Daily GK Updates - 29th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) declines: India has registered a significant decline in Infant Mortality Rate, the IMR declined by 3 points (8% decline), from 37 per 1000 live births in 2015 to 34 per 1000 live births in 2016. India also recorded a major drop in birth cohort, which has for the first time come down to below 25 mn. Gender difference b/w female and male IMR has reduced to <10%, giving a boost to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme

2. Chattisgarh plans to give Free mobile phones: Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh has planned to give free mobile phones to 55 lakh 60 thousand people within two-and-a-half-years in the state. A plan of Rs. 230 crore has been prepared in order to provide free mobile phones to 55 lakh 60 thousand people within two-and-a-half-years in the state. Free phones will be provided to the youth of every rural household, urban poor families and college-going youth.

3. Bengaluru comes out as the World’s most affordable technology city: Bengaluru is the world’s most affordable technology hub, according to a study conducted by Knight Frank LLP. Among the top 29 global technology hubs covered by the study, Bengaluru emerged the cheapest in office rentals. Gurugram, another Indian city, comes second.

4. Gujarat to use EVMs with VVPAT: Gujarat will be the first big state where Assembly elections will be conducted with Electronic Voting Machine equipped with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). Gujarat will be the 2nd state after Goa to use VVPAT system for assembly elections. VVPAT machines during the poll will allow voters to experience transparency and will allow them to see if their vote has been registered correctly.

5. India signs an agreement to train Afghanistan police: After training Afghan Army officers and soldiers for 4 years, India will now train Afghan police officers. India and Afghanistan have exchanged a memorandum of understanding, which will see Afghan police forces trained in India for the first time.

6. Deadline for obtaining Aadhaar extended by three months: The union govt. has extended the deadline for obtaining Aadhaar to avail benefits of government schemes and subsidies by three months this year (Earlier 30th September 2017). This extension will only apply to those beneficiaries who are not assigned Aadhaar number or those who have not yet enrolled for Aadhaar.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA delays launch of James Webb: NASA has pushed the planned launch of its $8.8 billion James Webb Space Telescope from October 2018 to spring of 2019, citing spacecraft-integration issues.bIt will be the world’s most powerful space telescope ever built, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide.

2. Interpol votes to admit Palestine: Interpol has voted to admit Palestine as a full member, dealing a blow to Israel, which has strenuously lobbied against Palestinian admission. Interpol is designed to help countries share police intelligence and cooperate against crime that crosses international borders.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Indian Internet firms create lobby group-Indiatech.org: India’s top Internet companies led by Flipkart have created a lobby group called Indiatech.org that will represent the interests of Indian Internet start-ups to fight their international rivals. Co-founder and executive chairman Sachin Bansal will lead the lobby group. Apart from Flipkart, Ola, Hike and some other Indian Internet companies will be part of the lobby group.

2. Rajiv Sabharwal to take charge as the CEO of Tata Capital: Tata Capital has announced the appointment of Rajiv Sabharwal as Managing Director and CEO designate of the company. Sabharwal would be taking over from the company’s current Managing Director and CEO Praveen P Kadle, who will be assuming other responsibilities in the Tata Group.

BANKING/FINANCE:

3. IDBI Bank launches ‘Project Nishchay’ for turnaround: IDBI Bank has launched ‘Project Nishchay’ in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to accelerate its turnaround program and improve financial performance.

BCG will assist us to identify areas for cost containment and revenue maximization leading to sustainable growth and profitability of the Bank.

Daily GK Updates - 28th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 190th Raising Day of the Regiment of Artillery: The Regiment of Artillery, which has proved its mettle in various operations during war times, today celebrated its 190th Raising Day. The second largest arm of the Indian Army was raised on this day in 1827.

2. ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project launched: President Kovind launched ‘Adopt a Heritage’ initiative, under which heritage sites will be entrusted to public & private enterprises & individuals for maintenance. The initiative is an attempt to boost Indian tourism with “greater focus on digital presence & social media”. Under it, those entrusted with development of tourist amenities at the adopted sites would be known as Monument Mitras.

