Daily GK Updates - 14th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  NGT directed to maintain a minimum 15 to 20% E-flow in rivers: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed all states to maintain a minimum environmental flow of 15 to 20% of the average lean season course in their rivers. E-flow means environmental flow. E-flow defines the quantity, timing and quality of water flow required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems, besides human livelihood. If any state is unable to adhere to this average percentage then it may approach the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The order came after the counsel for the environment ministry told the tribunal that it has completed study of six river basins — Siang, Tawang, Bichom, Subansiri, Dibang and Lohit.

2. DAMON - Special programme to prevent spread of malaria in Odisha: A special program would soon be launched to prevent the spread of malaria in remote areas of Odisha’s Ganjam district. The programme has been christened as “Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran” (DAMON) and people testing positive for malaria will be provided treatment under the programme. Besides other diseases like malnutrition among the children and complicacy among the pregnant women will also be identified in the camps and necessary treatment will be provided.

3.  Religious Freedom Bill passed in Jharkhand: Jharkhand state assembly has passed Religious Freedom Bill 2017, which ait to stop the forced conversions in the state. Now, the bill will be sent to the governor of the state, following whose approval it would go to the President for assent. A person converting willingly will have to inform the Deputy Commissioner about details such as time, place and the person who administers the conversion proceedings.

4. The five-day India-ASEAN Youth Summit has begun in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: The event is being organized by Foreign Ministry, Madhya Pradesh government and India Foundation. The state has been chosen for this event as the Sanchi stupa here strengthens the state’s cultural affiliation with the ASEAN countries. Over 175 delegations of youths from Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and India will attend the Summit. The exercise will mark the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership in the ongoing year and also the commemorative year’s theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny”

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. WHO declares Somalia free of polio: The UN health agency, World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Somalia free of polio. According to the UN health agency, it had not recorded any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years. Somalia recorded the last case of polio in 2014 in the central part of the country.

2. The Flying Sikh - 'Milkha Singh' as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for physical activity in South-East Asia Region: Legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh has been appointed WHO (World Health Organisation) Goodwill Ambassador for Physical Activity in South-East Asia Region. He will promote WHO South-East Asia Region's NCD Prevention and Control Action Plan which seeks to reduce the level of insufficient physical activity by 10% and NCDs by 25% by 2025. An estimated 8.5 million people die due to NCDs every year in WHO South-East Asia Region. A ‘goodwill ambassador’ is a person who advocates for a specific cause on the basis of their notability.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.  The great sprinter Usain Bolt (30-year) said good bye to the Athletics world: Running the final race of his career, after taking the baton from his Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake, suffered cramps on his left hamstring as he tried, in vain, to chase down his rivals in the men's 4x100m relay race at the World Athletics Championships in London. Britain won the gold in 37.47 seconds while United States (38.01) and Japan took the silver and bronze respectively.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.Newly appointed MD (Exim Bank) -  David Rasquinha: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed ‘David Rasquinha’ as the Managing Director (MD) of Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) for a period of three years. EXIM Bank commenced operations in 1982 under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981 and head office in Mumbai.

Daily GK Updates - 13th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Neil Chatterjee to chair US energy commission: President Donald Trump has appointed Neil Chatterjee  as chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Chatterjee had previously been an energy policy advisor to US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican. 

2. India's first railway disaster management village: Rains falling into rivers and coaches catching fire will be common sights in the country's first 'railways disaster management village' expected to come up on the outskirts of Bengaluru by December next year. The railways has earmarked the 3.32 sq km village of Hejjala, with a population of 3,483 people, to develop its Disaster Management Institute and Safety village at a cost of Rs 44.42 crore, according to the blueprint accessed by PTI.

3. I V Subba rao – New Secretary to Vice President: Retired IAS officer I V Subba Rao was  appointed secretary to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Rao, a 1979 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, retired from service as special chief secretary last year. He held several important posts in Andhra Pradesh and later served the UNESCO.

4. T.J.S George Selected For First Kesari Media Award: veteran journalist and star  of Mysore Columnist  T.J.S George has been chosen for the First Kesari Media Award,institute by Kesari Memorial Journalist trust here.

