Daily GK Updates - 28th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. LokSabha passes an amendment to Lokpal Act: The LokSabha has cleared an amendment to the Lokpal Act giving an indefinite extension to the deadline for assets and liabilities' disclosure by central government employees and management personnel of NGOs.

2. Union Cabinet increases limit for foreign investment in Stock Exchanges from 5% to 15%: The Union Cabinet has given its approval for raising foreign shareholding limit from current 5% to 15% in Indian Stock Exchanges. The decision brings the investment limit of foreign entities at par with that of domestic institutions. This enhanced limit is for a stock exchange, depository, banking company, insurance company and commodity derivative exchange.

3. Union cabinet approves Bilateral Investment Treaty between India and Cambodia: The Treaty seeks to promote and protect investments in either country with the objective of increasing bilateral investment flows. It also seeks to encourage each country to create favourable conditions (climate) for investors of the other country to make investments in its territory and also to admit investments in accordance with its laws.

4. Union Cabinet approves setting up of new AIIMS in Bhatinda: The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a new AIIMS at Bhatinda, Punjab under the Pradhan MantriSwasthyaSurakshaYojana (PMSSY).

5. Two ministers included in Uttarakhand cabinet: The new Ministers are NavPrabhat and Rajender Bhandari. Both the MLAs are from Garhwal region.

6. Bengaluru to host International Transgender Arts Fest: The International Transgender Arts Festival, a performing arts festival for transgenders, is being organized at the National Gallery for Modern Arts in Bengaluru from July 29 to July 31.

7. India signs $1 billion deal with the US for procuring four Poseidon-8I aircraft: India has signed a 1 billion dollar deal with US defense and aerospace major Boeing for procuring four long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, Poseidon-8I.

8. SBI launches Debit card less Instant Money Transfer facility: The India's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India has launched a payment system at its ATMs which will allow the account holders to transfer the money by using the mobile phone number as an identifier.

9.  Sunil Kant Munjal to step down as joint MD from Hero Moto Corp.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Hepatitis Day observed on 28^th July 2016: The theme for this year's global campaign is ‘Elimination’. 2016 is a pivotal year for viral hepatitis. The goal is to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

2. The European Union appoints chief Brexit negotiator: European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has appointed Michel Barnier, a former EU Commissioner for internal markets, to lead negotiations with Britain to leave the European Union.

OTHER UPDATES:

AWARDS:

1. East Bengal to honour Milkha Singh with Bharat Gaurav Award: Kolkata's football giants club East Bengal has announced that this year’s Bharat Gaurav award (Pride of India) will be conferred on legendary athlete Milkha Singh.

OBITUARIES:

2. Noted Sorghum expert NGP Rao passed away at the age of 89.

3. Eminent writer and social activist Mahasweta Devi passed away at the age of 90.

Daily GK Updates - 27th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Manipur becomes 14^th state to join ‘UDAY’: Manipur has joined the Ujwal DISCOM (distribution company) Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme meant for revival of debt-stressed power distribution utilities and will get benefits of around Rs 263 crore.Manipur is the 14th state to join the UDAY. It is also the first North Eastern state to opt for the UDAY for improving the efficiency of the DISCOM.

2. Haryana to open Yoga Centres at Municipal level: Yoga centres will be opened in all municipal committees, councils and corporations in Haryana. The announcement was made by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij.

3. Odisha Government approves 3 investment projects worth Rs 874 crore: The Odisha government has approved three projects involving investment of nearly 870 crore rupees. The projects will generate employment potential of 630 persons.The projects are expansion of Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited in Khurda; 2.50 lakh hectolitre capacity brewery plant in Dhenkanal district and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Common User Facility Centre in Jharsuguda district.

4. Lok Sabha passes Child Labour Amendment Bill: The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill was passed by LokSabhawhich prohibits employment of children below 14 years in all occupations except in family business, with the provision for the imprisonment of up to two years for any violation.

5. Centre approves Rs 1601 crore for Skill Development Programme: The Union Government has approved nearly 1600 crore rupees for Jammu and Kashmir under skill development initiative 'Himayat'. Under it, youths from both rural and urban areas of J&K would be imparted with training in various job-intensive vocational courses over the next three years.