3. Tourism Awards:  Madhya Pradesh has won the ‘Best Tourism State’ national award for the third consecutive year. While Chanderi was adjudged as the Best Heritage City, the Best Tourist-Friendly Railway Station award was given to Ujjain Railway Station.

4. Anti-superstition Bill cleared in Karnataka: The Karnataka Cabinet has cleared the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017, known as anti-superstition Bill. Bill has provisions to deal strongly with cruel practices, such as human sacrifice, witchcraft, & sexual exploitation by invoking supernatural powers. The bill explicitly exempts vaastu & astrology from being considered superstition

5. Govt. doctors to retire at 65: Union cabinet has increased the retirement age of central govt. doctors to 65 years with an aim to meet the shortage of medical staff in the country. Government’s decision will be applicable to all AYUSH & central govt. doctors and dentists except those in the Central Health Service.

6. First woman chief proctor of BHU: Under the scanner for an unsafe atmosphere for women on the campus, the Banaras Hindu University has appointed a woman as its chief proctor. Professor Royana Singh, who will hold the post, is a professor in the Anatomy Department of the Institute of Medical Sciences,

7. NeSL gets registered by IBBI: Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India has registered National E-Governance Services Limited as an Information Utility under the IBBI Regulations, 2017. With this NeSL has become the first IU registered by the IBBI and the registration is valid for 5 years from the date of registration.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Rabies Day being observed today: The World Rabies Day is observed on 28th September (since-2007) across the world to raise awareness about the rabies disease and its preventable measures. The day also marks the anniversary of French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur's death, who developed the first rabies vaccine. The theme for World Rabies Day-2016 is “Rabies: Zero by 30”.

2. World Maritime Day observed today: The World Maritime Day is being observed across the world on 28th September (last Thursday of September) to highlight the importance of shipping safety and maritime security. Theme of the currenty WMD was: Connecting Ships, Ports and People.

3. Eman Al-Ghamdi first Saudi woman on the top position of Govt.: Eman Al-Ghamdi was appointed as the assistant mayor of Al Khubar governorate. Al-Ghamdi was given the post “as part of plan to boost the number of females in leadership positions in line with Vision 2030.

OTHER UPDATES:

1. MoU signed between BSNL and ZTE: BSNL has signed a MoU with Chinese gear maker ZTE at Indian Mobile Congress 2017. Both the parties will work together & prove key technologies like Pre5G & 5G wireless systems to make a virtual network architecture of a 5G eco system for research & commercialization in India.

2. “The Chinar Leaves” author, Makhan Lal Fotedar, passes away: A close associate of former PM Indira Gandhi, Fotedar was her political secretary from 1980 to 1984. He also served as Rajiv Gandhi’s political secretary for 3 years. He also authored a book called ‘The Chinar Leaves’.

3. Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, dies at 91: Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, has died aged 91. Hefner founded Playboy in 1953 with $600 of his own money and built the magazine into a multimillion-dollar entertainment empire.

Daily GK Updates - 27th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Country’s food services industry is expected to touch USD 77 billion (about Rs 4,98,130 crore) by 2021: Growing at an annual rate of 10 percent, in 2016 the food services market is expected to be at Rs 3,09,110 crore. The unorganized sector will account for 67 percent share with an estimated size of Rs 2,07,635 crore, National Restaurant Association of India said in a report.

2. The Madhya Pradesh government has started smart virtual classrooms, for students of classes 6, 7, and 8; in 224 government schools: The initiative is aimed at creating classrooms with interactive audio-video and electronic whiteboards to create opportunities for better learning. The schools were chosen after the state education department conducted a survey.  

3. UP, Bihar – India’s youngest population: Uttar Pradesh and Bihar’s populations have the lowest median ages or youngest populations in India. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have the highest median ages, according to Census 2011 data, compiled by Bengaluru-based think tank Takshashila Institution. The median age is the age which divides the population into two equal halves.

