Daily GK Updates - 18th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Karnataka to set up five tech innovation hubs : Karnataka’s first ‘K-Tech Innovation Hub’  was inaugurated in Belagavi by K J George, Karnataka Minister for IT/BT & ST.The K-Tech Innovation Hub backed by providing space and infrastructure, prototyping facilities and a world-class innovation network.The K-Tech Innovation hub leverages the globally connected ecosystem & brings infrastructure similar to the MIT Fab Lab to Belagavi.

2. Govt to deliver 11 Crore Ayushman Cards : The government will be printing and delivering 11 crore Ayushman Bharat ‘family cards’ by organizing public contact programme called ‘Ayushman Pakhwaras’.The CEO of Ayushman Bharat- National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) is Indu Bhushan.The scheme was announced by Union Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget 2018 and is expected to be the world’s largest health coverage scheme.

3. FASTags compulsory to obtain national permit : Vehicle tracking systems and FASTags for electronic toll collection will be made mandatory for all commercial vehicles obtaining the national permit.The proposed amendment also provides that driving license and pollution control certificates can be carried in physical or digital form.It also provides that no fitness certification at the time of registration for new transport vehicles.

4. Bihar raises compensation for rape victims : The Bihar government increased the compensation amount for acid-attack and rape survivors from Rs 3 lakh to 7 lakh.

Human traffic victims would receive a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each instead of the Rs 1 lakh paid currently.The acid attack victims would be given a monthly compensation of Rs 10000 instead of lump sum.Survivors who are under the age of 14 would get 50% more compensation.

4. 67th National Garment Fair 2018 in Mumbai : The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) organized “India’s Largest Apparel Trade Show – The 67th National Garment Fair” from 16th July to 19th July 2018 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.A Memorandum of Understanding between Govt of Gujarat & CMAI was signed to promote Gujarat as a destination for investments.The Fair was inaugurated by Kishore Biyani, CEO of Future Group.

5. SC demands new law to stop lynching : India’s highest court has asked the government to enact a new law to deal with an increase in mob violence and lynchings.Supreme Court recommended Parliament to create a new penal provision to punish the offenders and stem the mob-related violence.The direction was given by three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and ordered parliament to decide within six months.

6. J&K abolishes interviews for Class-IV jobs : The Jammu and Kashmir government today abolished interviews for all Class-IV posts in the state and the selection.All recruitment for Class-IV posts under State, Divisional and District Cadres also for companies, organizations & bodies substantially owned by Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB).The decision will speed-up the selection process against these posts.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. First Pondicherry International Film Festival : The festival organized by Pickurflick and Puducherry Tourism Department, which will begin on September 26, will be hosted at Puducherry.The inaugural edition of the festival will focus on the cinema, art, and culture of France, which is the partner country for the five-day long event.

The mega festival will also promote Puducherry as a tourist destination.

2. Nelson Mandela International Day 2018 : Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honor of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s 1st black president which is celebrated each year on 18 July.The day was 1st celebrated as UN Mandela Day on 18 July 2010 and 2018 marks the 100th birth anniversary.Mandela is remembered for his anti-apartheid activities and fight against poverty and promoting justice for all.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Steel Ministry announces pension scheme : The steel ministry has agreed to introduce a pension scheme for its CPSEs (Central Public Sector Enterprises) like SAIL and RINL.The pension scheme is estimated to cost an additional financial burden of Rs 540 crore.The pension scheme will be subject to factors like affordability, capacity to pay and sustainability by the CPSEs.The current Steel Minister is Chaudhary Birender Singh.

2. Goldman Sachs names David Solomon as CEO : Goldman Sachs Group Inc named David Solomon as its next chief executive officer.Solomon to succeed CEO Lloyd Blankfein, who was the CEO since June 2006 and will be retiring on 1st October.The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in New York City.Solomon previously worked for Irving Trust and Drexel Burnham.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Chaturvedi: ICICI’s non-exec chairman : RBI has approved the appointment of Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as non-executive (part-time) Chairman of the ICICI bank till June 30, 2021.Girish Chandra Chaturvedi was previously the petroleum secretary.

ICICI Bank announced that Kochhar has decided to go on leave till the completion of an external inquiry into the matter of lending loan to Videocon group.

SPORTS:

1. Neeraj Chopra wins Gold at Sotteville Athletics Meet : Neeraj Chopra, India’s javelin star, struck Gold in the Meeting International de Sotteville-les-Rouen in France.Chopra’s throw of 85.17m was enough to clinch the top spot on the podium.The winning distance from Chopra was, however, less than the 86.47m he achieved for gold at Gold Coast CWG.Neeraj is a part of India’s squad for the Asian Games 2018.

