Daily GK Updates - 27th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. The leaders of 10 ASEAN countries got a glimpse of India’s indigenous military technologies that were displayed at the Republic Day Parade: At the head of the marching contingents were soldiers from Rajputana Rifles, bearing the ASEAN flag as well as those of the 10 nations whose leaders were the chief guests this year. Then came a series of weapon systems and critical technologies developed indigenously. These include the under-development Nirbhay, a long-range subsonic cruise missile, which made its debut this year. With a range of 1,000 km, it is equivalent to the U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile. Another débutant was Rudra, the weaponised Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), which has already been inducted into service. The Akash Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SR-SAM) system and the BrahMos cruise missile developed with Russia were also on display. Several countries, including some ASEAN nations, have expressed interest in buying these systems, and discussions were under way.

2. Kolkata becomes first Indian metro to get a floating market: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has inaugurated Indian’s first Metro Floating Market located on the eastern fringes of Kolkata. The market will be located on a water-body with boats doubling up as shops. It will host at least 114 boats, each one accommodating two shops. The market will remain open from 6 am to 9 pm on all days, with a break in the afternoon.

3. Indian-origin boy Mehul Garg sets new Mensa record: A 10-year-old Indian-origin boy in the U.K. has become the youngest applicant in a decade to achieve the highest score in the Mensa IQ test, beating geniuses like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. Mehul Garg from the Reading Boys Grammar School in Reading, southern England, scored the maximum score of 162 to become a member of Mensa, the High IQ Society. His score is two points higher than Einstein and Mr. Hawking. Mehul, who enjoys solving the Rubik’s Cube in under 100 seconds, is also working towards his participation in the ‘Child Genius 2018’ show on Channel 4 after being shortlisted among the top 100 candidates for this year.

4. Punjab CM launches MGSVY for distressed sections of society: The Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh has launched 'Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojana'(MGSVY), aimed at the inclusive growth of the distressed sections of the society. The objective of the programme was to give the distressed sections the help they need, socially or economically or psychologically.

5. “Bharat Parv” begins at Red Fort in Delhi: Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma has inaugurated the six-day cultural extravaganza “Bharat Parv” at the Red Fort in Delhi, As part of the Republic Day celebrations. The objective of the event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the people. Folk and Tribal Dances and Music from the different States will be showcased during cultural programmes. Bharat Parv will remain open for public from 12 Noon to 10 PM until 31st of this month.

6. Veteran Bengali film actress Supriya Devi passes away: Veteran Bengali film actress Supriya Devi (85-year) passed away in Kolkata. She had made her debut in Uttam Kumar-starer 'Basu Parivar' (in 1952) and never looked back after 'Sonar Harin' opposite Uttam Kumar (in 1959) 'Chowringhee', 'Bagh Bandi Khela' and 'Meghe Dhaka Tara' were among her classics. She received the Padma Shri and West Bengal government's highest civilian award Banga Vibhushan, besides the Filmfare East Lifetime Achievement Award.

7. Atal Pension Yojana: The union govt has allowed Small Finance Banks and Payments Banks to offer Atal Pension Yojana (APY). Ten Small Finance Banks and 11 Payment Banks have got the license from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start banking operations in the country. The Banks includes Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, Janalakshmi Small Finance Bank, Suryoday Small Finance Bank, India Post Payment Bank and Paytm Payment Bank. The scheme is available to the people in the age group of 18 to 40 years. Under the scheme, a subscriber would receive a minimum guaranteed pension of Rs. 1,000 to 5,000 per month from the age of 60 years depending upon the contribution. At present, over 84 lacs subscribers are registered under the APY scheme with an asset base of more than 3,194 crore rupees.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Italy organises ‘trial’ of dead king to mark Holocaust remembrance: Eighty years after Mussolini began persecuting Jews, Italy is putting the dead king who backed his racial laws on trial. The setting may be a theatre, but the prosecutor, witnesses and three judges meeting in Rome are real, their scrutiny of the controversial monarch part of events organised to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. “The Trial” comes a few weeks after the remains of Victor Emmanuel III were discreetly returned to Italy. The king, who ruled from 1900 to 1946, fled in disgrace and died in exile in Egypt in 1948.

