Daily GK Updates - 21st July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Odisha to host mega triennial in Dec-Jan : Odisha will host to what is billed as India’s first private sector triennial in December-January that will see theconvergence of artists from the national and international scene.Named the Odisha Triennial of International Art , the events under it will take place in Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark.OTIA is the brainchild of Artists Network for Promoting Indian Culture.

2. New cell to resolve child custody disputes : A mediation cell would be set up under the apex child rights body, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), to resolve child custody disputes arising from cases of transnational marital discord.The Ministry of Women and Child Development has in-principle decided to establish a Mediation Cell under the NCPCR chairperson.

3. MIB panel to be replaced soon : A committee set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to devise ways to regulate online media and other content has been disbanded.The 10-member committee was set up in April.Its mandate will now be handed over to a panel overseen by the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY).The committee has the secretary of MeitY, Ajay Prakash, as convener.

4. Student Police Cadet Programme to be launched : Home Minister Rajnath Singh will launch Student Police Cadet Programme in Gurugram.The programme seeks to build a bridge between the Police and the larger community through school students by inculcating values and ethics in them.The initiative seeks to cover broadly two kinds of topics: crime prevention and control, and values and ethics.

5. Nabard launches Centre for Climate Change : NABARD has launched a centre for accelerating concerted action on climate change by various stakeholders including government, private and financial sectors.The Centre for Climate Change has been set up in Lucknow.It would also support capacity building and project preparation effort in developing countries in the region as also in Africa.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India Heritage Walk fete wins PATA award : India Heritage Walk Festival, a collaboration of Sahapedia and YES Arts & Culture, has been awarded the PATA Gold Award 2018.Sahapedia is an open online resource on the arts, cultures and heritage of India.Sahapedia got the award, announced by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in Bangkok, has been presented to it under the ‘Heritage-Culture’ category.

2.NASA launches online toolkit : NASA has launched an online toolkit to make it easier for users to find, analyse and utilise the most relevant satellite data for their research, business projects or conservation efforts.The “Remote Sensing Toolkit” provides a simple system that quickly identifies relevant sources based on user input.The toolkit is designed to help users search for data as well as code to build new tools.

3. Emergency ambulance service for Sri Lanka : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will eflag a countrywide emergency ambulance service for Sri Lanka through video conferencing from New Delhi.The service has been introduced in two provinces of Sri Lanka with grant assistance from Government of India.India has given a grant of USD 22.8 million to Sri Lanka.This is the largest Indian grant project in Sri Lanka after Indian housing project.

4. Myanmar joins International Solar Alliance : Myanmar joined the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA), becoming the 68th member of the group that is aiming at the optimum utilisation of solar energy.ISA was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015.ISA is open to all 121 member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

5. BIMSTEC summit to be held in Nepal : The 4th BIMSTEC Summit will be held in Kathmandu from 30-31 August 2018, the Nepal government said. Sub-regional connectivity and poverty alleviation will be top of the agenda during the two-day BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multilateral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit.The group formed in 1997 consists of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.

                                         OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Athena to beam internet on earth : Facebook is working on an internet satellite project called ‘Athena’ to beam internet connectivity down to Earth.The company aims to launch the satellite in early 2019.The new satellite project will provide broadband internet connections to “unserved and underserved areas”.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. BoB inks pacts with ten companies : Bank of Baroda signed agreements with 10 companies promote micro and small business entrepreneurs.These companies are from e-commerce, logistics, service providers and traditional small business which contribute 31% to GDP and 45% of exports and employ over 100 million.These MoUs with will help enhance the bank’s footprint in the MSME eco-system.

SPORTS:

1. Mansi settles for silver at Junior Wrestling : India won two medals with Mansi claiming silver and Swati winning bronze in their respective weight categories in women’s freestyle in the Junior Asian Wrestling Championships, 2018.In the 57 kilogram category, Mansi had to settle for a Silver after she lost to Japan’s Akie Hanai in the Final.The overall trophy went to Japan, who finished with seven gold medals.

2. Alisson is world’s most expensive goalie : Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he joined Liverpool from Roma.Roma said the deal for Brazil’s starting goalkeeper at the World Cup in Russia “could be worth up to 72.5 million euros” ($84.5 million).He has been at Roma for two years, playing 37 Serie A games in 2017-18.Alisson became Brazil’s starting goalkeeper in 2016.

