Daily GK Updates - 29th December, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Arunachal touches record high revenue generation : The Arunachal Pradesh government has created a record of a total revenue generation of Rs 1,598.49 crore in 2017-18, reaching a new high in the last 30 years. The revenue generation had crossed the Rs 1,000 cr mark for two consecutive years since Arunachal Pradesh attained statehood in 1987. The source of revenue generation by the state government includes share of central taxes, state taxes among others. Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said at a recent meeting, "The state has witnessed faster change, greater transparency and unprecedented development in all sectors.

2.All Indian airports set to install body scanners from 2019 : Airports in India will be able to use body scanners from next year and spare “clean” passengers physical frisking.The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is soon going to come out with technical specifications of these scanners and then airports can install and machines meeting those norms.The scanners to be used in India will need to be customized for Indian ‘conditions’ so that it can penetrate the layers of clothes unique to the country — like chunnat (front fold) of a sari, lungiand pallus.

3. Internet access in India has crossed 50 crore milestone : The number of internet connections in India has grown by 65% from March 2016 to cross the 50 crore mark in 2018, in line with the target set by the Narendra Modi government three years ago.As per the latest information from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), by the end of September 2018, there were 56 crore narrowband and broadband connections in India.Just five states - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana), Gujarat and Maharashtra — account for 20 crore or 36% of all internet connections in India.

4. Train 18 to begin operations in Jan 2019 : According to the sources, Train 18, India's fastest train, will begin operations in January 2019 at a curtailed speed of 130 kmph.Train 18, which is set to replace the Shatabdi series, has the potential to run between 160 kmph to 200 kmph.At trials, it breached the 180-kmph mark."Train 18 is likely to run in January after the report of the Chief Commissioner Railway Safety (CCRS) is approved by the board.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.India pips China in FDI inflows for the first time in 20 years : For the first time in two decades, India has been getting more foreign investment than its neighbor China. In 2018, India saw more than $38 billion of inbound deals compared with China’s $32 billion. India’s foreign direct investment (FDI) was the highest ever with 235 deals amounting to $37.76 billion this calendar year, according to data from Dealogic, a global M&A and capital markets data provider, beating China, which has historically been the favorite for emerging market bets.China’s trade standoff with the US is seen as a major reason for the slowdown.

2. Michelle Obama, America’s most admired woman : After Hillary Clinton, US former first lady Michelle Obama tops the list of America’s most admired woman.Former President Barack Obama was the most admired man for the 11th year in a row while President Donald Trump finished second for the fourth consecutive year.According to Gallup’s report of the most admired man and woman in the world, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama hold the topmost positions.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.Bank-led resolution of NPAs set to begin : Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has set up an oversight committee with a former deputy governor from Reserve Bank of India to kick-start bank-led resolution of stressed assets under the inter-creditor agreement. The association has now asked the 34 lenders to initiate and send the resolution proposals under the scheme. A senior IBA official said banks have been told to provide forensic reports and credit rating of the borrower along with the resolution plan “Under Project Sashakt, an overseeing committee (OC) is to be set up to look into these resolutions.

2. New ED for Corporation Bank :The Centre has appointed Birupaksha Mishra as an Executive Director of Corporation Bank. He has taken over the charge on December 26. Mishra is a Post Graduate and a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB). Prior to this appointment, he was General Manager in Central Bank of India.