Daily GK Updates - 28th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Withdrawal of Indian Coast Guard Training Ship ‘Varuna’: The Indian Coast guard training ship ‘Varuna’, part of the first training squadron of the Indian Navy was decommissioned with full armed forces honors at a ceremony. The ship served to nation for span about 30 years. Varuna had numerous achievements to its account, including a record no. of apprehension of smugglers with gold worth crores of rupees during the late 1980s.

2. Government restricts import of Gold and Silver from S Korea: In a move to curb surging gold and silver imports from South Korea, the government has decided to put these items in the restricted category wherein importers will need permission from the government before importing them. This comes in the wake of more than a $1 billion worth gold imports from South Korea between July 1-August 21.

3. Launch of  Rooftop Solar Program  in Odisha: The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik has launched the grid-connected rooftop solar project through net-metering system. He also launched the web portal of the rooftop solar programme – www.rtsodisha.gov.in. Under this program pepole can install solar plants on their rooftops and consume the generated solar power during the day time. The investment on a rooftop solar system is about Rs 70,000 per kw. The state government will provide 30 percent subsidy to the consumers.

4. Set up of task force on Artificial Intelligence: Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has constituted a Task Force chaired by V. Kamakoti of IIT Madras to explore possibilities to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) for development across various fields. The ‘task force on AI for India’s Economic Transformation’ will submit concrete and implementable recommendations for government.

5. Inauguration of first ‘Videsh Bhavan’ in Mumbai: The union External Affairs Minister ‘Sushma Swaraj’ has inaugurated the country’s first ‘Videsh Bhavan’ in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), in Mumbai. The ‘Videsh Bhavan’ in the city is the first integrated office complex of the MEA established in any state of the country. Now, the four offices of the ministry in Mumbai (Passport Office, Office of the Protector of Emigrants, Office of the Regional Director of ICCR and Branch Secretariat of MEA) will be functioning under one roof in the newly constructed building. The facility will help in effective management of the MEA’s engagement with the Maharashtra government.

6. India’s Chief Justice to be – Justice Dipak Misra: Justice Dipak Misra will take office as the 45th Chief Justice of India on Monday. This comes after CJI JS Kehar retired on 27th August. President Ramnath Kovind administered the oath of office to Justice Misra at Rashtrapati Bhawan.  He replaced Chief Justice J S Khehar and hold the post till 2nd October 2018.

7. PM Modi Wax figure at Madame Tussauds: Wax figures of the leaders will be part of a new special zone at Madame Tussauds to be housed at the Regal building in New Delhi. Notably, first Madame Tussauds museum in India was open in Delhi.

8. Miss TransQueen India – Nitasha Biswas: Kolkata’s trans woman ‘Nitasha Biswas’ has crowned the first Miss TransQueen India in Gurugram, Haryana. Currently, Biswas is pursuing Masters in Business Management in Kolkata, West Bengal. Miss Transsexual Australia 2017 Laeticia Phylliscia Raveena had crowned the first Miss TransQueen India.Biswas will now go to Thailand for Miss International Queen, while Loiloi will compete at Miss Transsexual Australia. Miss TransQueen India 2017 is the first ever transgender beauty contest of the country.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US imposes financial sanctions against Venezuela:  In US president Donald Trump imposed fresh sanctions against Venezuela restricting country’s financial system from dealing in new debt from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government or its state oil company. The financial sanctions are aimed at restricting the ability of Maduro’s regime to finance its Unconstitutional and Undemocratic behavior.

2. Boko Haram shoot – slitting throats of the villagers:  Nigeria based Boko Haram extremists killed at least 27 people by shooting them and slitting their throats as they attacked several villages in northern Nigeria’s Borno state. Such deadly attacks in recent months have pressured Nigeria’s government to increase its efforts against a homegrown Islamic extremist group it last year declared to be “crushed.”

3.Pakistan court rejects corruption case against former President Asif Zardari: Pakistan’s former president Asif Ali Zardari has been acquitted by an anti-corruption court in an old corruption case in which he was accused of possessing illegal assets. Mr. Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naek requested for acquittal of Mr. Zardari and Justice Khalid Mahmood Ranjha National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court accepted it.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Belgian Grand Prix 2017 Result:  Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom) Mercedes secured 1st rank followed by Sebastian Vettel (Germany)Ferrari who secured 2nd position. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer secured 3rd position.

