Daily GK Updates - 1st July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Swaraj inaugurates heads of missions meet : Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the 9th Heads of Mission Conference in New Delhi.Government is likely to brief the diplomats on economic reform taken for improving ease-of-doing business in India.Theme of the conference is ‘Unprecedented Outreach: Unparalleled Outcomes’.It comes at a time when India is monitoring important global developments including sanctions imposed by US on Russia & Iran.

2. Anjolie Ela Menon conferred the Kalidas Award : Noted artist Anjolie Ela Menon has received the National Kalidas Samman for visual arts from the Madhya Pradesh government.The award was conferred in recognition of her insightful and sensitive portrayal of the identity and spirit of women through her meaningful paintings in a variety of media.Menon is India’s most accomplished artists and is the recipient of the Padma Shri.

3. Money in Swiss banks : India has moved up to 73rd place in terms of money parked by its citizens & companies with Swiss banks.India had slipped to 88th place with a 44% plunge in such funds in 2016, but the latest data shows an increase of over 50% during 2017 to CHF 1.01 billion (about Rs 7,000 cr).UK continued to account for the largest chunk at about CHF 403 billion of the total foreign money with Swiss banks.

4. July 1 to be celebrated as ‘GST Day : The government will celebrate July 1, 2018, as ‘GST Day’ to mark the first anniversary of the new indirect tax regime.Goods and Services Tax was rolled out in the intervening night of June 30 and July 1, 2017, in a ceremony held in the Central Hall of Parliament.GST binds India into an Economic Union, promotes ‘Make in India’ and has improved ‘Ease of Doing Business.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Asia’s first patent arbitration centre : Asia’s 1^st arbitration centre specialised in intellectual property will open in Tokyo to resolve growing number of disputes in the region.International Arbitration Centre in Tokyo is set to have around a dozen arbitrators from around the world, who would try to resolve disputes within a period of 1 year.IACT is due to handle disputes between non-Japanese companies, if both parties agree.

2. Final Nepal-India EPG meeting ends : The 9^th & final meeting of Eminent Persons Group on Nepal-India Relations concluded in Kathmandu.The Representatives from Nepal & India deliberated upon various bilateral issues including 1950 Peace & Friendship treaty, trade, transit and border.EPG is a joint mechanism consisting of experts & intellectuals from India & Nepal to make suggestions for updating existing bilateral agreements.

3. UNESCO adds 8 pre-Islamic Iranian sites : UNESCO has added 8 pre-Islamic Iranian archeological sites to its World Heritage List.The sites collectively appear on the worldwide list as the “Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars region (Islamic Republic of Iran)”.With the latest addition, Iran now has 24 sites on the heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

4. Vitorino to be the head of UN migration agency : Portugal’s Antonio Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira Vitorino has been elected as the new head of the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).Vitorino succeeds William Lacy Swing, who is leaving the IOM after serving two five-year terms as director general.Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration

5. World heritage tag for Victorian and Art Deco Victorian Gothic & Art Deco : Buildings of Mumbai have been declared as a World Heritage site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.The decision was taken at the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Bahrain.With this, Mumbai gets its 3rd such site – Elephanta Caves and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus are also on the UNESCO list.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Recommendations for the post of MD in PSB : Bank Boards Bureau has recommended names of 15 officials for the posts of MD and CEO in several public sector banks.The bureau has recommended Anshula Kant, the current deputy managing director of SBI for the post of MD in the bank.The post was vacant following the resignation of B. Sriram as the MD of the bank.The other 14 names recommended include 6 current DMDs of SBI.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. Agni-V to be inducted soon : India is in the process of inducting the first batch of its intercontinental ballistic missile system – Agni-V.The missile system, with a strike range of 5,000 km and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, is being inducted into the elite Strategic Forces Command.The missile is capable of bringing targets across China including its prominent cities like Beijing & Shanghai under its range.

SPORTS:

1. India clinch Kabaddi Masters title : Putting up yet another superlative show, India thrashed Iran 44-26 to emerge champions of the six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai.

India is the reigning world champions and has won gold medals in all the Asian Games to date, and all World Cup events so far.The six-nation invitational tournament was organised by International Kabaddi Federation.