Daily GK Updates - 2nd August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Committee of Experts to identify key data protection issues formed: A Committee of experts under the chairmanship of B N Srikrishna, to study and identify key data protection issues and recommend methods for addressing them, has been formed. The committee will also suggest a draft Data Protection Bill. Protection of Data is expected to provide a big boost to Digital economy of the country.

2. BSE appoints Dhirendra Swarup as the new Chairman: Bombay Stock Exchange has appointed Dhirendra Swarup as its new Chairman. Swarup, who was functioning in the capacity of a Public Interest Director with BSE replaces incumbent Sudhakar Rao.

3. India and Somalia sign agreement: India & Somalia have signed a bilateral agreement for transfer of sentenced persons, deepening humanitarian cooperation b/w 2 countries. Agreement was signed by Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of Somalia Yusuf Garaad Omar.

4. Jharkhand clears bill Religious Freedom Bill 2017 to ban ‘forceful’ conversions: Jharkhand cabinet has approved draft of a bill that will ban religious conversion by force or allurement. It aims for tougher action on forced conversions of minor girls & women from scheduled tribes. Anyone found violating it will be liable for 3 years’ imprisonment or Rs 50,000 fine or both.

5. Contest for designing logo for 'Women of India Festival' launched: The Women and Child Development Ministry has launched a contest for designing a logo for the 'Women of India Festival' to be held at ‘Dilli Haat’ in October 2017.

6. e-RaKAM portal to sell agricultural produce launched: Govt has launched a portal e-Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi  which will provide a platform to sell agricultural produce. It is developed by MSTC Limited & supported by marketing & logistics partner CRWC Limited.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shahid Abbasi elected as interim Pakistan PM: Pakistan’s parliament has elected Shahid Abbasi as country’s new PM, after Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif.

2. India to construct hydroelectric power facilities under Indus Waters Treaty: The World Bank has allowed India to construct hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty. It is noteworthy that Pakistan is opposed to the construction of hydroelectric power plants being built by India in Jammu and Kashmir.

3. US imposes sanctions on Venezuela President: US govt has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, following irregularities in the election of a new legislative body to redraft the constitution. Maduro’s assets under US jurisdiction are now frozen.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Dhanraj Pillai awarded with Bharat Gaurav: Former India hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay was honoured by East Bengal football club on its foundation day with its highest award, Bharat Gaurav, for contribution to the field of hockey.

2. Veer Dev Gulia wins Bronze: Veer Dev Gulia bagged a bronze medal on the opening day of the competition at Tampere in Finland. In the Men's 74 kg freestyle category, Gulia finished third after beating Yamasaki Yajuro of Japan, 8-5 in the bronze medal play-off bout.

BANKING & FINANCE:

3. Reserve Bank of India announces its third bi-monthly policy review: Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) reduced by 25 basis points from 6.25 per cent to 6.0 per cent with immediate effect. The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 5.75 per cent. The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate are at 6.25 per cent. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) remains unchanged at 4 percent.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

4. Sanjay Baru appointed as new Secretary General of FICCI: Sanjaya Baruhas been named new secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. He will replace A Didar Singh and will assume the charge from September 1.

Daily GK Updates - 1st August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Govt. orders LPG prices to be hiked by Rs. 4 per month: The Union Govt. has ordered state-run oil companies to raise the price of subsidized cooking gas (LPG) by four rupees (excluding tax) per cylinder every month to eliminate all the subsidies by March 2018. The order came into effect on 1st June 2017.

2. Arvind Panagariya, the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, resigns: Arvind Panagariya has resigned as the vice-chairman of NITI Aayog. He will return to academia in US & August 31 will be his last day in office.

3. Mukesh Ambani becomes Asia’s 2nd richest person – Bloomberg Index: Mukesh Ambani has surpassed Hong Kong business tycoon Li Ka-shing to become Asia’s second richest man. Ambani’s total net worth stood at $35.2 billion making him the 19th richest person in the world as per Bloomberg Index. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba.com remains Asia’s richest person.

