Daily GK Updates - 5th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. National Maritime Day of India observed: The National Maritime Day in India is observed on April 5 every year. The National Maritime Day is observed annually to commemorate the maiden voyage of the first Indian owned ship “SS Loyalty” which sailed from Bombay to London in 1919. In 2018, the theme of the National Maritime Day is ‘Indian Shipping – An Ocean of opportunity’.

2. EC to set up Sakhi Polling Booths: The Election Commission (EC) will set up Sakhi/Pink polling booths for the first time in the Karnataka assembly elections. These pink polling booths will have completely female staff including presiding officers, polling officers, micro observers and security personnel. The pink booths are aimed at empowering women and increasing their participation in the poll process.

3. AIIB Conference held in Vishakhapatnam: The second lead-up Conference to 3rd Annual Meeting of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on ‘Enhancing Port and Coastal Infrastructure’ was held in Visakhapatnam. The Conference was organized by the Ministry of Finance, AIIB, CII and Research and Infrastructure System for Developing Countries.

4. CCI to have 3 members only: The Cabinet approved rightsizing of Competition Commission of India (CCI) by halving the number of its members to three. CCI currently has one chairperson and six members. It will now have one chairperson and three members. This would lead to “faster turnaround in hearings” that is expected to result in speedier approvals.

5. India ranked third in facing “most cyber threats”: India ranked third in the list of countries where the highest number of cyber threats were detected, and second in terms of targeted attacks in 2017, according to security software firm Symantec. India was ranked second globally when it comes to spam and phishing (misleading emails, weblink etc). Symantec detected 133 targeted attacks in India which are the work of organised groups.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. India, Azerbaijan sign two documents: India and Azerbaijan have inked two documents for the visa waiver for diplomatic, official and service passports holders and cooperation between diplomatic training institutes. The agreements were signed during the ongoing visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to that country. Mrs Swaraj is there to be part of 18th NAM Ministerial Conference in Baku.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. X plane to be developed by NASA: NASA is set to develop an ‘X-plane’ designed to fly faster than the speed of sound without producing the noise typical of supersonic flights. The X-plane’s mission is to provide crucial data that could enable commercial supersonic passenger air travel over land. The X-plane makes a quiet sonic boom due to its unique shape and design.

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1. NRDC to develop ASEAN technology data bank: The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) will establish a technology data bank for ASEAN region as part of ASEAN-India Innovation Platform. The corporation has been entrusted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to manage the platform for a period of four years. The proposed data bank will link existing data banks of available technologies in the ASEAN region.

2. Flipkart signs a pact with Make My Trip (MMT): Flipkart and MakeMyTrip (MMT) have struck a partnership wherein the online retailer will start to sell travel services on its platform. MakeMyTrip’s multiple brands, including MMT, Goibibo and redBus, will leverage the large customer base of Flipkart platform to drive online bookings in travel services. The new partnership will start with domestic flight, hotels, bus and holidays bookings.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. IndusInd Bank got RBI nod to acquire IL&FS: Private sector lender IndusInd Bank has received RBI’s approval to buy the securities services arm of IL&FS. In March 2017, the bank entered an agreement with Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) to acquire 100% stake in ISSL. Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) is the promoter shareholder of IL&FS Securities Services Ltd (ISSL).

SPORTS:

1. Mirabai Chanu wins gold in women’s weightlifting at CWG: Mirabai Chanu secured India’s first gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games when she finished first in the women’s 48 kg weightlifting event at Gold Coast. Mirabai Chanu broke the Commonwealth Games’ weightlifting record by lifting 196 kg. The previous Games’ record was 175 kg set by Augustine Nwaokolo of Nigeria in 2010. This is her 2nd CWG medal following the silver she won in Glasgow.

2. P.Gururaja wins silver medal in Weightlifting in 56 kg category: Weightlifter P Gururaja opened India’s medal account on the first competition day of the 21st Commonwealth Games by winning the silver medal in Weightlifting. In the 56 kilogram category, P Gururaja lifted a total weight of 249 kg to finish second in the event. Malaysia took the Gold medal, while Sri Lanka got the Bronze medal.

Daily GK Updates - 4th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. IIM Ahmedabad, IISc Bengaluru, JNU among top 10 universities according to NIRF: The Indian Institute of Science is India’s top university followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University and Banaras Hindu University, declared the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). The NIRF which works under the Ministry of Human Resource Development released the list of top 10 universities in the country. All the top three universities retained their previous year rank.

