Daily GK Updates - 4th May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. AK Mittal to be acting CJ of Punjab & Haryana : Justice AK Mittal has been appointed as the acting Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.Appointment of Justice Mittal, who is the first puisne Judge of the HC, has been notified by centre because of the retirement of CJ Vazifdar.Collegium had recommended the appointment of Justice Krishna Murari as the CJ of High Court but the Centre did not act on this recommendation.

2. MT Vasudevan Nair wins ONV Literary Award : Legendary writer M T Vasudevan Nair has been selected for the ONV Literary Award instituted by the by the ONV Cultural Academy. The award carries Rs 3 lakh.The ONV award for young promising writer has gone to ‘Amma urangunnilla’, a poetry collection by Anuja Akathoottu.The awards were presented by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

3. Ashok Lahiri appointed full-time member : Former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri has been appointed as full-time member of the 15th Finance Commission.He is at present the part-time member of the commission, headed by N.K. Singh.He will be accorded the status of the Minister of State.The 15^th finance commission’s chairman is N. K. Singh, with its full-time members being Shaktikanta Das and Anoop Singh.

4. Sushma to chair session on Act East Policy : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be chairing an interactive session on Act East Policy in New Delhi.Chief Ministers of 8 North Eastern states – Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura have been invited to attend this meeting.They will be accompanied by senior officials from the States who deal with policy issues related to the subject.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India to organise cultural festival in Egypt : India is organising a 5 day cultural festival in Egypt to commemorate the 157^th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.Festival is being organised by Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture, the cultural wing of Indian Embassy in Cairo.An exhibition of paintings of Tagore titled ‘Rabindranath Tagore: Rhythm in Colours’ will be held at Museum of Ahmed Shawky at Giza.

2. Pakistan reopend major trade route with Afghan : Pakistan has reopened a major trade route with Afghanistan, the Ghulam Khan pass after four years.Authorities had closed Ghulam Khan border crossing in 2014, after the launch of military operation in North Waziristan.Pakistan’s army claims that 95% of the area is now militant-free and all the militants’ hideouts have been destroyed.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. 4th Regional Conference of AIIB : The 4th Regional Conference of AIIB on Futuristic, Resilient and Digital Infrastructure was organised in Bengaluru on May 3.It was organised by the Ministry of Finance, Confederation of Indian Industry, and Research and Information System for Developing Countries.The 2-day Conference is a lead-up to the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

2. EPFO introduces View Pension Passbook service : EPFO introduced ‘View Pension Passbook’ Service for the pensioners through ‘UMANG app’.On clicking ‘View Passbook’ option, it requires PPO Number and Date of Birth information to be entered by the pensioner.Other e-services of EPFO already available through UMANG app includes EPF Passbook, Raise claim, Track Claim, eKYC services etc.

DEFENCE:

1. First meet of Defence Planning Committee : The new Defence Planning Committee (DPC) met for the first time under the chairmanship of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.The DPC will draft National Security Strategy (NSS) and other doctrines as well as ushering reforms in the country’s higher defence management and planning.The Chief of Integrated Staff in the Ministry of Defence will be the member secretary of DPC

SPORTS:

1. Kidambi Srikanth became Deputy Collector in AP : Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth formally took charge as the Deputy Collector of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, his native town.In June 2017, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu had offered Srikanth a Group 1 officer post after he won the Indonesian and Australian Open titles.Recently, Srikanth bagged his maiden singles’ silver medal at Commonwealth Games.

2. Mary named ambassador for TCS World marathon : Former tennis star Mary Pierce has been named the International Event Ambassador for TCS World 10K 2018 Marathon.The marathon, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru for May 27.Mary Pierce reached her career high ranking of World No. 3 in 1995, post her first Grand Slam Singles title – that of the Australian Open in January 1995.

OBITUARIES:

1. Freedom fighter Keyur Bhushan passed away : Well-known Gandhian, freedom fighter & writer Keyur Bhushan passed away.Bhushan took part in the 1942 Quit India movement as a student in Raipur and was incarcerated.He penned novels, collections of short stories and poems. He also edited `Sapthahik Chhattisgarh’ and `Antyoday’.During the 1980s, when terrorism ragged in Punjab, he undertook a foot march to promote peace.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Online system for grant of security clearance : An online system for grant of security clearance to international conferences, seminars and workshops organised in India was launched by the Home Ministry.The online portal  “https://conference.mha.gov.in” was launched by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.Obtaining clearances for organising a conference, issue of conference visa to foreign delegates was an offline procedure till now.

