Daily GK Updates - 10th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched: Government has merged the urban development and housing and urban poverty alleviation ministries. It will now be known as Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The merger will create synergy, better coordination and planning between housing and urban infrastructure projects.

2. GST intelligence agency gets Joseph as the new chief: Senior bureaucrat John Joseph has been appointed as the Director General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DG GSTI). DG GSTI is the new name given to Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence, mandated to check service tax and central excise duty evasion.

3. Free Surgery Scheme at Private Hospital for Delhiites: Citizens of Delhi who are unable to have surgeries at any govt hospital can now get free surgery in 48 private hospitals bill of which will be paid by Delhi govt. Govt would facilitate 52 specified surgeries free of cost at private hospitals. This facility will be provided only if the government hospitals are not able to give required treatment in 1 month.

4. First Maize Based Mega Food Park in Punjab: Union Minister of Food Processing Industry laid the foundation stone for First Maize based Mega Food Park in Kapurthala, Punjab. Mega Food Park is an inclusive concept and a scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing of the Government of India, aimed at establishing a "direct linkage from farm to processing and then to consumer markets" through a network of collection centres and primary processing centres.

5. Scheme for IPR Awareness - Creative India; Innovative India launched: Taking forward the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy 2016, a 'Scheme for IPR Awareness - Creative India; Innovative India' has been launched by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) under the aegis of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. The Scheme aims at raising IPR awareness amongst students, youth, authors, artists, budding inventors and professionals to inspire them to create, innovate and protect their creations and inventions across India.

International UPDATES:

1. UNHCR calls for Citizenship for Myanmar Rohingyas: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has called for granting citizenship to Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority. The Rohingya have long been denied citizenship, freedom of movement and basic rights in Myanmar, where they are often seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

2. Iraq declares victory over ISIS: Iraq’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, has declared victory over Islamic State forces in Mosul after months-long of bitter fighting. The city had been the last major urban stronghold Isis held in Iraq, and defeat there pushes the group back towards its insurgent roots. Victory in Mosul is still both a strategic and symbolic milestone for Iraqi fighters backed by US-led coalition forces.

Okinoshima gets World Heritage status

3. A sacred island in south-west Japan “Okinoshima” has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site: Women are banned on the islands while men have to take off their clothes and undergo a cleansing ritual before setting foot on the island. Only 200 visitors are allowed each year.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Youngest winner of professional golf event: 14 years old amateur Atthaya Thitikul has become the youngest known winner of a professional golf tour event with victory at Ladies European Thailand Championship. She defeated Ana Menendez of Mexico.

2. Valterri Bottas wins Austrian Grand Prix: Mercedes’ Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas has won the 2017 Austrian Grand Prix. Bottas finished ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, who finished second and third respectively.

3. Gokulnath becomes first Indian to finish toughest cycle race RAAM: The 35-year-old Gokulnath became the first Indian to complete the 4,900 kilometer RAAM (Race Across America) in the solo category. A solo rider has 12 days to finish the race and has to ride over 400 kilometers a day to finish it in given time. Sleep is for under 3-hours a day.

3. Raninder Singh re-elected NRAI president: Raninder Singh has been re-elected as president of the National Rifle Association of India  for another 4 year term.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

4. Bharti Airtel launches Project Next, to invest Rs. 2000 crores: Bharti Airtel has launched “Project Next” to deliver all services across touch points in a seamless digital way. The company plans to invest up to Rs 2000 crore over the next 3 years under the new project to launch new digital innovations.

5. Crypto currency expert Amit Bharadwaj launches e-book: An e-book ‘Cryptocurrency for Beginners’, which seeks to provide context and clarity on cryptocurrencies (like bitcoin) has been launched by Amit Bharadwaj. This is his third book in the series, after ‘Cryptocurrency Trading for Beginners’ and ‘Cryptocurrency Mining for Beginners’.

Daily GK Updates - 9th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ahmedabad declared as India’s first World Heritage city by UNESCO: The 600 year old Walled City of Ahmedabad has been declared as India’s first World Heritage City. Delhi and Mumbai were also among the race. Ahmedabad’s nomination received huge support from 20 countries for the peaceful co-existence of Hindu, Islamic, Jain communities in Walled City area.