5. Maharashtra CM Lanches ‘Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra’: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra an initiative on the part of the state government providing job opportunities to unemployed youth in Mumbai.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Israel fence systems at Pakistan border: A smart Israel-developed fencing system having a ‘quick response team’ mechanism which strikes when the CCTV-powered control room detects an infiltration attempt. 

2. Norway has world's fastest mobile Internet: According to global leader in broadband testing Ookla,Norway has the fastest mobile Internet in the world. In only 13 months, Norway has jumped from 11th to first place on the list of world best providers of fast Internet connection.

3. India, Russia to hold mega war games : India and Russia will hold a mega war game in October involving their armies, navies and the air forces for the first time to further ramp up military ties. The exercise Indra, which will be held in Russia from October 19 to 29, will primarily focus on achieving coordination between forces of the two countries in a tri-services integrated theatre command scenario.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India bags Gold at Asian Shotgun Championship: India finished their campaign at the 7th Asian Shotgun Championship on high as the pair of Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Rashmmi Rathore bagged a gold medal in the skeet mixed team event. The Indian duo eked out a narrow 28-27 win over the Chinese pair of Liu Jiangchi and Ga

Daily GK Updates - 12th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of CBFC : The Centre has appointed lyricist Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification, CBFC, for a period of three years. CBFC is a statutory body under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act. Mr Joshi has replaced former Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani. The government has also reconstituted the existing CBFC with immediate effect for a period of three years or until further orders. Information and Broadcasting Ministry in a release confirm that there are 12 members in the new board, which include Ms. Gautami Tadimalla, Narendra Kohli, Naresh Chandra Lal, Vivek Agnihotri and Ms Vidya Balan.

2. NAMO e-tabs : Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr. Vijay Rupani has distributed NAMO e-tabs to college students across the state. The NAMO- e Tab (New Avenues of Modern Education Through Tablets) has 1.3 GH core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal memory (expandable up to 32 GB), 3450 mAh battery, voice calling facility, 2 MP rear and 0.3 mp front camera, 7 inch HD display and Android 5.1 Lollipop OS. e-tablet costs Rs 8000 but it is being distributed to the students for one thousand Rupees only. The Government will distribute e-tablets to 4 lakh students during this year for which provision of Rs.300 crore has been made. 5 lakh students have already registered for this NAMO- e-TAB.

3. Launch of “Mobile therapy van” in Bihar: The van is an outcome of a joint project of the World Bank and the Bihar government which is run by Social Welfare department. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off mobile therapy vans which would provide basic medical assistance to elderly people, widows and other section who requires social security. The vans equipped with basic medical apparatus and accompanied by a technical team would provide basic medical care to elderly people, widows and disabled in the districts.

4. "Sankalp to Siddhi” Programme:  Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry will celebrate Sankalp to Siddhi- New India Manthan in all the districts of the country from 19th to 30th of this month. This program will last for two and a half hours in which the first video message of the Prime Minister to be shown. A film will be shown on the efforts being made by the government for agricultural development and the resolution will be taken to free the country from poverty, corruption, terrorism, communalism and casteism.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Uhuru Kenyatta re-elected as a president of Kenya: In Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta has been re-elected as President. Election Commission Head Wafula Chebukati has announced in Nairobi that Kenyatta got  54.27% votes beating his rival Raila Odinga who got 44.74 % of votes. Opposition leader and Presidential candidate Raila Odinga claimed massive fraud during Presidential polls. However, the country’s Electoral Commission has denied opposition claims that IT system had been hacked in order to manipulate the poll results.

2. UN International Youth Day – 12th August: The International Youth Day (IYD) is observed every year on 12th August to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. International Youth Day 2017 is dedicated to celebrating young people’s contributions to conflict prevention and transformation as well as inclusion, social justice, and sustainable peace. On 17 December 1999, the International Youth Day (IYD) was instituted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by passing resolution 54/120.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India dropped a place in the latest FIFA rankings released to stand at number 97: In July, India had reached their best FIFA ranking in the last 21 years as they stood at 96, the second highest ranking for the country ever. India currently stands at 341 points on the 97th position, four points behind 96th placed Zambia. The team has progressed brilliantly under the English manager Constantine, who started coaching the team when it was ranked 171st in the world. India will now play a three-nation tournament with Mauritius and St. Kitts and Nevis at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Chennai from August 19th to 27th.

