Daily GK Updates - 14th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President nominates 4 members to Rajya Sabha : The President of India has made 4 nominations to the Rajya Sabha rested by Article 80 of the Indian Constitution.

The nominations are farmer leader Ram Shakal, Columnist Rakesh Sinha, Sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra & Classical Dancer Sonal Mansingh.The said article empowers President to nominate 12 persons having special knowledge of literature, science, art and social service to Rajya Sabha.

2. IR Installs Automatic Train Washing System : An automatic train washing system has been installed by Northern Railways at Hazrat Nizamuddin station in Delhi.

This move of govt promotes minimum quantity of water, soap and disinfectants and is eco-friendly.It is said that this would save 1,24,000 litres of water per day and more depots will be constructed in the future.

3. 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals : The Ministry of Mines organized the 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals on 13th July 2018 at Indore.CM of MP, Shri Shivraj Singh was the chief guest of the conclave.Also, an app of NALCO – NAMASYA was launched by the Ministers.For the first time, the conclave had an exhibition in which States put up stalls to showcase their more than 100 mineral blocks which were in the auction.

4. PM Modi begins his two-day visit to UP : Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his two-day visit to eastern Uttar Pradesh.He will lay the foundation stone of a 304km long Poorvanchal Expressway in Azamgarh that will connect Lucknow, to Barabanki, Amethi, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur districts.He will also lay the foundation stone of International Convention Centre in Varanasi and Namami Ganga Programme.

5. Gyan Vani an educational FM radio in Pune : The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has started its own FM radio network Gyan Vani with the help of All India Radio (AIR).In this programmes like primary and secondary education, adult education, technical and vocational education, higher education is been broadcasted at 105.6 MHz.The educational channel is being broadcasted in English, Hindi and other regional languages.

6. 2nd National Tourism Conclave in Rajasthan : The 2nd National Tourism Conclave was organised in Jaipur on 13th July 2018.The conclave was headed by Managing Director of Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Haulianlal Guite.Steps such as improving intra-air connectivity to increase domestic and international tourist footfall in the state were discussed.Also, more projects such as “Night Tourism” were also encouraged.

7. Govt launches Swachh Survekshan Grameen : The government has launched Swachh Survekshan Grameen, which will attempt to rank all 698 districts in the country on prevalent levels of cleanliness in the rural areas.The parameters of assessment will be availability of toilets, usage of toilets, hygiene of toilets and status of littering among others.It will be done through an independent survey agency.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. First-ever global compact for migration : For the first time ever, United Nations member states, except the U.S., have agreed on a deal to better manage international migration, address its challenges, strengthen migrant rights and contribute to sustainable development.Known as the Global Compact for Migration, the agreement will be formally adopted by world leaders in Morocco in December.

2. shma Swaraj embarks two-day visit to Manama : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will today embark on a two-day visit to Manama to co-chair the second High Joint Commission meeting with her Bahraini counterpart Shaikh Al Khalifa.Mrs Swaraj will inaugurate the new Chancery building complex and address the Indian community.The visit is expected to provide an opportunity to identify new areas of cooperation between both countries.

3. Iceland takes up US seat at UN rights council : Iceland was elected to take up the seat left vacant at the United Nations Human Rights Council after the United States quit the body.In a vote at the General Assembly, Iceland picked up 172 votes during a secret ballot as the candidate put forward by the regional grouping for that seat.

Iceland will occupy the seat vacated by the US for the remainder of the current term.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. L&T to build ‘tallest’ govt. office building : Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has bagged a construction project to build govt office building at Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.

The office will be the tallest government office building in India.The buildings will house the headquarters of the various government departments of Andhra Pradesh.

The project has to its credit of being the 1st Steel Diagrid project with Automatic Climbing Formwork System.

SPORTS:

1. Elevanil wins gold in junior shooting meet : Young Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan claimed the women’s air rifle gold medal in the 28th Meeting of Shooting Hopes junior international championship in Plzen, Czech Republic.She shot 250.8 in the final to get the better of Italy’s Nicole Gabrielli (249.7). She had also topped the qualification with 628.0.Aleksandra Szutko of Poland won the bronze with 228.2

Daily GK Updates : 13th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Gadkari inaugurates projects in Vizag : Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways will inaugurate five port projects worth Rs 1062 Crores in Vishakhapatnam (Vizag).The major project to be inaugurated includes upgradation of existing iron ore handling facility at Outer Harbour of Vizag Port at a cost of Rs 580 Crores.This will enhance the capacity of Vizag port under Sagarmala Project.

