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Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 1st May, 2017

­­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:
 
1.  Real Estate Act, aims at protecting interests of buyers, comes into effect: The ‘Real Estate Act’ which aims to protect the interests of homebuyers by ensuring transparency has come into effect. This act will ensure the much-desired transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the crucial real estate sector. 

2. Railways to use RFID tags to track wagons, coaches: The Indian Railways will use radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) for tracking of wagons, coaches, and locomotives to ensure effective and transparent functioning. Using RFID devices, it will be easier for the railways to know the exact position of wagons, locomotives, and coaches. Railways had implemented the RFID system on the Vishakhapatnam-Talcher-Paradeep section as a pilot project.

3. Haryana govt to set up 15 solid waste management clusters: The Haryana state Govt. has decided to set up 15 integrated solid waste management clusters to deal with solid waste in urban areas. Electricity would be generated from solid waste in three clusters and manure from the remaining 12 clusters. A solid waste management plant is being set up at Faridabad at a cost of Rs. 330 crore.

4. India to launch South-Asia satellite on May 5: The “South Asia satellite” for use by countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region will be launched on May 5. This was stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his latest ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio address. The Prime Minister has hailed the satellite as an invaluable gift of India to South Asia and has further stated that the satellite “will go a long way in addressing South Asia’s economic and developmental priorities.” During the 2014 SAARC summit that held in Nepal, the plan for the satellite was announced and subsequently all SAARC countries have joined it except Pakistan. Hence, the beneficiaries of the satellite will be Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives. The total cost of launching the satellite (around Rs 235 crore) would be met by the Government of India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
 
1. India to give Rs 35 cr to children of freedom fighters in Bangladesh: India will give Rs. 35 crore rupees to children of freedom fighters in Bangladesh under the new ‘Muktijodha scholarship’ scheme in the next five years. Under the scheme, students at higher secondary level will get a one-time grant of Tk 20,000 (Rs 15,370) and students at the undergraduate level will get a grant of Tk 50,000 (Rs 38,430). In addition, all freedom fighters will be eligible for multiple entries on Indian visa for a period of five years. Also, every year 100 of them will be entitled to free medical treatment in Indian hospitals.

2. Deputy PM & Home Minister of Nepal Bimalendra Nidhi resigns: The Deputy Prime Minister & Home Minister of Nepal Bimalendra Nidhi has resigned from his post in protest of impeachment motion registered against Nepal's first female chief justice Sushila Karki. At least 249 MPs signed the motion which is over the required number to open an impeachment investigation. It comes after the Supreme Court overturned the government's choice of chief of police.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS:
1. Valtteri Bottas wins first ever F1 race at Russian GP 2017: Finnish racing driver Valtteri Bottas (with Mercedes) has won his first Formula One victory at the 2017 Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom Russia. Bottas won the race by 0.617 seconds over Sebastian Vettel, the smallest winning margin since the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel finished in second and Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton stood fourth.

2. Paes-Lipsky win Tallahassee Challenger title of men's doubles: Indo-American tennis player Leander Paes and Scott Lipsky has won the Tallahassee Challenger title of the men's doubles. They defeated Argentine third seeds Leonardo Mayer and Maximo Gonzalez 4-6, 7-6(5), 10-7 in the summit clash. Earlier, Paes had won the Leon Challenger in Mexico with Adil Shamasdin.

3. Aizawl FC become first Northeastern club to win I-league: Aizawl FC has won its maiden I-League title against Shillong Lajong in their final game of the league season. Aizawl ended the league on 37 points and became the first club from the Northeast to bag the title. Mohun Bagan defeated Chennai City FC 2-1 and finished second in the League with 36 points.

4. Leander Paes Wins Tallahassee Challenger Title: The top-seeded Indo-American pair of Leander Paes and Scott Lipsky defeated Argentine third seeds Leonardo Mayer and Maximo Gonzalez to win the Tallahassee Challenger title of the men’s double. This title win is Paes’ 2nd Challenger level title of the season. The 2017 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger was played on green clay courts between 24 and 29 April 2017.

