Daily GK Updates - 25th December, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Good Governance Day being observed to mark Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Birthday:  Good Governance Day is being observed today (25th December 2016) to mark the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who has turned 92. From today, Good Governance campaign will be undertaken for 100 days during which Ministers and Members of Parliament will travel across the country and attend programmes highlighting the government's key initiatives. 

2.DRDO successfully flight tests Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight tested the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off Odisha coast. Capable of engaging ground targets with high precision covering a range of around 100 km, SAAW precision-guided bomb is an indigenous designed and developed class smart weapon weighing 120 kg.

3. Google India, Consumer Affairs Ministry join hands for online consumer protection:Aiming to raise awareness about online safety, Google India in collaboration with Ministry of Consumer Affairs has announced a nationwide 'Digitally Safe Consumer campaign, as part of a larger effort to help better protect consumer interest online. 

4. Google India, Consumer Affairs Ministry join hands for online consumer protection:Social networking giant Facebook received 6,324 requests from Indian government agencies for 8,290 users/accounts in the first half of 2016. This is the second highest after the US, which made 23,854 requests for 38,951 users/accounts during January-June 2016, according to Facebook’s Government Requests Report.

5.Govt launch mobile App 'Smart Consumer' & OCMC to provide speedy redressal of consumer grievances: The government has launched a host of online initiatives including a mobile App 'Smart Consumer' and an 'Online Consumer Mediation Centre (OCMC)' to provide speedy redressal of consumer grievances. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Obama signs USD 618 bn defence bill; boosts security cooperation with India: US President Barack Obama has signed into law the USD 618 billion defence budget for 2017, which enhances security cooperation with India and conditions nearly half of the funding to Pakistan on a certification that it is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani Network.

2. Pakistani Hindus can register for Indian citizenship with fee as low as Rs 100: The registration fees for Hindus and other minority community people from three neighbouring countries including Pakistan as Indian citizens have been drastically reduced to as low as Rs 100 from Rs 15,000. In a gazette notification, the home ministry said the new rules will be applicable to minority communities Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and living in India on long term visa.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Virat Kohli leads Lord's Cricket Ground list of top 20 players of 2016: After the release of ICC and Cricket Australia's list of best players of 2016, Lord's Cricket Ground have followed the trend and selected top 20 players for this calendar year.

Daily GK Updates - 24th December, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Cabinet Approves Ordinance to amend Payment of Wages Act, 1936: The Centre approved a draft ordinance on December 21, 2016, to empower states and enable industries to pay wages by cheque or by direct credit into bank accounts of workers earning up to Rs. 18,000 a month, without taking their explicit consent.

2. The External Affairs Ministry's launches Twitter Seva: The External Affairs Ministry's have launched a new service called Twitter Seva that will enable timely, transparent and large-scale response to citizens' tweets in real time.

3. 'Coal Mitra' portal launched to facilitate flexibility in utilization of domestic coal:Power Minister Piyush Goyal has launched 'Coal Mitra' Web Portal to facilitate Flexibility in Utilization of Domestic Coal. 

4. Tata Steel to acquire 100% equity in Brahmani River Pellets,Odisha :Tata Steel has signed an agreement to acquire 100% equity in Odisha-based Brahmani River Pellets (BRPL) for Rs 900 crore.

5. Textile Ministry to launch Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre for weavers:The Ministry of Textiles has decided to establish a “Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre” where professional queries of weavers will be answered by the experts in the field. 

6. Odisha Government launches BijuSishuSurakshyaYojana for HIV+ orphan children: Naveen Patnaik launches Biju Sishu Surakshya Yojana to nurture orphan kids.The state government launched the Biju Sishu Surakshya Yojana, a scheme to nurture the orphan and HIV-infected children residing in different child care institutions and orphanages.

7. Kisan Diwas is observed every year on 23 December across India: Kisan Diwas is observed every year on 23 December across India Since 2001 to celebrate the birth anniversary of the fifth prime minister and kisan leader,Ch. Charan Singh.