4. Sushma Swaraj urges UN to Isolate Pakistan: India took its campaign to diplomatically isolate Pakistan to the United Nations on Monday. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asked the world community to hold countries that “nurture, peddle and export” terrorism to account. Referring to the ethnic minority in Pakistan, she said “The brutality against the Baloch people represents the worst form of State oppression”.

5. An Indian as anti-hunger activist, UN – Ankit Kawatra: Troubled to see the amount of food being wasted in the big fat Indian weddings, Ankit Kawatra came up with the solution to redistribute it among the hungry. Mr. Kawatra started ‘Feeding India’. He is among the 17 people selected for the inaugural class of U.N. Young Leaders for Sustainable Development Goals for his initiative. They were selected from more than 18,000 nominations from 186 countries.

6. Newly appointed as Director-General (DG) of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) - O P Singh: He is an alumnus of the National Defence College in the national capital,holds a Masters Degree in Political Science and an MBA in Disaster Management. CISF secures a host of VVIPs along with providing armed security to the Delhi Metro network, seaports, power plants, sensitive government buildings and airports.

7. Newly appointed President of Indian Statistical Institute(ISI) -   Dr Vijay Kelkar : Former petroleum secretary Vijay Kelkar has been elected president of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).He succeeded former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor C Rangarajan. ISI is an academic institute of national importance as recognised by a 1959 act of the Indian parliament.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Home-grown missile of Iran “Zolfaqar”: Iran’s Defence Ministry launched the production line of home-grown ballistic missile of “Zolfaqar”. The tactical missile, which is capable of evading jamming signals in electronic warfare will come into service by March 2017. “Zolfaqar” runs on solid fuel and can hit the targets with a pin-point accuracy in a range of 750 km.

2. World Tourism Day: The World Tourism Day (WTD) is being observed annually on 27th September (since-1980) to raise awareness about the importance of tourism. The theme of this year is 'Tourism for all - promoting universal accessibility'. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

3. China capable of deploying domestically-designed drones in the South China Sea and East China Sea: China plans to deploy its indigenously built drones for surveying and mapping in the disputed South China Sea and along the contentious islands with Japan. Li Yingcheng, General Manager of China TopRS Technology Co Ltd said, “drones can fully cover waters 80 nautical miles from the coastline.”

4. China slowdown – economy’s biggest threat:  The global think tank for central banks said that China’s credit to GDP “gap” stood at 30.1%, increasing fears that China’s economic boom was based on an unstable credit bubble.  Gap, analysis amount of debt in an economy relative to annual growth.

5. Afghanistan – India  joint air corridor:  Afghanistan is working with India to create a joint air corridor to enhance bilateral trade. This came after Pakistan’s intransigence in denying transit rights through its territory amid deteriorating ties with both the countries. Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has said he discussed the creation of a joint air trade route with India during his recent visit to the country.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Arvind Mani Mark a record Glenmark National aquatics championship : Arvind Mani mark a record in 200m backstroke on the third day of the 70th Glenmark National aquatics championship at the V.B.B. Stadium. The 20-year-old Karnataka swimmer clocked 2:05.46s to break Rohit Havaldar’s three-year-old record of 2:06.23s.

2. To be hosts of  Asian Games : Japan will host the Asian Games in 2026 after Aichi prefecture and its capital Nagoya were confirmed as the venue for the multi-sport event by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The Japanese bid was the only one put forward to host the continental gathering, which will be staged in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia in 2018 and the Chinese city of Hangzhou in2022. Japan will host  2017 Asian Winter Games, 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Summer Olympics.

3. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran – The winner of the Belgium Opens: Indian table tennis player from Chennai Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (24-year) has become only the second to win an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) event in Belgium. Gnanasekaran clinched the men's singles title of the Belgium Open by defeating local player Nuytinck Cedric 4-0 in the final.

