Daily GK Updates - 6th March, 2017

­­­­                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World’s oldest aircraft carrier INS Viraat decommissioned: The world’s longest serving warship INS Viraat was decommissioned by the Indian Navy at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra after nearly six decades of service. INS Viraat was first commissioned in the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987, after the Indian government bought it for ₹433 crore. Before 1987, the aircraft carrier had served the United Kingdom's Royal Navy for 27 years.

2. Haryana Government announces Tirtha Darshan Scheme for senior citizens: Haryana Government has announced Tirtha Darshan Scheme under which senior citizens above 60 years of age in the state will be able to go on a pilgrimage within the country at government expenseUnder the scheme, state government will bear the entire cost of the tour of senior citizens belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. In case of senior citizens of non-BPL families, state government would bear only 70% of the cost. Senior citizens will be selected for the pilgrimage on the basis of lottery system.

3. Government launches first ever across-the-river survey to figure out aquatic life: The Union Government has launched the first ever across-the-river survey in River Ganga to determine the population of aquatic life, including that of the endangered Gangetic dolphin. The first of its kind survey is being conducted by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) through Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under Namami Gange programme.

4. India to host its first ever Mobile World Congress in Sep 2017: India will be hosting its first ever Mobile World Congress in September 2017.Reportedly, the GSM Association, has agreed to associate for the three-day event that would be held in Delhi.

5. Afghanistan, India are victims of proxy war: Parrikar: Addressing the 19th Asian Security Conference in Delhi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said that Afghanistan and India have been victims of proxy war for decades. "Terrorism is undoubtedly the single biggest threat to international peace" he added. "We share the region with Pakistan, which has the highest concentration of terrorists anywhere," said Afghan NSA Mohammad Hanif Atmar.

6. Hyderabad airport ranks 1st in world in service quality: Survey: GMR Hyderabad International Airport has been ranked first in the world in the highest passenger handling capacity category by the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality survey. The airport, running into its ninth year of operations, is designed to cater to 1.5 crore passengers per annum. The second position has been held by Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

7. West Bengal Clinical Establishment Bill passed in state assembly: The West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation, and Transparency) Bill, 2017 was passed by the state legislative assembly with full support. The Bill aims to regulate the private hospitals and bring transparency, end harassment of patients and take necessary steps to stop medical negligence in health institutes. The Bill replaces the West Bengal Clinical Establishments Bill, 2010. The state will set up a 13 member West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission which will monitor private healthcare facilities.

8. First smart tribal village inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir: Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali on Sunday inaugurated the first smart tribal model village 'Hubbi' in Rajouri district of the state. Developed under the rural development department, the village has been introduced with smart classes in the schools, better roads, electricity, and water facility.

                      INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Valentina Tereshkova is the only woman on solo space mission: Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963, remains the only woman ever to have been on a solo space mission. Tereshkova, who spent 70 hours 50 minutes on the spacecraft, had presented the classified mission as a parachuting contest to her family.

2. WCCB’s Operation Thunderbird and Operation Save Kurma for fight against wildlife crime: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has successfully coordinated Operation Thunder Bird from January 30 to February 19, 2017 in its fight to end poaching of India’s wildlife animals. It also had convened Operation Save Kurma, a species specific operation on turtles between 15 December 2016 and 30 January 2017. Operation Thunderbird is code-name of INTERPOL’s (International Criminal Police Organization) multi-national and multi-species enforcement operation for wildlife protection. Operation Save Kurma was species specific operation on turtles. Under it total of 15,739 live turtles were recovered from 45 suspects, having inter-state linkages.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS: 

1. ISSF 2017: India finish fifth with five medals at shooting World Cup: India ended their campaign in the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) with five medals, including one Gold, two Silver and two Bronze medals at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, New Delhi. The list is topped by China with 6 Gold & 6 Silver.

