Daily GK Updates - 17th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. J&K’s Chenani-Nashri Tunnel to be renamed after Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee: India’s longest Tunnel Chenani- Nashri on NH 44, in Jammu and Kashmir will be named after Bhartiya Jansangh Founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. According to Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, it is the humble homage to Mukherjee whose battle for Kashmir, One Nation One Flag. Syama Prasad Mukherjee was an Indian politician, barrister and academician, who served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. With the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), Mr Mukherjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party (in 1951).

Note: Jammu and Kashmir governor: Satya Pal Malik.

2. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off 9 ‘Sewa Service’ trains: Railways Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off 9 ‘Sewa Service’ trains. These trains are connecting small towns to major cities and one of those, the Vadnagar-Mehsana train, was the railways’ gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sold tea at the Vadnagar station during his younger days. The 9 “Sewa Service” trains were launched without any additional investment by the railways and it was an example of how to use existing resources to the maximum. The trains are – Delhi to Shamli, Bhubaneswar to Nayagarh town, Murkongselek to Dibrugarh, Coimbatore to Palani, Coimbatore to Pollachi, Vadnagar to Mehsana, Asarya to Himmatnagar, Karur to Salem, Yesvantpur to Tumkur.

3. Shirui Lily Festival inaugurated in Manipur: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism & Culture Prahlad Singh Patel has inaugurated ‘2019 Shirui Lily Festival’ (3rd) at Shiru Vangayan Ground of Ukhrul in Manipur. The festival featured demonstrations of the age-old traditions and culture of the inhabitants of the district of Ukhrul. This initiative will provide an opportunity to youth outside the region to develop a positive perception of North-East. Mr Patel along with N. Biren Singh (Manipur Chief Minister) jointly inaugurated the Strength of Unity Statue as a mark of opening the third edition of the four-day state festival.

Note: Governor of Manipur: Padmanabha Balkrishna Acharya; Capital of Manipur: Imphal.

4. GOAL: Digital Skill Training Programme for Tribal Women: Arjun Munda (Union Minister of Trible Affairs) has announced the 2nd phase of programme GOAL (Going online as leaders) for tribal women. The objective of this GOAL program is to digitally mentor 5000 young women in India’s tribal-dominated districts. Ministry of Tribal Affairs partners with Facebook and Niti Aayog are running GOAL for tribal women. The GOAL program will give technical support to the socially and economically marginalized women for their needs to succeed, using the technology they may otherwise have not had access to.

5. Andhra Pradesh CM launches 'YSR Rytu Bharosa - PM KISAN' scheme: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has launched 'YSR Rytu Bharosa - PM KISAN' in Nellore. Under the scheme, farmers will get financial assistance of Rs 13,500 per annum in three instalments. The State Government contributing Rs 7,500 and the Centre Rs 6,000. Andhra Pradesh Government allocated budget of Rs 5,500 crore for the scheme and the number of beneficiaries is initially put at roughly Rs 40 lakh.

6. Textiles Secretary Inaugurates IHGF-Delhi Fair 2019: Textiles Secretary, Ravi Capoor, inaugurated the 48th edition of the Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) at the India Expo Centre & Mart at Greater Noida. More than 3,200 Indian exhibitors are participating in the fair. Around 110 overseas buyers from 110 countries are participating in the event as well. They are here to source furniture, fashion, lifestyle and textiles products of the exhibitors. The sector earns around Rs 43,000 crores (2015) of rupees annually. Out of this, it earns an export of Rs 10,000 crores annually. The theme of IHGF-Delhi Fair 2019: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

7. Kiran Uniyal, w/o a serving Colonel of Indian Army sets Guinness World Records: Kiran Uniyal, w/o a serving Colonel of Indian Army has created Individual Guinness World Records for “The most full contact knee strikes in three minutes (one leg) (female), 263 strikes” & “The most full contact knee strikes alternate legs in one minute(female),120 strikes”. The earlier records were of 177 strikes and 102 in female category respectively. The objectives of both her records were to promote martial arts for girls and women safety and self-defence. While creating the record for the most full contact knee strikes for three minutes, she surpassed the existing male category record of 226 knee strikes. She has so far achieved 15 World Records, including 10 Guinness World Records in Martial Arts, Fitness and Social Work.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind embarks on a two-nation visit to Philippines and Japan: President Ram Nath Kovind has left for a two-nation visit to the Philippines and Japan. The president will hold delegation-level talks with his Filipino counterpart Rodrigo Roa Duterte in Manila and attend business and community events ((17th to 21st October). Mr Kovind is visiting Japan (from 21st to 23rd October) to attend the enthronement ceremony of the Emperor of Japan Naruhito.

