Daily GK Updates : 17th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India petitions FAO for a ‘Year for Millets’ : Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare has requested the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to declare an “upcoming” year as International Year of Millets.This would help garner wider global attention to millets which are not only nutritious but also resilient to climate change.India is celebrating 2018 as the national year of millets.

2. NPPA fixes ceiling price of 92 drugs : The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the ceiling price for 92 drug formulations, including those used for the treatment of cancer, hepatitis C, migraine and diabetes among others.NPPA fixes the ceiling price of essential medicines of Schedule I under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) 2013.NPPA monitors the prices of controlled and decontrolled drugs.

3. Railways launches “Digital Screens” : The Ministry of Railway has launched digital screens to spread awareness among public about the heritage of Indian Railways.The project aims at showcasing the legacy of Indian Railways through one to two minute-long movie clips on digital LED screens.In addition, QR code based posters on Railway Heritage are also being displayed at these stations.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Paraguayan President Abdo Benítez sworn in : Right-wing former Senator Mario Abdo Benítez has been sworn in as the new president of Paraguay after defeating his liberal rival in April elections.Mr Abdo Benítez is the son of a close aide to ex-military dictator Alfredo Stroessner.He replaces Horacio Cartes.Mario Abdo Benítez got involved in politics in 2004

2. Israeli Navy to procure Barak 8 missile : The multipurpose Barak 8 missile defence system will be procured by the Israeli Navy to protect its economic zones and strategic facilities from diversified threats.The Barak 8 missile defence system is jointly developed by India and Israel.Barak-8 is an operational air and missile defense system used by the Israeli Navy as well as by the Indian Navy and air forces.

3. Qatar to invest $15 billion in Turkey : Qatar has promised to make a USD 15 billion direct investment in Turkey.The announcement came after Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held talks with Turkish President Erdogan.Turkey has been badly hit by a currency crisis amid a widening diplomatic standoff with the United States.

4. China’s rover to explore dark side of moon : China has unveiled a new lunar rover as it prepares to become the first nation in the world to explore the dark side of the moon.China’s last lunar rover — named Yutu, or Jade Rabbit — ceased operation in August 2016 on the surface of the moon as part of the Chang’e 3 mission.China announced its intentions in 2015 to send a rover to the dark side of the moon.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. TCS becomes most valued company : Tata Consultancy Services on 16th August 2018 pipped Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to regain the crown of India’s most valued company in terms of market capitalisation.RIL had on 14th August 2018 dethroned TCS to clinch the title of the most valued Indian company by market valuation.The m-cap figure of companies changes daily with stock price movement.

2. India Ratings cuts growth forecast to 7.2% : India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised its FY19 economic growth forecast down to 7.2% from 7.4% earlier.It cited the headwinds emanating from elevated global crude oil prices and the government’s decision to fix the minimum support prices of all kharif crops at 1.5 times the production cost.Ind-Ra provides ratings, research and rigorous analytics of market in India.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1.Iron and Titanium found on ‘Ultrahot Jupiter’ : The astronomers carried out new observations of exoplanet Kelt-9b.Kelt-9b is the hottest exoplanet discovered and was discovered in 2017.Astronomers discovered that the atmosphere is made up of vaporized iron and titanium.The team used the Galileo National Telescope in La Palma, Canary Islands, to observe the planet.

2. ISRO’s first mission to study the Sun : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to study the Sun through its Aditya-L1 satellite which will be inserted in a halo orbit, which is 1.5 million km from the Earth during 2019-2020.Aditya-L1 will be launched by PSLV-XL from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.ISRO had planned to use Aditya-1 to observe only the solar corona, which is the outer layer of the Sun.

OBITUARIES:

1. Atal Bihari Vajpayee passes away at 93 : Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee died on 16th August, 2018 Three-time Prime Minister, Vajpayee was the first and the only non-Congress Prime Minister to serve a full five-year term from 1999 to 2004; and for short periods of 13 days in 1996 and 13 months in 1998.He was first elected to Parliament in 1962 as a member of Rajya Sabha. In 1971, he won his first Lok Sabha seat.