4. India wins medal in Asian Beach Games: India opened their medal account in the 5th Asian Beach Games as Pinky Balhara bagged a bronze in kurash. Balhara won the bronze in women’s 52kg category after she lost to Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy of Vietnam in the semifinals. Kurash is a form of wrestling that originated in Uzbekistan. India had sent a contingent of 208 members to participate in the Asian Beach Games.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

5. Sun Pharma signs deal for dengue vaccine with ICGEB: India’s largest pharmaceutical company, Sun Pharma has signed a deal with International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology to develop a dengue vaccine. This would be the first time a vaccine developed entirely in India for a vector-borne disease has been advanced for clinical development in India. This year it was integrated into India’s Universal Immunisation Programme.

6. Instant mobile app ‘Allo’ launched by Google: Google has launched its latest mobile chat application "Allo" along with Google Assistant. Allo can be used in online conversations with friends. The messaging app is similar features to most other messaging applications available for Android and the iPhone. Allo is an instant messaging mobile app developed by Google that includes a virtual assistant and provides a "smart reply" function that allows users to reply without typing.

7. Google’s Birthday: Google celebrates its 18th birthday with an animated, festive-balloon Doodle today (27th Sept). The company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998. The corporate headquarters complex of Google and its parent company ‘Alphabet Inc.’ is at Mountain View, Santa Clara county, California.

8. Qatar Airways participated in the Incredible India Tourism Investors’ Summit 2016 to reaffirm its commitment towards India’s tourism market: They discussed ways to create and enable an environment for investment in the tourism sector and to overcome any obstacles to growth. H.E. Mr. Al Baker said, “India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, having tremendous business opportunities.”

Daily GK Updates - 26th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shashi Shanker appointed CMD of ONGC: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Shashi Shanker as Chairman and Managing Director of ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), till 31st March 2021.

2. The Ship 'TARASA' commissioned into Indian Navy: The Ship 'TARASA' has been commissioned into the Indian Navy at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. INS Tarasa (T94) is a patrol vessel of the Car Nicobar-class of Indian Navy and the last ship in the series of four Water Jet Fast Attack Craft.

3.  Rajnath Singh launches PENCIL Portal: The Union Home Minister Mr Rajnath Singh has launched a web portal called 'PENCIL' (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) for effective implementation of National Child Labour Project (NCLP). PENCIL portal has five components (Child Tracking System, Complaint Corner, State Government, National Child Labour Project, and Convergence) and developed by the Labour Ministry.It was felt that an online portal which connects the Centre to the state government, district and to all project societies would provide a mechanism for implementation.

4. Odisha Govt. launches ‘Sampurna Yojana’: Odisha state Govt. has launched ‘Sampurna Yojna’ scheme for pregnant women, in Odisha. Under this Sishu Abond Matru Mrityuhara Purna Nirakaran Abhijan(Sampurna) scheme, Rs 1,000 will be provided as transportation cost particularly to expectant mothers to facilitate institutional delivery in remote and inaccessible areas in the state.

5. ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission completes 3 Years in orbit: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stated that its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which has completed three years in its Martian orbit is in good health and continues to work as expected. On the occasion of completion of three years in its Martian orbit released MOM second-year science data from September 24, 2014, to September 23, 2016.

6. Banaj Devi to receive Sarala award: Noted Odia poet and short story writer Banaj Devi will be honoured with the 38th edition of the prestigious Sarala award. She will be honoured for her short story compilation ‘Kathapua’. The annual Sarala Puraskar, recognised as one of the foremost literary awards of the State, comprises a cash award of ₹5 lakh along with a citation.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India raises market access, barriers issue with Indonesia: India has raised the issue of market access and regulatory barriers that its companies are facing in Indonesia in sectors like pharma, dairy, and bovine meat. The issues were discussed during a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu and his Indonesian counterpart Enggartiasto Lukita in New Delhi.

2. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis arrives in New Delhi on a two-day visit: Today, the US Defence Secretary ‘Jim Mattis’ arrived in New Delhi on a two-day visit to India.He will discuss the joint efforts to advance common goals through a broader strategic exchange of views.Mattis is the first Cabinet Minister of the Trump Administration to visit India.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI launches chatbot to help customers in banking activities: lives on multiple customer interaction platforms in partnership with Payjo. Artificial intelligence banking platform ‘Payjo’ has launched an AI-powered chat assistant for State Bank of India (SBI) to addresses customer enquiries. The chat assistant, ‘SBI Intelligent Assistant (SIA)’ will help customers with everyday banking tasks just like a bank representative.

2. SBI lowers min balance: SBI has lowered the minimum average monthly balance, requirement in a savings account to Rs. 3,000 from Rs. 5,000 and also revised downwards penalties for non-adherence.

Bank has decided to treat metro & urban centres in the same category.

Bank has also decided to exempt pensioners, beneficiaries of social benefits from govt & minors from the requirement of minimum balance in savings account

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

3. Two Indians on list of most powerful women in International Business: Two Indian women have featured on Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women in business outside the US.Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kocchar was ranked 5th and MD and CEO of Axis Bank Shikha Sharma was ranked at 21.

4. Niranjan Hiranandani elected as the President of NAREDCO: National Real Estate Development Council, a leading industry body of real estate sector, is under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Niranjan Hiranandani has been elected as the new president of realtors body NAREDCO.

SPORTS:

5. Lakshmanan wins 5,000m gold in Athletics Nationals: Reigning Asian champion Govindan Lakshmanan of Services cruised to victory in the men’s 5000-metre race on the opening day of the 57th National Open Athletics Championships at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai.Lakshmanan has recently won gold in the 3,000m event at the Asian Indoor Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Daily GK Updates - 25th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Narendra Modi launches 'Saubhagya' scheme for electrification: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Saubhagya’ scheme in New Delhi, to mark the birth anniversary of ‘Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’. The scheme ‘Saubhagya’ will provide subsidy on equipment like transformers, meters, and wires and expected to cover all rural families after expected electrification of all villages by the end of 2017. Prime Minister also inaugurated ONGC’s new corporate office that was renamed Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Urja Bhawan, from Rajiv Gandhi Urja Bhawan.

2. Bibek Debroy to head Modi’s Advisory Council: NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy will head the Economic Advisory Council constituted by PM Modi. The council will analyse any issue  economic or otherwise referred to it by the Prime Minister and will advise him on it. The council has 3 part-time members – Surjit Bhalla, Rathin Roy, Ashima Goyal.

3. Bharat Dynamics Limited  to supply MRSA Missiles to the Indian Army: Bharat Dynamics Limited, a defence PSU has a signed contract with Research Centre Imarat for supply of Medium Range Surface-to- Air Missiles to Indian Army. The contract has been signed for production, deliveries and product support of MRSAM system for the Indian Army.

4. West Bengal gets USD 300 Million ADB loan: The board of Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned a USD 300 million loan facility for carrying forward fiscal reforms in West Bengal. The full effect of reforms would take at least 5 years to materialize and a follow-on program would be needed to carry these forward.

5. Chief Economic Adviser to get one-year extension: According to the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian will get one-year extension (till October 2018).He has been quite vocal in his stand on RBI's monetary policy and has openly supported the need for a rate cut. Subramanian had assumed the office of India's CEA in October 2014 after the government picked him up out of many aspirants for the coveted job.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shinzo Abe to dissolve lower house of Japan: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has said he would dissolve Parliament’s lower house for a snap election, as he seeks a fresh mandate to overcome “a national crisis.” Abe said he needed a fresh mandate to proceed with plans to use tax hikes to increase social spending & take a tough stance towards North Korea.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Masala bonds to be treated as ECBs from 3rd Oct.: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) relaxed norms for issuance of rupee-denominated overseas bonds (masala bonds).They will be treated as external commercial borrowings from October 3, thereby freeing up more investments by FPIs. From 3rd October, masala bonds will no longer form part of the limit for FPI investments in corporate bonds.