4. Lt. Gen. Abhay Krishna has been appointed as head of Army’s Eastern Command: He was heading Army’s South Western Command & has vast experience of Sikkim sector, he succeeds Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi.

5. Rajya Sabha passes Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017 with amendments: The Rajya Sabha (RS) passed the Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill -2017 with amendments to create a new commission with constitutional status for the OBCs at par with the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

6. Use of 5 harmful metals in firecrackers banned: Supreme Court has imposed a ban on use of 5 harmful metals in firecrackers as they cause enormous air pollution. A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur prohibited use of lithium, mercury, arsenic, antimony, lead metals which are used in manufacturing of firecrackers.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Army participates in tank race as a part of International Army Games: Indian Army team participated in a tank race competition in Russia along with groups from several countries. “Tank Biathlon” commenced at Alabino Ranges on 29 July, Indian Army participated in it with T-90 tanks. It is an international event conducted as part of International Army Games held every year since 2013 in Russia

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Los Angeles will host the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2028: Los Angeles formally announced its bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics after agreeing on a deal that paves the way for Paris to host in 2024. Both cities had lobbied hard to host the 2024 games.

BANKING & FINANCE:

2. Airtel Payments Bank ties up with HPCL: Airtel Payments Bank has entered into partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited to give further boost to digital payments in the country. All 14,000 HPCL fuel stations will act as banking points for Airtel Payments Bank.

2. RBI slaps Rs 3-cr penalty on Union Bank: RBI has imposed Rs 3 cr penalty on Union Bank of India for non-compliance of know-your-customer norms.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. Sameer Garde named the President of Cisco India: Cisco has named former Philips Healthcare executive, Sameer Garde as president for its India and Saarc operations. Garde will be responsible for Cisco’s senior-level external engagement, including those with government and industry associations.

4. Facebook acquires AI startup Ozlo: Ozlo specialises in understanding text-based conversations & can provide answers to questions which do not have simple “yes” or “no” answers.

Daily GK Updates - 31st July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Very serious flood situation in Odisha's Jajpur, Kendrapara districts: Over two lakh people have been affected in the flood in Brahmani river and Seven people had lost their lives in the floods. PM Modi will pay an one-day visit to Assam on Tuesday to discuss a permanent solution to the flood problem.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. U.S. Conducts ‘Successful’ Test of THAAD Defence System With Ballistic Missile: The US military has successfully tested the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) system over Pacific Ocean. Interestingly the THAAD test comes just two days after N Korea fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile(ICBM). The exercise will help the U.S. “to stay ahead of the evolving threat,” said MDA Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves in a statement.

2. Donald Trump got disappointment with China’s “NoStand” State on North Korea’s Nuclear Quest : US president took twitter to accuse China for doing nothing to thwart North Korea’s Nuclear quest. The comments came after Kim Jong-un celebrated his country’s second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test. US President Donald Trump has accused China of doing nothing on North Korea and said he was "very disappointed" with Beijing, a day after Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile test. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

3. Robert Mugabe says he is 'not dying' as health concerns mount: Zimbabwe's 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe, declaring "I am not dying," sought Saturday to brush aside growing concerns about his health after his wife urged him to name a successor. Mugabe's medical trips to Singapore have become frequent in recent years, fuelling questions about his health. His last visit was early this month for what was described as a "routine medical check-up".Zimbabwe’s 93 year old President Robert Mugabe said he won’t step down leaving behind fractured party. This comes after demans for the resignation of Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980. Zimbabweans will vote in parliamentary and presidential elections in 2018

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Shiva Thapa, Manoj Kumar strike gold at Czech Republic boxing tournament: The Indian boxers at the 48th Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem in the Czech Republic bagged five gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the event. World Championships bronze medallist Shiva Thapa and Commonwelth Games Gold medallist Manoj Kumar claimed Gold medal along with other three boxers. In Toto, Indian boxers bagged 8 medals at Czech Republic boxing tournament.

