Daily GK Updates - 21st January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. “Cyber Surakshit Bharat” launched by MEITY: In order to strengthen cybersecurity ecosystem in India, Ministry of Electronics & IT has announced Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative in association with NeGD & industry partners. It will be operated on the three principles of Awareness, Education and Enablement. It is the first public-private partnership of its kind & will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cyber security.

2. Commencement of ‘Livability Index’: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri has announced commencement of the country’s first-ever ‘Livability Index’ to rank 116 cities. Cities will be assessed on 15 core parameters like governance, social infrastructure, education, employment etc. ‘Livability Index’ will also take into account physical infrastructures like housing, open spaces, land use, energy and water availability among others.

3. In an initiative to empower Persons with Disabilities, 100 websites of various State Govts/UTs under Accessible India Campaign were launched:  Accessible Websites are those websites into which Persons with Disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web. ERNET India (MEITY) is executing the project which is funded by DEPwD under Accessibility India Campaign.

4. CRPF special DG Sudeep Lakhtakia has been appointed as the new chief of National Security Guard(NSG): Lakhtakia will take over from S P Singh, the current chief of the elite counter-terror force. NSG is special forces unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs which was raised in 1984 for combating terrorist activities with a view to protect states against internal disturbances.

5. Innovation in Governance Award 2018: Andhra Pradesh Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh was felicitated with Dr. Kalam Innovation in Governance Award 2018. The award was conferred on him by Rajya Sabha Secretary General Desh Deepak Verma for exemplary work in improving governance. The foundation was set up in the memory of former President A J Abdul Kalam. It works in various areas for development of the society.

6. India is the world’s largest consumer of petcoke: The environment ministry has placed restrictions on the use of imported petroleum coke in Delhi & its surrounding region to curb rising air pollution: Only consented & registered industrial units of NCR States shall be permitted to directly import pet coke. India is the world’s largest consumer of petcoke & imports over half its annual petcoke consumption of about 27mn tonnes mainly from US.

7. President Kovind felicitated exceptional women achievers who are the first to set a milestone in their respective fields at Rashtrapati Bhawan: Over 100 women were selected after an extensive research process by Women & Child Development Ministry. The women who have been felicitated are those who have been the first in any field like first woman judge, first woman porter, first Olympian etc.

8. Tamilnadu to host first ever Defence Expo: According to defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Tamil Nadu will host its first-ever bi-annual defence exhibition in April. The exhibition will take place from April 11 to 14 and nearly 80 countries are expected to take part in it. Arrangements will be made for the Navy, Army and Air Force to display their equipment in the exhibition.

9. Arun Jaitley, Union Finance & Corporate Affairs minister, launched the National CSR Data Portal & Corporate Data Portal in Delhi: The initiative is a significant step towards driving accountability & transparency for corporate India. By making the portals accessible to general public, it will ensure high level of compliance and also in institutionalizing and consolidating the CSR activities.

10. Newly appointed chairman of ISB: Harish Manwani, non-executive chairman of HUL, has been appointed as the chairman of executive board of Indian School of Business, Hyderabad:  Manwani will take over from Adi Godrej, chairman of Godrej group, starting April this year. Manwani has been on the board of ISB since April 2006. ISB is a premier management institution in India having campuses in Hyderabad & Mohali.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UN special envoy visits Rohingya camp: UN special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee visited Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh’s coastal town of Cox’s Bazar. Lee was also supposed to visit her native Myanmar, but govt there unexpectedly banned her from visiting the country. Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They have been regarded as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Allahabad Bank became First to issue shares: Allahabad Bank has became the 1st public sector lender to offer an employee stock option scheme, under which it will offer 5 crore ordinary shares to its staff. Proceeds from share sale will be used to raise core capital of the bank which has long ago been placed under prompt corrective action by RBI. Bank may issue shares in 1 tranche & will complete the transactions in this financial year.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. ONGC To Buy Government Stake In HPCL: Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has agreed to buy the government’s majority stake in Hindustan Petroleum Corp for Rs. 36,900 crore. The deal is part of the govt’s objective to combine various public sector enterprises to give them the capacity to bear higher risks & create more value for shareholders. The proceeds from the HPCL stake sale will help the government pay for welfare programmes.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. Axis Bank with Srijan NGO initiated Buddha Fellowship Programme: Axis Bank is partnering with NGO Srijan through an initiative called Buddha Fellowship Programme to help nurture talent for development sector. Buddha Fellows are a cohort of IIM grads working in rural areas with farmer producer companies, govt departments to scale up projects in livelihood, health & education sectors. The bank is mentoring 15 grads from IIM at Kolkata, Ahmedabad & Shillong.

