Daily GK Updates - 14th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian astrophysicist discovered galaxy super cluster, names it Saraswati: Astrophysicist at Pune based IUCAA and IISER have discovered one of the most massive large-scale structures in the universe. A cluster could have galaxies ranging from 40 to 43. This galaxy super cluster, named as Saraswati is 4 billion light-years away.

2. Indian Railways launches India’s first Solar DEMU Train: The Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu the dedicated country's first solar powered DEMU train to the nation at an event in New Delhi. There are 16 solar panels of 300 watts capacity each in a coach. The train will run from Sarai Rohilla (Delhi) to Farukh Nagar(Haryana).

3. AIIMS to be set up in Gorakhpur too: Uttar Pradesh government has signed Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre for setting up of an All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in Gorakhpur. The OPD of the new AIIMS will start by September 2018 and trauma centers will be established by 2020.

4. Book “President’s Lady” by Sangeeta Ghosh released: President Pranab Mukherjee received the first copy of a book on his late wife, Suvra Mukherjee. The book, ‘President’s Lady’ (Pranaber Preyosi), was released by the Vice President Hamid Ansari on a day that marked President’s wedding anniversary.

5. The book has been written by Sangeeta Ghosh: Maharashtra Social Boycott Bill gets the Presidential nod. Maharashtra is the first Indian state to formulate a law to punish social boycott. The Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention Prohibition and Redressal) Act prescribes a maximum punishment of three years in jail and a fine of Rs.1 lakh.

6. PETN explosives found in UP Assembly: Highly explosive PETN was found in Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Explosive powder Pentaerythritol tetranitrate was kept in a plastic bag near the seat of leader of the opposition, Ram Govind Chaudhary. It is one of the most powerful explosives and is hard to detect since it is non-metallic. 150 gm of PETN was found, 500 gm of PETN is enough to blow the whole UP Assembly.

7. 73% Indians have trust in Modi’s government: According to findings of OECD’s Govt at a Glance report 2017, India is at 3rd position on “Trust in government” chart with 73% people having faith in Modi govt. Switzerland with 80% leads the index followed by Indonesia and India.

8. Greece is at the bottom of the table with 13% of people’s confidence: Odisha govt to set up Haj House in Bhubaneswar. The Odisha government will set up a ‘Haj House’ in Bhubaneswar for the welfare of Haj pilgrims. A total number of 1,133 applicants evinced interest to go for Haj this year scheduled for 2nd Sep, 2017.

9. India ranks 116 on SDG index: India is ranked 116th out of 157 nations on a sustainable development goal index with a score of 58.1. India is behind Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan & China. Sweden topped the list followed by Denmark & Finland.

10. J P Nadda launched National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2017-22): The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda has launched the National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2017-22). The Strategic Plan gives year wise elimination targets in various parts of the country depending upon the endemicity of malaria in the next 5 years.

International UPDATES:

1. Indians the second-highest to migrate to other countries: UN Report: According to a report by the UN migration agency, India has the second highest number of adults planning to migrate to other countries. Most popular destination for those planning to migrate is US followed by UK, Saudi Arabia, France, Canada and Germany.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:

1. Baba Ramdev launches security firm Parakram Suraksha Pvt Ltd: Looking beyond FMCG, Patanjali group founder Baba Ramdev launched a private security firm called ‘Parakram Suraksha Private Limited’ in Haridwar. Baba Ramdev has hired retired police and army officials to train young recruits.

2. Google acquires Bengaluru-based Artificial Intelligence start up Halli Labs: Google has acquired Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence Startup 'Halli Labs' for an undisclosed sum. The firm was founded with the goal of applying modern artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to solve old problems.

3. India overtakes US in number of active Facebook Users: India has overtaken US to become Facebook’s largest country audience with 241 million active users, compared to 240 million in US. Active users in India are up 27% in past 6 months alone, compared to growth of 12% in US over the same period.