2. Apple tops the list of “Most valuable brands”: Apple and Google have once again take the two top spots in a list of the world’s 100 most valuable brands, according to rankings by consultancy group Interbrand.

3. RIL becomes world’s 3rd largest energy company in the world: Reliance Industries has jumped 5 places to rank as world’s 3rd-biggest energy company behind Russian gas firm Gazrpom & German utility E.ON, according to Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings.

SPORTS:

4. Wrestler Bajrang wins gold in Asian Indoor Games: Wrestler Bajrang (India) beat Daichi Takatani (Japan) in the men's freestyle 65kg final to win the gold in Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.Now, Indians added four medals including a gold on the ninth day of the games at Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. Two women wrestlers Sheetal Tomar and Navjot Kaur also grabbed a bronze each. Krishnan Sasikiran won the third bronze in men's standard individual chess.India now stands at 12th place in the medals tally with 6 Gold, 7 Silver, and 11 Bronze.

5. P.V. Sindhu for Padma Bhushan: Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu has been recommended for the prestigious Padma Bhushan by the Sports Ministry. World No. 2 Sindhu has been in stellar form since winning a silver medal at Rio Olympics and is the second athlete after MS Dhoni to have been nominated for the honour this year.

6. Vaishnavi clinches Belgian Junior title: Indian shuttler Vaishnavi Reddy has clinched the women’s singles Under-19 title at the Belgian Junior Open badminton tournament. She defeated top seed Vivien Sandorhazi in a three-game final at Herstal.

Daily GK Updates - 24th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Andhra CM Naidu declares 2017 as e-Pragati Year: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu declared the year of 2017 as e-Pragati year. The flagship program will help the government to make real-time governance. The Chief Minister also inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Sports Policy 2017.

2. “Make in India” push for body armours: NITI Aayog has been asked to set up an inter-ministerial empowered committee to prepare a roadmap to ‘encourage domestic manufacturing’ of lightweight body armours for army & para-military forces. Committee will be headed by Niti Aayog member V K Saraswat and will have representatives from DRDO, DIPP, Ministry of Defence & Home Affairs.

3. President Ram Nath Kovind’s first foreign trip will be to Africa: President Ram Nath Kovind will make his first foreign trip as head of state to the strategically-significant African continent in the first week of October. The President will visit to Ethiopia and Djiboui. Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia is the seat of African Union, had hosted the first India-Africa summit outside India in 2012.

4. Govt unveils new PPP policy: Govt. has announced new public-private partnerships to promote private investments in affordable housing in line with its Housing for All target by 2022. 8 PPP options for the private sector to invest in affordable housing segment were announced by the minister of housing & urban affairs Hardeep Singh. The assistance of up to Rs.2.50 lakh per house will be available for building houses on private lands.

5. Rajiv Mehrishi takes oath as the new CAG: Former home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi took over as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Mehrishi succeeded Shashi Kant Sharma.President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mehrishi (62) at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Mehrishi will have a tenure of about three years.

6. “The Shershah of Kargil” - The biography of Captain Vikram Batra Unveiled: Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra was martyred at the tender age of 24. The biography of Captain Vikram Batra "The Shershah of Kargil" has been written by 21-year-old Deepak Surana.

7. Books on Indian values, morals a must as per the New Multi-Purpose Stall policy of Indian Railways: Books on Indian culture & morals are now to be displayed for sale at all platform kiosks, a new stall policy to all zonal railways has mandated. Railway Board has instructed all general managers to ensure that such books are found in stalls, under its new Multi-Purpose Stall policy.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Angela Merkel Wins 4th Term as Chancellor of Germany: Angela Merkel won a fourth term as chancellor in Germany elections that lifted the far-right party Alternative for Germany into parliament for the first time since the immediate aftermath World War II.

