Daily GK Updates - 12th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PepsiCo to help govt in recycling plastic : PepsiCo India decided to support the government’s implementation of extended producer responsibility for plastic waste bottles in Maharashtra.PepsiCo India has partnered with Gem Enviro Mgmt to set up reverse vending machines for the collection & recycling of plastic bottles in the State.The company has also piloted a ‘Film to Fuel’ project to convert packaging film waste into fuel.

2. Aadhaar must for health mission cover : The government has mandated the use of Aadhaar card for administering its massive Ayushman Bharat, or National Health Mission, that assures a ₹5 lakh health cover to 10 crore families.While possessing an Aadhaar card isn’t mandatory to avail services, a proof of enrolment, or request for enrolment, is mandatory.The Ayushman Bharat is scheduled to roll out in August 2018.

3. Seema Darshan project : Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani has approved the Rs.39 Cr Seema Darshan project for developing more infrastructure facilities at Nadabet near Suigam in Banaskantha district.The project is being developed on Wagah Border pattern & entails a parade ground with an amphitheatre.The project will encourage local economic activity in the Rann region & tourists can have a good view of the coastline.

4. Chandrababu Naidu to launch “Anna canteen” : Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu launched Anna canteens in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh as a tribute to father-in-law and Telugu Desam Party founder NTR.A total of 203 such canteens will come up across the state’s 110 municipalities in phases.NGO Akshaya Patra will manage state-run canteens and the scheme will reach out to over 2 lakh people per day.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Connaught Place: 9th most costly location : According to the report of property consultant CBRE, New Delhi’s Connaught Place is the 9th most expensive office location in the world with an annual rent of $153 per sq ft.The ranking was topped by Hong Kong at the 1st position followed by London.The survey highlighted that prime office occupancy cost growth was consistent across all regions in the past 12 months.

2. India’s GM crop area fifth largest in world : According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, India has the world’s 5th largest cultivated area under genetically modified (GM) crops, at 11.4 million hectares (mh).The ranking is topped by the USA (75mh) followed by Brazil (50mh).The GM crop area in India is under a single crop — cotton.The GM traits make crops resistant to pest and weather.

3. 16th Workshop On Greenhouse Gas Inventories : A four-day Workshop has been organized by the Ministry of Environment, Govt of Japan from July 10 to 13, 2018 in New Delhi.The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Harshvardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Earth Sciences.The workshop included policy initiatives of the government to increase penetration of LEDs, 5-10% Ethanol blending in petrol.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. India becomes 69th shareholder of EBRD : India has been formally announced as the 69th shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).India has only taken a shareholding in EBRD but it will not be a recipient of EBRD financing.London-headquartered EBRD is a multilateral development bank set up in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall to promote private & entrepreneurial initiative in emerging Europe.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SEBI to come out with consultation paper : The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will soon come out with a consultation paper on making it mandatory for large corporates to meet one-fourth of their financing needs through bond market.SEBI will discuss with stakeholders before finalising the framework for corporates.SEBI is the regulator for the securities market in India and its chairman is Ajay Tyagi.

2. World Bank report on Malala Day : In a report of world bank ‘Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls’, not educating girls or creating barriers in their school education globally costs between USD 15 to USD 30 trillion.According to the report,132 million girls around the world below 17 are still not in school.The report was released on 12 July 2018, on the eve of United Nations Malala Day.

SPORTS:

1. Olympic torch relay to start in Fukushima : Organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics say the torch relay will start in Fukushima, an area hit by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.The relay will start on March 26, 2020 in Fukushima and will head southward to Okinawa before making its way north again and arriving in Tokyo on July 10.The route was approved by the organizing committee.

OBITUARIES:

1. Spiritual leader Dada Vaswani passes away : Dada Vaswani, spiritual leader and head of the Sadhu Vaswani mission, passed away at the age of 99 in Pune on 12th July.Dada Vaswani is known for actively promoting vegetarianism and campaigning for animal rights.Vaswani had initiated a global peace initiative,‘The Moment of Calm’.His birthday is also observed as World Forgiveness Day.