6. India’s CSIR ranked world’s 12^th best government institute: The Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked world's 12th best government institution. The institutes were ranked by a prestigious Scimago Institutions Rankings that ranks institutes based on the research performance, innovation and social impact.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Brazil free of Measles: WHO: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Brazil free of measles, after no case of the disease was registered in the last year. Brazil saw no domestic cases of measles from 1985 to 2000, although it broke out in 2013 in the northeastern states of Pernambuco and Ceara.

2. IOM becomes part of United Nations: The UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution approving an agreement to make the International Organisation for Migration part of the UN as a related organisation. IOM, which assisted an estimated 20 million migrants in 2015, is an intergovernmental organisation with more than 9,500 staff and 450 offices worldwide. The headquarters of the United Nations is in Manhattan, New York City, and experiences extraterritoriality.

3. LeEco acquires Vizio for $2 billion: Chinese electronics firm LeEco is buying American TV manufacturer Vizio for $2 billion. As per the deal, VIZIO hardware and software businesses will be owned and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of LeEco.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI slaps penalty on UCO Bank, Allahabad Bank, Bank of India and Canara Bank: RBI has imposed penalty of Rs 2 crore each on Allahabad Bank and UCO Bank and Rs 1 crore on Bank of India for violation of anti-money laundering norms.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed an aggregate penalty of Rs. 2 crore on Canara Bank.

SPORTS:

2. MuttaiahMuralitharan to enter ICC Hall of Fame: Spin legend MuttaiahMuralitharan will be the first Sri Lankan to be included in the ICC's Hall of Fame. Australia's Arthur Morris, Karen Rolton and George Lohmann of England are the three along with Muralitharan to share the honours.

3. BCCI Chief Anurag Thakur to join Territorial Army: BJP MP and Anurag Thakur will be commissioned into the Territorial Army (TA) as a regular officer on 29th July 2016.

AWARDS:

4. Bezwada Wilson and T M Krishna win Ramon Magsaysay Award: Classical singer ThodurMadabusi Krishna and National Convenor of SafaiKarmachariAndolan Bezwada Wilson featured in this year's list of winners of the coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award 2016.The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's.

OBITUARIES:

5. Former diplomat ArundhatiGhose passes away at the age of 76: Veteran diplomat ArundhatiGhose, who led the Indian delegation at the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) negotiations in Geneva in 1996, passed away here early on Tuesday aged 76.

Daily GK Updates - 26th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kargil Divas observed on 26^th July: On this day, 26 July 1999, India successfully took command of the high outposts which had been lost to Pakistani intruders. The Kargil war was fought for more than 60 days, ended on 26 July and resulted in the loss of life on both sides, India and Pakistan and with the India regain possessions of Kargil.

2. 7^th Pay Commission to be implemented from August: The Centre has published the implementation notification of the 7th Pay Commission, stating that central government employees will get the revised pay from August. As the Commission had recommended a 23.55 percent overall hike in salaries, allowances and pension involving an additional burden of Rs 1.02 lakh crore, or nearly 0.7 percent of GDP.

3. Policy planning dialogue meeting of BRICS has begun today in Patna: BRICS policy planning dialogue meeting has begun today in Patna. Delegates of BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are participating in this meeting. The dialogue meeting is being held ahead of the 8th BRICS Summit, which is going to be held in Goa on October 15-16 under the chairmanship of India. This year's theme of dialogue is Building responsive, Inclusive and collective solutions.

4. Hinduja National Power commissions 1040 MW thermal power project in Visakhapatnam: Part of the Hinduja Group, Hinduja National Power Corporation Limited (HNPCL) has commissioned its 1,040 MW coal fired thermal power project on the coast of Bay of Bengal at Palavalasa village in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.

5. Rajasthan planned to double farmers’ income in six years: In an attempt to double the income of farmers by 2022, the Rajasthan government plans to bring in latest technological innovation and introduce best farming practices by inviting experts to Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) in Jaipur from November 9 to 11.

6. Karnataka opens dedicated start-up cell: The Government of Karnataka has set-up a dedicated start-up cell for speeding up the implementation of the initiatives under its start-up policy. This is the first time in India that a government has come up with a dedicated Start-up Cell guided by the Start-up Policy, which envisages the growth of 20,000 new start-ups, including 6,000 product start-ups, by 2020 in Karnataka.

