Daily GK Updates - 25th June, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nagaland Governor launches Women’s helpline number ‘181’: Governor of Nagaland and Assam P B Acharya has launched women helpline number - 181 in the premises of District Hospital Dimapur in Nagaland and also inaugurated Sakhi, a one stop Centre, intended to support women affected by violence both in private and public spaces under one roof.

2. Nokia appoints Sanjay Malik as India Head: Nokia has announced the appointment of Sanjay Malik as the head of Indian market, effective August 1. Malik is currently head of Network Implementation (NI) at Nokia Global Services and is credited with efficiently driving growth and delivering strong performance both in terms of revenue and operational efficiency.

3. ADB extends $500 million loan for River Bridge in Bihar: ADB is multilateral lending agency based in Manila, Philippines, has approved a 500 million dollars loan to build a bridge across the Ganga River in Bihar. The loan funds will be used to build 9.8 km Road Bridge in Bihar on the Ganga River. On completion of the project it will be the India’s longest river bridge.

4. Indian origin lawyer to chair panel on human rights in South Sudan: South African Indian-origin lawyer YasminSooka has been appointed to chairman of three member UN commission (committee) to monitor the human rights situation in South Sudan.

5. Andhra Pradesh joins UDAY Scheme: Andhra Pradesh became the 13th State to sign the agreement and formally join the Central scheme for reviving financially-stressed electricity distribution utilities, called the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY).

6.  DRDO inks MoU with Kolkata’s JU to establish Rs 100 crore research centre at Jadavpur University: Heralding a new era of DRDO-Academia Partnership, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jadavpur University (JU), Kolkata to establish the Jagadish Chandra Bose Centre for Advanced Technology (JCBCAT).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced resignation after Brexit vote: The Prime Minister of United Kingdom (UK) David Cameron announced his resignation hours after the Brexit vote that favoured leaving the European Union (EU). During the campaign, Cameron-led Conserve Party advocated for remaining with the EU.

2. Colombia and FARC rebels sign historic ceasefire deal to end 50-year conflict: The Colombian government and FARC guerrillas have declared the final day of one of the world’s oldest wars with the signing of a ceasefire agreement to end more than 50 years of bloodshed.

3. Sri Lankan parliament votes in favour of right to information bill: Sri Lankan Parliament has unanimously passed the Right to Information (RTI) bill with amendments. The bill that seeks to restore transparency and good governance in the country was adopted without a vote in the Parliament after two days of debate.

4. Mahasthangarh declared as the SAARC cultural capital for 2016-17: Mahasthangarh, the 3rd century BC archaeological site in Bogra, Bangladesh, has been declared as the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SARRC) cultural capital for the year 2016-17

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. BCCI to host Mini IPL in September: The BCCI is set to introduce a new Twenty20 event, to be branded as mini IPL, outside India in September. According to BCCI president Anurag Thakur, in the month of September, the BCCI is willing to host a mini IPL or IPL overseas with all the eight teams participating.

OBITUARIES:

2. Neil O’Brien died at the age of 82: Neil O’Brien, a leader of the Anglo-Indian community who is credited with pioneering quizzing in the country, passed away in Kolkata. The 82-year-old former LokSabha MP and three-time nominated Anglo-Indian MLA in West Bengal Assembly.

Daily GK Updates - 24th June, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Government approved setting up of District Level Advisory and Monitoring Committees: Union Ministry of Urban Development has approved the setting up of District Level Advisory and Monitoring Committees to promote people centric planning and execution of new urban development schemes.

2. Union Government launches India’s first pilot programme to run two-wheelers on CNG in New Delhi: Union Government has launched a pilot programme to run two-wheelers on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in New Delhi to curb air pollution in cities.

3. Odisha Government 500 new gram panchayats: Odisha government has approved a proposal of the Panchayati Raj department to add 500 new gram panchayats before the 2017 three-tier panchayat polls.

4. India and Switzerland ink MoU to enhance cooperation in skill development: India and Switzerland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish formal cooperation in the fields of skills development and vocational and professional education and training.