2.Kochi Metro launches India’s 1st AC dormitory : Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will open India’s first exquisite air-conditioned bed space dormitory.The fully air-conditioned rooms are equipped with locker facility, free WiFi, round-the-clock check-in and check-out facility and security cameras.It was inaugurated by Kochi’s Mayor Soumini Jain.The current governor of Kerala is P ji. Sathasivam.

3.Awards for Station Beautification competition : The Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal distributed awards to winning stations of Station Beautification competition in Rail Bhawan.Balharshah & Chandrapur Railway Stations of Central Railway have been awarded the first position and cash prize of 10 lakh.Total 62 entries were evaluated on the basis of a number of criteria including the depiction of local subjects, culture & themes.

4. AAI partners with govt for Dholera Airport : The Airport Authority of India (AAI) to partner with the government of Gujarat to build the Rs 2,000 crore Dholera airport project.The airport will be the biggest upcoming greenfield city in India under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project at Dholera will be built in four years.Equity participation between AAI & the govt of Gujarat will be 51% and 49%, respectively.

5.Use of Aadhaar only ‘desirable, not must’ : Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that furnishing Aadhaar as an identity proof for availing benefits of the Ayushman Bharat scheme is “desirable and not must.”It also said that there shall be no denial of benefits for the want of Aadhaar.The scheme, launched under the National Health Protection Mission was announced during the 2018-19 budget and will be launched on August 15.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Forbes List Of US’ Richest Self-Made Women : Forbes released its 4th annual list of US’ Richest Self-Made Women.Diane Hendricks, co-founder and chairman of ABC Supply ranks 1st with a net worth of $4.9 billion.Indian-origin tech executives Jayshree Ullal and Neerja Sethi were also on the list with $1.3 bn and $1 bn respectively.TV star and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner is the youngest to be featured in the list.

2.Kochi Metro launches India’s 1st AC dormitory : Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will open India’s first exquisite air-conditioned bed space dormitory.The fully air-conditioned rooms are equipped with locker facility, free WiFi, round-the-clock check-in and check-out facility and security cameras.It was inaugurated by Kochi’s Mayor Soumini Jain.The current governor of Kerala is P. Sathasivam.

3.Awards for Station Beautification competition : The Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal distributed awards to winning stations of Station Beautification competition in Rail Bhawan.Balharshah & Chandrapur Railway Stations of Central Railway have been awarded the first position and cash prize of 10 lakh.Total 62 entries were evaluated on the basis of a number of criteria including the depiction of local subjects, culture & themes.

4.Portugal approves new gender change law : The Portuguese parliament approved a law that will allow citizens to change their gender and name from the age of 16 without a medical report showing “identity disruption”.Portugal joins Denmark, Malta, Sweden, Ireland and Norway to become “the sixth European country to grant the right to self-determination of transgender identity.Canada to command of new NATO training CentreCanada has announced that it will assume command of a new NATO training and capacity building mission in Iraq.Canadian troops will be deployed in the Baghdad region to help Iraq build a more effective national security structure and improve training of security forces.Canada is part of the US-led coalition fighting the ISIS is contributing air power & helping in training Iraqi forces.

5.Australia releases India economic strategy : The Australian govt has released an India Economic strategy report recommending to lift India into its top three export markets.The strategy prioritizes economic and trade opportunities in India covering 10 sectors such as health, energy, infrastructure etc.This would also boost Australia’s investment in India to $100 billion.The Author of this report is Australia’s PM Malcolm Turnbull.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.Commerce Minister Meets World Bank Team : Suresh Prabhu, met with the World Bank team in New Delhi to explore ways to strengthen World Bank support towards India’s development with collaboration in specific areas of trade, logistics and investment.The team was led by Ms. Caroline Freund, Director of Trade, Regional Integration and Investment Climate and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director for the World Bank in India.

2.India has two $100-billion companies as Reliance shares surge : Mukesh Ambani suppressed Alibaba’s Co-founder Jack Ma(China)to become Asia’s richest person as Reliance shares hit an all-time high.Reliance Industries Ltd and Tata Consultancy Services as the only two $100-billion companies in India.

