for excluding socially advanced persons from the purview of reservation of other backward classes (OBC) from six to eight lakh rupees per annum.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CDC of Nepal submits its report with 165 electoral constituencies: The Constituency Delimitation Commission (CDC) of Nepal chairman Kamal Narayan Das has submitted its report to Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at Kathmandu. The Commission has recommended 165 constituencies for the of House of Representatives and 330 for Provincial Assemblies.

2. Two-day Indian Ocean Conference being held in Colombo: Two-day Indian Ocean Conference 2017 being organized by India Foundation in Temple Trees (official residence of the Lankan prime minister) in Colombo. The theme of this year’s conference is Peace, Progress and Prosperity and will involve participants from more than 35 countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Indian Hotels Company appoints Puneet Chhatwal as MD and CEO: Indian Hotels Company Limited (runs the Taj chain of hotels) has appointed India-born Puneet Chhatwal as its Managing Director (MD) chief executive officer(CEO). He will replace Rakesh Sarna who is stepping down from 30thSeptember 2017.

2. NTPC signs Rs. 3,000 crore term loan agreement with ICICI Bank: National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has signed a term loan agreement for Rs. 3,000 crores with ICICI Bank Ltd for partially funding its capital expenditure.

The loan which has a door-to-door tenure of 15 years will be utilized to part finance the capital expenditure of NTPC.

3. New features in BHIM app, allows users to split bills and collect payments: The National Payments Corporation of India-backed BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app has been updated with features like splitting bills and collecting payments. The app allows users to send or receive money from other users through a mobile number or payment address and is available on Android app store.

SPORTS:

4. India post their biggest ODI win in SL, take 4-0 series lead: India defeated Sri Lanka by 168 runs in Colombo on Thursday to register their biggest ODI win in terms of runs in Sri Lanka, taking a 4-0 series lead. India's previous biggest win in Sri Lanka had come in 2009 when they defeated the hosts by 147 runs. 

Daily GK Updates - 30th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Hercules training centre at Hindon Air Force Station: Mahindra Defence Systems in association with Lockheed Martin has opened the C-130J Super Hercules simulator training center at Hindon Air Force station. It will train air crew who operate the C-130J special operations aircraft acquired from Lockheed Martin.

2. No interview in UP Government jobs for Group B, C, and D categories: Uttar Pradesh Govt has decided to end the process of holding interview for selection of candidates for the govt jobs in all the non-gazetted posts of Group B, C, and D categories. This new rule will not be binding on the ongoing recruitment for Class II officers.

3. GST collections cross Rs. 92000 crore mark: India’s maiden GST collections hit Rs 92,283 crore in July, surpassing the target. The tax mobilisation so far is from 64.4% of the 59.57 lakh taxpayers registered with the new Goods and Services Tax and the number is likely to go up.

4. Atal Pension Yojana surges ahead with 62 lakhs enrollments: Atal Pension Yojana has surged ahead with 62 lakh enrolments till date after launch of the scheme. Atal Pension Yojana is a government-backed pension scheme in India targeted at the unorganized sector. It was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9thMay, 2017.

5. PM inaugurates “hanging bridge” over the river Chambal: The bridge, 1.4 km in length, is constructed at a cost of Rs 278 crore at Kota. The bridge will benefit the residents of Hadouti region of Rajasthan. The much-awaited 'hanging bridge' will help ease traffic congestion in Kota city and reduce travel time, officials said.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Annual five-day Hajj pilgrimage begins today in Saudi Arabia: The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey and can support their family during their absence. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, and Sawm. Around one lakh 70 thousand pilgrims from India are performing Hajj this year.

2. BRICS Innovative Competitiveness Report 2017: According to the BRICS Innovative Competitiveness Report 2017 report, India’s innovation growth rate would see a significant rise and could surpass that of China in the next decade, China ranks first in terms of national comprehensive innovation competitiveness in 2016, followed by Russia, South Africa, Brazil, and India.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. YouTube changes its logo: Google-owned YouTube has refreshed its iconic logo, Unlike minor tweaks, this is the biggest change the YouTube logo has received over the years. The logo will now work better “across a variety of devices, even on smallest of screens”.