5. Tech Mahindra Ltd acquires UK-based BIO Agency Ltd: Technology services provider Tech Mahindra Ltd (TechM) has acquired UK-based digital transformation firm The BIO Agency Ltd. The acquisition was carried out in an all-cash deal for an enterprise value of up to 45 million pounds.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Brexit wins as Britain votes to leave European Union in historic referendum: The United Kingdom has voted by 52 % to 48 % to leave the European Union after 43 years in a historic referendum. According to a newspaper London and Scotland voted strongly to stay in the Union but the remaining vote has been done against it which mainly contains the north of England. Voters in Wales and the English shires have backed Britain exit from the EU in large numbers. The decision launches what will be years of negotiations over trade, business and political links with the European Union, which will shrink to a 27-nation bloc. Meanwhile because of the referendum, the pound fell to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985 as the markets reacted to the results.

2. Asian millionaires now the wealthiest in the world: Millionaires in Asia are wealthier than their counterparts in other regions of the world, including North America and Europe. According to a report by the Capgemini consulting firm, Asian millionaires’ wealth was worth 17.4 trillion dollars in 2015, more than double the 8.4 trillion dollars in 2006.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI releases framework on payments systems: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its much awaited 'Vision-2018' document. The ‘Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision-2018’ aims at building best of class payment and settlement systems for a ‘less-cash’ India and ensuring access to mobile banking services to even basic phone users.

SPORTS:

2. M S Dhoni becomes brand ambassador of Exide Life Insurance.

3. BCCI appoints Anil Kumble as the new coach of Indian Cricket Team.

4. Artemi Panarin wins 2015-2016 Calder Memorial Trophy: Russian hockey winger ArtemiPanarin, playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, has won the 2015-2016 Calder Memorial Trophy.

5. Harika wins best women’s player in Kazakhstan Blitz: Grand Master Harika Dronavalli added another feather to her cap by winning the best women's player award in the Eurasian Blitz chess tournament in Kazakhstan.

AWARDS:

6. IIT-Kanpur Professor Sanjay Mittal awarded 2015 GD Birla Award for Scientific Research for the year 2015.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd June, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Cabinet extends the deadline of UDAY Scheme: The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of extending the deadline for implementing the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) by a year to March 31, 2017.

2. Railway Minister flags off Danapur-SaharsaJanhit Express: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off a new train service between Danapur and Saharsa in Bihar through video-conferencing at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi with an aim to connect every region of the country with the rail network.

3. FM Arun Jaitley to embark on 5-day China visit to attend AIIB annual meet: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will embark on a five-day visit to China starting from 23rd of June, where he will attend the first annual meeting of the board of governors of the 100-billion US dollar Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

4. Union Cabinet approved the establishment of Fund of Funds for Start-ups: The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) at Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) for contribution to various alternative investment funds (AIF). The corpus of Rs 10,000 crore for FFS will be built up over the 14th and 15th Finance Commission cycles, subject to the progress of the scheme and availability of funds.

5. Union Cabinet approves Mega Spectrum Auction: The Union Cabinet under Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the spectrum auction plan recommended by the department of telecommunication. The approved auction will have spectrum bands of 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz available for sale.

6. Cabinet approves Rs 6000 crore package for textiles: The government has also approved a Rs 6,000 crore special package for textiles & apparel sector to create one crore new jobs in 3 years, attracting investments of $11 billion and generating $30 billion in export.

7. Cabinet approves four laning of Hubli-Hospet Section of NH-63 in Karnataka: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister NarendraModi has approved the development of four laning of Hubli-Hospet Section of NH-63 in Karnataka.

8. Union Cabinet approves pact for the avoidance of double taxation with Belgium: The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the signing of a Protocol amending the Agreement between India and Belgium for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

9.  Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and Germany: he Union Cabinet has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Steinbeis GmbH Co. KG, Germany for technology transfer and resourcing in manufacturing, including sub-sectors of Capital Goods. Steinbeis GmbH is leading organization for applied industrial research in Europe.

10. LIC Chairman S K Roy resigns.

11. AveekSarkar resigns as Chief Editor of ABP Group of Publications: AveekSarkar has resigned as the Editor-in-Chief of Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP) and The Telegraph. However, he would continue as the chairman of the group.

12. PayPal appoints AnupamPahuja as India Country Manager and MD.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Anju Bobby George resigns as Kerala Sports Council President: She resigns after she accused Sports Minister EP Jayarajan of allegedly harassing her and other members of Kerala Sports Council. Besides the iconic athlete, 13 other members of the council, including noted volleyball player Tom Jose, also resigned.

