Daily GK Updates - 17th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 25 children including 13 girls selected for National Bravery Awards: The coveted Bharat award has been conferred on 8-year-old Late Kumari Tarh Peju of Arunachal Pradesh, who sacrificed her life while saving two of her friends from drowning. The prestigious Geeta Chopra award has been conferred on 18 year old Tejasweeta Pradhan and 17-year-old Shivani Gond of West Bengal who showed immense courage fearlessly helping police and NGO in uncovering an international sex racket leading to the arrest of the mastermind in Delhi. The Sanjay Chopra award has been given to 15-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand who displayed outstanding bravery in fighting a leopard to save his cousin.

2. India signs financing agreement of $48 million with World Bank for Nagaland Health Project: About six lakh people will directly benefit from the Health Project with improvements in higher-level facilities as well as system-wide investments. The objective of the project is to improve health services in Nagaland. Communities in targeted locations will benefit from project activities at the community and health facility levels.

3. Mysuru Printing Press breaks record by printing highest number of currency notes in December 2016: The Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note MudranPvtLtd, a fully controlled subsidiary of RBI has set records in currency note printing.The RBI Note Mudran printing press in Mysuru printing highest number of currency notes in December 2016 breaking all its past record. It printed 10.9 million currency note in a day that even broke the world record made an American currency printing press of printing 8.7 million notes in a day.As per the data, 1350 million currency notes were printed in December 2016 in Mysuru which employess 650 workers who work for 12 hours in two shifts.

4. Market Regulator SEBI tightens Mergers and Acquisition norms among unlisted firms: The public shareholding of the resultant entity created by the merger of an unlisted and a listed company has to be more than 25%. The unlisted entity can only merge with those companies that are listed on exchanges such as the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE.

5. IMF cuts India’s growth rate to 6.6% due to Demonetization: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut India's growth forecast for the current fiscal by one percentage point, citing demonetisation woes from 7.6% to 6.6%. It sees India ceding the tag of the world's fastest growing major economy to China in FY17.

6. Tamil Nadu: 170^th Sadguru Sri Thyagaraja Aaradhana Festival ends on 17^th January 2017: The Aaradhana festival which was inaugurated on 13th of this month was a treat to carnatic music lovers. Sadguru Thyagaraja is one of the great musical trinity alongwith Muthusamy Dikshitharand ShyamaSastrigal.

7. BHEL commissions 500 MW Thermal Unit in West Bengal: Government owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned new 500 MW Thermal Unit in West Bengal. This was the second 500 MW at Sagardighi Thermal Power Station (TPS) Phase II project in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

8. IIMC to start post graduate course in Urdu journalism: Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu launching a post graduate course in Urdu journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi.

9.  Kozhikode Corporation becomes 1^st Elderly-Friendly Corporation in Kerala: The Kozhikode Corporation state government has planned to setup Senior citizen’s club, Day care centres as a part of Vayomitram project for the welfare of the elder people in the state.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan Navy receives two ships from China to ensure Security along Gwadar Port: China has sold two naval ships to Pakistan to protect the strategic Gwadar port and trade routes under the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The ships named Hingol and Basol gets its name from nearby rivers in Pakistan.China will provide two more ships to Pakistan Navy named Dasht and Zhob after two districts in Balochistan.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Future Group’s & SBI Card launch premium co-branded card: Future Group’s fashion and lifestyle departmental store Central joined with SBI Card launched a second co-branded credit card to offer benefits to consumers in the premium lifestyle and fashion space.

SPORTS:

2. Valtteri Bottas replaces Nico Roseberg at Mercedes and joins Lewis Hamilton: Valtteri Bottas has been confirmed as Lewis Hamilton's new team-mate for the forthcoming Formula One season after he was finally unveiled by Mercedes at their headquarters.

3. Sports Minister Vijay Goel inaugurates Khelo India competitions: The Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel inaugurated the Khelo India National level Competitions on various sports for Under-14 and Under-17 children in New Delhi.

AWARDS:

4. Kiran Doshi won The Hindu Prize 2016: Kiran Doshi won The Hindu Prize 2016 at the 7th edition of The Hindu Lit for Life festival 2017 held in Chennai from January 14-16, 2017. The festival was inaugurated by contemporary artist Gulamohammed Sheikh at Sir Mutha Kiran Doshi Conferred 'The Hindu Prize 2016' for Jinnah Often Came to Our House Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall in Chennai.