5. Aizawl FC become First Northeastern Club to Win I-League: Aizawl FC has won its maiden I-League title against Shillong Lajong in their final game of the league season to become the first ever club from the northeast to win the I-League title. This was the 10th edition of the I-League held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, The victory of Aizawl FC with a shoe-string budget against Shillong Lajong is considered as one of the biggest achievements in Indian football history. Aizawl ended the league with 37 points.
BANKING:
6. RBI asks ARCs to have a minimum net corpus of Rs100 crore by 2019: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked all the existing asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) to have a minimum net owned fund (NOF) of Rs100 crore by March 2019. This decision has been taken by RBI in accordance with its last bi-monthly monetary policy in which it had proposed to stipulate a minimum NOF of Rs100 crore taking into consideration the enhanced role and greater cash based transactions carried out by ARCs. As per amended SARFAESI Act, 2016, ARCs cannot carry on the business of securitisation or asset reconstruction without having NOF of not less than Rs 2 crore or any other amount stipulated by the RBI. As per the notification of RBI, the existing ARCs not meeting the minimum NOF criteria need to achieve the minimum NOF of Rs100 crore latest by 31 March 2019.

7.  SBI reduces term deposit rates by up to 50 bps: The State Bank of India (SBI) has cut its term deposit rates by up to 50 basis points for various maturities. The rates have been revised for medium and long term deposits and for the amount below Rs. one crore. Now, SBI will offer a rate of 6.25% as compared to 6.75% earlier for two to less than three year deposits, For the similar maturity, the deposit rates for senior citizen have been cut to 6.75% from 7.25%. The rates have been lowered by 25 basis points to 6.50% for deposits maturing between three years and 10 years. The bank is offering highest rates of 6.90% for one year to 455 days term deposits.
INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENT:
8. Yusra Mardini appointed UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador: The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) has appointed Syrian refugee and Olympic athlete 'Yusra Mardini' (19-years) as a Goodwill Ambassador to help raise awareness about the plight of refugees. Mardini has participated in the first ever Olympic refugee team at the Rio de Janeiro games 2016. Mardini studying in Berlin will go soon on a UNHCR mission to Tokyo, venue of the 2020 Summer Games.
IMPORTANT DATES:
9. International Labour Day observed on 1st May: The 'International Labour Day' is a celebration of laborers and the working classes, promoted by the international labour movement, anarchists, socialists, and communists. It takes place every year on 1st May which also matches with the Celtic spring festival. The day marks the victory of workers' movement for eight hours of work. It also aims to pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world. The date was chosen for International Workers' Day by the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago on 4th May 1886.

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 30th April, 2017

­­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Uma Bharti launches Water Conservation Programme for Bundelkhand: Union Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Sushri Uma Bharti today launched Bundelkhand water conservation program at Bandri in Sagar District of Madhya Pradesh (MP). The objective is to effectively improve ground water conditions in stressed blocks, ensure sustainability of resource both quantitatively and qualitatively.

2. Today – Day of Remembrance for all victims of Chemical Warfare: The Day of remembrance of all victims of chemical Warfare was observed on April 29 by the United Nations (UN). This commemoration will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organization.

3. E-Taxi trial run to begin in Nagpur: India’s first electric taxi (e- taxi) trial in the country would be launched in Nagpur from May 24. Mahindra and Mahindra are set to provide 200 taxis for the initiative. Electric car taxi is one of the ambitious projects and forms as a part of its United Nations Development Program (UNDP) millennium goals to tackle pollution.

4. IOC to build new oil terminal in Bihar: The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has planned to build a new oil terminal at Motihari in Bihar to supply fuel to Nepal via the planned pipeline up to Amlekganj in Nepal. The 69-km Motihari-Amlekganj pipeline will be built at a cost of Rs.325 crore. In August 2015, India and Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a product pipeline.

5. ISRO to launch five satellites by 2017- end to boost communication capability: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch five communication satellites by the year-end. The satellites launched by the ISRO and their purposes in the areas of weather forecasting, disaster management, space exploration, geo-spatial applications, education, and agriculture.


INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. North Korea once again test-fires ballistic missile: North Korea has test-fired a ballistic missile defying global pressure and warnings from the United States and its mainly, China. The test was conducted from the Pukchang region present in the north of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. The missile launched is expected to be a medium-range weapon known as a KN17 and appears to have disintegrated within minutes of taking off.

OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING & FINANCE
1. Paytm to invest 10,000 crores in banking, financial services: Paytm will invest Rs 10,000 crore in its banking and financial services in the next three years and hopes to get the final approval for its payments bank operations. The Paytm operates a mobile wallet and e-commerce marketplace over 1.5 billion transactions on its platform, the company now aims to cross the 4.5 billion mark this year.