7. Oldest elephant in Kerala set to enter Guinness World Records: Dakshayani, 86, is all set to enter the Guinness World Records as the oldest living elephant. The Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) - the owner of the elephant - has already written to the Guinness authorities staking claim to Dakshayani being the oldest living elephant in the world.

8. Dr. Buddha Rashmi Mani appointed as the Director General of National Museum.

9. Flipkart’sMyntra acquires Jabong: Online fashion marketplace Myntra has announced that it has acquired its rival Jabong from Global Fashion Group to create India’s biggest fashion shopping destination. The acquisition of Jabong further strengthens Myntra and its parent company Flipkart’s position as the undisputed leader in fashion and lifestyle segment in India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Solar Impulse completes historic round the world trip: The Solar Impulse has become the first aircraft to circle the globe powered by the sun, after landing in Abu Dhabi on the last leg of its journey, where it first took off on an epic 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) journey that began more than a year ago.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Vodafone M-Pesa ties up with Punjab power utility: Vodafone M-Pesa, a mobile phone-based money transfer service, has tied up with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to enable consumers pay their electricity bills instantly.

SPORTS:

2. R Ashwin becomes No. 1 Test bowler again after taking 6 wickets against West Indies.

Daily GK Updates - 25th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Rs 2048 crore sanctioned under ‘SwadeshDarshan’ scheme: The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned 25 projects under the SwadeshDarshan scheme worth Rs. 2048 Crore. The scheme is launched in January 2015. For the North Eastern States, the Ministry has sanctioned 9 projects worth Rs. 821 Crores covering all the 8 states.

2. Solar Power tree developed for the generation of electricity: The Ministry of Science and Technology has come up with a 'Solar Power Tree', an innovative way to generate electricity using solar power in a limited space. The Solar Power Tree model is actually designed like a tree with branches made of steel to hold the photovoltaic panel.

3. TCS top employer in IT industry, says NASSCOM: Software services major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been ranked as the top employer in the Indian IT industry by the representative body Nasscom. Though Cognizant is a US-based IT firm, it has the largest number of employees in India with development centres in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

4. Quikr acquires online recruitment start-up Hiree: Online classifieds platform Quikr has acquired Bengaluru-based online recruitment firm Hiree for an undisclosed amount. Hiree will be merged with the startup's jobs vertical QuikrJobs, and will work out of Quikr headquarters.

5. ITC appoints SanjivPuri as COO.

6. Ricoh India Chairman Tetsuya Takano resigns and Ian Peter Winham appointed as its new Director and Chairman.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. AG600 Aircraft unveiled by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China: The plane AG600 has been unveiled by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) in southern port city of Zhuhai. Before the AG600, the largest amphibious cast was the H-4 Hercules, known as the Spruce Goose, used in WW2. Its wingspan is still longer than the AG600's.

2. Nepal PM KP Oli resigns ahead of a no-confidence vote: Nepal's Prime Minister, Khadga Prasad Oli has resigned from his office. He resigned ahead of a no-confidence vote. Oli, 64, who became prime minister of Nepal in October 2015, has been facing a no-trust motion after the Maoists withdrew support from the coalition government.

3. Ericsson CEO Vestberg steps down: Swedish mobile telecoms maker Ericsson's Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg has resigned from his post with immediate effect. Vestberg has been the company's CEO since 2010.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI imposes a penalty of Rs 5 crore on Bank of Baroda: The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs5 crore on Bank of Baroda in the alleged rs. 6,000 crore forex related irregularities that were observed in October last year.

2. ICICI, Axis Bank join Swift’s global payment initiative: ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are the first Indian banks to sign up for Swift’s global payments innovation initiative. The Belgium-based Swift is a global member-owned cooperative and a leading provider of secure financial messaging services.

SPORTS:

3. Lewis Hamilton wins 5^th Hungarian Grand Prix.

4. Indian Shooter ManavadityaRathore clinch Bronze in Junior World Cup in Italy.

5. Feliciano Lopez wins 2016 Swiss Open Gstaad: The 2016 Swiss Open Gstaad, a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts has won by the Spain player Feliciano Lopez. He has defeated Robin Haase of the Netherlands.

AWARDS:

6. Violinist A Kanyakumari, first female violinist to get Sangita Kalanidhi Award: In the 87 years of the Sangita Kalanidhi award, this year is special as Renowned violinist Avasarala Kanyakumari from south India was selected for the prestigious 2016 Sangita Kalanidhi Award.

