Daily GK Updates - 19th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ministry of Culture launches National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India: Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture & Tourism, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, launched the implementation of the ‘National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India’ at Goverdhan Block, Mathura District in Uttar Pradesh. This Mission is part of the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ umbrella and a stage will be provided to the registered artists for performance and display their talent.

2. Final raising of Sardar Sarovar Dam cleared by Narmada Control Authority: Narmada Control Authority (NCA) under the Chairmanship of ‘Dr. Amarjit Singh’ has cleared the final raising of Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) in Gujarat by lowering of gates and impounding of water in the reservoir up to its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of EL 138.68 mts. Now, the effective height of SSD remained at EL 121.92 mts. with backwater levels of EL 134.32 mts. at dam site and the live storage capacity would increase (267%) from 1565 to 5740 MCM.

3. Ram Nath Kovind nominated for President by BJP: Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind has been named as BJP’s presidential nominee. He is a lawyer by profession and has practised in both the Delhi HC and the Supreme Court.

3. Venkaiah Naidu launches Urban housing project: To give push to the National Mission of Housing for All in Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Venkaiah Naidu launched urban housing project for financially backward people of state. The affordable housing project will be built in G+3 storeys across 38 urban spaces in the State.

4. Taj Mahal Palace – the first Indian building to get Trademark: The 114-year-old Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai has become the 1st Indian building to get trademark. It has joined the elite club of trademarked properties in the world which includes the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict: International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is being observed on 19th June to raise awareness to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence. The theme of 2017 is ‘Preventing Sexual Violence Crimes through Justice and Deterrence’.

2. South Korea to end use of nuclear power in power reactors: South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, has vowed to phase out the country’s dependence on nuclear power, following fears of a Fukushima-style meltdown. He has decided not extend the operation of ageing reactors, many of which will come to end of their lifespans between 2020 and 2030.

3. Britain’s Orwell Prize for 2017 announced: Britain’s most prestigious prize for political writing, Orwell Prize, was announced in London. The 2017 Orwell Prize for books was bestowed upon John Bew for his extraordinary biography Citizen Clem.

Winners of the Orwell prize for journalism and the Orwell prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils were awarded to Fintan O’Toole and Felicity Lawrence respectively.

4. Australia announces online visa applications for Indians from 1st July: The Australian govt. has announced that all Indian nationals can apply for a visitor visa online from 1st of July. The online application option would make applying for the country's visitor visas easier and enhance the experience for Indians.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India’s biggest win over Pakistan in Hockey: India demolished Pakistan 7-1 to register their third consecutive victory and seal a place in the quarter-finals of the Hockey World League semi-final. This was India’s biggest over Pakistan, bettering the 7-4 effort against arch-rivals in 2003 Champions Trophy and 2010 Commonwealth Games.

2. Pakistan wins Champions Trophy title in Cricket: Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy cricket final after beating arch-rivals India by 180 runs at the Oval ground in Britain’s capital, London. Hasan Ali from Pakistan won the Man of the Series award. Shikhar Dhawan from India won the Golden Bat award while Hasan Ali from Pakistan won the Golden Ball award.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. India’s first power exchange, Indian Energy Exchange, files for an IPO: Indian Energy Exchange has filed draft papers with the SEBI to float an initial public offering. IEX is India’s first power exchange providing automated trading platform for electricity and renewable energy certificates.

4. AIIB approves 3 new members: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved membership of Argentina, Madagascar and Tonga at its 2nd annual meeting of governors. Approved applicants included 1 regional prospective member of Tonga and 2 non-regional members of Argentina and Madagascar.

Daily GK Updates - 18th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government Announces New Post Office Passport Seva Kendras: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has announced the launch of 149 new Post Office Passport Seva Kendra. These will be in addition to 86 POPSKs announced in the first phase. In the first phase 86 POPSKs were to be set up 52 of which are now functional. Government is planning to set up a comprehensive network of POPSKs across the nation so that no Indian will have to travel more than 50 kms to get her passport.