OBITUARIES:

5. National Award winning film maker Deepak Roy passed away at the age of 67.

Daily GK Updates - 16th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Commerce Ministry launches SEZ India app: The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has launched a mobile application named “SEZ India” under its broader e-Governance initiative to help the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Units and Developers. It will help the SEZ Units and Developers to find information easily and track their transactions on Online System. It will also facilitate them to file all their transactions digitally through SEZ Online system and track the status on the go through the SEZ India mobile app.

2. SEBI tightens merger norms: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has tightened rules for mergers and amalgamations by Indian companies in a bid to safeguard the interests of the public shareholders. The market regulator amended rules in an effort to make listing process more transparent and ensure wider public holding, prevent mergers of large unlisted firms with small ones. The new rules will ensure that all classes of shareholders get an equitable treatment during mergers and acquisitions. It will also stop practice using route of merger to get an indirect listing for an unlisted company.

3. VK Singh on Bahrain visit: Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh visited Bahrain and held talks with senior ministers on issues related to labour.
There are nearly five million expatriate Indians in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 

4. New Adoption Regulations come into force: The new Adoption Regulations have come into force from 16th Jan, 2017. The regulations, which have replaced the Adoption Guidelines, 2015, will further strengthen the adoption programme in the country by streamlining the process.The regulations framed by the Central Adoption Resource Authority as mandated under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 was notified on the 4th Jan, 2017.

5. Tamil Nadu Government launches mobile app Pinakin for Tourism: Tamil Nadu government has launched a mobile application Pinakin to provide information of famous tourist destinations in the state. The app will provide information on other major tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu. Initially, it will cover world heritage tourist sites like Thanjavur Big Temple, GangaikondaCholapuram, Mamallapuram and Darasuram and soon include other places in the state. The app will provide information in two languages Tamil and English, benefiting both domestic and international tourist.

6. BSF launches operation SardHawa at Rajasthan border: The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched operation SardHawa at the western international border of Rajasthan to check the instances of infilteration due to the dense fog in the area. The purpose of this 14 days operation (from 15 to 28 January, 2017) is to keep hawk’s eye on the international border and to motivate patrolling jawans. Under it jawans will patrol the border with advanced weapons in the police station areas near to the border.

7. Migratory bird census at Hirakud begins: Annual enumeration of migratory birds at Hirakud Dam began on 15th Jan, 2017.Thousands of winged guests from Caspian Sea, Baikal Lake, Mongolia, Central and South East Asia and Himalayan region flock to the reservoir every year from November and stay for four months till the end of February before flying back in the first week of March. 
Note: Last year, the census officials recorded 95,912 birds of 60 species.

8. India 60th in inclusive development index:India has been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies, below neighbouring China and Pakistan, in the inclusive development index, according to a WEF report. WEF’s ‘Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017’, released today, said that most countries are missing important opportunities to raise economic growth and reduce inequality at the same time because the growth model and measurement tools that have guided policymakers for decades require significant readjustment.

                              INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Britain and UAE launch joint military exercises: Britain and the United Arab Emirates launched a joint military exercise - “Sea Dagger 2017”.
The exercise is aimed at training on the planning, implementation and management of joint military operations. 

2. Japan and Indonesia agree to deepen defence ties: Japan and Indonesia have reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on maritime security and deepen defence ties as both nations feud with China over sea territory. Both island nations committed to give maritime cooperation the highest priority. It was announced Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Besides, Japan will actively encourage cooperation on maritime security and encourage the development of the remote islands of Indonesia.

3. Silicon identified as ‘missing element’ in Earth’s core:  Researchers have found out that “Silicon” (about 5 per cent) likely makes up a significant proportion of the Earth’s core after iron and nickel.The discovery could help us to better understand how our world formed.

4. Facebook to introduce fake news tools in Germany: Facebook to introduce new tools in Germany to help combat the spread of fabricated news stories. It would enable German users to flag potentially false stories.The stories will then be passed to third-party fact-checkers and if found to be unreliable, will be marked in users' news feeds as "disputed". 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Four Indian women boxers in final of Nation’s Cup in Serbia: Indian women boxers continued to pack quite a punch as four of them, including former World Championships silver-medallist Sarjubala Devi (48kg), entered the finals of the 6th Nation’s Cup in Vrbas, Serbia where the country is now assured of six medals. Sarjubala, the reigning national champion, defeated local favourite Gayane Panyan to enter the summit clash.The others, who made the final cut are Priyanaka Chaudhary (60kg) and Pooja (69kg). SeemaPoonia is also through to the final without fighting a single bout so far as her category features only three boxers. Priyanka, on the other hand, got the better of Kazakhstan’s Rimma Volosenko, while Pooja also triumphed over a Kazakh rival in Valentina Khalzova.

