Daily GK Updates - 29th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India leads in usage of biometric tech: With advancements in the field of biometric technology, India has topped globally in adoption of biometrics techniques. On an average, people in India (9%) are three times more likely than any other country (3%) surveyed to have used ‘iris recognition’ to identify themselves.

2. Revenue department sets up twitter handle for GST: The revenue department on Sunday started a new twitter handle to answer industry queries related to the new indirect tax regime. Traders and industry can ask questions on the twitter handle ‘@askGST_GoI’ and officials from Central Board of Excise and Customs will answer them. The GST will start from July 1.

3. Aeronautical test range in Karnataka: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has inaugurated the newly built Aeronautical Test Range of the Defence Research & Development Organisation at Chellakere, Chitradurga in Karnataka. The 28 km strategic ATR is expected to facilitate conditions for research, which is expected to enrich the human resource required in the field of aeronautical testing.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day of UN Peacekeepers: The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is observed on May 29 annually to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. It was so designated by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 57/129, on December 11, 2002. The 2017 theme is, “Investing in Peace around the world.”

2. New species of glass frog discovered: A new glass frog species with transparent skin through which its beating heart is visible has been discovered by scientists.

The frog (Hyalinobatrachium yaku) was discovered in Ecuador.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. World Table Tennis Championships starts in Germany: The 2017 World Table Tennis Championships is being held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 29 May to 5 June 2017. Top-ranked Indian in the world, Achanta Sharath Kamal will lead the 8-member Indian squad.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. RBI to observe financial literacy week in June: The Reserve Bank of India will observe financial literacy week from June 5 to 9 across the country. The financial literacy week will focus on four broad themes — Know Your Customer (KYC), Exercising Credit Discipline, Grievance Redressal and Going Digital (UPI and *99#). The main objective of observing the financial literacy week is to emphasize the importance of financial literacy.

3. Fairfax sells stake in ICICI Lombard: Fairfax has sold 12.18% stake in ICICI Lombard General Insurance to three investors, namely, Red Bloom Investment Ltd, Tamarind Capital Pte. Ltd and IIFL Special Opportunities Fund. The company is valued at Rs 20300 cr as per the deal.

4. Bank of Baroda to raise Rs. 9000 cr: Bank of Baroda plans to raise Rs 9000 crore through various instruments, including follow-on public offer, to fund growth during this fiscal. The board approved raising of additional capital funds up to Rs 9000 crore up to March 31, 2018, comprising of Rs 6000 crore by way of equity capital and Rs 3000 crore by way of additional tier I capital instruments.

5. Paradip Port gets award: The Paradip Port Trust has been awarded by the Union Shipping Ministry for witnessing the second highest growth in traffic for FY17. In FY17, the port has handled 88.95 MMT of cargo; a 16.5% rise.

Daily GK Updates - 28th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s first three cases of Zika virus reported: World Health Organization has confirmed India’s first three cases of Zika virus infections. The first three cases of the Zika virus has been detected in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The virus is transmitted by aedes aegypti mosquito.

2. Odisha’s biggest steel plant owned by Jindal commissioned: Odisha’s biggest integrated steel plantwas made operational with the commissioning of the country’s largest blast furnace. The plant is owned by Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. The plant is expected to provide direct employment to around 30,000 people and indirect jobs to many others.

3. India’s First Electric Mass Mobility System Launched in Nagpur: The chief minister of Maharashtra ‘Devendra Fadnavis’ has inaugurated India’s first multi-modal electric vehicle project at the Nagpur Airport Complex. The pilot project will have a fleet of 200 electric vehicles like taxis, buses, e-rickshaw and autorickshaws. Four electric charging station has built by cab aggregator ‘Ola’ in various places of Nagpur including the Nagpur airport.

4. India’s tax laws second most complex in Asia Pacific: According to a Deloitte survey, Indian tax laws are perceived to be second most complex in the Asia Pacific region. China tops the index while Japan, Australia, Indonesia and South Korea trail India in the complexity index.