BANKING:

2. China overtakes Eurozone as world’s largest banking system: China's banking system has surpassed that of the Eurozone to become the world's largest by assets, reflecting the country's increasing global influence, according to reports. Notably, China's GDP surpassed the European Union's economic bloc in 2011 at market exchange rates, but its banking system did not take over the top spot until the end of last year, it added.

Daily GK Updates - 5th March, 2017

­­­­                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India's tallest national flag hoisted at Indo-Pak border: India's tallest national flag, measuring 360 feet, was hoisted on Sunday at the Attari-Wagah joint check post in Punjab. A 293-foot tall tricolour in Ranchi had held the record earlier. The flag in Punjab, built at a cost of ₹3.6 crore, can be seen from Lahore in Pakistan. Pakistan has objected to the installation of the flag, reports said.

2.  GST Council approves draft CGST and IGST Bills: The Centre and States approved the model draft Bills for Centre and Integrated goods and services tax (GST). The Council has also included a revised peak rate of 20 percent under GST, instead of the earlier 18 percent. This would mean that the total incidence of the tax could go as high as 40 percent.

3. India to host 10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance: India for first time will host International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV2017). It will be hosted in collaboration with United Nations University and UNESCO. The objective of ICEGOV2017 is to explore how Digital Government can lead to Digital Empowerment by local knowledge.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Swedish passport world's most valuable: Study: The Swedish passport has been rated the world's most valuable by consulting firm Nomad Capitalist. The firm, which ranked 199 countries on visa-free travel options and taxes on citizens living abroad, placed the passports of Belgium, Italy, Spain and Ireland among the top five. The Indian passport was ranked 160th, while Afghanistan's and Pakistan's passports were among the least valuable.

2. South Korea and United States Begin Annual Military Drill Foal Eagle: The United States and South Korean troops started their large-scale annual military drill named Foal Eagle. The month-long exercises will run last in April 2017 and will overlap with the Key Resolve exercise which will begin on March 13, 2017.

3. Iran tests S-300 air defence system: Iran 'successfully' tested the Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system.

The test was aimed at analyzing the performance of the S-300 system. 

Iran purchased the system from Russia and integrated it into the defence system of the country in 2016.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Andy Murray beats Fernando Verdasco to win first Dubai Championships title: Britain's Andy Murray captured his first title of the year and became the first British man to win the Dubai Tennis Championships in its 25-year history when he defeated Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday.

It is Murray's first tournament win of 2017 and the 45th of his career, which will see him extend his lead over Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. Vodafone launches ReConnect programme to offer job to 1,000 women: Vodafone group recently launched the Vodafone ReConnect programme to bring women in 26 countries back into the workplace after a career break. The company said it would hire 1,000 women in the next three years as a result of the programme.

3.  Google India inks MoU with Telangana government: Google India and Telangana government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at supporting the digitization efforts of the state.

Google India will provide Google Cloud credits and access to all cloud platform products to eligible startups engaged with Telangana government’s T-Hub initiative and through its Developer Relations team provide technical mentor-ship and advisory support to various startups.

Daily GK Updates - 4th March, 2017

­­­­                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 84% voter turnout in first phase of Manipur Assembly polls: As voting ended for the first phase of Manipur Assembly elections on Sunday, the Election Commission announced the state witnessed a tentative voter turnout of 84%. Imphal East constituency recorded its highest ever voter turnout of 87%. The second and last phase of the Assembly election is due on March 8 and poll results will be announced on March 11.

2.  Shahpur Kandi dam: Punjab, J&K sign agreement: The state govt. of Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir have signed an agreement to fast-track the completion of 206 megawatt 2,285-crore rupees Shahpur Kandi dam project on the Ravi river in Chandigarh. “Shahpur Kandi project” was declared a national project in February 2008 by the Centre.