Daily GK Updates - 16th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Madhya Pradesh Launches “Dial 100” Police App : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on 15th August launched Dial 100 Mobile app.The App will help the needy at the time of emergency.As soon as police receive a call through Dial 100 application, Madhya Pradesh Police will reach the location as soon as possible.

2. K S Srinivas takes over as MPEDA chief : KS Srinivas formally took over (on August 13) as Chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.KS Srinivas is a 1997 batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre.Prior to his new assignment, he served a stint as Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture.

3. Haryana’s first civil airport in Hisar : Haryana’s first civil airport was inaugurated at Hisar.A MoU was also signed between the state government and SpiceJet Limited for assistance in development of Phase-II and III of the integrated aviation hub.With the inauguration of the first phase of the project today, all facilities required for flying an aircraft have been made available at the airport

4. Telangana launches two Human Welfare Schemes : Telangana government launched two major schemes – free eye screening for all citizens and life insurance for farmers on 15th August, 2018.Under ”Kanti Velugu” (Eye Sight), the entire population of 3.7 crore will be provided free eye care.”Rytu Bima” (Farmer insurance) is aimed at providing life insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh to every farmer.

5. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan unveiled : Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of world’s largest government-funded programme – the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan.It will be launched on the birth anniversary of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay on 25th September.The government has decided to provide 5 lakh rupees health care insurance coverage for the poor and vulnerable.

6. N Raghuram elected Chair of INI : Indian scientist-academician, N Raghuram, has been elected Chair of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), a global policy making initiative.Raghuram is the first Indian and Asian to be elected to the Chair.Raghuram specialises in the biological determinants of nitrogen use efficiency in crops.He has been the President of the Indian Nitrogen Group.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.UK returns stolen 12th century Buddha statue : A 12th Century statue of Lord Buddha which was stolen from India some 57 years ago was returned by the United Kingdom on 15th August 2018The gold idol with silver inlay was one of the 14 images stole in 1961 from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site museum in Nalanda, Bihar.The image was discovered by Vijay Kumar, who is associated with India Pride Project.

2. Ang Lee to be honoured by DGA : Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will be one of the recipients of the annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) honours at its ceremony. The DGA Honours recognises individuals and institutions that have made distinguished contributions to American culture through the world of film and television.Ang Lee received the Oscar award for ‘Life of Pie’ in 2013.

3. scientist awarded by Albany Medical Center : The recipients of the annual Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research were announced on 15th August 2018.The recipients are James Allison, Dr Carl June and Dr Steven Rosenberg.Three scientists will share a $500,000 medical prize for their studies of the immune system that have led to innovative treatments for cancer, HIV and other diseases

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. BSNL launches VOIP based WINGS service : Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has launched BSNL WINGS a VOIP based service.In WINGS, there is no SIM or cable wiring as is a VOIP service through an app.The WINGS service offers unlimited free audio/video calling for one year.The facility can be used anywhere within the country and the app automatically uses the existing address book in the phone.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Bharti Axa ties up with Airtel Payments Bank : Bharti Axa Life Insurance and Airtel Payments Bank entered into an alliance to offer the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana’ (PMJJBY).Airtel Payments Bank also becomes the first payments bank in India to offer the PMJJBY.Under the tie-up, PMJJBY will be initially available at one lakh Airtel Payments Bank banking points across the country.

  

SPORTS:

1. Nihal Sarin becomes India’s 53rd Grandmaster : Nihal Sarin became India’s 53rd Grandmaster after attaining his third and final Grand Master-norm in the Abu Dhabi Masters.He is only the third grandmaster from Kerala after GN Gopal and SL Narayanan.He is the twelfth youngest grandmaster in chess history.Earlier in June 2018, Chennai-born R Praggnanandhaa secured the title of the grandmaster and became India’s 52nd grandmaster.