2.Sebestian Vettel beats Lewis Hamilton at Hungarian Grand Prix: Ferrari’s F1 racer Sebestian Vettel won the Hungarian Grand prix title. With the help of this win, Sebestian Vettel extended his lead over rival Lewis Hamilton to 14 points in the drivers’ championship table. Sebastian Vettel a German racing driver is currently driving in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari. He is a four-time Formula One World Champion, having won the championship in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 with Red Bull Racing, therefore being among the most successful F1 drivers of all time, as he is one of only four drivers to have won four or more drivers' titles. He is regarded by fellow and former drivers as one of the greatest Formula One drivers in the history of the sport. Vettel is contracted to remain as a Formula One driver with Scuderia Ferrari until at least the end of 2017.

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. SBI cuts saving account rate by 0.5% on balance upto Rs 1 cr: SBI said revision of saving bank rate will enable the bank to maintain marginal cost of fund based lending rate (MCLR) at existing rates. Country’s largest lender State Bank of India has slashed interest on savings account deposits by 50 basis points to 3.5 per cent on balance up to Rs 1 crore, ahead of RBI’s policy review this week.However, the bank will continue to offer 4 per cent interest on savings account balance of Rs 1 crore and above.

2. Government is planning strategic disinvestment in Salem Steel Plant: The government is planning strategic disinvestment of the Salem steel plant (SSP) in Tamil Nadu and not total disinvestment said Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh in Lok Sabha. Salem Steel Plant(SSp), which produced 3.39 lakh metric tonnes per annum of steel, was considered to be the country’s best plant producing stainless steel.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Snapdeal ends merger talks with Flipkart to ‘pursue independent path’: Sectoral analysts suggested that while it was imperative for Snapdeal to find a suitor to handle its financial troubles, but the deal did not make much sense for Flipkart except that it could have helped the Bengaluru-based e-commerce firm get backing from SoftBank. Beleaguered online marketplace Snapdeal has called off talks for its merger with rival Flipkart, India’s biggest e-commerce player. “Snapdeal has been exploring strategic options over the last several months. The company has now decided to pursue an independent path and is terminating all strategic discussions as a result,” a Snapdeal spokesperson said in a statement, without naming Flipkart.

2. Maharashtra tops the list of fresh GST registrations, Gujarat comes second: Maharashtra topped the list of GST registration under Goods and Service Tax with over 1.3 lakh applications. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh ranked second and third with 90,000 and 80,000 applicatons respectively.

HONOURS/AWARDS:

1.Japanese & SriLankan stands in the list of the winners of Ramon Magsaysay Awards: Yoshiaki Ishizawa, a Japanese historian and Gethsie Shanmugam, a Sri Lankan teacher are among six winners of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awards. A Japanese historian who helped Cambodians preserve the Angkor temples and a Sri Lankan teacher who counseled war widows and orphans to overcome their nightmares. The other recipients named Thursday are an Indonesian working for the return of large tracts of forest land to indigenous communities, a Singaporean who leads the cooking of 6,000 meals a day for the destitute, a Philippine theater group which stood up to a dictatorship and a Filipino who oversaw the opening of job-generating export processing zones. These are among the six winners of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Awards, regarded as Asia's version of the Nobel Prize.The Ramon Magsaysay Awards' is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The prize was established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund based in New York City with the concurrence of the Philippine government. The award has been critically-acclaimed as the most prestigious continental award in Asia, in par with the West's Nobel Prize.

