Daily GK Updates - 19th March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  UMANG - the “lost and found” app for airports: CISF launched its lost and found mobile app for passengers at 59 airports across India. The app, named UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance), offers three facilities – lost and found items at airports, tracking complaints or request status and technical consultancy in security and fire services. The CISF had in 2015 launched a lost and found section on its website.

2.    Foreign poll funding won’t be scrutinised: The Lok Sabha has passed a bill that will exempt political parties from the scrutiny of funds they have received from abroad since 1976. Through Finance Bill 2016 passed earlier, the government had amended the FCRA to make it easier for parties to accept foreign funds. The Representation of People’s Act bars political parties from accepting foreign funds.

3.    C437 - Coast Guard commissions interceptor boat: The Coast Guard commissioned an interceptor boat, C-437 at Porbandar to strengthen the security umbrella of the Indian West Coast. The boat is provided with advanced navigational and communication equipment which gives it the capability to respond to any maritime situation. The boat would be based at Jakhau under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region.

4.    Release of commemorative coins: President Ram Nath Kovind released Rs 1,000 and Rs 10 commemorative coins on the occasion of Nabakalebar festival. The government had announced the release of the coins marking the festival which is a symbolic recreation of sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. The commemorative coins were released at a function of Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan at Puri in Odisha.

 INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigns amid allegations of corruption: She has vowed to fight the accusations — that she used a bank card provided by an NGO to make personal purchases, including jewellery and luxury goods worth at least € 25,000 according to the local newspaper. Gurib-Fakim, Africa's only female head of state, submitted her resignation in the "national interest," her lawyer Yousouf Mohamed told reporters, adding that it would take effect on 23 March.

2.     Li Keqiang re-elected as Prime Minister of China:  Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang got re-elected for his second five-year term by the members of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC). Li Keqiang received 2964 votes in favour and two in against.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.   Nepal cricket team was given One-Day International (ODI) status for the first time ever after its six-wicket win over Papua New Guinea in the World Cup Qualifiers: Nepal was given the Affiliate status by the ICC first in 1988 and was later promoted to the Associate rank in 1996. In 2008, Nepal was included in World Cricket League Division 5, where it finished on the third spot.

2.    Sri Lanka Cricket pays homage to Jagmohan Dalmiya with release of book 'A Tribute to Jagu': Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), on the occasion of the 70th independence of the island nation, paid a glowing tribute to former BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya by releasing a book, titled ‘A Tribute to Jagu’. SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala lauded Dalmiya's role in strengthening the Asian Bloc. Thilanga termed Dalmiya as a 'hero' who had the guts to stand up for what was right and carry on in the face of unmatched adversity. They felicitated him posthumously as the greatest non-Sri Lankan contributor to their country's cricket. Dalmiya's son, Avishek, joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) was invited to receive the commemorative book.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. The First Indian to be appointed as MD at Sony India - Sunil Nayyar:  Sony India on     19th March announced the appointment of Sunil Nayyar as its Managing Director (MD) in place of Kenichiro Hibi. Hibi, who was MD of Sony India from 2012 till 2018, has now been appointed as President of Sony Brazil.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1.    “Pethia poiensis” - New fish species identified in Manipur:  A new freshwater fish species have been identified in the north-eastern state of Manipur. The new fish species, “Pethia poiensis”, was found by a research team of Manipur University’s life sciences department and a researcher from the Zoological Survey of India in the Challou River in Manipur. These fish species is locally known as “Ngakha macha” in Manipur.

Daily GK Updates - 26th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shashi Shanker appointed CMD of ONGC: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Shashi Shanker as Chairman and Managing Director of ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), till 31st March 2021.

2. The Ship 'TARASA' commissioned into Indian Navy: The Ship 'TARASA' has been commissioned into the Indian Navy at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. INS Tarasa (T94) is a patrol vessel of the Car Nicobar-class of Indian Navy and the last ship in the series of four Water Jet Fast Attack Craft.

3.  Rajnath Singh launches PENCIL Portal: The Union Home Minister Mr Rajnath Singh has launched a web portal called 'PENCIL' (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) for effective implementation of National Child Labour Project (NCLP). PENCIL portal has five components (Child Tracking System, Complaint Corner, State Government, National Child Labour Project, and Convergence) and developed by the Labour Ministry.It was felt that an online portal which connects the Centre to the state government, district and to all project societies would provide a mechanism for implementation.