Daily GK Updates - 20th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Question rose against Darwin’s theory of evolution: Union minister Satyapal Singh has claimed that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution of man was "scientifically wrong" and it needs to be changed in school and college curriculum.  Singh, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, said our ancestors have nowhere mentioned that they saw an ape turning into a man.  "Darwin's theory (of evolution of humans) is scientifically wrong. It needs to change in school and college curriculum. Since the man is seen on Earth he has always been a man," he said while speaking to reporters yesterday here.  The IPS officer-turned-politician was in this central Maharashtra city to attend the 'All India Vaidik Sammelan.' "Nobody, including our ancestors, in written or oral, have said they saw an ape turning into a man," he said.  "No books we have read or the tales told to us by our grandparents had such a mention," the minister added.

2. Nine more smart cities to come up: The Urban Development Minister ‘Hardeep Singh Puri’ has announced the name of nine more smart cities (total to 99). Silvassa in Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has topped the list of winning cities in this round of competition. The other cities include Erode (Tamil Nadu), Diu (Union Territory of Daman and Diu), Biharsharif (Bihar), Bareilly (UP), Saharanpur(UP) and Moradabad (UP),  Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) and  Kavaratti (Lakshadweep). The total proposed investment in 99 Smart Cities will be two lakhs three thousand 979 crore rupees.

3.  Former Chief Minister of Gujarat Anandiben Patel will be the next Governor of Madhya Pradesh: She replaces Om Prakash Kohli who has an additional charge of the office of MP Governor along with the office of Gujarat Governor.

4. The Anthem -  “Bharat Ke Veer” : The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ anthem and a short film on India’s brave hearts in New Delhi.Bharat Ke Veer is a fund to support the families of those courageous and brave Indian soldier belongings to the eight Central Armed Police Forces, who lost their lives protecting the nation from terrorists and other anti-social elements.The fund is directly administered by the Home Ministry and is given as an annuity or one-time grant to the family of the martyred soldier.

5.  Ramayana festival with ASEAN nations in Delhi : The five-day Ramayana festival with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations has begun in Delhi. Troupes from ASEAN countries will display the shared heritage also at Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Ayodhya and Kolkata. The festival seeks to underline the common cultural heritage and India's friendship with ASEAN nations. The Festival is a fitting prelude to the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit on 25th January.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Britain announces public register against money laundering: Britain has announced the world's first public register that requires overseas companies that own or buy property in the country to provide details of their ultimate owners. The government is set to publish relevant draft laws and the register will go live by early 2021.This register will build on their reputation for corporate transparency as well as help create a hostile environment for economic crimes like money laundering. Properties in Britain worth 250 million dollars has been under criminal investigation for being linked to corruption since 2004. Over 75% of the properties currently under investigation have been suspected of being used off-shore corporate secrecy, a tactic regularly seen by investigators pursuing high-level money laundering.