2. Google CEO Pichai was paid 1,285 cr as compensation in 2016: Google CEO Sundar Pichai received a compensation package of $200 million (1,285 crore) from parent firm Alphabet in his first year at the helm of the company. Pichai received a salary of $650,000 in 2016 besides a $198.7 million stock award, roughly double of his stock in 2015.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY
3. Hero MotoCorp named Indian MNC of the Year: World’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp was adjudged the Indian MNC of the year' by All India Management Association. Brand Hero has expanded to 35 countries spread across Asia, Africa and Central and South America in a very short span of time since charting its solo journey in 2011. Hero’s manufacturing plant is situated in Vila Ricca, Colombia.


Daily GK Updates - 29th April, 2017

­­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shah Rukh Khan becomes first Indian actor to deliver Ted Talk in Canada: Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has become the first Indian actor to deliver TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) speech in Vancouver, Canada. He also collaborated with TED to host the Hindi version of the famous talk show.

2. Govt launches Test & Treat policy for HIV patients: The Union Health Minister ‘JP Nadda’ has launched ‘the Test and Treat policy’ for providing treatment to patients suffering from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in New Delhi. The union government will provide Anti- Retroviral Therapy (ART) treatment to the patients free of cost.

3. IIT Council decides to increase female representation in institutes: According to union human resource development minister Prakash Javdekar, the council of IITs (51st meeting) has decided to increase female representation in IITs from eight to twenty percent. An amount of Rs. 75,000 will be released per month from Prime Minister’s Scholarship scheme to promote research and innovation in IITs.

4. India's first book village to come up in Maharashtra's Bhilar: A hamlet in Satara district of Maharashtra is all set to embrace the tag of India's first 'village of books'. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, will inaugurate the initiative pustakanche gaon on 4th May 2017. The concept is inspired by Britain's Hay-on-Wye a Welsh town known for its bookstore and literature festivals.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Day of Remembrance for all victims of Chemical Warfare: The Day of remembrance of all victims of chemical Warfare was observed on April 29 by the United Nations (UN).

2. North Korea once again test-fires ballistic missile: North Korea has test-fired a ballistic missile defying global pressure and warnings from the United States and its mainly, China. The test was conducted from the Pukchang region present in the north of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING & FINANCE
1. RBI says, banks cannot refuse to accept faded or scribbled notes: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said, banks cannot refuse to accept faded notes or those with scribbles. Such banknotes have to be treated as ‘soiled notes’ and dealt with according to the RBI's ‘clean note policy’.

SPORTS
2. Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Men's Hockey tournament begins in Ipoh: The Sultan of Azlan Shah Cup Men's Hockey tournament began in Ipoh, Malaysia today. Six nations (India, Malaysia, Australia, Great Britain, Japan, and New Zealand) are taking part in the 8-day tournament which will be held in a round-robin format.

3. Mann Kaur becomes world’s oldest person to complete Auckland Sky Walk Athlete: Mann Kaur has become the oldest person to sky walk around Auckland’s famous landmark Sky Tower and set a new world record on the field.


Saturday, April 29, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 28th April, 2017

­­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Union Minister Uma Bharti launches 'Jal Sanrakshan Karyakram-Bundelkhand': The Union Water Resources and River Development Minister Uma Bharti has launched the "Jal Sanrakshan Karyakram - Bundelkhand " at Baandri in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh. This programme is a part of special efforts being made by the union govt for speedy implementation of water conservation schemes.

2. ISRO develops "Solar Calculator" Android App: An android App 'Solar Calculator' has been developed by Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) Ahmedabad for the computation of solar energy potential. It is a very useful tool for installation of PV solar panels for tapping solar energy. The App provides monthly/yearly solar potential (in kWh/m2) and minimum/maximum temperature at any location. It also displays the location on the satellite image and provides azimuth/elevation angles as well as day length over different time periods in a year.

3. Puducherry farmers to get free power: The Pondicherry govt. has announced that the farmers of Puducherry will get free power supply from this month for pump sets used for irrigation purpose.

4. Plan for Common Engineering Entrance Exam put on hold: The Ministry of Human Resources and Development has put on hold the plan for conducting a single entrance test for admission to engineering courses throughout the country till a consensus is reached with the states.