2.  Defence Ministry names two former Army chiefs in Adarsh Scam: Former Army chiefs, General N.C.Vij and General Deepak Kapoor have been named for their complicity on Adarsh Housing Society scam in Mumbai.  The Adarsh housing society, a 31-storey apartment complex in a prime location in south Mumbai, was meant for the families of Kargil war veterans but several top politicians, bureaucrats and military officers became the of owners of apartments in the complex.

3. Home Minister Rajnath Singh assures Sikkim of safety of NH10: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today assured the Sikkim government that the Centre will ensure the security of national highway 10, the lifeline of the landlocked state, which is facing crisis of essential commodities in the wake of protests and counter-protests over the demand for Gorkhaland in neighbouring West Bengal.

4. Digital initiatives over e-education launched: President Mukherjee launched 3 digital initiatives – Swayam, Swayam Prabha and National Academic Depository to push e-education in the country. Aim of the initiatives is to raise the Gross Enrollment Ratio in  higher education from 24.5 to 30 by 2020. Swayam will host courses taught in classrooms from Class 9th to post-graduation, which can be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time.

5. Beef detection kit developed by Maharashtra: Directorate of FSL in Maharashtra has developed a portable kit which can determine if a meat sample contains beef or not. If meat sample fed into the kit is beef, the sample turns yellow and will be sent for further confirmation to FSL. Cow Meat Detection ELISA Kit can provide results within 30 mins. It will help police secure more convictions in cases of beef possession or transportation.

6. Lower berth in 3AC coach to be reserved: Indian Railways has fixed quota for ‘Divyangs’ in 3AC of mail and express trains to make the journey hassle-free. A lower berth in 3AC coach will be reserved for Divyangs. Currently, there is a provision for lower berth quota in sleeper class only. In order to facilitate smooth entry into platforms, all stations are being made accessible for differently-abled passengers.

International UPDATES:

1. IMF Chief calls for removing barriers and reducing subsidies at G20: IMF Chief Christine Lagarde has asked the members of G20 to reduce trade barriers and subsidies to step up trade.She called for urgent action to strengthen global growth and build inclusive economies while keeping away from complacency.

2. India new global growth pole, to keep lead over China says Harvard: According to the study conducted by Harvard University’s Centre for International Development, the growth projections say that India will feature on the top of the list of fastest growing economies till 2025.The annual growth rate will be 7.7 percent.

3. Battulga wins Presidential election in Mongolia: Former martial arts star and businessman Khaltmaa Battulga has won Mongolia’s presidential run-off election. Battulga of the Democratic Party won with 50.6% of the vote on a 60.9% turnout and defeated Miyeegombo Enkhbold of the ruling Mongolian People’s party.

4. Nepal, China ink border security deal: Nepal and China have signed an agreement to set up a border law enforcement centre to manage and curb border related crimes while respecting each other’s sovereignty. The aim of establishing the centre is to co-operate each other on the border security management and to curb border related crimes.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Indian women hold South Africa in Hockey World League: Brilliant goalkeeping by Savita saw India hold hosts South Africa 0-0 in their first match of the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final in Johannesburg. India will take on USA next.

BANKING & FINANCE

2. India to join New GXFC: India will soon get a seat on the Global Foreign Exchange Committee. It is a newly-constituted forum of central bankers and experts working towards promotion of a robust and transparent forex market. Committee has been set up under the guidance of the Bank for International Settlements. GXFC will seek to promote collaboration and communication among local foreign exchange committees.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

3. Oracle opens its first Digital Hub: Oracle has launched its first Digital Hub in Asia Pacific region in Bengaluru. Hub would provide cloud computing technology & resources to small & medium businesses to empower them in their digital transformation. There will be 5 hubs across Asia Pacific, India is the 1st hub, other 4 hubs will come up in Sydney, Singapore, Seoul and Beijing.