2. India’s first blockchain implemented: The platforms—RXIL, A.TReDS and M1xchange—approved by the RBI had been set up to bring together buyers, sellers and financiers for discounting the MSME invoices and provide them with timely funding. This is billed as India’s first live blockchain implementation in the enterprise financial segment. US-based MonetaGo has designed and implemented the production solution.

3. Indian scientist Shyam Salim gets global recognition: Shyam S Salim, Principal Scientist at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), has been elected as an executive member of the ‘International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade’ (IIFET) based in the USA. Shyam is an expert in fisheries economics at CMFRI. IIFET is the forum for the exchange of research, information, and ideas on the economics of fisheries management.

4. “Satyagraha Se Swachhagraha” launched: The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MoDWS) launched “Satyagraha Se Swachhagraha” campaign in New Delhi. It is a nationwide campaign and will culminate on 10th of this month marking the 100th year of Champaran Satyagraha. The campaign commemorates Champaran Satyagraha to spread the message of Swachhata across the country.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. International Mines Awareness Day observed: International Day for Mines Awareness is observed to spread the awareness about the threat caused by landmines to the safety, health and lives of civilian populations. The theme for 2018 is “Advancing Protection, Peace and Development”. On 8 December 2005, the UN declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. Icarus, the farthest star ever seen: Scientists have detected the most distant star, Icarus, ever viewed, located more than halfway across the universe. The star was formally named MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star-1. Scientists used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to spot the star. The star is 9.3 billion lights years away from Earth and it is about twice as hot as our sun.

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1. Jio Payments Bank began operations: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that Jio Payments Bank has commenced its banking services. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) was one of the 11 applicants which were issued the in-principle approval for setting up a payments bank in August 2015. Telecom major Bharti Airtel was the first to begin payment bank services in November 2016.

2. MoU between Indian Army and HDFC Bank: A Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army and HDFC Bank on the Defence Salary Package. The first MoU between HDFC Bank and the Indian Army was signed in 2011 and was renewed on 13 Mar 2015. Indian Army has MoUs on Defence Salary Package with 11 public and private sector banks.

SPORTS:

1. 21st edition of Commonwealth Games inaugurated in Australia: The 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games commenced in Gold Coast, Australia. The inaugural ceremony was held at the Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast. For the first time, there will be the same number of men’s and women’s medal events at the Games. The Indian contingent at the ceremony, which consists of over 200 athletes, was led by flag-bearer P V Sindhu, the Rio Olympic silver medallist.

2. India’s Selena, Shreya clinched bronze in TT: India’s Selena Selvakumar and Shreya Shivakumar clinched two bronze medals at the 2018 Ivory Coast Junior and Cadet Open Table Tennis Tournament in Abidjan, Africa. Selena settled for the bronze in the junior girls’ singles. Shreya teamed up with China’s Yininghua Hu got a medal in the junior girls’ doubles category of the event which is part of the International Table Tennis Federation.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Asia Index, an arbitrage rate index launched by BSE: Asia Index, a joint venture between S&P Dow Jones Indices and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), has launched arbitrage rate index. It will provide market participants with a transparent benchmark to compare the performance of similar arbitrage strategies. The index will be rebalanced every month, effective after the close of business a day prior to the expiration of the futures contract.

2. Peace pact between Mizoram govt and HPC-D: A landmark peace accord was signed between Mizoram Government and Manipur-based Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) in Aizawl. The peace pact aims to end nearly three decades of insurgency in Hmar inhabited areas of Mizoram. The peace pact agreed for setting up of Sinlung Hills Council consisting of 14 members to accelerate speedy development in north and northeastern parts of Mizoram.

3. Arun Jaitley re-appointed as leader of RS: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was once again appointed as the Leader of the Rajya Sabha (RS) following his re-election to the House. In June 2014, Mr Jaitley was appointed the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha.

4. Mangaluru airport adjudged India’s cleanest in an AAI survey: The Mangalore International Airport has been adjudged the cleanest airport in the country. In the survey conducted across 53 airports in the country by AAI, Mangaluru airport was adjudged the cleanest. A team of officials from AAI had inspected the airport terminal, parking area, toilets, commercial stalls, the road leading to the airport and customer lounge.

