Daily GK Updates - 4th October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. SECURE Himalayas project launched: The Centre has launched a six-year project for conservation of Himalayan ecosystem. SECURE, which stands for, Securing Livelihoods, Conservation, Sustainable use and Restoration of High Range Himalayan ecosystems, is meant for specific landscapes.

2. Satyapal Malik became new Bihar governor: Satyapal Malik, a former lawmaker and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) national vice-president took oath as the governor of Bihar. The position was vacant after Ramnath Kovind became the President.

3. India to help Myanmar in police training, MoU signed: The Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to a MoU between India and Myanmar on upgradation of the Women’s Police Training Centre at Yamethin, Myanmar. MoU was signed on September 6.

4. National waterway on Krishna River: Vice president Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone of the 2,890-km National Waterway-4 at Amravati in Andhra Pradesh. The first phase involves development of a water channel from Muktyala to Vijayawada on Krishna river along with 4 floating terminals and 3 fixed terminals to handle cargo operations.

5. President of India reaches Djibouti: Indian president, Shri Ram Nath Kovind reached Djibouti on October 3, 2017 in the first leg of his state visit to two African countries – Djibouti and Ethiopia. This is President Kovind’s first overseas visit after assuming office.

6. Allahabad to have Turtle Sanctuary: In order to protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganga from escalating anthropogenic pressures a Turtle sanctuary is built in Allahabad. The Sanctuary along with a River Biodiversity Park at Sangam have been approved under Namami Gange programme.

7. Women’s health scheme ‘Sanitease’ launched: The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched ‘Sanitease’ under its social development activity, Swachhagraha, to promote women’s health and hygiene, especially in rural areas. The objective of ‘Sanitease’ is to create awareness and provide logistics for women specially in the rural parts of the state.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 2017 Chemistry Nobel Prize announced: Swiss researcher Jacques Dubochet and Americans Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson won the 2017 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. They got the nobel for developing cryo-electron microscopy which simplifies and improves the imaging of biomolecules.

2. Aung Suu Kyi stripped of “Freedom of Oxford” honour: An honour bestowed on Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi by the city of Oxford has been withdrawn as a reaction to her perceived inadequate response to the plight of Rohingya Muslims in the country. The ‘Freedom of Oxford’ had been granted to her in 1997 for her long struggle for democracy by the Oxford City Council.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. CRPF constable wins gold at Wushu Worlds: Rohtak player Puja Kadian created history by becoming first Indian wushu player to win a gold medal in the World Championships in Kazan, Russia. Kadian, who is a head constable with CRPF, became the world champion with a win over Evgeniya Stepanova of Russia in the women’s 75 kg event.

2. Claire Polosak, a woman umpire, all set to make a history: Claire Polosak is going to make history with her umpiring debut in JLT Cup one-day match between New South Wales and Cricket Australia XI, scheduled to be held on Sunday at the Hurstville Oval in Sydney. Polosak will become the first woman to officiate a first-class men’s domestic fixture.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

3. MobiKwik partners with IRCTC Rail: Digital payments firm MobiKwik announced its partnership with IRCTC Rail connect app, which will allow customers book railway tickets using the former’s payment gateway. Mobikwik’s Payment Gateway currently powers payments for more than 3,000 e-commerce websites and apps.

BANKING/FINANCE:

4. Rajnish Kumar to be next SBI chairman: Rajnish Kumar has been appointed as the next chairman of State Bank of India. He will take over Arundhati Bhattacharya, whose term will come to an end this week.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind declares Rural Gujarat as Open Defecation Free: President Ram Nath Kovind has declared the Rural Gujarat as ODF (Open Defecation Free) at a function held at Kirti Mandir in Porbandar. He has felicitated rural women for achieving ODF status for rural Gujarat.

2. 1.80 metres tall bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi unveiled at Rajghat: The Vice-President of India M.Venkaiah Naidu unveiled a 1.80 meter tall bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his ‘148 Birth Anniversary’ at Rajghat Samadhi Complex, New Delhi. The famous message of Mahatma Gandhi “Be the Change You Wish to See” is inscribed on the front side.

3. Khandu announces to make Arunachal Open Defecation Free by this year-end: Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu has announced that Arunachal Pradesh shall be Open Defecation Free by 31th December this year. Sikkim is the only state in North East to achieve ODF free status and Arunachal to be the next.

4. Third National Wildlife Action Plan unveiled: India unveiled the third National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031 spelling out the future road map for wildlife conservation. The third National Wildlife Action Plan is unique as this is the first time India has recognized the concerns relating to climate change impact on wildlife.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 2017 Nobel Physics Prize announced: Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne & Barry Barish were awarded Nobel Prize in Physics for decisive contributions to LIGO detector & observation of gravitational waves. Waves which were predicted by Einstein 100 yrs ago, came from a collision b/w 2 black holes & took 1.3 bn yrs for the waves to arrive at LIGO detector.

2. King Salman - First Saudi monarch to visit Russia: King Salman of Saudi Arabia will arrive in Russia to conduct the first official visit to the country by a Saudi king.