8.Govt Okays Rs 7,000-cr defence projects: The Defence Acquisition Council approved defence requirements worth approximately Rs 7,000 crore. These include purchasing six modern surveillance aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard. 

9. Nusli Wadia voted out of Tata Chemicals: Shareholders of Tata Chemicals have voted out Nusli Wadia as an independent director of the company with 75.67 % votes going in favour of a resolution moved by Tata Sons to remove him. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Global Wage Report shows India to be among the worst levels of gender wage disparity: According to Global Wage Report, India has among the worst levels of gender wage disparity.Men earning more than women in similar jobs with the gap exceeding 30%, the Global Wage Report 2016-17 released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

2.Nepal to hold military exercise with China: Nepal has announced to hold its first ever joint military exercise with China on February 10, 2017 to begin a new level of bilateral military engagement with China.

3. France is the first to use drones for its national mail service: France’s airspace regulator, General Directorate for Civil Aviation, has approved the plan to launch drone delivery program, making France the world’s first national postal service to use drones regularly.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. ICICI Bank Launches EazyPay app for Merchants: ICICI Bank has now launched a payments collection app for offline merchants and retailers called Eazypay which will allow customers to pay via UPI, cards, net banking and the bank’s Pockets wallet app. 

SPORTS:

2. APIS India ropes in badminton sensation PV Sindhu as its brand ambassador: APIS India a leading producer, distributor and exporter of honey under APIS Himalaya brand, has roped in Indian badminton champion and Rio Olympics silver medalist PV Sindhu as its brand ambassador. 

3. India beat Sri Lanka in final; clinch Asia Cup under-19 title: India, coached by Rahul Dravid, continued their dominance in the Asia Cup as they clinched the U-19 title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo.

4. Shiva Keshavan grabs gold at Asian Luge Championship:India’s Seasoned Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan clinched a gold medal at the Asian Luge Championship on 23rd December. 

5. Pakistan's first Sikh cricketer Mohinder Pal Singh to join national cricket academy: Pakistan cricket has seen Christians and Hindus represent the country at home and abroad, but for the first time a Sikh has secured a place in the National Cricket Academy.

AWARDS:

6. Acclaimed Bengali poet Shankha Ghosh to get 2016 Jnanpith Award.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd December, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi features on Government of India calendar for 2017: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has featured on the Government of India 2017 calendar. The calendar features candid pictures, with each month representing the issues that Modi has worked for.

2. Union Minister of State for Ayush Yesso Naik inaugurates NE Institute of Ayurveda and Homeopathy: Union Minister of State for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik has inaugurated the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homeopathy (NEIAH).

3. Delhi named India's most well-read city of 2016 by Amazon: Delhi has emerged as the country's most well-read city in the fourth consecutive year with Bengaluru and Mumbai taking the second and third spot, according to Annual Reading Trends Report 2016 by Amazon. 

4. Hrithik Roshan becomes highest advance taxpaying actor: He has paid an advance tax of Rs 80 crore till December 15, 2016, compared to Rs 50 crore last year.

5. Salman Khan has been ranked No. 1 on the fifth Forbes India Celebrity 100 List. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China launches satellite to monitor global CO2 emissions: China has launched atmospheric CO2-monitoring TanSat satellite on 22nd December 2016, in an effort to curb and monitor greenhouse gas emissions. 

2.World's first solar road opens in France: The world's first solar road made with 30,000 square feet of solar panels has been opened in the French village of Normandy.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. ICC Awards 2016:

i. RavichandranAshwin has won both the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Test cricketer of the Year award after he was named as the only Indian in ICC’s Test Team of the Year. 

ii.ViratKohli was named the captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year. 

iii.Misbah-Ul-Haq won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award at the 2016 ICC Awards as he became the first Pakistan player to win the award. 

2. Argentina win FIFA Team of the Year title:FIFA has released the final rankings of 2016, with Argentina reclaiming the team of the year title from Belgium, finishing with 1634 points to top FIFA’s rankings.  

3.India wins bronze at women's U18 Hockey Asia Cup: India has defeated South Korea 3-0 to secure the bronze medal at the 4th Women's U18 Asia Cup 2016 hockey tournament in Bangkok on 22 December 2016.

