Daily GK Updates - 14th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. 65th National Film Awards list: The 65th National Film Awards were announced in Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. Here is a list of the important awards and its winners:

Best Hindi Film – Newton

Best Actor – Riddhi Sen for ‘Nagar Kirtan’.

Best Actress – Sridevi for ‘Mom’.

Best Director – Jayaraj for ‘Bhayanakam’.

Best Film – Village Rockstars (Assamese).

Best Action Direction – ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’.

2. Vinod Khanna awarded Dadasaheb Phalke award: Veteran Hindi film actor Shri Vinod Khanna was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian Cinema.This was announced during the 65th National Film Awards.The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in cinema.

3. NGT panel to inspect lakes in Bengaluru: Following orders from the National Green Tribunal, a committee constituted by the tribunal is set to carry out an inspection, of the Bellandur, Agara & Varthur lakes in Bengaluru.The bench is headed by NGT Acting Chairperson Jawad Rahim. Committee shall inform the tribunal of the extent of hydrophytes in the lakes, along with the incidents of fire that have taken place till April 10, 2018.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. India, U.K. in talks over education: India and the United Kingdom are holding talks to seal an agreement on mutual recognition of educational qualifications.It is likely to feature in official discussions during the upcoming London visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India last month signed an agreement on mutual recognition of educational degrees with France, during the visit of President Emmanuel Macron to Delhi.

2. US, UK, France launch air strikes in Syria: The US has launched air strikes in Syria along with the UK and France, in response to the chemical attack that killed dozens of people last week. Explosions were reported in Syria’s capital Damascus, moments after US President Donald Trump announced the military action. The US intends to “sustain [the strikes] until Syrian regime stops its use of chemical weapons”.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1.  Indian economy to grow 7.3%: ADB India’s economic growth will rise to 7.3% this fiscal and further to 7.6% in the next financial year, retaining the fastest-growing Asian economy tag, on back of GST and banking reforms.

SPORTS:

1. First ever all-Indian badminton CWG final: PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal won their respective semi-finals on Saturday to set up the first-ever all-Indian women’s badminton singles’ final at the Commonwealth Games.CWG 2010 gold medalist Saina defeated Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour 21-14, 18-21, 21-17 while CWG 2014 bronze medalist Sindhu beat Canada’s Michelle Li in straight sets.The women’s singles final will take place on Sunday

2. Neeraj Chopra won javelin throw gold at CWG: Neeraj Chopra became the first-ever Indian to win gold in javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games.The 20-year-old junior world record holder hurled the javelin to a distance of 86.47m to bag India’s 21st gold at the Commonwealth Games 2018.The medal was India’s first gold and overall third in athletics at CWG 2018.

3. Naman won India’s 1st boxing medal at CWG: Nineteen-year-old Naman Tanwar won India its first boxing medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning a bronze in the men’s 91 kg category.Naman lost out to Australia’s Jason Whateley in the semifinal of the event to secure the bronze.

4. Mary Kom won boxing gold at CWG: Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist MC Mary Kom has become the first Indian woman boxer to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.Mary Kom achieved the feat after defeating Northern Ireland’s Kristina O’Hara in the 45-48kg category final at Gold Coast.

Daily GK Updates - 13th April, 2018

                 NATIONAL UPDATES

1. 5,000MW solar park to come up in Dholera: Gujarat Government approved setting up a 5000 MW capacity solar park at the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), which would be the largest such entity in the world after its completion. The solar power generation project would be set up in 11,000 hectares of land. The project will contribute significantly in achieving the target of producing 175 gigawatts of electricity by 2022.

2. Jayant Sinha to head task force for UAV tech :The Government has formed a task force under the Chairmanship of MoS Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha for fast-tracking the roll-out of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology. The Task Force will focus on R&D, acquisition and commercialisation, regulatory framework and preference for Make in India. The task force will submit its report within 6 months of its constitution.

3. NBCC ties up with Skill Development Institute NBCC (India) Ltd: under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs signed MoU with the Skill Development Institute Bhubaneswar, for the construction of the institute. This will facilitate empowering the youth in Odisha with relevant skill sets and train them in various disciplines. NBCC has pledged to impart training to 40,000 workers (including both onsite and offsite) in the next five years.

