Daily GK Updates - 20th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Utkal Express derailment - Railways to probe if maintenance work caused accident: The Indian Railways on Sunday indicated negligence could be the reason behind the derailment of the Utkal Express, with a senior official saying a probe would ascertain if any maintenance work was being done on the tracks without permission. The probe, which will begin on Monday, will be conducted by the commissioner (railway safety), Shailesh Kumar Pathak, who will look into “every angle, be it sabotage, technical lapse or manual fault”.

2. Bank unions call for all-India strike on 22 August against privatisation: Nearly 10 lakh bank employees are likely to participate in the strike to protest plans to privatise PBUs, merger, consolidation of banks and not to write-off NPAs, say unions. Services at public sector banks (PSBs) may take a hit on Tuesday as all unions under the aegis of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) have threatened to go on strike against the government’s proposed consolidation move besides raising a host of other demands.

3. IIT JEE (Advanced) to go completely online from next year: The entrance examination for the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will go completely online from 2018, the joint admission board decided on Sunday. The joint admission board, which is the policymaking body on IIT admissions, took the decision at a meeting in New Delhi.

4. Govt plans monthly fellowship of Rs70,000 for IIT, IISc researchers: The Centre will provide Rs70,000 as monthly fellowship to those researchers doing their PhDs in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Union higher education secretary Kewal Kumar Sharma has said. However, the scholarship recipients can’t do any other job.

5. BRO gets more powers for road construction along China border: Concerned over inordinate delays in the construction of strategic roads along the India-China border, the defence ministry has delegated more administrative and financial powers to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for the speedy completion of the projects. The decision to give additional powers to BRO came months after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) also took strong objection to the long delays by the BRO in constructing 61 strategically important roads, with a total length of 3,409km, under the India-China Border Roads (ICBRs) project.

6. BSF begins drive to curb suicides: In a first-of-its-kind step, the Border Security Force (BSF) has launched two ambitious projects to curb suicides and depression amongst its jawans and has introduced a ‘wellness quotient assessment’ test in their annual medical check-up.

7. Rajiv Gandhi remembered on his birth anniversary: Rajiv Gandhi was born on 20th August, 1944 and was assassinated on May 21, 1991.“On his birth anniversary, we remember former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi & recall his contribution to the nation,” Modi tweeted.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian-origin TV star crowned ‘Child Genius’: A 12-year-old Indian-origin boy has been crowned as the U.K.’s ‘Child Genius’ in a popular television quiz competition, days after he became an overnight sensation after answering all questions correctly. Rahul Doshi won the Channel 4 show ‘Child Genius’ by beating his nine-year-old opponent, Ronan, 10-4 in the programme’s finale.

2. Iraq starts offensive to take back Tal Afar from Islamic State: Iraqi security forces launched an offensive to take back the city of Tal Afar on Sunday, their next objective in the U.S.-backed campaign to defeat Islamic State militants, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was quoted saying.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. England thrashes West Indies: Stuart Broad starred as England thrashed the West Indies by an innings and 209 runs to ensure the inaugural day/night Test in Britain ended inside three days at Edgbaston.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. Three insurance companies file IPO papers in 3 weeks, may fetch Rs20,000 crores: HDFC Standard Life Insurance’s IPO is expected to fetch Rs7,500 crore, while IPOs of New India Assurance and GIC of India may raise over Rs6,500 crore each. A positive outlook of the market is the reason behind increase in the number of IPOs.

3. Infosys approves Rs13,000 crore share buyback at 24.57% premium: The buyback offer size is 20.51% of the total paid-up equity capital and free reserves of the company as per the latest audited balance sheet as on 30 June, 2017,” said a company statement to BSE. However, the buyback price at Rs. 1,150 per share is at a steep 24.57% premium to the closing price of Rs. 923.10 on 19th August.