2. Andy Murray wins record fifth Queen’s Club title: British tennis star Andy Murray has created history after he fought back to win the Queen's Club tournament for a record fifth time defeating Milos Raonic in a pulsating final on 19 June 2016.

3. India won three matches T20 series against Zimbabwe 2-1.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd June, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ISRO launches record 20 satellites in a mission: The launch has been made by using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-34, carrying India’s latest earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 along with 19 co-passengers satellites from US, Canada, Germany, Indonesia and two Indian academic institutions.

2. Vice President inaugurates a two-day international conference on Yoga: Vice President Hamid Ansari has inaugurated a two-day international conference on 'Yoga for Body and beyond' in New Delhi.About 70 international delegates from 32 countries are attending the Conference.

3. Aadhaar to be linked with caste, domicile certificates: The Centre has asked all the states to link Aadhaar card of school students to their caste and domicile certificate.

4. Jaitley releases silver coin to mark Martyrdom Day of Banda Singh Bahadur: Union Finance Minister ArunJaitley has released a commemorative silver coin to mark the 300th martyrdom day of Sikh General Banda Singh Bahadur.

5. India ranks 10^th in FDI inflows: UNCTAD report: As per the recently released 2016 World Investment Report, India ranks 10th in FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) inflows. As per the report, India’s FDI inflows have increased to 44 billion dollars in 2015 as compared to 35 billion dollars in 2014.

6. Maharashtra Government grants minority status to Jews: Maharashtra Government has accorded minority status to Jews in the state as per the provisions of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission Act, 2004.

7.  Andhra Postal circle releases stamps on Yoga booklet: To commemorate the International Day of Yoga, Andhra Pradesh Postal circle have organized the programme of releasing the booklet for public and stamps on yoga for Philatelists.

8. Mori village in Andhra Pradesh chosen for development as smart village: Mori village in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh will be developed as a smart village of global standards by using digital tools, real-time information, and uninterrupted internet connectivity.

9.  AmbubachiMela at Kamakhya temple, Assam to begin today: In Assam, the annual AmbubachiMela at Kamakhya temple has begun today. For the celebration, the temple doors will remain closed until Sunday. The AmbubachiMela is an annual Hindu mela held at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.

10. Nagpur and China’s Jinan become ‘sister cities’: Nagpur and the Chinese city of Jinan have become 'sister cities' after signing a pact which allows for the exchange of ideas and technology in the field of education, urban planning, youth affairs, and sports.

11. IWAI and IPGPL ink MoU on Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and India Ports Global Private Limited (IPGPL) have signed a MoU for implementation of additional works on the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) in Myanmar.

12. Six Indian WW1 warriors get the place in Digital Archive of the United Kingdom: The archive was launched as part of UK government’s centenary celebrations of WW-I and aims to tell the inspiring stories of war heroes. The Indians to be archived digitally for their important role during the War are: Risaldar Badlu Singh from Punjab, SepoyChatta Singh from Uttar Pradesh, NaikDarwan Singh Negi from Uttar Pradesh (modern day Uttarakhand), Lance Naik Lala from Himachal Pradesh, Rifleman Gabar Sing Negi from modern day Uttarakhand and Lance-DaffadarGobind Singh from Rajasthan.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. SCO summit to begin tomorrow in Tashkent: A two-day meeting of heads of state of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) under the presidency of Uzbekistan will begin tomorrow in Tashkent. The organization was founded in 1996 after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001 and headquartered in Beijing, China.

2. US to provide Afghan forces $3 billion for 2018-2020 year and also donates $20 million to UN for Fallujah refugees: The United States plans to provide more than 3 billion dollars a year in support for the Afghan national security forces from 2018 through 2020. And the United States also donates 20 million dollars in humanitarian aid to the United Nations' effort to help the thousands of refugees who have fled fighting in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. SBI named in Hall of Shame list of Banks funding Cluster Bomb Makers: The State Bank of India (SBI) was named in the Hall of Shame list of 158 banking institutions that have invested billions of dollars in companies making cluster bombs.

2. South Indian Bank launches Remit2 India Service: South India Bank has announced the launch of its Remit2India Service. Currently, south Indian Bank’s facility is available for remittance from Europe, Australia, UAE, and Singapore.It is a secure online money transfer service for NRIs.