Main topic of talks in Moscow will be Syria, where Russia & Saudis are backing different sides in the 6 year-long conflict.

3. Nepal and India to conduct joint tiger count: Nepal & India are going to conduct a joint head count of tigers in national parks, forests & sanctuaries of Nepal & India using the same camera tapping method. Conservation authorities & experts from both countries would install cameras in various locations & capture & track down their movements.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Indian GDP to hit USD 6 trillion by 2027 on digital leap - Morgan Stanley report: According to the Morgan Stanley report, India is likely to be the world's fastest-growing large economy in the next 10 years. Morgan Stanley expects digitization will provide an enhancement of 50-75 bps to GDP growth and forecasted, India will grow to a 6-trillion-dollar economy and achieve upper-middle income status by 2026-27.

2. India to be the fastest growing oil market: According to Moody’s Investors Service, India will surpass China as fastest-growing petroleum product market in Asia with fuel consumption rising 6% in 2018 As economic activity in China dials back, Moody expects its refined product demand growth will moderate to 2.5 -3 % in 2017-18.

3. Yatra partners OYO to expand inventory: Yatra Online has tied up with OYO to bring hospitality firm’s inventory on its platform. It brings OYO’s inventory onto a online travel agent platform & with this Yatra’s total hotel inventory will expand to over 70,000 hotels.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Urban Maharashtra declared open defecation free: President Kovind on his maiden visit to Maharashtra declared urban areas of the state as Open Defecation Free. Almost half of Maharashtra has become open Defecation free, since 49% population in lives in urban areas.

2. Free Eye Check-up Campaign for truck drivers and their helpers: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will launch countrywide Free Eye Check-up Campaign & distribution of spectacles for truck drivers, cleaners & helpers in Maharashtra. The objective of this initiative is to ensure clearer vision and safe travel for truck drivers who are the most frequent users of national highways.

3. Meenakshi temple the cleanest: Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai has been adjudged the cleanest iconic place in India under Swachhta Hi Seva programme. Temple earned the top slot from among 10 iconic places selected under Swachh Bharath Mission.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day of Non-Violence observed:  International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 Oct, birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, pioneer of philosophy & strategy of non-violence. International Day of Non-violence was established by UNGA by passing the resolution in 2007 in an effort to spread the message of non-violence.

2. 2017 Nobel Prize for medicine announced: The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young. The trio have been given the prize “for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm”. Their discoveries explain how plants, animals and humans adapt their biological rhythm so that it is synchronized with the Earth’s revolutions.

3. International Day of Older Persons: The International Day of Older Persons is observed on Oct 1 each year. It aims to raise awareness of how vital older people are as a part of community & break down age discrimination. This year’s theme is – Stepping into Future: Tapping Talents, Contributions & Participation of Older Persons in Society.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI waives off account closure charges: SBI has waived off account closing charges for all savings bank customers under the condition that their account has existed for over a year. Earlier, the bank used to deduct a sum of Rs 500, along with the applicable GST, in the form of account closing charges.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

2. RCom-Aircel merger collapses: Reliance Communications has called off the merger of its wireless services business with Aircel,citing regulatory delays  and opposition from some creditors.

SPORTS:

3. Government to dilute 10% stake in HAL: Govt. has approved sale of a 10% stake in military planemaker Hindustan Aeronautics through an IPO. This comes at a time when it is witnessing competition from private players bidding to bag fighter plane contracts for Indian armed forces.

4. Vishwanathan Anand finishes joint-second at Isle of Man Chess Championship: 5 time world champion Viswanathan Anand defeated Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan in the 9th and final round to sign off joint 2nd at the Isle Of Man Chess Championship. He shared the second spot with America’s Hikaru Nakamura. World Champion Magnus Carlsen won the title with 7.5 points after a short draw against Nakamura.

5. Verstappen wins Malaysian GP: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sealed victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton finished second to extend his lead in the championship standings.

Daily GK Updates - 1st October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands gets new Lt. Guv.: Admiral D K Joshi (retired), who quit the Indian Navy in a huff in 2014, has been appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar islands.

2. India’s holdings of American securities increases to $135.7b: India has sharply increased its exposure to US government securities with holdings worth $135.7 billion at the end of July. China continued to top the charts withholding to the tune of $1.166 trillion, followed by Japan with exposure worth $1.113 trillion.

3. IDS celebrates its 17th Raising Day: Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters celebrated its 17th Raising Day. IDS Headquarters was created in October 2001 in the aftermath of ‘Operation Vijay’ in Kargil war. The main objective was to promote synergy among the three Services and to integrate them with the Ministry of Defence.

4. India opens two border crossing points along the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh: India has opened 2 immigration check posts along the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. Zorinpui check post of Mizoram has been authorised as immigration check post for entry into or exit from India for all passengers to or from Myanmar. Kawrpuichhuah post of Mizoram has been authorised as immigration check post for entry into or exit from India for all passengers to or from Bangladesh.