2. India, US, Afghanistan Join Hands for 1st Trade Show in Delhi: For the first time, India, US and Afghanistan will hold a joint trade and investment show in Delhi, as New Delhi steps up to its role of being a bigger development partner to Afghanistan. The trade event, sponsored by the US and hosted by India, will be inaugurated by Afghan CEO Dr Abdullah.

3. DRUZBA 2017, Pak-Russia joint military drill started: The joint exercise DRUZBA 2017 between special forces of Pakistan and Russian armies started in Minralney Vody, Russia. Pakistan and Russia are holding two-week long joint military drill focusing on counter-terrorism operations to enhance military ties between the two countries.

4. Mobile phone ban on Rohingya refugees: Bangladesh has banned telecom companies from selling mobile phone connections to Rohingya refugees, citing security concerns for the latest restrictions. Ban could be lifted once biometric identity cards were issued to these refugees

5. Saudi Arabia allows women into stadium: Saudi Arabia has allowed women into a national stadium for the first time as it launched celebrations to mark the 87th anniversary of its founding. This marks a shift from previous celebrations in the kingdom where women are effectively barred from sports arenas. This measure represents another step into relaxing some norms as part of its “Vision 2030” plan for economic and social reforms.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sports Ministry Recommends P.V. Sindhu for Padma Bhushan: Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu has been recommended for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, country’s third highest civilian award, by the Sports Ministry.She is two-time bronze medallist at World Championship. In March 2015, Sindhu was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri.

2. India bags 4 more Medals at 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan: In the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, India bagged four medals. Sajan Prakash of India finished second with the silver medal in the Men's 100-metre butterfly event. Divya Gurling Shilwant and Pratiksha Chandrakant Parhar bagged a bronze each in women's Alysh classic in 70 kg and 75 kg categories in the Belt Wrestling Discipline.Wrestler Keduovilie Zumu from Nagaland won the bronze medal in the 90 kg category of Kazakh Kuresh style belt wrestling. India is at 11th spot in the medals tally with 5 gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze.

3. ICC to probe into Sri Lanka cricket: The International Cricket Council has launched an anti-corruption investigation in Sri Lanka. ICC, however, did not specify if any particular series involving the country is under the scanner.

4. India Becomes World No. 1 in Both ODIs and Tests: India beat Australia by 5 wickets in the third ODI played between the two sides at Indore. The victory helped them to pip South Africa to claim the no. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings. This now means that India is now at the top of both the Test and ODI rankings.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

5. Amazon buys 5% equity in Shoppers Stop: Shoppers Stop has approved a proposal to sell 5% equity in the company for Rs179.25 cr to Amazon NV Holdings LLC. Shoppers Stop will use the funds to continue its investments in expanding physical and online retail businesses. The two retailers will conduct “joint marketing” initiatives while Shoppers Stop will open Amazon Experience Centres where Amazon can showcase its brands.

6. ‘Fly Now Pay Later’ Scheme launched by Etihad Airways now: UAE’s carrier Etihad Airways has launched a ‘fly now and pay later’ scheme which provides people with an option of paying ticket fare in monthly instalments. The initiative is designed to allow families to book flights with convenience. Etihad Airways is the first in Gulf region to offer fully automated online instalment plans

7. Acko gets final IRDA license: Indian insurance sector regulator IRDAI has given the final nod to online non-life insurer Acko General Insurance. The company is looking to start operations by Dec selling mostly auto, travel & health insurance products to retail customers through an online channel.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt to launch LPG Panchayat as backup to Ujjwala Yojana to distribute LPG connections: The union govt. has launched a country-wide LPG Panchayat as a backup to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to distribute LPG connections among the rural areas. The panchayat was formally launched at Mota Ishnapur village in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. One lakh LPG Panchayats will be activated across the country under the scheme during the next one and a half year.

