Daily GK Updates - 22nd January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  The ‘Halwa ceremony’ begins: The printing of union budget documents 2018-19 started with the traditional annual Halwa ceremony. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley performed the symbolic Halwa ceremony along with Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla and other senior officials at North Block in New Delhi. The Halwa ceremony will stay in Budget printing press until the Budget is presented in Parliament.1st of Feb 2018, Mr. Jaitley will present the Union Budget in Parliament.

2.Om Prakash Rawat appointed new Chief Election Commissioner: Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat (1977-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre) has been appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).He succeeds the incumbent CEC, A K Joti (retires today).Former Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa has been also appointed as Election Commissioner to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Rawat’selevation.In August 2004, Mr. Rawat was appointed the principal secretary to then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babu Lal Gaur and remained in office till January 2006.

3. 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018: The best of Bollywood in the year 2017 at 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018, held at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Mumbai(Maharastra)'Hindi Medium' bagged honors in the categories of Best Film and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for Irrfan Khan's impeccable performance.Vidya Balan won her career's sixth Filmfare award for her passionate portrayal of a middle-aged homemaker who turns into a radio jockey in 'Tumhari Sulu' as she claimed the Black Lady for the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female).

                                               INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Eight-edition of International Conference on Wild Silk Moths begins in Assam: the three-day International Conference (eight-edition) on Wild Silk Moths has begun in Guwahati, Assam.Scientists, delegates from 15 countries have come together to discuss strategies and share knowledge on improving wild silk production and quality globally.India is holding the event for the second time with an aim to explore latest research and development.

2. Fourth India International Science Festival to be held in Lucknow: The fourth edition of the India International Science Festival will be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.The decision was taken at the first preparatory meeting for the 4th India International Science Festival (IISF) chaired by the Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan. In December, 2015, The first IISF was held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) New Delhi.

3. First missile attack drill held by Tokyo since WW-II:Tokyo held an evacuation drill simulating a missile attack since World War II.The drill comes amid tensions over North Korea’s missile programme which had threatened to sink the country and turn it into ashes.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Richest 1% held 73% wealth generated in 2017 in India- Survey :The survey released by the International rights group Oxfam has revealed that the richest 1% in India held 73% of the wealth generated in 2017 in India.The survey also showed that 67 crore people constituting India’s poorer half increased their wealth by 1% last year . 

SPORTS:

1. Soloman Deksisa wins 15th edition of Mumbai Marathon: Solomon Deksisa (Ethiopia) has won the Mumbai Marathon (15th edition) with a time of two hours, nine minutes and 33 seconds, prize money worth USD 4 lakhs 5,000. Another Ethiopian, Shumit Akalnaw became the first runner-up, while Joshua Kipkorir (Kenya) came second.Indian Olympic athletes, T Gopi has won in the Indian Elite category, Nitender Singh Rawat came second.Sudha Singh (Central Railways) has won the Mumbai Marathon in the Indian Elite Women category.It is the largest mass participation (44,407 runners) sports event in the continent.

Daily GK Updates - 20th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Question rose against Darwin’s theory of evolution: Union minister Satyapal Singh has claimed that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution of man was "scientifically wrong" and it needs to be changed in school and college curriculum.  Singh, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, said our ancestors have nowhere mentioned that they saw an ape turning into a man.  "Darwin's theory (of evolution of humans) is scientifically wrong. It needs to change in school and college curriculum. Since the man is seen on Earth he has always been a man," he said while speaking to reporters yesterday here.  The IPS officer-turned-politician was in this central Maharashtra city to attend the 'All India Vaidik Sammelan.' "Nobody, including our ancestors, in written or oral, have said they saw an ape turning into a man," he said.  "No books we have read or the tales told to us by our grandparents had such a mention," the minister added.

2. Nine more smart cities to come up: The Urban Development Minister ‘Hardeep Singh Puri’ has announced the name of nine more smart cities (total to 99). Silvassa in Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has topped the list of winning cities in this round of competition. The other cities include Erode (Tamil Nadu), Diu (Union Territory of Daman and Diu), Biharsharif (Bihar), Bareilly (UP), Saharanpur(UP) and Moradabad (UP),  Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) and  Kavaratti (Lakshadweep). The total proposed investment in 99 Smart Cities will be two lakhs three thousand 979 crore rupees.

3.  Former Chief Minister of Gujarat Anandiben Patel will be the next Governor of Madhya Pradesh: She replaces Om Prakash Kohli who has an additional charge of the office of MP Governor along with the office of Gujarat Governor.

4. The Anthem -  “Bharat Ke Veer” : The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ anthem and a short film on India’s brave hearts in New Delhi.Bharat Ke Veer is a fund to support the families of those courageous and brave Indian soldier belongings to the eight Central Armed Police Forces, who lost their lives protecting the nation from terrorists and other anti-social elements.The fund is directly administered by the Home Ministry and is given as an annuity or one-time grant to the family of the martyred soldier.

