Daily GK Updates - 2nd March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. NFRA establishment approved: Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA). NFRA will act as an independent regulator for the auditing profession which was one of the key changes brought in by the Companies Act 2013. The Cabinet also gave nod to the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill – 2018 to deal with those escaping overseas to avoid getting caught.

2. Rs. 2900 Crores under Nirbhaya fund approved for women safety: Women and Child Development Ministry has approved projects worth over Rs 2,900 crores under the Nirbhaya fund for eight major cities to make them safer for women. These cities are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow.

3. Cabinet Approves Anti-Trafficking Bill Draft: The Union Cabinet okayed the draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill. National Investigation Agency (NIA) will be the nodal authority for probing cases of human trafficking. It also proposes a punishment of life imprisonment for repeat offenders.

4. Vinay Kumar appointed as ambassador to Afghanistan: Senior diplomat Vinay Kumar has been appointed as India’s ambassador to Afghanistan, succeeding incumbent Manpreet Vohra. Mr. Kumar, a 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the headquarters of the External Affairs Ministry here.

5. CMFRI launches e-com portal and a mobile app for fishermen: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has come up with a solution to help fishermen fetch better price for their catch without depending on middlemen. The institute has developed a multi-vendor e-commerce website and mobile app to help fish farmers and fishermen sell their catch directly to customers online. The website, www.marinefishsales.com, and mobile app, marinefishsales, were developed under National Innovation under Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project of the CMFRI.

6. Hetero Healthcare launches HIV treatment drug in India: Hetero Healthcare Ltd. said it had launched generic anti-retroviral fixed-dose combination of ‘Emtricitabine & Tenofovir Alafenamide in India. The medication is indicated in combination with other anti-retroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age & older. The product will be marketed and distributed under the brand name ‘TAFERO-EM’.

7. Phirangipuram to be the third all-women rail station in the country: An all-women railway station is launched at Phirangipuram, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The railway station on the Guntur-Narsaraopet line would be handed over to an all-women crew. It will be third-of-its-kind railway station in the country after Jaipur’s Gandhi Nagar and Mumbai’s Matunga.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. President of Vietnam on a three day visit: President of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang arrived in India on a three-day visit.  Mr. Quang will first visit Bodh Gaya before coming to New Delhi. He will meet President Ram Nath Kovind tomorrow and also hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will also call on the visiting dignitary.  The Vietnamese President will also have an interaction with prominent Indian businessmen. The visit aims to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

2. Office of Missing Persons launched in Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has appointed commissioners to a special panel tasked with investigating war-era disappearances. The Office of Missing Persons was officially launched by President Maithripala Sirisena. The country’s Parliament agreed two years ago to the first steps toward reconciling its war-era past tracing about 20,000 people who went missing during 37 years of fighting.

3. India welcomes Afghanistan’s peace offer: India welcomed Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s outreach to the Taliban at the Second Kabul Conference. Afghan government’s called to armed groups to cease violence and join national peace and reconciliation process that would protect the rights of all Afghans.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Anti-Tank Guided Missile Nag tested successfully: The Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Nag was successfully flight-tested in desert conditions against two tank targets at different ranges and timings. As the developmental trials of the missile have been completed, it is now ready for induction in the Army. It is the third-generation fire-and-forget ATGM developed by the DRDO.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. SBI hikes lending rate: The State Bank raised its lending rates by 20 basis points to 8.15%, with immediate effect, setting the tone for the industry to follow suit. This is likely to make home and car loans costlier. This is the first lending revision by the bank since April 2016 and comes a day after it massively raised the retail and bulk deposit rates.

2. IndusInd Bank And Ripple tie-up: IndusInd Bank announced its partnership with Ripple to facilitate payments into and out of India. With this affiliation, RippleNet can now provide instant access in emerging markets such as India, Brazil and China.

SPORTS:

1. Vinesh wins Silver at Asian Wrestling Championship: India's star wrestler Vinesh Phogat has settled for Silver Medal in the 50kg Freestyle competition at the Asian Wrestling Championship in Kyrgyzstan.  In the final of the event at Bishkek lost to China's Chun Lei. Another Indian, Sangeeta claimed Bronze in the 59kg division.  Along with these two medals, India's medal tally has reached four in the ongoing championships.