2. GST Council fixes rates for hotels, lottery: The GST council has fixed tax rate of 18% for hotel rooms between Rs 2,000 and Rs 7,500. Rooms with tariff above Rs 7,500 will attract 28% tax. Anti-profiteering and e-way bills have also been cleared by the council. The rate on state-run lottery will be 12% while govt authorised private lottery will draw 28%.

3. Kannada poet, Shivaprakash, honoured with Kusumagraja Rashtriya Puraskar: Kannada poet and playwright H S Shivaprakash has been honoured with prestigious Kusumagraja Rashtriya Puraskar for his outstanding contribution to social and educational fields. It was presented to him by Akshaykumar Kale, the president of the 90th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan.

4. CRPF launches helpline ‘Madadgaar’ at Srinagar: Madadgaar 24×7 helpline has been launched by Central Reserve Police Force at Srinagar’s Tagore Hall. The helpline is the first of its kind in Kashmir with a toll free number 14411. Aim of the helpline is to assist Kashmiris, especially students studying all over the country who face security issues and other problems away from the home.

5. Sabarmati Ashram Celebrates 100 Years: Sabarmati Ashram, the epicentre of country’s freedom struggle during Mahatma Gandhi stay will celebrate its 100 years in presence of his grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi. 2 new permanent exhibition galleries on Gandhi’s life – My Life is My Message Gallery and Charkha Gallery were opened at the Ashram on this occasion. 2 books ‘Letters to Gandhi’ and ‘Pioneers of Satyagraha’ were also released. Sabarmati Ashram is the famous place from where Gandhiji started the Salt Satyagraha.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day of Yoga in Singapore: Yoga enthusiasts across Singapore were joined by Singaporean leaders, envoys of Cambodia and Israel to celebrate 3rd International Day of Yoga. UN International Day of Yoga is held on June 21 every year but it was celebrated today in Singapore.

2. BRICS Foreign Ministers to meet in China: According to Russian Foreign Ministry Foreign Ministers of BRICS countries will meet in Beijing, China on June 18-19. It is the first time the foreign ministers meeting has been called by a host country holding the BRICS Summit.

3. Katy Perry, the first Twitter user to hit 100 Million mark: Singer Katy Perry has become the first Twitter user to reach 100 million followers. The second most-followed Twitter account belongs to Justin Bieber with 96.7 million followers followed by Barack Obama.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Kidambi Srikanth wins Indonesia Open: India’s K Srikanth has lifted Indonesia Open Super Series badminton title by defeating Kazumasa Sakai in Men’s Singles final at Jakarta. It is his 3rd Super Series title. He had earlier won the 2014 China Open and 2015 India Open.

2. No ICC World T20 in 2018: World Twenty20 Championship’s seventh edition next year is all set to be scrapped and pushed to 2020. Reason for the postponement is that the top member nations will be busy with bilateral commitments in 2018.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. BMW to invest Rs 130 cr in India: BMW will be investing Rs 130 crore in India to enhance operations, taking its total investment in the country to Rs 1,250 crore. The investment will go into BMW group operations, including Motarrad as well as the financial services arm.

Daily GK Updates - 17th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Aadhaar must for bank accounts, transactions over Rs 50,000: To conduct a transaction of Rs. 50,000 and more or to open a bank account, Government has made Aadhaar and PAN mandatory. For existing bank account holders need to submit the aadhar by Dec 31, 2017, failing to which the account will be declared invalid.

2. President inaugurates Green Line of Bengaluru Metro: President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the ‘Green Line’ of Metro Rail. The line starts  fromMantri Square Sampige Road Station to Yelachanahalli Metro Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The President has also dedicated Phase One of Namma Metro to the Nation.

3. India re-elected to ECOSOC: For another three-year term, India has been re-elected to the UN’s principal organ on economic, social and environmental issues. India is among 18 nations to win election to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). India and Japan have received the second and first highest, 183 and 185 vote outs of 188 respectively, in the Asia Pacific category.