2. India becomes 43rd member of Australia Group: India has formally become the 43rd member of the Australia Group, a group of countries instituted to counter the spread of materials, equipment and technologies. The inclusion will raise India’s stature in the field of non-proliferation and help in acquiring critical technologies. The Australia Group is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) and an informal group of established in 1985 to help member countries to identify those exports which need to be controlled so as not to contribute to the spread of chemical and biological weapons.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India to face Pakistan in the fifth edition of “Blind Cricket World Cup” Final: The 5th edition of the Blind Cricket World Cup tournament is currently held from 8 Jan -21st Jan 2018 in Pakistan and in the United Arab Emirates(UAE). Team India (defending champion) will face arch-rival Pakistan in the 5th edition of the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup Final at Sharjah. India defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets in the semis to enter the Finals of the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup. Pakistan qualified for the final of the Blind Cricket World Cup after defeating Sri Lanka.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1. Robo Scientist makes malaria breakthrough: Research carried out in part by a 'robot scientist' has found that a common ingredient of toothpaste could be developed to fight drug-resistant strains of malaria. In a study in 'Scientific Reports', scientists from Britain's Cambridge University who used the robot to conduct high-throughput screening said the ingredient, triclosan, showed the potential to interrupt malaria infections at two critical stages - in the liver and the blood. Malaria kills around half a million people every year, the vast majority of them children.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. The IMF and World Bank have commended the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) for the remarkable progress in strengthening banking supervision system: The multilateral agencies have released two Detailed Assessment Reports relating to the 2017 India Financial Sector Assessment Programme. The Report providing ‘Detailed Assessment of Observance-Basel Core Principles noted that the supervision and regulation by the Reserve Bank remain strong and have improved in recent years. Most of the Basel III framework has been implemented and cooperation arrangements are now firmly in place.

OBITUARIES:

1. Iconic Cartoonist Chandi Lahiri (86-years) passed away due to illness: Lahiri left generations of Bengalis enthralled with his brand of humour that was non-acerbic for the past five decades. He created a number of animal characters like Giraffe, Nengti (a rat), Michke (a cat) and their relationship with children.

Daily GK Updates - 19th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. NDRF celebrates its 13th Raising Day: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 13th Raising Day in New Delhi. The Director Intelligence Bureau, Rajiv Jain was the chief guest on this occasion. The meeting highlighted the disaster threat of country and important changes taken place in Disaster Management in India and across the world.

2. Anandiben to be the next Governor of MP: Former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel has been named the next Madhya Pradesh Governor. She replaces Om Prakash Kohli, who has additional charge of the office of MP Governor along with the office of Gujarat Governor. In 2016, she resigned as CM on the ground that she was completing 75 years.

3. Maharashtra becomes the first state to have Public Cloud Policy: Maharashtra has become the first state in the country that has come out with a public cloud policy, virtually mandating its departments to shift their data storage onto the cloud.

This move has created a $2 billion opportunity for the industry. The policy will result in additional private sector investments as the government is one of the biggest creators and consumers of data.

4. Delhi launches Girl Child Week: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched Girl Child Week programme to celebrate the girl child and spread awareness on gender equality. The Girl Child Week in Delhi is from 18 January to 24 January 2018. It is noteworthy that 24th January is celebrated as National Girl Child Day.

5. Blockchain academy to come up in Kerala: Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K) and Blockchain Education Network have planned to jointly set up Kerala Blockchain Academy at Technopark campus, in Thiruvananthapuram. It will be first of its kind in India. The aim is to utilise blockchain technology for the welfare of public, promote innovations and entrepreneurship with blockchain technology.

6. Antenatal check-ups under PMSMA crosses 1 crore mark: J P Nadda, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, stated that antenatal check-ups under Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) has crossed 1cr mark. PMSMA was launched in 2016 with an objective to ensure comprehensive and quality antenatal checkups to pregnant women.

7. Book on Self-Development unveiled by hon’ble Prez: President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled a book on heartfulness techniques and principles titled ‘The Heartfulness Way’. Kamlesh D. Patel is the author of this book. It is the fourth Global Guide of Heartfulness. Joshua Pollock is the second author of this book. It was launched by Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu.

8. Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Yojana approved by Maha. Govt.: Maharashtra Govt has approved a Rs. 4,000 crores project aimed at promoting climate-resilient agriculture. The project, named Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Yojna, will be implemented in 5,142 villages across 15 districts. Around 70% of the project’s cost will be borne by the World Bank while the state will contribute 30% over six years.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Mangalajodi Eco Trust won UNWTO Award: Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust of Odisha was awarded the “Innovation in Tourism Enterprise” award, at the 14th UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain. Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust is promoted by RBS Foundation India and Indian Grameen Services. It is a community owned and run entity. It is located on the banks of Chilika Lake in Odisha.

2. World’s largest underwater cave found in Mexico: Divers of Great Maya Aquifer Project have discovered world’s largest underwater cave in Mexico. It is located near the beach resort of Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula. It is made of two massive underwater caverns. The combined length of Sac Actun-Dos Ojos system stands at nearly 215 miles. This is much larger than Ox Bel Ha cave system, Mexico, which stretches 168 miles long.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. INS Vikramaditya affiliated to Bihar Regiment and IAF’s No.6 Squadron:Indian Naval Ship Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy’s largest ship and its sole aircraft carrier was formally affiliated to the Indian Army’s highly-decorated and battle-hardened Bihar Regiment and the Indian Air Force’s No 6 Squadron. It is tasked with maritime strike operations with its Jaguar fighter aircraft.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Mauritius comes out as the largest source of FDI in India: Mauritius is the largest source of foreign investment in India (21.8% share), followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank of India. It is according to the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI. Total sales, including exports, of foreign subsidiaries in India increased by 18.7% during 2016-17.

2. S Selvakumar Appointed CMD Of SPMCIL: The government appointed senior IAS officer S Selvakumar as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL). Selvakumar has replaced Anurag Agarwal. The state-owned SPMCIL produces banknotes, coins, postage stamps, non-judicial stamps and other official documents.

3. AU Bank inks MoU with LIC: Banking finance company AU Small Finance Bank has signed an MoU with LIC to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. Under the MoU, LIC will give a life cover of Rs. 2 lakh in case of death to the customer at a nominal premium of Rs. 330 per annum. The company will also offer loans under government’s affordable housing and subsidy schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

4. WhatsApp Unveils Business App: Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has rolled out a feature that connects small businesses with customers. Currently, only Android users can access the feature and they can avail of it through the latest update of the app. The new feature will be available first in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, UK and the US before being launched globally in the coming weeks.

Daily GK Updates - 18th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. ‘Namaste Shalom’ Magazine to be launched:  A monthly magazine titled ‘Namaste Shalom’ will be launched to mark Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Mumbai visit. The magazine, on bilateral relations between the two friendly nations, will be launched at the Magen David Synagogue at Byculla in south Mumbai. The magazine is planned to carry forward the great initiative of Modi & Netanyahu to strengthen India-Israel relations.

2. GPS, panic buttons mandatory on vehicles from April1: The government has made it mandatory to have Global Positioning System (GPS) devices in passenger transport vehicles from April 1. All taxis, buses and public transport vehicles, except three-wheelers and e-rickshaws, will have to install GPS and an alert button. The road transport ministry has reiterated the deadline amid reports that most of the states had not done much to meet the target.

3. Nirmala Sitharaman becomes the first woman defence minister to fly in Sukhoi 30: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman undertook a sortie in IAF s frontline combat jet Sukhoi-30 MKI in the western sector of Rajasthan. She is the first woman defence minister of India to fly a sortie in an IAF Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

4. Odisha CM launches ‘Mukhya Mantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana’: The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik has launched the Mukhya Mantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana (MMKSY) for the welfare of the artists in Odisha. Under MMKSY Scheme, artists across the state will get a monthly assistance of Rs. 1200. Around 50,000 artists across Odisha will be benefited from this scheme. In new eligibility criteria, a male artist can avail assistance under the scheme after attaining the age of 50 years (earlier 60 years), the female artist has been reduced to 40 years (earlier 50 years).

5. Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards presented: President Kovind presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships & Awards for 2016 to an eminent group of musicians, dancers & theatre artists. 4 eminent artists & scholars were conferred fellowships of Akademi, namely Arvind Parikh, R Vedavalli, Ram Bajaj & Sunil Kothari.

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships & awards are national honours bestowed by the govt in the field of performing arts.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Britain appoints Minister for Loneliness: United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed a “minister for loneliness” in a bid to tackle social isolation. This comes after a report revealed that nine million people in the country suffered from loneliness. Tracey Crouch, whose official title is Minister for Sport and Civil Society, will take on the additional role, created in memory of Labour MP Jo Cox.

2. Koreas to march under single united flag: North & South Korea have agreed to march together under a single “unified Korea” flag at next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea. The 2 countries have marched under the flag before, in rare shows of unity, first at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships, and at a number of sporting events since. The nations have also agreed to form a joint North & South Korean women’s ice hockey team.

3. BBIN pact - Vehicle movement finalized: Bangladesh, India, and Nepal agreed upon operating procedures for trans-border movement of passenger vehicles under Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) motor vehicles agreement. The BBIN motor vehicles agreement (MVA) was signed by the transport ministers of the BBIN countries in Thimphu, Bhutan. The objective of the agreement to facilitate seamless flow of passenger and cargo traffic in the sub-region.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. India test-fires ICBM Agni-V: India has test-fired its Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile in its final operational configuration from Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. Nuclear-capable Agni-V missile can reach northern-most parts of China with its strike range of over 5,000-km Once Agni-V is inducted, India will join the super-exclusive club of countries with ICBMs alongside US, Russia, China, France & UK.

2. India, Japan hold joint naval exercise: Ships & aircraft of Indian Coast Guard & its Japanese counterpart conducted a joint naval drill in Chennai. As many as 9 ships & 8 aircraft of Indian Coast Guard along with Japanese Coast Guard Ship ‘Tsugaru’ with helo participated in the biennial Search & Rescue Exercise 2018. Observers from 17 countries and members of National Maritime Search & Rescue Board also witnessed the drill.

3. India & US to conduct joint military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’: The Indo-US joint military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ will be held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Seattle, USA. A 45-member Special Forces team from Indian Army’s Southern Command will train alongside US soldiers in the third week of January. ‘Vajra Prahar’ is an Indo-US Special Forces joint training exercise, which is conducted alternately in India and the US. The last edition of the exercise was held in Jodhpur in March 2017.

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. JAXA launches new observation satellite ASNARO-2: Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite, equipped with X-band radar. ASNARO-2, developed by Japanese tech firm NEC, will perform Earth-observation tasks for five years from its orbit at an altitude of about 500 km. This was the first launch of a JAXA Epsilon rocket ordered by a private company.

SPORTS:

1. Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year: Indian Cricket Captain Virat Kohli has been named as International Cricket Council Cricketer of the Year 2017. He was also named the ICC ODI Player of the Year & recipient of Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. Kohli had an outstanding year in the 50-over format where he scored 6 centuries at an astonishing average of 76.84. He has also been named the captain of Men’s ODI & Test Teams of the Year.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. HDFC becomes the first Indian bank to cross Rs. 5 trillion m-cap: India’s most-valued bank HDFC Bank has crossed Rs5 trillion market capitalisation for the first time, making it the 1st Indian bank to achieve this milestone. TCS & RIL are the other two companies which have crossed market capitalisation of Rs5 trillion. HDFC Bank’s steady 20% profit growth quarter-after-quarter, as well as its immunity to bad loans crises, has helped it achieve this feat.