2. Sindhu lost to her Japanese rival Okuhara : Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) defeated Ace shuttler PV Sindhu (India) to claim the 2017 BWF World Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. Sindhu lost to her Japanese rival Okuhara 19-21 22-20 20-22. Earlier, Saina Nehwal ended her campaign with a bronze. Sindhu became only the second Indian to win a silver medal after Saina Nehwal had achieved the feat in the last edition at Jakarta in 2015.

3. Floyd Mayweather undefeated with record 50-0:  Undefeated professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated UFC champion Conor McGregor in the richest fight in History. May weather, who came out of a two year retirement for bout, now takes his professional boxing career’s record to 50-0.

4. India’s performance at SAFF Championship : The young guns of India have lifted the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-15 football Championship title at Kathmandu, Nepal. Lalrokima and Vikram struck in the second half to guide India edge past hosts Nepal 2-1 in the final. Six nations participated in the tournament where each of the sides was divided into two pools comprising three teams each.

5. Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has become the first ever player to score 350 goals in La Liga: Messi has played 384 league matches and scored 350 goals, He is ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo by 66 goals.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Australia to help India to become a ‘Pulse processing hub: Australia is learnt to be exploring ways to help India transform into a ‘pulses-processing hub’. Regarding this the Australian government and that country’s agri-business companies will hold talks with the Government of India and Indian companies including those into processing, retail and imports of pulses, on the sidelines of the ‘Australia Business Week in India’ (ABWI).

Daily GK Updates - 27th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Army go get its own power in air too: Indian Army will finally get an advanced medium-range surface to air missile system by 2020 which will be able to shoot down ballistic missiles, fighter jets & attack helicopters from a range of around 70 km. The missile system will be produced by DRDO in collaboration with the Israel Aerospace Industries.

2. Randhir Kumar Jaiswal was appointed as the social secretary to President: Senior diplomat Randhir Kumar Jaiswal was appointed as the social secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved his appointment as Social Secretary to the President, on deputation basis, initially for a period of 2 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

3. Election Commission’s Eronet to be launched in Assam: ‘Eronet’, a new portal/software introduced in some states by Election Commission will be launched in Assam on August 28. Eronet facilitates various activities relating to electoral roll such as inclusion & deletion of names, name corrections.

4. World Book Fair to begin in Dehradun: The World Book Fair 2017 will begin in Dehradun from August 28, with the state government offering discounts on books based on the lives of national figures. The theme of the world book fair would be ‘Padega Uttarakhand, Badega Uttarakhand’.

5. Arjan Singh base becomes the second in the country to have Hercules Strategic Aircraft: Indian Air Force installed 6 C-130J Super Hercules strategic aircraft in its Arjan Singh base in Panagarh, West Bengal. Arjan Singh is the 2nd base in the country to have a fat fleet of Hercules aircraft after Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Trump bans transgender military recruits: US President Trump has signed a memorandum that directs US military to not accept transgender individuals as recruits. It also halts use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel unless the process is already under way.

2. Canada to allow gender-neutral passports: Canadian citizens who do not identify as male or female will soon be able to mark “X” on their passports and other identity documents. The step has been taken so that Canadians are able to better reflect their gender identity.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. Vijaya Bank launches “100 Digital Banking Villages”: Vijaya Bank has launched ‘100 Digital Villages’ initiative in an effort to bring residents of these villages under the formal banking system. Through its initiative, the bank has now reached out to more than 2.35 lakh customers, all of whom will have access to digital banking through debit cards.

2. Banking Regulation Act amended: The Government has notified Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act under which it can authorize the RBI to issue directions to banks to initiate insolvency resolution process to recover bad loans. Under the Banking Regulation Act, 2017, RBI can issue directions to banks for resolution of stressed assets.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. Chauhan’s term at BSE’s helm extended by 5 years: BSE’s board has approved another 5-year term for its chief Ashish Chauhan. Under his leadership, BSE also set up country’s 1st international exchange named as India International Exchange.

SPORTS:

4. Saina Nehwal wins bronze at World Badminton Championship: Saina Nehwal had to settle for a bronze medal at the World Badminton Championships after a heartbreaking loss against Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in women’s singles semi-finals.

