Daily GK Updates - 20th March, 2017

­­­­                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Union cabinet clears 4 GST supplementary legislations for introduction to parliament: Today, in the meeting of union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared four supporting Goods and Services Tax (GST) legislations, paving the way for their introduction in Parliament soon. The four supporting legislations, the Compensation Law, the Central-GST (C GST), Integrated-GST (I-GST) and Union Territory-GST (UT-GST) would be introduced as Money Bill. Once approved by Parliament, the states would start taking their State-GST (S-GST) bill for discussion and passage in the respective state assemblies. Earlier, the GST Council had given approval to the four legislations as also the State-GST bill. While the S-GST has to be passed by each of the state legislative assemblies, the four other laws have to be approved by Parliament.

2.  The 5th foundation day function of BIRAC: The Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan  inaugurated the 5th foundation day function of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council in New Delhi. More than 300 Scientists, Entrepreneurs, Industry Experts, and Policy Makers including large number of stakeholders both national and international is taking part in the event. The discussion will focus on the impact the Biotech Ecosystem is making on the Indian economy and the opportunities which exist for the Indian Biotech Sector as a global player.

3. Bikaner passport seva kendra inaugurated: The Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has inaugurated a passport seva kendra at a post office in Bikaner (Rajasthan). Similar kendra will be inaugurated in Jhunjhunu, Kota, Jhalawar (RPT Jhalawar) and Jaisalmer by 31^st  March. The central government has taken this step of opening passport seva kendras in post offices for people's convenience.

4. 1.04 crore people hit by arsenic contamination in Bengal:  According to recent report tabled in the Lok Sabha, West Bengal has the highest number of arsenic-affected people in the country. State’s 83 blocks in eight districts have ground water affected by arsenic contamination. Despite the State government’s efforts to curb the Arsenic menace, there is still a lot to be done. So far, state government was able to provide safe drinking water to 52% of the arsenic-affected areas in Bengal.

5. Justice Navniti Prasad Singh took oath as Chief Justice of Kerala High Court: Kerala Governor Sathasivam administered Justice Navniti Prasad Singh the oath at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala). Justice Singh is the former judge in the Patna High Court. Earlier, the acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Justice TB Radhakrishnan has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court.

6. Cheneni-Nashiri: India’s Longest Road Tunnel completes trial run: India’s longest surface tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district is complete. It will be open to traffic soon, following successful completion of trial runs for peak and off-peak hours.   The 9-km-long tunnel at Chenani passes through the lower Himalayan mountain range on Jammu- Srinagar National Highway. The 9-km-long twin-tube tunnel located at an elevation of 1,200 metres. It is an important part of a 286-km-long four-lane project on the highway.

                      INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UK to trigger Brexit process on March 29: UK PM Theresa May will trigger the two-year process of leaving the European Union on March 29, UK ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow formally notified the EU President Donald Tusk on Monday. Adding that the UK expects to receive a response from the EU within 48 hours, May's official spokesperson said, Britain will exit EU on March 29, 2019.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Tamil Nadu wins Vijay Hazare Trophy 2016-17: Tamil Nadu beat Bengal by 37 runs in the final of Vijay Hazare trophy 2016-17 on Monday. With this win, Tamil Nadu become the only team to win the tournament five times. Tamil Nadu first scored 217 runs in 47.2 overs then restricted Bengal team at 180.

2.  Shahid Afridi appointed as ambassador of Blind Cricket World Cup: Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has been appointed as the ambassador for the fifth edition of the Blind Cricket World Cup 2018. The announcement was made by the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC). Blind Cricket World Cup will be hosted by PBCC in theUnited Arab Emirates(UAE) and Pakistan in January 2018.

3. K T Irfan wins bronze in Asian 20km Race Walk Championships: National record holder K T Irfan clocked an impressive timing to win a bronze in the 20 kilometer men's event in the Asian Race Walk Championships at Nomi in Japan.