OBITUARIES:

1. Chhattisgarh’s first FM Ramchandra Dies : The former and first finance minister of Chhattisgarh, Ramchandra Singh Deo died on 20th July, 2018.He served as the Minister of Water Resources before Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000.The first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Ajit Jogi, chose him as the minister with key portfolios, including finance, commercial tax and planning.

Daily GK Updates - 20th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Debate on no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha : Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced that the Lok Sabha has taken up the debate on no-confidence motion moved by Oppn parties.The motions dealt on issues like special status to Andhra Pradesh, cow vigilantism, lynching and dilution of the SC/ST Act.A motion of no-confidence is a statement or vote which states that the ruling govt is no longer deemed fit to hold the position of power.

2.TN govt launches 24h helpline for couples : The Tamil Nadu govt has informed the Madras High Court that a 24-hour helpline has been set up to investigate issues faced by inter-caste couples and offer them necessary assistance and protection.A special cell has been formed in all districts and cities in the state, comprising district-level officers at the city level, to receive complaints of harassment & threat to inter-caste couples.

3.New Manufacturing Facility For EVM :  ProductionElection Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora inaugurated a new Manufacturing Facility For EVM Production At Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore.Braille EPICards were also distributed for the first time in Karnataka to visually impaired voters.Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are being used in Indian General and State Elections to implement electronic voting and are part from 1999 elections.

4.Andhra CM launches e-Pragati platform :Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu launched ‘e-Pragati’ project, a digital platform for governance in the state.The e-Pragati project, launched at Undavalli, Guntur plans to achieve digitalization in the state & bring transparency in governance; it will work through cloud management.Reforms in education, agricultural marketing, panchayat raj are also available on this platform.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.CPPIB to step up investments in India : Canada’s biggest public pension scheme, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) views India as its main focus for investment in Asia.CPPIB manages Canada’s national pension fund, has invested nearly C$7 billion ($5.30 billion) in India.CPPIB currently owns shares in some leading fast moving consumer goods companies like ITC Ltd., Hindustan Unilever Ltd. & Britannia Industries Ltd.

2.PM to visit Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa from July 23-27.Modi will attend the BRICS Summit in South Africa and will visit Rwanda for a two-day visit, the first by an Indian prime minister where he will sign defence cooperation agreement.During his BRICS summit in South Africa international peace and security will be his main agendas.

3.Google announces Android Dev Summit : The Android Dev Summit is being organized at the Computer History Museum, Moutain View, California on 7 – 8 Nov 2018.The last one was in 2015, and it also happened at the Computer History Museum.Android Developer Days, or ADD, is an open conference held at various locations worldwide each year.

4.First High-Level ‘2+2 Dialogue’ With India : The inaugural ‘two-plus-two dialogue’ between India and the US will be held on September 6 in New Delhi.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis would travel to India for the dialogue.The landmark discussions would be covered by the US to recognize that its purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia and CAATSA.

5.2018 BRICS Media Forum in South Africa: A decision to establish a BRICS Media Academy and a BRICS news portal was taken at the 2018 BRICS Media Forum at Cape Town in South Africa.The Forum, a high-level dialogue among media organizations from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, was held over 2 days under the theme — ‘Fostering an Inclusive, Just World Order’.The forum unanimously agreed to adopt the above declaration.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.MoU between Infosys & BMRCL : The Infosys Foundation signed a MoU with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to build a metro station at Electronic City.The station, part of Phase II metro line under from R.V. Road to Bommsandram, will be named the ‘Infosys Foundation – Konappana Agrahara Metro station’.The Foundation is spending close to Rs. 200 crore to build the station at Konappana Agrahara.

SPORTS:

1.International Army Games 2018, Moscow : Indian Army team has reached Moscow to participate in the International Army games scheduled from July 28 to August 11.India is participating in 2 competitions including the Tank Biathlon and Elbrus Ring – which is mountain warfare combat patrol competition near Elbrus Mountain.The Army games 2018 will be held in 7 countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan & Russia.