5. Dailong village in Manipur declared Biodiversity Heritage Site: The Manipur govt. has declared Dailong village of Tamenglong district as a Biodiversity Heritage Site of the state. Dialong village (area - 11.35 sq km) has been declared as Biodiversity Heritage Site under Section 37(1) of Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Menstrual hygiene day: May 28: Every year May 28 is observed as Menstrual hygiene Day. It aims to break taboos and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management for women and adolescent girls worldwide. It was initiated by the German based NGO WASH United in 2014.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel wins 2017 Monaco Grand Prix: German racing driver Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) has won the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix at Monaco. The second place in the race was secured by Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) and the third place by Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull).

2. Bhavani Devi becomes first Indian to win a Gold in International Fencing tournament: Fencer A Bhavani Devi has become first Indian to win a Gold Medal in the sabre event of the Turnoi Satellite Fencing Championship at Reykjavik, Iceland.

She beat Sarah Jane Hampson (Great Britain) 15-13 points.

3. World Table Tennis Championships begin in Dusseldorf:  The World Table Tennis Championships (54th edition) has begun in Dusseldorf, Germany (7th- time) with the Qualification matches. Top-ranked Indian in the world, Achanta Sharath Kamal will lead the 8-member Indian squad.

4. South Korea beat China to win 2017 Sudirman Cup: South Korea defeated China to lift their fourth Sudirman Cup title at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, Queensland, Australia. South Korea’s women shuttlers beat China with a 3-2 win in the final.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

5. IOC becomes India’s most profitable PSU: Indian Oil Corp has overtaken Oil and Natural Gas Corp to become India’s most PSU. IOC posted a 70 per cent jump in net profit. Reliance Industries retained the crown of being India’s most profitable company followed by TCS.

Daily GK Updates - 27th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mt Everest 21 times, creates world record: Kami Rita Sherpa from Nepal created history by scaling Mt. Everest for a record 21 times. He became one of the three climbers in the world to hold the record for most of the summits on Mt Everest. Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa have also scaled the highest peak 21 times.

2. India, Mauritius sign four agreements including bilateral maritime security: India and Mauritius have signed four agreements (in the field of education, training, and research) after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Pravin Kumar Jugnauth in New Delhi.

3. Tajmahal among top 10 global landmarks: Taj Mahal has made it to the top 10 landmarks in the world by securing fifth position in the list. It is the only Indian monument to figure in the world’s top 10 Travellers Choice awards for Landmarks. Angkor Wat in Siem Reap topped the list followed by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center in Abu Dhabi.

According to the Asia list, Taj Mahal was at No. 2 spot after Angkor Wat

1st - Angkor Wat (Cambodia).

2nd - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (Abu Dhabi)

3rd - Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba (Spain)

4th - St Peter's Basilica (Vatican City)

5th - Taj Mahal (India)

4. India’s Ambassador to Philippines: Jaideep Mazumdar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Philippines. He is presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Earth sized storms over poles of Jupiter: Nasa’s exploratory spacecraft Juno has found Earth-sized storms are swirling violently above Jupiter’s poles. Jupiter’s poles are covered in huge storms that are densely clustered and rubbing together.

2. G7 summit begins in Italy: A two-day G7 summit began in Sicily’s picturesque town of Taormina, Italy. The summit will focus on issues surrounding security and growth. A tough debate is expected on issues including trade and climate change.

G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US. The EU also has representatives.

3. Indo-Thailand Siam Bharat 17: Indo-Thailand Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Table Top Exercise 2017 was recently held at Chiang Mai, Thailand. The exercise was carried out between the Indian Air Force and Royal Thailand Air Force.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Virat Kohli's Winning Formula Revealed in New Book by Abhirup: A new book “Winning like Virat: Think & Succeed like Kohli” has revealed by Abhirup Bhattacharya. The book unravels the secrets of Virat Kohli's consistent form, while attempting to decode his philosophy towards life.

OBITUARIES/ TRIBUTES:

2. Jawaharlal’s death anniversary, Modi pays tribute: PM Narendra Modi paid tributes to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his 53rd death anniversary. Jawarharlal Nehru remains the longest-serving prime minister of India as he remained in power for 17 years.