Irfan finished the race in 1 hour 20 minutes and 59 seconds, a tad slower than his national record timing of 1 hour, 20 minutes, 21 seconds. Earlier, he had set the national recode while finishing 10th in the 2012 London Olympics. Kim Hyun-Sub(Korea) took the gold in while Georgiy Sheiko (Kazakhstan) bagged the silver in the event.

BANKING & FINANCE

4. The union Govt. swaps chief executives of IDBI Bank & Indian Bank: The Union govt. has swapped the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Indian Bank and IDBI Bank. Managing Director & CEO at Indian Bank Mahesh Kumar Jain has been appointed as Managing Director & CEO of IDBI Bank. IDBI Bank CEO Kishore Piraji Kharat has been appointed as Managing Director and CEO of Indian Bank.

5. World Bank announces 57 billion US dollar for sub-Saharan Africa: World Bank has announced 57 billion US dollar financing for sub-Saharan Africa over the next three fiscal years (2017-2019). Of that total, 45 billion dollars will come from the International Development Association (IDA), 8 billion dollars from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and USD 4 billion dollars will come from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

6. Idea Cellular approves merger with Vodafone India: Today, the board of directors of Idea Cellular has approved the scheme of amalgamation of Vodafone India Limited (VIL) and its wholly owned subsidiary Vodafone Mobile Services Limited (VMSL) with the company. The transaction is subject to necessary approvals from concerned authorities like SEBI, Department of Telecom, RBI and others.

Vodafone will hold a 45.1% stake in the combined entity, Aditya Birla Group will hold 26% and the remaining shares will be held by the public. The merger is expected to be completed by March 2019, and the newly merged entity will named at a later date. Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla has been appointed as the Chairman of Vodafone-Idea merged entity.

7. Snapdeal appoints Jason Kothari as CEO of FreeCharge: E-commerce firm Snapdeal announced the appointment of Jason Kothari as the Chief Executive Officer of its digital payment platform FreeCharge. In addition to taking on the role of CEO, Jason will continue his key leadership role as Chief Strategy and Investment Officer at Snapdeal.

8. Amazon India brings out ‘A-Z GST Guide’ program: E-commerce major Amazon India has come out with a new program for sellers to get insights and help related to the goods and services tax (GST), called the ‘A-Z GST Guide’.

The programme in its pilot phase has already trained over 5,000 sellers on the Amazon platform. The portal provides resources in the form of tutorials, blogs, and free online training sessions.

OBITUARIES

9. Former Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra passes away: Former bureaucrat turned politician Pyari Mohan Mohapatra (77-year) passed away at a hospital in Mumbai. He was the former Rajya Sabha member and founder of the Odisha Jan Morcha. Mohapatra is widely credited with Biju Janata Dal’ unstoppable growth from until 2012 and political advisor of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Daily GK Updates - 19th March, 2017

­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Yogi Adityanath takes oath as UP's 21st chief minister: BJP leader Yogi Adityanath took oath as UP chief minister at a ceremony at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan in Lucknow on Sunday. Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya were sworn in asDeputy CMs of the State. PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah attended the ceremony.

2. Amitabh Bachchan launches world's first app for breast health: Mumbai-based Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation has released an app,  ‘ABC of Breast Health’ to provide information under one roof.  Tha App was launched by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, the app will provide information in 12 languages.

3. Kerala becomes first Indian state to declare Internet a basic human right: Kerala, the most literate state in India, has just declared Internet access as a basic right for every citizen just like food, education and water.  The state budget has unveiled a project, which aims to provide internet connections free of cost to 20 lakh poor families and at subsidised rates to others.

4. Govt to launch 'Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojna' for senior citizens: Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot and I&B Minister Venkaiah Naidu will launch 'Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojna' on March 25. As part of the scheme, senior citizens, living below the poverty line, will get for free assistive devices like hearing aids and wheelchairs.

