Daily GK Updates - 7th November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India to host Conference on Tobacco Control today: India is set to host the crucial global tobacco control conference today for the first time, where it will push for incorporating smokeless tobacco as an agenda. The 7th Session of the Conference of Parties to World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control will begin today at Greater Noida.

2. 128^th anniversary of Sir C V Raman celebrated on 7^th November: The 128th anniversary of Nobel laureate Bharat Ratna Sir CV Raman is being celebrated on 07 November. Sir CV Raman won the Nobel prize in Physics 1930 for his discovery -Raman effect - the scattering of light which makes the sea and clear sky look blue.

3. First S4A debt recast gets approval: Construction major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) became India’s first firm to get debt recast under RBI’s new Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A).The RBI-mandated Overseeing Committee (OC) under the S4A has approved HCC’s Rs. 5,000-crore debt recast passed by an ICICI Bank-led joint lender forum in September 2016.

4. India and Sri Lanka sign pact to address fisherman crisis: India and Sri Lanka have signed an agreement under which a hotline will be set up between officials of the two countries to address the fishermen crisis. It also set up procedures to return arrested fishermen and have a minister-level meeting every few months on the issue.

5. BJP’s Avinash Khanna all set to be appointed NHRC member: BJP Vice President Avinash Rai Khanna is all set to be appointed as a member of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with a high-level selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearing his name.

6. India rises to second place in Global business optimism index:The latest Grant Thornton International Business Report for the July-September quarter has placed India 2nd on the global scale for business optimism.

7. ‘Lost’ Chandrabhaga River found in Odisha: Scientists from Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) claimed to have found evidence confirming the existence of a mythical Indian river, Chandrabhaga. This is the second among such findings. In October 2016, KS Valdiya led expert committee had found that Saraswati River did exist. The IIT study aimed to verify this myth.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Google Capital changes its name to ‘CapitalG’: Google Capital, the search giant's venture arm that invests in growth-stage companies, has changed its name to 'CapitalG'. The old GoogleCapital.com domain now forwards to CapitalG.com, and Google Capital's Twitter account has announced that it’s being retired in favour of a new @CapitalGTweets account.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. RBI appoints M Rajeshwar Rao as Executive Director: The Reserve Bank has appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as Executive Director (ED) following G Mahalingam’s voluntary retirement from the central bank. As Executive Director, Rao will look after Department of Statistics and Information Management, Financial markets Operations Department and International Department.

SPORTS:

2. Petra Kvitova wins 2016 WTA Elite Singles Trophy: Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova on 6 November 2016 won the 2016 WTA Elite Singles Trophy. She defeated Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-2 to grab the title at Zhuhai, China. Venus Williams was the defending champion for the title.

3. Henri Kontinen, John Peers win 2016 BNP Paribas Masters Doubles Title: Henri Kontinen and John Peers have won the ATP World Tour Masters Doubles title at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. Kontinen and Peers defeated top-seeded Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 to claim the title.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

4. Book titled ‘An Era of Darkness: British Empire in India’ authored by Dr Shashi Tharoor released by Vice President Hamid Ansari.

Daily GK Updates - 6th November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM to inaugurate 1^st International Agro-biodiversity Congress: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first ever International Agro-biodiversity Congress, IAC in New Delhi today. The event will initiate and encourage a dialogue among stakeholders, including farmers, to better understand everyone role in agro-biodiversity management and the conservation of genetic resources.

2. India and Japan NSAs hold bilateral consultations in New Delhi: National Security Advisors of India and Japan held bilateral consultations in New Delhi. ii. During their discussions, Mr. Shotaro Yachi and Mr.Ajit Doval expressed satisfaction at the implementation of important understandings reached during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India in December last year.

3. CII launches unique platform ‘Startup Mentorship Circle’: In view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of nurturing entrepreneurship, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched a unique platform called ‘Startup Mentorship Circle’ to help in connecting start-ups with the global marketplace. 'Startup Mentorship Circle’ is truly a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and startups to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities.