4.Jeje wins best footballer of the year award by AIFF:Indian fotballer Jeje Lalpekhlua has named 2016's All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year, an award given to the best footballer in the country.  

Daily GK Updates - 22nd December, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung resigns: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has submitted his resignation to the Government of India. The tenure of Jung, who took the charge of the office on July 9, 2013, was scheduled to end in 2018.

2. GirijaVaidyanathan appointed Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu: GirijaVaidyanathan, Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Land Administration, has been appointed Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu in place of P. Rama Mohana Rao.

3. Cabinet approves creation of Indian Enterprise Development Service (IEDS): The Government of India has approved cadre review and formation of the Indian Enterprise Development Service (IEDS) in the Office of the Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

4. Ministry of Minority Affairs launches website for Haj Pilgrims: Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched the trilingual website www.haj.gov.in relating to Haj Matters. The website is in Hindi, Urdu and English languages.

5. Gujarat Government announces Aerospace and Defence Policy 2016: Gujarat government has announced Aerospace and Defence Policy-2016 to attract investment into fields of aerospace and defence design, development and manufacturing in the state. Under the policy, investors will be entitled to get 100 % reimbursement on stamp duty and registration charges paid for purchase, lease or mortgage of land meant for setting up the facility in the areas of Aerospace and Defence.

6. India surpasses United Kingdom to become the 5^th largest economy: As per the report published in Forbes magazine, India has overtaken the United Kingdom in terms of the size of the economy, first time in 150 years. With this major shift in world economy, India has now become the fifth largest country in terms of the size of the economy after the United States, China, Japan and Germany.

7. Priyanka Chopra becomes the 1^st Indian to be made Pantene’s global ambassador.

8. Hrithik Roshan launches book series for visually impaired children: Actor Hrithik Roshan has launched a children's book series 'Tactabet', written in Braille format, which is being published for visually impaired people. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China inks deal with BRICS bank approving 525 mnyuan loan: China has inked an agreement with the New development bank (NDB) set up by the BRICS approving a 525 million yuan loan for a solar power project in the country. The new lender announced a 525 million yuan loan for the Shanghai Lingang Distributed Solar Power Project.

2. Japan successfully launches solid fuel rocket: Japan's space agency has announced successfully launched a 26-metre-long rocket named Epsilon-2, which put a satellite that helps study radiation belts in orbit. Epsilon-2 is part of a new generation of solid propellant rockets which can reduce launch costs up to one-third.

3. Government of Iran unveils Bill of Right: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has unveiled a landmark Bill of rights guaranteeing freedom of speech, protest, fair trials and privacy. Although many of the rights are already enshrined in Iran’s constitution written after the 1979 Islamic revolution, Rouhani said it offered the first clear list of principles that could be used to check the performance of state institutions.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI slaps fine on 5 foreign banks for violating FEMA rules: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed the penalty on five foreign banks, including Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, for violation of its instructions on reporting requirements of the FEMA on 21st December 2016. The three other banks are: Bank of America, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and The Royal Bank of Scotland.They have been fined for violation of its instructions on reporting requirements of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).

SPORTS:

2. Bank of Baroda announces support for FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, 1^st Indian company to do so.

3. Arjun Bhati wins Kids Golf World Championships: A 12-year-old Arjun Bhati has outshined India in the Kids Golf World Championship 2016 in Malaysia defeating South Africa's MethuDenish to secure the first position.

4. India squad for 2^nd T20 World Cup for Blind 2017 announced.

AWARDS:

5. Sahitya Akademi Award 2016: Mumbai-based writer Jerry Pinto, Tamil author Vannadhasan, Hindi writer Nasira Sharma are among 24 others declared the winners of the SahityaAkademi awards 2016. Sharma’s Hindi novel Paarijat, Pinto’s Em and the Big Hoom and Vannadhasan’sOruSru Isai won them the literary honour.

Daily GK Updates - 21st December, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India achieves 4^th rank in Global Wind Power Installed Capacity Index: India has ranked 4th in the Global Wind Power Installed Capacity index after China, USA and Germany with cumulative installed wind power generation capacity of 28,279 MW in 2016.