Daily GK Updates - 24th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. LokSabha passes Bill to establish new NIT in Andhra Pradesh.

2. Kerala Government constitutes State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation: The Kerala State Government constituted a State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (STAGI) on the lines of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).The Group will advise the State government on the policies and practices to be adopted and implemented under the National Immunisation Programme.

3. 2016 set to be world’s hottest year on record as per a report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

4. Union Cabinet approves Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016: Through this Bill, the Government aims to evolve a mechanism for social, economic and educational empowerment of the transgender. The Bill will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalized section and bring them into the mainstream of society.

5. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Ghatampur Thermal Power Project in Uttar Pradesh: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 20 July 2016 gave its approval for installation of Ghatampur Thermal Power Project (GTPS) of 1980 MW capacity through a Joint Venture Company.The Joint Venture Company is named as Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL). The company is formed jointly by Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited (NLC) and Uttar Pradesh RajyaVidyutUtpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL).

6. Odisha Government to celebrate bicentenary of 1817 Paika revolt:Odisha Government on 19 July 2016 decided to celebrate the bicentenary (200 years) of the 1817 Paika revolt against the British Empire in 2016. For the purpose, the state will organise a series of events in Odisha and at national level.The decision was taken at a high level meeting held under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Ashok Chandra Panda.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Annual electronic music festival Tomorrowland begins in Belgium: One of the biggest electronic music festivals Tomorrowland began on 22 July 2016 in Boom, Belgium. The year 2016 also marks Tomorrowland 10th edition. More than 350000 tickets for the festival were sold out in an hour of their opening in February 2016.

2. Facebook’s Aquila Internet drone completes first test flight: Facebook Inc. announced the successful completion of test flight of a solar-powered drone named Aquila.The social media giant believes that Aquila will help to extend Internet connectivity to every corner of the planet.The company ultimately hopes to have a fleet of Aquilas that can fly for at least three months at a time at 60000 feet and communicate with each other to deliver internet access.

SPORTS:

3. Neeraj Chopra becomes 1^st Indian to set world record in Junior athletics Championships: India’s Neeraj Chopra has won the javelin gold at the IAAF World under-20 athletics championship in Poland, setting a world record of 86.48m while South African Johan Gobler (80.59m) took the silver and Anderson Peters (79.65m) of Granada finished third.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India makes the first contribution to UN Trust Fund: India has contributed USD 100,000 to a trust fund set up for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. The fund was established at the end of March and continues to seek funds to support services for victims and address gaps in services.

2. Suresh Prabhu inaugurates passenger amenities at Yasvantpur station: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has inaugurated a host of passengers’ services and other amenities at the Yasvantpur station, one of the three railways stations that serve Bengaluru, Karnataka.

3. Startup India States Conference held: The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) have organized a day-long conference on Startup India in New Delhi on 23^rd July 2016 with an aim to give impetus to start up India initiative.

4. Snapdeal joins hands with BookMyShow: Online marketplace Snapdeal has announced its partnership with e-ticketing platform BookMyShow and extended its service offerings. With the help of this partnership, customers can now book tickets for movies on Snapdeal.

5. IRCTC, SBI sign MoU on promotion of rail ticketing activities: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the country's largest public sector bank(PSB) State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to hammer out a detailed plan for promotion of rail ticketing activities, including internet ticketing and unreserved ticketing system.

6. Ganesh Singh appointed as Head of JPC for Land Acquisition Bill:LokSabha Speaker SumitraMahajan has reformed the Joint Parliamentary Committee(JPC) for Land Acquisition Bill and appointed Ganesh Singh as the Chairperson of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Land Acquisition Bill.

  

7. Dr. Sanjiv Misra appointed as AD and NE (part time) Chairman at Axis Bank.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. ICCI Bank organises Coin Exchange Mela during the ‘RathaYatra’ festival in Puri: ICICI Bank Ltd has organised a coin exchange mela during the 'RathYatra' festival at the RBI financial literacy camp in BholanathVidyapith. The mela took place under the guidance of the Reserve Bank of India. S. P. Mohanty, General Manager, Issue Department of RBI, inaugurated the event.