5. Government releases Draft Labour Code on Social Security & Welfare: The Union Labour Ministry has proposed a labour code which will provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country, including self-employed and agricultural workers. In this regard, it has proposed a draft code on Social Security and Welfare with an aim to provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country of about 45 crore workers. 

6. Punjab to provide 33 percent reservation for women in govt jobs: Punjab cabinet has decided to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in all government jobs.  The cabinet also decided to increase representation of women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent. 

7. Indian railways signs agreement with Australian research center: To support future research and technology development, related to critical infrastructure in India, a railway research center in Australia has entered into an agreement with the Indian Railways. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL), a Special Purpose Vehicle set up under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways, has signed an agreement with representatives from Monash University's Institute of Railway Technology (IRT), Australia in New Delhi. Establishment of a new applied research and development institute in India, SRESTHA (Special Railway Establishment for Strategic Technology & Holistic Advancement) will be guided by them.

8. Delegation leaves for Pak to discuss IWT after 6 months: A 10-member Indian delegation left for Pakistan on Sunday to take part in the meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) beginning on Monday in Islamabad. The meeting will take place nearly six months after India decided to suspend talks on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the wake of the Uri terror attack.

9. CVC rejects reports about deletion of its online data: The Central Vigilance Commission has denied reports which had claimed that its entire online data, including complaints filed before November 28, 2016, got deleted following a server crash. The Commission has stated that the complete data and the related information of all actionable complaints are available in files and records with it.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Norway is going to construct the world’s first ship tunnel: It is being constructed to improve the safety in the Stad Peninsula. The 1.7 km long Stad Ship Tunnel will be capable of carrying 16000-tonne freight and passenger ships.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Mumbai removed as Full Member of BCCI in new constitution: Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators has removed 41-time Ranji winners, Mumbai, as Full Member of BCCI and granted it Associate status. As per the Lodha Committee recommendations, only one association from a state is permitted Full Membership, with the Maharashtra Cricket Association representing the state. Bihar, Telangana and all Northeastern states have been given Full Membership.

2. Man Utd become first club to win 600 Premier League matches: Manchester United have become the first club to win 600 matches in the Premier League history after defeating Middlesbrough 3-1 on Sunday. Manchester United are followed by Arsenal (517) and Chelsea (508), the only other clubs to have won 500-plus PL matches. With the win, United extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches and moved up to the fifth place.

OBITUARIES:

3. “Chuck Berry” passes away: Known popularly as Father of Rock and Roll, Chuck Berry passed away in the US. Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive. 

Daily GK Updates - 18th March, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Trivendra Rawat sworn in as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand: Former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak and MLA of Doiwala ‘Trivendra Singh Rawat’ (57-year)sworn in as a new Uttarakhand Chief Minister (9th) in the state capital Dehradun. Governor KK Paul administered the oath

2. GST Council Approves SGST & UTGST Draft Bills: The Goods and Service Tax (GST) council headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley cleared the remaining State GST (SGST) and Union Territory GST (UTGST) draft bills during its 12 Council meeting.

Now with this Council has approved all five draft bills for GST which is likely to be rollout by July 1, 2017.

3. Karan Avtar Singh appointed as Chief Secretary of Punjab: Senior IAS officer Karan Avtar Singh (1984-batch) has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Punjab. Singh was also given the charge of the Principal Secretary of Department of Personnel, General Administration and Vigilance and Investment Promotion.

4. Dalai Lama Inaugurated the International Buddhist Conference in Bihar: The three-day International Buddhist conference has been jointly inaugurated by respected religious leader Dalai Lama and the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mahesh Sharma at Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Rajgir (Bihar). More than 1000 delegates from 35 countries including Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Singapore is participating in the event. The main topic of the conference is Buddhism in the 21st century.

Last year, it was held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

5. Sanjauli police post becomes first in India to be linked with CCTNS: Sanjauli police station of Sanjauli the main suburb of the city of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh has become the first police post in the country to be linked with Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a nationwide online tracking system.