5. ManU’s midfielder Paul Pogba wins award: Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been named the Europa League Player of the Season for 2016-17. Pogba was part of the United side that won the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history with a 2-0 win over Ajax in May.

Daily GK Updates - 26th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Nine Dera Sacha Sauda Ashrams sealed in Kurukshetra: The step is aimed to avoid any act of violence similar to the one that led to over 30 casualties in Panchkula after the Ram Rahim verdict. The Army and paramilitary forces also entered the Dera headquarters in Sirsa and evacuated the supporters from the premises.

2.  Rs.500 crore relief fund for flood-hit Bihar: PM Modi undertook an aerial survey of Bihar floods and announced the relief package for the state. He also announced fiving Rs.2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund.

3. Monsoon floods takes over 1,200 lives in South Asia: The death toll from India, Bangladesh and Nepal has climbed above 1,200. Six flood affected Indian states accounted for 850 deaths.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Failure of N Korea’s Missiles test:  N Korea test fired 3 short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan. This comes amid the US and S Korea’s ongoing joint military drills which N Korea has denounced as preparation for war.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sania Nehwal and PV Sindhu enters into Finals and Semi fimals at Badminton World Championships: Shuttler Saina Nehwal reached Badminton World Championships semi finals for the second straight time. PV Sindhu also entered the semifinals.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Newly appointed  Syndicate Bank chairman – Ajay Vipin Nanavati: The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has approved Mr. Ajay Vipin Nanavati’s appointment as non-official director/non-executive chairman of Syndicate Bank for three years.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. JioPhone pre-booking temporarily suspended: This came after its website crashed for a short while following large volumes of requests within minutes of launching the service. The firm is currently allowing prospective buyers to register their interest and check device order status online.

2. CEO hunt by Infosys: Infosys has appointed Egon Zehnder to help it find a new CEO, a week after Vishal Sikka stepped down from the post. The firm will work with the nomination and remuneration committee to identify the right candidate.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1.  A new species ‘Nasikabatrachus bhupathi(N.Bhupathi)’ -  a frog with the face of a pig: Indian scientists have discovered a new species of frog ‘Nasikabatrachus bhupathi’ that has a snout-shaped nose, just like a pig in West Ghats. Soiled-dwelling species ‘Nasikabatrachus bhupathi’ discovered by scientists from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad. It inhabits the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, near the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. It has been named after the Indian herpetologist S. Bhupathy.

OBITUARIES:

1. Oldest Indian cinematographer Ramanda Sengupta (101-year) passed away: He worked with legends like Jean Renoir, Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen. In 1946, the first film as a full-time cinematographer was in Purbaraag directed by Ardhendu Mukherjee.

Daily GK Updates - 25th August, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Dera Chief Ram Rahim convicted of Rape by CBI court: A CBI special trial court in Panchkula convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case registered in 2002. Notably, till now five people were killed in riots after he was convicted of rape by a CBI court.

2. Newly Appointed DG -RPF – Dharmendra Kumar: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is a security force of India entrusted with protecting railway passengers, passenger area and railway property of the Indian Railways. The force is under the authority of Ministry of Railways (India). Shri Dharmendra Kumar (1984 batch IPS officer) has been appointed as the Director General (DG) Railway Protection Force. Presently he is working in CISF as Additional DG. The appointment of Shri Dharmendra Kumar will be effective from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

3. Launch of  web portal for competitive exams by Maharashtra Government: The Maharashtra educational board has launched a web portal with online question banks to help students prepare for competitive exams on their own. The portal which can be accessed for free, will function as a substitute for expensive coaching classes.

4. Karnataka Agriculture Department signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Microsoft India to develop a “farm price forecasting model” using latets IT toolsin a bid to help farmers: The proposed initiative is the first of its kind in the country as it is a multivariate one that takes into consideration various factors beyond the conventional supply demand equation while forecasting the prices of crops.

5. Privacy tests – Ajay Bhushan Pandey: Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said that, tax payers will have to link their PAN with Aadhaar by the stipulated deadline, which is this month-end, as the Supreme Court verdict on privacy has no bearing on the requirement. He exuded confidence that Aadhaar Act, with its data protection safeguards, will pass the test of privacy being a fundamental right.

6. Newly appointed interim Chairman and MD of Air India - Rajiv Bansal : Rajiv Bansal, Additional Secretary & Financial advisor at Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has been appointed as the interim Chairman and MD of state air carrier Air India. This comes after former Chairman and MD of Air India Ashani Lohani took over as the Railway Board Chairman.