2. IOC restores Russia’s Olympic membership: The International Olympic Committee has restored Russia’s Olympic membership, following its suspension from the Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang in South Korea. Russia was banned from February’s Games by the IOC over state-sponsored doping. Before closing ceremony of Winter Olympics, the IOC had stated that the ban would be lifted, as long as there were no more anti-doping violations.

Daily GK Updates - 1st March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India’s first Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre to be inaugurated: Union Minister of Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the country’s first Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre at Chandigarh Airport’s old terminal. The centre, which is a CSR initiative of Airports Authority of India (AAI), will initially train 2,360 students free of cost in three years.

2. Cabinet approves the Action Plan for CSS: The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of Ministry of Commerce and Industry to give focused attention to 12 identified Champion Services Sectors (CSS) for promoting their development and realizing their potential. 12 identified CSS are The Information Technology & Information Technology Enabled Services (IT & ITeS), Medical Value Travel, Transport and Logistics Services, Tourism and Hospitals. The respective Ministries/Departments will finalize Action Plans and implementation timelines along with monitoring mechanism to monitor implementation of Scheme. It will enhance the competitiveness of country’s service sectors through implementation of focused and monitored Action Plans.

3. Haryana to give death penalty to rapists: Haryana government gave its nod to a proposal to bring in a legislation that would have a provision awarding death penalty to those guilty of raping girls aged 12 years or less. Existing criminal laws related to sexual offences will be made more stringent.

4. First Mega Food Park inaugurated in Mahrashtra: The first Mega Food Park in the state of Maharashtra Satara Mega Food Park Private Limited at Village Degaon, District Satara was inaugurated by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries. This is the 10th Mega Food Park being operationalized in the country and the 8th operationalized during the tenure of the present government. Satara Mega Food Park has been set up in 64 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 139.30 crore.

5. India back as the world’s fastest-growing major economy: India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth surged to 7.2% in the December quarter of 2017-18, restoring its status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. The economy grew at 6.7% in Gross Value Added (GVA) terms. The GDP growth rebounded from 6.5% in the previous quarter, reportedly indicating that the economy has moved past disruptions due to demonetisation and GST rollout. China remains a major competitor of India.

6. Chilka is the home to world’s largest number of Irrawaddy Dolphins: The Chilka lake in Odisha has emerged as the single largest habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins in the world with the spotting of 155 dolphins. The finding is based on the preliminary report of the first ever ‘Annual Monitoring’ of the lake.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Taliban to be recognized as a political group: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani offered to recognise Taliban as a legitimate political group in order to end the over 16 year long war. He also proposed a ceasefire and the release of Taliban-linked prisoners along with fresh elections and a constitutional review.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. India’s first defence ‘Quad’ to be made in the South: The Defence Ministry has started the process to set up the country’s first defence industrial corridor to promote industries manufacturing weapons and military equipment. Quad or quadrilateral corridor will connect Chennai, Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruchirappalli.

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. New plant species named after Abdul Kalam: Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India have identified a new plant species from two protected National Parks in West Bengal. Named Drypetes kalamii, it is a small shrub found to be shorter version of its close relative Drypetes ellisii. The plant is named after former President Abdul Kalam.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. SBI hikes deposit rates: After announcing a hike in the MCLR based lending rate, SBI raised the retail and bulk deposits rates for various maturities by up to 0.75% with immediate effect. This is the third pricing revision in past four months by the bank. For retail deposits, below ₹1 crore, rates have been increased by up to 0.50%, while for deposits maturing in one year to less than two years, the pricing has been raised by 0.15% to 6.40% from 6.25% earlier.

2. PNB appoints AK Pradhan as Chief Risk Officer: Hit by nearly Rs 12,700 cr fraud, PNB appointed its General Manager A K Pradhan as the Group Chief Risk Officer. PNB said that the amount of fraud in the Nirav Modi case can go up to Rs 12,700 crores as against the earlier estimate of Rs. 11,400 crores.

