Daily GK Updates - 24th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Vice Admiral Karambir Singh appointed as next Navy Chief :  Vice Admiral Karambir Singh has been appointed as the next Navy Chief. He will succeed Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on 31st May 2019. Currently, Vice Admiral Karambir Singh is serving as the Flag Officer Commander -in- Chief of the Eastern Naval Command.He has been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

2. CBSE launches new Shiksha Vani' app :  The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched a new podcast app 'Shiksha Vani'. This app will disseminate crucial information to students and parents in a timely manner. According to CBSE, its first episode, on the evaluation process of Class 10 and 12 board examinations, has been released on the platform. As the examinations proceed, the episode helps students understand how their completed papers will be evaluated.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Int'l Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade observed on 25th March :  The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is observed every year on 25th March to offer the opportunity to honour and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. The theme of 2019 is “Remember Slavery: The Power of the Arts for Justice”.

2.Int'l Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members observed on 25th March  :  The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is marked each year on 25th March the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett, a former journalist. His body was finally found in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in 2009. The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members has taken on even greater importance in recent years, as attacks against the United Nations intensify.

3. World Tuberculosis Day observed on 24th March :  The "World Tuberculosis Day" observed every year on 24th March to fight tuberculosis and eradicate this deadly disease that has been claiming millions of lives. World TB Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).The theme for World Tuberculosis Day 2019 is " It's time". Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).

4. Italy, China ink new 'Silk Road' protocol :  Italy has signed a non-binding protocol with China to take part in Beijing's new Silk Road of transport and trade links stretching from Asia to Europe. Italy became the first G7 country to sign up for the project. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte both attended a ceremony in Rome for the signing of 29 Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), which Italian media said were worth 5.6 to 8 billion US Dollars.

5. President Kovind to visit Croatia, Bolivia and Chile :  President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a 9-day visit to Croatia, Bolivia and Chile from 25th of this month to 2nd of April. Mr Kovind will meet his Croatian counterpart and Prime Minister of Croatia and discuss the issues of mutual interest. In Bolivia, the President will hold restricted and delegation level talks with his counterpart.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Govt exceeds disinvestment target for current fiscal by Rs 5,000 cr :  The Union government has exceeded its disinvestment target for the current fiscal by Rs 5,000 crore, taking the total proceeds to Rs 85,000 crore. This is the second highest disinvestment proceeds in a financial year after the government last fiscal mopped up a little over Rs 1 lakh crore in 2017-18. Last year it was helped by ONGC acquiring government's entire 51.11 per cent stake in oil refiner HPCL for Rs 36,915 crore. In the current fiscal, the government is eyeing Rs 14,500 crore by way of sale of its 52.63 per cent stake in REC to state-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC).

DEFENCE:

1.IAF inducts first four heavy-lift Chinook helicopters :  Indian Air Force (IAF) on March 25 inducted the four heavy-lift Chinook helicopters at Chandigarh's Air Force Station 12 Wing. It was announced by Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa during the induction at a ceremony held at Air Force base in Chandigarh. Chinook has been procured with India-specific enhancements and can carry out military operations even at night.

SPORTS:

1. Suresh Raina became first player to score 5000 runs in IPL :  Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina has become the first ever cricketer to reach 5,000 runs in Indian Premier League. During the ongoing IPL 2019 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Raina achieved the feat as soon as he touched the individual score of 15. Raina is followed by India skipper Virat Kohli, who has 4,954 runs from 164 games, containing four hundred and 34 fifties.