4. Tata Sons name Aarthi Subramanian as Chief Digital Officer: TCS Executive Director Aarthi Subramanian has been named as Chief Digital Officer by Tata Sons.

SPORTS:

5. Brand ambassador of Indian Indoor Cricket Team: Former Indian batsman Sandeep Patil has been named as the brand ambassador of the Indian Indoor Cricket Team. He will be the face of the team in the lead-up to the 10th edition of World Indoor Cricket Federation World Cup to be held in Dubai.

OBITUARIES:

6. Chinese Nobel Peace laureate passes away: Chinese activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo has died at the age of 61. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison in December 2009 for “subversion”.

Daily GK Updates - 13th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma launches LIFE program at Songsak: Meghalaya Chief Minister ‘Dr. Mukul Sangma’ has launched a flagship program ‘Livelihood Intervention and Facilitation of Entrepreneurship’ (LIFE) at Songsak in East Garo Hills. It is a program of the State Rural Livelihood Society, which is implementing the Centre's flagship program National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). NRLM promotes livelihood through women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their Federations.

2. Delhi Police to get ‘super cop’ belts, first state police to do so: Delhi police will be the 1st state police who will get ‘super cop belt’. These belts will help cops to keep things like Gun, Security Batten, Wireless Set Pouch & ammunition pouch.

3. Selling old jewellery will attract 3% GST: Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia announced that selling of jewellery will attract 3% GST on value realised. A jeweller buying old jewellery from someone will charge 3% GST under reverse charge.

4. High-speed rail training centre to be set up Gandhinagar, Gujarat: India’s 1st high-speed rail training centre will be soon setup at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. While India’s 1st bullet train is proposed to hit the track in 2023, the training centre would begin its operations by 2020.

5. Cabinet approves establishment of International Rice Research Institute at Varanasi: The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of the International Rice Research Institute, South Asia Regional Center at the campus of National Seed Research and Training Center in Varanasi. This will include a modern and sophisticated laboratory with the capacity to determine quality and status of heavy metals in grain and straw.

6. Mohan Bhagwat releases coffee table book on PM Narendra Modi's life authored by Bindeshwar Pathak: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has released a coffee table book "The Making Of A Legend" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life in New Delhi. The book is authored by Bindeshwar Pathak.

International UPDATES:

1. Smallest star in the universe discovered by Cambridge’s astronomers: Astronomers from University of Cambridge have discovered the smallest star in the universe. It is located around 600 light years away in the Milky Way galaxy and has been as EBLM J0555-57Ab.

2. China to downsize army to under 1 million: China will downsize its 2.3 million-strong military to under 1 million as a part structural reform in the military. People’s Liberation Army will increase numbers of other services, including navy and missile forces.

3. Overseas navy base for China in Djibouti: Chinese troops are headed to Djibouti to set up China’s first overseas military base. China says the support base will be used for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid in Africa and West Asia.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING AND FINANCE:

1. SBI reduces NEFT and RTGS charges to promote net banking: State Bank of India has reduced charges for National Electronic Funds Transfer and Real Time Gross Settlement transactions upto 75%. Reduced charges will be applicable on the transactions done through internet banking and mobile banking.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:

2. IPSOS Survey- India’s top 10 ‘most influential’ brands: According to a new study by global research firm Ipsos, Google is the most influential brand in India followed by Microsoft & Facebook at 2nd and 3rd position respectively. Patanjali & Jio have entered the top 10 ranking at 4th and 9th place respectively.

3. Skoda rolls out new Octavia with a price tag of close to Rs. 15 lakhs: Czech carmaker Skoda has rolled out a new version of its best-selling sedan Octavia priced at Rs15.49 lakhs in India.

SPORTS:

4. Vijay Goel inaugurates Oorja CRPF U-19 Football talent hunt tournament: The Sports Minister Vijay Goel has inaugurated Oorja CRPF Under-19 Football Talent Hunt Tournament in New Delhi. This Tournament is being organized as a run up to under 17 FIFA World Cup by CAPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP, CRPF, CISF and Assam Rifles.