Note: The Philippines (world's 5th largest island country) is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Capital of Philippines: Manila, Currency: Philippine peso

Japan (world's 4th largest island country) is an island country in East Asia, Located in the Pacific Ocean. Capital of Japan: Tokyo, Currency: Yen

2. India-Bangladesh rail links closed after 1965 war with Pakistan will reopen: Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has announced that all the rail links with India closed after the 1965 war will be reopened. Trains from Bangladesh to Darjeeling via Siliguri operated till 1965. Earlier, PM Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the first intercity train between Dhaka and Kurigram.

The first rail line between India and Dhaka was opened in 2008 when Maitree express between Dhaka and Kolkata was started. In 2017 Bandhan express was also started between Kolkata and Khulna.

Note: At present, there are four operational rail links between India and Bangladesh. Two more rail links namely Karimganj/Mahisasan in India to Shahbazpur in Bangladesh and Haldibari in India to Chilhati in Bangladesh are being revived to connect West Bengal and Assam with Bangladesh.

3. UAE announces establishment of world’s 1st AI University: UAE announced the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. This is the first graduate-level, research-based AI university in the world. MBZUAI will enable graduate students, businesses and governments to advance the artificial intelligence field. MBZUAI will introduce a new model of academia and research to the field of AI, providing students and faculty access to some of the world’s most advanced AI systems to unleash its potential for economic and societal development.

Note: Currency of UAE: Dirham, Capital: Abu Dhabi.

4. India hands over 2nd pair of Mi-24V helicopters to Afghan Air forces: India handed over the second pair of Mi-24V helicopters to war-torn Afghanistan, boosting the capability of the Afghan Air forces. The helicopters were officially handed over by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar to Afghanistan’s acting Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid at a ceremony held in the military airport, Kabul. These helicopters are a replacement for the four attack helicopters previously gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016. The combat performance and offensive firepower that the helicopters provide will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in ensuring that the ANDSF maintain an agile and robust Counter-Terrorism capability.

Afghanistan Capital: Kabul; Currency: Afghan Afghani; President: Ashraf Ghani

5. India ranked 82 in the 2019 World Giving Index: India ranked 82 spots among the 128 countries surveyed in the World Giving Index (WGI). The average figures for India over the past decade show that 34 per cent people helped a stranger, 24 per cent donated money and 19 per cent volunteered or donated their time. According to the WGI, the USA stood at the top followed Myanmar, New Zealand and Australia.

6. NASA unveils spacesuits to be worn by the first woman on the moon: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled its next-generation space suits for upcoming Artemis programme, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024. The garment is known as the exploration extravehicular mobility unit (xEMU). The xEMU suits will allow astronauts to move more freely on the moon and during spacewalks. The suit has been designed for exploring the lunar surface, specifically the South Pole – the target for Nasa’s next crewed lunar landing.

7. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: 17 October: The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is an international observance celebrated on 17th October throughout the world each year since 1993. The main objective of this day is to raise awareness about the efforts being made to eradicate poverty in the world community. The theme of 2019 is ‘Acting together to empower children, their families and communities to end poverty’.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Mumbai's Yashasvi Jaiswal, youngest cricketer to score 200 in One Day cricket: Mumbai teenager Yashasvi Jaiswal (17 years- 192 days) has become the youngest cricketer in the world to score a double century in One Day Cricket. Playing in his debut Vijay Hazare season, Yashasvi Jaiswal (left-handed batsman) scored 203 runs (in 154 balls-12 sixes and 17 fours) against Jharkhand at Alur, Karnataka. Yashasvi Jaiswal became the seventh Indian batsman to score a double century in List A cricket and fourth to achieve it in the domestic circuit.

Riding on Jaiswal's quickfire double hundred, Mumbai posted 358 for 3 in 50 overs and bowled out the opposition for 319.

2. Indian Women football Team wins 3rd SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship 2019: The Indian football team won the 3rd Edition of the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championships 2019 by beating Bangladesh by 5-3 in the penalty shoot-out. The tournament was organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) and was held at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimpu, Bhutan. Indian captain Shilky Devi slotted home from the final spot-kick to hand her side 5-3 win.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI guidelines for ‘on tap' payment systems: Reserve bank Of India (RBI) has issued some instructions and guidelines 'on tap' authorisation of payment systems. The RBI has been decided to offer on-tap authorisation for Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU), Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) and White Label ATMs (WLAs). The payment system operators should ensure interoperability among different retail payment systems. As per the guidelines, interested entities should have a minimum of 100 crore rupees net worth and should always be maintained. TReDS scheme is to facilitate the financing of invoices and bills of MSMEs drawn on corporate buyers by way of discounting by financiers.