2. ‘Go to Village’ mission launched in Manipur : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh launched ‘Go to Village’ mission throughout the state of Manipur.The mission was launched on May 2 in 60 villages of all the 60 Assembly constituencies.The mission is aimed at identifying the eligible and deserving beneficiaries in every corner of the state anddelivering  government services at their doorstep.

3. Govt doubles PMVVY pension investment limit : The government has doubled the investment limit to Rs 15 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandan Yojana (PMVVY) pension scheme and extended the subscription period by two years till March 31, 2020.PMVVY is for senior citizens and was available from 4th May 2017 to 3rd May 2018.The scheme provides an assured pension based on a guaranteed rate of return of 8% per annum for ten years.

3. Jagdish sworn-in as acting Manipur Governor : Jagdish Mukhi has been sworn in as the acting Governor of Manipur by the acting Chief Justice of Manipur High Court, Justice N Kotiswar Singh.Mukhi, who is the governor of Assam & Meghalaya, will hold office in the absence of Governor Najma Heptullah.Article 153 states that nothing shall prevent the appointment of the same person as Governor for two or more States.

4. Cabinet renames minority development programme : Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has renamed the Multi-sectoral Development Programme as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.The restructured programme aims to provide better socioeconomic infrastructure facilities to minority communities, particularly in the field of education, health & skill development.The scheme would extend to 308 districts compared to 196 districts at present.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, US discuss maritime security : India and the US held their third maritime security dialogue in Goa from 30th April to 1st May.The two sides discussed developments in the maritime domain in the Indo-Pacific Region and exchanged views on ways to further strengthen bilateral maritime security cooperation.They also reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken during the previous Maritime Security Dialogues.

2. World Press Freedom Day observed on 3rd May : World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993.Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the ‘Declaration of Windhoek’ is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom.

The theme for 2018 is “Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law”.

3. Pakyong to become 100th functional airport : The Pakyong airport in Sikkim is set to become the 100th operational airport in the country when it will be commissioned in June.

Sikkim was the only state without an airport in the country.SpiceJet has been granted permission to fly to Pakyong in Sikkim from Kolkata under the Civil Aviation Ministry’s Regional Connectivity Scheme.

4. India, China militaries to set up hotline : Militaries of India & China have agreed to set up a hotline between their headquarters after the informal summit between PM Modi & President Xi in Wuhan.Hotline is regarded as a major confidence-building measure as it would enable the militaries of both countries to intensify communication to avert border tensions.India already has a hotline with Pakistan that was first used in 1991.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Government aid to reduce sugarcane dues : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval to provide financial assistance of Rs. 5.50 per quintal of cane crushed in sugar season 2017-18 to sugar mills.This will help sugar mills to clear cane dues of farmers.The assistance shall be paid directly to the farmers on behalf of the mills.

2. ICICI Bank named Nair as Independent Director : Former IRDAI member Radhakrishnan Nair has been appointed to ICICI Bank’s board as an Additional (Independent) Director.His appointment will be for a period of five years and is subject to shareholders’ approval.He is already an independent director of 3 subsidiaries of ICICI Bank — ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, ICICI Prudential Trust and ICICI Securities Primary Dealership.

DEFENCE:

 1. India among top 5 defence spenders : According to a Swedish arms watchdog, India & China were among the 5 biggest military spenders which together accounted for 60% of the total global defence expenditure of $1.739 trillion in 2017.India spent $63.9 billion in 2017 to expand, modernise & enhance the operational capability of its armed forces.The 5 top military spenders in 2017 were US, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia & India.

SPORTS:

1. England jump up to number one in ODI rankings : England has replaced India at the top of International Cricket Council one-day rankings.England, who last topped the ODI rankings in Jan 2013, has gained 8 points & moved to 125 points.India with 122 points is at the 2^nd position followed by South Africa & New Zealand.England’s rise up the table is because the forgettable 2014-15 season was dropped from the latest calculations.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.14 Cities In India are World’s most polluted : Delhi and Varanasi are among the 14 Indian cities that figured in a list of 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM 2.5 levels in 2016, according to the data released by the WHO.Other Indian cities were Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur. PM 2.5 includes pollutants like sulfate, nitrate and black carbon.