OBITUARIES:

1. Former cricket captain Ajit Wadekar dead : Former Indian cricket captain Ajit Wadekar died on 15th August, 2018.Ajit Wadekar led the country to its first overseas wins in England and West Indies in 1971.He played 37 Test matches and scored 2,113 runs.He was also India’s first ODI captain.He was awarded Arjuna Award in 1967 and India’s fourth highest civilian honour, the Padmashri, in 1972.

Daily GK Updates - 15th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Odisha CM launches health scheme : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the start of Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), an universal health coverage scheme in the state on 15th August 2018.The scheme would benefit 70 lakh families.Under the scheme, secondary and tertiary chashless health care assistance will be provided up to Rs 5 lakh per family per annum.

2.Raj to observe Sept as ‘month of nutrition’ : Rajasthan will observe September as the “month of nutrition” to create awareness among people living in the state.In the month of nutrition awareness in rural as well as urban areas will be created for nutrition.From September, students of Class 1 to 8 of government schools will be given milk daily instead of thrice a week.

3.Shaurya Chakra for Major Aditya, Aurangzeb : Rifleman Aurangzeb and Major Aditya Kumar of Indian Army will be conferred the Shaurya Chakra along with 18 others Armed Forces Personnel and members of Paramilitary Forces.Sepoy Vrahma Pal Singh was selected for Kirti Chakra posthumously.The President has approved 131 Gallantry Awards to armed forces personnel and members of paramilitary forces.

4.Prez awards medals to Indian Coast Guard : President of India has awarded one President’s Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished Service, five Tatrakshak Medal for Gallantry and two Tatrakshak Medal for Meritorious Service on the  to Indian Coast Guard personnel.The President’s Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished Service has been awarded to IG Rakesh Pal.These awards are being given to the personnel of Indian Coast Guard since 1990.

5.Scheme for monitoring drugs safety aspects : The AYUSH Ministry introduced a new central sector scheme for monitoring of the safety aspects of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and documenting their adverse effects.The ministry introduced the scheme for promoting pharmacovigilance of these drugs.All India Institute of Ayurveda was designated as the National Pharmacovigilance Centre.

6.WB govt lifts income ceiling for ‘Kanyashree’ : The West Bengal government has widened the reach of its flagship women welfare scheme ‘Kanyashree’ by lifting the ceiling on annual family income.As per the scheme, unmarried girls above 13 years are offered cash incentive for remaining unmarried till 18.Kanyashree was launched in 2013 to prevent child marriage in economically weaker sections with an annual household income of ₹1.2 lakh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 24th World Congress of Philosophy held in Beijing, China : The five days 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) was held in Beijing, China (13 to 17 August) 2018.The objective of the WCP is to contribute to the development of professional relations between philosophers of all countries, promote philosophical education, and contribute to the impact of philosophical knowledge on global problems.The theme of WCP was “Learning To Be Human”.Around 6,000 philosophers & academics from 121 countries and regions had attended the event.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. REC inks pact with German bank : Rural Electrification Corporation has inked a loan agreement with German bank KfW for EUR 200 million.The fund will be used to finance clean energy projects in India.This is REC’s fourth line of credit under Indo-German development cooperation which REC will utilise to finance renewable energy projects in India.

SPORTS:

1. Ramesh appointed women’s team head coach : The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Ramesh Powar as the Head Coach of Indian Women’s Cricket Team.Powar’s term will include a tour to Sri Lanka, a bilateral series in the West Indies in October 2018 followed by the ICC Women’s World T20 in West Indies in November 2018.Powar has played 31 ODIs and two Tests from 2004 to 2007 for India.

Daily GK Updates - 14th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Rajnath inaugurates NDMC Smart City projects : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated various initiatives as part of smart city project of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on 13th August, 2018.The facilities inaugurated includes smart poles with free wi-fi, 360 degree cameras and environmental sensors, solar tree with the LED lights, mobile charging points, ideation centre for promoting smart city entrepreneurs.