5. Tripartite MoU signed for broadband services to Post Offices: A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between BBNL, Department of Posts and BSNL to provide broadband connectivity of BharatNet to Post Offices in rural areas. BSNL would provide broadband services. The infrastructure expenses and the operational expenses would be paid by the Department of Posts. BBNL would facilitate and coordinate the entire project.

6. E-taxi trial run to begin in Nagpur: The country’s first electric taxi trial in the country would be launched in Nagpur from May 24. The first project of its kind will be undertaken by Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Mahindra and Mahindra is set to provide 200 taxis for the initiative.

7. Bhubaneswar becomes 1st Indian city to win Pierre L’enfant Awards-2017: Bhubaneswarhas won Pierre L’enfant Planning Excellence and Achievement Awards-2017, instituted by the American Planning Association. Smart city ‘Bhubaneswar’ has received this award for good and advanced town planning and engaging its residents in the planning process.


INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. El Salvador becomes 1st country in world to ban metals mining: El Salvador has become the first country in the world to ban the mining of metals for environmental protection. The new law entered into force after being signed by President Salvador Sanchez Ceren. It will protect poor rural communities threatened by proposed mining projects.

2. US places India once again on IPR ‘priority watch’ list: The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office has once again placed India on the ‘priority watch’ list in this year’s Special 301 report despite the country rolling out National IPR Policy last year. India has been placed in ‘priority watch’ list owing to USTR’s view that India has not made adequate changes in its intellectual property (IP) laws and regulations.

3. India and Cyprus ink four agreements: India and Cyprus have signed four agreements following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in New Delhi. Cyprus will also award its highest civilian honour, the Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III, on President Pranab Mukherjee.

4. World Day for Safety and Health at Work observed today: The World Day for Safety and Health at Work to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally is observed on 28th April every year. The day is observed mainly by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as an awareness-raising campaign to raise awareness of safety in the workplace. The theme of this year is ‘Optimize the collection and use of OSH data’.


OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Kerala hosts country’s first ever transgender athletic meet: Kerala organised the country’s first-ever transgender one-day athletic meet in Thiruvananthapuram. The event saw appreciable participation.

BANKING & FINANCE

2. Paytm launches ‘Digital Gold’, Makes Gold Investment Digital: ‘Paytm’ has launched the first wealth management product ‘Digital Gold’ on its platform to allow customers to buy and sell gold through electronic platform. ‘Digital Gold’ has been launched in partnership with gold refiner MMTC-PAMP.

Friday, April 28, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 27th April, 2017

­­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi launches affordable airfare scheme ‘UDAN’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) by flagging off the Alliance Airlines flight on Shimla-Delhi sector from Jubbar Hatti airport near Shimla.

2. Venkaiah Naidu launches MyMSME Mobile app: The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has launched 'MyMSME app' and website portal of MSME facilitation council in New Delhi. My MSME mobile application is for all Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) in India and other stakeholders. This application acts as a source of all information related to MSME’s Policies, Registration, Services, Schemes, etc.

3. India & Sri Lanka sign MoU on Economic Cooperation: India and Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on economic co-operation in the presence of PM Modi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi. The MoU proposes Indian investment in the development of port and oil tank farms in Trincomalee, setting up of an LNG power plant, piped gas supply in Colombo and also aims to undertake highway, railway projects in Sri Lanka.

4. India to host 18th World Road Meeting: The International Road federation (IRF) has announced that India will host the 18th World Road Meeting on 13th November 2017. The theme of World Road Meeting 2017 is ‘Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth’. Around 4000 delegates across the world will discuss important issues facing in mobility sector.

5. India successfully test-fires Agni-III ballistic missile: Today, India successfully carried out a fresh user trial of 3,000 kilometer range Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Wikipedia founder to launch new site to tackle fake news: The founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales is going to launch a news site "Wikitribune" to tackle the spread of false information. The site will be jointly run by journalists and a community of volunteers who will verify the stories before publishing them.  The site will ensure that journalists only write articles based on facts that they can verify.

2. UNESCO to screen Indian short film as part of World Press Freedom Day celebrations: UNESCO to screen Rahul V. Chittella’s short film “Azaad” as a part of World Press Freedom Day event that is scheduled to be held from May 1-4 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

3. Trump introduces biggest tax reform plan in US history: US President Donald Trump has introduced biggest tax reform plan in the history of United States. As per the proposals of the new plan, major cuts have been made in the income tax rate. The income tax rates have been slashed from 39.6% to 35%. The new plan has also sharply slashed the business taxes too.