2. India and Kyrgyzstan signed 6 agreements to boost bilateral cooperation: The agreements were signed in New Delhi during the State visit of Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambaye.
Agreements: MoU on cooperation in the field of Tourism, Agreement on cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Food Industry, MoU on cooperation in the field of Youth development: The agreement was signed between the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and the state agency of Youth Affairs, Physical Education and Sports of Kyrgyzstan, MoU on cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, MEA, New Delhi and Diplomatic Academy of MOFA of Kyrgyzstan, MoU in the field of cooperation in youth exchange between NCC of India and Military Lyceum of Kyrgyz Republic, MoU on cooperation in the field of Broadcasting and exchange of audiovisualprogrammes:TheMoU was signed between PrasarBharati of India and Public Broadcast Corporation of Kyrgyzstan.

3. 9^th World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality held in Delhi: The ninth edition of World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality, organised by ASSOCHAM in association with Srei Foundation and Times Foundation, introduced a fresh culture of ‘Spirituality @ Work’ through its brand Sach Bharat, inspiring distinguished industrialists, business leaders, industry captains and noted politicians to imbibe spirituality at their respective work places and lives.

4. India signs Open Skies Agreement with six countries at ICAN 2016: International Civil Aviation Negotiations (ICAN) – 2016 were held recently in Nassau. Open Skies agreement allows unlimited number of flights to six metro airports namely Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai, was signed with six countries namely Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka.

5. Government announces Rs 207 crore project for protection of Majuli Island: Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Dr Jitendra Singh has announced to provide 207 crore rupees for protection and development of the world heritage island Majuli located along river Brahmaputra in Assam. 

6. Chhattisgarh CM dedicates country’s first cashless bazaar to people in Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has launched India’s first cashless bazaar in Raipur. This ‘Smart’ bazaar consist of nearly Over 900 shops which are providing the facilities of cashless payments using POS, UPI and other digital systems to its customers.

7. Madras High Court bans Sharia Courts functioning in Tamil Nadu: The Madras High Court has banned unauthorised ‘Sharia’ courts functioning on premises of mosques in Tamil Nadu while hearing a petition from a husband who was allegedly forced to pronounce talaq by one such court in the city.

8. India gets most FDI from Singapore: India has received the maximum Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows from Singapore in 2015-16 followed by Mauritius, the US, the Netherlands and Japan, a report by industry chamber PHDCCI and KPMG. India attracted $13.69 billion foreign direct investment from Singapore in that financial year.

9.  Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar statue gets place at Haridwar’s Mela Bhavan: The 12-foot-tall stone statue of renowned Tamil poet and philosopher-saint Thiruvalluvar was inaugurated at Mela Bhawan premises in Haridwar, Uttarakhand by Chief minister Harish Rawat.

10. Huge ‘Dead Zone’ discovered in Bay of Bengal: The Bay of Bengal hosts a ‘dead zone’ of an estimated 60,000 square kilometres — an area that contains little or no oxygen and supports microbial processes that remove vast amount of nitrogen from the ocean, scientists, including those from India, have found.

11. Health Ministry wins gold in the Web Ratna Category: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare lead by Jagat Prakash Nadda has won gold in the Web Ratna category in the Digital India awards 2016. Jitendra Arora, Director, e-Governance, at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received the award from the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology and Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad.

12. Deepak Agarwal appointed Noida CEO Authority: The Uttar Pradesh government has designated Deepak Agarwal, CEO of Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA), as the CEO of Noida Authority on 21st December 2016.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ukraine Nationalized Nations’ Largest Private Bank ‘PrivateBank’: "Privatebank', Ukraine’s largest private bank, is being nationalised to protect the country’s financial system and preserve an essential bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund.

2. China commissions its 1^st 7-tonne civil helicopter: China commissioned its first seven-tonne helicopter. AC352 civil helicopter can be used for operations like search and rescue and law enforcement, marking a new advancement in its aviation industry.

