Daily GK Updates - 12th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.ISRO to celebrate Sarabhai centenary : The Indian Space Research Organisation will have a year-long Vikram Sarabhai centenary celebration starting in August 2019 to honour visionary scientist and its legendary founding father.Sarabhai, the architect of the Indian space programme, the first ISRO chief and renowned cosmic ray scientist, was born on August 12, 1919.

2. Gita Mittal is first Woman CJ of J&K : Justice Gita Mittal became the first-ever woman Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.She was administered the oath of office by Governor NN Vohra.The ceremony took place at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

3. AIIMS starts wellness clinic to tackle stress : All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has started a wellness clinic for its medical students and doctors.Medical college in India experiences the highest level of stress than students in any other country.The wellness clinic is being run under the supervision of the AIIMS psychiatric department.

4. Tahilramani sworn-in CJ of Madras HC : Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani was sworn-in as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court by Governor Banwarilal Purohit at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Sunday.The new Chief Justice, along with Justice M. Duraiswamy would hear from August 13.She was born in 1958 and started practice in the Bombay High Court as well as City Civil and Sessions courts in Mumbai in 1982.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.efence Minister meet South Korea counterpar : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with South Korean counterpart Young-Moo Song.The two ministers discussed “issues of mutual interest” and ways to strengthen cooperation in defence and security.The meeting comes ahead of a planned high-level meeting between the rival Koreas on Monday.

2. Pak Navy’s maritime ship to visit Colombo : Pakistan Navy’s maritime security ship ‘Kashmir’ to visit Sri Lanka’s Colombo port on Monday for a four days visit.During the stay the officers and men of the ship will take part in various professional activities with Sri Lankan Navy.

3. Meeting of Senior Officials of BIMSTEC held : A special meeting of Senior Officials of the Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was held in Kathmandu on 11th Aug.Senior officers from all member states and Secretary General of BIMSTEC attended the meeting.The group was formed in 1997.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. FPIs infused Rs 8,500-cr in capital markets : Foreign investors have pumped in over Rs 8,500 crore into the Indian capital markets in the last eight trading sessions.The latest fund infusion comes following a net inflow of over Rs 2,300 crore in the capital markets equity and debt last month.Prior to this overseas investors had pulled out over Rs 61,000 crore during April-June

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI to sell NPA worth Rs 2490 crore : SBI will sell two non-performing assets worth Rs. 2490 crore.These two accounts include Bombay Rayon worth Rs 2260.79 crore and Shivam Dhatu worth Rs 229.32 crore.The e-bids will be processed on August 20

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. World’s first mission to touch the Sun starts : NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, mankind’s first mission to ‘touch’ the Sun, has been launched today on a seven-year long journey.Liftoff took place from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the US early today.The Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona.

DEFENCE:

1. Army to produce products for soldiers in India : The Army is giving final touches to a long-pending project to manufacture specialized clothing, sleeping kits and key equipment for its soldiers deployed in the Siachen glacier – the world’s most dangerous battlefield.Currently, Army source the clothes and other equipment from US. Australia, Canada, and Switzerland.The army will save nearly 300 crores annually by indigenous production.

SPORTS:

1.Badminton championship: Jayaram ends runnerup : Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram had to be content with a runner-up at the Vietnam Open after losing the final to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City.It was second consecutive runner-up finish for Jayaram on the circuit as he had also reached the final at the White Nights International Challenge, last month.The 30-year-old Indian had an impressive run at the tournament.

OBITUARIES:

1. VS Naipaul passes away : British novelist and Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Sir. V.S. Naipaul passed away in London.Sir Vidia, who was born in rural Trinidad in 1932, was known for works including ‘A Bend in the River ‘and his masterpiece, ‘A House for Mr Biswas’.He published more than thirty books, both of fiction and nonfiction, over some fifty years.

Daily GK Updates - 11th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Modi launched the digital platform Parivesh : Modi launched the digital platform the “Pro Active and Responsive facilitation by interactive and Virtuous Environment Single window Hub” (Parivesh).It is an initiative of the Environment Ministry.Through this portal, environmental clearances for forest and climate-related issues will be done easily. He also gave clearance to the first project which is being built in Odisha via Parivesh.