2. Mastercard launches an initiative to promote digital payments in India: Mastercard has tied up with Indian Cricketer M.S. Dhoni (brand ambassador of Mastercard) to launch a nationwide initiative to accelerate the acceptance and adoption of digital payments in India. The initiative dubbed as ‘Team Cashless India‘. The objective of this initiative to bring consumers and merchants to the “forefront of the digital payments dialogue”. Mastercard will work together with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), acquirer banks and financial technology companies to support nominated merchants to deploy digital payments acceptance infrastructure.

Note: To take part in ‘Team Cashless India’, anyone can either nominate merchants online or give a missed call to 9016861000. Team Cashless India’ is an important step towards Mastercard’s goal to equip 10 million merchants in India with digital payments acceptance capabilities by 2020. Mastercard Founded: 1966; Headquarters: New York, US.

3. India Post launches mobile banking facility for savings accounts: The Department of Post announced that it has launched mobile banking for its savings account customers. The facility will be available all the post office savings account holders of the CBS (core banking solutions) post offices. The launch of the mobile banking facility comes almost a year after the Department of Post launched Internet banking facility for its savings account holders.

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Lionel Messi wins 3rd straight Golden Shoe as top scorer in European Leagues: Barcelona captain Leo Messi received his 6th Golden Shoe as the top scorer in the European leagues. Messi won the trophy for a 3rd straight year after scoring 36 goals, 3 more than his closest challenger, Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain. Messi now has two more Golden Shoes than his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The award was created in 1967 when it was won by Eusebio.

DEFENCE

1. India-Japan joint Air Force Exercise ‘Shinyuu Maitri’ in West Bengal: The Indian Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) has carried out the annual joint military exercise ‘Shinyuu Maitri’ at Air Force Station, Arjan Singh, Panagarh, West Bengal (17 to 23rd October). C-130 J aircraft of the Special Operations Squadron of IAF and C-130 H of Tactical Airlift Squadron of JASDF is participating in the exercise. The focus of the exercise, to undertake Joint Mobility and Tactical interoperability among the two forces.

Daily GK Updates - 16th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CBIC launches programme to strengthen Make in India: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has launched a revamped and streamlined programme to attract investments into India and strengthen Make in India through manufacture and other operations under the bond scheme, of Customs Act, 1962. The Section enables conduct of manufacture and other operations in a customs bonded warehouse. The scheme has been modernized with clear and transparent procedures, simplified compliance requirements ICT-based documentation and account keeping, by the issue of Manufacture and Other Operations in Warehouse Regulations 2019.

2. Govt launches Food Safety Mitra Scheme: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan launched Food Safety Mitra Scheme, Eat Right Jacket and Eat Right Jhola. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced the scheme of Food Safety Mitra (FSM) through which it plans to engage motivated individuals with the food safety ecosystem at ground level. A Food Safety Mitra Scheme is an individual professional certified by FSSAI who assists in compliances related to FSS Act, Rules & Regulations with three avatars- Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra and Hygiene Mitra depending upon their respective roles and responsibilities. During the event, the Minister also launched Eat Right Jhola which is a reusable, washable and bio-degradable bag. Eat Right Smart Jacket has been introduced to giving an identity to FSSAI staff to ensure transparent inspection. It’s embedded with an RFID tag and QR code.

3. Indian Railways to become net zero carbon emitter by 2030: Indian Railways (IR) has announced that it will become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030. The move will be a part of India’s strategy to combat climate change. The announcement was made by railways and commerce minister Piyush Goyal at the India Energy Forum by CERAWEEK in New Delhi. India is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China, and is among countries most vulnerable to climate change.

4. 41st DRDO Directors Conference in New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 41st DRDO Directors Conference in New Delhi. Chiefs of the three forces & DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy were also present on the occasion. The discussion included efforts taken by DRDO to ensure technological advancement of the Indian forces to safeguard the country. It was suggested that DRDO can play a significant role in becoming a catalyst in the absorption of technology.

Note: DRDO was formed in 1958; It is headquartered in New Delhi.