3. 100 districts in India Declared ODF under Swachh Bharat Mission: During occasion of 'Swachh Shakti Saptah' in Gurugram, Haryana, the Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has informed that the number of ODF (Open Defecation Free) districts in India has crossed 100, making it a milestone achievement under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

4.  India’s foreign exchange reserves increase by USD 63.7 million: India's foreign exchange reserves increased by USD 63.7 million to USD 362.79 billion in the week ended on 24th February 2017. Gold reserves remained unchanged at 248 billion.

The country's reserve position also increased by USD 0.2 million to USD 2.318 billion.

5. Bahrain teachers to learn sand art from Sudarsan Pattnaik: Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has been invited by Bahrain's Economic Development Board (EDB) to a sand art workshop cum training programme to teach the art to nearly 30 teachers in the country. The five-day workshop, to start on Sunday, will be held at a beach where Padma Shri Pattnaik would teach various techniques of creating sand art.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ukraine region to use Russian Rouble as currency: Ukraine’s self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, state in eastern Ukraine, will use the Russian rouble as its official currency, along with the Ukrainian Hryvnia. 

The Russian rouble is already being used in pro-Russian territory which serves to stabilize the volatile economic situation in the region. 

2. India to supply additional 60 MW power to Bangladesh: India is going to supply additional 60 MW power from its ONGC-Tripura power plant to Bangladesh, agreement likely to be signed later this month.

3. 13th ECO Summit Islamabad: The Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) gathered on the occasion of the 13th ECO Summit Meeting, in Islamabad, Pakistan under the theme “Connectivity for Regional Prosperity”  on the 1st March 2017.

It aimed to review the objective conditions and progress in the implementation of ECO programs and projects. The headquarters of ECO is in Tehran, Iran.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Bopanna & Matkowski to play Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships final: Indian tennis stars Rohan Bopanna and his Polish partner Marcin Matkowski will play the men's doubles final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

They knocked out the Indo Spanish pair of Leander Paes and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 3-6,10-6 in the semi-final of the tournament.

BANKING:

2.  SBI to charge for breaching monthly average balance in saving accounts: State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest public lender, will resume charging customers who don’t maintain Monthly Account Average Balance (MAB) in their savings bank accounts from April 1, 2017. These charges will be based on the difference between the minimum balance required and the shortfall. 

3. ET Money ties up with HDFC Life to launch data-led insurance policy: Long-term life insurance provider HDFC Life has launched an exclusive Data-Led Group Term Insurance Plan in partnership with personal finance app ET Money of Times Internet. This is the country's first term insurance plan which is based on the spending pattern of the users. ET Money Benefit, the group term life insurance plan can be exclusively availed by 1 million users of the ET MONEY app. 

Daily GK Updates - 3rd March, 2017

­­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Dharamshala becomes 2nd capital of Himachal Pradesh: The Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday approved a proposal to make Dharamshala the second capital (first is Shimla) of the state. The decision came days before the state budget presentation which is scheduled to take place on March 10. Following the decision, a mini secretariat would come up in Dharamshala to house the offices of ministers and senior officers.

2. India to participate in meet on Indus Water Treaty in Lahore: India will participate in the meeting of Permanent Indus Commission, scheduled to be held in Lahore in March, according to reports. This comes after Pakistan reportedly forwarded the invitation to India to resolve the Indus Water Treaty. The Permanent Indus Commission is a bilateral commission of officials from India and Pakistan, created to implement and manage goals of the treaty.

3. Half of India-Bangladesh border fenced: Government: The Union Government has announced that half of the 4,096-km long border India shares with Bangladesh has been fenced. The remaining half will be fenced by 2019 deadline. Its aim of fencing the India-Bangladesh border is to curb infiltration and smuggling of cattle and fake Indian currency notes (FICN). However, land acquisition is a major challenge to completing the work by the deadline. Besides, government is going to use technological solutions such as cameras and lasers across cross border rivers, where fencing is not possible.