6. CCEA approves setting up of 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal for setting up around 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) under Civil or Defence Sector in the country. The Kendriya Vidyalayas are considered as model schools in the country in terms of physical infrastructure, teaching resources, curriculum and academic performance. There are over 1100 functional Kendriya Vidyalayas at present, including three international branches at Moscow, Kathmandu, and Tehran.

7. India, Brazil finalise social security agreement: India and Brazil have finalised text of the Social Security Agreement (SSA). It will come in force by early 2018 after it is ratified. 

8. India, Russia ink long-term support pact on Sukhoi Su-30MKI: India and Russia have signed two long-term support agreements for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat aircraft fleet, covering around 57,000 spares and components related to the aircraft. The agreements were signed by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and United Engine Corporation at the first India-Russia Military Industrial Conference held in New Delhi.

9. Babul Supriyo named vice-president of FIFA U-17 World Cup: The Union Minister of State Babul Supriyo has been appointed as vice-president of the local organizing committee for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. For the first time, India to host FIFA U-17 World from 6 to 28 October, 2017.

interNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Germany to use voice recognition to identify migrant origins: Germany is to begin testing new voice recognition software that can tell which country migrants without documentation come from. The automated new system would begin within two weeks.

Other UPDATES

BANKING & FINANCE

1. RBI to print Rs 10 plastic notes: RBI has been authorized by Government of India (GOI) to conduct field trials of plastic notes of Rs 10 in five cities across the country viz Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, Shimla and Bhubaneswar.

The main purpose of introducing plastic note is to extend the life cycle of banknotes.

2. World Bank approves $175 million loan for India’s National Hydrology Project: The World Bank has approved $175 million for India’s ambitious National Hydrology Project to improve its ability to forecast floods and reduce vulnerability to recurring floods and droughts. 

SPORTS

3. Michael Clarke’s launches his autobiography ‘My Story’: Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has launched his autobiography named ‘My Story’ in Kolkata. This book was triggered by how he was affected by Phil Hughes’ death when India was touring Australia in 2014-15.

OBITUARIES

4. Nobel laureate Derek Walcott, a Caribbean poet passes away: Nobel-prize winning poet, playwright, and painter "Derek Alton Walcott" (87-year) has passed away. Walcott known for capturing the essence of his native Caribbean. The prolific and versatile poet received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1992.

Daily GK Updates - 17th March, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Bibhu Prasad Kanungo takes charge as the Deputy Governor of RBI: 58 year old Bibhu Prasad Kanungo belongs to the coastal Kendrapara district in Odisha.

Prasad joined Reserve Bank of India in 1980 as officer after clearing the Grade B examination of the organisation.

2. BSNL - MTNL Merger suggested by Parliamentary Panel: The committee of petitions led by BJP MP Bhagat Singh Koshyari has suggested the merger of BSNL - MTNL in its report for the long term survival of these entities.

The committee was formed to look into the improvement in services of BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) and MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited).

3. India joins WHO call to end TB by 2030 in South East Asian: India with World Health Organization (WHO) signed a 'call for action' and pledged to scale up measures to end the Tuberculosis by 2030. India among other countries in the South East Asian Region, which bear half of the global tuberculosis burden. India reports 2.8 million new TB cases annually and nearly half a million deaths due to the disease.

4. National Health Policy 2017 approved by Union Cabinet: J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, announced that the National Health Policy 2017 is patient-centric and quality-driven, which provides the much needed policy framework for achieving universal health coverage and delivering quality health care services to all at an affordable cost. The Health Ministry has formulated the National Health Policy 2017 after a gap of 14 years.

5. Manhar Valji Bhai Zala assumes office as the new Chairman of  National Commission for Safai Karamcharis: Manhar Valji ensured that issues affecting the Safai Karamcharis  socio-economic and working conditions will be addressed to in the right earnest.

interNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Pinterest is now blocked in China: According to reports, image-curation website Pinterest has been unavailable in mainland China since last Thursday. It is noteworthy that Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are already on the list of social media platforms blocked in China.

2. SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launches EchoStar 23 Satellite: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket conducted its third flight of the year to launch a commercial communications satellite in the geosynchronous transfer orbit. The launch took off from NASA’s Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and carried the EchoStar 23 communications satellite into orbit. 

Other UPDATES

BANKING & FINANCE

1. Dilip Shanghvi appointed as member of RBI's western board: Sun Pharmaceuticals Managing Director Dilip Shanghvi has been appointed by the central government as a member of the western area local board of Reserve Bank of India.

2. Bandhan Bank ties up with Avenues India: Bandhan Bank, has signed an agreement with Avenues India Pvt Ltd, a payment solution provider to provide merchants with seamless access to point-of-sales (POS) and payment gateway products.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

3. BSE ties up with Sentifi for algo analysis, updates: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has tied up with Sentifi, a Swiss company and leader in algorithmic-based analysis, for social media updates of 40,000 globally listed stocks. Sentifi analyses in real time the public online communication of more than 60 lakh persons and organizations relevant to the financial markets. 

AWARDS & HONOURS

4. Indrani Das wins top prize in Regeneron Science Talent Search competition: Indian-American teenager Indrani Das (17) has won the top prize of $2,50,000 in the Regeneron Science Talent Search competition in the United States (US). She has won the award for her research on treating brain injury and disease.

Daily GK Updates - 16th March, 2017

­­­­                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government launches Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme: The Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry has launched Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) for developing export linked infrastructure in states with a view to promoting outbound shipments. TIES seeks to bridge the critical infrastructure gap and provide forward and backward linkages to units engaged in trade activities.

2. Government unveils revised Building Code: The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution unveiled the revised Building Code, making builders liable for the structure’s safety. The code has been prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). It is voluntary in nature, but the states can incorporate them in their building bylaws.

3. CCEA approves Policy for Early Monetization of Coal Bed Methane Gas: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Policy for Early Monetization of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Gas Marketing and Pricing Freedom for CBM Gas. The policy provides marketing and pricing freedom to the CBM Contractors to sell the CBM at Arm’s Length Price in the domestic market. 

4. Cabinet approves revised MoU with Bangladesh to set up Border Haats: The Union Cabinet has approved Revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Mode of Operation (MoO) between India and Bangladesh for establishing Border Haats on India-Bangladesh Border. The revised MoU and MoO will provide a legal framework for establishment and operationalization of additional Border Haats along India-Bangladesh border.

5. 15 IIITs declared as Institutes of National Importance: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public- Private Partnership) Bill, 2017. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

6. Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar takes charge as the Acting Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court: Sudhakar took charge as the acting chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir after the previous chief justice, NN Paul Vasanthakumar attained superannuation. President Pranab Mukherjee appointed Sudhakar as the acting chief justice as per the provisions conferred by Section 100 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.

7. Delhi Airport declared ‘Best Airport in India and Central Asia’: Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been declared as the "Best Airport in India and Central Asia" in Skytrax World Airport Awards.  The announcement was made at the World Airport Awards held at Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Wednesday night.

8.  Cabinet clears special assistance for EAPs in Andhra Pradesh: The Cabinet has approved financial assistance for bifurcated Andhra Pradesh by way of special dispensation in funding of Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) and also the irrigation component of Polavaram project. The special assistance will be provided to the state towards repayment of loan and interest for EAPs signed and disbursed from 2015-16 to 2019-20. The Centre will also fund 100% of the irrigation component of the Polavaram project starting from 1st of April, 2014.

9. Monetization of Coal Bed Methane Gas Marketing and Pricing Freedom for CBM Gas Policy approved by Cabinet: The approval was given by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Under the policy,  Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Contractors will be capable of marketing and pricing freedom to sell the CBM at Arm's Length Price in the domestic market.

The policy is expected to incentivize the CBM operation in the country in order to boost gas production as well as generate economic activities.