4. Odisha Government signs MoU to set up four more STPI centres: Odisha Government has signed aMoU with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) for setting up of four more centres in the State.The new centres would come up at Angul, Jajpur, Koraput and Sambalpur. With this, the number of STPI centres will rise to eight in the State which is highest in the country.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India Women’s hockey team lift Asian Champions Trophy 2016: Indian Women's hockey team have lifted the Asian Champions Trophy 2016 in Singapore. In a thrilling summit clash, India defeated China 2-1.This is for the first time that Indian eves won the Asian Champions Trophy competition.

2. Manny Pacquiao reclaims WBO welterweight title for third time: The 37-year-old Filipino pugilist, who had announced his retirement seven months ago, was declared the winner with unanimous decision after he defeated American Jessie Vargas in his comeback fight in Las Vegas.

Daily GK Updates - 5th November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President approves payment of 2% DA from July 1: President Pranab Mukherjee on 04 November 2016 approved the 2% hike in Dearness Allowance to central government employees, a move that could benefit 50.68 lakh employees and 54.24 lakh pensioners.

2. Switzerland appoints Ranveer Singh as brand ambassador: Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has been now named the first Indian ambassador for Switzerland Tourism.Singh will now be in charge of promoting Switzerland Tourism’s campaign for 2017 – “Nature wants you back!”

3. Twitter India MD Parminder Singh resigns: Two days after Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly announced his exit, the microblogging network’s MD for India, Southeast Asia and Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). Singh’s departure marks a series of high-level changes in Twitter’s management, even as the company’s growth slows down globally and layoffs continue at its offices around the world.

4. Centre imposes Rs 10,000 crore penalties on RIL and its partners: Government has slapped a nearly 10,000 crore rupee fines on Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its partners BP and Niko for pumping out gas that flowed to the Krishna Godavari-D6 Block from an adjoining field owned by ONGC.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. First World Tsunami Day observed: The First World Tsunami Awareness Day is being observed today across the world. The theme for the year is Effective Education and Evacuation Drills.The observance of the day will help to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of the tsunami.

2. Sonu Sood’s Xuanzang is China’s official entry to Oscars: China has selected historical-adventure film Xuanzang, which co-stars Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, as its official entry for the 89th Academy Awards.The project is a part of the three-film agreement signed between India and China.

Daily GK Updates - 4th November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. GST Council approves 4-tier rate at 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%: GST Council approved a four-tier GST tax structure of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, with lower rates for essential items and the highest for luxury and de-merits goods that would also attract an additional cess.

2. India to host 7^th session of COP7 on tobacco control from Nov 7-12: 7th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP7) to World Health Organization, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will be held from november 7th to 12th of this month at Greater Noida.

3. Government and 3 PSUs to set up $2 billion equity fund for renewables: The Centre, along with state-run power entities NTPC, REC and PFC, will soon launch a USD 2 billion clean energy equity fund to support the government's ambitious target of adding 175 GW renewable energy generation capacity by 2022.

4. Young Indian Lawyer gets elected into UN’s top body of Legal Experts: 33-year-old Aniruddha Rajput is among the 34 individuals elected by the General Assembly as members of the International Law Commission.

5. Google ties up with ASI for virtual tour of monuments: American multinational technology company, Google has tied up with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for 360-degree virtual tour of 280-odd monuments across the country

6. Minister of Railways inaugurates International Conference on Decarbonisation of Indian Railways in New Delhi: Minister of Railways Shri Suresh PrabhakarPrabhu has inaugurated the International Conference on Decarbonisation of Indian Railways – Mission Electrification in New Delhi on November 3, 2016. It was organised by Institution of Railways Electrical Engineer (IREE) in partnership with ASSOCHAM India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Paris Climate Agreement becomes international law: The agreement deals with greenhouse gases emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance. The Paris Agreement’s entry into force comes a month after countries representing 55% of the world’s emissions committed to joining the deal. As of November 2016, 192 states and the European Union have signed the Agreement; 97 of those parties have ratified or acceded to the Agreement, most notably China, the United States and India.

2. Saudi Arabia awards water prize to 8 scientists: Saudi Arabia has awarded eight scientists the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water at a ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York.The ceremony was hosted on Thursday by UN. Friends of Water and presided over by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon along with the prize committee chairman Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz. The bi-annual prize, established in 2002, aims to provide recognition to scientists and others whose work creatively addresses the problem of water scarcity

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Yes Bank launches new mobile banking app: India's Private sector lender Yes Bank has launched “Yes Mobile 2.0” its new mobile banking app with multiple new features and extensive support for banking transactions on Apple and Android-based SmartWatches.