Daily GK Updates - 8th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government to end dual MRP practice from 1st January 2018: In order to protect the consumers from paying different prices at different locations, Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs has amended Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities)Rules 2011. Pre-packed commodities will be regulated across the country under this newly amended rule.This rule will come into effect from 1st January 2018 and will ensure that the prices of product to not vary, no matter where they are purchased, i.e. the prices of commodities will be similar, whether they are purchased at a local shop, mall, 5 star hotels or airports.

2. India and Bangladesh have decided to construct bridge along Mizoram Border: India and Bangladesh have decided to construct a bridge over Mizoram’s Khawthlangtuipui river (also known as Karnaphuli river) to facilitate trade and to improve communication between the two countries. The decision was taken after officials from both the side met at Tlabung town in Mamit district of Mizoram.

3. “JIGYASA” – Student-Scientist connect Programme: Jigyasa, a student- scientist connect programme has been launched by the government in New Delhi. The programme would be implemented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).

4. India plans to invite Leaders of ASEAN countries for 2018 Republic Day celebrations: India has planned to invite the ten leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as Chief Guests for 2018 Republic Day celebrations. This Plan has come at a time when India is engaged in a stand-off with China in the Sikkim sector. If invited Republic Day 2018 would be the first Republic Day event that will have so many leaders as the chief guests.

International UPDATES:

1. BRICS Informal Leader’s Meeting held in Hamburg:The Informal Leader’s Meeting of the 5 BRICS countries was held in Hamburg, Germany, on the sidelines of G20 summit. The meeting was held in run up for the upcoming 9th BRICS Summit, which will take place in Xiamen, China in September.

2. UN approves treaty to ban Nuclear Weapons: At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Nuclear Weapons ban treaty was adopted by 122 countries. Netherlands was the only country, which took part in the discussion and voted against the treaty, despite having US Nuclear Weapons on its territory.The 10 page treaty, known as Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, will be open for signature by any member state from 20th September, during the annual General Assembly. It would enter into legal force 90 days after being ratified by 50 countries.

3. WHO appoints Saima Wazed Hossain as the Goodwill Ambassador for Autism: A globally renowned champion for the cause of Autism spectrum disorder, Salma is appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in the South-East Asia region for a period of 2 years. She will will be promoting the Thimphu Declaration, which also emphasises integrating the needs of autism-affected people into national health and socioeconomic development plans, as a part of her role as Goodwill ambassador.

4. US - Russia sign agreement for ceasefire in South-West Syria:US President Donald Trump’s signed the agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin for ceasefire in South-West Syria, concluding the first meeting.As per US Officials and Jordanian government (which is also involved in this deal), the cease-fire will go into effect on Sunday at noon Damascus time.

5. Intelsat 35e successfully launched by SpaceX: Intelsat 35e was lifted off by Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A and placed into the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). This satellite is the 4th addition to Epic High Throughput Satellite (HTS) constellation of Intelsat and aims to meet the requirement of wireless backhaul, Direct to home (DTH) transmissions, government applications and, mobility services of Caribbean, Europe and Africa. This marks the third launch of SpaceX in less than 2 weeks, first being BulgariaSat and second Iridium.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Harinder Pal Sandhu Wins South Australian Open Squash Title: India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu has defeated Rhys Dowling of Australia 11-8 12-10 11-4 to lift South Australian Open squash title. This will be Sandhu’s first PSA tournament victory in Australia.

Daily GK Updates - 7th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt. to set up skill development centres for minority youth: To offer employment-oriented training to the youth from minority communities the government will set up Garib Nawa skill development centres in 100 districts of the country. It will also proffer marriage assistance to the tune of Rs 51,000 (per head) to families of girl students who complete their graduation availing the Centre’s Begum HazratMahal scholarship.

2. Navies of India, US and Japan to participate in Malabar exercise: Naval ships, aircrafts and personnel from India, Japan and the United States will participate in the 10-day long Malabar exercise.The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training.Malabar 2017 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises that has grown in scope and complexity over the years to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific.India's aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, Japan's largest warship JS Izumo and super-carrier Nimitz of the United States will be part of the exercise.