4.  Govt. launches nationwide 'Swachh Shakti Saptah': The Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar has launched “Swachh Shakti Saptah” to raise awareness on sanitation and cleanliness in Gurugram, Haryana. The govt. has decided to observe 'Swachh Shakti Saptah' from 1st to 8th March 2017 across the country. The closing ceremony of the program will be held at Gandhinagar in Gujarat on 8th March, 2017.

5. Centre approves over 4,000 PG seats in medical colleges & hospitals: Centre has approved over 4,000 Post Graduate seats in medical colleges and hospitals across the country for the academic session 2017-18. Health Minister J P Nadda in an official statement stated that with this, the total number of PG seats available in the country will go up to over 35 thousand.

6. P K Purwar appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of MTNL: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of ‘P K Purwar’ as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) for five years.

7. Government’s biotech innovation BIRAC Regional Entrepreneurship Centre set up in Bengaluru: The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms – C-CAMP, technology, and innovation hub, will house the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) Regional Entrepreneurship Centre (BREC) in Bengaluru.

8. Navy successfully test-fires missile from Kalvari submarine:  Indian Navy has successfully test-fired an anti-ship missile from an indigenously built INS Kalvari submarine in Arabian sea. INS Kalvari is the first of India’s six scorpene-class submarines which are being built under the Project 75.

9.  Internet users in India to cross 450 mn by June: According to the report of Internet, Mobile Association of India and Indian Market Research Bureau, Internet users in the country are expected to be in the range of 450 to 465 million by June 2017. There were 432 million users in December 2016. About 269 million were in urban areas and only 17% penetration in Rural India.

10. Andhra Pradesh Cabinet accepts naming of Tirupati Airport as Sri Venkateswara Airport: The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet has accepted the naming of "Gannavaram Airport" as "NTR Amaravati Airport" and "Tirupati Airport" as "Sri Venkateswara Airport". Now, the proposals for renaming the airports would be sent to the Centre for approval.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Dalai Lama’s Arunachal visit will harm ties: China to India: Bilateral ties will be seriously damaged if India allows Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to go ahead with a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, China said on Friday. "China's position on the eastern section of China-India border dispute is consistent and clear. The Dalai-clique has long been engaging in anti-China separatist activities," China's Foreign Ministry said.

2. China can cede Aksai Chin if India does in east: Ex-diplomat: Dai Bingguo, China's retired negotiator on the border talks, has said that if India agreed to make concessions in the eastern sector, China would also make concessions in Aksai Chin. Notably, while India sees China as occupying 38,000 sq km of its territory in Aksai Chin, China claims 90,000 sq km in Arunachal Pradesh.

3.  World Wildlife Day: 3rd March: The World Wildlife Day has been observed across the world on 3rd March 2017 with the theme 'Listen to the young voices'.

The day is celebrated and implemented by the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in collaboration with other relevant United Nations organizations.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Indian Badminton Duo Tarun Kona and Alwin Francis wins Uganda International Series Doubles Title: Indian shuttler duo Tarun Kona and Alwin Francis has won the Men’s Double title at the 2017 Uganda International Series at MTN Arena Lugogo, Kampala. They defeated Aatish Lubah and Georges Julien Paul of Mauritius, 21-8, 21-14. In Men’s Single George Julien Paul (Mauritius) defeated Edwin Ekiring (Uganda). In Women’s Single Shamim Bangi (Uganda) defeated Domou Amro (Jordan).

2.  Dubai Tennis Championship: Paes & Bopanna to face each other in men's doubles semi-final: Indian tennis stars Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna will face each other in the men's doubles semifinal of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Paes is paired with Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) while Bopanna paired with Marcin Matkowski(Poland).