Daily GK Updates - 12th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. HAL signs MoU with Defence Ministry: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) came into an agreement with the Ministry of Defencefor the financial year 2017-18. The annual MoUis signed between Ashok Kumar Gupta, Secretary, Department of Defence Production and T SuvarnaRaju, CMD-HAL.The MoU has outlined targets on various performance parameters of the company during the year 2017-18. The revenue from operations has been targeted at Rs. 17,900 crore, the highest ever.

2. Chhattisgarh govt to merge regional Co-operative Banks into State Co-Operative Bank: The Chhattisgarh state govt. is set to merge all regional Co-Operative Banks into a mega-State Co-Operative Bank.The 264 branches will remain functional and will here on work as Scheduled Co-Operative Banks.The decision has been taken to provide a number of advantage to farmers as will get modern facilities including core banking, mobile and internet banking. It will also help in reducing the interests on farm loans by up to 2%.

3. 36th Foundation Day of NABARD celebrated: The 36th NABARD Foundation Day and Silver Jubilee of SHG Bank Linkage Programme was inaugurated by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in New Delhi. Self Help Group Bank Linkage Programme (SHG BLP) is a pioneering initiative of Financial Inclusion by NABARD. The pilot stage of this program was started in year 1992.

4. Maharashtra, first state in the country to launch free injectable contraceptive for women: The state’s public health department launched a program called “Antara” making it the first state in the country to provide women an injectable contraceptive for free. It offers women an injection of Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a birth-control hormone. The announcements were made on the occasion of World Population Day (11th July). According to state health officials, the injection, a safe means of birth control, is effective for three months. The injection will be given intramuscularly to women in the age bracket of 18-45 years.

5. Subhash Garg appointed as Economic Affairs Secretary: Senior bureaucrat Subhash Chandra Garg assumed charge as Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) in the Finance Ministry. Prior to this appointment Mr. Garg was World Bank Executive Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Sri Lanka. He succeeds Shaktikanta Das, who retired after an extended tenure on May 31.

6. Debi Prasad Dash takes over as DRI chief: Debi Prasad Dash has been appointed as director-general of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DG-DRI), the premier agency that tackles smuggling and black money. Mr. Dash was the acting DRI chief for the past five months. He has earlier worked in the UN Security Council, Commonwealth Secretariat, and the CBI.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING AND FINANCE:

1. SEBI amends guidelines for foreign investors looking to operate at IFSC: Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has revised the guidelines for eligible foreign investors looking to operate at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). From now onwards a trading member of a stock exchange in the IFSC can carry out the due diligence for an eligible foreign investor (EFI), who is not registered with the regulator as a Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI).The provision has been made for the account opening process of an eligible foreign investor (EFI).

2. Bank of Baroda to raise up to Rs 3,000 Cr via Basel III bonds: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has decided to raise up to Rs. 3,000 crores through Basel III compliant bonds.The finance committee of the bank approved to the issuance of AT-1 capital bonds compliant with Basel III capital regulations for a minimum amount of Rs. 500 crores with green shoe option.The raising of funds will be in single or multiple tranches.

3. SBI waives charge on IMPS fund transfer of up to Rs 1,000: State Bank of India (SBI) has waived charges for fund transfer of up to Rs. 1,000 through its IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) to promote small transactions.Earlier, SBI had been charging Rs. 5 along with the applicable service tax for IMPS fund transfer of up to Rs. 1,000.For IMPS, a charge will be Rs. 5 along GST for fund transfer in the range of Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1 lakh and the charge will go up to Rs. 15 for transactions of Rs. 1-2 lakhs.GST at the rate of 18% is applicable on all financial transactions.

SPORTS

4. Ravi Shastri is new coach of Indian Cricket Team: All-rounder and captain Ravi Shastrihas been appointed as the new chief coach of the Indian cricket team till ICC World Cup 2019 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).Former fast bowler Zaheer Khan has also been appointed as bowling coach for a period of two years. Former Indian Captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed as batting consultant for specific overseas tours.