2. Los Angeles approves host city contract for 2028 Games Summer Olympics to southern California and ceding the 2024 Games to Paris: Los Angeles city council rubber-stamped the host city contract today, paving the way for bringing the 2028 Summer Olympics to southern California and ceding the 2024 Games to Paris. The members voted 12-0 in favour of signing off on the memorandum of understanding and host city contract documents which would see the city host the Summer Games for the third time in history.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI merger bill : The Lok Sabha passed the bill to repeal the SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act 1959, State Bank of Hyderabad Act 1956 and to further amend the State Bank of India Act, 1955, following the merger of five associates with the parent SBI. The five associates that were merged are State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Travancore (SBT).

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. A trading platform for digital currency in India is to be launched by Bitbay: Poland based bitcoin exchange platform Bitbay, one of the top ten cryptocurrency trading platforms in the world, has launched a dedicated platform for trade and exchange of digital currencies such as bitcoin, litecoin, ether, Lisk, monero, dash and gamecredits. The company will also work towards creating awareness about digital currencies and also removing misconceptions related to these currencies in a market like India. It will be offering six digital currencies to keep and trade with local currency and will carry out demo trading from August 10 till August 24. This would be done without real money to make users understand aspects of trading.

2. SEBI ties up with SEO for technical assistance: Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) entered into a pact with its counterpart Security and Exchange Organization (SEO) of Iran to promote technical assistance and facilitate cross-border cooperation in the area of securities regulations. The pact will facilitate mutual assistance, contribute towards efficient performance of the supervisory functions, and enable effective enforcement of laws and regulations governing the securities markets. The MoU was signed by SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi and SEO Iran chairman Shapour Mohammadi.

Daily GK Updates - 11th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Venkaiah Naidu elected 13th Vice-President of India defeating Gopalkrishna Gandhi: NDA nominee and former Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu was elected as the 13th Vice President of India after comfortably defeating Opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi in the Vice-Presidential election Naidu secured 516 votes in his favour, Gandhi managed to get only 244 votes.

2. Plastic bag ban - Rs 5,000 fine for possessing plastic bags in Delhi: NGT(National Green Tribunal) banned on plastic bags in New Delhi. In an interim order, a bench headed by the Tribunal’s chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar on anyone found in possession of non-biodegradable plastic bags less than 50 microns.

3. Vinay Dube-New CEO of jet Airways : Jet Airways India Ltd on Wednesday named Vinay Dube, an aviation veteran with close to three decades of experience, as its chief executive officer (CEO). Dube is an accomplished aviation leader with over 27 years of US and international business experience 

4. Parliament has passed the Banking Regulation Bill: Parliament has passed the Banking Regulation Bill with the Rajya sabha approved it.The Lok sabha has already passed it.the Banking Regulation Bill will replace the banking Regulation Ordinance , 2017 promulgated by president in May 2017.

5.The US-India will co-host the Global Enterpreneurship summit(GES): The US-India co-host the GES Nov 28-30 in Hyderabad,India. Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump will lead the United States’ delegation to the Summit, which will focus on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally.

6. NABARAD Launches E-shakti project: NABARD launched a project for digitisation of all Self Help Group (SHG) in the country. The project is being implemented in 100 districts across the country. aim of the EShakti programme is to support the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) by way of integrating SHG members with the financial inclusion agenda, improving the quality of interface between SHG members and banks for efficient and hassle-free delivery of banking services, and to facilitate convergence of delivery system with SHGs using Aadhaar-linked identity.

 

7. India brands all 40,000 Rohingya Muslims: India brands all 40,000 Rohingya Muslims illegal immigrants and plans to deport them.All of an estimated 40,000 Rohingya Muslims living India are illegal immigrants, even those registered with the UN refugee agency, and the government aims to deport them.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India ranks 43^rd in 2017 Global Retirement Index: India was Ranked last at 43^rd position in 2017 Global Retirement Index published by French asset management company Natixis Global.Top three countries in 2017 GRI are Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.