4. Bhanu Sharma appointed Banks Board Bureau’s Chairman: The government appointed Bhanu Pratap Sharma as the new Chairman of Banks Board Bureau, which primarily recommends senior executive appointments in state-run banks. Sharma will replace former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai, whose term ended on March 31. Notably, Sharma is the former Secretary of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. World’s first long-distance electric bus line : The world’s first long-distance electric bus line was inaugurated in Paris on 12th April.The bus will cover the 160 kilometres between Paris and Amiens in northern France in just over 2 hours.The bus can travel as far as 250 kilometres on one 5-hour battery charge. It emits no pollutants at all and creates less noise than conventional buses

2. AIIB decides to invest in India: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a $140 million loan for enhancing rural connectivity in Madhya Pradesh. The project, co-financed with the World Bank, aims to improve the rural road connectivity and management for residents of about 5,640 villages.The project will benefit around 1.5 million rural residents through improved livelihood, education and mobility.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. 2nd magnetic field created by Earth found: The European Space Agency has created the most detailed map ever of the elusive oceanic magnetism generated by Earth’s lithosphere. While Earth’s magnetic field is majorly generated within the outer core, a small fraction comes from magnetised rocks in the crust and the upper mantle. This lithospheric magnetic field is 20,000 times weaker than global magnetic field at satellite altitude.

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1. Startups with up to ₹10 cr to get concession: The government has allowed startups to avail tax concession if total investment including funding from angel investors does not exceed ₹10 crore. Several startups and investors had raised concerns over the ‘angel tax’ saying it could discourage investments. The tax was levied on capital raised by startups in excess of the fair market value of their shares.

SPORTS:

1. Discus thrower Seema Punia won silver medal: India’s Seema Punia bagged her fourth successive medal at the Commonwealth Games by winning silver in women’s discus throw final with a throw of 60.41m in Gold Coast.The 34-year-old has now won three silver medals (2006, 2014 and 2018) and one bronze (2010) at the Games.Another Indian athlete Navjeet Dhillon won bronze in the same event.

2. Sushil Kumar won his 3rd straight CWG gold: Indian wrestler and Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar bagged his third straight Commonwealth Games gold medal after winning the men’s Freestyle 74 kg event.The 34-year-old wrestler won the final 10-0, having dominated all previous opponents with scorelines of 11-0, 10-0, and 4-0.Sushil has a silver and a bronze in Olympics and was crowned world champion in 2010.

3. Rahul wins India’s first wrestling gold at CWG: Rahul Aware bagged India’s first wrestling gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018.He beat Canada’s Steven Takahashi in the final of men’s Freestyle 57 kg event.Before the final, the 26-year-old had claimed two dominating victories with the scorelines 11-0 and 10-0, while he defeated Pakistan’s Muhammad Bilal 12-8 in the semi-final.

Daily GK Updates - 12th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Ahmedabad launches 6th edition of Heat Action Plan: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in partnership with civil society groups launched 6th edition of Heat Action Plan to protect city dwellers from scorching temperatures. The plan has an early warning system used during heat waves and a robust public education campaign about how to avoid harm from excessive heat. Ahmedabad was the first city to prepare and implement heat action plan.

2. Dedicated defence, aerospace SME fund set up: Department of Defence Production announced the creation of a dedicated defence and aerospace small and medium enterprises (SME) fund. This fund would help channelise investments into the two defence corridors announced by the Government in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The fund is registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India where a minority stake could be taken by investors.

3. Tribal development centre QUEST to be set up in Maharashtra: The Maharashtra government has set up an institution known as Quality Evaluation for Sustainable Transformation centre (QUEST). QUEST will evaluate and quantify special development budget allocations and their impact on tribal development. The state has taken the initiative to bring greater accountability in spending and management of dedicated funds allocated for tribal welfare.

4. IIT-Delhi installs India’s first 5G Lab: IIT-Delhi has set up a radio lab with an array of antennas for “standardisation, research and manufacturing” of 5G equipment. A Massive MIMO radio laboratory has been set up at IIT Delhi. This will be the first such lab in India.