3. Catholic Syrian Bank ties up with Celebrus Capital: The Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd (CSB) has tied up with Celebrus Capital Ltd (Celebrus), to offer CSB’s customers online trading and demat services. With this partnership, CSB’s customers will be able to open a Celebrus trading account free of cost and also enjoy preferred rates on brokerage charges/AMC fees on the demat account.

4. Corporation Bank reports fraud of Rs. 6.77 crores in Jharkhand: The CBI has booked an auto dealer in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand for allegedly siphoning off the loan amount and causing a loss of Rs. 6.77 crore to Corporation Bank. The agency has booked Ramnandi Estate and its directors along with the bank’s valuer, Sanjay Kumar. Corporation Bank alleged that Kumar filed enhanced valuation reports based on which the loan was sanctioned.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Aircel files for bankruptcy: India’s sixth-largest telecom operator Aircel filed for bankruptcy at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) claiming that it has a debt of ₹15,500 crore. This comes after the Ananda Krishnan-owned Malaysian parent Maxis Communications refused to infuse more funds into Aircel.

SPORTS:

1. Blue-checked and pink-checked mascots chosen for Olympics 2020: The mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics selected by elementary school kids were unveiled. The Olympics mascot is a blue-checked, doe-eyed character with pointy ears and “special powers”, while the Paralympics mascot sports pink checks and can “talk with stones and the wind”. A total of 6.5 million children cast their vote to select the mascots. It is noteworthy that Summer Olympics will start from July 29, 2020.

OBITUARIES:

1. Kanchi saint Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi passes away: Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the senior seer of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt situated in Tamil Nadu, passed away. The junior pontiff, Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi will be the 70th Jagadguru of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi came to wield enormous say in matters affecting the Hindu religion in the country, including the Ayodhya issue.

Daily GK Updates - 28th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. National Science Day- 28th February: National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February. The theme of NSD-2018 is “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”. NSD is celebrated to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’, which led to Sir C.V. Raman winning the Noble Prize. The theme has been chosen for the purpose of raising public appreciation of the scientific issues involved.

2. Indian Railways to install sanitary pad dispensers: The Railway Ministry said it aims to install sanitary pad dispensers and incinerators at about 200 stations by International Women’s Day on March 8. The move is aimed to benefit Railway employees and passengers from financially weaker sections. The dispensers have already been installed at railway stations in New Delhi and Bhopal.

3. CSIR inks MoU with IORA-RCSTT for medicinal plants: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed a MoU with the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Regional Center for Science and Technology Transfer. The MoU is for designating Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Lucknow as the coordinating centre on medicinal plants. The IORA Centre will establish a database on the important medicinal plants.

4. GOBAR Dhan Yojana to be launched: The Union Government is going to roll out Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme. It was first announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during his 2018-19 budget speech. The scheme focuses on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to the use composition. It will also help in keeping the village clean while increasing income of farmers and cattle herders.

5. India 2018 book released: Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani released 'India 2018' (English Version) and 'Bharat 2018' (Hindi Version). The books are published by the Publications Division. The book available in both print and online versions. It is an exhaustive publication dealing with all aspects of the country's development. With its latest edition, the book has entered into its 62nd year of publication.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Moon to get its first mobile phone network: The moon will get its first 4G mobile network next year to allow lunar exploration vehicles to stream high-definition data back to a base station. Vodafone Germany, Nokia, and carmaker Audi said that they were working in collaboration with Berlin-based space exploration scientists. The project is a part of the first privately-funded mission to the Moon.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. Fastest distance measurements using LIDAR: Germany and France-based researchers have recorded 100 million distance values per second, demonstrating the fastest distance measurement so far. The team studied a bullet travelling at 540 kmph with micrometre accuracy using laser-based LIDAR (light detection and ranging). This technology could be used in autonomous navigation and 3D cameras.

2. Jupiter’s icy moon Europa may host life-Researchers: Jupiter’s moon Europa may host life in an ocean of liquid water under its 10-km-thicker ice crust, suggested Brazilian researchers. The team based their claims on a bacterium that survives deep underwater without sunlight in environments similar to Europa. The bacterium in 2.8-km-deep South African mines was found to synthesise its energy from rock sulphates, formed via ionising radiation.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Amazon buys video doorbell startup Ring: E-commerce giant Amazon has agreed to buy US-based video doorbell startup Ring, the companies confirmed. According to reports, the deal could be worth more than $1 billion, making it one of the most expensive acquisitions in Amazon’s history. Founded in 2012, the startup makes video doorbells and security cameras that connect to users’ phones or computers.