Daily GK Updates - 15th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 69th Army Day being observed on 15th January 2017: 69th Army Day is being observed today (15th January 2017). The day marks the taking over of the Indian Army by the first Indian Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal KM Cariappa, on January 15, 1948. He took over the reins of the Army from Lieutenant General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief and became the first Commander-in-Chief of the independent India. 

2. Digital Dakiya scheme inaugurated in MP to encourage cashless transactions: In Madhya Pradesh Indore district witnessed inauguration of first of its kind scheme of the country. Digital Dakiya, which aims at encouraging cashless transactions. "Digital Dakiya or Digital Postman will visit different places to teach and encourage people about cashless transactions and its benefits. 

3.Two-day camel festival begins in Bikaner: The two-day annual camel festival has began with much fanfare in the presence of foreigners and domestic tourists. District Collector VedPrakash flagged off a procession from Junagarh which culminated at Karni Singh Stadium here in Bikaner, Rajasthan. It was followed by fun activities including camel safaris.

4. Rabi crops sowing crosses 616 lakh hactare:Rabi crops have been sown in around six crore 16 lakh hectares till date which is about 35 lakh hectares more than last year. Data released by the Agriculture Ministry, wheat has been sown in around three crore nine lakh hectare which is about 20 lakh hectare more than last year.

5. SEBI cuts broker fees by 25 pc to Rs 15 per transaction: Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI, has decided to lower broker fees by 25 per cent to 15 rupees per transaction of one crore rupees as part of calibration of various other fees collected by the regulator from different market intermediaries. The move is likely to reduce overall cost of transactions. 

6. Rajeev Singh to take charge as interim CEO of PrasarBharti: Rajeev Singh, Member (Finance) in PrasarBharati Board, will take charge as interim CEO of the public broadcaster after S C Panda retires in February.

7. NPCI declares Rs. 54.90 cr prize money for NITI Aayog’s lucky draw schemes: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella organisation for all retail payment systems in the country has declared Rs. 54.90 crore worth of prize money to over 3.42 lakh winners of NITI Aayog’s Lucky Draw Schemes for consumers and merchants.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. SpaceX resumes flights; launches Falcon 9 vehicle on California coast: A The American SpaceX Rocket Company has resumed flights, launching a Falcon 9 vehicle from the Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast. It is the first mission by the company since one of its vehicles exploded on the launch pad in September 2016. The return to operations sees SpaceX start to renew what was the original global handheld satellite phone network, run by Iridium. Lift-off took place at 9:54 AM local time.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.Gujarat wins First Ranji Trophy title beating Mumbai by five wickets: Gujarat won their first ever Ranji Trophy title beating Mumbai by five wickets in the final at the Holkar stadium in Indore. Parthiv Patel’s 143 and MunpritJuneja’s 54 runs helped Gujrat to chase down the highest successful chase in the final at the historic Holkar stadium. 

2. Glam, glitter and glory mark 14th Mumbai Marathon: Tanzanian athlete Alphonce Felix Simbu (24) and Kenyan runner BornesKiturChepkirui (31), flew past all competition to bag the top spots in the men's and women's category respectively in the full marathon at the 14th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) in Mumbai on 15th January 2017.

AWARDS:

3. Filmfare Awards 2017: Dangal, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt Bag Top Honour This Year: At the glittering Filmfare awards last night (14th January 2017 night), "Dangal" swept away three of four major awards --  Best Film, Aamir Khan won Best Actor and NiteshTiwari won Best Director award while Alia Bhatt won the Filmfare Best Actor Award (Female) for her performance in "Udta Punjab".

4. 62nd Filmfare Awards 2017: ShatrughanSinha honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award

OBITUARIES:

5. Former Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala passes away, aged 91

Daily GK Updates - 14th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pongal being celebrated with traditional gaiety in Tamil Nadu Today (14 January 2017): In Tamil Nadu, Pongal the harvest festival is being celebrated with traditional gaiety and grandeur on 14 or 15 January of each year. 