2. IRDA constitutes working group : Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) constituted a working group to the norms for insurance surveyors.The 7-member working group has been formed to address areas pertaining to licensing, renewal and others in the context of the existing regulatory framework for Surveyors and Loss Assessors.The working group will submit its report within 2 months.

3. Govt dismisses Usha Ananthasubramanian : The government has dismissed Usha Ananthasubramanian, former managing director of scam-hit Punjab National Bank and Allahabad Bank, from service.Usha, who completed her one year as the CEO & MD of Allahabad Bank on May 6 2018.She also served as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Punjab National Bank from August 2015 to May 2017.

4. Uttarakhand HC appoints itself as guardian : The Uttarakhand high court said it would act as the legal guardian of cows in the state.The court did this by invoking the ‘parens patriae’ doctrine and is a doctrine that grants the court inherent power and authority to act as guardian for those who are unable to take care for themselves.

The court banned slaughter of cows, bulls, bullocks, heifers or calves in the state.

5. Hry to launch Ayushman Bharat in 22 districts : Haryana will launch its pilot health project Ayushman Bharat Haryana from August 15, 2018 in 22 district hospitals, one ESI and one medical college.Under this scheme medical facility upto Rs 5 lakh will be provided for free to 15.50 lakh families.Initially this facility will be provided in government hospitals, which would later be started in empanelled private hospitals.

6. Jodhpur, Marwar cleanliest railway stations : Rajasthan’s Jodhpur and Marwar railway stations have emerged the cleanliest among the major stations in the country.While Jodhpur secured the first position in A1 category stations for 2018, Marwar took the pole position in A category, according to the study report released Nby Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.the North Western Railway (NWR) topped the list as the cleanest zone.

7. First project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme : The first project under the central government’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme, ‘North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom’, will be inaugurated by Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla on 14th August, 2018.

The project covers 2 sites – Kangla Fort and Khongjom.‘Swadesh Darshan’ is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Tourism for the development of thematic circuits in the country.

8.First project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme : The first project under the central government’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme, ‘North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom’, will be inaugurated by Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla on 14th August, 2018.

The project covers 2 sites – Kangla Fort and Khongjom.‘Swadesh Darshan’ is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Tourism for the development of thematic circuits in the country.

9. Pune tops Ease of Living Index 2018 : Pune has topped the Ease of Living Index 2018, followed by Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai.This was announced at the launch of the Index as well as Swachh Survekshan 2019 in New Delhi on 13th August 2018.The Ease of Living Index will help cities assess their liveability in relation to global and national benchmarks.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vienna is world’s most liveable city : Vienna has replaced Melbourne for the first time at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index.

Damascus retained the last place, followed by the Dhaka, and Lagos in Nigeria.

The survey does not include several of the world’s most dangerous capitals, such as Baghdad and Kabul.

2. India rejects U.K. proposal on DNA tests :India rejected a proposal by the U.K. to use DNA sampling to establish the nationality of illegal migrants living there citing “privacy issues”.As per the proposal, security agencies in India were to verify the antecedents of illegal migrants without documents in the U.K. within 72 days and those with documents within 15 days.India refused to sign the final pact in April 2018.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Inflation slows to 9-month low at 4.17% : Retail inflation eased to a nine-month low of 4.17% in July 2018 as food inflation cooled to its lowest level since July 2017.

Inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) slowed from the 4.92% pace set in June 2018.Among all the Indian states and Union Territories, West Bengal recorded the highest annual inflation rate of 7.37%.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Terms of two PSU banks’ chairmen extended : he government gave two-years extension to non-executive chairman of two public sector banks.Canara Bank Chairman T N Manoharan and Bank of India Chairman G Padmanabhan were given two-years extension each.They were appointed chairmen in August 2014 for a term of three years.

DEFENCE:

1. JCOs are gazetted officers, says Defence Min : Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) in the Indian military are gazetted officers, the Defence Ministry has clarified in an order issued on August 1, 2018.The Ministry has instructed the three services to issue suitable identity cards to the JCOs immediately in the order.JCOs and equivalent officer having been accorded gazetted officer status by an Act of Parliament.