10. Annual Krishi Unnati Mela Begins in New Delhi: The three-day annual Krishi Unnati Mela was inaugurated by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute in Pusa, New Delhi. To provide information on new farm schemes and technologies and another welfare scheme that will help to double the farmer’s incomes by 2022. 

11. International Vision Zero Conference Begins In New Delhi: The International Conference on the Vision Zero and its relevance to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) began at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The aim is to focus on the Occupational Safety and Health issues and challenges in the Manufacturing, Construction and Mining sector and provide a forum for promoting safety and health at work by exchanging knowledge, practices, and experience.

12. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar (2016) awarded in New Delhi: The awards were presented during the inaugural function of Krishi Unnati Mela – 2017. The award was presented by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh, to Ramakrishna Ashram. The total sum of this award is Rs. 50 lakhs in which there is a provision of one award of Rs. 25.00 lakh at national level and 11 awards of Rs. 2.25 lakh at regional level every year will be awarded.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. IISc, IIT-B among THE's top 50 Asian universities list: The Times Higher Education's Asia University Rankings 2017 released on Wednesday listed Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science at 27, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay at 42, and Chennai's Veltech University at 43. With 33 universities in top-300 (up from 16 last year), India more than doubled its representation, becoming the third most-represented nation on the chart for the first time.

2. Queen Elizabeth II gives royal assent to Brexit bill: 50 bill by signing it into law. This gives PM Theresa May the legal power to choose when to start formal Brexit negotiations with the European Union. May is now free to trigger the exit clause but is not expected to do so until March end.

3. Indian-American sworn-in as top US healthcare agency head: US President Donald Trump's pick Seema Verma was sworn-in as the administrator of the government's Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

4. New Zealand gives a river the legal status of a person: New Zealand has passed a bill to grant the Whanganui River the legal status of a person with all the corresponding rights and duties. The river will be represented by two people, one from the local Maori community and the other by the government. Such a legal status is said to be the first of its kind in the world.

5. World Bank approves USD 450 mn assistance to Pakistan: The World Bank on Thursday approved a financial assistance worth USD 450 million to Pakistan to support its efforts to help the poor and most vulnerable people in the country.

The bank said the programme aims to raise financial access throughout Pakistan to 50% of adults by 2020.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.  Shashank Manohar steps down as ICC Chairman: Manohar had been serving dual role of ICC Chairman as well as BCCI President (since October 2015).

He was elected unopposed as the first independent Chairman of ICC for a two year term in May 2016. He submitted his resignation to David Richardson, ICC Chief Executive, just 8 months into his term.

BANKING & FINANCE:

2. State Bank of India signs MoU with CREDAI: State Bank of India and real estate developers’ body Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly conduct various initiatives towards development of the realty sector.

The MoU will be in force for a period of 3 years. CREDAI is the largest real estate association in the country with over 11,500 members.

3. UCO Bank ties up with FGII: Private insurer Future Generali India Insurance Company (FGII) has entered into a corporate agency tie-up for its products with public lender UCO Bank. The PSU lender will provide a window at its bank branches for marketing FGII’s offerings. Apart from UCO, the company has tie-ups with over 100 banks across the country. 

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

4. FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) signs MoU with Canon: The MoU has been signed to promote short courses in Film & Television. Under this, Canon will support skill-oriented courses as Technology Partner.

Daily GK Updates - 15th March, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Manohar Parrikar sworn in as the Chief Minister of Goa: Manohar Parrikar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Goa for the 4^th BJP had secured 13 seats in the Goa elections, second to Congress with 17 seats, but was successful in forming a ruling alliance. Out of the 9 council of ministers, BJP has only 2 more ministers apart from Parrikar, Francis D’Souza and Padurang Madkaikar.

2. Enemy property bill passed by Lok Sabha: Lok Sabha passed the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2006 after incorporating the changes made by Rajya Sabha. The act provides for the prevention of claims to any properties in India by the successors of people who migrated to Pakistan and China during partition.