2. Turkey begins building border wall with Iran: Turkey has begun construction of a wall along the country's frontier with Iran, mimicking the Turkish barrier along the Syrian border. The Turkish authorities are constructing the 3-meter-high barrier with portable blocks.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. The NSDC and GOOGLE india will come together to train a app developer: The National Skill Development Corporation(NSDC) and Google come together for mobile platform on the Android and web platforms, a moved in improving the country’s mobile application development ecosystem.

2. United Breweries board asks Vijay Mallya to quit as chairman: Heineken-controlled United Breweries has sent a notice to Vijay Mallya, asking him to step down as its chairman after the Securities and Exchange Board of India barred the beleaguered billionaire from securities market. 

OBITUARIES:

1. Poet and writer Vijay Nambisan passed away: Poet and writer Vijay Nambisan, who became the first All India Poetry Champion in 1988, passed away on Thursday. He co-authored Gemini, a poetry book, with Jeet Thayil and Dom Moraes. He championed the ethical use of language and made an appeal to readers, writers and enthusiasts of literature in his book ‘Language as an Ethic’. He was 54 years old.

2. Sister Ruth Pfau “The Mother Teresa of Pakistan” passed away: Sister Ruth Pfau, who has died aged 87, was a Roman Catholic nun who, after a childhood spent in Nazi Germany, became known as “the Mother Teresa of Pakistan” for her work in combating the spread of leprosy.

Daily GK Updates - 10th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra: The new clean Ganga campaign launched by UP government: The Uttar Pradesh Government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath  has launched a new awareness drive called Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra. The drive will be focusing on cleanliness along the banks of Ganga river and maintain hygiene. The campaign was flagged off in the state capital Lucknow by CM Adityanath in hopes of making the river and the banks much more cleaner in the future. Around one lakh Home guard volunteers will organize the public gathering and other awareness programs in the district under this project till the 6th Sep 2017.

2. The launch of a Web Portal for supply of NCERT Textbooks: The portal will ensure better distribution of textbooks across the country and will also address the apprehensions, on the part of schools and parents, regarding unavailability of National Council of Educational Research And Training (NCERT) textbooks. Mr. Upendra Kushwaha (Minister of State for HRD) has launched the NCERT’s Web portal “ncertbooks.ncert.gov.in” for the supply of textbooks to schools and individuals at a function in New Delhi. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organization of the Government of India that was established on 1st September 1961 as a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies' Registration Act.

3. Government targets of installing 60GW wind power capacity in the country by 2022:  According to the Power Minister 'Piyush Goyal', govt has fixed an ambitious target of installing 60 Giga watt (GW) wind power capacity in the country by 2022. The annual wind power capacity addition of around 5500 megawatts is required to meet wind capacity target of 60 GW. The current wind power installed capacity in the country is over 32.5 GW.

4. Government aims to give skill training to 30 crore Indians by 2020: According to the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the union govt. has set a target of providing skill training to one crore people in next three years under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana(PMKVY). The target is to set up five hundred such Kendras in various parts of the country out of which two hundred are functional. A separate national skill certification board will be set up in the Ministry to enable the ITIs to provide equivalence to class 10th and 12th at par with CBSE and ICSE.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India becomes 80th country to ratify  ‘Kyoto Protocol’ for the second time: The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 and entered into force in February 2005. India has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases, reaffirming its stand on climate action. India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol under the UN Convention on Climate Change.

2.Qatar Waives Entry Visa Requirements for Citizens of 80 Countries: DOHA, Qatar - Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MoI), Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Airways today announced that Qatar will allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countries, effective immediately. Citizens of 33 mostly European countries can enter without a visa for 90 days in single or multiple trips during a 180-day period. Americans, Britons, Canadians, and citizens of 44 other countries can enter visa-free for an initial 30 days on single or multiple trips, and can extend that for a further 30 days. The economy of Qatar has taken a hit since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain moved to isolate it over allegations it supports extremists.