5. Govt. to exempt small exporters from bank guarantee: The government has decided to exempt small exporters from furnishing bank guarantee for shipping goods and services. Under the Goods and Services Tax, an exporter can get an exemption from payment of IGST if he submits bonds or Letter of Undertaking.

6. Rajni Mishra takes charge as new DG SSB: Rajni Kant Mishra has taken over as the Director General, Sashastra Seema Bal succeeding Smt. Archana Ramasundaram. A 1984 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, Mishra was serving as Additional Director General of Border Security Force.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Vegetarian Day: World Vegetarian Day is observed annually on the planet on October 1. The day brings global attention to the health and environmental benefits of vegetarianism and focuses on the ethics of following a vegetarian lifestyle. World Vegetarian Day initiates the month of October as Vegetarian Awareness Month, which ends with November 1, World Vegan Day, as the end of that month of celebration

2. Catalonia to hold referendum: Catalonia is holding a referendum on independence from Spain despite the govt calling it a mockery of democracy. The govt. has called the referendum as unconstitutional & country’s Constitutional Court has suspended the vote so that it could consider the matter.

3. China holds world’s first Intercontinental quantum video call: China has held the world’s first quantum intercontinental video conference between laboratories in Beijing and Vienna. The call was held using a new world first space-ground quantum communication network that experts say could revolutionize how humans connect. The encrypted communication system was being trialed for potential ‘real-world applications by govt, banks & insurance companies.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Official Ball for FIFA U-17 World Cup, Krasava, launched: FIFA has launched the official ball for U-17 football World Cup & it will be called Krasava, a word generally used by Russian sports fans to describe a striking performance. The ball is manufactured by ‘Adidas’ and the pattern on it features a striking red design with jagged lines running through it.

Daily GK Updates - 30th September, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ministry of environment notifies new Wetland rules: The environment ministry has notified the new Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017 which prohibit a range of activities in wetlands. The rules prohibit activities like the conversion of wetland for non-wetland uses including encroachment of any kind, setting up of any industry and expansion of existing industries.

2. EC makes paper trail machines mandatory in all future polls: Election Commission has issued a formal direction to use VVPAT or paper trail machines in all future Lok Sabha & assembly elections. VVPAT is a machine which dispenses a slip with a symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The slip drops in a box but the voter cannot take it home. Several parties have been pressing for the use of these machines to dispel doubts about EVM tampering.

3. President appoints new Governors: President Kovind has appointed 5 new Governors for the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Assam & Meghalaya. BD Mishra was appointed as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh while Satya Malik & Jagdish Mukhi were appointed as the governors of Bihar & Assam respectively. Banwarilal Purohit was appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu while Ganga Prasad was made the governor of Meghalaya.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. First Indian woman to scale Mt Manaslu: An Indian Police Service Officer of UP Cadre, Aparna Kumar became the first Indian woman to scale Mount Manaslu, which is the 8th highest mountain peak in the world. Exactly at 10.00 am on September 25, Kumar took up a mission to climb Mount Manaslu in the west-central part of Nepal.

2. International Translation Day being observed today: International Translation Day is celebrated every year on 30thSeptember on the feast of St. Jerome, the Bible translator who is considered the patron saint of translators. This year, the United Nations celebrates for the first time International Translation Day.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. HDFC to partner with top educational institutes: HDFC Bank will be partnering with 50 technology & business schools to tap into emerging fintech ideas. The objective is to identify potential fintech ideas at incubation & entrepreneurship cells in the institutes at a nascent stage & help them evolve into a consumer-ready product.

2. Green Masala Bond launched in the UK: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency has launched a new Green Masala Bond on London Stock Exchange’s new International Securities Market to raise funds to finance renewable energy projects across India. The 5 year dated bond raised approximately $300 million, with a coupon of 7.125%.

3. Tata Motors bags order for 10,000 e-cars: Tata Motors has won the first contract to supply electric vehicles to replace petrol & diesel cars used by govt & its departments as part of a plan to cut demand for fossil fuels. First 500 electric vehicles will be supplied to EESL in Nov & the remainder will be delivered in the 2nd phase. Tata Motors will supply the electric version of its Tigor sedan, for which batteries will be imported.

BANKING/FINANCE:

4. RBI to sell sovereign bonds worth Rs. 10000 crore through Open Market Operations: Reserve Bank of India would sell govt bonds worth Rs 10,000 crore through Open Market Operations to mop up liquidity from the system. As part of the OMO, the RBI will sell government securities maturing in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, & 2030.

5. RBI increases foreign investor limits in G-secs: The Reserve Bank has increased foreign portfolio investors' investment limits in central and state government securities by an aggregate Rs 14,200 crore for the October-December period. Limits for investment by FPIs for the December quarter have been increased by Rs 8,000 crore in Central government securities and by Rs 6,200 crore in state development loans.

OBITUARIES:

6. Veteran actor Tom Alter dies of skin cancer: Veteran theatre and film personality Tom Alter died after losing his battle against stage four skin cancer. In 2008, he was bestowed with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India, for his service to the field of arts and cinema.

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.