4. Odisha Govt. launches ‘Sampurna Yojana’: Odisha state Govt. has launched ‘Sampurna Yojna’ scheme for pregnant women, in Odisha. Under this Sishu Abond Matru Mrityuhara Purna Nirakaran Abhijan(Sampurna) scheme, Rs 1,000 will be provided as transportation cost particularly to expectant mothers to facilitate institutional delivery in remote and inaccessible areas in the state.

5. ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission completes 3 Years in orbit: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stated that its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which has completed three years in its Martian orbit is in good health and continues to work as expected. On the occasion of completion of three years in its Martian orbit released MOM second-year science data from September 24, 2014, to September 23, 2016.

6. Banaj Devi to receive Sarala award: Noted Odia poet and short story writer Banaj Devi will be honoured with the 38th edition of the prestigious Sarala award. She will be honoured for her short story compilation ‘Kathapua’. The annual Sarala Puraskar, recognised as one of the foremost literary awards of the State, comprises a cash award of ₹5 lakh along with a citation.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India raises market access, barriers issue with Indonesia: India has raised the issue of market access and regulatory barriers that its companies are facing in Indonesia in sectors like pharma, dairy, and bovine meat. The issues were discussed during a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu and his Indonesian counterpart Enggartiasto Lukita in New Delhi.

2. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis arrives in New Delhi on a two-day visit: Today, the US Defence Secretary ‘Jim Mattis’ arrived in New Delhi on a two-day visit to India.He will discuss the joint efforts to advance common goals through a broader strategic exchange of views.Mattis is the first Cabinet Minister of the Trump Administration to visit India.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI launches chatbot to help customers in banking activities: lives on multiple customer interaction platforms in partnership with Payjo. Artificial intelligence banking platform ‘Payjo’ has launched an AI-powered chat assistant for State Bank of India (SBI) to addresses customer enquiries. The chat assistant, ‘SBI Intelligent Assistant (SIA)’ will help customers with everyday banking tasks just like a bank representative.

2. SBI lowers min balance: SBI has lowered the minimum average monthly balance, requirement in a savings account to Rs. 3,000 from Rs. 5,000 and also revised downwards penalties for non-adherence.

Bank has decided to treat metro & urban centres in the same category.

Bank has also decided to exempt pensioners, beneficiaries of social benefits from govt & minors from the requirement of minimum balance in savings account

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

3. Two Indians on list of most powerful women in International Business: Two Indian women have featured on Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women in business outside the US.Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kocchar was ranked 5th and MD and CEO of Axis Bank Shikha Sharma was ranked at 21.

4. Niranjan Hiranandani elected as the President of NAREDCO: National Real Estate Development Council, a leading industry body of real estate sector, is under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Niranjan Hiranandani has been elected as the new president of realtors body NAREDCO.

SPORTS:

5. Lakshmanan wins 5,000m gold in Athletics Nationals: Reigning Asian champion Govindan Lakshmanan of Services cruised to victory in the men’s 5000-metre race on the opening day of the 57th National Open Athletics Championships at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai.Lakshmanan has recently won gold in the 3,000m event at the Asian Indoor Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Daily GK Updates - 25th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Narendra Modi launches 'Saubhagya' scheme for electrification: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Saubhagya’ scheme in New Delhi, to mark the birth anniversary of ‘Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’. The scheme ‘Saubhagya’ will provide subsidy on equipment like transformers, meters, and wires and expected to cover all rural families after expected electrification of all villages by the end of 2017. Prime Minister also inaugurated ONGC’s new corporate office that was renamed Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Urja Bhawan, from Rajiv Gandhi Urja Bhawan.

2. Bibek Debroy to head Modi’s Advisory Council: NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy will head the Economic Advisory Council constituted by PM Modi. The council will analyse any issue  economic or otherwise referred to it by the Prime Minister and will advise him on it. The council has 3 part-time members – Surjit Bhalla, Rathin Roy, Ashima Goyal.

3. Bharat Dynamics Limited  to supply MRSA Missiles to the Indian Army: Bharat Dynamics Limited, a defence PSU has a signed contract with Research Centre Imarat for supply of Medium Range Surface-to- Air Missiles to Indian Army. The contract has been signed for production, deliveries and product support of MRSAM system for the Indian Army.