Daily GK Updates - 12th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PepsiCo to help govt in recycling plastic : PepsiCo India decided to support the government’s implementation of extended producer responsibility for plastic waste bottles in Maharashtra.PepsiCo India has partnered with Gem Enviro Mgmt to set up reverse vending machines for the collection & recycling of plastic bottles in the State.The company has also piloted a ‘Film to Fuel’ project to convert packaging film waste into fuel.

2. Aadhaar must for health mission cover : The government has mandated the use of Aadhaar card for administering its massive Ayushman Bharat, or National Health Mission, that assures a ₹5 lakh health cover to 10 crore families.While possessing an Aadhaar card isn’t mandatory to avail services, a proof of enrolment, or request for enrolment, is mandatory.The Ayushman Bharat is scheduled to roll out in August 2018.

3. Seema Darshan project : Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani has approved the Rs.39 Cr Seema Darshan project for developing more infrastructure facilities at Nadabet near Suigam in Banaskantha district.The project is being developed on Wagah Border pattern & entails a parade ground with an amphitheatre.The project will encourage local economic activity in the Rann region & tourists can have a good view of the coastline.

4. Chandrababu Naidu to launch “Anna canteen” : Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu launched Anna canteens in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh as a tribute to father-in-law and Telugu Desam Party founder NTR.A total of 203 such canteens will come up across the state’s 110 municipalities in phases.NGO Akshaya Patra will manage state-run canteens and the scheme will reach out to over 2 lakh people per day.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Connaught Place: 9th most costly location : According to the report of property consultant CBRE, New Delhi’s Connaught Place is the 9th most expensive office location in the world with an annual rent of $153 per sq ft.The ranking was topped by Hong Kong at the 1st position followed by London.The survey highlighted that prime office occupancy cost growth was consistent across all regions in the past 12 months.

2. India’s GM crop area fifth largest in world : According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, India has the world’s 5th largest cultivated area under genetically modified (GM) crops, at 11.4 million hectares (mh).The ranking is topped by the USA (75mh) followed by Brazil (50mh).The GM crop area in India is under a single crop — cotton.The GM traits make crops resistant to pest and weather.

3. 16th Workshop On Greenhouse Gas Inventories : A four-day Workshop has been organized by the Ministry of Environment, Govt of Japan from July 10 to 13, 2018 in New Delhi.The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Harshvardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Earth Sciences.The workshop included policy initiatives of the government to increase penetration of LEDs, 5-10% Ethanol blending in petrol.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. India becomes 69th shareholder of EBRD : India has been formally announced as the 69th shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).India has only taken a shareholding in EBRD but it will not be a recipient of EBRD financing.London-headquartered EBRD is a multilateral development bank set up in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall to promote private & entrepreneurial initiative in emerging Europe.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SEBI to come out with consultation paper : The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will soon come out with a consultation paper on making it mandatory for large corporates to meet one-fourth of their financing needs through bond market.SEBI will discuss with stakeholders before finalising the framework for corporates.SEBI is the regulator for the securities market in India and its chairman is Ajay Tyagi.

2. World Bank report on Malala Day : In a report of world bank ‘Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls’, not educating girls or creating barriers in their school education globally costs between USD 15 to USD 30 trillion.According to the report,132 million girls around the world below 17 are still not in school.The report was released on 12 July 2018, on the eve of United Nations Malala Day.

SPORTS:

1. Olympic torch relay to start in Fukushima : Organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics say the torch relay will start in Fukushima, an area hit by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.The relay will start on March 26, 2020 in Fukushima and will head southward to Okinawa before making its way north again and arriving in Tokyo on July 10.The route was approved by the organizing committee.

OBITUARIES:

1. Spiritual leader Dada Vaswani passes away : Dada Vaswani, spiritual leader and head of the Sadhu Vaswani mission, passed away at the age of 99 in Pune on 12th July.Dada Vaswani is known for actively promoting vegetarianism and campaigning for animal rights.Vaswani had initiated a global peace initiative,‘The Moment of Calm’.His birthday is also observed as World Forgiveness Day.