OBITUARIES :

1.Poet Gopal Das Saxena ‘Neeraj’ passes :  awayFamous Hindi poet Gopal Das Neeraj passed away at the AIIMS trauma center on 19 July.He was a Professor of Hindi at Dharma Samaj College in Aligarh.He was also accorded the rank of a cabinet minister by the previous Akhilesh Yadav government in UP.He was awarded Padma Shri in 1991 and Padma Bhushan in 2007

Daily GK Updates - 19th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India saw 211 tuberculosis cases per 1 Lakh : According to the ‘World Health Statistics 2018’ released by World Health Organisation (WHO), India saw an estimated 211 cases of tuberculosis (TB) per 1,00,000 people in 2016,Nepal and Bhutan recorded fewer number of TB cases per 1,00,000 population than India.India has pledged to eradicate tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global target set by WHO.

2. Swraj Paul wins lifetime achievement award : NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has received a lifetime achievement award for his contributions towards promoting brand India in UK.The founder of Caparo Group of industries, Paul was recognised at a UK & Asia Business Awards ceremony, organised by World Consulting & Research Corporation.He has also served as the deputy speaker of the Lords & was appointed to the Privy Council in 2009

3. India Post customises affordable life policies : India Post plays an important role in financial services, reaching out in the rural areas with its large and efficient network.Postal Life Insurance extended insurance cover to the rural population under the banner ‘Rural Postal Life Insurance’ (RPLI) in 1995.This scheme is primarily meant for people residing in rural areas, especially women and small and marginal farmers.

4. TN to build India’s next generation aircraft : The Aeronautical Development Agency has set the ball rolling for building the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft by extending an invitation to private players in Tamil Nadu (TN).It is the first time an indigenous military aircraft programme is seeing the involvement of private players.It is also the first time a defence plane development project is proposed to be executed outside Bengaluru.

5. Ramalingam appointed as Chief Justice : Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar was sworn-in as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur.The acting Governor of Manipur Jagdish Mukhi administered the oath of office to Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar.Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar was appointed as Chief Justice of Manipur High Court by the President of India.

6. Centre launches clean-up drive for beaches : The Union Environment Ministry has launched a drive aimed at cleaning 24 beaches and water bodies as well as 24 polluted river stretches in the run-up to the World Environment Day on June 5.The theme of the World Environment Day, to be hosted by India this year, is ‘Beat plastic pollution’.The Ministry has formed 19 teams to implement the campaign.

7. Lalit Kala Akademi gets new Chairman : Artist and sculptor Uttam Pacharne has been appointed as the chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi.Currently, he is ​a member of the advisory committee, Kala Academy, Goa.He is the recipient of National Lalit Kala Award and Maharashtra Gaurav Puraska from Government of Maharashtra.The Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art is India’s national academy of fine arts.

8.  Youngest woman to scale Mt. Everest : Shivangi Pathak from Haryana has become youngest women of the country to scale Mt Everest.16-year-old Shivangi climbed the Mt Everest to spread the message that women could overcome any obstacle to achieve their goals.In 2014, 13-year-old Malavath Poorna from India had climbed Mt Everest from Tibet side and became the youngest girl in the world to the summit at Everest.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CIA’s first female director : US Senate has approved Veteran spy Gina Haspel as CIA’s first female director.She replaces former CIA chief Mike Pompeo who was recently made Secretary of State.Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian foreign intelligence service of US federal government that analyses national security information from around the world.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Indian economy to grow 7.6% in 2018-19 : According to the UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP), India’s economy is projected to grow 7.6% in the fiscal year 2018-19, remaining one of the fastest growing economies in the world.This is a substantial recovery from the 6.7% growth India registered in the year 2017.The report also said that the recovery in private investment remains a crucial challenge in India.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. MPC to meet for three days from June 4 : The Reserve Bank of India has advanced the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting by a day to June 4 and also increased the duration to three days.It is for the first time that the MPC will meet for three days.The six-member MPC, headed by the RBI Governor, sets the benchmark interest rate.MPC was set up by amending the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, through the Finance Act 2016.

SPORTS:

1. Himanta elected Vice-President of BAC : The President of Badminton Association of India (BAI), Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected as the Vice-President of Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC).The election took place during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the continental body in Bangkok, Thailand.Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma became president of the Badminton Association of India in April 2018.

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.