2. Government to set up $350 million fund for solar projects: Central govt will set up a $350 million fund to finance solar projects. It is a part of India’s efforts to achieve its ambitious target of adding 175 GW in renewable energy by 2022. India, which receives twice as much sunshine as European nations, expects renewable energy to make up 40% of installed power capacity by 2030. India’s installed renewable power capacity is currently about 60 GW.

3. iCreate centre to support innovation inaugurated: PM Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu inaugurated the iCreate centre in Ahmedabad’s Deo Dholera Village. iCreate paves way for the two nations to jointly script new stories of success through innovation, which the two leaders have been strongly advocating. iCreate centre aims to provide technology & assistance to innovative & imaginative minds in their entrepreneurial journey.

4. Grab acquires payments start-up iKaaz: Grab, Uber’s biggest competitor in Southeast Asian markets has acquired Bengaluru-based software start-up iKaaz.

iKaaz’ technology spans across areas like NFC, QR-code, audio-based payments as well as bill payments, online payments & peer-to-peer.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. SBI to raise Rs 20,000 crores: The board of State Bank of India has given nod to raise Rs 20,000 crore for financing affordable housing and infrastructure projects through long-term bonds. Affordable housing segment has gained momentum after the government provided infrastructure status to it in the last year’s budget. Govt. is also providing interest subsidy to buyers on low-cost homes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

2. Yes Bank to mobilise $1 billion by 2023 for solar projects: YES Bank will mobilise $1 billion till 2023 & $5 billion till 2030 towards financing solar energy projects in India. The announcement was made at International Solar Alliance conference organised at World Future Energy Summit 2018 in Abu Dhabi. This comes on the back of $400-million co-finance agreement by the Bank & EIB for construction of new solar power plants & wind farms across India.

Daily GK Updates - 17th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Kerala, Bangla and Odisha opt out of aspirational scheme: West Bengal, Kerala and Odisha have opted out of the Central Government’s Transformation of Aspirational Districts scheme. Aspirational districts refer to selected 115 backward districts that are lagging on specific development parameters. Central Government has undertaken a major policy initiative for rapid transformation of these districts.

2. Haryana government to set up SAT:  The Haryana government paved the way for setting up of a State Administrative Tribunal. The state Cabinet, under the Chairmanship of CM Manohar Lal Khattar, approved the Haryana State Administrative Tribunal Rules, 2017. The establishment of the SAT will prove advantageous and essential in view of the increasing number of court cases.

3. Haj subsidy scrapped: Thousands of Muslims who go on Haj pilgrimage each year will no longer get subsidised or cheaper air tickets. The big move would help empower Muslims with dignity, said union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. The subsidy will be used for educating girls. Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow people to go on the Haj by ship, which is cheaper than flying.

4. Adults have right to marry anyone: SC: The Supreme Court said “any adult” has the “right to marry anyone”, and nobody, including parents, khap panchayats or society, can question their choice of spouse. The decision was given by a Bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra. The Bench was hearing a petition filed by NGO Shakthi Vahini, which asked the court to direct the central and state governments to take action to prevent honour crimes.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. AB Singh takes over as Chief of Staff, WNC: Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh took over as Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command from Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh. Vice Admiral AB Singh was the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command prior to his current appointment.

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. First image taken by Cartosat-2: The first-day image captured by India’s recently launched weather observation Cartosat-2 series satellite shows a part of Indore city in Madhya Pradesh. The image was acquired on January 15, three days after the launch of the satellite. Cartosat-2 Series satellite was successfully launched onboard the PSLV-C40 rocket on January 12 by ISRO from its spaceport at Sriharikota. 

SPORTS:

1. Goldberg to be in WWE Hall of Fame: WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) announced that Goldberg will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class at a ceremony in 6th April 2018, in New Orleans. Goldberg retired from in-ring competition in 2017. He is the first to be listed in the WWE’s 2018 Hall of Fame class. He is 51 years old.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. India attends its first SCO meeting: India, for the first time, took part in a meeting of the international military cooperation departments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation since joining the bloc last year. An Indian delegation led by Major General Ajay Seth participated in the meeting.