OBITUARIES:

1.Eminent Dhrupad singer Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar passes away at 78: Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar, one of the foremost exponents of the Dhrupad tradition, died in a Pune hospital late on Sunday evening following prolonged illness. Known to his admirers as Sayeed Bhaai, Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar succumbed to kidney and other related ailments. The maestro died in a Pune hospital late on Sunday evening following prolonged illness. He was part of the illustrious Dagar family of musicians

Daily GK Updates - 30th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. “Sprites” – the world’s smallest spacecraft: “Sprites” launched successfully by an Indian rocket. The world’s smallest ever spacecraft ‘Sprites’ has been successfully been placed in low Earth orbit by ISRO’s PSLV rocket. Spacecraft sprites weighs 4 gram only and runs on sunlight.

2.Sunil subramanyam as Manager of Indian Cricket team: BCCI Picks former Tamil Nadu Ranji team captain Sunil Subramaniam As Administrative Manager Of Team India.

3. Legalising marijuana : Women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi has suggested legalising marijuana, a psychoactive drug, in India for medical purposes on the lines of the practice adopted by some developed countries like the US to curb drug abuse.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Interim PM of Pakistan after Nawaz Sharif’s resignation: Shahid Abbasi has been appointed as as Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan for 45 days till Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother Shahbaz Sharif takes over as his eventual successor Shortly after Nawaz Sharif’s exit, the ruling party PML-N proposed his younger brother Shehbaz for the role of the prime minister. Shahbaz, however, cannot immediately replace Nawaz Sharif since he isn’t a member of the Parliament

2. US "Lancer" bombers over Korean peninsula: The United States has flown two B-1B bombers over the Korean Peninsula in a show of force in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, the US Air Force said in a statement. The US also said it conducted a successful test of a missile defence system located in Alaska. North Korea announced it conducted another successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that proved its ability to strike America's mainland, drawing a sharp warning from US President Donald Trump.US airforce flew two B-1B bombers in direct response to the North Korea’s ICBM test. The bombers took off from a US air base in Guam, and were joined by Japanese and South Korean fighter jets during the exercise, according to the statement. The US has in the past used overflights of the supersonic B1-B "Lancer" bomber as a show of force in response to North Korean missile or nuclear tests.

3. Xi Jinping inspects Military parade on PLA’s 90th anniversary: Chinese President Xi Jinping today inspected a massive military parade at the country’s largest military base in Zhurihe in Inner Mongolia as part of the celebrations to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the 2.3 million-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA).The PLA was founded on August 1, 1927 when the ruling CPC under the leadership of Mao Zedong carried on with his national liberation movement. Mao Zedong also known as founding father of People’s Republic of China.

4. Iran parliament adopts motion to reciprocate US sanctions: National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Majlis (parliament) on Saturday passed the general outlines of a motion to reciprocate the US sanctions on the country. It also envisages measures to support the Iranian armed and security forces as well as those Iranians who would be affected by the US action.

5.  Need to know: Parliaments of different countries are called as follows:

Country	Name of the Parliament
Iran	Majlis
Saudi Arabia	Majlis Al Shura
Maldives	Majlis Madagascar
Maldives	Majlis Madagascar
Nepal	National Panchayat
Myanmar	Pyithu Hluttaw
Bhutan	Tshogdu
Iceland	Althing
Colombia	Congress
Japan	Diet
Israel	Knesset

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. LIC clocks 145% jump in profit from equity investments at Rs 6,100 cr in Q1: India’s largest insurer Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has booked profits of Rs 6,100 crore from equity investments for the first quarter ended June 30, 2017, showing a 145 percent jump over the same period last fiscal. The insurer had booked profits of Rs 2,489 crore in Q1 of FY17. Notably, the insurance behemoth is looking at a double digit growth in business in the current fiscal.

Daily GK Updates - 29th July, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.‘Muntra’ – The first unmanned tank of India – out from the Chennai lab : Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an unmanned, remotely operated tank which has three variants - surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and bio threats. It is called Muntra.  Muntra has three tested and validated remote-controlled variants – Muntra-S, Muntra-M and Muntra-N. Muntra-S is for unmanned surveillance missions, Muntra-M is for detecting mines and Muntra-N is for areas where risk of nuclear radiation is high. The two remotely operated vehicles designed like an armoured tank were on display at an exhibition - Science for Soldiers - organised by DRDO as a tribute to former President APJ Abdul Kalam at Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment  (CVRDe) in Avadi.