3. India declares itself free from Avian Influenza: The government declared the country free from Avian Influenza, commonly called as bird flu.The outbreak of bird flu, an infectious viral disease of birds, was reported at various epicentres in nine states and Union Territories during October 2016 and February 2017.Agriculture Ministry said surveillance in the states showed no evidence of presence of bird flu.India has declared itself free from Avian Influenza (H5N8 and H5N1) from 6 June 2017 and notified the same to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

4. Chhattisgarh tops list of states in issuance of soil health cards:  Among all the states in the country Chhattisgarh has topped the list for having issued over 43 lakh soil health cards (SHCs) to farmers in the past two years. The process of providing soil health cards, a Union government’s initiative, to farmers for their land is going at a rapid pace in Chhattisgarh.

5. SC stays HC order declaring The Ganga river as a living entity: The Supreme Court today stayed the Uttarakhand High court’s order recognising Ganga and Yamuna as living entities.

Notably, New Zealand’s Whanganui river is the first to be given such a status.

6. India ranks 23rd in GCI: India has been ranked 23rd out of 165 nations in the second Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) that measures the commitment of nations across the world to cyber security. The Index has been released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

7. Sanjiv Goenka named as IIT-Kharagpur chairman: RP Sanjiv Goenka Group Chairman, Sanjiv Goenka, has been named as the Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT-Kharagpur. He will serve as the Chairman for three years. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Chocolate Day celebrated: World Chocolate Day, sometimes referred to as International Chocolate Day, is an observance that occurs globally every year on July 7. Celebration of the day includes the consumption of chocolate. It has been stated that 7 July 2017 marks 467 years since chocolate was introduced to Europe.

2. China accuses India of trampling on the Panchsheel pact: Demanding immediate withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam, China recently accused India of trampling on the Panchsheel pact. Panchsheel pact which was signed on 29th April 1954 was the first formally enunciated in the Agreement on trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India. It contains five Principles which are Mutual respect, Mutual non-aggression, Mutual non-interference, Equality and Mutual benefit, Peaceful Coexistence.

3. The twelfth G20 summit begins at Hamburg, Germany: The 2017 G20 Hamburg summit is the twelfth meeting of the Group of Twenty held on 7–8 July 2017 in the city of Hamburg.

G20 which was founded in 1999 to give developing countries a more powerful voice in the global economy, the summit brings together industrialised and emerging economies.

4. UNESCO puts Old City of Hebron on its heritage in danger list:  The UNESCO World Heritage Committee acting on a proposal brought by Palestine has put the West Bank city of Hebron on its list of world heritage in danger.  This has made Israel angry and has triggered a new Israeli-Palestinian spat at the international body.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Manpreet wins 1st gold for India at 22nd Asian Athletics Championship: India’s Manpret Kaur bagged the gold medal in women’s shot-put on the opening day of the asian Athletics Championship DISHA held at Odisha .

BANKING AND FINANCE:

2. Bank customers won’t have to bear loss from fraudulent transactions says RBI:If unauthorised electronic banking transactions are reported to the bank within three days, the Reserve Bank of India said that customers will not suffer any loss thus putting the onus of such transactions largely on the banks.In case the third-party fraud is reported with a delay of four to seven working days, a customer will face liability of up to Rs 25,000. In cases where the loss is due to negligence by the account holder such as sharing of payment credentials, the customer will bear the entire loss until the unauthorised transaction is reported to the bank.

3. RBI considering setting up a Public Credit Registry:  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may consider setting up a Public Credit Registry (PCR), which will be an extensive database of credit information for India that is accessible to all stakeholders.PCR is managed by a public authority like the central bank or the banking supervisor, and reporting of loan details to the PCR by lenders and/or borrowers is mandated by law.

4. Canara, HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance ties up with Dhanlaxmi Bank for marketing Bancassurance: Bancassurance is the partnership or relationship between a bank and an insurance company, or a single integrated organisation, whereby the insurance company uses the bank sales channel to sell insurance products. Private life insurance companyCanara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance has entered into an alliance with the Kerala based Dhanlaxmi Bank for marketing various life insurance products. As part of the agreement, the Bank will be a corporate agent for 3 years.