OBITUARIES:

2. Sri Lankan music legend Pandit Amaradeva passes away at the age of 88: Legendary Sri Lankan singer and composer Pandit Amaradeva, recipient of many international honours, including Padma Shri, for his contribution to music, died on 03 November 2016 after a heart attack.

3. Former J&K Deputy Chief Minister passes away at the age of 85: Former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma died on 03 November 2016, after a prolonged illness.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-Bangladesh joint military exercise SAMPRITI-2016 to commence from November 5: The joint military training exercise “Sampriti-2016” will be conducted between India and Bangladesh at Tangail, Dhaka, Bangladesh from 05 to 18 November 2016. Exercise SAMPRITI is an important bilateral defence cooperation endeavour between India and Bangladesh and will be the sixth edition of the exercise which is hosted alternately by both countries.

2. Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak appointed as the brand ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission: Ministry of Railways on 02nd November appointed Dr.Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, as a Brand Ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission. As part of the mission, Sulabh International has been assigned the task to clean some important railway stations across the country.

3. PM gives away Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented the Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism at a function in New Delhi.The honour acknowledges exceptional work across 28 categories in print, broadcast and online journalism in English, Hindi and regional languages.

4. Maharashtra first to launch cyber police stations in all districts: Maharashtra is the first state in the country to have a cyber-police station in each district simultaneously. The state is converting 42 state-of-the-art cyber-crime labs into police stations.

5. Sanjiv Arora appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Lebanon.

6. LinkedIn inks MoU with government to create jobs for students: Leading global professional network LinkedIn has signed an agreement with the human resource development ministry to create more job opportunities for Indian students. As part of the MoU, LinkedIn’s ‘Placements’ product will be adopted by all Indian colleges affiliated with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. South Korea names new PM and Finance Minister amid scandal: South Korea's presidential office on Wednesday named a new prime minister and finance minister. Kim Byong-joon, a senior former presidential secretary is expected to replace Hwang Kyo-ahn as prime minister. The Blue House named Financial Services Commission Chairman Yim Jong-yong as finance minister and deputy prime minister.

0THER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Indian badminton player Pratul Joshi wins Bahrain International Challenge title: Indian shuttlerPratul Joshi has won the men’s singles title of the Bahrain International Challenge badminton tournament. This was his maiden international title. In the summit clash played at Segayya in Bahrain, Pratul defeated Aditya Joshi.

AWARDS:

2. IFFI to honour Kwon TaekIm with Lifetime Achievement Award: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on 2nd November 2016 announced that renowned South Korean director Im Kwon-taek will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM NarendraModi launches ‘Saur Sujala Yojana’ in Chhattisgarh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the "Saur Sujala Yojana" in Chhattisgarh that would provide solar powered irrigation pumps to farmers at a subsidized price. Chhattisgarh would be the first state to implement the scheme. Under the scheme, solar powered irrigation pumps of 3HP and 5HP capacity worth Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh respectively would be distributed to the farmers by March 31, 2019. The beneficiaries would get the pumps at the subsidised price.

2. SEBI tightens norms for credit rating agencies: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 01st November 2016 tightened rules for credit rating agencies, prescribing more disclosures on suspension and withdrawal of ratings. The capital markets regulator also directed agencies to disclose the nature of their compensation arrangements with rated entities, including exchange of gifts.

3. Sushil Chandra takes charge as Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman.

4. Australia announces 19 grants worth $6.3 million for projects with India: In a bid to boost ties with India, the Australian government on 02nd November 2016 has announced 19 grants worth $6, 30,000 dollars for several projects in the field of education, science, sports, arts and culture. The successful grants include an exchange between TAFE NSW and India's Centurion University to share expertise for training indigenous learners, collaboration between University of New South Wales and Indian scientists to develop effective new water purification systems for the country's water supply.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. ICICI Bank launches overdraft facility for salaried home loan borrowers: ICICI Bank has launched a credit facility against home loans for salaried customers. The Home Overdraft facility will enable a salaried customer to seek loans up to Rs. 1 crore for personal needs against his/her property.