2. CIPAM Launches Competition for students: Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM), under the department of industrial policy and promotion, has launched a competition for college and university students. Its aim is to foster a culture of innovation and creativity in the youth. The competition invites students to submit films on piracy and counterfeiting.

3. Indian Oil signs LoI with Israeli Firms: Indian Oil Corporation has signed letters of intent with Phinergy, an Israeli start-up, & YEDA, a technology spin-off from Israel’s Weizmann Research Institute. The agreement with Phinergy allows IndianOil to work on adoption of advanced energy systems for the domestic market. This association could lead to the setting up of manufacturing units for these energy systems, initially in India.

4. TCS bags over $690 million deal: India’s largest IT services firm TCS has signed an over GBP 500 million deal with M&G Prudential, the UK and European savings and investments business of Prudential plc. TCS will digitally transform M&G Prudential’s business and deliver enhanced service for its UK savings and retirement customers.

The value of this agreement exceeds GBP 500 million over 10 years.

Daily GK Updates - 16th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Oil refinery work starts in Barmer: Prime Minister inaugurated the commencement of work of an oil refinery at Pachpadra. Dharmendra Pradhan, the minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, tweeted out saying the Barmer Refinery and Petrochemicals Project of HRRL will bring an unprecedented surge in infrastructure development.

2. Joint estimation of tigers in Sunderbans: The first joint estimation of tigers in the Sunderbans, spread across India and Bangladesh, began on Monday, with a training workshop. Eminent tiger biologist Qamar Qureshi said the Sunderbans houses the fifth largest tiger population in the world. The region hosts 75% of all big cats in the world.

3. Sudhir Dalvi gets Janakavi Sawlaram award: Sudhir Dalvi was presented the Janakavi P Sawlaram award at a function in Thane, Maharashtra. Sudhir Dalvi was handed over the Janakavi P Sawlaram award along with a citation by Meenakshi Shinde, Thane Mayor. The Janakavi P Sawlaram award is instituted by Thane Municipal Corporation in association with the Janakavi P Savlaram Kala Samiti. Dancer Jaishree T was awarded the Ganga Jamuna award. Sudhir Dalvi is best known for his role as ‘Valmiki’ in tv serial ‘Ramayan’.

4. Aadhaar mandatory for bail in Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh High Court has issued a directive to all trial courts in the state to mandatorily obtain Aadhaar Cards of accused persons. The order is an attempt to curb the rampant practice of obtaining bail on the basis of forged revenue papers or by impersonating the real surety. High Court has also instructed that trial courts should verify the genuineness of Aadhaar card and revenue papers.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Romanian PM Mihai Tudose resigns after losing party support: Romania's Prime Minister Mihai Tudose resigned after losing the backing of his party due to internal power struggles. Mr. Mihai handed in his resignation after senior members of the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) voted to withdraw their support at a leadership meeting. Tudose's resignation will have to be signed off by center-right President Klaus Iohannis.

2. Brazil bans buying cryptocurrencies: Brazil’s securities regulator prohibited local investment funds from buying cryptocurrencies. Brazil regulator bans funds from buying cryptocurrencies. The prohibition has been imposed, citing the reason that Cryptocurrencies cannot be considered financial assets. Owing to this decision, Brazilian funds cannot directly invest in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. ‘Elcysma Ziroensis’ discovered in Andhra Pradesh: A new moth species named ‘Elcysma Ziroensis’ has been discovered in the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. This discovery has been published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. This new species has been scientifically named Elcysma Ziroensis. It would be commonly called Apatani Glory. This has been named after a local tribe called Apatani.

2. NASA discovers “SPT0615-JD”: NASA scientists have spotted the farthest known galaxy in the universe. “SPT0615-JD” galaxy is a cluster of 500 million year-old stars. The image of SPT0615-JD was captured by NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. The images were captured through gravitational lensing. SPT0615-JD was found in Hubble’s Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey and companion S-RELICS Spitzer programme.

