Daily GK Updates - 23rd June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. WCD Ministry to get SKOCH Award : Ministry of Women & Child Development receives the ‘Best Performing Social Sector Ministry’ SKOCH Award.The ministry achieved results through schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has achieved huge success and improved sex ratio.The Minister, Maneka Gandhi shared details of 6 months maternity leave, Sexual Harassment at Work Place Act, SHe-box, One stop centres, Women help line (181).

2. India’s 1st robotic telescope launched : The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at Hanle in Ladakh is Indian’s 1st robotic telescope & is the one of the world’s highest astronomical observatories at 4,500 m.It is a part of Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH) program along US, the UK, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Israel.The telescope is designed to observe dynamic events in the universe.

3. 19th All India Conference of Finger Print : 19th All India Conference of Directors of Finger Print Bureaux was held in Hyderabad.The prominent recommendations concerning issue to modernize Finger Print Bureaux, creation of database for suspects, amendment of identification of prisoners act.It was recommended to change the name of the conference to All India Conference of Fingerprint science.

4. PM to inaugrate number of projects in MP : PM Modi to inaugurate economical urban transport scheme named ‘Sutra Seva’ in Indore under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.Modi will dedicate the Mohanpura Irrigation Project worth Rs 3,866 crore in Rajgarh district to the people of the state.He wiil also distribute awards to winners of Swachh Survekshan 2018 – Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi inaugurates nature center in New York : PM Modi inaugurated the ‘YO1 Nature Cure Center’ in the Catskills area of New York on the occasion of 4th International Day of Yoga.YO1, which means youthful in Sanskrit, is the first of its kind nature cure center in America located in Monticello in the scenic region of Catskills.The centre will be a wellness destination that will offer therapies based on ancient Indian Yoga and Pranayam.

2. Seychelles president on six-day trip to India : Seychelles president Danny Faure, who is on a 6-day visit to India will visit Gujarat, Goa and Uttarakhand.India will hand over a Dornier aircraft to Seychelles President even as project to jointly develop military infrastructure on Assumption Island was cancelled.The ministers would talk about cooperation between the 2 countries, in the fields of trade, defence and security.

3. International Widows’ Day : June 23, the world is commemorating International Widows’ Day as stipulated by the United Nations.According to UN Women’s 2018 Turning Promises into Action: Gender Equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to assist nearly 10% of the 258 million widows globally live in extreme poverty.It was formally adopted on December 21, 2010 by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon.

4. Indian peacekeepers in sudan awarded UN medal : The 7 Garhwal Rifles Infantry Battalion Group was awarded the United Nations Medal for selfless service in the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.Indian Battalion played an active and decisive role in ensuring peace and stability in Jonglei State.India is a leading contributor to the United Nations Peacekeeping missions. India contributes over 6,000 troops in 14 missions across the world.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. FICCI awarded at X international IT forum : The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) was awareded at X International IT Forum at Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.FICCI was awarded for its support and active participation at the forum, consecutively for two years.The forum brought together industry leaders from BRICS and SCO nations to interact in the fields of information technology and digital transformation.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Arjit Basu: New MD of State Bank of India : The appointments committee of the cabinet has appointed Arijit Basu as the new Managing Director of State Bank of India till October 31, 2020.Prior to this, Basu was heading the corporate accounts group as the Deputy MD.SBI’s Managing Director B. Sriram will take charge as the MD and CEO of IDBI Bank after existing Chief MK Jain got recently appointed as the RBI Deputy Governor.

2. MK Jain takes charge as RBI deputy governor : M.K. Jain has assumed charge as the fourth Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).Jain has come in place of SS Mundra who retired last year.Jain was the MD & CEO of IDBI Bank before being appointed as Deputy Governor for a term of three years.The other 3 deputy governors are N S Vishwanathan, Viral V Acharya and B P Kanungo.