3. Madhukar Gupta Committee on border protection submits report: The Madhukar Gupta Committee on border protection has submitted its report to the Union Government to strengthen border protection and address vulnerabilities in fencing along the Indo-Pakistan border. The Committee was constituted under chairmanship of former Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta in April 2016.

4. Govt introduces bill on inter-state river water row in Lok Sabha: The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha which proposes to streamline the adjudication of river water disputes and make the present legal and institutional architecture robust. Minister of Water Resources and River Development Uma Bharti introduced the Bill in the house. 

5. Government Establishes Banana Research Centre in Bihar: The Union Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the Banana Research Centre at Vaishali, Bihar Centre to fulfill the aspirations of the local banana growers. 

6. Gujarat to provide e-marketplace for businesses: The Gujarat government has entered into an agreement with a global cloud-based solutions provider cloudBuy.com to develop aB2B marketplace for small and large business units in the state.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. World Consumer Rights Day observed on 15 March: 15 March is observed as the World Consumer Rights Day to mark the date in 1962 when John F. Kennedy, US President, first gave the definition of Consumer Rights, with four basic consumer rights – Right to Safety, Right to Choose, Right to Information and Right to be Heard.

Theme for this year is ‘Building a digital world consumers can trust’.

2. Scientists discover world’s first fluorescent frog in Argentina: Scientists have discovered polka dot tree frog (Hypsiboas punctatus), the world’s first fluorescent frog in Argentina. 

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. IndusInd Bank to acquire IL & FS Securities Services: IndusInd Bank has entered into an agreement with Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL& FS) to acquire 100% stake in IL& FS Securities Services Ltd (ISSL).

2. Hyundai Signs 3 Bn Euro Deal For Iran Oil Project: Korea’s Hyundai Engineering Co has signed a deal worth 3 billion euros (USD 3.2 billion) with an Iranian investment fund to invest in a major Iranian oil project. 

3. Reliance Communications gets SEBI approval for merger with Aircel: Reliance Communications has received approvals from markets regulator SEBI and the stock exchanges for proposed demerger of its wireless business into Aircel Ltd.

SPORTS:

4. Google marks the 140 years of Test Cricket with a Doodle: The first ever, officially recognised test cricket match was played between the England and Australian Team from 15th – 19th March at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The match was won by Australian Team by 45 runs in 1877. Charles Bannerman scored 165 runs to become the first centurion.

5. Joanna Rowsell Shand, Double Olympic Gold Medalist retires: Joanna also won 5 world titles in her 10 year long international cycling career. She fetched gold in cycling in Olympics of London 2012 and Rio 2016. She belongs to UK.

Daily GK Updates - 14th March, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Government launches Mission Fingerling to achieve Blue Revolution: The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare has launched Mission Fingerling to achieve the Blue Revolution by enabling holistic development and management of fisheries. The programme will enhance the fisheries production from 10.79 mmt (2014-15) to 15 mmt by 2020-21.

Fish Fingerling production is the single most important critical input visualized to achieve fish production targets under the Blue Revolution.

2. Women Safety app ‘Ammavin Aran’ launched by AIADMK: The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) IT Wing has launched the women safety application 'Ammavin Aran' in Tamil Nadu.

The app will give the user details about the nearest police station and hospital along with map details and phone number. 

The app carries an in-built call recorder and 'Tips' icon to provide life- saving information.

3. Rs. 605-crore ‘KCR Kit’ scheme for pregnant women, new born: Focussing on women welfare and new born, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has come out with an innovative scheme – KCR Kit. The scheme is designed to address complications during the time of pregnancy and aimed at reducing infant mortality rate and encourage institutional deliveries. The KCR Kit consists of 16 essential things needed for a new-born and will be useful for up to three months. The government proposes to earmark Rs605 crore for the scheme.

