Daily GK Updates - 24th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.PM Modi inaugurates Sikkim's first airport at Pakyong : Prime Minister ‘Narendra Modi’ has inaugurated the Sikkim's first airport at Pakyong (about 30 km from Gangtok).It will improve connectivity and benefit the people of Sikkim.The Pakyong airport is situated at an elevation of 4,500 feet above the sea level, built at a cost of over 600 crore rupees.Commercial flights will begin from 4^th October when Spice jet will start its daily Kolkata-Sikkim flights.

2.PM Modi launches world’s largest healthcare scheme : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Centre's flagship ‘Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) from Ranchi,Jharkhand.Under this scheme, over 10 crore families will be provided health assurance worth five lakh rupees each, every year.The scheme will become operational from 25^th September on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.The ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme, renamed the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (PMJAY) aims to provide coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per family annually.

3. Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurates 2-day National Orientation workshop on NeVA : The Union Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal has inaugurated the two-day National Orientation workshop on National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).Mr. Meghwal has also launched the new website of the NeVA and administered the Swachhata Pledge to over 200 delegates.This digital intervention is a big step to increase transparency, accountability and decreases the scope of corruption in the functioning of House.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 23 September: International Day of Sign Languages : International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23rd September every year.The first International Day of Sign languages has been celebrated in 2018 under the theme “With Sign Language, Everyone is Included!”.The choice of 23^rd September is the same date that the WFD was established in 1951.

2.  Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wins the presidential election of Maldive : Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (Opposition leader) has won the Maldives' presidential election.Mr. Solih has secured 58.3% of the popular vote.The Maldives is a South Asian sovereign state, located in the Indian Ocean, situated in the Arabian Sea.The President of the Maldives is the head of state and government of the Republic of the Maldives, and the commander-in-chief of the Maldives National Defence Force.

3.  Assamese film ‘Village Rockstars’ is India’s official entry for Oscars 2019 : According to the Film Federation of India (FFI), Assamese film ‘Village Rockstars’ is India’s official entry for Oscars 2019 in the Best Foreign Language film category.Village Rockstars is the story of a young girl Dhunu (10-years) who wants to be a guitarist.Village Rockstars is only the second Assamese film to win the Swarna Kamal for Best Feature Film at the National Film Awards, after Jahnu Barua’s 1987 film Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai.Indian filmmaker Rima Das is the Director of the film, Village Rockstars

4. Lucknow Metro first from India to get RoSPA award : The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has become the first ever metro rail corporation from India to bag the International 'Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents' (RoSPA) Award at a function in Glasgow, UK.LMRC has been given the Silver Award for its Phase 1A (North-South Corridor) in the Project/Infrastructure category for the year 2018.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. India's growth to accelerate to 7.8% in next fiscal, says Fitch : According to Credit rating agency ‘Fitch’, India's economic growth will accelerate to 7.8% in the current financial year (earlier 7.4 percent).Forecast for the next two fiscals (2019-20 and 2020-21) have been shaved by 20 basis points (100 basis points means 1%) to 7.3 percent.According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), India's projected GDP growth of over 7% for the current fiscal.

SPORTS:

1. Deepak Punia settles for silver medal at junior world wrestling championship : India's Deepak Punia settled for a silver after losing the 86kg freestyle final to Arif Ozen (Turkey) at the junior world wrestling championship in Slovakia.India ended the championship with seven medals (4- silvers and 3 bronze).

OBITUARIES:

1. Renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi passes away : Renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi (64-years) passed away at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.She was known for her women-oriented films like ‘Rudaali’, ‘Daman’, ‘Darmiyaan’.Lajmi was suffering from a chronic kidney disease and liver failure. Lajmi's last movie as a director was "Chingaari" in 2006, based on a novel "The Prostitute and the Postman" by Bhupen Hazarika, who was her partner.