5. Subscribers under APY surpasses 97 lakh: The government revealed that at the end of Financial Year 2017-18, 97.05 lakh subscribers have enrolled under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) scheme. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has taken various initiatives for the expansion and ease of operations under the APY. Under the scheme, a subscriber would receive a minimum guaranteed pension of Rs.1000 to Rs.5000 per month.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Mukesh Ambani is the 3rd richest Asian in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Mukesh Ambani is Asia’s third-richest man and is ranked 19 in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Apart from Ambani, there are 23 Indians in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index top 500 lists. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates still hold on to the top two spots.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. New plant species found in Western Ghats: Researchers have discovered a new plant species from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Classified as a sedge, the grass-like plant has been named ‘Fimbristylis agasthyamalaensis’ after the locality from which it was found. The new species belongs to the Cyperaceae family.

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1. Ola acquires transportation app Ridlr: Cab aggregator Ola announced the acquisition of end-to-end public transport ticketing and commuting app, Ridlr. Ridlr enables users to search and book public transport options on their mobile phones.

2. Microsoft enabled Digital Payments Support launched on its app Kaizala: Microsoft enabled digital payments services on its enterprise social network app “Kaizala” in India.

Microsoft has integrated payment services of YES BANK and MobiKwik. Payment integration with Microsoft Kaizala will enable users to quickly send or receive money without having to leave the Kaizala application.

3. Debjani Ghosh is the new NASSCOM President: Debjani Ghosh, former managing director of Intel South Asia, is the new president of NASSCOM. She replaced R.Chandrashekhar whose term has completed.

4. Manufacturing PMI at five-month low in March: Manufacturing activity remained in the positive for the eighth consecutive month in March but fell to a five-month low. The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell from 52.1 in February to a five-month low of 51.0 in March.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. RBI lets banks spread bond losses across four quarters: The Reserve Bank of India allowed banks to spread out the provisioning to cover losses on their government bond portfolio across four quarters. This dispensation to spread the so-called mark-to-market provisioning is available for the quarters ending December 2017 and March 2018. Banks using such option will have to make the disclosure in their notes to accounts of the quarterly results.

2. Axis Bank, Karur Vysya Bank removed from bullion importers list: The Reserve Bank of India dropped Axis Bank from a list of banks it has cleared to import gold and silver in the current financial year that began April 1. Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank and Bank of Nova Scotia were among the 16 banks allowed to import bullion. Two other small banks Karur Vyasa and South Indian Bank were also dropped from the RBI list.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Mamta Banerjee’s dream project ‘Rupashree’ rolled out: The West Bengal government has rolled out Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dream project ‘Rupashree’ which provides one-time financial support to the marriages of poor women. ‘Rupashree’ scheme follows the chief minister’s ambitious ‘Kanyashree’ project which has drawn global applause. Under the scheme, an amount of Rs 25,000 will be credited to her bank account before her marriage.

2. SIDBI celebrates its Foundation Day: SIDBI celebrated its foundation day as the day of Sampark (connect), Samwad (interaction), Suraksha (security) and Sampreshan (disseminate) on 2nd April. On this occasion, SIDBI launched a series of initiatives. SIDBI launched ‘Samridhhi-the virtual assistant’ on banks revamped universal loan portal ‘www.udyamimitra.in’. It will answer standard queries of aspirants 24*7.

3. Naitwar Mori Project’s foundation stone laid: Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, laid the founda tion stone of the 60 MW Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project (NMHEP) in Uttarkashi. NMHEP is located on the river Tons – a tributary of the Yamuna, in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The project was allocated to SJVN Ltd by the Government of Uttarakhand.

4. Hyderabad tops in Global City Momentum Index: Hyderabad has been ranked the top city in the short-term Momentum Ranking of JLL’s annual ‘Global City Momentum Index’. The report identifies urban economies and real estate markets which are currently undergoing the most rapid growth.

5. Centre allows states to set up crop insurance firms under PMFBY: The Centre has allowed states to set up their own insurance companies for implementing Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Launched in April 2016, PMFBY provides comprehensive crop insurance from pre-sowing to post-harvest against non-preventable natural risks. Presently, five public sector insurers and 13 private insurance companies are empanelled for implementation of the scheme.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Autism Awareness Day observed on April 2: World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day on 2 April every year. It is designated by United Nations to raise awareness about people with autism throughout the world. The 2018 World Autism Awareness Day observance will focus on the importance of ’empowering women and girls with autism’.

2. First International Justice Conference in Morocco: Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Law and Justice embarked on a visit to Marrakech, Morocco, for the first International Justice Conference. The conference is being organised by Morrocco in celebration of the judicial reforms undertaken by it in 2017.