2. eOffice system launched by Hyderabad police : The Hyderabad city police launched the ‘eOffice’ System in the city Police Commissionerate office as a citizen-friendly initiative. eOffice is a ‘product suit’ developed by NIC and it aims at handling files in a more efficient and transparent manner to improve the responsiveness to citizens. The system helps in faster clearance of files and it envisions a paper-less office.

3. Vibrant North East 2018’ from May 3 :  The ‘Vibrant North East 2018’, an event in which people would be made aware of central government’s schemes and programmes, will be held in Guwahati from May 3. The main purpose of the event is to disseminate information about the schemes, grants and projects of the Central government. This will be the fourth edition of the ‘Vibrant North East’ expo in Guwahati.

4. Government extends MEIS export benefits : Over 35 handicraft products such as candles, paper and clay articles would be entitled for export benefits.These export benefits are provided under Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS).Under this scheme, the government provides duty credit scrip to exporters.The rates vary from product to product and the export destination, as envisaged in the foreign trade policy.

5. Government to host farmers welfare workshops :  In an outreach to farmers, the Government is organising ‘Kisan Kalyan Karyashala’ at the block level across the country on 2nd May.The workshops will be part of the ongoing ‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’.‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’ is a rural-centric campaign that had started on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, and will end on May 5.

6. Subhash Chandra appointed as IRDAI Chairman : Former IAS Officer Subhash Chandra Khuntia was appointed as the new Chairman of Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for three-years.Khuntia will succeed T S Vijayan, who completed his five-year term in February.

His appointment was approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

IRDAI regulates Insurance sector of the country.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA to track Earth’s ice and water : NASA is gearing up for the upcoming launch of its Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission.The mission will map changes in water and ice around the world by detecting variations  in Earth’s gravity & it involves 2 identical spacecraft that will orbit the Earth.The mission is a joint project between NASA and the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Germany.

2. India & Japan to work together : India and Japan have agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in energy development space as well as contribute to worldwide energy security and solutions to climate change issues.Both countries agreed to initiate the discussion towards development of Electric Vehicles.They will work together in promoting well-functioning energy markets.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Core sector growth slows to 4.1% in March : The growth of eight core sectors slowed to a three-month low of 4.1% in March due to weak performance in six sectors including coal, crude oil and natural gas.The other sectors which showed slower growth rates were refinery products, steel and electricity.The Index of Eight Core Industries consists- coal, steel, cement, crude oil, natural gas, fertilizers, electricity & refinery products.

2. Telecom sector to get ombudsman : In a move aimed at empowering mobile consumers, the Telecom Commission cleared a proposal for creation of an Ombudsman under the. sector regulator to resolve subscriber complaints.As per the decision of Telecom Commission, the Ombudsman will be created by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).The TRAI will be free to set up as many Ombudsman as per requirement

DEFENCE:

1. Vijay Prahar exercise under way in Rajasthan : More than 20,000 troops of strike formations of the Indian Army’s South Western Command were engaged in “Vijay Prahar”exercise near Suratgarh in Rajasthan. The aim of the exercise is to fine-tune jointmanship with the Indian Air Force.The other aspects which were focused were fighting capabilities through armed helicopters and fighting and operate in the nuclear environment.

SPORTS:

1. Harendra Singh to coach men’s hockey team : Hockey India has appointed Harendra Singh as coach of India’s men’s team, while Sjoerd Marijne will take over as chief coach of women’s side.Harendra led the junior men’s hockey team to the World Cup title in 2016.Before joining the Indian women’s team, Marijne had a successful tenure with the Netherlands’ women’s team.

2. Salah named writers’ Footballer of the Year : Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.The Egypt star – the first African winner of the award – also won the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year award in April.Salah has scored 31 goals in 34 league appearances for Liverpool this season.

Daily GK Updates - 1st May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.BS-VI fuel to be available by April 1, 2019 : The Centre told the Supreme Court that the BS-VI fuel will be made available by April 1, 2019, in 17 out of 23 districts in the National Capital Region.The government also told that BS-VI fuel will also be made available in Agra in Uttar Pradesh on or before April 1, 2019.Delhi has already switched to BS-VI fuel and the cleaner fuel is now available across the petrol pumps in Delhi

2. NITI Aayog’s agenda for ‘New India 2022’ : NITI Aayog will soon come out with a development agenda for ‘New India 2022’, which will spell out strategy for expediting economic growth.It will start working on a 15-year vision document after finalising the development agenda document for ‘New India 2022’.It had planned to come out with three documents: 3 year action agenda, 7 year medium-term strategy and 15 year vision document.