2. Karnataka Bank’s solar initiative for rural students: Karnataka Bank Ltd has initiated a programme to provide solar lights in the non-electrified houses of students in rural areas. The initiative has been launched in association with the Manipal-based non-governmental organization BharatiyaVikas Trust (BVT) under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

3. HDFC ERGO enters into bancassurance tie-up with SVC Bank: HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company and ShamraoVithal Co-operative (SVC) Bank have announced their bancassurance agency partnership to provide a range of non-life insurance offerings to the customers of the bank.

SPORTS:

4. Keni Harrison breaks 28-year old world hurdles: American hurdler, Keni Harrison broke a 28-year-old world record in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.20 seconds at the London Anniversary Games. She beat the previous record of 12.21sec set by Bulgaria's YordankaDonkova in 1988.

5. ViratKohli becomes first Indian captain to score double century outside India: He scored 200 runs against West Indies on day two of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in North Sound. With his double century, Kohli entered the list of visiting captains with highest scores in West Indies.

OBITUARIES:

6. DD News correspondent Sanjiv Thomas passes away at the age of 59.

7. Legendary Artist S H Raza passes away at the age of 94.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi lays foundation stone AIIMS and revival of a fertilizer plant in Gorakhpur: Prime Minister NarendraModi has laid the foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and revival of fertilizer factory which was closed for the last three decades in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

2. India ranks 110^th on Sustainable Development Index: India ranks 110th on the list followed by Lesotho on 113th position, Pakistan (115), Myanmar (117), Bangladesh (118) and Afghanistan (139). The index is topped by the Sweden followed by Denmark and Norway on the top three performing countries respectively.

3. Centre forms a panel to prepare a draft bill on Ganga River: Centre has constituted a committee to prepare Draft Bill on Ganga to deal with all the issues related to the River. The committee will be chaired by the retired Justice GiridharMalviya.

4. Green nod for Odisha Power Project: A State green panel has given first-stage clearance to Orissa Integrated Power Ltd (OIPL) for diverting 17.02 hectares of revenue forest land to set up a 4,000 MW UMPP in Sundargarh district in Odisha at a cost of ₹29,000 crore.

5. Kerala Tourism has secured two gold awards at PATA Awards: Kerala Tourism has secured two Gold Awards at the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) awards in recognition of its trendsetting marketing initiatives. The two gold medals for 'Marketing Media' are in the categories of 'Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media' and 'E-Newsletter', which were clinched by the successful 'Visit Kerala' television commercial campaign and the popular Kerala Tourism E-Newsletter respectively.

6. Odisha Government forms a judicial panel for reforms in Jagannath temple management:The Odisha government has constituted a judicial commission to study the functioning of the PuriJagannath Temple, which has in recent weeks witnessed major controversies over mismanagement of rituals by unruly servitors. The one-man commission will be headed by retired Orissa High Court judge Bimal Prasad Das.

7. Kerala Government constitutes State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation: The Kerala State Government has constituted a State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (STAGI) on the lines of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). The Group will advise the State government on the policies and practices to be adopted and implemented under the National Immunisation Programme.

8. A film festival on Mother Teresa in Indian and abroad: The Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF), a film festival focusing on Mother Teresa's life and teachings is going to be held at over 100 locations in India and around 50 other countries. The festival will be kicked off from Kolkata on August 26 after which it will travel all over the world for the next six months. It will be organized by the World Catholic Association for Communication.

9. NMDC signs MoU with NEERI to develop sewage treatment plants: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to develop 12 sewage treatment plants (STP).

10. Ajay BhushanPandey appointed as CEO of UIDAI.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Fox News CEO Roger Ailes resigns: Roger Ailes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox News Channel has resigned from his post. He will be succeeded by Rupert Murdoch, Head of parent company 21st Century Fox and Founder of the empire that includes Fox.

2. Sony Pictures Networks bags broadcast right of International Champions: Sony Pictures Networks India has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights to telecast the 2016 edition of the International Champions Cup (football) in India. The matches this year will be held across North America, Europe, Australia, and China, and will see 17 of the top clubs from across the world participating in the highly anticipated season opening tournament.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. Corporation Bank launches ‘Green Pin’ facility: This is an online module for generation of Personal Identification Number (PIN) for credit card holders. The facility enables credit card users to generate PIN online. PIN is compulsory for all point-of-sale (POS) terminal transactions at a merchant establishment.

OBITUARIES:

2. Former French Cyclist Dominique Arnaud passes away at the age of 60.