BANKING:

3. Reliance General Insurance ties up with Catholic Syrian Bank: The Reliance General Insurance (part of Reliance Capital) has tied up with Catholic Syrian Bank to expand its distribution network. RGI will offer its general insurance products to Catholic Syrian Bank's 1.5 million customer base spread across its 430 branches in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra. This tie-up will enable RGI to leverage Catholic Syrian Bank's unparalleled retail and SME customer base.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd March, 2017

                        NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government Panel recommends legal framework to protect interests of migrants: Government appointed ‘Working Group on Migration’ headed by Partha Mukhopadhay has recommended necessary legal and policy framework to protect the interests of the migrants in the country. The panel in its report stated that the migrant population makes substantial contribution to economic growth and so it is necessary to secure their Constitutional rights. The 18-member Working Group was constituted by Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) in 2015.

2. Thiruvananthapuram tops city governance ranking: ASICS: Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala, has topped in city governance ranking of the Annual Survey of India’s City Systems (ASICS) 2016 conducted by Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. This year it was the fourth edition the annual survey which had evaluated 21 major cities from the 18 states. It highlighted inadequacies in urban governance that could affect public service delivery and quality of life.

3. IMD predicts above normal temperature in 2017 summer: India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast above normal temperature in most parts of the country during 2017 summer season. The predictions were given by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune. The maximum temperatures in March to May 2017 are likely to be warmer by more than 1°C in north, northwest and parts of central India. In other parts, maximum temperature will be between 0.5 to 1°C more than the normal.

4. J S Deepak named India's next Ambassador to WTO: Telecom Secretary J S Deepak (IAS officer -1982 batch Uttar Pradesh) was named India's next Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) from June 2017. Deepak has been shifted from the telecom ministry and has been made Officer on Special Duty in the commerce department with "immediate effect".

5. Sanjiv Singh appointed Indian Oil Corporation Chairman: Sanjiv Singh has been appointed as the chairman of the country’s largest commercial enterprise Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL).

6. Ajay Tyagi takes charge as 9th Sebi chief: IAS officer Ajay Tyagi is taking charge as the chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 2 March 2017. He has replaced Mr. U.K Sinha.  

7. Supersonic Prithvi Interceptor Missile Successfully Test-fired: Indigenously developed supersonic Prithvi interceptor missile was successfully test-fired from launch complex III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island in Balasore, Odisha. 

8. World Bank offers over $1-billion loan to Maharashtra: The World Bank has announced an assistance programme of over $1 billion in the areas of urban transport and climate resilient agriculture in Maharashtra, over the next 2-3 years.

This was announced by the World Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Kristalina Georgieva. Over the last five years, World Bank had invested over $1.4 billion in Maharashtra in urban transport, rural water supply, and agriculture.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Free trip offered for tech job interviews in New Zealand: New Zealand capital Wellington has offered a free trip to techies to fill 100 open jobs in positions like business intelligence insights analysts, engineers, developers, and digital strategists. The four-day trip includes pre-arranged job interviews, meet-ups and exploration, with flights and accommodation paid for. However, the registration website crashed after receiving heavy traffic.

2. World's biggest banks fined $321 bn since financial crisis: World's major banks have paid $321 billion (₹21 lakh crore) in fines since the 2008 financial crisis for regulatory failings like money laundering and market manipulation, according to Boston Consulting Group. Almost 10 years after the onset of the crisis, the banking industry still hasn't completely recovered, BCG said. This tally is set to increase in coming years, it added.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Virat Kohli to receive Polly Umrigar Award & Ashwin to get Dilip Sardesai Award:

Indian Captain Virat Kohli will receive the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award. The award is given to India's International Cricketer of the Year at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Annual Awards, to be held in Bengaluru on 8th March 2017. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been nominated for the Dilip Sardesai Award.

2. Luis Norton de Matos appointed new head coach of India U-17 Football Team: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Portugal's Luis Norton de Matos as the head coach of the India Under-17 team for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

3. NZ's Martin Guptill sets record of most 180+ scores in ODIs: New Zealand opener Martin Guptill set the record for most 180-plus individual ODI scores, bringing up his career's third against South Africa on Wednesday. Guptill, who scored 180* in Hamilton, has previously hit 237* against West Indies in 2015 and 189* against England in 2013. Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma have two 180-plus ODI scores each.