4. Sushma Swaraj inaugurates KIP for young overseas Indians: For the young overseas Indians, The External Minister SushmaSwaraj has inaugurated ‘Know India Programme’ (KIP), a three-week orientation program for the Indian diaspora. The program is aimed at promoting the progress made by the country in various fields such as economic and educationand awareness on different facets of life in India.

5. Indian Railways launches Gandhi Darshan special train: The Union Minister of Railways ‘Suresh PrabhakarPrabhu’ flagged off special tourist Gandhi Darshan Special train through video conferencing. This train will cover all the important destinations connected with India’s freedom struggle movement & Mahatma Gandhi like Wardha, Motihari, Bettiah, Gaya, Varanasi, Allahabad & Surat.

6. India Ranks 75th in Environmental Impact Survey: The Rankings are based on different measurements that make up the average individual human impact in each country, including energy consumption, air pollution, waste production and CO2 emissions per capita. Mozambique, one of the poorest countries in the world, has topped a survey of nations with the lowest global environmental impact. Whereas, India was placed 75th, with renewable energy making up only 15.2 per cent of all energy used.

7. Kerala gets its first metro in Kochi: PM Modi flagged off Kerala’s first metro line in Kochi. The minimum fare is capped at 10, whereas the maximum stays upto 40. In order to promote solar power, the rooftops of all stations have been set up with solar panels in order to generate power.

8. India to host AIIB’s 3rd annual meeting: The third annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s (AIIB) board of governors will be held in Mumbai, India, in June 2018.The first annual meeting was held in Beijing and second meeting in South Korea.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought:17th June: The World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) is being observed across the globe on 17th June to highlight ways to prevent desertification and recover from the drought. The theme of 2017 is 'Link between land degradation and migration'. Over 250 million people are directly affected by desertification, and about one billion people in over one hundred countries are at risk.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India bag five medals at Asian Junior Wrestling Championships: India bagged five medals, including a gold in the 2017 Asian Junior Wrestling Championships in Taiwan. India’s female wrestlers won three medals while two came in the male Greco-Roman division. India’s gold came in the women’s 51kg freestyle category through Puja. In the 44 Kg and 59 kg category, Sonu and Manu claimed a silver and a bronze respectively.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. Twenty Indian firms in Asia300 ranking: Twenty Indian firms have been named in top 100 of Nikkei Asian Review’s Asia300 companies list. Indian players held 10 of the top 30 spots, outperforming their Chinese and Southeast Asian counterparts whereas, the list was topped by Taiwan’s Largan Precision. HCL Technologies stood at 2nd place, followed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Tata Consultancy Services at 3rd and 4th place respectively.

Daily GK Updates - 16th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Free Education for Transgender Students: Tamil Nadu Govt. introduced free education for the transgender community in the Manonmanianm Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli. The colleges affiliated to the university will reserve one seat for transgenders, making it the first university in India to offer free education to transgenders. Further meritorious students will also get a stipend of Rs.3000 per month under the scheme.

2. AIIB grants USD 150 mn loan for Indian Infrastructure Fund: India Infrastructure Fund has been granted a loan of $150 million equity investment  byThe Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank becoming the bank’s first loan to fund private projects. Infrastructure Fund aims to expand the bank’s equity and  invest in mid-cap infrastructure companies in India.

3. India claims the top spot among the remittance receiving nations in 2016: UN Report: The study said India was the top receiving country for remittances in 2016 at $62.7 billion, followed by China ($61 billion). Indians working across the globe sent home USD 62.7 billion last year, making India the top remittance-receiving country surpassing China, according to a UN report. The ‘One Family at a Time’ study by the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said about 200 million migrants globally sent more than $445 million in 2016 as remittances to their families, helping to lift millions out of poverty.

4. Global Innovation Index Rankings, India at 60^th position: India 60th most innovative globally, Switzerland tops the list. Among the 130 nations, India moved up six places to 60th, emerging as the highest ranked economy in South and Central Asia. The top five positions are retained by Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, US and Britain.