Daily GK Updates - 19th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nikolay Kudashev as Russia's new ambassador to India: Russian President Vladimir Putin today appointed career diplomat Nikolay Kudashev as Russia's new ambassador to India, the country's embassy said. Mr Kudashev, a specialist in South East Asia, is currently the Deputy Director General Secretariat of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Russia. Kudashev’s appointment comes nearly seven months after the death of Russia's previous ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin.

2. Smriti Irani to inaugurate ‘Momentum Jharkhand’ today, security beefed up: The Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani has inaugurated "Second Groundbreaking” ceremony at Jamshedpur in Jharkhand for laying foundation stones of 70 new companies. The foundation stones for 70 companies were laid whose permissions have been granted after receiving the proposals few months ago. This is part of Jharkhand government emphasis to boost manufacturing in the state. Earlier, Smriti Irani also inaugurated a modern handloom manufacturing unit at Irba near Ranchi.  Union textile and information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani will be the chief guest of the event. The event is going to pave way for new investment as two projects will be inaugurated while foundation stone will be laid for 70 projects during the function. According to an estimate about 3,000 people, including senior corporate officials, MLAs and state MPs will attend the function. Mumbai-based Wizcraft Entertainment is arranging the event. According to information there will be two-tier security arrangements in place for tomorrow’s second groundbreaking ceremony of projects whose MoUs were signed during the Global Investors’ Summit in February.

3. Launch of digital wallet by BSNL: State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) on Thursday went digital by launching a bespoke mobile wallet (mobile payment App) that would enable its existing 100 million customers to make Bill payments and transact on e-commerce platforms.  This digital wallet was launched at an event by Manoj Sinha, Minister for Telecommunications in the capital.  The wallet has been developed and issued by MobiKwik on behalf of BSNL.  Speaking on the occasion, Anupam Srivastava, CMD, BSNL expressed hope that this BSNL mobile wallet will not only promote cashless economy but also enhance business for BSNL.  Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) unveiled its mobile wallet in partnership with MobiKwik to enable one-tap bill payment for its over 100 million subscribers. This digital mobile wallet was launched at an event by Telecommunications Minister Manoj Sinha. The app will allow users to pay for online recharges, make bill payments, shop, and book bus & train tickets. The wallet will work on both smartphone and feature phones.

4. India sees over 15% growth in foreign tourist arrivals: A total of 1.19 lakh tourists came on e-visa last month as compared to 0.68 lakh in July 2016. The highest number of tourists arrived from Bangladesh (20.12 per cent), followed by the US (16.26 per cent) Foreign Tourist Arrivals from January to July, 2017, were 56.74 lakh, recording a growth of 15.7 per cent from last year. India has registered a growth of over 15% in foreign tourist arrivals from January to July this year. The highest number of tourists arrived from Bangladesh (20.12%), followed by the US (16.26%), the UK (10.88%) and France (3.01%).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Launch of the  first cyber court in e-commerce Hub by China: China has launched its first cyber court (first of its kind in China) specializing in handling Internet-related cases in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou. The Hangzhou Internet Court in Hangzhou will handle cases such as online trade disputes and copyright lawsuits. The cases handled by the court will be tried online. Hangzhou is home to many Internet companies, including e-commerce giant Alibaba.

2. World Humanitarian Day – 19th August: World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world.  The day provides an opportunity to celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work around the globe. The World Humanitarian Day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by passing a resolution A/63/L.49. The theme of this year 2017 is #NotATarget. About #NotATarget: Around the world, conflict is exacting a massive toll on people’s lives. Trapped in wars that are not of their making, millions of civilians are forced to hide or run for their lives. Children are taken out of school, families are displaced from their homes, and communities are torn apart, while the world is not doing enough to stop their suffering. At the same time, health and aid workers – who risk their lives to care for people affected by violence – are increasingly being targeted.