4. Tokyo 2020 to have transgender-friendly toilets: The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic venues are set to have gender-neutral public restrooms. At least one universal-use toilet has been planned for seven of the 11 venues the metropolitan government is building from scratch.

BANKING & FINANCE

5. Banks refusing to exchange soiled notes to be fined ₹10,000: Any bank branch that refuses to exchange soiled or scribbled currency notes from people will have to pay a penalty of ₹10,000, the RBI has clarified. However, a bank may levy a service charge if a person exchanges more than 20 notes, or notes worth ₹5,000 per day. The RBI also clarified that such notes continue to be legal tender.

6. Snapchat IPO values the company at $24 billion: Snapchat, now Snap, has given a final price for its IPO, setting the company's valuation at nearly $24 billion (₹1.6 lakh crore) at $17 (₹1,134) per share, according to The Wall Street Journal. During its last funding round, Snapchat was reportedly valued at about $20 billion. At this price, it would be the biggest technology IPO since Alibaba.

7. Govt. asks banks to provide mobile banking facility to customers by 31st March: The union government has asked all banks to provide mobile banking facility to all customers by 31st March in a bid to push digital transactions.

8. Reliance General Insurance, Catholic Syrian Bank tie up: Reliance General Insurance (RGI), a part of Reliance Capital, has entered into a bancassurance tie-up with Catholic Syrian Bank.With this tie-up, RGI will offer its general insurance products to Catholic Syrian Bank's 1.5 million customer base spread across its 430 branches in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. 

Daily GK Updates - 1st March, 2017

­­­­                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NFHS 4 shows improved sex ratio, decline in infant mortality rate: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare unveiled last National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4) for 2015-16. It has shown positive trends in key health indicators, including an decline in infant mortality rate (IMR) and improvement in sex ratio at birth during 2015-16. The survey was conducted after collecting information from 6 lakh households, 7 lakh women and 1.3 lakh men. For the first time it provides district level estimates

2. Three Forest Research Institutes develop High-Yielding Varieties of Plant Species: Three institutes of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun have developed 20 high-yielding varieties of plant species. These three institutes are Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun Tropical Forest Research Institute (TFRI), Jabalpur and Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore. ICFRE’s Variety Releasing Committee (VRC) has granted approval for the release of these varieties of plant species. These developed varieties had gone through stringent long field trials and testing before release. Key Facts

3. Hard work more powerful than Harvard: PM Modi: After the latest GDP growth data despite the Centre's demonetisation move, PM Modi on Wednesday said, "Hard work is much more powerful than Harvard." "On the one hand are those who talk of what people at Harvard say and on the other is a poor man's son who through his hard work is trying to improve the economy," he added.

4. Govt. to allow online filing of officers' performance reports: The Centre has decided to amend the rules to allow online filing of performance reports of IAS and IPS officers. The move will reportedly help in checking delayed submission of the confidential reports and claims of bias in giving low ratings to an officer. The rules would be applicable to members of all India services – IAS, IPS and IFoS.

5. India's GDP grew 7% in December quarter despite note ban: India's GDP growth came in at 7% in the December quarter, despite the government's decision to demonetise high-value currency. However, the pace of growth did slow from the 7.4% growth logged in the second quarter of this fiscal.

7. MEITY to promote digital transactions in place of NITI Aayog: The Union Government has shifted the responsibility of promoting digital transactions in the country to the Union Ministry of IT and Electronics (MEITY) from NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. In this regard, Government already has changed the business transaction rules to enable MEITY to promote digital transactions, including digital payments.

8. 4th India-CLMV Business Conclave held in Jaipur: The fourth edition of India – CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam) Business Conclave was held in Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan. The two-day conference organised by Department of Commerce and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) held deliberations on manufacturing, renewable energy, agriculture and skilling among others sectors in the region.