SPORTS:

1. Davis Cup to convert into ‘WC of Tennis’: The Davis Cup, in existence since 1900, may be converted into a ‘World Cup of Tennis’ from next year. The new format will feature 18 teams playing a week-long event at one venue, instead of the existing 16 teams playing across four different months. A 25-year, $3 billion partnership with investment group Kosmos is in place for the new event.

2. Karnataka beats Saurashtra to win Vijay Hazare Trophy: Karnataka defeated Saurashtra by 41 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final on Tuesday to win the tournament for the third time. Batting first, Karnataka put up a total of 253/10 and Saurashtra were bowled out for 212 in 46.3 overs.

3. Cricket Team India and South Africa donate  Rs. 5.5 lakh to Cape Town Water Crisis aid: Team India captain Virat Kohli and his Proteas counterpart Faf du Plessis have donated ₹5.5 lakh to the Cape Town Water Crisis on behalf of both the teams for drought relief efforts in Cape Town. This comes days after Cape Town pushed back ‘Day Zero’ to July 9, the day the city is expected to run out of water.

4. Federer becomes the most decorated Laureus Award winner: Tennis legend Roger Federer became the most decorated winner in the history of Laureus World Sports Awards after he won twin honors at the 18th edition of the awards ceremony in Monaco. It was his sixth award. American tennis great Serena Williams won the Sportswoman of the Year Award. She is now the most decorated female Laureus Award winner with five Laureus statuettes.

Daily GK Updates - 27th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India ranks 47th on Inclusive Internet Index: In a report ‘Inclusive Internet Index’ published by Facebook and EIU, India ranked 47th out of 86 countries when it comes to inclusive Internet and connectivity for all. Sweden stood at first place, followed by Singapore and the US. According to the index, the Internet is empowering, especially to citizens in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

2. Uma Bharti launches second project of Swajal Yojana: Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Uma Bharti launched the Swajal pilot project at Village Bhikampura in Rajasthan. Besides ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to every household around the year, the project would also generate employment. Swajal is a community-owned drinking water programme for sustained drinking water supply. Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be taken care by the Government and the remaining 10% of the project cost will be contributed by the community.

3. RISE scheme update: The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will get the largest chunk of loans on offer under Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE). This shifts funding mechanism to CFIs in higher education from grant assistance to loans to assure more funds, greater accountability. RISE scheme was announced in Union Budget 2017-18. It aims to lend low-cost funds to government higher educational institutions.

4. Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein arrives in India: King of Jordan Abdullah-II bin Al-Hussein has arrived in India on a 3 day visit. This will be his second visit to India after his visit along with Queen Rania in 2006. The two sides are expected to sign a number of memorandums of understanding and agreements in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation. India is Jordan’s fourth largest trading partner with bilateral trade worth $1.35 billion.

5. JP Nadda rolls out free viral load tests for HIV: Health minister JP Nadda has launched the free Viral Load Tests, which measure the quantity of virus in the body. The move is likely to benefit 12 lakh people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in the country. The test is of immense importance to monitor the effectiveness of treatment of patients taking lifelong anti-retroviral therapy.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. New Deputy PM of Australia: Michael McCormack elected new Deputy Prime Minister of Australia. He has replaced former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. The leader of the National Party automatically becomes deputy prime minister under the terms of the coalition agreement with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s Liberal party.

2. Saudi military leaders replaced: Saudi King Salman has sacked his military chief and a number of other top commanders in a shakeup apparently aimed at overhauling its Defense Ministry. The changes were made on the recommendation of the minister of defense, who is the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

3. US to overtake Russia as top oil producer: According to International Energy Agency, U.S. will overtake Russia as the world’s biggest oil producer by 2019 at the latest. U.S. crude oil output rose above 10 million barrels per day late last year for the first time since 1970s, overtaking top oil exporter Saudi Arabia. US oil is also increasingly being exported, including to the world’s biggest and fastest growing markets in Asia.