3. World Photography Day – 19th August, 2017: World Photography Day' observed today to inspire photographers across the planet to share a single photo with the world. On this day, camera persons take stock of the different kind of photography that has come to the fore. On August 19 in 2010, World Photo Day hosted its first global online gallery. The photograph originally was made by Nicéphore Niépce, using silver chloride coating a piece of paper. However, the photo would eventually turn fully dark as he knew no way to remove the silver chloride from the paper to preserve the photo. Photographs got better and better over the years, first with the ‘still camera’, and the ability to take a picture that way. Think the old west in America, and that camera’s differences to the ones of World War 2, then compare them to modern cameras. The major jumps in technology affected photography as much as any other facet of life around the world. With Kodak, Canon and so many other brands out there, it was of no surprise when the market of photography got such a jump, even more so with the military and surveillance capabilities offered as cameras got better, lighter and more easily used. Yet for all the innovation and creativity, science and even the large amount of art that occurs in the photography realm, not much can beat the simple pleasure of snapping photos and developing your frames to enjoy the integrity of the photos.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Virat Kohli continues to top ICC ODI rankings for batsmen: Having 873 points in his kitty, Kohli will have a chance to increase the 12-point lead over second-placed Australian David Warner at the upcoming five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting in Dambulla on Sunday. Other Indian batsmen in the top-15 are Dhoni (12th), Dhawan (13th) and Rohit (14th). Kohli will have a chance to increase the 12-point lead over second-placed Australian David Warner. Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (13th) is the lone Indian in top 15.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. RBI to release new Rs 50 notes soon: The new Rs 50 denomination currency notes will be shortly issued under the Mahatma Gandhi series. The base colour of the new notes will be fluorescent blue and its dimension will be 66 mm x 135 mm. It will have a motif of Hampi with Chariot on the reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage along with the Swachh Bharat logo, year of printing, numeral 50 in Devnagiri and the language panel. The banknote will bear the signature of RBI Governor Dr. Urjit R. Patel on the front side along with the guarantee and promise clause and the RBI emblem. It will have Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait at the Centre and a see through register with enominational numeral 50. Micro letters ‘RBI’, ‘भारत’, ‘INDIA’ and ‘50’ and Ashoka Pillar emblem on the right will also feature on the front side. The security thread will have inscriptions ‘भारत’ and RBI. The number panel will have numerals growing from small to big on the top left side and bottom right side.

Daily GK Updates - 18th August, 2017

                 NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. H1N1 death-door for Five in August 2017 till now: Five persons have died of the H1N1 influenza virus and  two succumbed to leptospirosis  in the last two weeks. Swine flu is a respiratory disease with symptoms that include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body ache and fatigue. The city has also reported scores of cases related to other monsoon-related diseases.

2.“Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali” Campaign – Celebrate Pollution-Free Diwali this Year: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr.  Harsh Vardhan, launched the “Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali” campaign, here today.  Addressing a gathering of about 800 children from schools of Delhi and NCR, the Minister impressed upon the children the importance of their contribution towards reducing pollution by not bursting harmful fire crackers during Diwali.  

3. TRAI cracks the whip on call drops: Telecom operators will now have to pay hefty penalties for call drops: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday issued stringent guidelines with a penalty of up to ₹10 lakh on companies if they fail to meet the benchmark for three consecutive quarters. if an operator fails to meet the call drop benchmark in consecutive quarters, the penalty amount will be increased 1.5 times and in the third consecutive month it will be doubled.

4. Indian Army to get six heavy-duty Apache attack helicopters: The Army will finally get its own heavy-duty attack helicopters after a bitter tussle with the IAF over the last several years. The defence ministry on Thursday cleared the acquisition of six Apache attack helicopters, armed with Hellfire and Stinger missiles, for the Army at a cost of Rs 4,168 crore.

5. Manipur cut off as crucial Barak Bridge collapses: The Barak bridge is located along the Imphal-Jiribam highway and passes through the hill district of Tamenglong. The highway, considered as the second lifeline of the border state, assumed greater importance after a massive landslide at Viswema in neighbouring Nagaland cut off the major Imphal-Dimapur national highway.