Daily GK Updates - 11th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s first internet telephony service : BSNL has unveiled 1^st internet telephony service in India that will allow users to dial any telephone number in India through its mobile app, “Wings”.Before this, phone calls on mobile apps was possible within users of a particular app & not on telephone numbers.BSNL customers will be able to make calls on any network in the country even by using BSNL Wi-Fi or any other service provider.

2. India’s first private UAV factory : India’s first private sector unit for manufacturing unmanned air vehicles (UAV) and light bullet proof vehicles (LBPV) will be set up by DCM Shriram Industries Group in Kota.These UAVs and LBPVs are likely to be used by defence and para-military forces in the country.The new defence unit in Kota is being set up under ‘Make in India’ initiative of the union government.

3. 5 new languages for Rajya Sabha members : Members of the Rajya Sabha can now speak in any of the 22 Scheduled Languages from the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on July 18th, 2018.The simultaneous interpretation facility has been added in 5 more languages – Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Santhali & Sindhi.Of the 22 scheduled languages, Rajya Sabha had earlier established simultaneous interpretation service for 12 languages.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India Climbs To 57th Position in GII rankings : India was ranked 57th in the latest Global Innovation Index (GII) rankings.Switzerland maintained its number one position in the Global Innovation Index rankings.Other countries that fell in the top 10 list were Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Finland, Denmark and Germany.GII rankings are published by the World International Property Organisation (WIPO).

2. India-Korea technology exchange centre : India-Korea technology exchange centre was inaugurated by MoS MSME, Giriraj Singh & Minister of SMEs & Start-ups of Republic of Korea, Hong Jong- hak in Delhi.It will work towards identifying Indian technologies which can be exported to Korea & find suitable Korean partners for the same.It will help SMEs of both the countries to learn from each other to enhance their comparative advantages

3. World Population Day : World Population day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues.This year, the theme for the World Population Day is ‘Family Planning is a Human Right’. According to UN, China with 1.4 billion & India with 1.3 billion people are the 2 most populous countries, contributing to 19% & 18 % of the global population respectively.

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE:

1. INS Sumitra enters port of Sabang : Indian naval ship INS Sumitra became the first-ever warship to enter port of Sabang in Indonesia.The warship was deployed in Malacca Straits.Sabang port is located close to the northern entrance of the Malacca straits.Almost 40% of India’s trade passes through Malacca which is one the busiest shipping routes.

2. Indian Naval aircraft deployed for RIMPAC : Indian Navy’s P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft from INS Rajali has inducted at Hawaii for participating in the Rim of Pacific Multinational Naval exercise.This is the first time ever that an Indian Naval aircraft has traversed so far east into the Pacific.The aircraft will form part of the largest naval exercise which has 26 nations participating in this year’s edition.

SPORTS:

1. Arothe resigns as India women’s cricket coach : Indian Women’s Cricket Team Coach Tushar Arothe has stepped down from the role citing personal reasons.A former batting allrounder, Arothe took over as head coach in April 2017 after the removal of Purnima Rau from the job.Having previously been part of the Indian women’s coaching staff between 2008 and 2012, Arothe had been initially appointed until the 2017 World Cup.

2. India bag four medals at Asian Archery : India has bagged four medals in the Asia Cup World Archery Ranking Tournament Stage 3 in Taipei.The feat comprised 3 silver medals and a bronze. India finished joint third with Iran in the championship.India ended their campaign behind toppers Korea and hosts Chinese Taipei.

Daily GK Updates - 10th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Railways introduces double container service : In a bid to capture lost traffic & to enhance its freight revenue, Indian Railways has introduced Double Stack Dwarf container services.The containers are shorter in size and can run on electrified tracks. They can hold a capacity of 30,500 kgs.By using the dwarf containers, the cost will be significantly reduced since rail transport is cheaper than road.

2. India to hold first ever India Tourism Mart : To increase tourist footfalls, India will organise its first-ever India Tourism Mart for 3 days from September 16 in New Delhi.It is expected to provide a platform for all stakeholders in the tourism & hospitality industry to interact & create business opportunities.It will be organised by the Tourism Ministry, in partnership with Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality.

3. Delhi CM approves yatra scheme : The Delhi government would send 77,000 senior citizens along with one adult attendant each on all-expenses paid pilgrimages every year.Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the Mukhyamantri Tirth yatra Yojana.The government would also pay for one attendant over the age of 18 years to accompany each senior citizen.The pilgrims would be selected through a draw of lots.