4. Saudi Arabia allows women to join military: Saudi Arabia has for the first time opened applications for women to join its military. The women, however, will not be given combat roles but will work in security. To apply, women will need to fulfill 12 requirements besides obtaining their guardian’s approval. Decision to recruit female soldiers is one of many reforms enhancing women’s rights introduced in recent months by Saudi Arabia.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Uttarakhand to host 13th Surya Kiran Exercise: India and Nepal will hold the 13th edition of Surya Kiran joint military exercise in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand in a couple of months. The military exercise will include training on jungle warfare, anti-terrorism combat as well as disaster response activities. The announcement came days after Army chief Bipin Rawat visited Nepal to attend a function to mark the Army Day.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Google brings Symptom Search feature to India: Google India has rolled out its feature called “Symptom Search” in India that lets users find quality health information on their smartphones. Google in collaboration with a team of doctors from Apollo Hospitals will add tailor-made information about commonly-searched symptoms in its Search. The project aims to provide quality healthcare information which can be accessed by a billion Indians

SPORTS:

1. Youngest captain in International Cricket: At 19 years of age, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan is set to become the youngest captain in the history of international cricket. The World’s No.1 ODI and Twenty20 International bowler, Rashid will lead Afghanistan after regular skipper Asghar Stanikzai was diagnosed with appendicitis. Rashid is also the youngest player to be ranked No.1 in the ICC’s Player Rankings across formats.

2. Bangladesh appoints Courtney Walsh as coach: Bangladesh has named former West Indies cricketer Courtney Walsh as the interim coach for upcoming tri-nation Twenty20 series. Walsh, who has been Bangladesh’s bowling coach since 2016, takes over as interim coach from former Zimbabwean cricketer Richard Halsall. Position of Bangladesh’s head coach had been vacant since Oct, when Chandika Hathurusingha quit after three years at the helm.

Daily GK Updates - 26th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates projects worth Rs. 1000 Crores in Daman and Diu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stones for projects worth 1000 crore Rupees in Daman in the union territory of Daman and Diu. PM distributed keys for scooters to differently-abled beneficiaries, 'SWABHIMAN' cards to pregnant and Lactating Women, 'Badhai Kit' to the newly born girl children under 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. PM also distributed cycles to school-going girls under Saraswati Cycle Yojna, extended loans under 'Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojna' and 'Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana' to beneficiaries.   The PM also distributed permits for CNG drove public transport vehicles for a cleaner environment in Daman.

2. PM Modi flags off “Run for New India” Marathon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the 'Run for New India' marathon in Surat, Gujarat. The Marathon is aimed at creating awareness about social causes and call upon all to resolve to build a New India. The Marathon is divided into 4 categories. Around 1.50 lakh runners participated in the 'Run for New India' marathon which was organized by the Surat Nagrik Samiti.

3. Eight ‘pheras’ proposed for Bihar couples: A Block Development Officer (BDO) in Bihar’s Supaul district has started a new initiative asking Hindu couples to take eight pheras at their wedding. An extra ‘phera’ as a cleanliness pledge. The BDO created a team of officials who have been going to weddings in the district, without a formal invitation, and asking couples to take the eighth phera.

4. National Conference on e-Governance held in Hyderabad: The 21st national conference on e-Governance will be held in Hyderabad. The government of India and Telangana Administrative Reforms department are jointly organizing the conference with the main theme around- technology for accelerating development. The two-day conference will deliberate on several aspects of the e-governance including its universalization and replication, governing e-governance, best practices, emerging technologies and synergizing role of national and state government.

5. Only 7.28% women in country’s police force, the proposed strength is 33%: According to latest government data, women constitute only 7.28% of the country’s police force. This comes despite the government’s repeated directions to all state governments and union territories to increase the strength of women police personnel to 33%. Interestingly, overall crimes against women rose from 3.29 lakh cases in 2015 to 3.38 lakh in 2016.

