Daily GK Updates - 1st June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India improves its childhood index ranking : India has improved its ranking in the world childhood index but stays at a poor 113th position in the list of 175 countries indexed by global child rights group, Save the Children.The report, titled “End of Childhood”, commends India’s achievements in reducing the rate of child marriages. Nutrition, infant mortality and child labour remained issues of grave concern in India.

2. Railways Organizes Workshop ‘Mission Raftar’ : Ministry of Railways conducted a one day workshop “Mission Raftaar” aimed at raising the average speed of freight trains and coaching trains in New Delhi.Issues such as punctuality, rolling stock, removing bottlenecks in terms of traffic, elimination of unmanned level crossings were discussed at the workshop.Mission Raftaar’ aims at doubling the average speed of freight trains.

3. Home Minister launches Online Analytical Tool : Union Home Minister launched an Online Analytical Tool to facilitate closer monitoring of the flow and utilisation of foreign contributions received by various organisations.This web-based tool enables decision-makers in various Departments of Government to scrutinise source of foreign funds and their actual use in India.It has analytical features to conduct data mining and exploration.

4. PM Modi launched 3 Indian digital payment apps : Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Rupay Card, Bhim app and UPI enabled remittance App by State Bank of India in Singapore.The RuPay digital payments system was linked up with Singapore’s 33-year-old Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS).Singapore branch of the SBI is the first to launch this new mode of remittance in collaboration with NPCI.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Singapore announce 14 agreements : India and Singapore announced 14 business-to-business and business-to-government agreements.The agreements include on supporting India’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and promoting Indian innovation abroad, to set up Indian institutes of skills on waste water management and recycling.It also included the promotion of ‘Make-in-India’ in Singapore and ASEAN

2. Kerala cartoonist wins international award : Kerala cartoonist Thomas Antony has won an international award, in the best caricature category.Antony, currently working as Executive Artist of Malayalam daily ‘Metro Vaartha’, is among the nine winners at the 13th edition of the World Press Cartoon awards.The awards are given to the best works published in 2017 in newspapers and magazines from around the world.

3. PM Modi launched 3 Indian digital payment apps : Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Rupay Card, Bhim app and UPI enabled remittance App by State Bank of India in Singapore.The RuPay digital payments system was linked up with Singapore’s 33-year-old Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS).Singapore branch of the SBI is the first to launch this new mode of remittance in collaboration with NPCI.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Manufacturing PMI growth slows in May : Activity in India’s manufacturing sector grew at a weaker pace in May according to the Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI).This index is based on the survey conducted among purchasing executives in over 400 companies.The report also mentioned that the latest upturn signalled a marginal improvement in the manufacturing sector.

2. Indian economy grew 7.7% : The Indian economy grew 7.7% in the January-March quarter of 2017-18 on account of robust performance in manufacturing, construction and service sectors as well as good farm output according to the Central Statistics Office.However, the economic growth slowed to 6.7% in 2017-18 compared to 7.1% in 2016-17.The previous high GDP growth of 8.1% was recorded in April-June quarter of 2016-17.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.India, World Bank signed $500 million loan : India has signed a USD 500 million loan pact with World Bank to provide additional financing for PMGSY rural road projects.Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana will build 7,000 km of climate resilient roads, out of which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies. World Bank has supported PMGSY since its inception in 2004 & so far it has invested over $1.8 billion in loans & credits.