5. SEBI seeks details of proposed IDFC-Shriram Capital mega merger:  The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has sought details from IDFC and Shriram Group's companies on the proposed merger. According to reports, Chennai-based Shriram Capital and IDFC Bank are set to begin negotiations for merging all or some of their businesses in a mega-union that could create a Ra 60,000-crore financial powerhouse.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

6. Tata Steel receives PM’s trophy for best Integrated Steel Plant: Tata Steel Ltd has bagged Prime Minister’s trophy for ‘Best Performing Integrated Steel Plant’ in the country for the performance years 2014-2015 and 2015- 16. This is for the third consecutive year that Tata Steel has bagged the award. 

7. Tesla building world’s biggest Li-ion battery: Elon Musk led Tesla, announced thet it is building world’s biggest Li-ion(Lithium Ion) battery system which will be used for storage of renewable energy in South Australia. The 129 MWh Powerpack system will be charged by a wind farm.

8. Mercedes-Benz India records best ever sales in June quarter: Luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz reported record sales in India at 3,521 units in the April to June quarter. The company said it had recorded a growth of 18% compared to the same period of the previous financial year.

Daily GK Updates - 6th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jammu & Kashmir Assembly passes resolution to implement GST: The state assembly passed the landmark tax reform during a special session, after two days of heated exchanges and fiery debates between BJP members and the opposition. The resolution moved by state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, was adopted through a presidential order. With this, all the states have implemented the Goods and Services Tax.

2. MERIT app and e-Bidding portal launched: The Power Ministry launched the MERIT app (Merit Order Dispatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency) and the portal for providing e-Bidding solution to states to select Independent Power Producers (IPPs). It will help States to select Independent Power Producers for procurement of power by transferring their domestic coal under the scheme of flexibility in utilization of domestic coal.

3. Indian NGO wins UNDP’s award: Swayam Shikshan Prayog, a city-based NGO, has been awarded the United Nations Development Programme’s Equator Prize for devising an ecologically sustainable agriculture model to combat the adverse impacts of drought.

It is the only Indian organisation to win the award, making the cut from more than 800 nominations across 120 countries.

4. Election Commission to tally paper trail slips with EVMs: Election Commission has decided to mandatorily tally paper trail slips with the results of EVMs in 5% of polling stations in each assembly seat, for all state and Lok Sabha elections. Counting of paper trail slips, however, will not take place in more than 14 polling stations and less than five polling stations in each assembly seat.

5. Railways new “Give it up” campaign: The Indian Railways is set to launch a 'Give-It-Up' campaign that will give travellers the option to forego the subsidy on their train tickets. The passengers will have the option to forego either 100 per cent of the subsidy or 50 per cent or to avail the subsidy. It will be a voluntary decision that we leave to the customers."

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 5th Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers held at Beijing: Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education was held on 5th July, 2017 at Beijing, China. Indian delegation was led by Prakash Javadekar, Minister of HRD. He highlighted some of the initiatives of the Govt. of India in education like National Institutional Ranking Framework which provides a relative ranking of Indian institutions, India’s indigenous MOOCs platform and SWAYAM among others.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Amazon to invest Rs.1680 crores more in India unit: Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder has already highlighted the importance of Indian operations to Amazon. This infusion will be focused on improving against local rival Flipkart.

2. Volvo cars – All electric or hybrid by 2019: Volvo has announced that starting from 2019, all of its new cars will be fully electric or hybrid. This makes Volvo the first major traditional automaker to set a date for phasing out vehicles powered solely by the internal combustion engine. Volvo will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021. Three of them will be Volvo models and two will be electrified cars from Polestar.

3. Shanghai based SAIC Motors to set up Rs 2000cr car plant: China’s SAIC Motor has entered into an MoU with the Gujarat government to establish the plant at Halol where MG brand cars will be manufactured. SAIC will set up a passenger car manufacturing facility at Halol in Panchmahals district of Gujarat with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore.

4. AIIB approves USD 329 mn loan for Gujarat: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved a USD 329 million loan to build access roads to 4,000 villages in 33 Gujarat districts. It aims to construct & upgrade district and farm-to-market roads for the villagers and provide approaches to educational institutions, schools and hospitals.