                                 INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. First regional centre of NDB opens in South Africa: The first regional centre of the New Development Bank, set up by India and other BRICS nations, was officially opened here today by South African President Jacob Zuma and the bank's Indian head K V Kamath.  The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) with an initial authorised capital of the bank is USD 100 billion.The idea for setting up NDB was proposed by India at the 4th BRICS summit in 2012 held in New Delhi. The creation of a NDB was the main theme of the meeting.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Vishal Sikka quits as Infosys CEO: Vishal Sikka has resigned as managing director and CEO of Infosys, citing "personal attacks" on him as one of the reasons for his sudden decision. The company's board accepted his resignation with immediate effect and has appointed chief operating officer UB Pravin Rao as interim managing director and CEO. The sudden move came amid growing acrimony between the company's board and its founders led by NR Narayana Murthy. Infosys shares plunged over13 per cent today after the announcement. Infosys in a statement said Mr Murthy's "continuous assault" is the primary reason Dr Sikka resigned despite enjoying strong support of the board. 

2. Mamta Suri – The new Executive Director of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board: Mamta Suri has taken charge as the Executive Director, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). Before joining IBBI, Dr. Suri was serving as Chief General Manager, Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India. Dr. Suri has obtained her Ph.D. in Finance from University of Delhi and M. Sc.in Insurance Risk and Management from City University, London.

SPORTS:

1. Lakshya Sen-wins Bulgarian Open International crown: Lakshya Sen on Thursday clinched the Bulgaria Open International Series title after notching up a hard-fought win over Croatia’s Zvonimir Durkinjak in the men’s singles final in Sofia, Bulgaria.

OBITUARIES:

1. Veteran photographer S Paul dies at 88: He worked with T he Indian Express for over two decades before retiring in 1989. Veteran photographer S Paul died at a hospital in New Delhi on Wednesday, The Indian Express reported. He was 88. His family members said Paul had undergone a surgery a few days ago.

Daily GK Updates - 17th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Amritsar: India opens first Partition museum 70 years after bloody event: A new museum on the Partition of the Indian subcontinent opens this week, as the two South Asian giants India and Pakistan mark seven decades as independent nations. The museum is a nonprofit trust that has raised money from individuals such as Indian ad guru Suhel Seth and companies including Airtel and the Hindustan Times. The Punjab government donated the space.

2. Maharashtra CM inaugurates next gen projection mapping system: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today inaugurated the next generation projection mapping system at the iconic Gateway of India in south Mumbai.  Actors Amitabh Bachchan and Nana Patekar narrated the story and history of Mumbai at the arch monument against the backdrop of a laser and light show held tonight.  Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, business tycoon Anand Mahindra, ministers Subhash Desai, Ram Shinde, Jaykumar Rawal were also present on the occasion.

3. Shantosh Sharma-a newly appointed CMD of HCL: Santosh Sharma was on Monday appointed as chairman and managing director (CMD) of Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL). He is currently director (operations) in the same company. The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has approved his appointment to the post for a period of five years.

4. Parsi Festival – Navroz: Navroz, the beginning of the Parsi New Year, falls today. It is celebrated for health, wealth, prosperity and productivity. Parsis are a very prominent community in India despite their small number. They have made a mark in diverse fields. Scientist Homi Jehangir Bhabha was a pioneer in atomic research. JRD Tata was a legendary businessman. Sam Manekshaw was India's first field Marshal. Parsi community is known for contributing greatly to Indian business. The government-supported Jiyo Parsi Scheme was launched on September 24, 2013. It is unique programme aimed at arresting the decline in population of the Parsi community in India. Parsis don't cremate or bury corpses but leave them for vultures to feed on at a place called Tower of Silence. After 1990, when there was a decline in the number of vultures, many began using electric crematorium. Parsis have more females compared to males in their community—1,050 females per 1,000 males, much higher than India’s average of 933 females, according to the 2001 Census. Parsis are commonly seen speaking either Gujarati or English. But their native language is Avestan. Zoroastrianism was founded by Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Iran about 3,500 years ago. The Avesta is the primary collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism. Demographic trends project that by 2020, there will be only 23,000 Parsis left in the country which will take away their community tag and label them as tribals. According to the 2001 census, the Parsi community has the highest literacy rate in the country. Perhaps that's why it has been so successful.