3. Carlos Alvarado to be next Costa Rica President: Carlos Alvarado, Costa Rica’s centre-left presidential candidate, is set to be the country’s next leader after elections on 1st April. Costa Rica’s electoral council made the announcement based on ballots from 91% of polling stations.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA test launches Mars landing parachute, ASPIRE: A supersonic parachute that will help NASA missions to land on Mars, was successfully launched into the sky. The Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment (ASPIRE) was launched on March 31 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in the US. The test was meant to mimic the conditions that a spacecraft would experience during a red planet entry, descent and landing.

DEFENCE:

1. Khanjar V military exercise concludes: The 5th Indo-Kyrgyzstan joint training exercise ‘Khanjar V’ culminated recently with a ‘Joint Tactical Validation Exercise’ in Mizoram. Kyrgyzstan in the exercise was represented by the military contingent of the military unit of the Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic.

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1. SEBI doubles investment limit of angel funds: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decided to double the investment limit by angel funds in venture capital undertakings to ₹10 crore. The SEBI board has approved amendments to Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) regulations with respect to ‘Angel Funds.’ The regulator would raise the maximum period of accepting funds from an angel investor to five years, from three years.

SPORTS:

1. Kerala wins Santosh trophy: Kerala won its sixth Santosh Trophy title in Kolkata on 1st April. Kerala had beaten Bengal in the tie-breaker to claim its sixth Santosh Trophy title. The Santosh Trophy is an association football knock-out competition contested by the regional state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation.

Daily GK Updates - 1st April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. E-way bill system comes into force: The Uniform System of e-way Bill for inter-State movement of goods has come into force from April 1, 2018. Under the new system, every transporter will have to carry a system-generated bill to move goods from one place to another. The e-way bill will be mandatory for inter-state transportation of goods with a value of 50 thousand rupees and above.

2. Delhi becomes the first city to roll-out Bharat Stage VI fuel: With an aim to combat the rising levels of air pollution in Delhi-NCR region, petrol pumps in the capital have started supplying ultra-clean Bharat Stage VI grade fuel. This move makes New Delhi the first city in the country to switch from BS-IV grade fuels to BS-VI. The major difference in standards between the existing BS-IV and the new ​BS-VI auto fuel norms is the presence of sulphur.

3. India becomes the world’s second largest mobile phone producer: As per the information shared by Indian Cellular Association, India is now the second largest mobile phone producer in the world after China. Annual production of mobile phones in India increased from 3 million units in 2014 to 11 million units in 2017. India replaced Vietnam to become ​the second largest producer of mobile phones in 2017.

4. India’s longest elevated road inaugurated: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated a 10.3 km long Hindon Elevated Road, touted to be the longest elevated road in the country. It will be connecting Raj Nagar Extension in Ghaziabad to UP Gate, shortening an hour-long journey to just 18 minutes. The entire stretch of the Hindon Elevated Road is built on 228 single-pier pillars.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. India to assist Seychelles for civilian projects: India is giving financial support to five civilian projects in Seychelles amounting to $8.36 million, notwithstanding the fact that Delhi’s plans to build military infrastructure on Assumption Island in the strategically located Indian Ocean country has hit a rough patch. Of the total $ 8.36 million support, $3.45 million will be devoted towards the construction of a state-of-the-art Magistrate’s Court with all modern amenities in Seychelles capital Victoria.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Russia test fired new ICBM ‘Sarmat’: The Russian military has successfully tested its latest intercontinental ballistic missile ‘SARMAT’. The RS-28 Sarmat can cross South Pole as well as the North Pole, the shortest route between Russia and US and can strike targets anywhere in the world. Sarmat is intended to replace the Soviet-designed Voyevoda, the world’s heaviest ICBM known as “Satan” in the West.

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. ISRO loses contact with GSAT-6A satellite: ISRO has lost contact with the GSAT-6A, India’s most powerful communication satellite, in less than 48 hours after it was launched. The GSAT-6A, the 2nd in the series of GSAT-6 satellites to provide high speed broadband on mobile phones was designed for a life of 10 years. This is the second mission failure for Isro in six months, with the previous one being the PSLV-C39.

2. China’s Tiangong-1 space lab is all set to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere: China’s Tiangong-1 or Heavenly Palace space station is set to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere b/w March 31 & April 1. Scientists have underlined that the danger of Tiangong-1 being hit by falling debris is tiny, as the structure is likely to burn up in the atmosphere during its re-entry. In 2011, China launched Tiangong-1 as a prototype for Beijing’s goal of establishing a permanent space station.