Daily GK Updates - 26th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s longest bridge inaugurated by PM Modi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the strategically important Dhola-Sadiya Bridge in Assam. It spans the Lohit River to connect the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and is 9.15 kms in length. The construction began in 2011 and was completed on 10 March 2017. It was built by Navayuga Engineering Company Limited.

2. Govt. changes start-up definition: The union government has introduced minor changes to the Startup definition. An entity shall be considered as a Startup if its turnover is less than Rs. 25 crore (unchanged) and has not completed seven years from the date of its incorporation /registration. Earlier, only companies up to five years from the date of incorporation were eligible for concessions.

3. Anurag Tripathy appointed as Secretary of CBSE: Anurag Tripathy (1998 batch-IRPS officer) has been appointed as the Secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for a period of five years.

4. Centre bans sale of cattle for slaughter: The central govt. has banned sale of cattle for slaughter and has allowed its trade only among farm land owners. Cattle can be sold only to a person having documents to prove he is an “agriculturist”, the rule says, adding “young” and “unfit animals” cannot be sold. Rules have been notified under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian-American, Amul Thapar, to get key judicial post: US Senate has confirmed Indian-American Judge Amul Thapar to a key judicial position on powerful US court of appeals. He is he the first Indian-American to be nominated by US President Donald Trump for the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals and second South Asian judge to be on the US Circuit Court of Appeals.

2. Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison, honoured by Authors Guild: The Authors Guild has honoured Nobel literature laureate Toni Morrison at its 25th annual gala. Morrison received Distinguished Service Award and praised the power of literature and the “community” of writers. Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award in 1988 for Beloved.

3. Mark Zuckerberg gets honorary degree: Facebook Co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg received an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard, 13 years after dropping out from the University. He dropped out of the Ivy League school to focus on Facebook. He started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2004.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Govt selects bankers for IOC stake sale: Govt. has selected five merchant bankers to manage 3% stake sale in Indian Oil Corporation. Govt. has set a target of raising 46,500 crore rupees through minority stake sale and 15,000 crore rupees from strategic disinvestment. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Deutsche Equities, SBI Capital Markets and ICICI Securities are the bank that are selected.

2. India retains world’s highest FDI crown: India has retained its top rank of being the world’s premier greenfield FDI investment destination for the second consecutive year. China has overtaken the US to become the second biggest country for FDI.

3. BHEL commissions thermal unit in Maharashtra: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has commissioned a 270 megawatt thermal unit at Sinnar in Nashik district of Maharashtra. This is a part of Rattan India Nasik Power Ltd’s 5×270 MW thermal power project.

BANKING & FINANCE:

4. RBI allows co-operative banks to issue Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs): RBI has allowed co-operative banks, who are permitted to install ATMs and issue debit cards, to also issue prepaid payment instruments PPIs like mobile wallets. RBI laid down strict norms and conditions to be followed by co-operative banks before permitting them to issue wallets for utility bill payments and other activities up to a limit of Rs 10000.

Daily GK Updates - 25th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mumbai is the second most-densely populated city in the world: Mumbai has been ranked the world’s second most densely populated city with 31,700 people per sq km by the World Economic Forum. Mumbai is also the most populous city in India and and ninth most populous agglomeration in the world. Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka topped the list with 44,500 people per sq km.

2. Hyderabad local authorities propose to build 100 fully automated & unmanned 'She Toilets': Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Hyderabad Municipal authorities have proposed to build 100 fully automated and unmanned “She Toilets” at 100 places in the city. The Authorities have built ‘She Toilets’ at two public places on pilot basis which received appreciation from all quarters as the move fulfilled the requirements of women.

3. Rohtang Pass opens for Vehicular traffic: 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass has been opened for vehicular traffic and tourists after remaining closed for almost six months. The pass connects tribal-district of Lahaul-Spiti with other parts of the state.

Tourists can access Rohtang Pass by obtaining a proper permit. The permit system has been put in place as per directions of the NGT which took serious note of the vehicular pollution.