2. India's First Madame Tussauds Museum in Delhi Unveils Wax Figures of Big B, Lady Gaga: India is all set to get its first wax museum in June 2017 unveils Wax Figures of Amitabh Bachchan, Lady Gaga. Madame Tussauds, the legendary wax attraction entertainment hotspot is all set to open its doors in capital New Delhi.

3. Kerala launched its First Solar Powered Boat Aditya: The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the first solar-powered boat of the state water transport department, Aditya on January 12, 2017 at a function held in Vaikom boat Jetty in Kerala.

4. Airtel’s Payments Bank Starts Operation with Initial Investment of Rs. 3000 Crore: Airtel Payments Bank the first payments bank started its nationwide operations on January 12, 2017 with an initial investment of Rs 3,000 crore and offering an interest rate of 7.25 per cent for savings accounts. 

5. Car carrier service starts between Gujarat and Mangaluru: In line with Government of India's policy of implementing the vision for coastal shipping, tourism and regional development, New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) has introduced Car carrier service between Gujarat and Mangaluru.

6. 4th International Kite Festival begins in New Delhi: Professional kite flying experts from across India and the globe are taking part in the three-day festival, which will have an exhibition on the history of kites as well. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Ecuador takes chair of UN group of 134 developing countries: Ecuador has taken over from Thailand as chair of the Group of 77 which promotes the interests of the 134 developing countries it represents at the United Nations, including China.

2. Pepsico sells land parcel to Wadhwa Group for ₹ 190 cr: American snack and beverage giant PepsiCo India has sold a 2.5 acre land parcel in the Central suburb Chembur to The Wadhwa Group for ₹ 190-200 crore.

3. US lifts 20-year economic embargo on Sudan: The United States has announced the end of a 20-year economic embargo on Sudan, lifting trade and financial sanctions in an effort to foster ties with the Sudanese government.  

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Premier Badminton League 3: PV Sindhu finally prevails over Saina Nehwal: Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu produced a disciplined performance to outwit Saina Nehwal in straight games in a much-anticipated encounter as Chennai Smashers entered the finals of the Premier Badminton League season 2 with a 4-1 win over Awadhe Warriors. 

Daily GK Updates - 13th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Minimum monthly pension increased by 9,000 for central government employees:The Government of India has increased the minimum monthly pension to 9,000 per person, besides a two-fold hike in exgratia amount for central government employees.

2. NITI Aayog Estimates the GDP Growth of 8 Percent for 2016-17:NITI Aayog has projected the India GDP growth rate of 8 Percent for 2016-17 based on the appraisal document for the Twelfth Five-Year Plan.

3. Retail inflation fell 3-year low of 3.41% in Dec from 3.63% in Nov 2016:Retail inflation fell to a nearly 3-year low of 3.41 % in December 2016, from 3.63 % in November 2016.

4. Global unemployment to rise by 3.4 million in 2017: ILO:Global unemployment is expected to rise by 3.4 million in 2017 despite a likely modest pick-up in economic growth at 3.4% this year and 3.6% in 2018, against a six-year low of 3.1% in 2016,  a new report by the International Labour Organisation.

5.Industrial production grows 5.7% in November 2016: Allaying fears of a slowdown following demonetisation, the country's industrial production grew 5.7% in November 2016, compared to a contraction of 3.4% in November 2015.

6. World’s first gender literature fest to be held in Patna: The world’s first ‘Gender Literature Festival’ is scheduled to be held in Patna, Bihar in the second week of April 2017 The main aim of the fest to create a platform, to exchange ideas, and to share and learn experiences of renowned people in the field of gender literature. 

7. TCS elevates Rajesh Gopinathan as new chief executive: Tata Consultancy Services has appointed Rajesh Gopinathan, the current chief financial officer, as CEO of the company.  He replaces N Chandrasekaran, who has been named the chairperson of Tata Sons.

8. NTPC inks pact to take over Chhabra thermal power plant: State-run NTPC has signed a non-binding agreement with Rajasthan RajyaVidyutUtpadan Nigam Ltd and Rajasthan UrjaVikas Nigam Ltd to take over Chhabra Thermal Power Plant.

9. Mahindra Asset Management launches Mahindra Mutual Fund DhanSanchayYojna scheme: Mahindra Asset Management Company Pvt. Ltd (MAMCPL) launched an open-ended scheme Mahindra Mutual Fund DhanSanchayYojna scheme to generate long-term returns through investment in equity and debt.