2. Heavy fine on foreign vessels for fishing in Sri Lankan waters: According to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera, Sri Lanka has increased by over 100 times the fine on foreign vessels to deter them from fishing in its waters. Now, any foreign fishing vessels entering Sri Lankan waters would be subject to a minimum fine of 6 million Sri Lankan Rupees and a maximum of 175 million Sri Lankan Rupees. The Foreign Fisheries Boats Regulation Act aims to prevent illegal fishing activities in the Sri Lankan waters and protect the fisheries and aquatic resources of the country's coastal belt.

3. India & Vietnam release first-ever Commemorative Stamps: India and Vietnam have released first ever set of commemorative postage stamps to mark the long-term friendly bilateral relationships between the two countries. The two set of stamps released carry picture of Sanchi Stupa and Thien Mu Pagoda.

4. Spain expels Venezuela envoy in tit-for-tat move: Spain on Friday ordered Venezuela’s Ambassador Mario Isea to leave in a tit-for-tat move, escalating a row a day after its diplomat Jesus Silva was kicked out by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Caracas on Thursday also accused Madrid of masterminding recent European Union sanctions on seven of Mr. Maduro’s key allies.

5. China to set up international courts to deal with BRI cases: China has decided to set up three international courts to deal with disputes related to its multi-billion Dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Chinese Supreme People's Court will set up international courts in Beijing, Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province and Shenzhen. The Xi'an court in Northwest China will handle cases related to the Silk Road and the Shenzhen court in South China with those related to Maritime Silk Road disputes. The courts will weigh litigation, arbitration, and mediation, providing legal support and solving initiative disputes. The BRI focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily with China.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. BCCI considers doubling fees of other international boards: The IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla has stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India has been considering a proposal to double the share of fees it offers to other international Boards for making overseas players available for the tournament.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Alpha wins Rs. 45 crore firing simulator order from Army: Alpha Design Technologies Ltd. has signed a Rs. 45-crore deal with the Ministry of Defence to supply to the Army indigenous simulators for gunnery and missile firing from BMP II vehicles. The BMP II is a Soviet-origin amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. The simulators will be used to train missile firing personnel. As many as 57 simulators would be manufactured at the company’s Bengaluru facility and supplied to the Army over two years, said Col. (retd.) H.S. Shankar, chairman and managing director, Alpha Design.

2. RIL aims to pare debt in 2018: India’s most indebted firm Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), with outstanding loans of Rs. 2.13 lakh crore, plans to deleverage as it nears the completion of its Rs. 3 lakh-crore capital expenditure cycle. However, with Moody’s Investors Service estimating that Reliance Jio likely to invest as much as $23 billion over three to four years as it expands beyond wireless services, a significant reduction in RIL’s debt may take longer to achieve. The company is also set to invest about $4 billion in acquiring telecom assets of Reliance Communications.

HONOURS/AWARDS:

1. Jyoti Prakash Nirala honored with Ashok Chakra posthumously: President Ram Nath Kovind had tears in his eyes when he conferred the Ashok Chakra to the widow of Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala at the Republic Day Parade. Ashok Chakra is the highest peacetime military decoration. Nirala was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra. Nirala was an Air Force Garud commando posted in Jammu and Kashmir, when he was martyred. Corporal Nirala gave the supreme sacrifice of his life but not before gunning down two terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora in November. President Ram Nath Kovind awarded India's highest peace time military decoration Ashok Chakra posthumously to Indian Air Force (IAF) Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala (from Bihar). The award was received by Corporal Nirala's wife Sushmanand and his mother Malti Devi at the majestic Rajpath.