4. NASA launches Super Pressure Balloon from New Zealand: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully launched a stadium-sized,heavy-lift Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) from Wanaka, a scenic spot on New Zealand's South Island.

OTHER UPDATES:
HONOURS & AWARDS

1. Srishti Kaur wins Miss Teen Universe 2017: Srishti Kaur was crowned ‘Miss Teen Universe 2017’ in the event held at the Ruben Dario National Theatre in Nicaragua’s capital Managua.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 26th April, 2017

­­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurates Centenary Celebrations of Osmania University: President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the three-day Centenary Celebrations of the Osmania University and also took part in the first convocation of the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad. Osmania University is the largest institute in Asia with the maximum number of affiliated colleges.

2. Haryana launches mobile app 'Kilkari' to create awareness among pregnant women: Chief Minister of Haryana Mahohar Lal Khattar has launched a mobile-based application 'Kilkari' to create awareness among pregnant women, parents, and health workers.

3. Northeast India's largest IT hub opens in Tripura: Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar has inaugurated the Northeast India's largest Information Technology (IT) hub at Agartala to boost employment and e-governance besides to export software technology. This IT hub would help to create employment opportunities for the IT educated youth and to further extend the e-governance to the doorstep of people.

4. India to host 18th World Road Meeting: The International Road federation (IRF) has named India to be the host of the 18th World Road Meeting (WRM 2017). WRM 2017 will be held on November 13, 2017. The theme of this year’s WRM is ‘Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth’. India has been chosen to hold this event to reflect the growing importance of the country as a market for transport infrastructure and services.

5. Somnath Temple, Charminar among new places chosen for Swachh iconic places initiative: The government has announced the names of ten new Iconic places under the Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative. Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) is an initiative of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission. The ten new iconic places that will be undertaken in Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative are: Gangotri, Yamunotri, Mahakaleshwar Temple (Ujjain), Char Minar (Hyderabad), Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi (Goa), Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi in Ernakulam, Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola, Baijnath Dham (Devghar), Gaya Tirth (Bihar) and Somnath temple in Gujarat.


INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. White House names Randolph Ailes as new Director of Secret Service: The White House has named a retired Marine Major General Randolph Ailes as the new Director of the Secret Service. Ailes was in the Marine Corps for 35 years, has been the acting deputy commissioner of Customs and Border Protection and previously oversaw the agency's air and marine division.

2. India and Armenia sign three agreements: India has signed three MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Armenia in Yerevan, on peaceful uses of outer space, on cooperation in youth matters and a program of cultural cooperation for the years 2017-2020. The two countries are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

3. China launches first indigenously built aircraft carrier: China has launched its first indigenously built aircraft carrier following the 68th-anniversary celebrations of the foundation of the Chinese navy.

4. 26th April: World Intellectual Property Day: The World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on 26th April to learn about the role that intellectual property rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity. The Day is organized by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This year's theme of the day is: ‘Innovation – Improving Lives’.


OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS:
1.  Arjuna Awardee, Subrata suspended for dope taint, will go for B sample test: The Arjuna Awardee India's top goalkeeper Subrata Paul has been provisionally suspended after failing a dope test. Now, Paul will go for the 'B' sample test and claimed that he will prove his innocence.

2. India wins 16 medals at US Open Karate Championship: India finished with three gold, two silver and 11 bronze medals at the US Open Karate Championship held in Las Vegas. Shaifali Agarwal (gold medal) and Abhishek Sengupta (silver medal) have won in two different individual events. India also won a gold medal in the team event.

3. Manpreet Kaur wins shot put gold at Asian Grand Prix, sets new national record: Shot putter Manpreet Kaur broke her own 2015 national record at the Asian Grand Prix in Jinhua, China. Her performance in the event has helped her to earn a gold medal and qualify for the World Championships to be held in London in August 2017.  