2. Uber to offer free insurance: Global ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies will give free insurance to its 450,000 driver partners in India. For this insurance programme Uber has tied up with ICICI Lombard, it will provide cover ranging from Rs. 5 lakhs in case of death to Rs. 50,000 rupees for outpatient treatment.

3. Paytm rebrands Postcard service: Paytm has rebranded its Postcard feature as Lifafa following its feud with India Post. This comes soon after India Post (government-operated postal system) sent a notice to Paytm that it had the sole right to use the word ‘postcard’ under the IPO Act. Lifafa is a digital version of gifting money on festive occasions.

BANKING & FINANCE:

4. RBI report says 99% of demonetized notes back: RBI has revealed in its annual report that Rs 15.28 lakh crore or 99% of the Rs 15.44-lakh-crore scrapped currency notes, had come back to central bank after the government called for demonetization. About 89 million units of the demonetized Rs 1,000 notes worth Rs 8,900 cr have not come back into the system.

5. CHOICE launches ‘PoS’ product: Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company (CHOICE) has come up with a ‘Point-of-Sale’ product targeted at the mass-market segment. The product  ‘PoS – Easy Bima Plan’ is the first PoS product for the company and is a pure term insurance plan.

6. Solar energy services company Freyr Energy ties up with Axis Bank: It will offer term loans for solar rooftop installations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Axis Bank will offer term loans ranging from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh for tenures up to five years.

Daily GK Updates - 29th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi to attend BRICS summit in China: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Xiamen in China to attend the BRICS summit which will be held from September 3-5. The announcement comes a day after India and China ended their 73-day standoff in Dokalam by withdrawing their troops from the area.

2. National Sports Day observed: National Sports Day in India is celebrated on August 29, the birthday of Dhyan Chand, one of the greatest field hockey players of all time. Dhyan Chand is also known as ‘The Wizard’ in the world of hockey. The Government of India (GoI) has designated 29th August as the country’s ‘National Sports Day’ in 2012. The President confers Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, and Dronacharya Award at Rashtrapati Bhawan on this day.

3. Winner of Miss Transqueen India 2017: Nitasha Biswas, a trans woman who hails from Kolkata, was crowned Miss Trans Queen India 2017, winner of the first beauty pageant for trans women in the country. Nitasha will now represent India at the Miss International TransQueen in Thailand in March 2018.

4. Mandarin made a must for ITBP: Following Doklam standoff, Indo Tibetan Border Police has decided to make it compulsory for new recruits to learn Chinese language — both Mandarin & version of the language that is spoken in Tibet. Good knowledge of Chinese language will help in avoiding misunderstandings & lead to better resolution of confrontations.

5. India & Germany ink agreement to improve grid integration of renewable energy: India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) of Germany have signed an agreement on technical cooperation under the Indo-German Energy Programme-Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC). The main objective of this program is to improve the sector framework and conditions for grid integration of renewable energies with conventional power grids.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Atomic Fuel Reserve Bank to open in Kazakhstan: International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Low Enriched Uranium Bank is all set to open this week in Kazakhstan. The reserve is a “mechanism of last resort” for situations in which a UN member nation cannot access fuel by the usual means.

2. France holds migration summit: European countries are at loggerheads over how to deal with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war, poverty and political upheaval in Middle East & Africa. Hence, the European leaders will meet their counterparts from Niger, Chad, and Libya in Paris to discuss ways of stemming economic migration.

3. Kenya comes up with toughest law against usage of plastic bags: Kenya has imposed world’s toughest laws to reduce plastic pollution, with people selling or using plastic bags at risk of up to 4 years in prison & fines of up to 4m Kenyan Shillings.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Indian Commodity Exchange launches the world’s first derivatives exchange for diamond futures contract: The diamond contracts initially will be in size of 1 karat with compulsory delivery. It likely to create a new market for diamond industry players where sellers can deliver their certified quality diamonds to a different set of buyers from across the country. The Indian Commodity Exchange is promoted by the Anil Ambani group.