Daily GK Updates - 11th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UN report says India set to become the most populous country, largest producer of milk and wheat by 2026: According to a report by the UN and OECD, India projected to be the most populous country over the next decade. By 2026,India will be the world’s largest milk producer and will account for the biggest increase in wheat production globally. Milk production in India will grow 49% in 2026 and India will be the world’s largest milk producer.

2. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launches new taxpayer service module Aaykar Setu:  Aaykar Setu will enable the Income tax Department to directly communicate with the taxpayers and aimed at providing information on useful tax services. It compiles various tax tools, live chat facility, dynamic updates, and important links to various processes within the Income Tax Department in a single module.

3. Mother Teresa’s Blue-Bordered Sari declared an Intellectual Property: The famous Blue bordered sari of Mother Teresa has been as an Intellectual Property of the Missionaries of Charity and obtained a “distinctive symbolic identity”. This is the first time that a uniform has been made the intellectual property.   

4. Government to organize Global Food Fair in November: The Union Govt. will organize a three-day international fair World Food India 2017 in 3 to 5 November to boost the food sector. It will provide a platform to Indian farmers and manufacturers to promote their products and explore partnerships with foreign companies, organized by the Food Processing Ministry. It aims at creating India a Global Food Factory and Global Food Retail Market.

International UPDATES:

1. Eighth Meeting of SAARC Ministers of Law & Order begins in Colombo: The three-day Eighth meeting of the SAARC Ministers of Law and Order preceded by meeting of the SAARC Secretaries of Law and Order and Immigration Authorities has begun in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Tackling terrorism apart from discussing liberalization of visa, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and small arms will be topics for discussion.

2. Khaltmaa Battulga elected as Mongolian president: Martial Arts expert and Mongolian Businessman Khaltmaa Battulga sworn-in as president, promising to revive the flagging economy and pursue relations with countries outside its giant neighbours Russia and China.

3. Indian-origin man Guruswamy Jayraman awarded Australia’s highest civilian award: The highest civilian award Order of Australia has been awarded to Indian origin man Guruswamy Jayraman for community work in Australia.

4. World Population Day being observed today: To increase the awareness of the people towards the worldwide population issues, World Population Day was observed across the world on 11th July. The theme of this year is “Family Planning- Empowering People, Developing Nations”. The theme highlights the importance of family planning as it allows people to attain their desired number of children and determine the spacing of pregnancies.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE:

1. RBI amends order on bankruptcy action on 12 large NPAs: An amendment has been made by the Reserve Bank of India on its earlier order asking banks to initiate bankruptcy proceedings against 12 companies which have outstanding loans amounting to over Rs 5,000 crore as on March 2016. The amendment, made through a notification, comes after the Gujarat High Court asked the RBI to remove the stipulation on its order last month that the 12 non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, would be granted priority at the National Company Law Tribunal. Essar Steel, one of the 12 large NPAs identified by the RBI, had approached the Gujarat High Court for the RBI proceedings.

SPORTS:

2. P V Sindhu bags ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ award: During the Maruti Suzuki Sportsperson of the Year Charity Gala Awards, P V Sindhu was bestowed with the Sportsperson of the Year  award. Sindhu’s coach P Gopichand received the Coach of the Year award while the Flying Sikh Milkha Singh was given the Living Legend of the Year award.  Young India cricketer K L Rahul, who made a mark in the last Test series against Australia, was awarded ‘Game changer of the Year’ award while Abhinav Bindra was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

OBITUARIES:

3. Renowned cartoonist Mangesh Tendulkar passes away:A very well-known cartoonist Mangesh Tendulkar passed away at a hospital in Pune.  His cartoons about government offices and on traffic rules very famous.Tendulkar also wrote some books like Bhuchchkra, Pocket Cartoons and Sunday Mood.

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.