SPORTS:

2. M S Dhoni most valued athlete among Indians, Federer globally: Forbes Fab 40: Team India’s limited-overs cricket skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains the most valued Indian athlete in 2016, despite a drop in his brand value when compared with last year, shows the Forbes Fab 40 list released recently. Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer toppled golf great Tiger Woods as the most valued athlete globally. With a brand value of $36 million, Federer gained two notches from third last year, while Woods dropped four spots to stand fifth on the latest edition of the list. Among other top athletes on the list is Argentine football star Lionel Messi, ranked eighth. He was not among the top 10 last year.

3. Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 Mexican Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton outpaced Mercedes team-mate NicoRosberg to win the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo ended on the third spot in the race.

4. MiroslavKlose confirms retirement and joins Germany coaching staff: MiroslavKlose, the top scorer in World Cup history, is ending his playing career and will join Joachim Löw’s coaching staff as he studies for his pro licence, the German football association (DFB) have confirmed.

5. India’s Palpreet Singh included in 2016 NBA D-League Draft: Palpreet Singh, winner of National Finals of ACG-NBA Jump, India's first national basketball Talent search program, was selected 11th in the fourth Round of the NBA D-League Draft held in New York.Satnam Singh, who became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA when he was selected 52nd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2015 NBA Draft, represents the Texas Legends, the minor league affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.

Daily GK Updates - 1st November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM inaugurates Chhattisgarh foundation day celebrations; unveils Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Chhattisgarh's 16th foundation day celebrations in Naya Raipur. The Prime Minister will later address people gathered on the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee ground, where the 5-day long Rajyotsava is being held. Chhattisgarh Governor B D Tandon and Chief Minister Raman Singh are also present at the site. Mr Modi unveiled the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in Naya Raipur. He also dedicate to people, 'Ekatma Path' and the Bus Rapid Transport System in the city.

2. Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly quits: Rishi Jaitly, Twitter's India head who helped popularise the adoption of the micro-blogging website among government departments to respond to citizen queries, has quit the company.

3. Kerala becomes open defecation free state: Kerala has become the third Open Defecation Free (ODF) state in the country. The announcement was made on the state’s foundation day on 01st November, 2016. Earlier, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim had declared themselves Open Defecation Free.

4. NHCP commissions 50 MW wind power project in Rajasthan: State-run NHPC has announced commissioning of a 50 MW wind power project in Rajasthan. NHPC has commissioned its 50 MW wind power project in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

5. Centre notifies rules for Real Estate Act for five UTs: The Centre notified the rules for Real Estate Act, thatseeks to regulate the housing sector besides bringing transparency and ensuring timely completion of projects, which will be applicable for five Union Territories-The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep. 

6. Finance Ministry releases Rs 1093 crore for restoration of infrastructure in J&K: The finance ministry released first installment of special assistance of Rs 1,093.34 crore for repair and permanent restoration of damaged public buildings in Jammu and Kashmir in pursuance of the announcement made by the Prime Minister last November.A total sum of Rs 2,000 crore has been provided for permanent restoration of damaged Infrastructure such as schools, colleges, hospitals, bus stations and other critical public infrastructure under Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan for J&K.

7. India and Palestine inks MoU to setup Palestine-Indo Techno Park in Ramallah: India and Palestine on 31st October 2016 signed a MoU for setting up a Palestine-India Techno Park in Ramallah, Palestine. During the visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to Palestine in October last year, the announcement for setting up of park was made.India has announced a grant of $12 million for setting up the park with payment of $3 million each on half-yearly basis for two years.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. EU and Canada sign Ceta free trade deal: The EU and Canada signed a free trade deal on 31st October 2016 that was almost derailed last week by objections from French-speaking Belgians, exposing the difficulties of securing agreement from 28 member states as Britain prepares for Brexit talks. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and top EU officials signed the comprehensive economic and trade agreement, known as Ceta, paving the way for most import duties to be removed early next year. However, the treaty needs the approval of at least 38 national and regional parliaments, including the UK’s, to take full force.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Banks to report fraud of Rs 1 crore and above to CVC: With several high-ticket alleged frauds like Vijay Mallya loan default case coming to fore, Central Vigilance Commission has now made it mandatory for the public sector banks to report to it all such matters involving funds over rupees one crore.