Daily GK Updates - 3rd November, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 1.Atul Goel takes charge as MD, CEO of UCO Bank : Atul Kumar Goel has assumed charge as Managing Director (MD) and CEO (Chief executive officer) of UCO Bank.Earlier, he was executive director of Union Bank of India.Goel takes over from R K Takkar who completed his three-year tenure on 1^st November 2018.UCO Bank (formerly United Commercial Bank) established in 1943 in Kolkata.

2.Railway Ministry launched ‘UTS on Mobile’ facility : The Ministry of Railways has launched the ‘Unreserved Mobile Ticketing’ facility (UTS on Mobile) to enable seamless booking of unreserved tickets in all Zonal Railways.Now, the booking of unreserved tickets on all non-suburban sections across all Zonal Railways will now be made available on mobile.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Doha to host World Corporate Games : The World Corporate Games 2019 will be held for the first time in the Middle East in Doha, organisers of the Games  anounced. The 23rd edition is held under the patronage of Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and will bring together the local, regional and international business sporting community.It will be the first time that the World Corporate Games, established nearly 30 years ago, incorporate eSports and mind sports.

2. India and Japan sign a loan agreement worth Rs. 1817 crore : India and Japan have signed a loan agreement worth of approximately 1817 crores for the construction of Turga Pumped Storage (I).The objective of the Project is to strengthen the capability to respond to a fluctuation in supply and demand of power and to improve the stability of the power supply.In the last few years, the economic cooperation between India and Japan has steadily progressed.

3. India Pavilion inaugurated at Videocittà 2018 in Rome Film Festival : India Pavilion inaugurated at Videocittà 2018 in Rome Film Festival.India Pavilion at Videocitta 2018 showcased Indian films’ heritage, ease of film shooting in India, promoted film shooting locations in India.It is an event focussing on Virtual Reality, Video gaming, Animation, Film Making, etc. was organized along with Rome Film Festival and Mercato Internazionale dell' Audiovisivo (MIA) (the International Audio-Visual Market).

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.  Kirloskar Capital gets RBI nod for NBFC biz : Kirloskar Capital has received RBI licence to start a non-banking financial company (NBFC).Kirloskar Capital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kirloskar Oil Engines (KOEL), plans to lend more than Rs 1,000 crore over the next three years.Earlier, the company roped in former Indo-Star Capital Finance Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Vimal Bhandari, to head its operations.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.  Bank of Maharashtra to reinstate CEO, ED : The board of directors of Bank of Maharashtra decided to restore/reinstate the functional responsibilities of RP Marathe, Managing Director and CEO, and RK Gupta, Executive Director, with immediate effect.This move is possibly an indication that these two top executives, who were taken into custody by the Pune police for the bank’s Rs 96.52-crore exposure to DSK Developers, have got a clean chit from the authorities. Earlier, the board, in its meeting held on June 29, had divested these two top executives of all their functional responsibilities.

SPORTS:

1. Azhar Ali announces retirement from ODIs : Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has announced his retirement from ODI cricket in order to prolong his Test career.Azhar has been one of Pakistan's most prolific run-scorers in Test cricket as he scored a triple century and a double hundred in Tests in the UAE and Australia in 2016 & 2017.In January 2018, he played his last ODIs against New Zealand.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd November, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jharsuguda Airport renamed as “Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda” : The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved renaming of Jharsuguda Airport (in Odisha) as “Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda”.Veer Surendra Sai was an Indian freedom fighter and tribal leader who sacrificed his life fighting against the British East India Company.It will fulfil the long-pending demand of the Odisha Government, which reflects the sentiments of the local public of the respective area.

2.PM Modi launches Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Support and Outreach Programme : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Support and Outreach Programme in New Delhi.The MSME Outreach Programme will run for 100 days covering 100 Districts throughout the country. The Union Ministers are likely to visit these districts to appraise the entrepreneurs about various facilities being extended to MSME sector by the Government and financial institutions.