2. Ease of Doing Business report: NITI Aayog launched Ease of Doing Business report based on an Enterprise Survey of 3,500 manufacturing firms across Indian states & Union Territories. Survey has conducted along with IDFC Institute, to assess business regulations & enabling environment across India from firms’ perspective.

3. Bharti Airtel joins hands with Symantec Corporation to protect users from online threats: Bharti Airtel has entered into a partnership with Symantec Corporation to protect businesses in India from online threats. Through the partnership, these two companies will target IT security requirements of large enterprises, small & medium businesses, as well as the government.

4. DIPP releases next edition of consolidated FDI policy: The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) compiles all policies related to foreign investment regime into a single document to make it simple and easy for investors to understand. In the last year, the union government has liberalized FDI policy in over a dozen sectors, including defence, civil aviation, construction and development, private security agencies and news broadcasting.

Daily GK Updates - 28th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Withdrawal of Indian Coast Guard Training Ship ‘Varuna’: The Indian Coast guard training ship ‘Varuna’, part of the first training squadron of the Indian Navy was decommissioned with full armed forces honors at a ceremony. The ship served to nation for span about 30 years. Varuna had numerous achievements to its account, including a record no. of apprehension of smugglers with gold worth crores of rupees during the late 1980s.

2. Government restricts import of Gold and Silver from S Korea: In a move to curb surging gold and silver imports from South Korea, the government has decided to put these items in the restricted category wherein importers will need permission from the government before importing them. This comes in the wake of more than a $1 billion worth gold imports from South Korea between July 1-August 21.

3. Launch of  Rooftop Solar Program  in Odisha: The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik has launched the grid-connected rooftop solar project through net-metering system. He also launched the web portal of the rooftop solar programme – www.rtsodisha.gov.in. Under this program pepole can install solar plants on their rooftops and consume the generated solar power during the day time. The investment on a rooftop solar system is about Rs 70,000 per kw. The state government will provide 30 percent subsidy to the consumers.

4. Set up of task force on Artificial Intelligence: Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has constituted a Task Force chaired by V. Kamakoti of IIT Madras to explore possibilities to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) for development across various fields. The ‘task force on AI for India’s Economic Transformation’ will submit concrete and implementable recommendations for government.

5. Inauguration of first ‘Videsh Bhavan’ in Mumbai: The union External Affairs Minister ‘Sushma Swaraj’ has inaugurated the country’s first ‘Videsh Bhavan’ in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), in Mumbai. The ‘Videsh Bhavan’ in the city is the first integrated office complex of the MEA established in any state of the country. Now, the four offices of the ministry in Mumbai (Passport Office, Office of the Protector of Emigrants, Office of the Regional Director of ICCR and Branch Secretariat of MEA) will be functioning under one roof in the newly constructed building. The facility will help in effective management of the MEA’s engagement with the Maharashtra government.

6. India’s Chief Justice to be – Justice Dipak Misra: Justice Dipak Misra will take office as the 45th Chief Justice of India on Monday. This comes after CJI JS Kehar retired on 27th August. President Ramnath Kovind administered the oath of office to Justice Misra at Rashtrapati Bhawan.  He replaced Chief Justice J S Khehar and hold the post till 2nd October 2018.

7. PM Modi Wax figure at Madame Tussauds: Wax figures of the leaders will be part of a new special zone at Madame Tussauds to be housed at the Regal building in New Delhi. Notably, first Madame Tussauds museum in India was open in Delhi.

8. Miss TransQueen India – Nitasha Biswas: Kolkata’s trans woman ‘Nitasha Biswas’ has crowned the first Miss TransQueen India in Gurugram, Haryana. Currently, Biswas is pursuing Masters in Business Management in Kolkata, West Bengal. Miss Transsexual Australia 2017 Laeticia Phylliscia Raveena had crowned the first Miss TransQueen India.Biswas will now go to Thailand for Miss International Queen, while Loiloi will compete at Miss Transsexual Australia. Miss TransQueen India 2017 is the first ever transgender beauty contest of the country.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US imposes financial sanctions against Venezuela:  In US president Donald Trump imposed fresh sanctions against Venezuela restricting country’s financial system from dealing in new debt from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government or its state oil company. The financial sanctions are aimed at restricting the ability of Maduro’s regime to finance its Unconstitutional and Undemocratic behavior.

