Daily GK Updates - 19th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. NDRF celebrates its 13th Raising Day: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 13th Raising Day in New Delhi. The Director Intelligence Bureau, Rajiv Jain was the chief guest on this occasion. The meeting highlighted the disaster threat of country and important changes taken place in Disaster Management in India and across the world.

2. Anandiben to be the next Governor of MP: Former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel has been named the next Madhya Pradesh Governor. She replaces Om Prakash Kohli, who has additional charge of the office of MP Governor along with the office of Gujarat Governor. In 2016, she resigned as CM on the ground that she was completing 75 years.

3. Maharashtra becomes the first state to have Public Cloud Policy: Maharashtra has become the first state in the country that has come out with a public cloud policy, virtually mandating its departments to shift their data storage onto the cloud.

This move has created a $2 billion opportunity for the industry. The policy will result in additional private sector investments as the government is one of the biggest creators and consumers of data.

4. Delhi launches Girl Child Week: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched Girl Child Week programme to celebrate the girl child and spread awareness on gender equality. The Girl Child Week in Delhi is from 18 January to 24 January 2018. It is noteworthy that 24th January is celebrated as National Girl Child Day.

5. Blockchain academy to come up in Kerala: Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K) and Blockchain Education Network have planned to jointly set up Kerala Blockchain Academy at Technopark campus, in Thiruvananthapuram. It will be first of its kind in India. The aim is to utilise blockchain technology for the welfare of public, promote innovations and entrepreneurship with blockchain technology.

6. Antenatal check-ups under PMSMA crosses 1 crore mark: J P Nadda, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, stated that antenatal check-ups under Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) has crossed 1cr mark. PMSMA was launched in 2016 with an objective to ensure comprehensive and quality antenatal checkups to pregnant women.

7. Book on Self-Development unveiled by hon’ble Prez: President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled a book on heartfulness techniques and principles titled ‘The Heartfulness Way’. Kamlesh D. Patel is the author of this book. It is the fourth Global Guide of Heartfulness. Joshua Pollock is the second author of this book. It was launched by Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu.

8. Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Yojana approved by Maha. Govt.: Maharashtra Govt has approved a Rs. 4,000 crores project aimed at promoting climate-resilient agriculture. The project, named Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Yojna, will be implemented in 5,142 villages across 15 districts. Around 70% of the project’s cost will be borne by the World Bank while the state will contribute 30% over six years.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Mangalajodi Eco Trust won UNWTO Award: Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust of Odisha was awarded the “Innovation in Tourism Enterprise” award, at the 14th UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain. Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust is promoted by RBS Foundation India and Indian Grameen Services. It is a community owned and run entity. It is located on the banks of Chilika Lake in Odisha.

2. World’s largest underwater cave found in Mexico: Divers of Great Maya Aquifer Project have discovered world’s largest underwater cave in Mexico. It is located near the beach resort of Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula. It is made of two massive underwater caverns. The combined length of Sac Actun-Dos Ojos system stands at nearly 215 miles. This is much larger than Ox Bel Ha cave system, Mexico, which stretches 168 miles long.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. INS Vikramaditya affiliated to Bihar Regiment and IAF’s No.6 Squadron:Indian Naval Ship Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy’s largest ship and its sole aircraft carrier was formally affiliated to the Indian Army’s highly-decorated and battle-hardened Bihar Regiment and the Indian Air Force’s No 6 Squadron. It is tasked with maritime strike operations with its Jaguar fighter aircraft.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Mauritius comes out as the largest source of FDI in India: Mauritius is the largest source of foreign investment in India (21.8% share), followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank of India. It is according to the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI. Total sales, including exports, of foreign subsidiaries in India increased by 18.7% during 2016-17.

2. S Selvakumar Appointed CMD Of SPMCIL: The government appointed senior IAS officer S Selvakumar as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL). Selvakumar has replaced Anurag Agarwal. The state-owned SPMCIL produces banknotes, coins, postage stamps, non-judicial stamps and other official documents.

3. AU Bank inks MoU with LIC: Banking finance company AU Small Finance Bank has signed an MoU with LIC to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. Under the MoU, LIC will give a life cover of Rs. 2 lakh in case of death to the customer at a nominal premium of Rs. 330 per annum. The company will also offer loans under government’s affordable housing and subsidy schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

4. WhatsApp Unveils Business App: Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has rolled out a feature that connects small businesses with customers. Currently, only Android users can access the feature and they can avail of it through the latest update of the app. The new feature will be available first in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, UK and the US before being launched globally in the coming weeks.