5. Centre launches IDCF to reduce child deaths due to diarrhoea: The Centre has launched a special drive to reach out to nearly 12 crore under-five children within a fortnight to reduce child deaths from diarrhoea, which kills 1.1 lakh children in India every year. The health ministry has launched the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF), under which community awareness campaigns on hygiene and promotion of ORS and zinc therapy will be conducted at the state level. 

6. Bhupen Hazarika Award conferred to Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi: The 5th Bhupen Hazarika National Award 2017 is awarded to writer ‘Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi’. Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi belongs to the West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. The award has been instituted with ‘Sarhad’, a Maharashtra-based social organization. The award honors outstanding literary work at national and international level. It consists of Rs. 51,000, a memento and a certificate.         

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Japan passes anti-terror conspiracy law: In order to improve security ahead of the 2020 Olympics, and to comply with a UN agreement Japan has passed a controversial bill allowing authorities to target terror conspiracies. If the public is suspected of being a member of criminal group, they could be targeted on conspiracy charges via monitoring phone and online conversations. The bill has been revised several times over the years. The latest bill reduced the number of targeted crimes to over 270 offences and narrowed the definition of terrorist and criminal organizations.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Virat Kohli :Fastest to 8000 runs: Virat Kohli has became the fastest cricketer to score 8000 runs in ODIs.He reached in his 175th innings to the 8000-run mark,ahead of A B de Villiers who had taken 182 innings to reach to the milestone.SouravGanguly and Sachin Tendulkar are third and fourth in the list.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. CCI imposes Rs. 87 crores fine on Hyundai Motor India: Due to unfair business practices with respect to providing discounts on cars, Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a penalty of Rs. 87 crores on Hyundai Motor India.  According to CCI, the company contravened competition law through arrangements that resulted into resale price maintenance and also mandated its dealers to use recommended lubricants and oils. The company is asked to cease and desist from such anti-competitive practices.

OBITUARIES:

3. Pioneer of judicial activism Justice 'P N Bhagwati' passes away: A pioneer of judicial activism in the country for introducing the concept of PILs (Public Interest Litigation), former Chief Justice of India (17th) P N Bhagwati (95-year) passed away after brief illness. He was awarded India's second highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan(2007) in public affairs.

Daily GK Updates - 15th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Telangana Govt. launches website for online sale of cattle: A website named ‘PashuBazar’ is launched by the Telangana government to facilitate online purchase or sale of cattle. Farmers can keep maximum five registrations for sale at any time, and also the new cattle rules issued by the Central govt.

2. Cabinet approves Interest Subvention to banks on Short-term crop loan to farmers: Earmarking a sum of Rs. 20,339 crore, the government has approved the Interest Subvention Scheme(ISS) for farmers for the year 2017-18. It will help farmers to get short term crop loan up to Rs. 3 lakh payable within one year at only 4% per annum. The scheme will continue for a year and will be implemented by NABARD and RBI.

3. Cabinet approves the proposal to introduce a Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill: Union cabinet approves the proposal to introduce a Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017. It provides a framework for specified financial sector entities to deal with bankruptcy situation broadly classified into banks, insurance companies and financial sector entities. For a larger number of retail depositors it aims to strengthen and streamline the current framework of deposit insurance.

4. Lok Sabha Speaker to inaugurate 16th NERCPA Conference at Imphal: LS speaker SumitraMahajan will inaugurate the 16th North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) Conference at Imphal in Manipur.

5. Law expert Neeru Chadha to become member of ITLOS: After Lakshmi Pandit, who served as a president of the United Nations General Assembly ,Neeru is the woman to occupy a top position at the UN. She has become the first Indian woman to be appointed as judge at the ITLOS (International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas).

6. Senior Vice President at TCS to head Atal Mission: Ramanathan Ramanan to head Atal Innovation Mission, a government initiative to promote  culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.  He appointed as mission Director of Atal Innovation Mission, under NITI Aayog as additional secretary.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day : June 15,2017: The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly. By raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect,the purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons.