10. Government to sell 51% stake in Pawan Hans:Moving ahead with the strategic sale of Pawan Hans, the government sell its entire 51% stake and transfer the management control of the helicopter service operator.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. XCMG China to invest $150 m in manufacturing unit in India: XCMG, a China-headquartered global construction machinery company, will invest ₹150 million in a new manufacturing unit in India for construction and material-handling machines.

2. Japanese PM Shinzo Abe signs 1 trillion yen aid package to the Philippines:Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has signed a 1-trillion yen, about 8.7 billion dollars, aid package over the next five years to the Philippines, meant to improve economic and political relations between the two island nations.

3. Manish Tewari appointed senior fellow of US think tank: Congress leader and former Union Minister Manish Tewari was appointed as the senior fellow of US-based think tank Atlantic Council.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.AshishShelar appointed as MCA president: BJP Mumbai unit chief AshishShelar has been appointed as Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president. Sylar takes over from the former ICC president SharadPawar.

2. Consulate General of India in Dubai announces launch of 'Diplomats Cricket Championship Cup: Consulate General of India in Dubai has announced launch of the 'Diplomats Cricket Championship Cup' in association with the Skyline University College, Sharjah, to promote sportsmanship, camaraderie, and harmonious relationship among the diplomatic missions of UAE.

Daily GK Updates - 12th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Youth Day, the birthday of Swami Vivekanand being observed: 12 January: 12 January of every year is observed as National Youth Day, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda a grateful nation is celebrating Swamiji's hundred fifty-fourth birth anniversary with much fanfare.

2. Government to add 40 more towns to Smart Cities list: The government will add by next month 40 more cities to the list of towns it wants to develop as Smart Cities by providing funds for initiating urban reforms, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today. The addition of 40 new cities will take the total Smart Cities to 100.

3. Telangana to host International Kite Festival from January 12, 2017: The second international kite festival coinciding with the 'MakarSankranti' fest would be held for six days from January 12, 2017 in Hyderabad and two other districts in Telangana. Telangana Tourism, which is organizing the International Kite Festival-2017, committed to a social cause of raising awareness about the importance of education and empowerment of girl children and expects a footfall of around 50,000 visitors.

4. Arunachal Pradesh signs MoU with NDDB to promote dairy development: With a view to promoting the dairy sector and rural livelihoods in Arunachal Pradesh, the border state has signed a MoU with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017.

5. India’s annual Haj quota increased by 34,500, biggest hike in three decades: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin TaherBenten inked an agreement in this regard in Jeddah, increasing the size of India's Haj quota from 1,36,020 to 1, 70,520.

6. AllahbadMaghMela begins: The month-long MaghMela festival began on 12 January 2017 at Sangam in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of Pilgrims, saint and seers are taking holy dip at Sangam on the occasion of PaushPurnima.The month-long kalpwas also began with the holy bathing.

7. Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine launched: Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine that has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on the surface, launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai. Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark.

8. Vedanta launches smart class project in Chitradurga: Vedanta Foundation and Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore, in collaboration with the Karnataka Directorate of Education, have launched a pilot project to promote digital education in schools across the State. The Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Chitradurga district, RevanaSiddappa, has launched ‘The Smart Class’ project.

9.  Helped by HDFC Bank, Tamil Nadu temples to go digital: Helped by HDFC Bank, five temples in Kanyakumari district in southern Tamil Nadu have introduced digital wallets and PoS to enable their devotees to pay donations. The temples that have introduced digital mode include ArulmighuThanumalayaSwamy Temple: Suchindrum, ArulmighuBhagavathi Amman Temple: Kanyakumari, ArulmighuNagaraja Temple: Nagercoil, ArulmighuBhagavathi Amman Temple: Mondaikadu and ArulmighuKumaraswamy Temple: Velimalai.

10. Anjani Portland Cement commissions new plant: Anjani Portland Cement has commissioned a 16-megawatt (MW) coal-based captive power plant at its cement unit in Telangana. Anjani Cement is a high-quality cement prepared from the finest raw material Owing to optimum water demand.

11. VikramPawah appointed as the new president for BMW Group India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bank projects global growth at 2.7% in 2017: World Bank projected a global growth of 2.7% in 2017, even as it observed that stagnant global trade, subdued investment and heightened policy uncertainty marked another difficult year for the world economy. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated that global economic growth is forecast to accelerate moderately to 2.7% in 2017 after a post-crisis low of 2.3% in 2016.