3. S Korea, US began joint military drills: South Korea & US have kicked off their annual joint military exercises after they were delayed about a month for Olympics. Foal Eagle field exercise, which involves combined ground, air, naval & special operation troops, will continue for a month while the computer-simulated Key Resolve is scheduled for 2 weeks. The two drills would involve 23,700 US troops & 300,000 South Korean forces.

4. First bank to roll out AI-run voicebot: Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched the country’s first artificial intelligence-powered voice-bot ‘Keya’ in the banking sector. Keya uses automatic speech recognition, natural language understanding and text-to-speech technology. The ​voice-bot uses natural language understanding to navigate the customer directly to the destination where he can get his issue resolved.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. Allahabad Bank cuts lending rates: Allahabad Bank has reduced the base rate and benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR) by 45 basis points each. The Bank has the slashed base rate to 9.15% from 9.60%. BPLR has been brought down to 13.40% from 13.85%. The reduction in the rates will lower EMIs for its borrowers.

SPORTS:

1. Cricketer Irfan Pathan joins J&K in a player-cum-mentor role: Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association has appointed former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan as the coach-cum-mentor of its senior state side for 2018-19 season. He will be the coach-cum-mentor of J&K team for a period of 1 year. He will also be holding coaching clinics in various parts of J&K for the development of the game.

2. New head of BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit: BCCI has appointed former Rajasthan Director General of Police Ajit Singh as the head of its Anti-Corruption Unit. He will replace former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar. He will take charge of the office ahead of IPL and will be based out of BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

3. Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj was adjudged ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ : At an event  at the Telangana Sports Journalists Association annual awards for 2017. She is the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and the only female cricketer to surpass the 6,000 run mark in ODIs. In December 2017, she was named as one of the players in the ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year.

4. Sloane Stephens won Miami Open: US Open champion Sloane Stephens defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 to win her first Miami Open title. Sloane Stephens has now won 6 WTA titles & has never lost in a final. This win will move Stephens into world top 10 for the first time. Stephens had beaten 3 former Grand Slam champs – Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, and Victoria Azarenka to make the final.

Daily GK Updates - 31st March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India’s first female doctor’s birthday celebrated with a Google Doodle: Google celebrated the 153rd birth anniversary of Anandi Gopal Joshi, India’s first female doctor on 31st March with a doodle dedicated to her. Anandi Joshi was born on this day in Maharashtra in 1865. There is a crater on Venus named after her.

2. NMR to run to meet the demand: The unique Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) in Tamil Nadu, which has been conferred Heritage status by UNESCO, will run special train services from today till 24th June this year to cater to popular demand during summer holidays. The Southern Railway has informed that the special services will be provided on Saturdays and Sundays during the period.

3. Long term capital gains tax and other taxes to begin from April 1: Several budget proposals, including the reintroduction of the tax on long-term capital gains (LTCG) exceeding Rs. 1 lakh from the sale of shares, will come into effect from April 1. The 2018-19 Budget had reintroduced 10% tax on long-term capital gains. Tax proposals like the reduced corporate tax of 25% on businesses on turnover of up to Rs. 250 crore will come into effect.

4. Chandra Bhushan appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner: Chandra Bhushan Kumar has been appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner. Bhushan is a 1995 batch IAS officer of union territories cadre. He has been appointed to the post for five years, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

5. Vineet Joshi appointed as DG of National Testing Agency: Vineet Joshi was appointed the first Director-General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) on 30th March. NTA is an independent body dedicated to conducting entrance tests for higher education in India. NTA, which was approved by the Union cabinet last October, will conduct entrance tests entrusted to it by any department or ministry.

6. ‘Pucca House’ for all in MP by 2022: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan a state-wide campaign will be launched from April 1-14 for registration of unorganized labourers. Also, Pucca houses will be constructed for all laborers registered under Chief Minister’s Unorganized Labourer Welfare Scheme by the year 2022. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. 9th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended the 9th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo. Japanese FDI in India during 2016-17 was USD 4.7 billion, an increase of 80% over the last year. India’s import from Japan for 2016-17 was USD 9.76 billion. India and Japan concluded a Special Strategic and Global Partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Japan in 2014.

2. China launches a pair of Beidou satellites: China successfully sent pair of twin Beidou-3MEO satellites – Beidou-30 and Beidou-31 –into space as part of its third and final stage of launching its domestic Beidou (Compass) satellite navigation system. They were launched on board Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in south-west China's Sichuan Province. It was a 269th mission for the Long March rocket family.  