4. West Bengal gets USD 300 Million ADB loan: The board of Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned a USD 300 million loan facility for carrying forward fiscal reforms in West Bengal. The full effect of reforms would take at least 5 years to materialize and a follow-on program would be needed to carry these forward.

5. Chief Economic Adviser to get one-year extension: According to the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian will get one-year extension (till October 2018).He has been quite vocal in his stand on RBI's monetary policy and has openly supported the need for a rate cut. Subramanian had assumed the office of India's CEA in October 2014 after the government picked him up out of many aspirants for the coveted job.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shinzo Abe to dissolve lower house of Japan: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has said he would dissolve Parliament’s lower house for a snap election, as he seeks a fresh mandate to overcome “a national crisis.” Abe said he needed a fresh mandate to proceed with plans to use tax hikes to increase social spending & take a tough stance towards North Korea.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Masala bonds to be treated as ECBs from 3rd Oct.: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) relaxed norms for issuance of rupee-denominated overseas bonds (masala bonds).They will be treated as external commercial borrowings from October 3, thereby freeing up more investments by FPIs. From 3rd October, masala bonds will no longer form part of the limit for FPI investments in corporate bonds.

2. Apple tops the list of “Most valuable brands”: Apple and Google have once again take the two top spots in a list of the world’s 100 most valuable brands, according to rankings by consultancy group Interbrand.

3. RIL becomes world’s 3rd largest energy company in the world: Reliance Industries has jumped 5 places to rank as world’s 3rd-biggest energy company behind Russian gas firm Gazrpom & German utility E.ON, according to Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings.

SPORTS:

4. Wrestler Bajrang wins gold in Asian Indoor Games: Wrestler Bajrang (India) beat Daichi Takatani (Japan) in the men's freestyle 65kg final to win the gold in Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.Now, Indians added four medals including a gold on the ninth day of the games at Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. Two women wrestlers Sheetal Tomar and Navjot Kaur also grabbed a bronze each. Krishnan Sasikiran won the third bronze in men's standard individual chess.India now stands at 12th place in the medals tally with 6 Gold, 7 Silver, and 11 Bronze.

5. P.V. Sindhu for Padma Bhushan: Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu has been recommended for the prestigious Padma Bhushan by the Sports Ministry. World No. 2 Sindhu has been in stellar form since winning a silver medal at Rio Olympics and is the second athlete after MS Dhoni to have been nominated for the honour this year.

6. Vaishnavi clinches Belgian Junior title: Indian shuttler Vaishnavi Reddy has clinched the women’s singles Under-19 title at the Belgian Junior Open badminton tournament. She defeated top seed Vivien Sandorhazi in a three-game final at Herstal.

Daily GK Updates - 24th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Andhra CM Naidu declares 2017 as e-Pragati Year: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu declared the year of 2017 as e-Pragati year. The flagship program will help the government to make real-time governance. The Chief Minister also inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Sports Policy 2017.

2. “Make in India” push for body armours: NITI Aayog has been asked to set up an inter-ministerial empowered committee to prepare a roadmap to ‘encourage domestic manufacturing’ of lightweight body armours for army & para-military forces. Committee will be headed by Niti Aayog member V K Saraswat and will have representatives from DRDO, DIPP, Ministry of Defence & Home Affairs.

3. President Ram Nath Kovind’s first foreign trip will be to Africa: President Ram Nath Kovind will make his first foreign trip as head of state to the strategically-significant African continent in the first week of October. The President will visit to Ethiopia and Djiboui. Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia is the seat of African Union, had hosted the first India-Africa summit outside India in 2012.

4. Govt unveils new PPP policy: Govt. has announced new public-private partnerships to promote private investments in affordable housing in line with its Housing for All target by 2022. 8 PPP options for the private sector to invest in affordable housing segment were announced by the minister of housing & urban affairs Hardeep Singh. The assistance of up to Rs.2.50 lakh per house will be available for building houses on private lands.

5. Rajiv Mehrishi takes oath as the new CAG: Former home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi took over as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Mehrishi succeeded Shashi Kant Sharma.President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mehrishi (62) at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Mehrishi will have a tenure of about three years.