2. David Grossman wins Man Booker Prize 2017: David Grossman, an Israeli author was awarded the prestigious award for his novel “A Horse Walks into a Bar”.The prize money will split even between Mr Grossman and translator Jessica Cohen.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. Yes Bank partner with TerraPay: To enable real-time money transfer to bank accounts in India. By signing a Rupee Drawing Arrangement, these two companies will make instant cross-border money transfer to bank accounts in India possible

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. Verizon acquires Yahoo: Verizon’s complete acquisition on yahoo marked the end of its standalone internet existence. The number one US wireless operator is combining yahoo with AOL, to form a venture called Oath. The remainder of Yahoo not acquired by Verizon will be renamed Altaba.

Daily GK Updates - 14th June, 2017

­­­­NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Cabinet approves Interest Subvention on Short-Term Crop Loan to Farmers: The Union cabinet has approved the Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) for farmers for the year 2017-18. The Government has allocated Rs. 20,339 crore for this scheme.

2. Ministry of Railways launches Mission Retro-Fitment: Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu has launched Mission Retro-Fitment to enhance the passenger experience by upgrading the existing fleet of coaches.

3. Bihar govt to conduct social audit of Public distribution system: Bihar govt will carry out a social audit of the Public Distribution System to determine effective implementation of the Right to Food Act, 2013 in the state. Bihar was the first state to implement the Right to Food Act on February 1, 2014. Social audit is a process of reviewing official records and determining whether state reported expenditures reflect the actual monies spent on the ground.

4. Rajasthan village to be named after US President Donald Trump: US President Donald Trump will soon have a village named after him in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak announced that a village will be named after the US president to give a fillip to India-US relationship. Sulabh International is an India-based social service organization that works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education. Sulabh International is the largest nonprofit organization in India.

5. Uttar Pradesh ranks first in child labourers: According to CRY report over 8 lakh children in India between the age group 5 and 6 years are engaged in child labour. According to the report released Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of 2,50,672 children engaged in labour, followed by Bihar with 1,28,087 children and Maharashtra where the number stands at 82,847.

6. DRDO successfully test fires 'Nag' missile: The DRDO successfully test fired anti-tank missile 'Nag' in a desert in the western sector of Rajasthan. The "fire and forget" third generation anti-tank guided missile 'Nag' is equipped with the highly advanced Imaging Infrared Radar (IRR) seeker with integrated avionics, technology. It is one of five missile systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).

7. India emerges as the seventh largest exporter of agri-products: In 22nd APEDA Annual Award Function, commerce secretary Rita Teaotia said India has emerged as the seventh largest exporter of agri-products globally. Goods exports during 2016-17 stood at $276.28 billion, out of which agri exports comprised of $33.38 billion representing 12.08% of the total exports. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority popularly known as APEDA is an apex body of the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, to promote the export of agricultural commodities and processed food products.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bank approves $500 million for Afghanistan: The World Bank has approved financing worth more than 500 million dollars for Afghanistan to support a string of projects to boost the economy. The package will help Afghanistan with refugees, expand private-sector opportunities for the poor, boost the development of five cities, expand electrification, improve food security and build rural roads etc. The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to countries of the world for capital programs and its headquarters located in Washington, D.C.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. IDBI Bank is the only PSB to get ‘high’ rating for code compliance: According to the Code Compliance Rating of banks done by the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) 2017, only 1 out of 26 public sector banks and 8 out of 17 private sector banks got ‘high’ rating for their adherence to code compliance. The eight private sector banks that got ‘high’ rating are — Axis Bank, DCB Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, RBL Bank and YES Bank. The three foreign banks — Citibank, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank — that were surveyed got ‘high’ ranking.

2. RBI identifies 12 loan accounts constituting 25% of gross NPAs for immediate resolution under bankruptcy law: The RBI’s Internal Advisory Committee has identified 12 accounts each having more than 5,000 crore rupees of outstanding loans.

It accounts for 25 % of the current gross Non Performing Assets for immediate referral and resolution under the bankruptcy law. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) is the bankruptcy law of India which seeks to consolidate the existing framework by creating a single law for insolvency and bankruptcy.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. SEBI permits options trading in commodity futures:  Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI, permitted options trading in commodities to deepen the market but will permit each exchange to launch options on futures of only one commodity initially. Options could be launched on futures contract of only those commodities that are among the top five in terms of total trading turnover value of previous 12 months.