Daily GK Updates - 17th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 1st dedicated corridor for freight trains :  Indian Railways is set to get its first publicly-owned dedicated corridor for freight trains on 15th August 2018.The 190-km railway line between Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and Phulera in Rajasthan, which fall under the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC).It will connect Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and then will terminate at Mumbai, Maharashtra.

2. India’s 1st skill training centre in Odisha : Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stone of India’s first National Skill Training Institute in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.The proposed institute will impart training to trainers and create a skill-based ecosystem to meet the industry demands.The Institute costing Rs 160 crore will come up over five acres of land and have state-of-the-art facilities.

3. Assam’s anti-witch hunting bill : President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015, converting it to an Act.The bill has been converted into an Act after almost three years it was passed by Assam’s state assembly on August 13, 2015.It imposes imprisonment of up to seven years, along with a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh, for branding someone as witch.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. “World’s first” remote LEAP microscope : IIT Madras has launched “world’s first” remotely operatable microscope that would enable a precise atom-by-atom view of a material.The Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) was developed in a collaborative exercise involving eight top research institutions headed by IIT Madras.It was developed at a cost of Rs 40 crore.

2. Peru declares 60-day state of emergency : Peru declared a 60-day state of emergency on its Colombian border to ensure security from the menace of drug trafficking in a region.The state of emergency has been declared in Peru’s Amazonian province of Putumayo, which is separated from Colombia by the river of the same name.The president informed the first patrol was carried out by the Peru police and armed forces.

3. 8th India-Oman Joint Meeting Begins in Muscat : The Commerce Minister, Suresh Prabhu, co-chaired 8th session of India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting along with Minister of Industry of Oman, Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy.The Commerce Minister launched investment friendly programmes with a business opportunity in the country.JCM include cooperation in space, SMEs, food security, including durable foods and visit of young entrepreneurs

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. BEL signs MoU with Saab for radar : Defence undertaking BEL has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saab, Sweden for jointly marketing the L-Band 3D Air Surveillance Radar, RAWL-03.Bharat Electrical Limited (BEL) is engaged in the design, manufacture & supply of radars such as like weapon locating, surveillance & communication systems.RAWL-03 will be offered in both ship-borne and land-based configurations.

2. Forbes highest paid entertainers’ list : Floyd Mayweather with earnings of 285 million dollars topped the Forbes list of world’s 100 highest-paid entertainers.Forbes said the world’s 100 top-earning entertainers pulled in a combined $6.3 billion pretax over the past 12 months.Akshay is ranked 76th on the Forbes list of the World’s Highest Paid Celebrities 2018 while Salman is on the 82nd spot.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI ‘kisan mela’ on July 18 : State Bank of India (SBI) will organise ‘kisan melas’ in 875 rural and semi-urban branches spread across Karnataka on July 18.It is an initiative of the bank to connect with farmers and resolve their grievances.The bank also plans to offer Kisan Credit Cards to farmers. The bank will also make farmers aware of the benefits of timely renewal of KCC account & usage of KCC Rupay Card.

DEFENCE:

1.BrahMos supersonic missile test-fired : India’s indigeneously developed surface-to-surace supersonic cruise missile BrahMos was successfully test-fired from Chandipur Test Range off the Odisha coast.BrahMos is a joint venture between DRDO and NPOM of Russia.BrahMos is the first Indian missile whose life has been extended from 10 to 15 years.BrahMos has been operationalised in the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.

Daily GK Updates - 16th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Conference of Heads of AYUSH Institutes : All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under Ministry of AYUSH is organizing two days Conference of Heads of AYUSH National Institutes at India International Centre, New Delhi.Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the conference.Health Universities and research institutes sign MoUs with Sports Authority of India, Indian Institute of Technology.

2. Gujarat to form Sanskrit Bhasha Vikas Board : The Sanskrit language, the state government has decided to form the Sanskrit Bhasha Vikas Board.The decision was announced by state education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama at an event held at the Gujarat University.The university has started a dedicated centre for spoken Sanskrit and also plans to celebrate Sanskrit Utsav.

3. ‘Paudhagiri’ campaign launched in Haryana : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the ‘Paudhagiri’ campaign, aimed at increasing the green cover in the state.Under this campaign, 22 lakh students from class 6 to 12 of all government and private schools in Haryana will plant a sapling each during three months of monsoon.

4. ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award for Aruna Sairam : Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam has been selected for this year’s ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award of the Music Academy.Veteran Mridangam artiste ‘Thanjavur’ R Ramadas was selected for the ‘Sangita Kala Acharya’ award.The ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ and other music awards would be presented at the ‘Sadas’ of the music festival on January 1, 2019.