5. Govt. to set up 14 World Skills India Training Centres across 9 cities: According to Mahendra Nath Pandey (Union Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister), Govt. is planning to set up 14 Authorized World Skills India Training Centres across 9 cities in the country for media and entertainment sector. The new institutes will be set up for advanced skill training of candidates in the media and entertainment sector and to further develop skilling eco-system for training candidates for the international market. Nine Cities are Chennai, Trivandrum, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Indore, Pune, Mumbai, Shillong and Hyderabad. The centres will offer (9 to 36 months duration) certification courses on 3D digital game, graphic design technology, and print media technology.

6. J&K govt to set up 50 PCOs in each district of Kashmir division: Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government will set-up 50 Public Call Offices (PCOs) in each district of Kashmir Division soon in order to provide free of cost calling facilities to the general public. According to Baseer Ahmad Khan (Divisional Commissioner Kashmir), locations and other modalities have been finalized. General Public will avail calling facilities in these PCOs free of cost.

7. J.P.S. Chawla takes over as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA):  Government of India has appointed Shri J. P. S. Chawla (Indian Civil Accounts Service Officer-1985 batch) as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure. He will replace Girraj Prasad Gupta. Shri J. P. S. Chawla has been officiating as CGA with effect from 1st September 2019. Earlier, Mr. Chawla served as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) where he was instrumental in the finalisation of the accounting procedure and operationalisation of GST Network (GSTN) before the national rollout of GST.

Note: CGA works under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India; Controller General of Accounts headquarters: New Delhi.

8. Anoop Kumar Mendiratta appointed as new Law Secretary: Anoop Kumar Mendiratta has been appointed as the new Law Secretary (Secretary, Legal Affairs) in the Union Law Ministry. He is presently the District and Sessions Judge, North-East District, Karkardooma Courts, Delhi. He will serve in the position till 30 March 2023, or until he attains the age of 60.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UP Culture Dept to organise training & performance programme of KHON Ramlila: The Culture Department of Uttar Pradesh government is going to organise the country’s first training and performance programme of world-famous KHON Ramlila, a masked form of Ramlila art of Thailand in collaboration with the Thai government. KHON Ramlila of Thailand is included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage and it’s a form of masked dance depicting the scenes of Ramlila. It has no dialogues and background voices narrate the whole story of Ramayana. KHON Ramlila’s performance is also a visual delight famous for its beautiful attire and golden masks.

Note: Thailand Capital: Bangkok; Currency: Baht.

2. India ranked 102 in Global Hunger Index 2019: The 2019 Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicates that the level of hunger and undernutrition worldwide falls into the serious category. India ranks 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries, with a score of 30.3, on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2019 report released by Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). India is ranked below many neighbouring countries, including China (25th spot), Nepal (73th), Myanmar (69th), Sri Lanka (66th), Bangladesh (88th) and Pakistan (94th). Seventeen countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Cuba and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI scores less than 5. There were only four countries in the alarming hunger category are Madagascar, Chad, Yemen and the Central African Republic in the extremely alarming hunger category. The report warned that climate change was causing alarming levels of hunger and making it more difficult to feed people in the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Note: The Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels. The aim of the GHI is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world.

3. Kishan Dan Dewal concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Georgia: Kishan Dan Dewal (IFS officer of 2003 batch), has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Georgia. He will replace Yogeshwar Sangwan. Dewal is presently serving as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Armenia.

Note: President of Georgia: Salome Zurabishvili; Prime Minister: Giorgi Gakharia; Capital: Tbilisi; Currency: Georgian lari.

4. World Food Day: 16 October: World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945. The theme of World Food Day 2019 is “Our Actions Are Our Future. Healthy Diets for A #ZeroHunger World". This day generates awareness globally for those who suffer from hunger and to ensure the need for food security and nutritious diets for all. The main focus of this day is that food is a basic and fundamental human right.

Note: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that works towards defeating hunger via international efforts. The objective of ‘FAO’ to achieve food security for all and to make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active healthy lives. It has 194 member states and it works in over 130 countries in the whole world. FAO headquarters: Rome, Italy.

5. Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo’s new book to release in November: Nobel 2019 Laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have penned a book together titled 'Good Economics for Hard Times – Better Answers to our Biggest Problems'. The book talks about the pressing issues of our times and tries to find solutions to these questions. The book is published by Juggernaut and set to release on November 2019.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sourav Ganguly set to be new BCCI President: Former Indian cricket Captain Saurabh Ganguly (47-years) unanimously nominated as the new President of the Board of control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Jay Shah (son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah) has been unanimously selected as Secretary and Arun Dhumal (younger brother of MoS Finance Anurag Thakur) as Treasurer. All these candidates are expected to be elected unopposed at the Board's Annual General Meeting to be held on 23rd October 2019. Currently, CK Khanna is the acting president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Saurabh Ganguly (President, Cricket Association of Bengal) was the chairman of the BCCI technical committee and has been a media personality for many years.