2. Boko Haram shoot – slitting throats of the villagers:  Nigeria based Boko Haram extremists killed at least 27 people by shooting them and slitting their throats as they attacked several villages in northern Nigeria’s Borno state. Such deadly attacks in recent months have pressured Nigeria’s government to increase its efforts against a homegrown Islamic extremist group it last year declared to be “crushed.”

3.Pakistan court rejects corruption case against former President Asif Zardari: Pakistan’s former president Asif Ali Zardari has been acquitted by an anti-corruption court in an old corruption case in which he was accused of possessing illegal assets. Mr. Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naek requested for acquittal of Mr. Zardari and Justice Khalid Mahmood Ranjha National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court accepted it.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Belgian Grand Prix 2017 Result:  Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom) Mercedes secured 1st rank followed by Sebastian Vettel (Germany)Ferrari who secured 2nd position. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer secured 3rd position.

2. Sindhu lost to her Japanese rival Okuhara : Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) defeated Ace shuttler PV Sindhu (India) to claim the 2017 BWF World Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. Sindhu lost to her Japanese rival Okuhara 19-21 22-20 20-22. Earlier, Saina Nehwal ended her campaign with a bronze. Sindhu became only the second Indian to win a silver medal after Saina Nehwal had achieved the feat in the last edition at Jakarta in 2015.

3. Floyd Mayweather undefeated with record 50-0:  Undefeated professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated UFC champion Conor McGregor in the richest fight in History. May weather, who came out of a two year retirement for bout, now takes his professional boxing career’s record to 50-0.

4. India’s performance at SAFF Championship : The young guns of India have lifted the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-15 football Championship title at Kathmandu, Nepal. Lalrokima and Vikram struck in the second half to guide India edge past hosts Nepal 2-1 in the final. Six nations participated in the tournament where each of the sides was divided into two pools comprising three teams each.

5. Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has become the first ever player to score 350 goals in La Liga: Messi has played 384 league matches and scored 350 goals, He is ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo by 66 goals.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Australia to help India to become a ‘Pulse processing hub: Australia is learnt to be exploring ways to help India transform into a ‘pulses-processing hub’. Regarding this the Australian government and that country’s agri-business companies will hold talks with the Government of India and Indian companies including those into processing, retail and imports of pulses, on the sidelines of the ‘Australia Business Week in India’ (ABWI).

Daily GK Updates - 27th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Army go get its own power in air too: Indian Army will finally get an advanced medium-range surface to air missile system by 2020 which will be able to shoot down ballistic missiles, fighter jets & attack helicopters from a range of around 70 km. The missile system will be produced by DRDO in collaboration with the Israel Aerospace Industries.

2. Randhir Kumar Jaiswal was appointed as the social secretary to President: Senior diplomat Randhir Kumar Jaiswal was appointed as the social secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved his appointment as Social Secretary to the President, on deputation basis, initially for a period of 2 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

3. Election Commission’s Eronet to be launched in Assam: ‘Eronet’, a new portal/software introduced in some states by Election Commission will be launched in Assam on August 28. Eronet facilitates various activities relating to electoral roll such as inclusion & deletion of names, name corrections.

4. World Book Fair to begin in Dehradun: The World Book Fair 2017 will begin in Dehradun from August 28, with the state government offering discounts on books based on the lives of national figures. The theme of the world book fair would be ‘Padega Uttarakhand, Badega Uttarakhand’.

5. Arjan Singh base becomes the second in the country to have Hercules Strategic Aircraft: Indian Air Force installed 6 C-130J Super Hercules strategic aircraft in its Arjan Singh base in Panagarh, West Bengal. Arjan Singh is the 2nd base in the country to have a fat fleet of Hercules aircraft after Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Trump bans transgender military recruits: US President Trump has signed a memorandum that directs US military to not accept transgender individuals as recruits. It also halts use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel unless the process is already under way.