3. Gobardhan Yojana launched from Haryana : Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation launched the Gobardhan scheme from Haryana’s Karnal district on 30th April.The scheme would focus on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, biogas and  bio-CNG.The Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme was first announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in budget.

4. Pilot scheme for 2,500MW power procurement : Government has launched a Pilot Scheme for procurement of aggregate power of 2500 MW on competitive basis from commissioned power plants without “power purchase agreements” (PPA).The main purpose of the scheme is to revive commissioned power plants which are unable to sell electricity in the absence of valid PPA.The bids under the scheme will be invited in the first week of May.

5. Gujarat & Maharashtra celebrates its 58th foundation day : the two states Gujarat and Maharashtra are celebrating 58th foundation day.In 1960, two western states Gujarat and Maharashtra were formed from erstwhile Bombay state on this day.The Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani has inaugurated the ‘Sujalam Sufalam Yojana’ from Komsadi Talav.Every year the Government of Maharashtra issues a notification declaring the 1st of May to be a public holiday to be celebrated asMaharashtra Day.The day is marked with various cultural events and ceremonies showcasing the culture and traditions of Maharashtra.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Nepal to review bilateral trade treaty : India and Nepal have agreed to review bilateral trade treaty.The decision was taken at the meeting of India-Nepal Inter Government Committee on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade, held in Kathmandu.The two sides also discussed amendments to the bilateral Treaty of Transit signed in 1999 to further facilitate transit movement of Nepal’s trade with third countries.

2. Dominican Republic cuts ties with Taiwan : The Dominican Republic severed ties with Taiwan after nearly 80 years.The Dominican Republic established diplomatic relations with China.Taiwan now has formal relations with only 19 countries, many of them poor nations in Central America and the Pacific.Panama cut its diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing in June last year.

3. World Asthma Day observed on 1st May : World Asthma Day is celebrated worldwide on the first Tuesday of May every year.It is organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), it is a global health event aimed at improving asthma awareness and care worldwide.The theme of this year’s event is ‘Never too early, never too late’.Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is caused by inflammation of the airways.

4. NASA mission to study heart of Mars : NASA is set to launch Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) on May 5.InSight will be the first mission to peer deep beneath the Martian surface, studying the planet’s interior by measuring its heat output and listening for marsquakes.It will use the seismic waves generated by mars quakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior.

5. 2nd rapidly growing country for air traffic : India has been projected to be the second fastest growing country in the world for air passenger traffic.The Airports Council International (ACI), a global trade body representing airports, in its traffic forecasts, said, by 2022 passenger traffic in emerging economies like India will surpass advanced economies.ACI has put Vietnam at the top position with an 8.5 percent growth rate.

6. International Labour Day observed on 1st May : International Labour Day, also known as International Worker’s Day or May Day is observed on 1st May.

It is observed every year to promote and encourage the international labour associations.The day marks the victory of workers’ movement for eight hours of work.It also aims to pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Dalmia group adopts Gandikota fort in Andhra : Dalmia Bharat Limited has also ‘adopted’ Gandikota Fort in Andhra Pradesh under “Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan”“Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan” is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), states and union territories.Under the contract, the company will focus on providing basic amenities at the fort.

2. WhatsApp boss and co-founder Jan Koum to quit : The chief executive and co-founder of WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging app, is leaving the company over disagreements about privacy and encryption.Jan Koum will also step down from Facebook’s board of directorsWhatsApp, with 1.5 billion monthly users, is the largest messaging service in the world.

3. Uday Kotak redesignated as MD & CEO : The board of directors of Kotak Mahindra Bank has redesignated Uday Kotak as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 May, 2018.Mr. Kotak was earlier executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director.Mr. Kotak was the only official among private banks to have a Vice Chairman designation.

DEFENCE:

1. Blue Origin launches its first space mission : Blue Origin, the US aerospace company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has launched its suborbital ‘New Shepard’ rocket and space capsule.The mission marked the company’s first test flight of the year and second flight of the New Shepard 2.0 spacecraft.New Shepard is a reusable vertical takeoff, vertical landing space vehicle, consisting of a pressurized capsule atop a booster.

SPORTS:

1. Rizvi claims No.1 spot pistol rankings : Indian shooter Shahzar Rizvi grabbed the number one spot in 10m air pistol rankings by ISSF.He won the silver medal in the just-concluded World Cup in Changwon,Korea. Rizvi had previously won a gold medal with a world record score at the World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico in March.The other Indians in the top-10 are Jitu Rai and Om Prakash Mitharval who are at 6th & 12th spot.