3.  The fourth NITI Aayog- DRC Dialogue held in Mumbai : The Fourth Dialogue of the NITI Aayog - Development Research Centre (DRC) of the State Council, Peoples' Republic of China was held in Mumbai.The Chinese delegation was led by Mr. Li Wei (President of DRC) and the Indian delegation was led by Dr Rajiv Kumar (Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Malayalam film Olu to be the opening film at 49th IFFI : According to Jury for the Indian Panorama, Malayalam film Olu will be the opening film at the 49th ternational Film Festival of India (IFFI) -2018 in Goa.The Feature Film Jury of thirteen members was headed by acclaimed film director and screenwriter, Rahul Rawail.July also selected the Marathi film Kharvas directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale as the Opening non-feature film.

2. Pather Panchali' is only Indian movie to feature in BBC's 100-best foreign language films : Satyajit Ray's epic masterpiece 'Pather Panchali' has been included by BBC's 100 best foreign language films (only film from India) to feature in the  list.Pather Panchali released in 1955, was placed at number 15 in the list, which has been topped by Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai'.27 of the highest-rated films were in French, followed by 12 in Mandarin, and 11 each in Italian and Japanese

3. Netherland to be partner country for 25th DST-CII technology Summit 2019 : According to Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Netherlands will be the Partner Country of 25th DST – CII Technology Summit to be organized in 2019.There is a great scope to explore a closer partnership between the two countries to leverage emerging digital technologies.India and the Netherlands are addressing unmet needs and opening new collaborative avenues together in areas such as water, health, agriculture, high tech systems and IT.

OTHER UPDATES:

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1.China launches the new high-orbit satellite : China successfully launched a high orbit satellite to boost its home-grown BeiDou global satellite navigation system being built to rival United States Global Position System (GPS).The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the southwestern Sichuan Province.It is the first BeiDou-3 satellite in high orbit (36,000 km) above the Earth, meant to serve countries in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

DEFENCE:

1. India-Japan military exercise Dharma Guardian-2018 begins in Mizoram : First-ever two-week-long India-Japan military exercise ‘Dharma Guardian-2018’ has begun at a jungle warfare school in Mizoram’s Vairengte. The Japanese contingent is represented by 32nd Infantry Battalion, while the Indian side by 6/1 Gorkha Rifles.It will be to enhance tactical skills against global terrorism and increase interoperability between the two forces.

3. Decommissioned carrier INS Viraat to become a floating museum : The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved the conversion of decommissioned carrier INS Viraat into a floating museum.It will make the new generation familiar with the glorious history of INS Viraat.The carrier will be housed on a concrete foundation near Nivati Rocks in Sindhudurg in Konkan region of the state.The project worth 852 crore rupees will be implemented through public-private-partnership (PPP).

SPORTS:

1. Mary Kom named as brand ambassador of women’s world C’ship : Olympic medallists Mary Kom has been named as the brand ambassador of the upcoming 10th edition of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Women World  hampionship. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) also unveiled the logo and anthem at the launch of the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, to be held at the IG Stadium in New Delhi (from November 15-24)

Daily GK Updates - 18th October, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. M J Akbar resigns as minister of state for external affairs : The Minister of State for External Affairs Mobashar Jawed Akbar has resigned from his post in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment made by several women against him.The resignation comes in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment against him.Mr. Akbar has already filed a criminal defamation case in this regard. Veteran Indian journalist M J Akbar is Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (In July, 2015) from Jharkhand.

2.  NITI Aayog launches guidelines for Public-Private partnership in NCDs : NITI Aayog has launched the model guidelines for Public-Private partnership in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).As per the guidelines, the private partner will invest in upgrading, building and deploying human resources, responsible for operational management and service delivery.The guidelines will help streamline private participation and encourage world-class infra & patient care in the health sector.The state governments will provide the required physical space.It is suggested that the tariff structure for the services offered under the NCD care facility may be linked to the existing state and Central Government Health Insurance Scheme.