2. Canada to allow gender-neutral passports: Canadian citizens who do not identify as male or female will soon be able to mark “X” on their passports and other identity documents. The step has been taken so that Canadians are able to better reflect their gender identity.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. Vijaya Bank launches “100 Digital Banking Villages”: Vijaya Bank has launched ‘100 Digital Villages’ initiative in an effort to bring residents of these villages under the formal banking system. Through its initiative, the bank has now reached out to more than 2.35 lakh customers, all of whom will have access to digital banking through debit cards.

2. Banking Regulation Act amended: The Government has notified Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act under which it can authorize the RBI to issue directions to banks to initiate insolvency resolution process to recover bad loans. Under the Banking Regulation Act, 2017, RBI can issue directions to banks for resolution of stressed assets.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. Chauhan’s term at BSE’s helm extended by 5 years: BSE’s board has approved another 5-year term for its chief Ashish Chauhan. Under his leadership, BSE also set up country’s 1st international exchange named as India International Exchange.

SPORTS:

4. Saina Nehwal wins bronze at World Badminton Championship: Saina Nehwal had to settle for a bronze medal at the World Badminton Championships after a heartbreaking loss against Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in women’s singles semi-finals.

5. ManU’s midfielder Paul Pogba wins award: Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been named the Europa League Player of the Season for 2016-17. Pogba was part of the United side that won the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history with a 2-0 win over Ajax in May.

Daily GK Updates - 26th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Nine Dera Sacha Sauda Ashrams sealed in Kurukshetra: The step is aimed to avoid any act of violence similar to the one that led to over 30 casualties in Panchkula after the Ram Rahim verdict. The Army and paramilitary forces also entered the Dera headquarters in Sirsa and evacuated the supporters from the premises.

2.  Rs.500 crore relief fund for flood-hit Bihar: PM Modi undertook an aerial survey of Bihar floods and announced the relief package for the state. He also announced fiving Rs.2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund.

3. Monsoon floods takes over 1,200 lives in South Asia: The death toll from India, Bangladesh and Nepal has climbed above 1,200. Six flood affected Indian states accounted for 850 deaths.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Failure of N Korea’s Missiles test:  N Korea test fired 3 short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan. This comes amid the US and S Korea’s ongoing joint military drills which N Korea has denounced as preparation for war.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sania Nehwal and PV Sindhu enters into Finals and Semi fimals at Badminton World Championships: Shuttler Saina Nehwal reached Badminton World Championships semi finals for the second straight time. PV Sindhu also entered the semifinals.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Newly appointed  Syndicate Bank chairman – Ajay Vipin Nanavati: The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has approved Mr. Ajay Vipin Nanavati’s appointment as non-official director/non-executive chairman of Syndicate Bank for three years.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. JioPhone pre-booking temporarily suspended: This came after its website crashed for a short while following large volumes of requests within minutes of launching the service. The firm is currently allowing prospective buyers to register their interest and check device order status online.

2. CEO hunt by Infosys: Infosys has appointed Egon Zehnder to help it find a new CEO, a week after Vishal Sikka stepped down from the post. The firm will work with the nomination and remuneration committee to identify the right candidate.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1.  A new species ‘Nasikabatrachus bhupathi(N.Bhupathi)’ -  a frog with the face of a pig: Indian scientists have discovered a new species of frog ‘Nasikabatrachus bhupathi’ that has a snout-shaped nose, just like a pig in West Ghats. Soiled-dwelling species ‘Nasikabatrachus bhupathi’ discovered by scientists from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad. It inhabits the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, near the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. It has been named after the Indian herpetologist S. Bhupathy.

OBITUARIES:

1. Oldest Indian cinematographer Ramanda Sengupta (101-year) passed away: He worked with legends like Jean Renoir, Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen. In 1946, the first film as a full-time cinematographer was in Purbaraag directed by Ardhendu Mukherjee.