3.  The External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will participate in the two days 15th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in Nepal: During the meeting of foreign ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), countries will review the progress in identified fourteen areas of cooperation and discuss ways to accelerate cooperation. The BIMSTEC stands for Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal. BIMSTEC states are among the countries which are dependent on the Bay of Bengal.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Asian Shotgun Championship: India wins bronze:  The Indian pair ‘Kynan Chenai’ & ‘Shreyasi Singh’ have won bronze in mixed team trap event in Asian Shotgun Shooting Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan. They defeated Lebanon shooters 40-38.

2. 3,000m steeplechase world title won by Kirputo from Kenya: Olympic gold medallist ‘Conseslus Kipruto’ has won the men's 3,000 meters steeplechase at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London. The Kenyan clocked eight minutes and 14.12 seconds to continue his in-form performance in the event after the Rio Olympic Games last year.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. IDFC Bank ties up with Zeta: IDFC Bank has partnered with digital payments company Zeta to launch ‘IDFC Bank Benefits’, an innovative solution for corporate that digitizes employee spends and claims, making the process simple, real-time and paperless. The Zeta app offers employees a real-time view of spends, reimbursement limits and claims. Employees can access the Benefits Card via the Zeta app on mobile or web.

OBITUARIES:

1. Paan Singh Tomar Actor Sitaram Panchal Passes Away at 54 after battling kidney and lung cancer: The actor made his Bollywood debut with Bandit Queen (in 1994) and went on to feature in critically-acclaimed films such as, Peepli Live, Slumdog Millionaire, Paan Singh Tomar and Jolly LLB 2.

Daily GK Updates - 9th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Amit Shah, Smriti Irani win, Ahmed Patel of Congress retains RS seat: Congress leader Ahmed Patel has retained his Rajya Sabha seat in Gujarat. While Amit Shah become a Member of Parliament for first time and third vacant seat from Gujarat has been won by Smt. Smriti Irani.

2. Yudh Abhyas, Inod-US military exercise to be conducted: The 13th Yudh Abhyas exercise will be held from September 14-27 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the US. Over 200 Indian soldiers from the Gorkha Rifles will take part in the military exercise. Yudh Abhyas started in 2004 under US Army Pacific partnership programme.

3. 75 years of “Quit India Movement”: Nation is celebrating 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement with “Sankalp se Siddhi – The attainment through resolve” being the theme for 2017. Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on 9th August (midnight), 1942, demanding an end to British Rule in India. It was in this movement that Gandhiji came up with the slogan “Do or Die”

4. 62.45% households in India have access to toilets: The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation released the findings of the survey of 1.4 lakh rural households, undertaken by the Quality Council of India (QCI) between May and June this year.

The survey, covering 4626 villages across all States and Union territories, claimed that 62.45% of the households had access to a toilet. The survey also pointed that 91.29% of the people who had access to a toilet also used it, indicating a change in sanitation behaviour. Northeastern States of Sikkim, Manipur and Nagaland were top performers with 95% rural households covered by toilets. In Bihar, only 30% of the rural household had access to toilets and was the worst performing state.

5. NITI Aayog partners with 6 states for Education and Healthcare reforms: NITI Aayog has announced partnership with 3 States each to radically transform their Health & Education sectors. NITI Aayog has shortlisted UP, Assam & Karnataka under its Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital initiative to transform their health sector. MP, Jharkhand & Odisha have also been selected by NITI Aayog under its SATH initiative to transform their education sector.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. South African Zuma survives no-confidence vote: South African president, Jacob Zuma has narrowly survived a motion of no confidence against him in the parliament. Out of 384 parliamentarians who cast ballots in a no-confidence motion, 177 voted in favor of motion to remove Zuma from office while 198 voted against it.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Flipkart launches Budding Star Programme to assist employees: Flipkart has launched Budding Star Programme to help employees achieve their dreams by providing financial assistance & paid leave. Employees who have completed 6 months will be eligible for this programme & can receive up to Rs. 3 lakh in assistance.