9. World Bank CEO visits Asia's largest slum Dharavi in Mumbai: World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva has visited Asia's largest slum Dharavi in Mumbai. Earlier, Georgieva had also travelled in a Mumbai local train. Georgieva is on her first official visit to India. She will see the operations of World Bank-supported suburban rail system in Mumbai and meet key policy-makers including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, RBI Governor Urjit Patel, among others.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan must vacate illegally occupied PoK: India at UN: India has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to ask Pakistan to fulfil its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions and vacate illegally occupied PoK. Pakistan has had territorial ambitions over Kashmir since 1947, and it illegally occupies 78,000 square km Indian territory in Kashmir, India said. India also asked Pakistan to stop inciting violence in Indian territory.

2. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai calls net neutrality rules a 'mistake': Ajit Pai, the recently-appointed Chairman of Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadband in the US, has called net neutrality rules "a mistake". Pai added, "Rules developed to tame 1930s monopoly were imported into 21st century to regulate the internet." Net neutrality is the principle that data on the internet should not be priced differentially based on users or content.

3. China to build underwater observatory in S China Sea: Report: China will build its first national underwater observatory in the disputed South China Sea, according to reports. Such a platform will reportedly allow the country to keep a check on underwater physical, chemical, and geological dynamics in real time. South China Sea has been a disputed territory with China claiming almost all of the waters.

4. Trump orders new agency for victims of crime by immigrants: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he has ordered Homeland Security to create an office called VOICE – Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement. Trump gave examples of Americans in the audience whose loved ones were killed by illegal immigrants. He condemned the shooting of an Indian engineer while adding that the US would be protected against "radical Islamic terrorism."

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Jitu Rai sets world record to win gold at ISSF World Cup: Indian shooter Jitu Rai won the gold in the 50-metre air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Delhi on Wednesday, with a world record finals' score of 230.1. This is Jitu's third medal in the competition, having won a gold earlier in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event, and a bronze in the men's 10-metre air pistol.

2. 15-year-old Indian para shooter sets junior world record: India's 15-year-old para shooter Avani Lekhara shot a junior world record score of 244.4 at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Al Ain, UAE, winning a silver medal at the competition last week. Another Indian shooter, Pooja Agarwal, also won a silver medal at the tournament. Notably, both Indian shooters were making their international debuts at the competition.

3. India wins bronze at World Women's Chess Championship: Indian grandmaster Harika Dronavalli has won a bronze medal at the 2017 Women's World Chess Championship in Tehran. Harika lost to China's Tan Zhongyi in a semi-final tie-breaker to settle for bronze for the third time in a row. Harika attained the title of Grandmaster in 2011 and is ranked eighth in the world among female players.

BANKING

4. HDFC, ICICI, Axis to levy ₹150 after four transactions a month: HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank have started charging a minimum of ₹150 per transaction for cash deposits and withdrawals beyond four free transactions in a month. The banks will charge ₹5 per thousand rupees or ₹150, whichever is higher, after the free transactions. The banks reportedly said there has been no directive from the government in this regard.

5. Get all accounts on net banking by March 31: Govt to banks: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked banks to get all the accounts enabled with net banking by March 31 this year. A third of all bank accounts across the country are not linked to the internet yet, the government said. One lakh common service centres already launched by the government will help the banks on the move.

Daily GK Updates - 28th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Hyperloop One asks Indian public to vote for preferred route: High-speed transport system developer Hyperloop One on Tuesday launched a poll asking the Indian public to vote for their preferred route from among the proposed five. The proposed route from Mumbai to Old Delhi will have a travel time of 80 minutes, while the one from Chennai to Bengaluru will take 20 minutes.

2. India's first dedicated heliport opens in Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju on Tuesday inaugurated India’s first integrated heliport in Rohini, New Delhi. The ₹100-crore project, built by Pawan Hans Limited, will feature nine parking bays, and an air-conditioned passenger terminal which can hold up to 150 people. The heliport is expected to reduce congestion at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.