5. IFFCO rolls out portal for farmers : Fertiliser major IFFCO has partnered with Singapore-based technology firm iMandi to start an e-commerce platform for farmers, with an investment of about ₹80 crore.An e-commerce app, ‘IFFCO iMandi’, has been introduced and would cater to 5.5 crore farmers already associated with the cooperative. A web portal has also been developed.

IFFCO’s managing director is U.S. Awasthi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Bahrain sign pact to boost investment : India and Bahrain signed agreements in the field of healthcare and renewable energy and decided to enhance investments among both countries.The two sides also did an agreement on Exemption from Short Stay Visa for holders of Diplomatic and Official passport.The agreement comes after Sushma Swaraj meets Bahrainain Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.

2. J K Rowling’s next book ‘Lethal White’ : J K Rowling will come out with the fourth novel “Lethal White” in the series about the exploits of private investigator Cormoran Strike under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith.The three previous Strike novels are “The Cuckoo’s Calling” (2013), “The Silkworm” (2014) and “Career of Evil”(2015).J K Rowling is well renowned for her Harry Potter Series.

3. China to launch 300 satellites : China plans to launch 300 low-orbit satellites to provide worldwide communication services, with the first in the series to be launched later this year.The first in the 300-satellite array — known as the Hongyan constellation — is set to be launched by the end of this year.China is already developing BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) to rival America’s Global Positioning System.

4. India signs pact to ease visa restrictions : India on July 15 signed a revised travel agreement with Bangladesh to ease visa restrictions for citizens from the neighbouring country.Under the Revised Travel Arrangement (RTA)-2018, freedom fighters and elderly Bangladeshi nationals will get five year multiple visa from India.Mr. Singh and Mr. Khan also held the 6th Home Minister-Level Talks between India and Bangladesh

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. T.V. Narendran new chairman of Bhushan Steel : Bhushan Steel Ltd, acquired by Tata Steel Ltd, has approved the appointment of T.V. Narendran as chairman and non-executive additional director of the company.Narendran, CEO and MD of Tata Steel, has over 30 years of experience in the metal and mining industry.Tata Steel acquired the controlling stake of 72.65% in Bhushan Steel in accordance with ₹35,200-crore resolution plan.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Transformation Series Challenge by YES Bank : YES Bank, through partnerships with tech giants such as Microsoft, Cisco, IBM and Adobe has unveiled the 7th edition of ‘Transformation Series Challenge’.The Theme of the event is ‘tech for urban development’.The issues identified include over-utilisation of plastic and declining air quality in cities.Rana Kapoor is Managing Director and Chief Executive of YES Bank.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. ISRO scientists test Vikas Engine : ISRO has successfully conducted a ground test of its high thrust version of the Vikas Engine that would improve the payload capability of the space agency’s launch vehicles.The Vikas Engine is the liquid rocket engine used to power the second stage of the ISRO’s trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).The test was conducted at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.

SPORTS:

1. Marc Marquez Wins German Grand Prix : Marc Marquez cruised to his ninth consecutive German Grand Prix win to extend his MotoGP lead at Sachsenring.The Marc Marquez has won in the top category for the last six years and before that won three times in the smaller classes.Rossi finished second and Maverick Vinales coming third.

2. Vinesh grabs gold at Grand Prix of Spain : Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat grabbed a gold at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.Vinesh won the gold medal in the women’s freestyle 50kg category.Vinesh outclassed Canada’s Natasha Fox in the final to claim her second consecutive gold.She had won a gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in the 50kg category.

3. Nozomi Okuhara wins Thailand Open 2018  : Nozomi Okuhara of Japan wins Thailand Open 2018 which was held in Bangkok.She defeated PV Sindhu 21-15, 21-18 in 50 minutes match. By virtue of this win, Okuhara has taken a 6-5 head-to-head win-loss record over Sindhu.The last time the duo met at the All England Championships earlier this year, it was Sindhu who prevailed over the Okuhara.

4. Brij Bhushan to be Chef de Mission : Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Saran Singh is set to be named the Chef de Mission of the Asian Games-bound Indian contingent.The four deputy Chefs de Mission are set to be be appointed.The IOA has announced a 524-member contingent of athletes for the August 18-September 2 Asian Games in Indonesia.

Daily GK Updates - 15th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. T.C.A. Raghavan appointed as DG of ICWA : Dr. TCA Raghavan was appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).He had served as India’s High Commissioner to Islamabad (Pakistan) and Singapore and has served in missions at London, Thimphu and Kuwait.ICWA was established as a non-official, non-political and non-profit organization under the Registration of Societies Act 1860.