4. One farmer one transformer’ scheme : In order to reduce electricity losses, the Maharashtra government will launch a new scheme allocating one transformer per farmer.The scheme, “one farmer one transformer”, will be unveiled on August 15.Two lakh farmers will be given electricity connection for high voltage distribution line which will ensure uninterrupted power supply.

5. Gujarat’s Jews gets religious minority status : The Gujarat government has granted religious minority status to the Jewish community in the state.The notification to this effect was issued on July 6 by the state’s Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.They shall get benefits of welfare schemes formulated for religious minority communities within the jurisdiction of Gujarat.

6. Govt launches LAP and TPS for 25 smart cities : To fast track the resolution of area based infrastructure issues, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the Local Area Plan (LAP) and Town Plan Schemes (TPS) for 25 smart cities in the country.Under which the ministry will provide Rs 2 crore as central assistance to every city for planned urban expansion.The LAP and TPS has been formulated under AMRUT.

7. Varanasi to host Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019 : The next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in the holy city of Varanasi in January 2019.The theme of the event, which is being organised in PM Modi’s parliamentary constituency, will be the ‘Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India’.Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed biennially on 9 January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards development of India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China pledges 20 bn in loans for Arab states : China will provide Arab states with $20 billion in loans for economic development, as China seeks to build its influence in Middle East.The money will be earmarked for projects that will produce employment opportunities & positive social impact in Arab States.China is also prepared to provide another 1 billion yuan to countries in the region to build capacity for stability maintenance.

2. Jeremy Hunt named UK foreign secretary : Jeremy Hunt will replace Boris Johnson as the U.K. foreign secretary following Johnson’s resignation.Hunt had served as health minister for more than 5 and half years, the longest term in the history of the State-funded National Health Service.

3. Microsoft signs MoU with Rajasthan Government : Microsoft signed a MoU with the Rajasthan Government to provide free digital training to 9,500 college students in one year.The initiative was taken for the enhancement of digital learning and capacity building of college students in the state.The company will run MS office specialist training programme in 50 government colleges from August which will benefit 9,500 students.

4. UK’s Brexit minister resigns : Britain’s Brexit minister David Davis has resigned from the Cabinet stating policy differences over PM Theresa May’s exit plan from the European Union.It is a blow to May as she seeks to win over Eurosceptic MPs to her proposed Brexit vision, which would form the basis of UK’s position in ongoing talks with EU.Junior minister for housing Dominic Raab will be Britain’s new Brexit minister

5. Pakistan launches 2 satellites from China : Pakistan has launched 2 indigenously built satellites into the orbit from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China.One of the satellites launched is PRSS-1, a remote sensing satellite that will enable Pakistan to meet its imagery requirements in areas of land mapping & agriculture classification among others.It is the 2^nd time both China & Pakistan have collaborated in the space sector.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. ADB approves USD 503 mln lining project : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved USD 503-million lining project of the Son canal in Shahabad-Bhojpur region of Bihar.This project will bring immense benefits to the agriculture sector of Shahabad Bhojpur region of Bihar.The estimated cost of this project is USD 503 million out of which USD 352 million is being provided by ADB.

SPORTS:

1. PR Sreejesh to lead Indian hockey team : Goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh will lead the 18-member Indian Men’s Hockey Team at the 18th Asian Games, slated to be held in Jakarta and Palembang from August 18.Midfielder Chinglensana Singh Kangujam has been named the Vice Captain for the tournament.Indian forward Akashdeep Singh has returned to the Indian squad.

Daily GK Updates - 9th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government sets noise standards for airports : The Union Environment Ministry has set noise standards for airports across the country, excluding defence aircraft, and those that are landing and taking off.A civil airport with more than 50,000 aircraft movements per year should not exceed noise levels beyond 75 dB(A) Leq (decibels) during the daytime.It should not exceed 65 dBA during the night.

2. SC for Live-Streaming Of Court Hearings : Senior lawyer Indira Jaising and others filed a petition for live streaming of Court’s proceedings.The Centre in its reply to the petition said if the top court takes a policy decision; it can facilitate the setting up of a separate channel for the Supreme Court.Chief Justice Deepak Misra said, “The concept of access to justice can be stretched through live streaming.