7. Government tweaks norms to boost UDAN scheme:  The Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday announced increasing viability gap funding for helicopter operators, diluting exclusivity clause and relaxed other norms to facilitate more participation in its regional connectivity scheme, UDAN. The Ministry also abolished the 150-km minimum distance required between two airports to be qualified for operations under the scheme.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. South Korean electronics giant Samsung’s acting chairman Lee Jae-yong was sentenced to a five-year jail term after being found guilty in corruption case:  He was accused of making large donations to foundations run by impeached President Park Geun-hye’s close friend, in return of political favours.

2. Gender Neutral Passports in Canada: According to the Canadian govt. Canadian citizens who do not identify as male or female will soon be able to mark ‘X’ on their passports and other identity documents. Citizens will be able to add an ‘observation’ to their passports stating their sex should be “identified as ‘X’, indicating it is unspecified from 31st August this year.

3. Russia’s Nuclear capable Tupolev-95MS strategic bombers  fly near S Korea, Japan: Russia’s Nuclear capable Tupolev-95MS strategic bombers flew over the neutral waters of the Pacific Ocean, the sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the East China sea. The bombers were escorted by S Korean and Japanese military jets along the route. This comes amid tensions in the Korean Peninsula over N Korea’s missile program.

4. Joint Infrastructure Project between India and Nepal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held comprehensive talks with his Nepalese counterpart ‘Sher Bahadur Deuba’ in New Delhi and decided to expedite various joint infrastructure projects such as laying of rail links and building of roads. PM appreciated the efforts being made by the Nepal govt. to take all sections of the society on board in the constitution implementation process and in establishing Nepal as a federal, democratic republic. Both sides recognized the need for early completion of Jayanagar- Bijalpur-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar cross-border rail-link projects. They also noted with satisfaction that the railway line from Jayanagar to Janakpur and from Jogbani to Biratnagar Custom Yard will be completed by 2018. Both were agreed that the Joint Working Group on Cross-Border Transport Facilitation will meet early to address operational issues for existing and additional routes.

5. Japan imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea by freezing the assets of Chinese and Namibian firms doing business with the nuclear-armed state: The move against a half dozen organizations and a couple of individuals comes days after Washington expanded its own punitive measures against Chinese and Russian firms, as well as people linked to Pyongyang.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.India defeated Sri Lanka by 3 wickets(D/L method) to take a 2-0 lead in the give-match ODI series: Sri Lankan spinner Akila Danjaya took six wickets, with India losing seven wickets for 22 runs.

2. Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been named as UEFA’s Best Player of the Year for the 3rd time:  The 32-year old was the top scorer in last season’s UEFA champions league, which was won by Real Madrid.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.  Co-founder of Indian software giant Infosys Nandan Nilekani has been appointed as non-executive chairman of Infosys Board: This comes after board’s chairman R Seshasayee and co-chairman Ravi Venkatesan submitted their resignations.

2. RBI Launches new Rs.200 notes: The Reserve Bank (RBI) has issued new Rs. 200 and Rs. 50 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, bearing signature of RBI Governor Urjit Patel. Initially, the new Rs 200 notes will be circulated by select RBI offices, and some banks. The new denomination Rs. 200 has the motif of Sanchi Stupa on the reverse and its base colour is bright yellow. The base colour of the note is bright yellow.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1.AI – Project “Brainwave”:  Microsoft has announced a deep learning acceleration platform 'Project Brainwave' for real-time artificial intelligence (AI). With ultra-low latency, the system processes requests as fast as it receives them. Real-time AI is becoming increasingly important as cloud infrastructures process live data streams, whether they be search queries, videos, sensor streams, or interactions with users. The 'Project Brainwave' uses the massive field-programmable gate array (FPGA) infrastructure that Microsoft has been deploying over the past few years.

BOOKS/AWARDS:

1. A book by Raghuram Rajan - ‘I Do What I Do’ -  to be publish on 4th September, 2017:  “ I Do What I Do”: On Reforms, Rhetoric & Resolve’ a book by Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan will launch on 4th September, exactly a year after Rajan quit as RBI Governor. The book conveys what it was like to be at the helm of RBI in those turbulent but exciting times.