SPORTS:

5. Germany tops, India at 96th in FIFA World ranking: India has moved four places up to the 96th position in the FIFA World ranking released on 6th July. This is India’s second best ranking, its previous best was the 94th position in February 1996. Germany topped the rankings followed by Brazil and Argentina.

6. Pankaj Advani-led Indian clinched Asian Snooker Championship: India's leading cueist Pankaj Advani teamed up with Laxman Rawat to demolish Pakistan in the final of the Asian Team Snooker Championship in Bishskek, Kyrgyszstan.

Daily GK Updates - 5th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Israel names a flower after PM Narendra Modi: A new fast-growing Israeli flower has been named after PM Narendra Modi, in a special gesture to mark the first visit to the Jewish nation Israel. The flower, Crysanthumun, will now be called "Modi".

2. 5% concessional rate on devices for the physically-challenged: The Ministry of Revenue has announced a 5% concessional GST rate on the following assistive devices and rehabilitation aids for physically-challenged person. The concessional 5% GST rate on these devices/equipments would enable their domestic manufacturers to avail of input tax credit of GST paid on their inputs and raw materials. A total of 22 items have the concession.

3. Karnataka launches ‘Elevate 100’ scheme: The Karnataka government has launched the ‘Elevate 100’ scheme to identify and nurture innovative start-ups. The Elevate scheme is the brainchild of the start-up cell, Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS), to help start-ups across the state. The aim is to identify 100 most innovative start-ups in the state to elevate them to the next level of success.

4. TERI ranked second best in the world: The Energy Resources Institute has been ranked as the second best climate think tank in the world. The rankings were released by The International Center for Climate Governance, which focuses on the design of climate policy and related governance issues. TERI conducts research for sustainable development of India and is headquartered in New Delhi.

5. Environment Minister launches plantation drive to mark ‘Van Mahotsav’: The Union Environment Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched a month-long plantation drive ‘Van Mahotsav’ at Ram Lila Park, C. C Colony, and Model Town early this morning in Delhi. Van Mahotsav is usually observed in the first week of July every year and is celebrated on different days in different parts of India.

6. Western Railway renames 'Elphinstone Road' station as 'Prabhadevi': According to the Western Railways notification, the name of ‘Elphinstone Road station has been changed to ‘Prabhadevi’. Prabhadevi is a local deity, whose temple is located in the vicinity of the railway station.

7. President clears ordinance allowing ‘Kambala’: President ‘Pranab Mukherjee’ has approved promulgation of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017. It allows conducting ‘kambala’, an annual buffalo race organized in Karnataka.

8. India’s tallest ATC tower at Delhi Airport: The new 101.9-metre air traffic control tower at the Delhi airport — touted to be the country’s tallest — is likely to start operations by December. The tower, among the tallest structures in Delhi, will give a 360-degree view of the airport to the controllers who will be able to see all the three runways, aprons and taxiways.

9. Sanjay Kumar -  the new NDRF Chief appointed: Himachal Pradesh director general of police Sanjay Kumar has been appointed as the new chief of the National Disaster Response Force.

10. Arunachal Pradesh celebrates 'Dree festival': Today, the most popular ‘Dree festival’ of ‘Apatani community’ is being celebrated across the Arunachal Pradesh with traditional pomp and gaiety. ‘Apatanis’ pray their traditional Gods to bring in a bountiful harvest season along with the defeat of destructive forces in the society through this festival.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Most detailed MRI scan carried out at Cardiff University: An advanced MRI machine has produced the world’s most detailed scan of the human brain that could one day be used to better understand schizophrenia, dementia and epilepsy. The scan was carried out at Cardiff University’s Brain Research Imaging Centre. The images were generated using an advanced MRI machine – one of only three in the world.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. 22nd Asian Athletics Championships inaugurated at Kalinga Stadium: The 22nd Asian Athletics Championships has been inaugurated at Kalinga Stadium in Odisha capital Bhubaneswar. Over 1,200 athletes and officials from 44 countries in Asia will witness the sporting event which will continue until 9th of this month.