3. Modi inaugurated largest mobile factory : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Noida and inaugurated the New Mobile Manufacturing Plant of Samsung at Noida.Notably, it will be the world’s largest mobile factory.With the beginning of this New Plant, India’s Make In India and Skill India Will get a major Push in the country.

4. Rajnath to chair 2-day plenary meet : A 2-day plenary meeting of NE Council will be chaired by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Shillong.He will discuss development projects with the Governors and CM of northeast states in thepresence of Union Minister for Development of NE Region.Some of the major issues set to be discussed at the meet would be water resources management, POSHAN Abhiyan, road connectivity, and more.

5. 51 lakh houses approved in 3 years under PMAY : More than 51 lakh dwelling units have been sanctioned by the government under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (urban) in last 3 years.This jump is a huge one in comparison to the erstwhile housing scheme, under which only 12.4 lakh houses were approved in 9 years.Out of these 51 lakh houses, over 8 lakh houses have already been completed.

6. Tenth edition of Delhi dialogue : India will held the 10th edition of Delhi Dialogue on 19-20 July 2018.It is a premier annual event to discuss politico-security, economic and socio-cultural engagement with ASEAN members.RCEP is a free trade area consisting of 10 ASEAN members and six FTA partners which includes India.

7. Himachal banned sale of thermocol cutlery : The Himachal Pradesh government has banned the use and sale of thermocol cutlery including cups, plates, glasses, spoons or any other item in the state.Those violating the order will be fined according to the quantity of the thermocol.The state government has set a deadline of three months for manufacturers to dispose of their stocks.

8. Section 144 to be used in animal emergencies : The National Board of Wildlife has recommended that states use Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, during wildlife emergencies.The provision will be used to “prevent people from gathering in large numbers, which aggravates wildlife emergency situations”.The Centre is expected to issue advisories to the state governments regarding the recommendation.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Best-ever Booker Prize winner : The English Patient’ was voted as the best-ever Man Booker Prize winner, celebrating five decades of this prestigious literary award.

Michael Ondaatje’s ‘The English Patient’ won the Booker Prize in the year 1992 and was made in a movie in 1996 that won nine academy awards.The novel beat 4 other novels in an online poll that received a total of 9,000 votes.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Bills of Rs 29.41 crore raised by IAF : Over Rs, 29.41 crores were spent to ferry the newly-issued Rs 500 and Rs 2000 currency notes after demonetisation using Indian Air Force’s ultra-modern transport aircraft.IAF aircrafts C-17 and the C-130J Super Hercules undertook 91 sorties for transporting the currency.RBI had spent Rs 7,965 crore in 2016-17 post-demonetisation for printing the new Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes.

SPORTS:

1. Dhoni played 500 international matches : The Indian team’s senior-most player Mahendra Singh Dhoni reached the coveted milestone of playing 500 international matches during the second T20 International against England.In doing so, Dhoni became the third Indian after Sachin Tendulkar (664) and Rahul Dravid (509) to breach the 500 match barrier in international cricket.He has played 90 Test matches and 318 One Day Internationals.

2. Dalabehera bags bronze in World Weightlifting : Indian lifter Jhilli Dalabehera has bagged the bronze medal in the 2018 IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championships at Tashkent.She lifted 167 kg in the 48 kg category to finish third on the podium.According to Indian Weightlifting Federation Secretary General Sahdev Yadav, Jhilli is the 2nd woman lifter after Saikhom Mirabai Chanu in 2013 to win a medal in the Junior World Championships.

3. Dipa Karmakar clinches gold medal : India’s premier gymnast Dipa Karmakar clinched a gold medal in the vault event of FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup at Mersin in Turkey.Karmakar who had finished fourth in the vault event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, scored 14.150 to win gold.This is Dipa’s first medal in a World Challenge Cup. She had topped the qualification also with a score of 13.400.

Daily GK Updates - 8th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Government launches ‘technology challenge’ : To eliminate human entry into septic tanks for cleaning, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched a ‘technology challenge’ seeking suitable solutions.The challenge is a part of the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention to be held on 2 October.The proposals will be adopted on the basis of operational effectiveness, life of machinery, & ease of use among others.