SPORTS:

1. Smitha tops list of India’s wealthiest women : Smitha V. Crishna was ranked first in the ‘Kotak Wealth Hurun-Leading Wealthy Women 2018 list’.Roshni Nadar, the CEO and executive director at HCL, ranks second in the list.The chairperson of the Times Group, Indu Jain, ranks third in the list.Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder and MD of Biocon, ranks fourth in the list.

Daily GK Updates - 13th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nirmala Sitharaman dedicates to nation bridge at Hussainiwala border in Punjab : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dedicated to the nation a bridge at the Hussainiwala border in Ferozepur district of Punjab.It is a permanent bridge as the old one was demolished in 1971 during the Indo-Pak war to stop the advancement of the Pakistani forces.The bridge is the only lifeline for nearly 10 villages connecting Hussainiwala enclave with the rest of the country.

2.  Swachh Survekshan 2019 : 2019 Swachh Survekshan will focus on sustainability and public participation.Swachh Survekshan 2019 will be conducted across all cities and towns across the country between 4th – 31st January 2019.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 12 August: International Youth Day : The International Youth Day (IYD) is observed every year on 12^th August(first in 2000) to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.The theme for International Youth Day 2018 is “Safe space for Youth”.There are currently 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world.

2. 12 August: World Elephant Day : The World Elephant Day (WED) is being observed to spread awareness about the animal.The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated a four-day special event Gaj Mahotsav in New Delhi,The goal of International Elephant Day is to create awareness of the urgent plight of African and Asian elephants and to share knowledge and management of captive & wild elephants.

3. Nepal-India literature festival 2018 begins in Birgunj : The two-day Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018 has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Province 2 Mohammad Lalbabu Raut in Birgunj, Nepal.The festival is aimed at strengthening Indo-Nepal ties.Around 250 participants from India and Nepal, organized by Nepal India Co-operation Forum.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Axis Bank introduces iris authentication for Aadhaar-based transactions : Axis bank has become the first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan Authentication feature (customer to scan their iris on a tablet) for Aadhaar -based transactions through its micro ATM tablets.It will boost the bank's financial inclusion efforts by making Aadhaar authentication process hassle-free and offering easier access to digital banking for consumers especially in the rural parts of the country.This is being run as a pilot project in 8 branches of rural Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA launches parker solar probe to ‘Touch Sun’ : US space agency the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) blasted off a USD 1.5 billion spacecraft toward the Sun on a historic mission to protect the Earth by unveiling the mysteries of dangerous solar storms.The Parker Solar Probe rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.The probe is set to become the fastest-moving manmade object in history.It is the first spacecraft to be named after a living person - astrophysicist Eugene Parker, 91, who first described solar wind in 1958.

2.  India to launch its 2nd lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 on January 3 next year : According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan, India will launch its 2^nd lunar mission "Chandrayaan-2" (3,890-kg) on 3^rd January 2019 to land on the moon with a lander and rover.It will be launched onboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-3.It will orbit around the moon and study its lunar conditions to collect data on its topography, mineralogy and exosphere.This is the first time India will have a rover landing on the moon nearly 50 years after American astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the eerie lunar surface in 1969.

SPORTS:

 1. Viraj Madappa wins maiden Asian Tour title : Indian golfer Viraj Madappa  has become the youngest Indian to win on the Asian Tour.He won his maiden title on the Asian Tour at Take Solutions Masters in Bengaluru and USD 63,000 cheque. Earlier, the record held by Gaganjeet Bhullar, who won the Indonesia Invitational when he was 21-years

OBITUARIES:

1. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee passes away : Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee passed away due to multi-organ failure at a city hospital in Kolkata.Chatterjee served as Lok Sabha Speaker during the UPA-I rule (2004 to 2009).He was elected to Parliament’s Lower House for ten times since 1971.He won the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1996.In July 2008, he was expelled from the Communist Party of India(Marxist) for refusing to resign as Speaker after his party CPM