6. “The Shershah of Kargil” - The biography of Captain Vikram Batra Unveiled: Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra was martyred at the tender age of 24. The biography of Captain Vikram Batra "The Shershah of Kargil" has been written by 21-year-old Deepak Surana.

7. Books on Indian values, morals a must as per the New Multi-Purpose Stall policy of Indian Railways: Books on Indian culture & morals are now to be displayed for sale at all platform kiosks, a new stall policy to all zonal railways has mandated. Railway Board has instructed all general managers to ensure that such books are found in stalls, under its new Multi-Purpose Stall policy.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Angela Merkel Wins 4th Term as Chancellor of Germany: Angela Merkel won a fourth term as chancellor in Germany elections that lifted the far-right party Alternative for Germany into parliament for the first time since the immediate aftermath World War II.

2. India, US, Afghanistan Join Hands for 1st Trade Show in Delhi: For the first time, India, US and Afghanistan will hold a joint trade and investment show in Delhi, as New Delhi steps up to its role of being a bigger development partner to Afghanistan. The trade event, sponsored by the US and hosted by India, will be inaugurated by Afghan CEO Dr Abdullah.

3. DRUZBA 2017, Pak-Russia joint military drill started: The joint exercise DRUZBA 2017 between special forces of Pakistan and Russian armies started in Minralney Vody, Russia. Pakistan and Russia are holding two-week long joint military drill focusing on counter-terrorism operations to enhance military ties between the two countries.

4. Mobile phone ban on Rohingya refugees: Bangladesh has banned telecom companies from selling mobile phone connections to Rohingya refugees, citing security concerns for the latest restrictions. Ban could be lifted once biometric identity cards were issued to these refugees

5. Saudi Arabia allows women into stadium: Saudi Arabia has allowed women into a national stadium for the first time as it launched celebrations to mark the 87th anniversary of its founding. This marks a shift from previous celebrations in the kingdom where women are effectively barred from sports arenas. This measure represents another step into relaxing some norms as part of its “Vision 2030” plan for economic and social reforms.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sports Ministry Recommends P.V. Sindhu for Padma Bhushan: Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu has been recommended for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, country’s third highest civilian award, by the Sports Ministry.She is two-time bronze medallist at World Championship. In March 2015, Sindhu was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri.

2. India bags 4 more Medals at 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan: In the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, India bagged four medals. Sajan Prakash of India finished second with the silver medal in the Men's 100-metre butterfly event. Divya Gurling Shilwant and Pratiksha Chandrakant Parhar bagged a bronze each in women's Alysh classic in 70 kg and 75 kg categories in the Belt Wrestling Discipline.Wrestler Keduovilie Zumu from Nagaland won the bronze medal in the 90 kg category of Kazakh Kuresh style belt wrestling. India is at 11th spot in the medals tally with 5 gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze.

3. ICC to probe into Sri Lanka cricket: The International Cricket Council has launched an anti-corruption investigation in Sri Lanka. ICC, however, did not specify if any particular series involving the country is under the scanner.

4. India Becomes World No. 1 in Both ODIs and Tests: India beat Australia by 5 wickets in the third ODI played between the two sides at Indore. The victory helped them to pip South Africa to claim the no. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings. This now means that India is now at the top of both the Test and ODI rankings.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

5. Amazon buys 5% equity in Shoppers Stop: Shoppers Stop has approved a proposal to sell 5% equity in the company for Rs179.25 cr to Amazon NV Holdings LLC. Shoppers Stop will use the funds to continue its investments in expanding physical and online retail businesses. The two retailers will conduct “joint marketing” initiatives while Shoppers Stop will open Amazon Experience Centres where Amazon can showcase its brands.

6. ‘Fly Now Pay Later’ Scheme launched by Etihad Airways now: UAE’s carrier Etihad Airways has launched a ‘fly now and pay later’ scheme which provides people with an option of paying ticket fare in monthly instalments. The initiative is designed to allow families to book flights with convenience. Etihad Airways is the first in Gulf region to offer fully automated online instalment plans

7. Acko gets final IRDA license: Indian insurance sector regulator IRDAI has given the final nod to online non-life insurer Acko General Insurance. The company is looking to start operations by Dec selling mostly auto, travel & health insurance products to retail customers through an online channel.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt to launch LPG Panchayat as backup to Ujjwala Yojana to distribute LPG connections: The union govt. has launched a country-wide LPG Panchayat as a backup to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to distribute LPG connections among the rural areas. The panchayat was formally launched at Mota Ishnapur village in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. One lakh LPG Panchayats will be activated across the country under the scheme during the next one and a half year.