6. Govt releases list of high-risk finance companies: A list of nearly 9,500 Non-Banking Financial Companies(NBFCs) has been released by the Finance Ministry which have been categorized as ‘High-Risk Financial Institutions’. Adani Capital, Cello Capital and DLF Finvest are some of the companies listed by the Financial Intelligence Unit.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Rome’s Colosseum lit up in red to show protest: The Colosseum in Rome was lit up in red to show solidarity with persecuted Christians, particularly a Catholic woman named Asia Bibi. She has been living on death row under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws since 2010, when she was condemned for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam. Her husband and daughter addressed a gathering at the Colosseum.

2. Sri Lanka to release all the fishermen as a goodwill gesture: Sri Lankan government decided to release remaining 20 Indian fishermen in their custody for charges of poaching in Sri Lankan waters. This will be the first time in recent years that no Indian fishermen are left in Sri Lankan custody. Fishermen from India and Sri Lanka are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other’s territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away.

3. China elected as FATF Vice President: India congratulated China for being elected Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force. China’s election to the FATF assumes significance as Pakistan is set to be put in the watchdog’s grey list. The FATF, also known as ‘Groupe d’action financière’, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. A&N Naval Command to host Milan 2018: The second week of March will witness Andaman & Nicobar Command hosting a multinational mega event MILAN 2018. MILAN is a congregation of littoral navies conducted biennially by Indian Navy at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The theme of this year’s MILAN International Maritime Seminar is ‘In Pursuit of Maritime Good Order - Need for Comprehensive Information Sharing Apparatus’. With the underlying theme of 'Friendship Across the Seas', MILAN 2018 will witness a diverse mix of professional exercises and seminars, social events and sporting fixtures.

2. CRPF starts bike ambulance in Bastar: The CRPF has launched a bike ambulance initiative in areas of anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, for providing basic healthcare facilities to those living in remote jungle areas of Bastar region. Medical teams, accompanied by well-armed security personnel ride their motorcycles to help the sick and injured in about 70 villages. The battalion is based in Bijapur.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Airtel joins global alliance for net in air: Bharti Airtel said it has joined a new global collaboration to bring high-speed and uninterrupted in-flight data connectivity to mobile customers. The global partnership Seamless Alliance, whose other founding members include OneWeb, Airbus, Delta and Sprint, will work towards leveraging satellite technology. It will offer high-speed data connectivity even in the sky.

SPORTS:

1. High jumper Tejaswin breaks his own high jump record: Tejaswin Shankar broke his own national record by clearing a height of 2.28m. Shankar had set the record at the 2.26m mark at the Junior National Championships in Coimbatore in 2016 when he was a school boy. The height cleared by Shankar is the best this year amongst athletes from Commonwealth countries.

2. Sameer Verma beats ex-world no. 2 to win Swiss Open: Indian shuttler Sameer Verma beat former world number two Jan O Jorgensen and clinched the men’s singles title at the $150,000 Swiss Open Super 300 tournament. Verma, who joins Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy as the Indian shuttlers who have won the Swiss Open, had clinched the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold last year.

3. PyeongChang Winter Olympics concludes: The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony. In the closing ceremony, the Olympic flag was handed over to Chinese organisers for the next Winter Games in Beijing in 2022. With the 2022 Games, Beijing will become the first city in the world to host both the summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games after hosting the Summer Games in 2008.

Daily GK Updates - 25th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. International Conference on sustainable biofuels begins in Delhi: An International Conference on Sustainable Biofuels has been organized by Department of Biotechnology & Govt. of India. It will take place in New Delhi. It will bring together experts from Biofuels sector to take stock of current knowledge, share info & best practices & build consensus on the actions most needed to move forward. Sustainable Biofuel is one of the seven Mission Innovation Challenges.

2. Nilekani to develop IT infra for ‘Modicare’: Nandan Nilekani will assist the government in developing IT infrastructure for the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), which seeks to cover 10-crore families. The IT infrastructure for the healthcare scheme will be of a huge scale as was required for Aadhar.

3. Institutes identified to improve ease of doing business: Commerce & industry ministry has appointed four institutes to interact with stakeholders and suggest measures to push India’s ranking in ease of doing business index. NICMAR, IIFT, ICSI and ICAI are the four institutes that have been roped in for the exercise. As per the latest World bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, India’s position improved by 30 places to 100th.

