Daily GK Updates - 26th June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. BRO opens bridge from Leh to Siachen : The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on opened a vital 35-meter bridge in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir that will ease vehicular movement to the base camp of Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield.The 35-meter long ‘Chamesahn’ bridge is under Project HIMANK.The BRO develops road networks in border areas & maintains over 32,885 km of roads & 12,200 m of bridges.

2. MSME Day to be celebrated on 27th June 2018 : The Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), will organize a National Conclave (UdyamSangam) on 27th June 2018 on the occasion of UN MSME Day.President Kovind will inaugurate the Conclave in Vigyan Bhawan.The MSME Ministry will disburse subsidy of Rs. 550 crores to artisans.The UN declared 27th June as MSME Day, recognizing the importance of MSME in the country’s economy.

3. Ministry of Health signs MoU with IGNOU : Health Ministry has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to scale-up short-term healthcare courses and produce over 14 lakh trained manpower by 2025.The signing of MoU is under the existing framework of ‘Skills for Life, Save a Life’ initiative.The ministry will provide for financial assistance to IGNOU for initiating programmes.

4. Telangana allocates 15 Cr for Bonalu festival : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao instructed officials to release Rs. 15 crore for organising Bonalu festival.Bonalu is an annual festival of Telangana celebrated in twin cities Hyderabad and Secunderabad and other parts of Telangana. It is celebrated in the month of Ashada Masam, in July/August.The current governor of Telangana is E. S. L. Narasimhan.

5. India’s first ‘Tribal Queen’ : Pallavi DaruaPallavi Durua, who belongs to Odisha’s Koraput district, was crowned as the first Tribal Queen at the Adi Rani Kalinga Tribal Queen competition held at Utkal Mandap.The contest was organised by SC & ST department, Govt of Odisha and the State Tourism Department.Tribal population constitutes nearly 22.5% of the Odisha’s population.

6. Govt proposes to set up 3,000 Van Dhan Kendras : The government has proposed to set up 3,000 Van Dhan Kendras involving 30,000 self-help groups across the country under the Van Dhan Scheme.It aims to skill up-gradation and capacity building training for value addition of forest produce.Van Dhan Mission is an initiative for targeting livelihood generation for tribals by harnessing non-timber forest produces.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA’s Webb Telescope to study Great Red Spot : NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will use infrared capabilities to study Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.The plan is to use Webb’s mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) to create multispectral maps of the Great Red Spot and analyse its thermal, chemical and cloud structures.The Great Red Spot is a storm has been monitored since 1830 and has existed for more than 350 years.

2. India-US 2+2 Dialogue : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold talks with their American counterparts Mike Pompeo and James Mattis.The maiden India-US 2+2 Dialogue will be held on July 6, 2018.The key issues that would be discussed would include counterterrorism, cybersecurity, defence cooperation, and regional security.

3. India and Seychelles signed 6 agreements : India and Seychelles signed six MoUs in areas of naval cooperation, cybersecurity, culture, development projects.India extended a line of credit worth 100 million USD for Seychelles.India would also provide special grants in civilian infrastructure projects and enhance defence and maritime capabilities.PM also handed over a replica of Dornier Aircraft to President of Seychelles.

4. International Day against Drug Abuse : International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed every year on 26 June to strengthen global action to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.The theme for the 2018 year is: “Listen First – Listening to children and youth is the first step to help them grow healthy and safe.”This day was first observed by the UN General Assembly in 1987.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.NIIF to roll out $2 billion fund : The National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF) unveiled a $2-billion long-term fund to finance megaprojects.The NIIF already has 2 operational funds – the NIIF master fund that invests directly in companies & a fund of funds that invests in funds that are managed by 3rd parties.The 3rd fund would cater to India’s long-term infra needs.NIIF’s MD and CEO is Sujoy Bose.

SPORTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton won French Grand Prix 2018 : Lewis Hamilton reclaimed the world championship lead with a victory in the French Grand Prix 2018.Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who races in Formula One for Mercedes AMG Petronas.The Mercedes driver led from start to finish other than one lap around his pit stop to move 14 points ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who finished fifth.