Note: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Headquarter: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

2. Zimbabwe, Nepal readmitted as ICC members: The International Cricket Council has readmitted Zimbabwe (suspended from July 2019) and Nepal (from 2016) as ICC members in a meeting held in Dubai. Zimbabwe Cricket had been suspended from membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with immediate effect in July this year. In 2016, Nepal had been banned for “governmental interference”. Now, Zimbabwe will be able to take up their place in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in January and the ICC Super League later in 2020.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IMF cuts World and India growth rates: The World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings kicked off on a somber note, with the IMF downgrading global growth in 2019 to 3%, the slowest since the global financial crisis. India’s growth projections have also been downgraded to 6.1% and 7.0% in 2019 and 2020 respectively, down by 1.2 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points relative to April projections, owing to weaker than expected domestic demand. India’s growth rate in the April-June quarter had hit 5%, the lowest in six years, as per government data. Consumption, investment and exports were down. The IMF projected the U.S. would grow at 2.4% and 2.1% in 2019 and 2020 respectively. For China, growth was projected to grow at 6.1% and 5.8% in 2019 and 2020.

Note: MD of IMF: Kristalina Georgieva, Headquarters: Washington DC, USA.

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. India wins four 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation: UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2019 has been announced at a ceremony in Penang, Malaysia. Indian bagged four awards in three categories. Renewal of Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts in Hong Kong received the Award of Excellence, which is the highest award among all categories.

A complete list of winners:

Sr. No.	Award of Distinction	New Design in Heritage Contexts	Honourable Mention	Award of Merit
1	Vikram Sarabhai Library, IIM (Ahmedabad) India	Dry Pit Latrine in Jiaxian Ancient Jujube Garden (Shaanxi) China	Flora Fountain (Mumbai) India	Our Lady of Glory Church (Mumbai) India
2	Keyuan Garden (Suzhou) China	Joan Sutherland Theatre Passageway and Lift (Sydney Opera House) Australia	Westpac Long Gallery (Sydney) Australia	Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue (Mumbai) India
3	Nelson School of Music, (Nelson) New Zealand	The Mills (Hong Kong SAR) China	The 5s Classroom (Kew) Australia	Tseto Goenpa (Paro) Bhutan
4			Liddell Bros. Packing Plant (Wuhan) China	Guyue Bridge (Zhejiang) China
5				Lyttelton Timeball Station (Christchurch) New Zealand

Note: UNESCO President: Audrey Azoulay; Founded: 16 November 1945; Headquarters: Paris, France.

2. HCL’s Shiv Nadar tops EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2019: Shiv Nadar (HCL founder and chairman) has achieved the top rank in the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2019. Mr Nadar made the highest contribution of Rs 826 crore (between April 2018 and March 2019) towards philanthropic causes. Azim Premji (Wipro) has been ranked second with total donations worth Rs 453 crore during the qualifying period. Mukesh Ambani (Chairman, Reliance Industries) came third with a total contribution of Rs 402 crore.

Note: The list has been compiled by the EdelGive Foundation and Hurun Research Institute. It ranks individuals from India who donated Rs 5 crore and above between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019, towards philanthropic contributions.

Daily GK Updates - 4th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt hikes Minimum Support Price of Kharif crops for 2019-20 season: The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all Kharif crops for 2019-20 Season. Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of paddy has been increased by 65 rupees per quintal, Jowar by 120 rupees and Ragi by 253 rupees per quintal. According to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, the move will lead to increased investment and production through assured remunerative prices to the farmers. MSP of Tur has been raised by 125 rupees, Moong by 75 rupees and Urad pulses raised by 100 rupees per quintal. The Minister said, the MSPs of soyabean increased by 311 rupees, sunflower by 262 rupees and sesamum by 236 rupees per quintal which is a major step towards increasing the income of farmers.

Note: Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the price at which government purchases crops from the farmers, whatever may be the price for the crops. The MSP helps to incentivize the framers and thus ensures adequate food grains production in the country.

2. Indian Railways to install CCTV cameras in over 7,000 train coaches: According to the GoI, the Indian Railways has set a target to install CCTV cameras in more than 7,000 coaches of mainline passenger trains by March 2021. Also, CCTV cameras have already been installed in coaches of premium, mail, express and suburban trains.