Daily GK Updates - 26th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Election Commission has become a model to other countries - Gautham Bagadi (Deputy Commissioner):  He was addressing the Voter’s Day programme in Raichur . Mr. Bagadi said that a country like the U.S. is still conducting elections through ballot paper but, India votes through EVMs to bring in more transparency.

2. 69^th Republic Day of India, 2018:  India celebrates its 69th Republic Day on January 26. The chief guests on Republic Day of India 2018 were 10 Leaders of 10 nations of the world (Heads of ASEAN states). Around 61 tribal guests were invited to participate in the Republic Day celebration. he awards – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri – will be given to eminent personalities from various fields such as literature and education, art, sports, social work, medicine, science and engineering, civil service, public affairs, trade and industry.

3. Supreme Court to hear plea against States and Karni Sena: The Supreme Court agreed to hear pleas for initiating contempt of court action against the Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan governments and Karni Sena members for aggravated incidents of violence, even against schoolchildren, in the background of the release of Padmaavat . The petition filed by activist Tehseen Poonawala and Supreme Court advocate Vineet Dhanda described the destruction wreaked on public property and theatre premises, and how suspected members of the Karni Sena had pelted stones at a school bus carrying children at Gurugram, Haryana. They questioned the lack of preventive measures taken by law enforcers in the States, which allowed the agitators to indulge in violence in the name of protest.

4. Two CRPF men get Shaurya Chakra: Two CRPF CoBRA commandos have been decorated with the Shaurya Chakra for an anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand’s Latehar that led to the killing of six Maoist cadres besides the recovery of a heavy assortment of arms and ammunition in 2016. Assistant Commandant Vikash Jakhar and Sub-Inspector Riyaz Alam Ansari belonged to the 209th battalion of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

5. Eight children from Northeast among 18 bravery awards winners: Four children from Nagaland, two from Mizoram and one each from Manipur and Meghalaya are among the 18 bravehearts honoured with the National Bravery Awards this year. Of the eight children from the Northeast, F. Lalchhandama from Mizoram and Loukrakpam Rajeshwari Chanu from Manipur have been honoured posthumously. Gita Siddhartha, president of the Indian Council for Child Welfare, the organisation that plays an important role in the selection of children for the bravery awards, told that this is the “highest ever selection of children for bravery awards from the Northeast”.

6. Mobile internet services snapped in Kashmir: Mobile internet services have been snapped in Kashmir as a precautionary measure on the occasion of the Republic Day. The internet services on mobile phones and data cards were suspended yesterday as part of the security drill of the Republic Day. it’s a normal practice in Kashmir to suspend the internet services on the Republic Day and Independence Day, this is the first time that these services were withdrawn a day earlier.

7. Bandh in Hubballi: The bandh call seeking the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the long-pending Mahadayi river water sharing row evoked good response in Hubballi. The city witnessed a total shut-down with shops, commercial establishments remaining closed voluntarily. With holiday being declared for schools and colleges on account of the bandh call and public transport services suspended for the day, the roads wore a deserted look for a major portion of the day.

8. Ashoka Chakra for airman: The Indian Air Force (IAF) Garud Commando Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala has been posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award, for his role during a counter-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATESP:

1. India and ASEAN shake hands on maritime cooperation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 10 visiting leaders from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to set up a mechanism on maritime cooperation to counter the common “traditional” and “non-traditional” challenges they face. This idea evolved during a two-hour-long informal discussion on “maritime cooperation and security” at a “retreat” hosted by Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan

2. US, others launch new tool: The United States and 28 other countries to launch a new plan to better identify and punish anyone who uses chemical weapons, amid new reports of a suspected chemical attack in Syria. The initiative was announced in Paris, where US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and diplomats from the other signatory countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. MS Dhoni, Pankaj Advani to be conferred Padma Bhushan: Former India skipper MS Dhoni and Snooker player Pankaj Advani are among those who received Padma Bhushan on Republic Day, January 26, 2018. Advani is the first Indian to win the 6-red snooker world title. He has bagged a total of 18 world titles. Most recently, Advani won the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Doha.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Alibaba Cloud promises to set up data centre: The Chinese firm, Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of the Alibaba Group, has evinced interest in setting up its data centre in Andhra Pradesh. The company will be establishing its first data centre in Mumbai on Friday. Alibaba Cloud president Simon Hu has assured Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Davos that his company would set up its second centre in Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Naidu floored the Chinese firm’s president with his presentation on Wednesday.

