Daily GK Updates - 24th May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India ranks 44th in terms of competitiveness : India has moved one notch higher, to the 44^th place in terms of competitiveness, in the annual rankings compiled by International Institute for Management Development.US is the most competitive economy globally followed by Hong Kong and Singapore in the second and third place.India is ranked the 12^th most competitive economy out of the 14 Asian countries on the list.

2. App to help voters to share malpractice proof : Election Commission will launch multi-lingual mobile application called “Model Code of Conduct Violation Reporting App” ahead of the 2019 elections.It aims to share evidence of malpractice by political parties, their candidates & activists directly with the electoral body.It was made available for the 1^st time in Bengaluru in the run-up to the recently concluded Karnataka Assembly polls.

3. Niti Aayog and ABB India join hands : ABB India & Niti Aayog have inked a pact to help India reap benefits of new technologies including robotics & artificial intelligence.The two institutions signed a Statement of Intent to work together in preparing key sectors of the economy for digitalisation, artificial intelligence, robotics & industrial automation.The initiative also covers the fast-growing segment of electric mobility.

4. ‘My MP Rojgar Portal’ launched : Madhya Pradesh CM, Shivraj Singh Chauhan launched the “My MP Rojgar Portal” in Bhopal under ‘Pahal’, which is a Mukhyamantri Career Counselling programme.This portal will provide jobs to youth as per their skills, interests and educational qualifications.The portal has been developed under Youth Empowerment Mission by the Madhya Pradesh Skill Development and Employment Generation Board.

5. H D Kumaraswamy sworn in as Karnataka CM : JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has been sworn in as Karnataka’s 24th chief minister.This will be Kumarawamy’s second term as the chief minister of Karnataka since 2007, when he last held the post for 20 months.G Parameshwara, the state Congress chief and the party’s Dalit face, was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.

6. Smart Cities India 2018 : The 4^th Smart Cities India 2018 Expo has kicked off in New Delhi.The event, consisting 5 expos is being held with a vision to help develop attractive and safe cities that evoke pride, passion and a sense of belonging among citizens.The 5 expos are, Building India Expo, Solar India Expo, Transport India Expo, Smart Cities India Expo and Water India Expo. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US disinvites China from major naval exercise : US has withdrawn an invitation from China to participate in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) drills over China’s expanded military footprint in disputed areas of South China Sea.RIMPAC is world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise.China began participating in the exercise in 2014, as part of an effort during the Obama administration to stabilize military relations with China.

2. World’s Largest Bird Sculpture ‘Jatayu’ : Kerala tourism will soon inaugurate the world’s largest bird sculpture, Jatayu Earth’s Centre, in Thiruvananthapuram.The replica of bird ‘Jatayu’, a character in the Ramayana is 65 feet tall & is positioned right at the top of a rock situated 1,000 feet above sea level.The rock, ‘Jatayupara’, where the structure is based, is the place where Jatayu fell after its wings were slain by Ravana.

3. MoU on cooperation in food security approved : Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding between India & Denmark regarding cooperation in the area of food safety.It will help improve food safety standard setting by getting access to best practices & facilitating food trade of important commodities.It will also promote understanding of best practices in areas of food safety in both countries

4. India to attend SCO anti-terror talks in Pak : India has confirmed its attendance in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Legal Experts meeting to be held in Islamabad, Pakistan.Pakistan will be hosting its 1^st SCO meeting, since the country along with India became a member of the organisation in June 2017.Experts will discuss the terror threat faced by the region & ways to enhance counter-terror efforts.

OTHER UPDATES:

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. Twin spacecraft to track Earth’s water cycle : A joint U.S./German space mission to track the global water cycle was successfully lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On, GRACE-FO, is a joint mission by NASA & German Research Centre for Geosciences.GRACE-FO will monitor the movement of mass around the earth by measuring where & how the moving mass changes Earth’s gravitational pull.

DEFENCE:

1. Navy conducts “Prasthan” exercise : Indian Navy has conducted an exercise called ‘Prasthan’ in the Western Offshore Development Offshore area in Mumbai.The exercise is held every 6 months & aims at integrating maritime stakeholders, including, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, ONGC, Customs & Port Trust.The drill focused on things like fire on an oil platform, Oil spill, search and rescue for crashed helicopters and more.

SPORTS:

1. World’s most popular athlete : Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was named the most popular athlete in the world as he topped the ESPN World Fame 100 list for a third straight year.Three-time NBA champion Lebron James retained his second spot on the list, while Messi came third.11 Indian athletes including Virat Kohli, Saina Nehwal and Saina Mirza have made it to the list of ESPN World Fame 100 of 2018.

2. De Villiers retires from international cricket : Former South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from international cricket.De Villiers made his international debut in Test series against England in 2004.He scored 8,765 Test runs and has a batting average of over 50 in both Test & ODI cricket.AB de Villiers holds the records for scoring the fastest fifty, hundred and 150 in ODIs.