2. Exhibition inaugurated by Ministry of Culture : An exhibition entitled ‘Prathibandhit Sahitya mein Swatantrata Sangram’ (Freedom Movement through Proscribed Literature) was inaugurated on 10th August in the premises of National Archives of India, in New Delhi.The Exhibition was based on the unique collection of proscribed literature.It is being organised by Ministry of Culture.

3. Rajendra Menon sworn in as CJ of Delhi HC : Justice Rajendra Menon was sworn in as the new Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court by Lt Governor Anil Baijal at a ceremony held at the Raj Niwas in New Delhi.Justice Menon was earlier the Chief Justice of Patna High Court.He succeeded Justice Gita Mittal, who was elevated to head the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

4. Santali to get own Wiki edition : Santali has become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its own script after the Santali Wikipedia went live earlier this month.Wikipedia contributors from India, Bangladesh and Nepal generated the content for the page, officials said.Santhali is written in Ol Chiki script and spoken by 6.4 million people, according to the 2001 census.

5. ree sex change operations – Kerala : The Kerala government will foot the bill for transgenders willing to undergo sex change operations, CM Pinarayi Vijayan has announced.An amount of ₹2 lakh will be reimbursed as hospital expenses, while those who have already undergone such surgeries can also apply for reimbursement.Earlier, Tamil Nadu had announced free sex change surgeries in government hospitals for transgenders.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.SCO Peace Mission 2018 - Russia : As part of Shanghai Cooperation Organization initiatives, SCO Peace Mission Exercise is conducted biennially for SCO member states.The joint exercise for the year 2018 will be conducted from 22 August to 29 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk, Russia.This will be a historic occasion due to the maiden participation of India post becoming a full member of the SCO in June 2017.

2. World’s 1st Hindi-Speaking Robot ‘Rashmi’ : Ranchi-based software developer Ranjit Srivastava is developing the world’s first Hindi-speaking humanoid robot, claimed to cost just Rs 50,000 so far.Named Rashmi, the AI-powered robot can also speak Bhojpuri, Marathi, and English, and is equipped with facial expressions and recognition systems.He was inspired to create Rashmi after seeing Hong Kong-made humanoid ‘Sophia’ in 2016.

3. Army Commander heads for China to visit Delhi : India and China will be engaged in a series of military related confidence building measures over the next 2 weeks.It includes visit by Chinese Defence Minister to Delhi in the backdrop of the Wuhan Summit.A four-member Indian Army delegation headed by Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Abhay Krishna will be going on a “goodwill visit” to China from August 13 to 19.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Industrial output hits 4-month high of 7%Industrial output recorded a four-month high growth rate of 7% in June on account of higher output in mining, manufacturing and power generation segments.The cumulative growth for the period April-June 2018 stands at 5.2% over the corresponding period of the previous year.The manufacturing sector, which constitutes 77.63% of the index, grew by 6.9 per cent in June

2. US to create Space Force by 2020 :The US Defence Department will create a Space Force as the sixth branch of the military by 2020, Vice President Mike Pence announced.Advancements in space technology made it clear that space is the new battlefield for the 21st Century, Pence said.Pence also announced plans to establish the US Space Command and the Space Development Agency.

SPORTS:

1. Lionel Messi named Barcelona’s captain : Lionel Messi will replace Andrés Iniesta as Barcelona’s captain for the new season, after the latter ended his 22-year stint at the Spanish club.Messi, who already wears the armband for Argentina, has previously led Barça in Iniesta’s absence.Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentine national team.