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. SpaceX confirms the successful launch of 10 satellites: SpaceX has confirmed successful deployment of all 10 communications satellites to low-Earth orbit. The Iridium-NEXT satellites were launched for satellite operator Iridium Communications. The Iridium-5 NEXT Mission marked the fifth set of 10 satellites that SpaceX has launched for its customer’s Iridium NEXT global satellite constellation.

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1. International Yachting Festival begins in Vishakhapatnam: International Yachting Festival was inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh on 29th March. The festival is being conducted by Andhra Pradesh Government and is being held from March 29 to April 1. The Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) is facilitating necessary support for conducting the festival.

2. Logistics startup, Rivigo, to tie up with IDFC & YES Bank: Rivigo is tying up with YES Bank, IDFC and 10 other financial institutions to make cheaper funds available to truck owners and operators on its platform. The funds will be available at an interest rate of 1-2% per month, lower than the usual industry standard of 2-3%. Rivigo is a homegrown logistics start-up that owns as well as acts as an aggregator of trucks.

Daily GK Updates - 30th March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Toll free helpline for women in Assam: The Assam government launched “181-Sakhi toll-free women’s helpline” to tackle the recent spurt in crime in the state. This is a scheme of universalization of women helpline and is launched under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. This service intends to provide 24 hours immediate and emergency response to women affected by violence.

2. Three districts of Rajasthan to get the water of Yamuna soon: Yamuna river water will be supplied to Churu, Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts in Rajasthan from Tajewala headworks in Haryana. As per an interstate Yamuna ​water-sharing agreement in 1994, 1917 cusec water was allotted to Rajasthan from Tajewala headworks. The water will be supplied through a pipeline and the Centre will provide financial assistance for the same.

3. J.C. Daniel Award for Sreekumaran Thampi: Sreekumaran Thampi has been selected for the J.C. Daniel Award, the Kerala government’s highest honour for lifetime contribution to Malayalam cinema. Thampi is a lyricist, director and scriptwriter who has written over 1,000 melodies since 1966. Thampi had won the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi award for lifetime contribution to light music and drama songs in 2015.

4. Permanent Indus Commission’s 114th meeting held in Delhi: India & Pakistan held the meeting on Indus Water Treaty on 29th March. This will be the 114th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) that looks into the sharing of the waters of the Indus since the treaty was signed by the two countries in 1960. The Indus water treaty covers the water distribution and sharing rights of six rivers—Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Abdel Sisi re-elected as the Egyptian President: Incumbent Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been re-elected to the post for the second time. Sisi won the elections with a brute majority, amassing a massive 92 percent vote share. Sisi took over as Egypt’s president for the first time in 2012, replacing the democratically elected Mohamed Morsi.

2. DiCarlo becomes first female UN Political Chief: American diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo become the first woman to head UN political affairs. DiCarlo will replace Jeffrey Feltman, who held the post of Under-Secretary-General for political affairs since 2012. DiCarlo also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and director for United Nations.

3. Agreement for protecting the carbon store: An agreement has been signed to protect the largest tropical peatland in the world, which is an important carbon store.

The “Brazzaville Declaration”, signed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Indonesia to protect the peatland ecosystems of Congo basin. The equivalent of three years of global greenhouse gas emissions is stored in the Congo peatlands.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA’s mission to study ‘heart’ of Mars: NASA is all set to send the first-ever mission dedicated to explore the deep interior of Mars. A stationary lander known as “InSight” will place a seismometer, a device that measures quakes, on the soil of Mars. It will be launched on 5th May. InSight or the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport mission, carries sensitive instruments to gather data.

2. New organ “Interstitium” found in human body: Scientists have identified a new organ “interstitium” in the human body, which could help in understanding the spread of cancer within the body. “Interstitium” is a series of fluid-filled compartments, found beneath the skin, as well as lining of gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles. These compartments join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins.

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1. Govt. invites bids to sell 76% in Air India: The government invited bids to transfer management control along with 76% equity in Air India. The government will retain 24% stake in Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express. It also proposed divesting 50% of its stake in Air India Sats Airport Services. Air India is the country’s flag air carrier with a significant market position in international and domestic operations.

2. Twitter introduces ‘Timestamps’: Timestamps in Twitter: Twitter has introduced “Timestamps” – a new feature that will make it easier for its users to share a key moment from long, live videos. This will help to draw attention to the specific moment in a live video. The “Timestamps” update has started rolling out on Twitter for Android and iOS devices.