Daily GK Updates - 15th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India celebrates 71st Army Day : 71st Army Day is being celebrated formally with an annual parade at the Cariappa Parade Ground in New Delhi.Army Day is celebrated on 15th January every year to mark the day when (then) Lieutenant General KM Popularly known as “Kipper”, KM Cariappa was the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army.The day is celebrated to pay homage, salute to the courageous and brave Indian soldiers who have been sacrificing their lives for protecting the country.

2. Makar Sankranti celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety : Makar Sankranti (Festival of harvest) is being celebrated in different parts of the country with religious fervour and gaiety.People have started gathering on the banks of various rivers in wee hours to take holy dip on this occasion.It is the harvest festival when agriculturists worship the sun as well as their cattle by way of thanksgiving for the bumper harvest.After taking holy dip people are offering water to Sun God and donate Til & rice among poor.

3. Pongal festival celebrated today in Tamil Nadu : Pongal festival (four-day) is being celebrated in Tamil Naduand the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry. It marks the first day of the auspicious month in Tamil calendar, “Thai.” People decked up their homes early in the morning with colourful “kolam’s” or rangoli’s in view of Pongal.

4. World's largest religious and cultural human congregation ‘Kumbh Mela’ begins in UP : The World’s largest religious and cultural human congregation "Kumbh-2019” has begun at Sangam at Prayagraj, Uttar Paresh (conclude on 4th March 2019).The first bathing was taken by saints and seers of different Akharas.More than one lakh twenty thousand toilets have been erected for making Clean Kumbh.Twenty-one Snan Ghats have been set up for bathing.

5. The Global Aviation Summit 2019 started in Mumbai : The Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has inaugurated the two-day ‘Global Aviation Summit 2019’ in Mumbai.This will be the first-of-its-kind event in the world with participation from more than 86 countries.The Global Aviation Summit with a theme “Flying for all - especially the next 6 Billion”, being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation in association with FICCI.

6. Sitharaman to witness a joint military drill in Andaman, Nicobar Islands : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is on a two-day visit to Andaman & Nicobar Islands and reviewed a Special Forces', amphibious warfare operations.She also inaugurated a joint military drill involving the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard. The archipelago is straddled strategically near the mouth of the Malacca Straits which is an important Sea Lane of Communication used by the navies of several countries.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Greek defence minister announces resignation over Macedonia vote : The Greece Defence Minister ‘Panos Kammenos’ has announced his resignation from Alexis Tsipras’s coalition government.The Minister had announced his resignation ahead of an upcoming parliamentary vote to end a 27-year name dispute with Macedonia.For the Greeks, Macedonia is the name of a history-rich northern province that was the cradle of Alexander the Great's ancient empire

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.  Yes Bank appoints Brahm Dutt as non-executive part-time Chairman : Yes Bank has appointment Mr Brahm Dutt as non-executive part-time Chairman. (till 4th July 2020).Currently, He is also the chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.Brahm Dutt has been on Yes Bank’s board since July 2013 as anindependent director and contributed to almost all the sub-committees of the board over the past five and a half years.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Wholesale inflation falls to 3.80% in December : According to the government data released, Inflation based on wholesale prices fell 3.80% in December 2018.The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at 4.64% in November 2018 (in Dec 2017- 3.58%)Deflation in food articles stood at 0.07% in December, (in Nov 3.31%).The Reserve Bank of India mainly considers retail inflation datawhile formulating monetary policy. 

SPORTS:

1. Stephen Constantine steps down as coach of the Indian football team : Indian football team head coach ‘Stephen Constantine’ (56-year) has decided to step down after the team's shock 0-1 defeat to Bahrain.India conceded an injury time goal through a penalty to lose 0-1, which led to its exit from the showpiece Asian Cup 2019.Constantine, who had earlier coached India from 2002 to 2005, was handed over reins of the team again in 2015.He guided India to the Asian Cup after a gap of eight years.