Daily GK Updates - 14th May, 2018

  NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt to link 200 more mandis to Enam : The government will link additional 200 wholesale mandis to the online trading platform eNAM this fiscal and also encourage inter-mandi transactions.Online trading on the eNAM platform can be done through the website, trading platform or the Mobile App.At present, 585 regulated ​mandis in 14 States are linked with the electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM) launched in April 2016.

2. ITBP to get more men and material : The Union government has decided to boost the manpower and infrastructure of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).Nine new battalions, a strategic sector headquarters on the front, a dozen patrol camps and 47 new border outposts along the China border over the next few years will be created.The Ministry of Home Affairs has given its in-principle approval.

3. IMD to add 30 Doppler radars in country : The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will add 30 Doppler radars in the next two-three years across the country.Doppler radars provide precise information about thunderstorms, dust storms, hailstorms, rainfall and wind patterns.With a radius of 250km, they help in issuing nowcasts 2-3 hours prior to severe weather events.The first Doppler radar was installed in Chennai in 2002.

4. India fast losing mangrove cover : According to the report, India has ranked ninth in the area of mangrove forests it lost between 2000 and 2015, but the rate of loss is only half the global average.The report has been published by the Woods Hole Research Center, a think tank based in Massachusetts, USA.While Malaysia, Myanmar, Brazil, and Thailand were other countries to lose maximum cover during the period of study.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. SAWEN’s 1st meeting in India : The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), an inter-governmental wildlife law enforcement agency, held its first-ever meeting in India.SAWEN was launched in Bhutan in 2011.In 2016 the Union Cabinet gave permission to adopt the statute of SAWEN.Its member countries are India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, Pakistan & Maldives.

2. Modi, Oli launch Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service : PM Modi & his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli has jointly inaugurated a direct bus service b/w Janakpur & Ayodhya – the two sacred cities for Hindus.Janakpur the birthplace of Sita will now be connected with Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram through the bus service.The places are significant in the Ramayana tourism circuit that falls under the Indian Govt’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. World Bank agrees to a grant for Bangladesh : The World Bank (WB) is going to provide Bangladesh with a grant to meet the basic needs of around one million Rohingyas who fled from Myanmar.A WB team will be visiting Bangladesh to discuss the issue with the government.As per the WB’s conditions, the entire fund that the WB has finally agreed to provide Bangladesh with will have to be spent for the Rohingyas only.

2. Fino Payments Bank to offer net banking : Fino Payments Bank launched a suite of digital products that can be accessed online and through mobile phones.Fino had launched its mobile banking app BPay in 2017.The latest initiatives include Unified Payments Interface (UPI), BHIM app- using which customers can access UPI and make P2P payments.

DEFENCE:

1. Army finalised ammunition project : The Army has finalised a mega ₹15,000-crore project under which a range of ammunition for its critical weapons and tanks will be produced indigenously.The implementation of the project is being monitored by the top brass of the Army and the Defence Ministry.The immediate aim of the project is to create an inventory of all major weapons to enable the forces to fight a 30-day war.

2. Coast Guard ship Vikram arrives in Mangaluru : Indian Coast Guard vessel Vikram, the first in the class of seven new-generation offshore patrol vessels under the union government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, arrived at Mangaluru.The ship is built with an integrated platform management system to enable special control capabilities.The ship is also designed to carry a twin-engine light and heavy helicopters.

3. Book released by Chief of Army Staff : Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff has released the book ‘Across the Bench – Insight into the Indian Military Judicial System’.The book is written by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan, former Army Commander and Member ‘A’, Armed ForcesTribunal, Lucknow Bench.The book deals with military judicial system vis-a-vis command & management issues within the military establishments.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation have reported progress in the development of an environment-friendly propellant to power satellites and spacecraft.The effort is to replace the conventional hydrazine rocket fuel, a highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical, with a greener propellant.ISRO has started working on propellant blend based on hydroxylammonium nitrate.

  

SPORTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix : Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has extended his lead at the summit of the Formula One championship after a crushing win at the Spanish Grand Prix.Finland’s Valtteri Bottas was second while the Dutch Max Verstappen stood third.It was the first one-two of the season for Mercedes, which had been slower than Ferrari in the past few races.

OBITUARIES:

1. Film-theatre actor Kalasala Babu passes away : Noted Malayalam film-theatre actor Kalasala Babu, known for a number of villainous and character roles, passed in Kochi.A multi-faceted actor, Babu had tried his hand in all three major formats of acting- theatre, movies and television serials, in his career spanning over three decades.Babu had started a troupe, ‘Kalasala,’ and came to be known in the industry as Kalasala Babu.