4. NCERT syllabus to be reduced to half from 2019: Prakash Javadekar, Union Human Resources Development Minister, said NCERT syllabus will be reduced to half from the 2019 academic session. This move is aimed at ensuring that students get time to pursue other activities for their all-round development.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. TAPI gas pipeline work begins from Afghanistan: Turkmenistan announced the start of construction work on the Afghan section of an $8 billion natural gas pipeline that will link the energy-rich Central Asian nation to Pakistan and India. The ceremony was attended by Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and his Turkmenistan counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and India’s Minister of state for external affairs Shri M. J. Akbar. TAPI gas pipeline project is proposed trans-country natural gas pipeline from the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan to India through Afghanistan and Pakistan. The pipe line connects central Asia with south Asia covering 1,840 km.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. DRDO successfully tests flight UAV Rustom-2: DRDO has successfully flown its Rustom 2 at its Aeronautical Test Range at Chalakere in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. A medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, Rustom 2 or TAPAS-BH-201 has been developed by India on the lines of the American Predator drones. Rustom 2 can conduct sustained surveillance and can carry weapons along with surveillance equipment.

2. 8th Indo- Seychelles Army exercise starts: The eighth joint military exercise between the Indian Army and Seychelles People’s Defence Forces started at Mahe Island, Seychelles. The focus of the ongoing exercise is to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations in semi-urban environment under the United Nations Charter. The exercise is named “Lamitye” which in the local dialect ‘Creole’, means friendship.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. India Signs MoU with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC): An MoU between the Government of India and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) was signed in New Delhi. The agreement was signed to usher the “programme based research support” in addressing current and future global and local developmental challenges. IDRC has funded 551 research activities worth CA$159 million in India through institutions, researchers and NGOs.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. RBI asks banks to link SWIFT to core banking: RBI has directed banks to link SWIFT (Society for World Interbank Financial Telecommunication System platform) with core banking solutions of banks by April 30, 2018. Failure of SWIFT-CBS link has led to Rs 11,400 cr fraud at PNB. SWIFT system promoted in 1973 by banks globally is used to transmit messages relating to cross border financial transactions.

2. SBI UK to be restructured: SBI is set for a major restructuring of its business in UK from April. SBI’s UK operations will transform into a subsidiary named State Bank of India UK Limited from April 1. It means that all retail branches of SBI in UK will fall under a new UK-incorporated banking entity instead of their previous status as overseas branches of the Indian entity.

SPORTS:

1. Parupalli Kashyap wins Austrian Open: India’s Parupalli Kashyap overcame Malaysia’s June Wei Cheam in straight games in the men’s singles final to clinch the Austrian Open International Challenge. This is Kashyap’s first international title in over 3 years. Kashyap is the only male player from India to reach the Quarterfinals of men’s singles at 2012 London Olympics. He was also awarded the Arjuna Award by Govt of India in 2012.

2. Gymnast Aruna Reddy makes history: Aruna Budda Reddy created history by becoming the 1st Indian gymnast to win an individual medal at Gymnastics World Cup as she clinched a bronze in women’s vault event. She scored 13.649 average points to finish 3rd & claim the bronze medal. This was Aruna’s first international medal, though she has taken part at World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Commonwealth Games & Asian Games.

OBITUARIES:

1. Veteran actress Sridevi passes away: Veteran Bollywood actress Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, passed away in Dubai. She was 55. A versatile actor, Sridevi made her Bollywood debut in 1978 with Solva Sawan. She was known for her performance is some of the iconic films like Mr India, Nagina, Chaalbaaz, Chandni among many others. In 2013, the Government of India awarded Sridevi the Padma Shri.

Daily GK Updates - 24th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Blue Aadhaar for kids: UIDAI tweeted that children below the age of five years will receive a blue-coloured ‘Baal Aadhaar’ card. While the Baal Aadhaar will not carry biometric details of the child, it will be updated with the information after the child crosses the age of five.