3. Ken Miyauchi replaced NikeshArora as President and COO of SoftBank Group.

SPORTS:

4. AIFF to launch ‘Mission 11 Million’ for football: The All India Football Federation is set to launch a football promotion programme in October targeting 11 million children across India. The programme, titled ‘Mission 11 Million’, will reportedly be launched in 30 cities, besides targeting the Indian diaspora in Gulf countries.

OBITUARIES:

5. Renowned Telangana poet GudaAnjaiah passed away at the age of 61.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

6. Book titled ‘A Life in Diplomacy’ authored by M K Rasgotra released.

Daily GK Updates - 21st June, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Government approves 100% FDI in Aviation, Defence and e-commerce sectors: The Union Government has radically liberalized the foreign direct investment (FDI) norms by permitting 100 % FDI under government approval route for almost every sector including defence to give impetus to job creation and ease of doing business in the country.

2. India and Thailand sign 2 agreements to boost ties: India and Thailand have signed two agreements in culture and educational sectors to boost bilateral ties. The agreements were signed in New Delhi during the three-day official state visit of Thailand Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to India.

3. Centre approves a proposal for Greenfield Electronic Park in Odisha: The department of electronics and information technology (DeitY), government of India has given its final approval for setting up of a Greenfield electronic park within the Infovally complex, a dedicated IT hub, on the outskirt of Bhubaneswar.

4. Punjab Government launches MukhyaMantri Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund: The Punjab government has launched a special fund “MukhMantri Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund” to provide free treatment for patients affected by Hepatitis C.

5. Assam Government launches MaitreeEkGyanYatra initiative to link primary schools to colleges: The Assam Government has launched a unique initiative ‘MaitreeEkGyanYatra’ to link primary schools to high schools to colleges. Initially, it will be launched at in Sivsagar district of the state and later will be implemented across the state. The purpose of the programme is to change the mindset of the teachers, as in some places in states teachers of a school considered it below their dignity to teach the lower level student.

6. PradhanMantriUjjwalYojana to be launched in Odisha: Union Tribal Affairs Minister JualOram and Oil Minister DharmendraPradhan have launched  the PradhanMantriUjjwalaYojana to provide free of cost LPG cooking gas connections to women from BPL households in Sambalpur, Odisha.

7.  Union Government bans the use of cancer-causing chemical potassium bromate as food additive.

8. Tata-Boeing joint venture established as aerospace facility in Hyderabad.

9. HAL unveils indigenous basic trainer aircraft HTT-40: Public sector aerospace Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has unveiled indigenous Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) HTT-40 in Bengaluru.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Yoga Day celebrated on 21^st June 2016: India and the whole world are celebrating the International Day of Yoga, or commonly and unofficially referred to as Yoga Day annually on 21st June since its inception. This resolution was adopted under the agenda of ‘Global Health and Foreign Policy’. The theme for 2016 International Day of Yoga is “Connect the Youth”. This is the second edition of the International Day of Yoga.

2. Martian crater named after Nepal quake-hit village Langtang: The International Astronomical Union named a 9.8 kilometers wide crater on Mars as Langtang, a popular trekking site in Nepal.

3. China’s Sunway TaihuLight declared world’s fastest supercomputer: Chinese supercomputer Sunway TaihuLight with 93 petaflop/second speed was declared as the world’s fastest supercomputer.

4. Scientists make world’s first 1000-processor microchip: US scientists team has created the world's first microchip that has 1,000 processors and is thought to be the fastest chip designed in a university lab. It is named as the "KiloCore" chip and has a maximum computation rate of 1.78 trillion instructions per second and contains 621 million transistors.

5. Virginia Raggi became first female mayor of Rome.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. BCCI suspends Goa Cricket Academy Association officials for misappropriation of organisation fund: The BCCI has suspended and issued show-cause notices to the top Goa Cricket Association officials, who were arrested for alleged misappropriation of organization funds.

Daily GK Update - 20th June, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Narendra Modi, Sri Lankar President inaugurate Duraiappah stadium in Jaffna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena have inaugurated Duraiappah Stadium in Jaffna which was renovated by India.

2. Union Ministry of Ayush releases Yog Geet for 2016 Internatonal Yoga day: The Yoga song was selected from the 1,000 entries were received through a national-level competition organised by the AYUSH Ministry.

3. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s statue unveiled in Malaysia: A bronze statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose has been unveiled at the Indian cultural centre premises in Malaysia in the presence of nine Indian National Army (INA) veterans.

4. Kannada film ‘Thithi’ wins best film award in 19th Shanghai International Film Festival: ‘Thithi’, a Kannada film won the best film award and best script writers award at the Asia New Talent Awards in the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival. The director, Ram Reddy has made his debut through this film. 

5. Bipin R Patel appointed as President of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Businessman Bipin R Patel was appointed as the President of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) for the term 2016-17.

6. Former Cricketer Chetan Chauhan has been named as NIFT Chairman.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 20^th June: World’s Refugee Day: World Refugee Day is observed on 20 June 2016. It is observed annually to draw attention to the plight of refugees, celebrate their courage and resilience and renew commitment to solving refugee problems.   

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sri Lankan pacer Shaminda Eranga suspended by ICC for illegal action: He was suspended after an assessment of his bowling action. The assessment revealed that all deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.

2. India won Silver medal at Archery World Cup in Antalya: The Indian mixed recurve team of Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das has won silver at the Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey. In the final clash at Konyaalti Beach Park, the Indian team lost to South Korea 1-5.

3. Nico Roseberg wins European Grand Prix: Mercedes' German driver Nico Rosberg won the European Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit, tightening his hold on the top spot in the Formula One drivers' standings.

OBITUARIES:

4. Renowned Educationalist Jeppiaar passes away: Jeppiaar, a renowned politician-turned-educationalist and founder of Jeppiaar Educational Trust has passed away following a brief illness at Chennai. He was 85 years old.

Daily GK Updates - 19th June, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Government notified 10 coastal police stations extending their jurisdiction to 200 nautical miles:The notified 10 police stations share the coastline in eight States.The new coastal police stations are proposed to maintain security up to five nautical miles from the shore.

2. India signs two MoUs with Namibia on capacity building for civil servants, centre of excellence in ICT:India and Namibia on 16 June 2016 signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on capacity building for civil servants of Namibia and to set up of centre of excellence in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

3. Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura transit facility becomes operational between India and Bangladesh: The transit facility was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka in June 2015 to boost trade and facilitate seamless movement of goods in the Bangladesh region.The trans-shipment operations were launched at the Ashuganj port with a cargo vessel unloading the maiden consignment to be transported to Tripura through Bangladeshi territory.

4. Review meeting of Indo-EU ‘Water4crops’ project held: Water4Crops stands for “integrating bio-treated wastewater reuse and valorisation with enhanced water use efficiency to support the Green Economy in Europe and India”.

5. Senior IAS officer SupriyaSahu appointed as Director General of Doordarshan: She would replace AparnaVaish who was acting head of Doordharsan. She was appointed after the board decided to appoint the senior-most additional director general (ADG) at Doordarshan.

6. Draft National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy 2016 released:The policy was unveiled as part of Union Government’s attempt to reach the target of 175 Gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity from renewable energy sources by 2022. It includes 100 GW from solar and 60 GW from wind.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China to operationalize the exa-scale supercomputer Tianhe -3 by 2020: The supercomputer will be named Tianhe -3 and it will be operationalized three years before the US plan to install such computers.

2. World Day to Combat Desertification 2016 observed:World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) 2016 was observed across the world on 17 June 2016. ‘Inclusive cooperation for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality’ was the theme for the 2016 WDCD.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. PM Modi outlines RAPID, a five-point charter for tax administrators at the Rajasva Gyan Sangam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 June 2016 outlined RAPID, a five-point charter for tax administrators to reform and to expand the net base of the direct tax.The Prime Minister outlined the RAPID as R - Revenue,A - Accountability,P - Probity,I – Information D - Digitization.

SPORTS:

2. Australia won Hero Hockey Champions Trophy 2016: Australia on 18 June 2016 won Hero Hockey Champions Trophy 2016 at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London. It defeated India 1-0 in a shoot-out.With this victory, Australia claimed the Champions Trophy title for the 14^th time.

3. Syed Nayeemuddin, former Indian football team coach, to be conferred with Mohun Bagan Ratna:Nayeemuddin was chosen for the prestigious award for his overall contribution to the club and the country both as a player and as a coach.