OBITUARIES:

1. Economist & WB Finance Min Ashok Mitra died : Noted scholar and former Finance Minister in the Left Front government in West Bengal Ashok Mitra passed away on 1st May.Mr. Mitra was also an eminent economist and penned several newspaper columns on social and economic issues.He was the Chief Economic Adviser to the Central Government from 1970 to 1972.In the mid-1990s he became a member of Rajya Sabha.

Daily GK Updates - 30th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to held in Varanasi : The next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in the holy city of Varanasi from January 21 to 23, 2019.The theme of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is “Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India”.The Ministry of External Affairs will also organize four Know India Programmes and online “Bharat Ko Jaaniye Quiz”.

2. Ayushman Bharat Diwas on 30th April : As part of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, Ayushman Bharat Diwas is being celebrated across the country on 30th April.During the event, information regarding Ayushman Bharat Scheme is being provided to people during health camps organised in rural areas.The Ayushman Bharat programme seeks to provide easily available and affordable medical facilities in the remote parts of the country.

3.  Dadasaheb Phalke’s birthday : Google dedicated a Doodle to ‘Father of Indian Cinema’ Dadasaheb Phalke on his 148th birth anniversary.Phalke made his directorial debut in 1913 with “Raja Harishchandra”, India’s first full-length feature.In 1969, the Government paid homage to this visionary filmmaker by dedicating an award in his name, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which recognises lifetime contributions to Indian cinema.

4. Kavinder Gupta is new deputy CM of J&K : Former Jammu and Kashmir speaker Kavinder Gupta took oath as a minister in the Mehbooba Mufti government.Gupta took oath as the deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, replacing BJP’s Nirmal Singh, who will now become the assembly speaker.Kavinder Gupta is a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Gandhinagar constituency in Jammu district.

5. Odisha launched Odisha Skills : Odisha government has inaugurated ‘Odisha Skills 2018’, the state-level chapter of India Skill competition organised by National Skill Development Corporation.The competition would give a platform to the students of Odisha to show their talents.A skill-cum-common facility centre for filigree craftsman of the city was also inaugurated.

6. Gujarat to launch water conservation project : The Gujarat Government will start a month-long initiative from May 1 to increase its water conservation capacity.Tasks like deepening ponds, desilting water reservoirs and check dams & repairing Narmada canal networks will be undertaken during the 31-day statewide “Sujalam Sufalam Water Conservation Initiative”.The government aims to increase rain water conservation capacity in the state.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Pakistan to take part in war games : In a first, India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia in September.The military exercise will take place under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.The military drill would be held in the Ural mountains of Russia, and almost all SCO member countries will be part of it.

2. World’s oldest spider discovered in Australia : Scientists have discovered what may be the world’s oldest recorded spider – a 43-year-old arachnid in Australia.The Giaus Villosus trapdoor matriarch, had outlived the previous world record holder, a 28-year old tarantula found in Mexico.The spider has recently died during a long-term population study.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. HDFC Bank launched humanoid IRA 2.0 : HDFC Bank has announced the launch of IRA 2.0, its interactive humanoid in Bengaluru.IRA will interact with customers, answer bank-related queries, frequently asked questions, and guide them inside the branch with voice-based navigation.HDFC Bank also launched its virtual assistant ‘EVA’ on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.The first version of IRA is currently stationed in Kochi.

2. PHDCCI, Indian Yoga Association sign MoU : The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and the Indian Yoga Association (IYA) signed a MoUThe MoU will facilitate interaction and cooperation between the two organisations to promote wellness, spiritual and cultural tourism in the Krishna Circuit.Places associated with Lord Krishna constitute the Krishna Circuit in Uttar Pradesh.

SPORTS:

1. Pankaj Roy, Gaekwad to get Lifetime Award : Former India batsman and two-time national coach Anshuman Gaekwad and former opener, late Pankaj Roy, have been recommended for the prestigious Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).The cash prize for the award is ₹25 lakh each.The BCCI Annual Awards will be held before the historic Test between India and Afghanistan in Bengaluru.

2. Prajnesh won maiden singles title : Prajnesh Gunneswaran has clinched his first ever singles tennis title on the ATP Challenger circuit.The 28-year-old from Chennai, ranked 260, pocketed $21,600 and earned 125 points.It was second final at the Challenger level for left-handed Prajnesh, who had lost the Pune summit clash to Sadio Doumbia in October 2016.