2. Norway becomes the 1^st country to cease FM radio broadcasting: Norway has become the first country to cease FM radio broadcasting. The northern county of Nordland has stopped broadcasting using analogue frequencies as the Government plans to roll out digital-only radio over the course of the year.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. P R Sreejesh becomes member of FIH Athletes’ Committee: The Indian hockey team captain PR Sreejesh has become a member of International Hockey Federation Athletes' Committee.

AWARDS:

2. Tisca Chopra wins Best Actress Award for Chutney: Actress Tisca Chopra named as Best Actress for Chutney at the Jio Filmfare Short Film Awards. Popular actress Tisca Chopra stated that winning her first Filmfare Award for short film Chutney is extra special as it’s a project she not just acted in, but also produced and co-wrote.

Daily GK Updates - 11th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Post demonetization, World Bank drops India’s growth rate to 7%: The World Bank has decelerated India's growth for 2016-17 fiscal to 7% from its previous estimate of 7.6%.The World Bank stated that immediate withdrawal of a large volume of currency in circulation and subsequent replacement with new notes in India contributed to slowing growth.

2. India and Kenya sign agreements in the area of agriculture: India and Kenya have signed agreements in the area of agriculture which was inked after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister NarendraModi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in New Delhi. India is collaborating with Kenya to raise agricultural productivity and the Loan of Credit Agreement of 100 million dollars signed for farm mechanization will open a new dimension of engagement between the two countries.

3. India, France strengthen 50 years space bond, ink pact for satellite launch: Indian Space Research Organisation and French Space agency (CNES) has signed a partnership agreement in satellite launch technology. The agreement was signed between ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar and CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall in the presence of visiting French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault.

4. Modi inaugurates Nobel Prize exhibition in Gujarat: Prime Minister NarendraModi has inaugurated the 'The Nobel Prize' exhibition at Science City in Gandhinagar. 'The Nobel Prize: Ideas Changing the World' contains several original artifacts, both from Alfred Nobel himself and from a number of Nobel Laureates.

5. Railway Minister launches new IRCTC app to promote digital ticketing: To promote ease of ticketing through digital transactions, railway minister Suresh Prabhu released the new passenger mobile the application named ‘IRCTC Rail Connect app’.

6. BIS revises Indian Standard on gold hallmarking: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has revised Indian Standard on gold hallmarking, which is effective from January 1, 2017. The hallmarked gold jewellery will now be available in three grades of 14 karat, 18 karats, and 22 karats.The cartage will also be marked on jewellery in addition to fineness for a convenience of consumers.

7. Health Ministry to launch Measles-Rubella vaccine to roll out in February 2017: Health Minister J P Nadda to launch Measles-rubella vaccine to roll out in Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu between February 3 and 4, 2017 and the pneumonia vaccine will be introduced in Himachal Pradesh and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from March 17.

8. Former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat’s biography released: Former wrestler and Coach Mahavir Singh Phogat made his way to the launch of his authorized biography 'Akhada' in Chandigarh. Sports journalist SaurabhDuggal released the biography.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. The US calls for India, Pakistan & Afghanistan partnership on counter-terrorism: The United States has called for a partnership between India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan on counter-terrorism operations. State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters in Washington that the security of the three countries is linked with one another.

2. China launches 1^st commercial space mission with new rocket: China has successfully sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission using an updated version of the low-cost Kuaizhou-1A rocket, amidst the Communist giant's determined bid to expand its ambitious space program. The rocket, carrying the satellite JL-1 and two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1, blasted off from north-western China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. World Cup: FIFA to expand the competition to 48 teams: The Federation Internationale de Football Association FIFA has decided that the World Cup will be expanded to host 48 teams, up from 32. An initial stage of 16 groups of three teams will precede a knockout stage for the remaining 32 when the change is made for the 2026 tournament. The sport's world governing body voted unanimously in favor of the change at a meeting in Zurich.

2. Jimmy Adams appointed new West Indies Cricket director.

3. Yana Kudryavtseva, 13-time gymnastics world champion, retires aged 19: Russian rhythmic gymnast Yana Kudryavtseva has retired from competition aged just 19, Kudryavtseva won 13 world championships from 2013 to 2015, making her the early favorite for the all-around gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but a foot fracture disrupted her preparations.