2. Assam to celebrate ‘Rhino Day’ on Sept 22: In a bid to keep the world famous one-horned rhinoceros of Assam under the global spotlight, Assam Government has decided to celebrate September 22 as ‘Rhino Day’. CM Sarbananda Sonowal made this announcement at the 10th meeting of State Board for Wild Life.

3. India’s first 5G Trial Successful, 3 GB/sec Speed Achieved:: Chinese technology giant Huawei and telecom services provider Bharti Airtel announced to have successfully conducted 5G network trial under a test set-up in India. The trial was conducted at Airtel’s Network Experience Centre in Manesar (Gurugram). During the test trial, the speed of more than 3Gbps was achieved. This is the highest measured throughput for a mobile network in 3.5 GHz band with 100MHz bandwidth and end-to-end network latency of approximately 1 msec.

4. 44th Khajuraho Dance Festival held in MP: The 44th edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival 2018 was held at Khajuraho temple, a UNESCO world heritage site in Madhya Pradesh. Khajuraho Dance Festival is an annual cultural festival that highlights the richness of various Indian classical dance styles.

5. India to host first International Solar Alliance in March 2018: India will host the first International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on 11th March 2018. It will be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The summit will be held in Delhi. The ISA aims to launch 121 projects during the summit. During the summit, two new programmes will be inaugurated on- Scaling Solar E-Mobility and Storage, and Rooftop Solar.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. US tightens H-1B visa rules: The Donald Trump has just made it more difficult for companies and individuals to get H-1B work visas. Indians and Indian IT companies will feel the impact the most because they are the biggest users of this visa.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Dhanush missile successfully test fired: India has successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Dhanush ballistic missile with a strike range of 350 km. This naval variant of the indigenously-developed Prithvi-II missile was test-fired from the ship positioned near Paradip in the Bay of Bengal. ‘Dhanush’ missile is is capable of carrying a payload of 500 kg and hitting both land and sea-based targets.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. In a strategic move, RBI launches Ombudsman Scheme for NBFCs: The RBI launched ‘Ombudsman Scheme’ for redressal of complaints against NBFCs. The scheme will provide a cost-free and expeditious complaint redressal mechanism relating to deficiency in the services by NBFCs covered under the Scheme. The offices of the NBFC ombudsmen will function at 4 metro centres – Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.

2. Idea Payments Bank begins operations: Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd commenced operations as a payments bank with effect from February 22, 2018. In November 2016, Airtel Payments Bank Ltd became the first entity to start operations as Payments Bank. Paytm and Fino Payments Bank are the other two entities that have already launched their operations.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Brand Nirav Modi loses Priyanka Chopra: Actress Priyanka Chopra’s spokesperson has confirmed that she has quit as the global ambassador of jewellery designer Nirav Modi’s brand following allegations of money laundering against him. The actress had earlier accused him of non-payment of dues for several advertisement campaigns.

2. Viking Air joins hands with Mahindra Aerospace for UDAN projects: Mahindra Aerospace Private Limited has signed a MoU with Canada’s Viking Air Ltd. to form a strategic alliance to take advantage of India’s growing regional air connectivity opportunities. Under the MoU, both would support each other’s non-competing aircraft business to boost market expansion. In India, this portfolio can address the much-needed requirements of regional connectivity scheme, UDAN.

3. Paytm ventures into Insurance business: Digital payments startup Paytm has launched two insurance companies, Paytm Life Insurance and Paytm General Insurance. Paytm Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CFO Madhur Deora, and Shankar Prasad Nath are the three signatory stakeholders in both the companies. In January this year, Paytm announced that it has set up Paytm Money Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of One97 Communications.

SPORTS:

1. NADA bans Jithin Paul: Athlete Jithin Paul became the first Indian athlete to be banned by the National Anti-Doping Agency for possession of a prohibited substance. NADA has meted out a 4-year-ban on Paul for possession of a banned substance called ‘Meldonium’.

2. Cricket Canada Unveils ICC-Approved T20 League: Canada’s own first franchise-based Twenty20 league “Global T20 Canada”, was announced in New Delhi. The Global T20 Canada League will begin functioning from July 2018 at three venues in Toronto. Global T20 Canada League has received official sanction of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Cricket Canada has become the first Associate member of the ICC to start a Twenty20 franchise league in the North America market.