Note: Minister for Railways: Piyush Goyal.

3. Jagannath Rath Yatra 2019 begins: Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra begins in Puri, Odisha.  The Rath Yatra marks the journey of Lord Jagannath along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra from Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple.  The journey covers a distance of around 17 km in Puri.

In Gujarat, 142nd annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath begins in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has performed the 'Pahind’ ritual, the symbolic path cleaning by golden broom at Lord Jagannath temple before the start of the procession.

Note: CM of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik, Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

4. UP govt to set up Committees in all 25 districts situated on banks of river Ganga: Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to set up Ganga Committees in all 25 districts situated on the banks of river Ganga. This step is part of the largescale program to clean the holy river. Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat met CM Yogi Adityanath and discussed issues like water conservation, revival of dry rivers, rainwater harvesting and plantation drive. According to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, the state has listed 15 rivers which gone dry at present and will be revived under the action plan. In coming days, a special plantation drive on the banks of prominent holy rivers will be taken up. Total of 85 projects related to Clean Ganga Mission worth 1185 crore rupees are running in the state, out of which 15 have been completed so far.

5. Rahul Gandhi resigns as Congress President: Rahul Gandhi officially resigned as Congress President. In his resignation letter, Mr Gandhi said, he is responsible for his Congress' defeat in Lok Sabha elections. He said, accountability is critical for the future growth of Congress and therefore, he is resigning as party president. According to Mr Gandhi, the party's working committee should meet immediately to decide on his successor.

Note: Indian National Congress (known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major political party in India.  Indian National Congress Created in 1885 by A. O. Hume.

List of party presidents:

No.	Name of President	Year of Presidency	Place of Conference
1st	W C Bannerjee	1885	Bombay
2nd	Dadabhai Naoroji	1886	Calcutta
83rd	Rajiv Gandhi	1985–91	Bombay
84th	P. V. Narasimha Rao	1991–96	Tirupati
85th	Sitaram Kesri	1996–98	Calcutta
86th	Sonia Gandhi	1998–2017	Calcutta
87th	Rahul Gandhi	2017-2019	Delhi

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. IMF approves $6 billion loan for cash-strapped Pakistan: The IMF has approved a USD 6 billion loan over a period of 3 years for cash strappedPakistan. ii. The USD 6 billion financial aid includes an immediate disbursement of USD 1 billion to help Pakistan address its balance of payment crisis. The approved loan aims to support Pakistan's economic plan, which aims to return sustainable growth to the country's economy and improve the standards of living.

Note: Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan; Capital: Islamabad.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. BCCI announces the domestic schedule for 2019-20 season: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the domestic schedule for the 2019-20 season in New Delhi. It comprises 2036 matches, marking an addition of 19 games over the last season's schedule. The country's premier national T20 tournament, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, will be held before the IPL players' auction (from November 8 to December 1). The Ranji Trophy will stretch to March for the first time after starting on December 9. The Duleep Trophy will mark the beginning of the season as usual and will be followed by Vijay Hazare 50-over Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, Ranji Trophy and Irani Trophy.

2. Hima bags gold in Poznan Athletics Grand Prix: Hima Das, the under-20 World champion has won the gold medal in women’s 200m in the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix. Poznan Athletics Grand Prix is taking place in Poznan, Poland.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI Constitutes Working Group on Core Investment Companies: The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a Working Group of six members headed by Shri Tapan Ray to Review Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for Core Investment Companies (CIC). Mr. Tapan Ray is a Non-Executive Chairman of Central Bank of India and former Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Govt. of India. The committee will suggest measures to strengthen corporate governance and disclosure requirements for CICs, assess the adequacy of supervisory returns submitted by CICs and suggest changes therein and various other things for the betterment of CIC.

2. Karnataka Bank launches web tool for the NPA recovery process: Karnataka Bank Ltd. MD (Managing Director) & CEO (Chief Executive Officer) M S Mahabaleshwara has launched the web tool named ‘Vasool So-Ft’ to digitalise the NPA (non-performing asset) recovery process of the bank. The tool will enable easy and faster processing, real-time information and immediate decision making in the recovery area. The bank has joined hands with a local IT start-up to develop the tool for recovery management.

3. Punjab & Sind Bank setups Cen-MARG for MSME for credit facilities: MD & CEO of Punjab & Sind Bank S. Harisankar has set up the Centralised MSME & Retail Group (Cen-MARG) for credit facilities at its head office in New Delhi. This will help branches focus better on lead generation for retail and MSME lending and enhanced customer service. The Cen-MARG would be linked with pan-India branches in a phased manner. Now, all MSME and retail credit approvals will be performed at this centralized setup. The bank is aiming to bring about much- enhanced customer satisfaction through this initiative.

