Daily GK Updates - 25th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Indian Navy inducts 3rd LCU at Port Blair:The Indian Navy has inducted the third ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV project at Port Blair.LCU MK-IV ship is an amphibious ship and is capable of transporting combat equipment such as Main Battle Tanks Arjun, T72, and other Armored Vehicles.The command oversees India’s Andaman and Nicobar Island territories, including the strategic Strait of Malacca in the Indian Ocean.

2. NITI Aayog launched Atal New India Challenge:The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under the NITI Aayog launched the Atal New India Challenge on April 26.

Under the Atal New India Challenge, AIM will invite prospective innovators/MSMEs/start-ups to design market-ready products.Applicants showing capability, intent and potential to productize technologies will be awarded grants up to Rs. 1 crore.

3. National Bamboo Mission restructured:The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Bamboo Mission under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.The mission is to ensure holistic development of the bamboo sector.The Mission will focus on the development of bamboo in limited states where it has social, commercial and economical advantage, particularly in the North Eastern region.

4. Manipur’s Shirui Lily festival began: Manipur’s five-day Shirui Lily State Festival commenced on 24th April in the Ukhrul district headquarters.The festival, organized by the State Tourism Department, aimed to spread awareness and conserve the endangered state flower ‘Shirui Lily’, while also promote the hill district as a potential tourist destination.The campaign is organized by The Giving Tree and Hill Wild.

5.HRD Ministry launches Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-2:Human Resource Development Ministry launched the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-2 in New Delhi.Under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, students from 750 higher educational institutions from across the country will adopt villages and visit them.Under the scheme, the institutions have been selected on a Challenge Mode and has been extended to 750 reputed Higher Educational Institutes.

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6. Gauri became Brand Ambassador for Haryana: The Haryana government has appointed shooter Gauri Sheoran as the Brand Ambassador for its Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign & Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK). Under the MR campaign, about 80 lakh children aged between 9 months and 15 would be vaccinated.RBSK is an initiative aimed at covering defects at birth, deficiencies, diseases, and disability.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Malaysia to hold military exercise: The Indian and Malaysian armies will hold a two-week military exercise beginning April 30 in Malaysia.The joint exercise ‘Harimau Shakti’ will take place in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik in Malaysia.This is the first instance wherein a joint training exercise of this magnitude involving Indian and Malaysian soldiers is being organized in Malaysia.

2. Government makes an agreement with World Bank:The government has entered into a legal agreement with the World Bank for financing the research towards early development for bio-pharmaceuticals.The aim is to make India a hub for design and development of novel, affordable and effective bio-pharmaceutical products.

This mission will mark the beginning of a new partnership between the Department of Biotechnology & the World Bank.

3.India’s ranking in Press Freedom falls to 138:India’s ranking in the Press Freedom Index has fallen two places to 138.Norway topped the list of having the world’s freest press for the second year in a row.North Korea remained the most repressive country followed by Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Syria and then China. The report is published annually by Reporters Without Borders, the Index measures the level of media freedom in 180 countries

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. IMF unveils new corruption policy: The International Monetary Fund will systematically address corruption and its impact on economic growth with all its member countries under new guidelines.The new policy also tackles how rich countries contribute to corruption in the developing world by failing to prevent bribery and money laundering.The IMF will not investigate specific instances of corruption.

SPORTS:

1. BCCI recommends Shikhar & Smriti for Arjuna:BCCI recommended Indian cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Shikhar Dhawan for the Arjuna Award.Shikhar Dhawan currently opens the innings for the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Sunrisers Hyderabad.Last year, the BCCI had recommended Cheteshwar Pujara and Harmanpreet Kaur for the award given by the Government of India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.