3. Flock launches world’s first chat operating system: A free instant messaging service for work and business environments, Flock has launched world’s first chat operating system”FlockOS” by Bhavin Turakhia, Flock CEO. Flock’s Developers can build apps by using Flock OS that provided a tightly integrated experience by using widgets. This OS provides setup slash commands, providing an additional option for users to interact with the app.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Corporation Bank bags award: Corporation Bank has bagged the SKOCH silver award for attaining the position of number one channel partner of LIC of India for the past three financial years, according to a press release by the bank here.

SPORTS:

2. India’s Boxing Federation gets permanent membership in world body: The International Boxing Association has unanimously voted to induct the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as one of its permanent members.

OBITUARIES:

3. Veteran Malayalam Actor Jagannatha Varma passed away at the age of 77.

Daily GK Updates - 20th December, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government mulls merging cyber tribunal with TDSAT: As part of plans to merge some of the tribunals into larger entities to avoid identical functions, the government is looking to converge the Cyber Appellate Tribunal (CyAT) and Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). According to Sources of the government   CyAT is proposed to be merged with the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) and a Cabinet note to this effect will be moved shortly.

2. PM launches major skill development projects in Kanpur: Prime Minister NarendraModi laid foundation of the first-ever Indian Institute of Skills of the country at Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh 19 December 2016. The institute is aimed at making youth more employable and self-reliant. The institute has been conceptualised by the Prime Minister during his visit to Singapore's Institute of Technical Education.

3. EPFO lowers interest rate on EPF to 8.65% for FY17: Employee's Provident Fund Organization EPFO decided to lower the interest on EPF deposits for the current fiscal to 8.65%, from 8.8% provided in 2015-16, for its over four crore subscribers.

4. India-Nepal Folk Craft Festival kicks off in Kathmandu: The five-day India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival (INCF-2016) begins in Kathmandu, Nepal on December 19, 2016 to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Main aim of the festival to promote crafts based bilateral relations and enhance cultural exchanges between the artisans of India and Nepal.

5. Justice J S Khehar appointed as the next Chief Justice of India.

6. Single tribunal to decide all inter-state water dispute: The Centre has decided to set up a single, permanent Tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes subsuming existing tribunals, a step which is aimed at resolving grievances of states in a speedy manner.

7. Priyanka Chopra becomes Assam Tourism brand ambassador.

8. Micromax, Uber join hands to offer integrated experience: Mobile phone brand Micromax Informatics, and taxi-hailing service Uber announced a partnership that will help Micromax customers book an Uber ride on their phones without having to download application. Through the partnership, Micromax aims to push nearly 100 million devices that offer an integrated experience with Uber over the next three years.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Human Solidarity Day observed on 20^th December: The United Nations' (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is annually held on December 20 to celebrate unity in diversity. It also aims to remind people on the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty.

2. World’s oldest water sample found to be 2 billion years old: University of Toronto scientists have discovered the oldest water sample dating back to about two billion years, more than 500 million years more ancient than the previous oldest samples.

3. Harvard researchers create world’s smallest radio receiver: Harvard researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have built the world’s smallest radio receiver, made out of atomic scale defects in pink diamonds.

4. World’s first cloned goat with Cashmere wool born in China: The world's first cloned goat bearing superfine Cashmere wool was born in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The goat will be raised in a base for animal husbandry research conducted by experts from agricultural universities and academies in Inner Mongolia and southwest China's Yunnan Province.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India beat England by innings and 75 runs, win series 4-0.

2. Atletico de Kolkata wins 2016 Hero Indian Super League beating Kerala Blasters 5-4.

3. Andy Murray wins record 3^rd BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

4. Karun Nair scores triple century in last test, 2^nd Indian to do so: Karun Nair became the second Indian to score a triple ton in Test cricket as the smashed unbeaten 303 runs off just 381 balls and powered India to their highest ever team total in Tests.

OBITUARIES:

5. Creator of Heimlich maneuver, Dr Henry Heimlich died at 96: The surgeon who created the life-saving Heimlich maneuver for choking victims has died at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati due to heart attack. He was 96 year's old.