2. Harshvardhan launches Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana: Dr. Harshvardhan has launched 'Pt Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana' which will experiment and endeavour to formulate and implement appropriate S&T Interventions for Sustainable Development through cluster approach in Uttarakhand. This project has been inspired by teachings and ideals of ‘Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhayay’ whose birth centenary is being celebrated this year.

3. Subramanian to get extension as CEA to govt.: The government has decided to extend the term of Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian by one year until October 2018. Subramanian was appointed India’s Chief Economic Adviser in October 2014. His term was for three years, which was to end on October 16.

4. Stage set for the setup of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) in India: NITI Aayog has signed an agreement with Geneva-based International Road Federation for cooperation in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems & to design a policy framework for the same. ITS policy will cover various sectors including traffic management, electronic enforcement of traffic rules & regulations. It would also cover fleet management & monitoring & education in the field of ITS.

                                                       INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Professor C.N.R Rao, becomes the first Asian to be chosen for the prestigious Von Hippel Award: Eminent scientist, Professor C.N.R Rao, has become the first Asian to be chosen for the prestigious Von Hippel Award for his immense contribution in materials research. The award citation noted Rao’s immense work on novel functional materials, including nanomaterials and 2D materials and superconductivity. The award is the US-based Materials Research Society’s highest honour.

2. Hui Ka Yan Becomes Asia’s Richest Man: Hui Ka Yan, the chairman of big China real estate developer China Evergrande Group, has become Asia’s richest man. Hui’s estimated fortune of $42.2 billion puts him ahead of Tencent Holdings Chairman Ma Huateng ($39.1 billion) and Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma ($38.9 billion).

3. NATO wraps up exercise Dynamic Monarch: 9 NATO Allies wrapped up a submarine search and rescue exercise, Dynamic Monarch 2017, off the coast of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey. The exercise demonstrated the importance of cooperation for NATO-led naval missions & involved a wide array of equipment & up to 1,000 military and civilian personnel.

4. China imposes limit on oil supply to North Korea: China will limit oil exports to North Korea under UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile development and it will be limited to 2 million barrels per year and sales of liquefied natural gas hasbeen banned outright (from 1st January).

5. Iran tests new ballistic missile: Iran has tested a new ballistic missile ‘Khorramshahr’ that can carry multiple warheads and has a range of 2,000km. The Khorramshahr missile has become smaller in size and more tactical. Iran unveiled the ballistic missile as its president stepped up pressure on the United States by defending its right to strengthen military defenses.

                                         OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.SBI launches India’s bond index series at London Stock Exchange: The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched India’s first bond index series for overseas investors at the London Stock Exchange (LSE).With the launch of this index alongside FTSE Russell, SBI intention is to give people a benchmark based on which they can make investment calls. The FTSE SBI Bond Index Series “demonstrates SBI’s commitment to play befitting leadership role” in development of India’s bond market.

2. Samsung’s Bixby Voice now works in India: Bixby is meant to do additional and on-phone tasks which Samsung hopes will make getting things done faster and easier. Bixby Voice can be triggered by saying “Hi Bixby” to a sleeping device also.

3. SpiceJet, Cleartrip team up with Google Flights: SpiceJet & Cleartrip have teamed up with Google Flights to help air travellers explore possible destinations & view live ticket prices. Launched in India in 2015, Google Flights offers travellers the facility to explore destinations & find best flights at affordable prices.

SPORTS:

4. Deborah Herold wins two Silver medals on day 7 of Asian Indoor Games: Indian cyclist Deborah Herold bagged two more Silver medals in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. She bagged a silver medal in the six-lap Keirin event in track cycling, and also finished second in the Team sprint event with Alena Reji. Earlier, India also won a Silver medal through Malaprabha Yallappa Jadhav in Women's Kurash, a Martial Arts event.Current, India won ninth medals (5 Gold, 6 Silver and 5 Bronze medals).