5. Launch of Indira canteen scheme: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched the Indira Canteen scheme—a state government initiative named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi—aimed at providing food at low cost to the urban poor.  The canteen, located at Kanakanapalya in Jayanagar, an upscale locality in Bengaluru, is one of 101 such across various locations in the city on Wednesday.  To be sure, many of the Indira Canteens did not open for service on Wednesday.  The canteens are loosely modelled on late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s ‘Amma Canteens’.

6. Establishment of GeMSamvad: An MoU was signed today between Government eMarketplace (GeM) SPV and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Smt S Radha Chauhan, CEO GeM and Sh Chandrajit Banerjee, DG, CII singed the MoU on behalf of GeM SPV and CII respectively.  This MoU between GeM and CII is aimed at establishing GeM Samvaad- a participative and collaborative approach with the industry for promoting Indian industry and entrepreneurship. As part of this initiative GeM & the Indian industry shall work together to create GeM related awareness and onboard industry members from across the country.

7. CCEA approves DIPAM for strategic disinvestment:  On August 16, 2017, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved following two proposals of Department of Investment and public Asset Management (DIPAM) for strategic disinvestment. (i)Setting up an Alternative Mechanism (ii)Empowering the Core Group of Secretaries (CGD).

8. Petrol pumps to sell EESL’s energy efficient bulbs, fans:Energy efficient appliances will now be sold in fuel retail outlets of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). An agreement between the oil companies and Energy Efficiency Services Ltd was signed by Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas. The petrol pump dealers will directly do business with EESL and would get about 10 per cent margin.An eco-system is being developed to enhance the non-fuel retail business of fuel retail outlets.

9. Govt approves completion of North Koel Reservoir Project: The Union cabinet on Wednesday gave its green signal to complete the remaining works of the North Koel Reservoir Project in Jharkhand and Bihar at an estimated expenditure of over Rs 1,622 crore and also approved raising extra budgetary resources of up to Rs. 9,020 crore for completing ongoing irrigation projects in the country.

10. India has 27,312 elephants, census shows : While numbers are lower than in 2012, previous counts were not synchronised & may have had duplication. According to the report, released by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on August 12, Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Barcelona and Cambrils: Terrorists planned bigger attacks, police reveal amid hunt for van driver. The Spanish terror suspects had been planning even bigger attacks, police have revealed as they continue a massive hunt for the rampaging van driver who ploughed into a crowd in Barcelona. Authorities are in a race against time to find the driver who left 13 people dead and more than 100 wounded on Las Ramblas yesterday afternoon.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Real Madrid wins Spanish super cup 2017: Real Madrid beat Barcelona, 2-0, to complete a 5-1 victory on aggregate in the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday, dominating its fiercest rival without the need of Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale. Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema provided the goals in the second leg for a home side that showed confidence that Barcelona sorely lacked.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.  Aadhar linkage mandatory for farmers to aware crop loans: To ensure hassle-free benefits to farmers under Interest Subvention Scheme, the Reserve Bank of India has advised banks to make Aadhaar linkage mandatory for availing short-term crop loans up to ₹3 lakh in 2017-18. This move is in line with the government’s increasing emphasis on linking Aadhaar to various transactions in the economy including filing Income-Tax returns and getting direct benefit transfer.

2. Shubh Aarambh- a new home loan product by axis bank: Axis Bank has launched Shubh Arambh, a home loan product, that entails waiving off four EMIs each at the end of the fourth, eighth and 12th year of a 20-year loan. In a bid to expand its customer base in the affordable housing segment, Axis Bank on Thursday launched a new product wherein disciplined borrowers will be eligible for waivers of 12 instalments on loans of up to Rs30 lakh.

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. Malpelo- a new tectonic plate discovered: Misfit plates in the Pacific led scientists to the discovery of a microplate between the Galapagos Islands and the South American coast. This research has been done by the researchers at Rice University.