5. India ranks 130 in Index of Economic Freedom: India has jumped 13 places in the last one year to 130th spot in the latest annual Index of Economic Freedom released by the Heritage Foundation, a top American think-tank. As per the latest Index of Economic Freedom, China has jumped one spot and Pakistan is now at 131st position. In 2017, India with a score of 52.6 points was ranked at 143 among 180 countries.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. UAE approves issuance of Law on Equal Wages: In an effort to narrow the gender gap in the United Arab Emirates, the Cabinet has approved the issuance of the Law on Equal Wages and Salaries for Men and Women. The new law will provide women with equal opportunities as partners in the UAE’s development. In 2015, the UAE Council for Gender Balance was established and in September, the UAE launched the world’s first Gender Balance Guide.

2. India, Myanmar and Thailand trilateral highway: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) inked a pact for its maiden international project, part of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. NHAI has signed an agreement for upgradation of Yagyi – Kalewa section in Myanmar to Two-Lane with Earthen Shoulder. The project has been funded by Ministry of External Affairs.

OTHER UPDATES

SPORTS:

1. Kidambi Srikanth Becomes World No.1: Indian badminton star Kidambi Srikanth became world No. 1 in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings. Srikanth has moved to the top of the men’s singles rankings with 76895 points.

2. Silver medal for Tejaswini Sawant in shooting: Tejaswini Sawant has won silver medal in the finals of the women’s 50m rifle prone at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. This is the sixth CWG medal for Tejaswini, following two golds in 2006 and a pair of silvers and a bronze in 2010. Anjum Moudgil, the other Indian to reach the women’s 50m rifle prone finals, finished 16th.

3. Kohli and Mithali voted world’s best: Indian captains Virat Kohli and Mithali Raj were named as the leading men’s and women’s cricketers in the world respectively by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. Kohli won his award for the 2nd year in a row after again starring in all formats. Raj was acknowledged after a year in which she became the leading run-scorer in women’s One-Day Internationals during India’s run to the World Cup final.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. RBI imposes Rs 3 crore fine on IDBI Bank: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a Rs 3 crore penalty on IDBI Bank for not following the central bank’s rules on classification of loans. IDBI bank did not adhere to RBI’s norms on Income Recognition and Asset Classification. RBI said that this action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance.

Daily GK Updates - 11th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. ‘Project Dhoop’ launched by FSSAI: Food safety regulator, FSSAI, launched an initiative Project Dhoop to encourage schools to shift their morning assembly to around noon-time to ensure maximum absorption of Vitamin D in students through natural sunlight. The move comes in the backdrop of rising incidence of Vitamin D deficiency in the country. The initiative urges schools to conduct their morning assembly between 11 am and 1 pm.

2. Government to install water ATMs in Haryana: The Haryana government has prepared Water ATM Policy to provide clean drinking water to people at public places in cities. Under this policy, public places such as bus-stands, railway stations, parks, bus stops, parking areas and markets would be identified. There would be a distance of 400 meters between two water ATMs which could be adjusted according to the convenience of people.

3. Balram Bhargava to be new ICMR chief: Balram Bhargava has been appointed the new Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research and Secretary of the Department of Health Research notification by the appointments committee of the cabinet. Balram Bhargava is currently a senior consultant cardiologist at the AIIMS and will carry out this role until 2021.

4. Rajesh Ranjan appointed DG CISF: Rajesh Ranjan, a 1984 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He is at present Special Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF). The CISF provides security to various government installations including the airports of the country.

5. Rakesh Bharti Mittal new CII President: Bharti Enterprises Vice-Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal assumed the office of the President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2018-19. Uday Kotak, Founder and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank took over as President-Designate of CII for 2018-19. Vikram Kirloskar is the new Vice-President of CII for the current fiscal.

6. Rishad Premji appointed as NASSCOM Chairman: IT industry body NASSCOM had appointed Wipro Chief Strategy Officer and board member Rishad Premji as its Chairman for 2018-19. NASSCOM has appointed WNS Group CEO Keshav Murugesh as the Vice Chairman. NASSCOM is a trade association of Indian IT and Business Process Outsourcing industry.