4. Devendra Fadnavis to launch Samwad Sabha: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will launch a ‘Shivar Samwad Sabha’ to reach out to farmers and address their issues. MPs, MLAs, zilla parishad members and corporators, will engage in a dialogue with farmers to know about their issues and take their feedback on decisions taken by the government till now. The initiative is being launched amid the rising resentment among farmers.

5. Cabinet approves allocation of 2.5% of Central Road Fund for development of National Waterways: The union Cabinet has approved allocation of 2.5% of Central Road Fund for development and maintenance of National Waterways by amending in the Central Road Fund Act, 2000 to boost inland water transport. It will provide about Rs. 2000 crore per annum for the development and maintenance of National Waterways.

6. World’s first philosophical novel on God: Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs has unveiled a philosophical novel on God titled “Confessions of a dying mind: The blind faith of atheism”. A young Indian IAS officer, Haulianlal Guite, has written it.

7. Anti encephalitis campaign in UP: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched a campaign to eradicate the deadly encephalitis disease. Close to 40,000 children have died of the disease in the past four decades in the region. The drive will cover over 88 lakh children for which the central government has provided one crore vaccines.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal resigns: He was elected as the 39th prime minister of Nepal after forging alliance with the Nepali Congress. Nepali Congress Chief Sher Bahadur Deuba will replace him.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Digital Payment company - ItzCash raises ₹800cr: Digital payment company, ItzCash, has raised about ₹800 crore from US-based Ebix Inc. EBix will now own about 80 per cent stakes in ItzCash.

2. ITC and EDII bags Porter Prize 2017: ITC Ltd and EDII (Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India), Gujarat and have won the Porter Prize 2017 for their acumen in competitive strategies. ITC has won the award for Excellence in Corporate Governance and Integration and for its contribution in ‘Creating Shared Value’.

BANKING & FINANCE:

3. SBI launches national hackathon: State Bank of India has launched a national hackathon for developers, start-ups and students to come up with innovative ideas and solutions for the banking sector. The hackathon is named ‘Code For Bank’.

SPORTS:

4. Man United clinch Europa League title: Manchester United defeated Ajax 2-0 to win their maiden Europa League title and claim their second major trophy of the season. Manchester United is now the fifth team to have now won all three of Europe’s major competitions.

5. PV Sindhu elected to BWF Athlete Commission: PV Sindhu became one of the members of the BWF Athletes’ Commission after the end of voting for the four places on the representative body.

Daily GK Updates - 24th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UP government makes Aadhaar mandatory for board exam: Uttar Pradesh government has made Aadhaar compulsory for students appearing for board examinations in 2018. Aadhaar will help the basic education department to keep a tab on their attendance as well as their performance. It is noteworthy that the government had made Aadhaar Card mandatory for students from Class 1 to 8 in government schools.

2. Piyush Goyal launches mobile app 'SEVA' for quick tracking of coal dispatch: The government has launched an app named the ‘Saral Eindhan Vitaran Application’ (SEVA). The app is developed by Coal India Limited (CIL) for power sector consumers.

The aim of the ‘SEVA app’ to increase the “Consumer Connect” as well as the transparency and accountability in Coal dispatch.

3. Manoj Sinha launches Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Awards: The Communications Minister Manoj Sinha has launched ‘Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards’ and a scheme ‘Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratishthan’ named after the BJP ideologue at a function in New Delhi.

4. Government launches integration of e- sanad with CBSE's Academic Repository: e-Sanad is an e-service for verification and attestation of documents of Indian citizens. The applicants travelling abroad can get their documents attested and verified through e-Sanad. The integration will facilitate electronic movement of documents among stakeholders and digital cross verification by foreign governments.

5. India’s first underwater tunnel finished: India’s first underwater tunnel, which was built under the Hooghly river for establishing a metro link in Kolkata, has been completed before the deadline. Rachna, a giant tunnel-boring machine (TBM), was deployed to dig the underwater tunnel. The entire project is 16.6 km long, out of which 10.8 km runs under the ground.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tedros to be new Director General of WHO: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus from Ethiopia will be the next Director General of the World Health Organization. He will be the first African to head up the UN agency.