BANKING & FINANCE
4. ‘Yes Bank’ ties up with Paisabazaar.com: Yes Bank has announced the alliance with 'Paisabazaar.com' to offer conditionally approved loans to the latter’s existing customers. The aim of tie up is to make the process of availing a loan easy and seamless and act as a one-stop financial solution provider for all retail lending needs of the customer.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY
5. MTDC inks pact with Etihad, Jet Air to promote tourism: The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has signed an agreement with Etihad and Jet Airways to attract visitors to the state and to leverage on the airline's expanding international network. Etihad and Jet Airways will provide information to its users on less-explored but high potential destinations in Maharashtra. There will be joint marketing activities to promote Maharashtra as a leisure destination.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 25th April, 2017

­­­­                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 10 Rajaji Marg being readied as Mukherjee's retirement home: The bungalow, 10 Rajaji Marg is being readied as the retirement home of President ‘Pranab Mukherjee’ (July 2017). Earlier, the bungalow was occupied by former President APJ Abdul Kalam until his death in 2015. The 10 Rajaji Marg house is spread over an area of 11,776 sq. feet with the ground floor housing a library and an attached reading space.

2. Central University for Divyangs to be set up in Uttar Pradesh: According to the HRD Minister ‘Prakash Javadekar’, the Government will set up a Central university for Divyangs in Uttar Pradesh. Under the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, HRD ministry has instructed to make ramps and install lifts to facilitate ‘Divyangas’ at all educational institutions. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been instructed to make arrangement for special training of instructors providing education to Divyangs.

3.  Ballabhgarh of Haryana renamed as Balramgarh: The Haryana chief minister 'Manohar Lal Khattar' has announced to change the name of Ballabhgarh to Balramgarh. Ballabhgarh is a town and a tehsil (sub-district) in Faridabad District of Haryana and is part of the National Capital Region (NCR).

4. BPL & DPL income revised in Haryana: The Haryana Government has revised the limit of annual income of families living Below Poverty Line (BPL) and those living below Double the Poverty Line (DPL) in both rural and urban areas of the state for various bank-assisted and National Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC)-assisted schemes. The limit of annual income of BPL families has been raised to Rs 49,000 from Rs. 40,500 (living in rural) and Rs. 60,000 from Rs. 51,500 (living in urban areas). The limit of annual income for the families living below DPL would Rs 98,000 (rural areas) and Rs 1.2 lakh (urban areas).

5. IIITM-K develops app for coffee growers:  Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K) has launched an application named Kaapi Soil Health Management and Monitoring (Kshemam) app to provide soil nutrient information and fertiliser recommendation for coffee plantation owners. The app will help in proper identification of optimum levels of fertiliser use.

                      INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. First malaria vaccine to be tested in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi in 2018: The World Health Organization has announced that it is ready to test the first malaria vaccine in the real world setting in 2018. The aim of the testing will be to ascertain whether the vaccine will work under real world circumstances or not. Kenya, Ghana and Malawi have been chosen for taking part in the pilot project. The vaccine, RTS,S, also known as Mosquirix, was produced by Glaxo SmithKline in 1987 in a public-private partnership with the PATH Malaria Initiative and with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

2. World Malaria Day being observed today: The ‘World Malaria Day being observed every year across the world on 25th April to create awareness among the people about this vector-borne disease. This year WHO has made ‘ending malaria for good’ its theme for World Malaria Day 2017.

OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS:
1. Manpreet Kaur bags Gold at Asian Grand Prix Meet in China: Indian shot putter ‘Manpreet Kaur’ (26-year) has clinched a gold in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in Jinhua, China. Manpreet came up with the best throw of 18.86 metre and Bian Song (China) finished second with 17.96m. She also qualified for the IAAF World Championships to be held in August in London.

HONOURS & AWARDS:
2. 'K. Viswanath' wins Dadasaheb Phalke award 2016: Renowned filmmaker and actor ‘Kasinadhuni Viswanath’ (87-year) has won the 'Dadasaheb Phalke award' for the year 2016 for his outstanding contribution to the film industry. He will be the 48th recipient of the award. The award consists of a golden lotus, a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh and a shawl.

3. Moushumi Chatterjee gets BFJA lifetime achievement award: Veteran actress 'Moushumi Chatterjee' has received the lifetime achievement award at the 80th Bengal Film Journalists' Association (BFJA) awards. Bengali film actor Prosenjit Chatterjee has given the best actor award for his role in ‘Sankhachil’. Rituparna Sengupta was given the best actress crown for her role in ‘Rajkahini’.

4. Prafulla Samantara selected for Goldman Environmental Prize from Asia region: Environmental activist Prafulla Samantara has been selected for ‘Goldman Environmental Prize’ from Asia region for championing the cause of State’s Dongria Kondh tribals and safeguarding their land & culture. The prize also known as Green Nobel prize and Samantara is the sixth Indian to win the prize.