SPORTS:

1. Assam wins 8th Sub-junior Hockey Championship: Assam Hockey won the 8th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2018 (B Division), at Hojai Hockey stadium, in Assam. Assam Hockey beat Hockey Rajasthan 3-2 in the final and won the 8th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2018 (B Division).

2. Rajyavardhan Rathore launches ‘Khelo India’ Anthem: The Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore has launched the official anthem and mascot of Khelo India School Games (from 31st January this year). The anthem aims to focus on brotherhood, equality, and solidarity in sports. Now, an athlete wins a medal at Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics, the coach gets the incentive.

3. Nation's Cup tournament: Indian boxers claim 11 gold medals: Indian boxers have claimed 11 gold medals and both the team championship trophies in the Nation's Cup tournament for junior and youth women in Sombor, Serbia. The junior team won 13 medals(nine gold, two silvers and two bronze medals)while the youth team clinched four medals(3 gold and one bronze).

Daily GK Updates - 15th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Indian Army Day celebrated: The nation celebrated the 70th Army Day today. Army Day is celebrated on 15th January every year in India, in recognition of Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa's (then a Lieutenant General) taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15th January 1949. The day is celebrated in the form of parades and other military shows in the national capital New Delhi as well as in all headquarters. 

2. India’s International Camel festival starts: The two-day long, 25th International Camel festival kick-started today in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district. Organised by Department of Tourism, Art & Culture, Bikaner Camel Festival is a yearly event, organised in January, which the city celebrates in honour of ship of the desert, Camel.

3. Rajnath Singh inaugurates Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infra: Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a two-day International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in New Delhi. The workshop has been organized by National Disaster Management Authority. Good practices in making infrastructure disaster resilient and identifying critical gaps in current practices that need to be addressed in the coming years were the main objectives of the workshop.

4. UIDAI to enable face authentication: UIDAI has decided to enable face authentication in fusion mode on registered devices by 1st July 2018. It will help in inclusive authentication of those who are not able to biometrically authenticate due to their worn out fingerprints, old age or working conditions. It will be allowed only in fusion mode along with one more authentication factor combined with either fingerprint or iris or OTP.

5. First agro options contract in guar seeds launched on NCDEX: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched options trading in guar seed on commodity bourse NCDEX. NCDEX Agri-Options in Guar Seed aims to provide farmers better engagement in the commodity markets. NCDEX is the second exchange after MCX to launch options trading in commodities. Guar seed is a major contributor to revenue generation, hence making it a suitable commodity to start with for Options.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Iran lifts the ban on internet use: The Iranian government lifted the ban on the usage of internet in Israel, including the Telegram message app. The ban was forced upon by the government as there were huge protests in parts of Israel on account of unemployment and rising prices. The protests were held with the help of social media and hence in order to gain control, the government had to impose the ban on internet.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Government to raise 15 new battalions: The government is planning to raise 15 new battalions in the country’s two important border guarding forces – the BSF and the ITBP. It is being done to fortify defence along the strategic frontiers with Pakistan, Bangladesh and China. While the BSF is the country’s largest border guarding force with a strength of about 2.5 lakh, the ITBP is about 90,000-personnel strong.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. SEBI approves Vijay Kumar’s appointment as NCDEX MD & CEO: SEBI has approved the appointment of Vijay Kumar as the MD and CEO of NCDEX. Kumar, a former chief business officer at NCDEX, is likely to assume the office next week. He is an agro-industry veteran, having worked for Cargill and National Bulk Handling Corporation.

SPORTS:

1. Anil Khanna appointed as the of the Finance Commission of IOA: Sports administrator Anil Khanna has been named as the Chairman of Finance Commission of Indian Olympic Association. Indian Olympic Association is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at Olympic Games.