4. Admiralty Bill  by Lok Sabha: Lok Sabha passes The Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims Bill which is also known as Admiralty Bill. Mr. Mansukh Madaviya has introduced the bill who is the Minister of State for Shipping on 16th November 2017.

5. SSB signs a MoU with National Skill Development Corporation: Sashastra Seema Bal signs a Memorandum with the NSDC popularly known as National Skill Development Corporation tp increase the skills of the individuals and their families. As a result, It is a step towards the development of India. Archana Ramasundaram is the Director of Sashastra Seema Bal.

6. New Chief Justices in High Courts of various states in India: In various states in India like Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, new Chief Justices are appointed in the High Courts. Justice Hemant Gupta, the Judge of Patna court is now the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Justice Rajendra Menon, the judge of Madhya Pradesh Court is now the Chief Justice of Patna.

7. Arunachal Pradesh Launches Adarsh Gram Yojana for Rural Poor: The Arunachal Pradesh government has launched a new scheme 'Adarsh Gram Yojana' to reach the poor people in rural areas of the state to serve them better.

Under the scheme, 123 villages will be developed as “Model Villages” during the FY 17-18.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Vienna tops the list of cities offering the highest quality of life (research by consulting firm Mercer’s): While Baghdad is again considered the worst place to live. This survey of 231 cities helps companies and organizations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. Singapore was the highest ranked Asian city, at 25 while 29th-placed San Francisco was the United States’ highest entry.

2. Pakistan is set to conduct its first national census in 19 years: With the assistance of over 200,000 troops, Pakistan will conduct its national census. The National census will be conducted in two phases from 15th March and will be completed on 25th May 2017.

3. Bangladesh’s unanimously adopted a resolution declaring 25th March as Genocide Day:  The day will be observed in remembrance of the atrocities carried out by the Pakistani Army in the night of 25th March, 1971.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. OnePlus India Ropes Amitabh Bachchan as its New Brand Ambassador: Chinese smartphone company OnePlus has roped in Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan as its new brand ambassador for India. Mr Bachchan is the first major face that OnePlus India is associating with for its latest flagship smartphone, OnePlus 3T. With this, Amitabh Bachchan has now joined the first-ever 'OnePlus Star' which is a select group of distinguished OnePlus users.

2. Intel to buy Mobileye for $ 15.3 billion: U.S. chip giant Intel has agreed to buy Israeli driverless technology firm Mobileye for $15.3 billion, the largest ever acquisition of an Israeli high-tech company. The $63.54 per share cash deal is the world's biggest purchase of a company solely focused on the autonomous driving sector. 

Mobileye accounts for 70 percent of the global market for advanced driver-assistance and anti-collision systems.

3. KPMG elects Bill Thomas as Global Chairman: William B Thomas has been elected Chairman of KPMG International. He will lead the KPMG global network of professional services firms for a 4-year term, effective October 1, 2017, succeeding John B Veihmeyer who is completing his term as Chairman and retiring from the firm, at the end of September 2017.

SPORTS:

4. Winners of 2017 All England Championship Title of Badminton:

Men’s Single: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei won the 2017 All England Championship Title of Badminton by defeating China’s Shi Yuqi by 21-12, 21-10 score.

Women’s Single: Tai Tzu-ying (China) won the title by defeating Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand) by 21-16, 22-20 score. 

Men’s Double: Indonesia’s Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo won the title by defeating China’s Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen by 21-19, 21-14 score. 

Women’s Double: South Korea’s Chang Ye Na and Lee So Hee won the title by defeating Denmark’s Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen by 21-18, 21-13 score. 

Mixed Double: China’s Lu Kai and Huang Yaqiong won the title by defeating Malaysia’s Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh by 18-21, 21-19, 21-14 score.

5. Punjab wins 2017 Santosh Trophy of Football: Punjab has won the 71st Santosh Trophy football tournament by defeating Railways by 2-1 goals. 

It was Punjab’s overall ninth Santosh Trophy after it had earlier won it in 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1987, 2006 and 2007.