7. Google marks birth anniversary of KL Saigal: Google is marking the 114th birth anniversary of actor – singer Kundan Lal Saigal with a doodle of the late maestro. Saigal was Bollywood’s first legitimate ‘superstar’, and appeared in 36 films made in three languages, and sang 185 songs in his 15 – plus – year career.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. First India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet leaders of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark & Iceland for the first India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm on April 17. Narendra Modi will be the first Indian PM to visit Stockholm since 1988. The six leaders will exchange views on regional and global issues such as environment and climate, trade and investment and discuss areas of future cooperation.

2. China launches Yaogan-31 remote sensing satellites: China has launched the first group of China’s Yaogan-31 remote sensing satellites into space on 10th April The satellites were carried by a Long March-4C rocket. The mission also sent a micro nanotechnology experiment satellite into orbit. The satellites will be used for electromagnetic environment surveys and other technology tests.

OTHER UPDATES

SPORTS:

1. Shreyasi Singh wins the gold at Double Trap event: Shooter Shreyasi Singh won the gold medal in women’s double trap event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. The bronze medal went to Scotland.

2. Ankur Mittal grabs bronze in shooting at CWG:Shooter Ankur Mittal won a bronze medal in the men’s double trap finals at the ongoing 21st Commonwealth Games. Ankur won the silver medal in the World Championships in Moscow 2017 and he also won silver and gold medal in the ISSF World Cup.

3. 2018 Asia Cup moved out from India to UAE: The 2018 Asia Cup, that was earlier scheduled to be held in India, has now been moved out to the United Arab Emirates. The decision was taken following a meeting of the executive board of the Asian Cricket Council held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Daily GK Updates - 10th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India’s first electric locomotive flagged off: Prime Minister flagged off the country’s first high-powered electric locomotive assembled in Madhepura in Bihar. This first locomotive is part of a joint venture of the railways with Alstom, signed in 2015 and the first major FDI project in the rail sector. India will join countries like Russia, China, Germany and Sweden that have 12,000 horsepower & above capacity electric locomotives.

2. Andhra Pradesh becomes the second state to get happiness department: The Andhra Pradesh government will soon constitute a Happiness Commission that will take up a series of programmes to promote “happiness” in the state. The commission, which will work under the department of planning, will be headed by Chief Minister. AP became the second state in the country to introduce an exclusive ministry for happiness in April 2017. Madhya Pradesh is the first state.

3. Goa govt to launch app-based taxi service: The Goa government has decided to launch its own app-based taxi service to some key tourist destinations in the coastal state. The state-run Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) invited the taxi operators to register with the new mobile application-based transport service.

4. Fast-track court to try drug cases in Manipur: Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh inaugurated a special court at Cheirap Court Complex in Imphal to try drug-related cases. The fast-track court will facilitate the speedy trial of offences relating to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

5. DGAAD imposes anti-dumping duty on phosphorus pentoxide: Based on the recommendation of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties, the revenue department has imposed an anti-dumping duty on import of Phosphorus Pentoxide from China. The duty has been imposed for five years. Phosphorus Pentoxide is used as a powerful desiccant and dehydrating agent and is a useful building block and reagent in the chemical industry.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. World Homoeopathy Day to be observed: A two-day scientific convention is being organised in New Delhi by Ministry of AYUSH on the occasion of World Homoeopathy Day, on 10-11th April 2018. World Homoeopathy Day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of Homoeopathy, Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann. The theme of this convention is “Innovate: Evolve; Progress: Exploring Science since 40 years”.

2. India-Nepal agree to develop inland waterways: India and Nepal recognised the untapped potential of inland waterways, in order to contribute towards the overall economic development of the region. Prime Minister of India and Nepal took the landmark decision to develop the inland waterways for the movement of cargo. The new initiative would enable cost-effective and efficient movement of cargo.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. NABARD comes out with PCA for RRBs: NABARD has come out with a ‘Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) Framework’ for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). The framework is aimed at enabling RRBs that fail to meet prudential requirements like capital adequacy to take self-corrective action. The PCA will be invoked if RRBs fail to meet the ‘capital to risk-weighted assets ratio’, assets (NPAs), and profitability (return on assets).