3.Shahi litchi’ of North Bihar gets Geographical Indication (GI) tag :The famous ‘Shahi litchi’ of North Bihar has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag after Jardalu mango, Katarni rice and Magahi paan from the state.GI is a name (sign) used on products to certify that they possess certain qualities for being made or produced as per traditional methods or enjoy a certain reputation due to its geographical origin.A total of 3 lakh metric tonnes of different varieties of litchi were produced in Bihar in 2017-18, out of which 60 percent were Shahi litchis.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit begins in Brussels :The two-day 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit begins in Brussels, Belgium.Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will lead the Indian delegation at Europa Building for Opening Ceremony of ASEM Summit.The theme this year is, 'Global Partners for Global Challenges'.The summit will prioritize issues related to connectivity, trade and investment, sustainable development, climate change, terrorism, migration, maritime security and cyberspace.

2. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives in New Delhi : Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit to India.He will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay.India is among the top four investors in Sri Lanka with cumulative investments of over one billion dollars since 2003.The investments are in diverse areas including petroleum retail, IT, financial services, real estate, and telecommunication.Trade between the two countries grew rapidly after the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement in March 2000.

3. Bhutan: General elections are being held : The third General elections of National Assembly (the lower house of Parliament) in Bhutan being held today.The voters will seal the fate of total 94 candidates, 47 each from both the parties.The Election Commission has deputed over 5,300 officials in 865 polling stations across the country.Out of four lakh 38,000 registered voters, more than three lakhs are expected to exercise their franchise through EVMs.

4. Putin, al-Sisi sign strategic co-operation treaty : Vladimir Putin (Russian President) and Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian President) have signed a strategic co-operation treaty to increase trade, military and other ties in Sochi.Mr al-Sisi hailed his talks with Mr. Putin and termed the agreement as a new chapter in the history of the countries' bilateral relations.Mr. Putin and the Egyptian President discussed expanding arms trade and military ties

5. Canada becomes the 2nd country to legalize recreational cannabis:Canada has become the second country (first Uruguay) to legalize possession and use of recreational cannabis.Now, Canadians can grow up to four plants in their own home and carry up to 30 grams of dried cannabis for personal use.Cannabis possession first became a crime in Canada in 1923 but medical use has been legal since 2001.

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE:

1.  ESA to send spacecraft to Mercury in a first-of-its-kind mission : UK-built spacecraft will set off for Mercury to determine whether the plant, which is the closest to the Sun (contains water).The European Space Agency's (ESA) BepiColombo mission will send two orbiters to explore the planet where the surface temperatures reach about 450 degrees Celsius.The space agency hopes to get answers to the questions raised by the previous missions such as whether the planet holds water.On 20^th October, Spacecraft will launch from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.It will take seven years to reach Mercury, arriving in 2025.

SPORTS:

1. Akash Malik claims India’s maiden archery silver at Youth Olympics : Akash Malik (15-year) became India’s first silver-medallist in archery at the Youth Olympic Games.He lost one-sided final to Trenton Cowles of the USA 0-6.Currently, Akash is enrolled by the Olympic Gold Quest and trains under South Korean coach Kim Hagyong at the Army Sports Institute in Pune.India concluded with 3 gold, 9 silver, and 1 bronze at the event that was launched in 2010.

Daily GK Updates - 18th March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.   ‘Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba’ the New Year of Manipuri lunar calendar: It was celebrated in Manipur on 18th March. The festival was celebrated on the first day of the Manipuri month, Sajibu, which usually falls in the month of March end or early part of April. Sanamahi, the domestic deity of the people of Manipur is worshipped on this day.

2.   The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will set up India’s first offshore wind turbines at Arichamunai near Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu:  This region was selected on the basis of the quality and speed of the wind which was found to be good. The MNRE will install 4 to 5 wind turbines, each with the capacity to generate a minimum of 6 MW of power.

 INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.    Indo-French Naval exercise Varuna 2018: The first phase of Indo-French joint naval exercise Varuna 2018 began on March 19, 2018, at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) in Vasco da Gama, Goa. The exercise is being held in the Arabian Sea, off the Goa coast. The second and third phases of the exercise will be held at the Chennai coast in April 2018 and in La Reunion Island in May 2018, respectively.

2.  Global Recycling Day – 18^th March: To promote action on recycling, recycling associations across the globe are observing the first Global Recycling Day on 18th March. By 2025, India’s waste management sector is expected to be worth US$13.62 billion with an annual growth rate of 7.17 percent. Polyethylene Terephthalate is a food grade plastic which is used for food and pharma packaging has the highest rate of recycling.

3.      Disaster Risk Reduction workshop help between India and Japan: It was inaugurated on 19th March. The two-day workshop is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Government of Japan. The workshop’s aim is to develop a specific bilateral Action Plan on areas of cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction.

4.    Victory of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 4^th term: Vladimir Putin will lead Russia for another six years, after securing victory in the presidential elections held on 18th March. Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, won more than 75% of the vote. He was well ahead of his nearest rival Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.   Israel Junior 2018 -  Purva Barve: Purva Barve won the women’s singles (Under-19) title at the Israel Junior badminton tournament 2018 held in Rishon LeZion. The title is her first in 2018 and third overall. Earlier she won the Israel Junior 2017, Italian Junior International 2017 apart from a bronze at the Russian Junior White Nights 2017.

2.  Ranji winner Vidarbha clinched maiden Irani Cup title: Vidarbha has lifted their maiden Irani Trophy at Nagpur on 18th March after they beat ‘Rest of India’ by virtue of their massive first innings lead. It is their second title in the domestic cricket season after they won Ranji Trophy. Rest of India were bowled out for 390, falling short of Vidarbha’s first-innings total by 410 runs.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1.   WTO ministerial meet in Delhi - 50 nations to take up global trade issues: The meeting would be more of an "ice-breaker" as it is being held after the collapse of talks at the Buenos Aires WTO Ministerial in December. The informal meeting of ministers will provide an opportunity to engage in free and frank discussions with the hope that it will lead to political guidance on some major issues. It further said that safeguarding and strengthening the multilateral trading system was never as important as it is today, and the WTO is also facing systemic challenges, particularly its dispute settlement arm.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1.   ‘HAMMER’ Spacecraft: NASA is up to build a huge nuclear spacecraft that is capable of shunting or blowing up dangerous space rocks and safeguarding life on Earth. The spacecraft named Hammer (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) is an eight-tonne spaceship which could deflect a giant space rock. The 1,600-foot-wide asteroid Bennu is circling the sun at 63,000 mph.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd November, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Modi Govt. 3rd most trusted in the world: Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ranked as the third most trusted government in the world as per Government at a Glance 2017. It was published by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. As per the report, nearly 74 percent of Indians have expressed confidence in their national government. The list is topped by Switzerland and followed by Indonesia.

2. RSS chief, Yogi Adityanath to attend ‘Dharma Sansad’: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend a three-day ‘Dharma Sansad’ beginning November 24 that will be organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to discuss the Ram Temple issue.It is being organised at the time when talks of resolving the Ram Temple dispute outside court has gathered momentum. Art of Living Foundation chief Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is trying to resolve the dispute by mediating between different parties.

3. Brahmos completes cruise missile triad: In a major boost to the strike capability of Indian Air Force, the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile — “Brahmos” created history when it was successfully test-fired from a Sukhoi-30 MKI combat jet against a target in the Bay of Bengal.With this, Brahmos completes the cruise missile triad, it can be launched from land, sea and air. The supersonic cruise missile has already been successfully launched from sea and land.