2. Airlander 10 completes test flight: The world’s largest aircraft Airlander 10 has successfully completed a test flight. Airlander 10 combines technology from airplanes, helicopters and airships. This aircraft has been built by Hybrid Air Vehicles. With a length of 92 metres, it is the largest aircraft currently flying.

3. Taiwan court to recognise gay marriage: Taiwan’s constitutional court has declared that same-sex couples have the right to legally marry. This is first such ruling in Asia.

4. World’s first robot police officer: Dubai has recruited world’s first robot police officer at the 4th Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference. This robot is known as robocop. The robot will patrol shopping malls and other tourist attractions.

5. Martial law in Mindanao: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law on the southern island of Mindanao after about 100 Muslim fighters laid siege to a major city following a deadly gun battle with government forces. The emergency declaration took immediate effect and will last for 60 days.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. Federal Bank launches new trading platform - ‘Selfie’: Federal Bank has launched a new trading platform called “Selfie” for customers. The platform is Designed and managed by Geojit. It will allow users absolute control over their investments with timely research inputs to make sound investment decisions. It also provides an advanced charting platform that enables users to trade directly from charts.

SPORTS:

2. Sweden wins ice hockey world title: Sweden won the 2017 Ice Hockey World Championship by defeating Canada in a dramatic penalty shootout. Sweden were twice on target in the shootout, while the Canadians failed to score. It is Sweden’s 10th world title.

3. International Cricketer of the Year, Ashwin takes the honour: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has won the coveted International Cricketer of the Year award at the CEAT Cricket Rating International awards 2017.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India becomes second largest steel producer in the world: According to the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) data (May 2017), India overtook Japan to become the second-largest steel producer in the world in 2016. In 2016, India’s stainless steel production rose to 3.32 million tons. While the top producer of steel in the world is China.

2. India’s Rohan Chakravarty wins WWF International President’s Award: Indian wildlife and environment cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty has won WWF International President’s Award 2017 for his efforts to inspire change and attitudes towards nature in Manado, Indonesia. Chakravarty, under the banner of Green Humour, has published several wildlife and environment magazines and newspapers.

3. Jacqueline Fernandez wins UK Humanitarian Award: Jacqueline Fernandez has been awarded the International Humanitarian Award (Editor's Choice category) of Asian Voice Charity Awards for her philanthropic work in India. She has been working with the charity Habitat for Humanity for last five years.

4. Committee on Scouts and Guides submits its report: A seven-member High-Level Committee on Scouts and Guides has submitted its Final Report to Sports Minister, Vijay Goel, with various recommendations. The committee is headed by Harsh Malhotra and was established in 2016.

5. Cochin Port Trust bags two Best Performance awards: Cochin Port Trust has received two Best Performance Awards from Ministry of Shipping for the highest growth in operating surplus and also for achieving third highest growth in cargo traffic among the major ports in the year 2016-17. It has registered an operating profit of Rs 127.7 cr during 2016-17 as against Rs 70.89 cr during 2015-16. The Port handled 25.01 MMT cargo in 2016-17.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Start up India Summit starts today in Abu Dhabi: A two day “Start up India Summit” began today in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is the first “Start Up Summit” being held in the UAE by the Consul General of India (in Dubai and Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi in partnership with iSPIRIT, a nonprofit think tank and supported by TiE, Dubai.

The aim is to provide a shared platform for the Start up eco system in both India and UAE.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Karnataka Bank, LIC join hands: Karnataka Bank Ltd has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India for selling life insurance products of LIC.

2. Megha Airways to get UDAN licence: Turbo Megha Airways has become the first private airline to get a licence to fly under UDAN. The Hyderabad-based airline, which flies as TruJet, last month said it will launch flights on Hyderabad-Cuddapah, Hyderabad-Nanded and Nanded-Mumbai routes.

3. Microsoft to reskill people under Project Sangam: As part of project ‘Sangam’ Microsoft India signed an MoU with the Telecom Sector Skill Council to improve skills of telecom executives. Project Sangam is a cloud hosted platform that leverages Azure services & LinkedIn.