2. Bengaluru makes it to smart city list after two years; core areas to get facelift, Russel Market on its list : Bengaluru has been finally chosen for the Smart City project, making it the seventh city in Karnataka to make it to the list. The city is expected to get Rs. 1,000 crore in the next five years, including Rs 500 crore from the state government under the project. In its presentation, the government had pitched to develop the core areas of the city, including its heritage structures. The Rusell market, developed in 1927 by British colonizers will be revamped under the Rs.2000 crore Smart City Project in which the city was included last month.

3. IIM Bill, 2017 passed by Lok Sabha: Lok Sabha has approved Indian Institutes of Management Bill 2017 that promises to grant administrative, academic and financial autonomy to the B-Schools and allow them to award degrees to their graduates. The bill will grant greater autonomy to these schools and ensure they are board-driven, with chairperson & director selected by board. The govt also agreed not to change the name of IIM-C.

4. Haryana govt has banned mixing of liquid nitrogen in drinks & food: This was done few days after a man burnt a hole in his stomach after drinking a cocktail containing the chemical. Due to its low temperature liquid nitrogen can be extremely damaging to body tissue, causing cryogenic burning on contact. It releases large volume of gas on evaporation & can burst open the stomach if ingested in large quantities

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.International Tiger Day - July 29 : It was first observed in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit. The world has lost 97% of all wild tigers in a bit over 100 years.

2. Russia - Syria in news: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying a deal with Syrian govt to allow Russia to keep its airbase in Syria for almost half a century. Russian forces will be deployed at Hmeymim base for 49 years with the option of extending that arrangement for 25-year periods. Russia has previously used the base to conduct strikes against forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad.

3. Bengaluru secures 40th Rank at global level to foster women entrepreneurs: According to a report by Dell, Bengaluru ranks at the 40th spot among the top 50 global cities that foster high-potential women entrepreneurs. The only other Indian city in the top 50 tally is Delhi at the 49th spot. New York ranked topped the list, followed by Bay Area, London, Boston and Stockholm.Globally, women’s entrepreneurship rates are growing more than 10 per cent each year

4.South Korea will proceed with deployment of 4 additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defence units: This comes after North Korea’s latest launch of ICBM. Deployment of additional THAAD units had been delayed after South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered an environmental assessment. THAAD is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Shikha Sharma as CEO and MD of Axis Bank, once again:  India’s third largest private lender, Axis bank re-appointed her for a term of 2 years starting June 2018. Previously, she took charge as the CEO of Axis Bank in 2009.Soon after the stock market opened, shares of Amazon spiked 1.8 percent — pushing Bezos’ net worth to USD90 billion, surpassing Gates’ USD89 billion.But Bezos’ reign lasted only four hours, and by the 4 p.m. close of the market, his net worth had slumped to a meager USD88.7 billion, dropping him below Gates — who had topped the list since 2013 — at USD89.8 billion.

BOOKS/AWARDS:

1. Arundhati’s novel “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”,in Man Booker longlist: Arundhati Roy’s latest work of fiction, “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”, has made it to the longlist of this year’s Man Booker Prize. The book came after a 19-year-long hiatus since her debut novel “God of Small Things” that won the Booker Prize in 1997. The shortlist of six books will be announced on September 13, and the 2017 winner will be finally announced on October 17.

OBITUARIES:

1. Dharam Singh passes away: N. Dharam Singh, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru after a heart attack. He was the 17th CM of Karnataka and was continuously elected as MLA for 7 times from  Jevargi constituency. He headed Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition govt from May 2004 to February 2006. He was a seasoned politician, was known for his gentle demeanour.