Daily GK Updates - 10th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Lok Sabha passes bills to amend GST laws : The Lok Sabha passed four bills amending laws relating to the Goods and Services Tax (GST).The Central GST (Amendment) Bill, 2018, Integrated GST (Amendment) Bill, 2018, The Union Territory GST (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2018 got the Lok Sabha’s nod.The provisions will allow taxpayers to amend their tax returns in order to rectify errors

2.Scheme to provide pulses to states for PDS : The Government decided to sell nearly 3.5 million tonnes of pulses to states at Rs 15 per kg lower price than the wholesale rate for distribution under public distribution system (PDS) and other welfare schemes.The decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.The Centre will provide 3.48 million tonnes of pulses to state governments from its stock.

3. ‘One District one Product’ Summit inaugurated : The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) Summit on August 10, 2018 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.The scheme aims at promoting one traditional industry in every district such as lock industry in Aligarh, silk-weaving in Varanasi and biscuit-making in Amethi.Under ODOP, Rs 250 crore loans will be disbursed to start-ups.

4. Jal Bachao, Video Banao, Puraskar Pao Contest : The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation announced the winners for the first fortnight of the ‘Jal Bachao, Video Banao, Puraskar Pao’ contest that was launched on 10th July 2018.The winners will be given prize amount of Rs 25,000/, Rs 15,000/- and Rs 10,000/- respectively.The objective of the contest is to spread awareness about water conservation.

5. NITI Aayog to host Investor Conference : NITI Aayog hosted an investors’ conference to attract investments for the development of eco-tourism on public private partnership basis in Andaman & Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands.The conference was inaugurated by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.NITI Aayog has been mandated to steer the Holistic Development of Islands program, along with the respective UT administration/ State Governments.

6. Rekha Sharma appointed chairperson of NCW : NCW member Rekha Sharma has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Commission for Women.Rekha Sharma was earlier a member of the Commission and was holding the additional charge of chairperson.The National Commission for Women is the apex national level organisation of India with the mandate of protecting and promoting the interests of women.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Cabinet approves MoU between India and Korea : The Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Korea on Trade Remedy Cooperation.The MoU was signed in July 2018 during the State visit of President of South Korea to India.The MoU will promote cooperation between the two countries in the area of trade remedies viz. anti-dumping, subsidy and countervailing and safeguard measures

2. Cabinet approves MoU b/w India and Indonesia : The Union Cabinet approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Indonesia on health cooperation.The MoU paves way for cooperation in the areas of research and development; active pharmaceutical ingredients and IT-based medical equipment.It also covers human resource development; health services; and any other area as may be mutually agreed upon.

3. World Biofuel day observed on August 10 : World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th August.The aim is to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and to highlight the various efforts made by the Government in the biofuel sector.The World Biofuel Day is being observed by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas since 2015.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Ikea Opened its 1st India Store in Hyderabad : Ikea, the Swedish retail giant opened its first Indian store in Hyderabad on 9th August 2018.Ikea’s next store is planned to open in Mumbai in the summer of 2019, followed by another in Bangalore in 2020.The Swedish furniture retailer has already invested 4.5 billion euros ($5.2 billion) into India.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. PayPal enters into pact with HDFC Bank : PayPal, and HDFC Bank have entered into a partnership.The partnership will result in a safer, faster and more convenient payment experience for HDFC Bank cardholders and help drive incremental digital spend.HDFC cards will be presented as a payment option during enrollment and subsequent payments, with the ability for consumers to easily open PayPal accounts.

2. UAE top source of inward remittances : According to the Reserve Bank of India’s survey of inward remittances for 2016-17, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as the top source of inward remittances, while Kerala has received the maximum funds sent from abroad.UAE’s share in total remittances was 26.9%.More than half of remittances received by Indian residents were used for family maintenance, i.e., consumption.

SPORTS:

1. Neeraj Chopra to be India’s flag-bearer : Javelin thrower star Neeraj Chopra will be India’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2018.Chopra, who won the gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2018 event in Gold Coast, will lead India’s contingent in the multi-sport event.The 2018 Asian Games will take place from August 18 to September 2 and will be held in Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang.

Daily GK Updates - 9th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.DNA Technology Regulation Bill introduced : The government introduced DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill 2018 in the Lok Sabha.The Bill seeks to provide regulation for the use and application of DNA Technology for establishing the identity of certain categories of persons including the victims, offenders, suspects, under trials, missing persons and others.