5.  Ramayana festival with ASEAN nations in Delhi : The five-day Ramayana festival with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations has begun in Delhi. Troupes from ASEAN countries will display the shared heritage also at Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Ayodhya and Kolkata. The festival seeks to underline the common cultural heritage and India's friendship with ASEAN nations. The Festival is a fitting prelude to the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit on 25th January.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Britain announces public register against money laundering: Britain has announced the world's first public register that requires overseas companies that own or buy property in the country to provide details of their ultimate owners. The government is set to publish relevant draft laws and the register will go live by early 2021.This register will build on their reputation for corporate transparency as well as help create a hostile environment for economic crimes like money laundering. Properties in Britain worth 250 million dollars has been under criminal investigation for being linked to corruption since 2004. Over 75% of the properties currently under investigation have been suspected of being used off-shore corporate secrecy, a tactic regularly seen by investigators pursuing high-level money laundering.

2. India becomes 43rd member of Australia Group: India has formally become the 43rd member of the Australia Group, a group of countries instituted to counter the spread of materials, equipment and technologies. The inclusion will raise India’s stature in the field of non-proliferation and help in acquiring critical technologies. The Australia Group is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) and an informal group of established in 1985 to help member countries to identify those exports which need to be controlled so as not to contribute to the spread of chemical and biological weapons.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India to face Pakistan in the fifth edition of “Blind Cricket World Cup” Final: The 5th edition of the Blind Cricket World Cup tournament is currently held from 8 Jan -21st Jan 2018 in Pakistan and in the United Arab Emirates(UAE). Team India (defending champion) will face arch-rival Pakistan in the 5th edition of the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup Final at Sharjah. India defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets in the semis to enter the Finals of the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup. Pakistan qualified for the final of the Blind Cricket World Cup after defeating Sri Lanka.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1. Robo Scientist makes malaria breakthrough: Research carried out in part by a 'robot scientist' has found that a common ingredient of toothpaste could be developed to fight drug-resistant strains of malaria. In a study in 'Scientific Reports', scientists from Britain's Cambridge University who used the robot to conduct high-throughput screening said the ingredient, triclosan, showed the potential to interrupt malaria infections at two critical stages - in the liver and the blood. Malaria kills around half a million people every year, the vast majority of them children.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. The IMF and World Bank have commended the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) for the remarkable progress in strengthening banking supervision system: The multilateral agencies have released two Detailed Assessment Reports relating to the 2017 India Financial Sector Assessment Programme. The Report providing ‘Detailed Assessment of Observance-Basel Core Principles noted that the supervision and regulation by the Reserve Bank remain strong and have improved in recent years. Most of the Basel III framework has been implemented and cooperation arrangements are now firmly in place.

OBITUARIES:

1. Iconic Cartoonist Chandi Lahiri (86-years) passed away due to illness: Lahiri left generations of Bengalis enthralled with his brand of humour that was non-acerbic for the past five decades. He created a number of animal characters like Giraffe, Nengti (a rat), Michke (a cat) and their relationship with children.

Daily GK Updates - 9th October, 2017

                 NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. GoM Set Up to Review Composition Scheme:  A group of ministers (GoM) has been set up under Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to make the composition scheme more attractive and also revisit GST rates on restaurants. The GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had constituted the GoM.With only 15.50 lakh businesses out of the total 98 lakh registered under the goods and services tax (GST) regime opting for the composition scheme, the GST Council has decided to set up the GoM to examine measures to make it more attractive.

                   INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Rajesh Nath has been conferred the ‘Cross of the Order of Merit’, the highest civilian honour of Germany: Rajesh Nath, the managing director of VDMA India, has been conferred the ‘Cross of the Order of Merit’, the highest civilian honour awarded to individuals for their services to Germany. The award, also known as Bundesverdienstkreuz or Federal Cross of Merit was instituted in 1951 and is Germany’s only honour that is awarded to both Germans and foreigners for achievements in the economic, social, political or intellectual realms.

                                OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. PNB MetLife Appoints Ashish Srivastava as MD & CEO: PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Ltd (PNB MetLife),a life insurer, has appointed Ashish Srivastava as a new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the company.Prior to this elevation, Srivastava was an interim CEO at PNB MetLife. Srivastava joined PNB MetLife in 2013 as the Head of HR for the India business.

SPORTS:

1.India's Anupama Ramachandran wins World Open U-16 Snooker Championship: Anupama Ramachandran (India) has won the World Open Under-16 Snooker Championship title at St. Petersburg in Russia.In the Girls category, she defeated top seed Keerthana Pandian 3-1.In boy category, Dylan Emery of Wales has claimed the title.Total 73 cueists from across the world have participated in this championship.