2. SBI launches UK subsidiary: The SBI has announced the launch of its UK subsidiary, SBI (UK) Limited, with an initial capital commitment of 225 million pounds from its parent entity. SBI became the first foreign bank in the UK to segregate its retail division from its wholesale business. SBI operates seven branches in London.

SPORTS:

1. Heena Sidhu won gold medal in 25m Pistol: Heena Sidhu won India’s 11th gold medal in pistol shooting at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. Heena Sidhu has become the first Indian athlete to win two medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. India has so far won 20 medals, including eleven gold, four silver and five bronze.

2. Lionel Messi named UN Tourism ambassador: The UN World Tourism Organization has appointed FC Barcelona’s Argentine star Lionel Messi as an ambassador to promote responsible tourism. The UN body defines “responsible tourism” as tourism that “helps maximise the sector’s benefits”.

Daily GK Updates - 9th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Indian President awarded with the highest civilian honour of Equatorial Guinea:  President Ram Nath Kovind was conferred with the “Condecoracion”, the highest honour accorded to a non-citizen by the government of Equatorial Guinea. President Kovind was bestowed with the medal of the ‘Gran Colar de la Independencia’ by the President of Equatorial Guinea. The award was given for his contribution to the cause of development, security and world peace.

2. Patna tops in 4G connectivity – OpenSignal Report: Patna topped in 4G connectivity among 20 of India’s largest cities. It has emerged ahead of the cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, said a report from OpenSignal, a wireless coverage mapping company.

3. PM Ujjwala Yojana inaugurated in Delhi: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) scheme in Delhi on 7th April and distributed new LPG connections and cylinders to beneficiaries here. During the event, about 400 LPG connections were handed over to families belonging to below poverty line category. The PMUY was launched at Yamuna Sports Complex in the national capital.

4. Haryana Govt. to support TB patients: Haryana government has decided to provide special benefits, including nutritional support, to tuberculosis patients in an effort to eliminate the infectious disease by 2025. The government would provide nutritional support of Rs 500 per month during treatment to notified TB patients. Free services would be provided to TB patients in government hospitals of Haryana, including X-Ray.

5. Free chemotherapy in 10 Maharashtra districts: The Maharashtra state government will introduce free chemotherapy facility in 10 districts from June. This facility will be made available at district hospitals of Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Pune, Amravati, Jalgaon, Nashik, Wardha, Satara, Bhandara and Akola in the first phase. The initiative would help patients save in lodging and travelling expenses.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. India-Nepal petroleum products pipeline launched: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli launched the Rs 3.24 billion India-Nepal petroleum products pipeline from Motihari, Bihar to Amlekhgunj, Nepal on 7th April. This is the first international cross-country pipeline project in India. The Motihari-Amlekhgunj Pipeline project was approved by Indian Oil in September 2015.

2. Hungarian elections - PM Orban’s party wins: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition won the general elections in Hungary on 8th April. Former radical Jobbik party came second with 20% of the vote, and MSZP-P (Socialist-Dialogue) third with 12.13%

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. UAE, Malaysia conclude military exercise, Desert Tiger: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia concluded “Desert Tiger 5” joint military exercise aimed at sharing expertise and enhancing joint military actions. The Desert Tiger series is an annual joint exercise between the two countries.

SPORTS:

1. Vettel wins Bahrain Grand Prix: Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel won Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix in his 200th race start. It was Vettel’s second win in as many races this season, the 49th of his career.

2. Mehuli Ghosh clinches silver medal in Shooting at CWG: Indian shooters Mehuli Ghosh and Apurvi Chandela bagged silver and bronze respectively in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle competition at Commonwealth Games 2018. Singapore bagged the gold medal.

With this feat, India now stands third on the points table with 17 medals in total, including seven in shooting alone.

3. Weightlifter Pardeep wins silver at CWG: Indian weightlifter Pardeep Singh won a silver medal in the sport at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018. Last year, Pardeep had claimed a surprise gold medal in his first senior competition in the 105kg category.