2. Ivory Coast International tournament: Ritika Thaker defeated Simran Singhi to win the singles title in the Ivory Coast International badminton tournament at Abidjan. Later, Ritika and Simran paired together to beat the Nigerian duo of Zainab Momohand Peace Orji in the women’s doubles final.

BANKING & FINANCE:

3. RBI ups FPI investment limit in g-secs: Reserve Bank has raised the FPI investment limit in government securities by 4.7% to Rs 2.42 lakh crore for July-September quarter. Likewise, the foreign portfolio investors will be allowed to raise their investment in state development loans by Rs61 billion to Rs331 billion for September quarter. Hence, the overall limit of FPI investment in government securities goes up to Rs 2580 billion

4. Credit card bill payment exempt from cash dealing limit of Rs 2 lakh: According to Revenue Department, restrictions on cash dealings of two lakh rupees or more will not apply to credit card bill payments. The Finance Act 2017 banned cash transaction of 2 lakh rupees or above with effect 1st of April this year. The move to ban cash transaction above a threshold was aimed at curbing black money by discouraging cash transaction and promoting digital economy.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

5. Microsoft India inks pact with NISA: Microsoft India has signed an agreement with National Independent Schools Alliance to offer Microsoft Aspire School Program (MASP) Pro Plus to over 55,000 member schools. MASP aims to equip schools with technology and innovative learning solutions, modernise campuses, and prepare future- ready students, among others.

6. $100 million venture fund for start-ups by Nilekani: Infosys co-founder and Aadhaar architect - Nandan Nilekani - along with venture capitalist Sanjeev Aggarwal has launched a $100 million venture fund called Fundamentum to back mid-stage startups. The corpus may be extended to $200 million if the fund sees more opportunities.

Daily GK Updates - 4th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India successfully test-fires short-range surface-to-air missile: Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) was successfully test-fired by India in all-weather tracked-chassis from a mobile launcher at launch complex III of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha. The QR-SAM weapon system is a quick reaction, network-centric missile system capable of search-on-the-move. QR-SAM system can also engage multiple targets within a range of around 30 km with two vehicle configuration for area air defence.

2. Reliance Jio to launch the world’s longest submarine cable system: Reliance Jio has announced to launch the world’s longest 100Gbps technology-based submarine system. The Asia-Africa-Europe (AAE-1) submarine cable system stretches from Marseille in France to Hong Kong, covering 25000 km.   It will have 21 cable landings across Asia and Europe. The project is a combination of leading telecom service providers from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

3.  Nagaland declared as ‘disturbed area’ under AFSPA for six months:  Under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act Entire Nagaland has been declared as disturbed area for the next 6 months. Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts (AFSPA), are Acts of the Parliament of India that grant special powers to the Indian Armed Forces in what each act terms "disturbed areas". According to The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976 once declared ‘disturbed’, the area has to maintain status quo for a minimum of 3 months.

4.  Finance ministry removes additional excise duty on tobacco, cigarettes: The GST Constitutional (Amendment) Act permits the Centre to levy excise duty on six items including tobacco and tobacco products. The Finance Ministry has removed additional excise duty on tobacco, cigarettes and pan-masala from 1^st July following the GST implementation. The revenue department also repealed its earlier central excise notification, which deals with excise duty rate on unmanufactured tobacco and chewing tobacco. The other items are petroleum crude, diesel, petrol, natural gas, and ATF.

International UPDATES:

1. US to honor Indian Americans with Great Immigrants Award: Indian-Americans, Shantanu Narayen (Adobe Chief) and Vivek Murthy (former US Surgeon General) will be honored with the Great Immigrants Award for their role in helping advance the country's society, culture and economy.

OTHER UPDATES

SPORTS:

1. Novak Djokovic clinches Eastbourne International Men’s Singles title: Tennis star Novak Djokovic (Serbia) defeated Gael Monfils (France) to clinch the Eastbourne International Men’s Singles title. He defeated Monfils 6-3, 6-4. Czech tennis player Karolina Pliskova defeated Danish Caroline Wozniacki to win the Eastbourne International Women’s Singles title. Pliskova defeated Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4.