Daily GK Updates - 25th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. IAF re-launches $2 billion global hunt for acquiring 6 mid-air re-fuellers:  The IAF on Thursday issued the RFI (request for Information) for the six flight refuelling aircraft or tankers and associated equipment. The formal tender or RFP (request for proposal) will be floated after the responses to the RFI are submitted by March 30. The IAF urgently needs the six new refuelling aircraft to double the strike range of its fighters and bombers.

2. Himachal Pradesh celebrates 48th Statehood Day today:  Himachal Pradesh is celebrating its 48th Full Statehood day. The Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has unfurled the tri-colour and take the salute from police, home-guards, NCC cadets, students at a state-level function in Aani Sub Division of Kullu district. In 1971, on this day Himachal Pradesh was declared as an 18th state of the Indian Union.

3. S Somanath takes charge as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre's Director: ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) director S Somanath has taken charge as the new director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC). He succeeded K Sivan who joined as ISRO's Chairman. Somanath was the associate director (Projects) of VSSC and also the project director of GSLV Mk-III Launch vehicle until June 2015

4.Jaipur Literature Festival begins today: The five-day Jaipur Literature Festival (11th edition) kicks off at Diggi Palace in the pink city Jaipur, Rajasthan. The ‘Kumbh of literature’ will feature over 200 sessions on a multitude of topics, trends, ideas and genres, ranging from fiction, poetry, nonfiction, gender equality, environmental protection, science, history, liberal arts, journalism, economics, travel, and cinema. The renowned personalities of literature, cinema, music, art, and culture will be attending the festival.

5. Government announces 4 new schemes to promote young scientists: The Union government has announced four new schemes (TARE, Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship of SERB, DIA, AWSAR) to promote young scientists and researchers in the country. The Teacher Associateship for Research Excellence (TARE) Scheme will connect the educators to leading public funded institutions like IIT, IISc or national institutions like CSIR to pursue research. The Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship offers support to 100 Ph.D. scholars for training in universities/laboratories abroad up to 12 months during their doctoral research.

6. 8th National Voters Day is being observed today: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is celebrating the 8th National Voters’ Day across the country for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process. President Ram Nath Kovind has given awards for best electoral practices to District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other functionaries involved in election management.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Qatar in talks to buy Russia's S-400 systems: Qatar is in talks with Moscow to buy Russian S-400 missile air defence systems, Tass state news agency quoted the Qatari ambassador to Russia on Thursday as saying. Qatar is engaged in a deepening diplomatic row with some of its Gulf Arab neighbours, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), over allegations it supports terrorism, a charge Doha denies.

2. UK govt announces dedicated unit to combat fake news: The unit, which will be headed by the UK Cabinet office, will consistently flag false information on social media platforms. It will deter adversaries and help deliver on national security priorities.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Australian Open: Bopanna-Babos enter mixed doubles semis: The pair of India's Rohan Bopanna and Timea Babos (Hungary) has entered the semi-finals in the mixed doubles of the Australian Open Tennis tournament in Melbourne. In the quarterfinals, the pair beat the duo of Jean Sebastian Cobal (Columbia) and Abigail Spears (United States) 6-4, 7-6.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.Govt to infuse Rs. 88,000 cr in 20 state-run banks: IDBI Bank will get the most at Rs.10610 cr followed by Bank of India and SBI. This is the first batch of the Rs.2.11 lakh cr recapitalisation plan announced last year.

Daily GK Updates - 24th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Western Railway installs sanitary pad dispensers for its women employees: The Western Railway (WR) has installed sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators for its women employees in six divisions, including its headquarters at Churchgate in Mumbai, The facility was inaugurated at Churchgate station on Tuesday by Archana Gupta, President of Western Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation (WRWWO) along with senior women employees.