2. Army, FTII to provide acting courses in J&K : Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has joined hands with the Indian Army to provide acting courses for the youth of J&K.Renowned actor Gufi Paintal was invited as a special guest faculty to mentor the youth for the course.The youth trained by the Army in theatre and art earlier this year also witnessed the creative rendition of the budding artists.

3. Odisha Govt constitutes Heritage Cabinet : The Odisha Government constituted Heritage Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to preserve the history and culture of Odisha.The Cabinet comprises eight members, including the Chief Minister.While the Chief Secretary will be Secretary of Heritage Cabinet, Secretary in the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture will be the convenor.

4. Assam’s first transgender judge Swati Baruah : The court in Guwahati has got the first transgender judge of Assam.Swati Bidhan Baruah has been appointed as a judge to mediate cases in Lok Adalat.She is the third transgender judge in the country and will mediate in pre-litigation cases related to finance companies.Joyita Mondal of West Bengal is India’s first transgender judge.

5. Haryana Governor gets additional charge : Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki has been given the additional charge of Himachal Pradesh by President Ram Nath Kovind.Solanki would discharge the functions of the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, during the absence of Himachal Governor Acharya Devvrat.Solanki has previously served two terms as a member of the Rajya Sabha and has been a member of various Parliamentary committees.

6. “I Am Not Afraid Of English” campaign : The Haryana Education Department has launched ”I am not afraid of English” initiative to promote English language right from Class 1 in the state’s primary schools.The initiative is aimed at capacity building of teachers to enable them to help the students to learn, read, write and speak English.To start with, a booklet containing 1,000 sentences/phrases has been prepared

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA Juno spots volcano on Jupiter moon Io : Scientists have discovered a volcano close to the south pole of Jupiter’s moon Io, using data collected by NASA’s Juno spacecraft.The infrared data were collected in December 2018, when Juno was about 470,000 kilometres away from the moon, using its Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) instrument.Juno was launched on August 5, 2011, from the US.

2. New Vice-Chair of WCO : India to be VC of WCO’s Asia Pacific regionIndia has become the Vice-Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation (WCO) for a period of two years, from July 2018 to June 2020.A ceremony will be organized in New Delhi on 16 June. The Theme of the Inaugural Ceremony is “Customs – Fostering Trade Facilitation”.WCO represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe that process approx 98% of world trade.

3. University of Houston signs MoU with IIPE : The University of Houston has signed a MoU with the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) to build scientific and technical knowledge through joint research.It covers key areas of possible collaboration in faculty exchanges, offshore and onshore petroleum engineering and process control systems.The MoU also covers possible student exchanges for short-term visits and learning.

4. World’s cheapest clean drinking water : With the launch of the cost-effective innovative water project, Bihar will soon provide the cheapest drinking water in the world.The first of such project was launched in Bihar’s Darbhanga district, by Sulabh International.With the help of this project, people will be able to get clean water in 50paisa/litre.The project converts contaminated pond & river water into safe drinking water.

5. South Africa launches powerful new telescope : South Africa has unveiled the 64-dish MeerKAT radio telescope, slated to be the world’s largest and most powerful telescope on its completion in 2030.Built for $330 million, MeerKAT will be integrated into an array of 3,000 dishes.The telescope is being built by an international consortium, including Australia, Britain, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and the Netherlands.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Malhotra to head Investment Banking of HSBC : The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) has appointed Amitabh Malhotra as the Head of Investment Banking for HSBC India.Amitabh will lead the Investment Banking and Equity Capital Markets business.Prior to HSBC, Amitabh worked at Rothschild India, where he was the co-head and managing director of the Global Investment Bank, based in Mumbai.

SPORTS:

1. Men’s hockey team to be a part of TOPS : The Mission Olympic Cell of Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has included Men’s Hockey team under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).The 18 team members will be provided with a monthly allowance of Rs. 50,000 each.TOPS was launched in 2015 by Ministry of Sports with National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) with the aim supporting potential medal prospects for Olympics.

2. Mike & Jack win 2018 Wimbledon men’s double : Mike Bryan teamed with US compatriot Jack Sock to beat Raven Klaasen of South Africa and New Zealand’s Michael Venus in the final of Wimbledon 2018.Bryan is the oldest man in the Open Era to win the Wimbledon title and it is his 17th Grand Slam title.Bryan had also won the doubles title in 2006, 2011 and 2013 alongside brother Bob.

3. FIFA-France crowned world champion : Twenty years after France won the first World Cup in its country's history, a youthful Les Bleus side beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow to win football's most prestigious prize for the second time. A Mario Mandzukic's own goal and a controversial Antoine Griezmann penalty either side of Ivan Perisic's wonderful long-range strike gave France a 2-1 lead at the break.

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.