Daily GK Updates - 13th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Uttar Pradesh leads in number of child labourers: Approximately more than 8 lakh children between the age group of 5 and 6 years in India are engaged in child labour. This is according to CRY report on child labour. Child Rights and You (CRY) is an NGO working towards the upliftment of underprivileged children.

2.   Movement of People Near Indo-Myanmar Border is to be examined: Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted an expert committee for examining Indo-Myanmar boarder. Citizens of India and Myanmar are permitted free movement within 16 km of the international border, but these rules are widely exploited by militants for smuggling arms, drugs, and fake Indian currency.

3.  India awards road contract to complete Kaladan project in Myanmar: The contract for building 109-km road connecting Paletwa river terminal to Zorinpui in Mizoram border has been awarded by the government. The Kaladan project connects Sittwe Port (Myanmar) to the India-Myanmar border. This project will reduce distance from Kolkata to Sittwe by approximately 1328 km.

4.     NDRF to be set up in New Delhi now: NDRF - National Disaster Response Force is equipped with nuclear and biological combat gear to quickly respond to dangerous threats. NDRF base was in Sector-19 near Ghaziabad till now. Please note that the Apex Body for Disaster Management in India is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

5. A separate time zone for Arunachal Pradesh: Arunachal Pradesh CM demanded for a separate time zone for the north-eastern states. Separate time zone was needed to improve work efficiency and save electricity in the region. A planning commission report in 2006 suggested different time zones in India to improve efficiency.

6.  ‘Anuyatra’, an empowerment programme for the differently-abled: The Kerala government unveiled ‘anuyatra’, an empowerment programme for the differently abled persons. The initiative is aimed at transforming the southern state to a disabled-friendly one and empower differently-abled children by bringing them to the forefront of the society.

7.  India, Israel sign ‘white shipping’ agreement: India and Israel signed a “white shipping” agreement to improve data sharing on non-classified merchant navy ships or cargo ships. The agreement was signed by Admiral Lanba and Chief of the General Staff of Israeli Defence Force Lt Gen Gadi Eisenkot. Defence ties between India and Israel have been growing rapidly and India is the largest buyer of Israel’s military hardware. 

8.  Odia language poet, essayist and columnist Haraprasad Das gets Kalinga Literary Award: Legendary Odiya poet, essayist and columnist Haraprasad Das was conferred with the coveted Kalinga Literary Award for his work and contribution to literature at the fourth edition of Kalinga Literary Festival.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Panama forges Diplomatic ties with China and breaks away with Taiwan: Panama has established formal diplomatic ties with China and broke all of its relationship with Taiwan in a move that is seen as a victory for China in its drive to isolate Taiwan from the rest of the world. China claims Taiwan as its own territory.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.  ICC ODI Player Rankings: Virat Kohli becomes No.1 ODI Batsman: Indian Captain Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top spot in the recently released ICC ODI batting rankings. He overtook South Africa’s AB de Villiers and Australia’s David Warner to reach the number one position.

BANKING & FINANCE:

2.    RBI to release a new batch of Rs. 500 Currency Notes: Reserve Bank of India has said that it will release new batch of Rs. 500 currency notes whose design will be similar in all respects to the Rs. 500 rupee banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series which were released post demonetisation.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3.  Consumer price based inflation falls to all time low: Consumer price based inflation (Retail inflation) fell to an all-time low of 2.18 % in May this year. This number is the lowest inflation rate that the country has witnessed ever since it started publishing an economy-wide consumer price index (CPI) in the year 2012.The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services. CPI is calculated by taking price changes for each item in the predetermined basket of goods and averaging them.

4.  IRDAI takes over management of Sahara Life Insurance: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has taken over the administration of Sahara India Life Insurance. This is a first of its kind move in the insurance sector. IRDAI appointed one of its general managers to manage the affairs of the insurer with "immediate effect".