4. Shooters bag gold, bronze for India: Indian shooters Jitu Rai and Om Prakash Mitharwal won gold and bronze medals respectively at Commonwealth Games 2018. In the men’s 10m air pistol event at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018, Rai shot a total of 235.1 points, thus, registering a new Games record. Mitharwal bagged the silver medal after shooting a total of 214.3 points.

India has won five medals so far in shooting alone.

5. Manika Batra won gold medal in Table Tennis: Manika Batra inspired India to a historic gold medal with her stunning singles victories, as she defeated defending champions Singapore 3-1 to claim the gold medal in TT at Commonwealth Games 2018. This is India’s first ever gold at the multi-sport event.

Daily GK Updates - 8th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India’s forex reserves at all time high: The country’s foreign exchange reserves hit a life-time high of 424.361 billion US dollar. Previously, the reserves had touched a record high of 421.914 billion dollar on February 9, 2018. Gold reserves remained unchanged at 21.614 billion US dollar.

2. Anushka Sharma wins Dadasaheb Excellence Award: Anushka Sharma will be awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award 2018 for being a path-breaking producer. The actress has been appreciated for breaking new grounds as a film producer, along with her brother Karnesh Sharma. Three movies produced by Anushka, NH 10, Phillauri and Pari belonged to three different genres, thriller, romance and horror.

3. Tripura launches the state version of PMKVY: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has launched the state component of Pradhanmantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY) in Agartala. He has assured that the target to give training to more than 1 lakh 16,000 youths by 2020 will be achieved. Tripura is the first state in the country to implement pilot project for accreditation for skilled candidates.

4. Kerala to issue brain death certificate: Kerala has become the first state to adopt a standard operating procedure (SOP) for determining brain death cases. According to the SOP, a medical board comprising four doctors-at least one should be from the government service-will be authorised to declare a patient brain dead. To check any misuse, the SOP defines brain dead and state of coma in detail.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. UK’s first permanent Middle East military base: UK has opened its first permanent military base in the Middle East in more than 4 decades in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain. The £40m UK Naval Support facility ‘Jufair’ at Mina Salman will be staffed by up to 500 soldiers, sailors and airmen. Both the countries hope that this base will increase military cooperation between the Royal Navy and its Bahraini counterpart.

2. Japan activated its 1st marine unit since WW2: Japan has activated its 1st marine unit since 2nd World War to counter invaders from occupying Japanese islands. The Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade is the latest component of a growing marine force that includes amphibious ships & assault vehicles. After WW2, a clause was written into Japan’s constitution which stated that armed forces with potential to wage war would not be maintained.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Indo-Korean joint exercise SAHYOG- HYEOBLYEOG: Indo-Korean joint anti-piracy, search & rescue exercise ‘SAHYOG- HYEOBLYEOG 2018’ was conducted off the Chennai coast. The joint exercise is a part of ongoing cooperative arrangements b/w the 2 coast guards for the past 12 years. The exercise aims to develop working level co-operation & enhance inter-operability in the fields of maritime search & rescue, anti-piracy operations.

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA’s first flight to Sun: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe — humanity’s first mission to the Sun — is undergoing final preparations. The mission is scheduled for launch on July 31, 2018. Parker Solar will orbit directly through the solar atmosphere – the corona – closer to the surface than any human-made object has ever gone.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. ICICI Bank becomes the first bank to live on SWIFT’s new payment service: ICICI Bank has become first Indian bank to go live on SWIFT’s Global Payment Innovation, an improved cross-border payments service. The service enables real-time payments tracking across correspondent banks & has a facility to track payments instructions across correspondent banks globally. The announcement of the service comes weeks after the discovery Rs 12,900-crore Nirav Modi scam at PNB

BUSINESS / ECONOMY:

1. CCI may be a trouble for Flipkart-Amazon merger: The possible coming together of online retailers Amazon and Flipkart is likely to face close scrutiny on competition issues.

Engaged in intense competition, home-grown Flipkart and Amazon India are leading players in the Indian online retail market place. The combined market share of the two parties, which is around 80 percent is most likely to  pose challenges to the deal.