2.Rafael Nadal wins 2107 China open title: Top-ranked 16-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal (Spain) has won 2017 China 0pen title in Beijing.Rafael Nadal defeated Nick Kyrgios (Australia) 6-2, 6-1 to win his 6th ATP title of the year.In the women’s event, Caroline Garcia (France) defeated world no.1 Simona Halep(Romania) in straight sets of 6-4, 7-6 .

Daily GK Updates - 29th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.‘Muntra’ – The first unmanned tank of India – out from the Chennai lab : Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an unmanned, remotely operated tank which has three variants - surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and bio threats. It is called Muntra.  Muntra has three tested and validated remote-controlled variants – Muntra-S, Muntra-M and Muntra-N. Muntra-S is for unmanned surveillance missions, Muntra-M is for detecting mines and Muntra-N is for areas where risk of nuclear radiation is high. The two remotely operated vehicles designed like an armoured tank were on display at an exhibition - Science for Soldiers - organised by DRDO as a tribute to former President APJ Abdul Kalam at Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment  (CVRDe) in Avadi.

2. Bengaluru makes it to smart city list after two years; core areas to get facelift, Russel Market on its list : Bengaluru has been finally chosen for the Smart City project, making it the seventh city in Karnataka to make it to the list. The city is expected to get Rs. 1,000 crore in the next five years, including Rs 500 crore from the state government under the project. In its presentation, the government had pitched to develop the core areas of the city, including its heritage structures. The Rusell market, developed in 1927 by British colonizers will be revamped under the Rs.2000 crore Smart City Project in which the city was included last month.

3. IIM Bill, 2017 passed by Lok Sabha: Lok Sabha has approved Indian Institutes of Management Bill 2017 that promises to grant administrative, academic and financial autonomy to the B-Schools and allow them to award degrees to their graduates. The bill will grant greater autonomy to these schools and ensure they are board-driven, with chairperson & director selected by board. The govt also agreed not to change the name of IIM-C.

4. Haryana govt has banned mixing of liquid nitrogen in drinks & food: This was done few days after a man burnt a hole in his stomach after drinking a cocktail containing the chemical. Due to its low temperature liquid nitrogen can be extremely damaging to body tissue, causing cryogenic burning on contact. It releases large volume of gas on evaporation & can burst open the stomach if ingested in large quantities

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.International Tiger Day - July 29 : It was first observed in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit. The world has lost 97% of all wild tigers in a bit over 100 years.

2. Russia - Syria in news: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying a deal with Syrian govt to allow Russia to keep its airbase in Syria for almost half a century. Russian forces will be deployed at Hmeymim base for 49 years with the option of extending that arrangement for 25-year periods. Russia has previously used the base to conduct strikes against forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad.

3. Bengaluru secures 40th Rank at global level to foster women entrepreneurs: According to a report by Dell, Bengaluru ranks at the 40th spot among the top 50 global cities that foster high-potential women entrepreneurs. The only other Indian city in the top 50 tally is Delhi at the 49th spot. New York ranked topped the list, followed by Bay Area, London, Boston and Stockholm.Globally, women’s entrepreneurship rates are growing more than 10 per cent each year

4.South Korea will proceed with deployment of 4 additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defence units: This comes after North Korea’s latest launch of ICBM. Deployment of additional THAAD units had been delayed after South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered an environmental assessment. THAAD is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Shikha Sharma as CEO and MD of Axis Bank, once again:  India’s third largest private lender, Axis bank re-appointed her for a term of 2 years starting June 2018. Previously, she took charge as the CEO of Axis Bank in 2009.Soon after the stock market opened, shares of Amazon spiked 1.8 percent — pushing Bezos’ net worth to USD90 billion, surpassing Gates’ USD89 billion.But Bezos’ reign lasted only four hours, and by the 4 p.m. close of the market, his net worth had slumped to a meager USD88.7 billion, dropping him below Gates — who had topped the list since 2013 — at USD89.8 billion.

BOOKS/AWARDS:

1. Arundhati’s novel “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”,in Man Booker longlist: Arundhati Roy’s latest work of fiction, “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”, has made it to the longlist of this year’s Man Booker Prize. The book came after a 19-year-long hiatus since her debut novel “God of Small Things” that won the Booker Prize in 1997. The shortlist of six books will be announced on September 13, and the 2017 winner will be finally announced on October 17.

OBITUARIES:

1. Dharam Singh passes away: N. Dharam Singh, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru after a heart attack. He was the 17th CM of Karnataka and was continuously elected as MLA for 7 times from  Jevargi constituency. He headed Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition govt from May 2004 to February 2006. He was a seasoned politician, was known for his gentle demeanour.