2. EPI - air pollution has made India the fourth worst country in the world: Failure to check air pollution has made India the fourth worst country in the world in terms of curbing environmental pollution, according to Environmental Performance Index’s latest rankings. India ranked 177 out of 180 countries, in contrast to the rank of 141 two years ago.

3. Mamata Banerjee wishes girls on National Girl Child Day: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her wishes to all Kanyashree girls on the occasion of the National Girl Child Day. National girl child day is celebrated every year on January 24 as a national observance day for the girl child

                                               INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan condemns U.S. drone strike inside its territory: U.S. military drone strike inside its territory, adding to already tense relations between the allies. The unmanned aircraft’s missiles “targeted an Afghan refugee” camp in Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram region.

2. 6.4 richter scale magnitude earthquake hits Japan: Japan was hit by a high-intensity magnitude earthquake, measuring 6.4 in the richter scale on Wednesday.  There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the quake, which hit 103 km (64 miles) northeast of the island of Honshu, at a depth of 64 km (40 miles).

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India beat New Zealand 3-2 in Four-Nation hockey tournament opener: Indian men’s hockey team registered a fighting 3-2 win over hosts New Zealand in their opening match at the second-leg of Four-Nation Invitational Tournament.

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Daily GK Updates - 23rd January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1.International Conference on dam safety to begin at Kovalam: Kerala's chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Arjun Ram Meghwal (Union Minister of State for Water Resources) has jointly inaugurated the two days International Dam Safety conference at Leela Raviz, Kovalam.Around 550 delegates from over 20 countries are participating in this conference.Challenges in dam safety management across the globe, an overview of the centrally-funded Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project and World Bank initiatives are some of the issues that will be discussed at the conference.

2.Raipur organizes nation's first 'Kachra Mahotsav': The Raipur Municipal Corporation has organized the three-day India's first garbage festival 'Kachra Mahotsav 2018' in Chhattisgarh.Other districts in the state have also shared innovative ideas including poems by students on the importance of cleanliness and hygiene.The objective of the festival is to increase awareness of use the waste generated in the city creatively and to showcase multiple techniques for reusing things that are labeled as garbage.

3.Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has received the World Economic Forum's 24th Crystal Award for his leadership in championing children's and women's rights in India: The Annual Crystal Awards ceremony celebrates the achievements of outstanding artists who have shown exemplary commitment to improving the state of the world.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. George Weah Sworn-in as Liberian President:Former international football star George Weah (51-year) sworn in as Liberia's 25th president at the SKD Sports Complex in Monrovia.He succeeds Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Weah grew up in Clara Town slum in Monrovia and went on to become the only African to win FIFA World Player of the Year.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Shuttler Siddharth Singh wins Swedish Open Junior title: Young Indian Shuttler Siddharth Pratap Singh has won the Swedish Open Junior International Series in Uppsala in Sweden.He defeated Christophersen (Denmark) 21-15, 21-11 to claim the men's singles title.

2. West Indies to host 2018 Women’s World T20: The 2018 Women’s World T20 (sixth edition) will be hosted by West Indies (Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana and St Lucia) from 9th-24th November 2018.The hosts will be joined by Australia, England (world champions), New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka who have all achieved the qualification.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India’s economy is projected to grow by 7.4% in the next fiscal year: It estimated the Indian gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 6.7% for the year 2017-18.China is expected to slow down to 6.6% in this year and 6.4% next year.Global economic activity continues to firm up” and the overall “output is estimated to have grown by 3.7% in 2017, which is 0.1% point faster than projected in the fall and 0.5% higher than in 2016.

2. WEF annual meet begins in Davos: The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meet has begun in Davos with a special message from Pope Francis being read out at the opening ceremony.The summit's theme of this year is 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'.More than 3,000 world leaders from business, politics, art, academia and civil society would be participating in the summit.

 

 

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