4. ICICI & IndoStar Capital partner to finance commercial vehicles: ICICI Bank has tied up with NBFC IndoStar Capital for vehicle financing for small and medium fleet owners to buy new as well as old commercial vehicles. Under this partnership, IndoStar will originate and service the customers through the entire loan life cycle including sourcing, documentation, collection and loan servicing.

Note: Managing Director & CEO of ICICI Bank: Sandeep Bakhshi.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Jio launches ‘Digital Udaan’, a digital literacy initiative in partnership with Facebook: Reliance Jio has launched a new digital literacy programme “Digital Udaan”. The objective of the Digital Udaan’ is to provide digital literacy to first-time internet users who are using the connected internet ecosystem and apps for the very first time. The Jio Digital Udaan programme is being launched across 200 locations in 13 states in partnership with Facebook. As a part of the Digital Udaan initiative, Jio will engage with users every Saturday to help them learn about the JioPhone features, use of various apps and internet safety including use of Facebook on JioPhone.

2. Maharashtra ranks first in NITI Aayog's AMFFR Index: Maharashtra achieves first rank in NITI Aayog launched "Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index (AMFFRI)".  The index ranks states based on the degree of reforms they have undertaken in agricultural marketing.  AMFFRI has a score that can have minimum value “0” implying no reforms and maximum value “100” implying complete reforms in the selected areas.

Note: NITI Aayog CEO: Amitabh Kant; Vice Chairman: Rajiv Kumar.

OBITUARIES

1. US auto industry legend Lee Iacocca passes away: Automobile industry legend from USA Lee Iacocca passed away. He was known for creating the iconic Ford Mustang and saving Chrysler from bankruptcy.

2. Veteran industrialist BK Birla passes away: Birla Group patriarch and an ace of the Indian industry Basant Kumar Birla passed away in Mumbai. He was the chairman of Century Textiles and Industries and was active in business since the age of 15.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Campaign to eradicate AES and JES launched in UP: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh have launched the 2nd phase of Communicable Disease Control and Dastak Abhiyan 2019. The campaign is launched to eradicate deadly Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and Japanese Encephalitis disease. The state wide program was organized under the banner of Health department and UNICEF. Chief Minister flagged off the vehicles of awareness campaign and also honored the Dastak Yoddhas by awarding certificates.

Note: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath; Governor: Ram Naik

2. Chattisgarh govt raises the retirement age of private sector labourers to 60 years: The Chattisgarh government has decided to increase the retirement age of industrial labourers working in private sectors to 60 years from the current 58 years. Employees and labourers working in various undertakings, factories, industries and commercial institutions would now retire at the age of 60 years. Final notification will be issued within 15 days after disposing of the suggestions received from all stakeholders. This will be applicable to all undertakings, including factories, establishments, institutions and other industrial units coming under the purview of the Chhattisgarh Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Act, 1961, and the Chhattisgarh Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Rule, 1963.

3. Smriti Irani launches a book title ‘Whispers of Time’: Union Minister Smriti Irani has launched a book titled 'Whispers of Time' at the India International Centre in New Delhi. The book 'Whispers of Time' authored by Dr Krishna Saksena (91-years). ‘Whispers of Time' is an effort to condense nine decades of her life experiences, realisations and observations into a book of fiction based on facts. Dr.  Saksena is the first woman candidate from Uttar Pradesh to get a PhD degree in English Literature in the year 1955.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. USA designates Baloch Liberation Army as terror group: The Department of State of USA has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Hizballah operative Husain Ali Hazzima as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The USA has also blamed the organizations for the attacks on Chinese assets amid an ongoing civil war like situation in Pakistan’s biggest province Balochistan.

2. U.S. Senate passes provision to give India NATO ally-like status: The U.S. Senate has passed a legislative provision National Defense Authorisation Act for India. The act will bring India at par with America’s NATO allies which will increase U.S.-India defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean in the areas of humanitarian assistance, counter terrorism, counter-piracy and maritime security. The act has been passed for the fiscal year 2020.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Ambati Rayudu retires from international cricket: Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu has announced his retirement from international cricket. He has played 55 ODIs for India, scoring 1694 runs at an average of 47.05 with three hundreds and 10 half-centuries.