2. Subsidy on rooftop solar power installations : Himachal Pradesh government has announced a subsidy of 10% or Rs. 4,000 per Kilowatt, whichever is less, for installation of solar power plants at the rooftop of their buildings.This subsidy would be additional to the subsidy given by Central government.The subsidy amount would be deposited directly to the bank account of the consumer through Himachal Pradesh Energy Development Authority.

3. PM to inaugurate statue of unity : PM Modi will inaugurate the Statue of Unity on 31st October 2018, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.The construction of the tallest statue in the world that began in December 2015, is nearly complete.World’s tallest statue dedicated to country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabbhai Patel is being built with 5,700 Metric tonne structural steel and 1,900 MT of bronze.

4. Ram Vilas Paswan to attend UNCTAD meet : Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan will attend the UNCTAD meeting of a third inter-governmental group of experts on consumer protection on July 9-10 in Geneva.The group has been set up under the revised UN Guidelines on Consumer Protection.The session will also deliberate on measures on protection of vulnerable & disadvantaged consumers.UNCTAD is the UN body looking after consumer issues.

5. Indian railways to launch special train : The Indian Railways is planning to launch a tourist train, Sri Ramayana Express, which will cover all locations associated with the Ramayana.The train will run from Ayodhya (UP) to Colombo (Sri Lanka) via Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu).The train will begin from Safdarjung station and its first stop will be in Ayodhya, the birthplace of the Hindu Lord Ram.

6. T.K Chand gets knowledge excellence award : Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand received the Knowledge Excellence Award from Secretary, Mines, Govt. of India for Outstanding Contribution in Aluminium Knowledge domain.Chand is an Indian mining veteran and is the Chairman cum Managing Director of National Aluminium Company (NALCO).NALCO is the largest integrated aluminium unit in Asia and is also one of the largest aluminium complexes of the world.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World’s largest mobile factory : Samsung has set up what is the world’s largest mobile factory at Sector 81 in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.Not just mobiles, the expansion of current facility will double Samsung’s production capacity of consumer electronics like refrigerators.Samsung is currently making 67 million smartphones in India & with the new plant being functional, it is expected to manufacture nearly 120 million phones.

2. World Sanskrit Conference in Vancouver, Canada : HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the 17^th World Sanskrit Conference to be held at Vancouver, Canada from 9th to 13th July, 2018.The conference aims to promote, preserve & practice the Sanskrit language all over the world by the people.World Sanskrit Conference is being held in various countries across the globe once in every 3 years & so far it has been held thrice in India.

3. South Korean President to arrive in India : South Korean President, Moon Jae-in is on a four-day visit to India.During his visit, he will hold talks with PM Modi on several issues, including the situation on the Korean peninsula & ways to boost bilateral trade and defence cooperation.Moon’s visit to India comes nearly a month after the historic summit between US President Donald Trump & North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

  

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. PSU banks plan to raise over Rs 50,000 cr : Public sector banks are planning to tap the markets to raise more than Rs 50,000 crore this fiscal.Out of 21 public sector banks, 13 have already taken the approval of their boards or shareholders for raising capital through the equity market.Capital is very much required for these banks as they are saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs) of about Rs 10 lakh crore.

DEFENCE:

1. India reconsidering fighter jet programme : India has conveyed to Russia its unwillingness to go ahead with the joint development of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft primarily due to high cost involved in the project.India and Russia had signed an inter-governmental agreement for the mega project in 2007.In December 2010, India had agreed to pay USD 295 million towards the preliminary design of the fighter jet.

2. Indian warship INS Trikand reaches Sri Lanka : India’s frontline warship INS Trikand has reached Sri Lanka in a goodwill visit.Senior Indian officers, including Lt. Colonel Ravi Shekhar Mishra held discussions on matters of mutual interest with their Lankan counterparts.INS Trikand is a state-of-the-art warship of the Indian Navy equipped with a versatile range of weapons & sensors capable of addressing threats in all 3 dimensions.

OBITUARIES:

1. Senior Congress leader Jacob passes away : Senior Congress leader and former Meghalaya Governor M M Jacob passed away at the age of 90.Jacob, a former Union Minister, had also served as deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha in the 80s.Hailing from Ramapuram, Jacob had served as General Secretary and Treasurer of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee & Chairman, Kerala State Seva Dal Board and an elected member of AICC for many years.