3. N Sikki Reddy recommended for Arjuna Award : Women’s doubles shuttler N Sikki Reddy has been recommended for Arjuna Award by the Badminton Association of India.G Sudhakar Reddy, who coached Kidambi Srikanth in his early days, has been recommended for Dronacharya Award.The 24-year-old Sikki had won the mixed team gold medal and the women’s doubles bronze at the recent Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast.

Daily GK Updates - 29th April, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Every village now has access to electricity : According to the government data, all of India’s 597,464 census villages now have access to electricity.The last village to be brought on the national power grid was Leisang village in the Senapati district of Manipur.Prime Minister Modi in his Independence Day speech on 15 August 2015 promised to electrify all un-electrified villages within 1000 days.

2. Budgam shortlisted for Modi’s excellence award : Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district has been shortlisted for PM Modi’s excellence award for promoting digital payments and cashless economy.Digital payments facility has been installed at 670 places across the district so far.In order to ensure successful implementation of the digital payments, the district administration has trained hundreds of local residents at Common Services Centers.

3. India’s longest serving chief minister : Pawan Chamling has created history by surpassing the record of former communist ruler of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu, as the longest serving chief minister in the country.Chamling became the chief minister of Sikkim on December 12, 1994, and has ruled the tiny Himalayan state ever since.Chamling joined politics in 1973, and was elected to the Sikkim assembly for the first time in 1985.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.North Korea to rejoin South’s time zone : North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will move country’s clocks 30 mins forward to unify with South’s time zone.The 2 countries on divided peninsula had different time zones since 2015 when North changed its standard time to 30 mins behind the South.North will move to the time zone used before Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of peninsula to mark the 70^th anniversary of its liberation from Tokyo.

2.International Buddhist meet begins in Lumbini : The International Buddhist Conference got underway in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.The conference aims to disseminate teachings of Buddha and spread the messages of nonviolence, brotherhood, co-existence, love and peace to the international community.Representatives from 16 countries including U.S., Japan, India, China, Indonesia and Sri Lanka will attend the conference.

3.Pompeo sworn in as new US secretary of state : Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been sworn in as the 70th US secretary of state after the Senate voted to confirm him, 57-42.Mike Pompeo replaces President Donald Trump’s first Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.His confirmation creates avacancy atop the CIA that will be filled, at least for now, by Gina Haspel,the intelligence agency’s No. 2 official.

4.Saudi Aramco appoints the first woman to the board : Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, the world’s top oil company has appointed its first female board member among five new members to its board of directors.Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, the former chairwoman, president and CEO of U.S. oil refiner Sunoco is the first female board member of Aramco.Elsenhans was named by Forbes as one of the world’s most powerful women in 2008.

5.World Day for Safety and Health at Work : The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work.It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003.The theme for World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2018 is: Occupational safety health (OSH) vulnerability of young workers.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Most trusted Internet brand in India : According to the TRA Brand Trust Report 2018, With 1.2 trillion searches per year Google is the most trusted Internet brand in India, followed by Facebook.E-commerce major Amazon, which had been ranking second since 2015, slipped to third position while e-Bay ranked fourth.The biggest falls in trust were seen by Snapdeal, who fell by 142 ranks over last year, Hike and Myntra.

SPORTS:

1. Sumit, Nikhat strike gold at Belgrade Boxing : Sumit Sangwan and Nikhat Zareen were among the three gold-medallists in India’s stupendous campaign at the 56th Belgrade International Boxing Tournament in Serbia.Also claiming a gold was Himanshu Sharma, who defeated Algeria’s Mohammed Touareg 5-0 in his final bout.India ended the tournament with three gold, five silver and five bronze medals in all.

2. India won South Asian U-12 Tennis Championship : India has won the South Asian Under-12 Qualifying Tennis Tournament, defeating host Nepal in the finals.Indian girls and boys team defeated their Nepali opponents in the final by 2-0.Now both the Indian teams will participate in ITF Asian 12 and Under Team Championship to be played in Kazakhstan later this year.

3. ICC scraped 50-over Champions Trophy : International Cricket Council has decided to convert the 2021 Champions Trophy, scheduled in India, into a World T20 event.Champions Trophy was the second-biggest 50-overs tournament after the World Cup. The number of teams competing varied over the years.This means that there would now be two ICC World T20 events in 2 years — the 2020 edition in Australia and the 2021 edition in India.