2. India loses to Pakistan in the IBSF Snooker World Cup finals: The Indian team lost to Pakistan in the final of the IBSF Snooker World Cup in Doha. India lost the summit clash by 1-3. Pankaj Advani and Laxman Rawat represented the Indian team in the world cup.

3. Odisha to host 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis tournament: Odisha Government will host the 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship at the Jawaharlal Indoor Stadium in Cuttack (from 17th to 22 July 2019). This championship will see participation from some of the best players from across the world. Sports Secretary Vishal Dev and senior vice president, TTFI SN Sultan and president, OSTTA LN Gupta signed the MoU in presence of CM Naveen Patnaik.

Note: The tournament has received a good entry with 14 associations, consisting India, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey, Australia, Cyprus, South Africa, Nigeria, Pakistan.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI fines 4 Public Sector Banks for violating KYC norms: The Reserve Bank of India has imposed penalties on four state-run lenders for violating Know Your Customer norms and anti-money laundering standards. Punjab National Bank, Allahabad Bank, and UCO Bank were fined Rs 50 lakh each while Corporation Bank was fined Rs 25 lakh.

2. S. Vishwanathan reappointed RBI deputy governor for one year: N.S. Vishwanathan has been reappointed as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the extension of Vishwanathan's term as RBI deputy governor by one year (from 4 July 2019). Vishwanathan is in charge of regulation of banks, non-banking finance companies and cooperative banks. Besides Vishwanathan, the other deputy governors of the RBI include B.P. Kanungo and M.K. Jain.

3. Karnam Sekar takes over as Indian Overseas Bank MD and CEO: Karnam Sekar was taken over the charge as new Managing Director (MD) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Indian Overseas Bank. He has replaced R Subramaniakumar. Mr. Sekar began his career in State Bank of India (SBI) as a probationary officer. He also had served Dena Bank as its Managing Director and CEO

Note: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) is a major public sector bank based in Chennai, India, with about 3,400 domestic branches and about 6 foreign branches and representative office.

4. IMF appoints economist David Lipton as interim leader: American economist David Lipton will serve as interim leader of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He will replace Christine Lagarde who was nominated to head the European Central Bank. Chief of International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde has been nominated as the first woman to head the European Central Bank.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Ola Electric gets $250m funding from SoftBank: Japanese company SoftBank has invested around $250 million in Ola Electric Mobility. With this investment, Ola Electric has become the newest unicorn of India, joining the list of companies like Flipkart, Zomato and Paytm.

Note: CEO of Ola Electric: Bhavish Aggarwal; CEO of Softbank Corp.: Ken Miyauchi, Chairman: Masayoshi Son.

2. Manoj Kumar Nambiar elected chairman of MFIN: Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) has elected Manoj Kumar Nambiar as its chairman. He will replace Udaya Kumar Hebbar, President MD & CEO of CreditAccess Grameen. Vineet Chattree (Svatantra Microfin) will be the vice-chairman.

Note: Microfinance Institutions Network is an association for the microfinance sector in India. Its member organizations constitute the leading microfinance institutions in India. MFIN comprises 56 NBFC-MFIs and 40 associates including banks, small finance banks and NBFCs.

Chief Executive Officer of MFIN: Harsh Shrivastava; Founded: December,2009.

3. Nalin Singhal has been appointed as new CMD BHEL: Dr. Nalin Shinghal has been appointed as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). Mr. Singhal is presently working as Chairman and Managing Director of Central Electronics Limited. BHEL is India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer and is owned by Government of India.

4. Amazon tops as the world’s most valuable brand: BrandZ Report: As per the BrandZ Report, Amazon has topped in the 100 Most Valuable Global Brand for 2019. The brand value of Amazon saw an increase of 52% in 2019 at USD 315,505 million (USD 207,594 million- in 2018). Apple is at the second rank followed by Google at 3rd. Three Indian companies (HDFC Bank-60^th, LIC-68^th & TCS-97^th) have found place in the ranking.

Note: The BrandZ rankings of the world’s most valuable brands have been compiled by WPP’s research arm. BrandZ calculates the value that the brand contributes to businesses by combining financial and market data with surveys of nearly 4m consumers in 51 countries on their views about brands. 

DEFENCE

1. Indo-French Joint Air Exercise Garuda-VI Begins: The Indian and French Air Force has started Garuda VI exercise at Mont de Marsan in France. The exercise is scheduled to take place from 1 July to July 12, 2019, in France. The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent comprises of 120 air-warriors and four Sukhoi 30 MKI along with an IL-78 flight refuelling aircraft.

Note: Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa is the present Chief of the Air Staff of IAF.