2. MoU signed between Tribal Affairs & AYUSH : Ministries of AYUSH and Tribal Affairs inked a MoU to promote Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and forest produce for livelihood development of tribal people.National Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Board will identify potential medicinal plant species of the tribal areas.The MoU will support training and awareness program on Good Agricultural Practices & Good Field Collection Practices.

3. 650 branches of IPPB to be launched on Aug 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 650 branches of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) on the 21st August, 2018.The IPPB has been setup under the Department of Post, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by the Indian government.The IPPB will leverage the vast network of the Department of Posts with 1.55 lakh access points, three lakh postmen and Grameen Dak Sewaks.

4. Harivansh elected new RS Deputy Chairman : Harivansh Narayan Singh has been elected as the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman by defeating the joint Opposition candidate BK Hariprasad.Elections for the post of the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman were held on 9th August 2018.Harivansh, a journalist by profession, has worked as additional media adviser of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar.

5. AIIA signs MoU with IIT : All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology to boost research in traditional medicine and streamline hospital care facilities in the country.The MoU is aimed at upgrading the national institutes of traditional medicine at par with the IITs and IIMs.AIIA is a public Ayurveda medicine & research institution located in New Delhi.

6. S Gopakumar joins UIIC as Director & GM : Public sector non-life insurance firm United India Insurance Company announced the appointment of S Gopakumar as its Director and General Manager.Prior to taking up the new role, Gopakumar was serving GIC Housing Finance Ltd as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.Gopakumar began his career with public sector National Insurance Company.

7. Khangchendzonga in list of Biosphere Reserves : The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from India that has been included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves.Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim is one of the highest ecosystems in the world.The core zone – Khangchendzonga National Park was designated a World Heritage Site in 2016 under the ‘mixed’ category.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Supreme Court finalises new BCCI Constitution : The Supreme Court relaxed some of the key recommendations made by Justice Lodha panel relating to reform cricket administration in the country.Crucial modifications have been brought about in the ‘One State-One Vote’ policy and interpretation of the cooling-off period for BCCI office bearers.The Court also accorded full membership to Railways, Services and Association of Universities

2. Oscars introduces new ‘popular film’ category : The Academy which runs the Oscars ceremony has added a new category to honour popular films.The Academy also plans to set an earlier air date for the Oscars in 2020 — February 9 — and will be making that broadcast more “globally accessible.”The award show will also be capped at three hours long.

3. Ivan Duque sworn in as new Colombian prez : Colombia’s conservative Ivan Duque Marquez took oath as the country’s 60th president, succeeding Juan Manuel Santos, who had been in power since 2010.Duque defeated Petro, in a presidential run-off in June with 54% votes.Duque who formerly served as a senator was the presidential candidate for the Democratic Centre Party for the election in 2018.

4. Michelle appointed as Next UNHR Chief : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Michelle Bachelet as the Chief of United Nations Human Rights.Bachelet also served in 2010 as the first director of UN Women, the UN agency promoting gender equality worldwide.Also, she was Chile’s first woman president and served the post twice- 2006-10 and 2014-18.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. RBI to pay ₹ 50,000 crore dividend to govt  : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will transfer ₹50,000 crore of its surplus money to the government, the highest since 2015-16.The Reserve Bank, which follows July-June financial year, has paid about 63% higher dividend than the previous year (2016-17).Under the RBI Act, 1934, the Reserve Bank of India is required to pay the government its surplus fund.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1.Most distant radio galaxy discovered : An international team of astronomers has detected the most distant radio galaxy ever observed.The researchers determined that the galaxy is about 12 billion light-years away.This radio galaxy has been named ‘TGSS J1530+1049’, and it was initially discovered using the Giant Meter-wave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in India.