2. Harshvardhan launches Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana: Dr. Harshvardhan has launched 'Pt Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana' which will experiment and endeavour to formulate and implement appropriate S&T Interventions for Sustainable Development through cluster approach in Uttarakhand. This project has been inspired by teachings and ideals of ‘Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhayay’ whose birth centenary is being celebrated this year.

3. Subramanian to get extension as CEA to govt.: The government has decided to extend the term of Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian by one year until October 2018. Subramanian was appointed India’s Chief Economic Adviser in October 2014. His term was for three years, which was to end on October 16.

4. Stage set for the setup of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) in India: NITI Aayog has signed an agreement with Geneva-based International Road Federation for cooperation in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems & to design a policy framework for the same. ITS policy will cover various sectors including traffic management, electronic enforcement of traffic rules & regulations. It would also cover fleet management & monitoring & education in the field of ITS.

                                                       INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Professor C.N.R Rao, becomes the first Asian to be chosen for the prestigious Von Hippel Award: Eminent scientist, Professor C.N.R Rao, has become the first Asian to be chosen for the prestigious Von Hippel Award for his immense contribution in materials research. The award citation noted Rao’s immense work on novel functional materials, including nanomaterials and 2D materials and superconductivity. The award is the US-based Materials Research Society’s highest honour.

2. Hui Ka Yan Becomes Asia’s Richest Man: Hui Ka Yan, the chairman of big China real estate developer China Evergrande Group, has become Asia’s richest man. Hui’s estimated fortune of $42.2 billion puts him ahead of Tencent Holdings Chairman Ma Huateng ($39.1 billion) and Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma ($38.9 billion).

3. NATO wraps up exercise Dynamic Monarch: 9 NATO Allies wrapped up a submarine search and rescue exercise, Dynamic Monarch 2017, off the coast of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey. The exercise demonstrated the importance of cooperation for NATO-led naval missions & involved a wide array of equipment & up to 1,000 military and civilian personnel.

4. China imposes limit on oil supply to North Korea: China will limit oil exports to North Korea under UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile development and it will be limited to 2 million barrels per year and sales of liquefied natural gas hasbeen banned outright (from 1st January).

5. Iran tests new ballistic missile: Iran has tested a new ballistic missile ‘Khorramshahr’ that can carry multiple warheads and has a range of 2,000km. The Khorramshahr missile has become smaller in size and more tactical. Iran unveiled the ballistic missile as its president stepped up pressure on the United States by defending its right to strengthen military defenses.

                                         OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.SBI launches India’s bond index series at London Stock Exchange: The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched India’s first bond index series for overseas investors at the London Stock Exchange (LSE).With the launch of this index alongside FTSE Russell, SBI intention is to give people a benchmark based on which they can make investment calls. The FTSE SBI Bond Index Series “demonstrates SBI’s commitment to play befitting leadership role” in development of India’s bond market.

2. Samsung’s Bixby Voice now works in India: Bixby is meant to do additional and on-phone tasks which Samsung hopes will make getting things done faster and easier. Bixby Voice can be triggered by saying “Hi Bixby” to a sleeping device also.

3. SpiceJet, Cleartrip team up with Google Flights: SpiceJet & Cleartrip have teamed up with Google Flights to help air travellers explore possible destinations & view live ticket prices. Launched in India in 2015, Google Flights offers travellers the facility to explore destinations & find best flights at affordable prices.

SPORTS:

4. Deborah Herold wins two Silver medals on day 7 of Asian Indoor Games: Indian cyclist Deborah Herold bagged two more Silver medals in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. She bagged a silver medal in the six-lap Keirin event in track cycling, and also finished second in the Team sprint event with Alena Reji. Earlier, India also won a Silver medal through Malaprabha Yallappa Jadhav in Women's Kurash, a Martial Arts event.Current, India won ninth medals (5 Gold, 6 Silver and 5 Bronze medals).