3. India's largest paramilitary force without a regular chief: India's largest paramilitary force, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has been rendered without a regular chief after its Director General (DG) K Durga Prasad retired without a successor being named. However, the Home Ministry has issued an order giving CRPF Additional DG Sudeep Lakhtakia an additional charge of the post of DG till the appointment of a regular successor.

4. February 28: National Science Day : The National Science Day (NSD) i.e. Rashtriya Vigyan Diwas is celebrated every year on February 28 in India. The 2017 theme is “Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons”. This day marks the epoch-making discovery of Raman Effect by Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman) on February 28, 1928. This discovery was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. This day is celebrated as science festival in the entire nation by organising science exhibitions, seminars, workshops, symposiums and many other activities.

5. Nand Kumar Sai takes charge as Chairperson of NCST : Senior tribal leader from Chhattisgarh and ex-parliamentarian Nand Kumar Sai (71) took charge as Chairperson of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in Delhi. He succeeds Rameshwar Oraon, whose tenure had ended on October 31, 2016. He will have tenure of three years and has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister.

6. INS Viraat to be decommissioned on March 6: INS Viraat, the second aircraft carrier in the Indian naval fleet, will be decommissioned on March 6, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra said on Monday. INS Viraat holds a Guinness world record for being the oldest surviving aircraft carrier. It was first commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1987 after serving the United Kingdom's Royal Navy for 27 years

7. Gopal Baglay replaces Vikas Swarup as MEA Spokesperson:The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday appointed the 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service officer Gopal Baglay as the new MEA Spokesperson. Baglay has replaced Vikas Swarup, who has been appointed as the Indian High Commissioner to Canada. Prior to this appointment, Baglay served as the Joint Secretary of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan division of the ministry.

8. Prabhu flags off Humsafar express between Sriganganagar and Tiruchirapalli: The union Railways minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off via video conferencing new 'HumsafarExpress' between Sriganganagar and Tiruchirapalli.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Saudi king brings 459 tons of luggage, 2 limos on Asia trip: Saudi Arabia's King, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is heading to Indonesia with 459 tonnes of luggage, 2 Mercedes-Benz limousines and his own private electric elevator on his month-long Asia trip. He is also to bring 1,500 people in his entourage including 10 ministers on his Indonesian visit. The trip is aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between Asia and Saudi.

                      OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. 15-year-old Indian para shooter sets junior world record: India's 15-year-old para shooter Avani Lekhara shot a junior world record score of 244.4 at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Al Ain, UAE, winning a silver medal at the competition last week. Another Indian shooter, Pooja Agarwal, also won a silver medal at the tournament. Notably, both Indian shooters were making their international debuts at the competition.

2. Govt felicitates Dipa Karmakar, 6 Olympians from NE states: The Union Government on Tuesday felicitated Dipa Karmakar, besides six other Olympians from northeast states, as part of their outreach to sportspersons from those states. The athletes, who were awarded ₹2 lakh each, included women's hockey team captain P Sushila Chanu, archer Bombayla Devi and boxer Shiva Thapa. Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Jitendra Singh were present at the event

BANKING/FINANCE:

4. Over 10 lakh bankers go on nationwide strike:Banking operations across the country came to a halt today as over 10 lakh bankers went on a nationwide strike against the government's "anti-people banking reforms". Around 85,000 branches of commercial banks and over 1 lakh branches of co-operative banks are on strike. Clearance of 40 lakh cheques totalling around ₹22,000 crore is expected to be affected.

6. Reserve Bank of India sets up panel to review cyber threats: Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday announced setting up of the inter-disciplinary standing committee on cyber security to review the threats inherent in existing and emerging technology. The 11-member committee will study the adoption of various security standards and protocols, and suggest appropriate policy interventions for strengthening cyber security and resilience, the central bank said.