2. Bajaj Auto ties up with Triumph Motorcycles: Bajaj Auto has announced a partnership with UK’s Triumph Motorcycles to jointly make mid-capacity motorcycles for Indian and global markets. With Bajaj’s low-cost expertise the partnership will address the budget segment buyers looking for bikes having engine capacity of 400cc-800cc.

SPORTS:

3. Van Niekerk wins men’s 400m title at World Atheletics, London: Olympic Champion Wayde Van Niekerk won men’s 400 m event and retained his title in World Athletics Championships in London. He clocked 43.98 seconds to finish.

4. Real Madrid wins UEFA Super Cup: Real Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup for a second straight year, defeating Manchester United in finals to win 2-1 in Macedonia.

Daily GK Updates - 8th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Sankalp Parva to be observed on August 15: Centre has decided to observe this Independence Day as ‘Sankalp Parva’ and asked the people to dedicate themselves to social causes. The centre wants to drive the people of India from ‘Sankalp’ to ‘Siddhi’ in a period of 5 years.

2. Deployment of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management Solution: The government is planning to install a 24X7 seamless virtual fence with sensors along the India-Pakistan border to curb infiltration bid. A pilot project for deployment of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management Solution which includes different types of sensors, day and night vision cameras has been taken up. The pilot project has been undertaken in 2 stretches of 5 to 6 kms each in Jammu sector.

3. Shia board proposes to build mosque at distance from the disputed Babri site: The Babri Masjid was a Shia property and only Shia Central Waqf Board is entitled to arrive at a peaceful settlement of the issue, the Shia board said.  The Board told the SC that a mosque could be built in a Musilm-dominated area at a distance from the disputed Babri site at Ayodhya.

4. Congress accuses the government and RBI of printing two types of notes: Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that government was printing two kinds of Rs.500 and Rs.2000 notes and called it as the biggest scam of the country.

5. Justice Dipak Misra to be next the Chief Justice of India: Justice Dipak Misra has been appointed as the 45th Chief Justice of India. He is known for some landmark judgements including the death sentence of Yakub Memon.

6. Assam declared a disturbed area for one more month: Centre has declared entire Assam as a “disturbed” area under controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for 1 more month. Assam is under AFSPA since 1990.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Framework for crafting code of conduct in South China Sea being mulled: Foreign ministers of Southeast Asia & China have adopted a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in South China Sea. It seeks to advance a 2002 Declaration of Conduct of Parties in South China Sea, which has mostly been ignored by claimant states, particularly China.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. Axis Bank joins the bandwagon, cuts savings account interest rate: Axis Bank has cut savings account interest rate by 50 bps to 3.5% on balances of up to Rs. 50 lakh.

Axis Bank will continue to offer an interest rate of 4% per annum on savings account balances of Rs. 50 lakh and above. SBI was the first one to do so.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. 331 “shell companies” under SEBI’s radar: Market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India has directed stock exchanges to initiate action against 331 firms that it suspects are shell companies & are listed on bourses. Exchanges have also been asked to appoint an independent auditor to conduct audit of these companies.

3. Amazon signs an agreement with Dept. of Handlooms, Telangana: Amazon India has said it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telangana Department of Handloom and Textiles. It aims to educate, train and enable weavers and artisans to directly sell their products to Amazon customers across the country.

4. Health & wellness startup CureFit signs actor Hrithik Roshan as ambassador: Hrithik has been signed up for 5 years at Rs100 crore. It is said to be one of the largest endorsement deals signed by an Indian startup. Company plans to introduce HRX workout plan across all CureFit-run Cult fitness centres and on the mobile app, which is expected to rake in Rs250cr annual business in the next couple of years.

SPORTS:

5. McLeod wins IAAF World Championships in London: Omar McLeod of Jamaica won the 110m Hurdles final at the London 2017 IAAF World Championships in London.

6. India wins 8 medals at Junior Boxing Championships: India finished the Asian Junior Boxing Championships in Puerto Princesa, Philippines with two silver and six bronze medals. Satender Rawat (80+kg) and Mohit Khatana (80kg) settled for silver medals after losing their final bouts in the Asian Junior Boxing Championships.