2. Forty-four new exoplanets discovered : Scientists have found 44 planets beyond our solar system in one go.Astronomers pooled data from NASA’s Kepler and the ESA’s Gaia space telescopes.The findings will improve existing models of solar systems, and may help researchers investigate exoplanet atmospheres.Four of the planets orbit their host stars in less than 24 hours,

Daily GK Updates - 8th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.M. Karunanidhi passes away : DMK chief M Karunanidhi died on 7th August 2018 in Chennai.Muthuvel Karunanidhi was an Indian writer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five terms and twenty years between 1969 and 2011.He has also made contributions to Tamil literature, having written stories, plays, novels, and a multiple-volume memoir.

2. Delhi HC decriminalises begging : The Delhi High Court decriminalised begging in Delhi, saying provisions penalising the act were unconstitutional and deserved to be struck down.The consequence of this decision would be that prosecution under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, against persons alleged to have committed the offence of begging, would be liable to be struck down.

3. Goa gets its own app-based taxi service : Goa got its first and exclusive app-based taxi service called ‘Goamiles’.The app was launched by the Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar.Goamiles is said to be managed by a local Goan company called Frotamiles which is a subsidiary of the parent company Pitasys Software.The app can be downloaded from Google Play Store and Apple Store.

4. Parliament passes Immovable Property Bill : Parliament passed a bill to amend the regulations governing the compensation payable for acquisition of immovable property by the Centre for defence and security purposes.The bill seeks to amend a provision to allow the Centre to re-issue the notice of acquisition to ensure that the property owner gets an opportunity to be heard.the amendments included changing the year of the Bill.

5. MHADA to rope private landowners for PMAY : The Maharashtra government to rope in private landowners to collaborate with Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) to implement the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (PMAY) in urban areas.Private landowners having more than 10 acres of land are eligible to participate in the scheme.The MHADA will construct houses for economically weaker sections and lower income groups.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tokyo 2020 to use facial recognition :  A facial recognition system using artificial intelligence will be used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.The Tokyo Olympics will be the first games to have this kind of security system using facial recognition technology.It is aimed at strengthening security and preventing terrorism, as well as shortening waiting times to lower athlete stress.

2. 3rd India-Nepal Coordination meeting in Delhi : The 3rd India-Nepal Coordination meeting was held in New Delhi on August 8, 2018.A seven-member delegation from Nepal, headed by Inspector General of Nepal Armed Police Force Shailendra Khanal will take part in the three-day meeting.Several important matters like security scenario along the border, coordination meetings at field level and training of police personnel will be discussed.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Government raises duty on textile products : India doubled import duties on 328 textile products to 20%, as the world’s largest cotton producer sought to curb soaring imports from China.The government in July had doubled import duty on over 50 textile products — including jackets, suits and carpets — to 20%.Import duty is a tax collected on imports and some exports by a country’s customs authorities.

2. Nikhil Nanda appointed as chairman and MD : Farm and construction equipment maker Escorts appointed Nikhil Nanda as the chairman and managing director (MD) of the company.The company’s board unanimously appointed Nikhil as the chairman and MD to succeed his late father, Rajan Nanda.Nikhil has been a key member of the company’s board since 1997.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1.SpaceX launches reusable rocket : SpaceX relaunched its newest version of its Falcon 9 rocket booster to send a communication satellite for Indonesia into the orbit.The so-called Block 5 booster, which SpaceX says will be able to fly as many as 10 times with routine maintenance.The booster first flew on May 11 2018, when it delivered the first Bangladeshi satellite into space.

2. New compound may reverse human cell ageing : Scientists have developed a novel compound which can reverse ageing in human cells, and may lead to “anti-degenerative” drugs.Researchers tested compounds designed to target mitochondria  the “power stations” of cells.The compounds – AP39, AP123 and RT01 – help the old or damaged cells to generate the ‘energy’ needed for survival and to reduce senescence.

SPORTS:

1. Indian Men’s hockey team rises to 5th rank : Indian men’s hockey team jump one spot to fifth in the latest FIH rankings chart.India is the only team which registered an upward movement among the top 10 teams.The Indian team, which now has 1484 points in its kitty, is above the likes of 2012 Olympic champions Germany, England and Spain.World champion Australia maintained its top spot with 1906 points.