Daily GK Updates - 7th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CO sensors developed by IISc: Researchers at Indian Institute of Science have developed a highly sensitive nanometre-scale carbon monoxide sensor by employing an innovative fabrication technique. Nanostructure-based gas sensors are very effective due their high surface-to-volume ratio.

2. National Handloom Day celebrated: National Handloom Day is being observed to give an impetus to sector & encourage use of hand-made loom in the country. 7th August has been chosen due to its special significance as it was on this day that Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905.  1st National Handloom Day was observed on 7th August, 2015 in Chennai.

3. Chabahar Port to start by 2018 – Nitin Gadkari: According to Nitin Gadkari the strategic Chabahar Port will be operational by 2018. As per an MoU signed, India is to equip & operate 2 berths in Chabahar Port Phase-I with capital investment of $85.21 million & annual revenue expenditure of $22.95 million on a 10-year lease.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UK agrees to pay $47billion to leave EU: Britain is prepared to pay up to €40 billion (USD47 billion dollars) as part of a deal to leave the European Union.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Britannia’s largest plant set to come up in Maharashtra: India’s leading FMCG Britannia Industries would set up its largest plant in Maharashtra in a food park at Ranjangaon. The park would have the largest biscuits manufacturing plant with six lines, along with cake and rusk.

2. TCS to start GST Shiksha hub for small and medium enterprises: TCS iON has announced its partnership with Laghu Udyog Bharati to launch GST-related content to help Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. It aims to provide relevant information on GST to all MSMEs on a real-time basis, helping them to be updated on any GST-linked development.

3. FB has the maximum profit per employee: Facebook which employed 20,658 persons in past quarter made roughly Rs 1.2 cr per employee. Microsoft made Rs 33 lakhs & Alphabet Rs 29 lakhs per employee, 4 times less profit per employee than FB.

4. Luxury cars to cost more as GST council recommends car cess hike from 10% to 25%: Sport Utility Vechicles, mid-sized, large, and luxury cars will cost more as the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council has approved a proposal to hike cess on them to 25%.

SPORTS:

5. Kerala HC lifts life ban imposed on cricketer Sreesanth: He was banned in 2013 for his alleged spot fixing in IPL & was charged alongside 2 of his Rajasthan Royals teammates, Ajit Chandila & Ankeet Chavan. This comes as a relief for Sreesanth.

6. Alexander Zverev wins Citi Open title at Washington: German Alexander Zverev won over South African Kevin Anderson at the Citi Open in Washington.

7. India wins bronze in wheelchair basketball world meet: The Indian men and women’s wheelchair basketball teams won Bronze at the 4th Bali Cup International Tournament for Wheelchair Basketball.