4. Rashtrapati Bhavan will now be open to public for four days a week: The Rashtrapati Bhavan will now be open for public viewing for four days a week — Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday — from tomorrow, according to an official statement on Wednesday. Registration charge for the visit is Rs 50 per head, it said. Children below the age of eight years will be exempt from these charges. People can visit on these four days anytime between 9 am and 4 pm, except on gazetted holidays.

5. Parab Fest takes off in Koraput, Odisha: ‘Parab-2017’, the annual cultural festival of Odisha’s Koraput district, showcasing the tribal art and culture, started. Parab 2017 started from the shrine of goddess Sankulai Devi of B Singhpur under Borigumma block, with a tribal dance. The objective of this festival is to protect  & promote the region’s rich cultural heritage. A 5-day Pallishree Mela will be organised on 21 December 2017

6. Ira Joshi appointed as the new DG of Doordarshan News: Ira Joshi was appointed as the Director General of Doordarshan News following the retirement of Veena Jain.

Earlier, Ira Joshi was the Press Information Bureau (PIB) director general. PIB Director General Ghanshyam Goel has been made the new Director General of Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), replacing Esther Kar.

7. Parliament Winter Session likely to be held from December 15 till January 5: The Winter Session of Parliament is likely to be held from December 15 till January 5, sources told The Indian Express. A decision in this regard was reportedly taken during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Union Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters that dates of the session will not clash with the assembly elections in Gujarat.

8. FOGSI launches ‘Manyata’ movement: Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) launched ‘Manyata’, a nationwide movement emphasising the need for quality care for mothers during and immediately after childbirth. FOGSI has launched ‘Manyata’ in partnership with MSD for Mothers, MacArthur Foundation and Jhpiego. The movement was flagged off by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Robert Mugabe resigns as the President of Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe has resigned as President of Zimbabwe with immediate effect after 37 years in power, ushering a new era for a country as uncertain as it is hopeful. The man who ruled with an autocrat’s grip for so many years finally caved to popular and political pressure hours after parliament launched proceedings to impeach him.

2. Nepal-India border to be sealed for 72 hours ahead of polls: Nepal will shut its border crossings with India from Friday for 72 hours ahead of the first phase of parliamentary and provincial assembly elections on November 26 for security reasons. Nepal is holding provincial and parliamentary elections in two phases on November 26 and December 7. The elections are seen as the final step in Nepal's transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. India becomes second largest fish producing country in the world: Combining the production of all types of fisheries, the total fish production has reached 11.41mn tones, with this India has become the second largest fish producing country in the world. China is the largest fish producer country in the world. The scheme ‘Blue Revolution’ has been launched for the integrated development of fisheries sector in the country.

2. Samsung partners with Uttar Pradesh government to set up 20 healthcare centres: Samsung India, a subsidiary of the South Korea-based electronics major, on Wednesday said it has partnered with the Uttar Pradesh government to set-up 20 new smart healthcare centres across the state to provide healthcare equipments, reports news agency PTI. The smart healthcare programme aims to offer affordable and quality healthcare to patients from the economically and socially weaker sections of society. Since 2015, Samsung has collaborated with 18 government hospitals across the country for the programme.

3. ”Infrastructure” status to Logistics sector: The government has given infrastructure status to logistics sector, covering cold chain and warehousing facilities. It is done in a move to attract more funding at competitive rates for these segments.

4. Mastercard, Mswipe tie-up: swipe, a domestic maker of Point of Sale (PoS) terminals, has partnered MasterCard to digitise merchant acquisition and can now enable a shopkeeper anywhere in India to acquire a card swipe machine. Mswipe will enable a merchant to complete the ‘know-your-customer’ (KYC) requirement using a mobile application that will scan documents.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Andhra Bank launches scheme to push Entrepreneurship: Andhra Bank has launched scheme for self help groups (SHG) to encourage entrepreneurship. The scheme ‘Pattabhi Sitaramayya’ has been introduced to commemorate the birth anniversary of its founder Bhograju Pattabhi Sitaramayya, and the silver jubilee of the SHG-Bank linkage programme in the country.