Daily GK Updates - 11th November, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. National Education Day observed: ​The Birth Anniversaries of Abul Kalam Azad (National Education Day) and J. B. Kripalani were observed today. Abul Kalam Azad was an Indian scholar and the senior Muslim leader of the Indian National Congress during the Indian independence movement. Following India’s independence, he became the first Minister of Education in the Indian government. J. B. Kripalani was an Indian politician, noted particularly for holding the presidency of the Indian National Congress during the transfer of power in 1947 and the husband of Sucheta Kriplani.

2. INSPIRE 2018: Power Minister R K Singh inaugurated the International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy Efficiency (INSPIRE 2018). This is the second edition of INSPIRE and is being organised by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and World Bank.

3. Rosogolla Day to be observed: West Bengal will observe ‘Rosogolla Day’ on November 14.The aim is to commemorate the first anniversary of Geographical Indication GI tag as ‘Bengal’s Rosogolla’.

4. ‘Bhubaneswar Me WiFi’: Odisha Govt. has launched ‘Bhubaneswar Me WiFi’ project to make Bhubaneswar with fully Wifi enabled city before Hockey World Cup. It was implemented by the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jeff Sessions, US Attorney General, steps down: ​Jeff Sessions has stepped down from the post of US Attorney General. He is an American politician and lawyer, earlier served as the 84th and current Attorney General of the United States since 2017. A Republican, Sessions served as United States Senator from Alabama from 1997 to 2017, resigning the position in order to serve in the Trump administration.

2. Maldives’ President-elect: ​ PM Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the Maldives’ New President. It is noteworthy that India and Maldives want to improve their bilateral ties and the move of Mr. Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony is considered to be a strategic one. The capital of Maldives is Male.

3. Cyril Ramaphosa as the Chief Guest for Republic Day celebrations 2019: ​India is planning to invite South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as the Chief Guest for Republic Day celebrations 2019. This came after US President Donald Trump rejected the invitation citing scheduling conflicts.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:
1. Global Macro Outlook 2019-20: ​According to Moody’s Investors Service report, Indian Economy to grow at 7.4% in 2018 but will slow down to 7.3% in the next fiscal. Moody’s Investors Service or Moody’s, is the bond credit rating business of Moody’s Corporation, representing the company’s traditional line of business and its historical name. Moody’s Investors Service provides international financial research on bonds issued by commercial and government entities.

2. Ombudsman For Digital Payments: ​Reserve Bank of India is planning to establish an ombudsman for digital payments by March 2019. This is thought keeping in mind the increase in the number of digital payments and the government’s focus on furthering the same.

SPORTS:
1. Bajrang Punia at Number 1 in World in 65kg Wrestling: ​Wrestler Bajrang Punia has achieved number one rank in the 65kg category with 96 points. He is Gold Medallist at both Asian Games 2018 and Gold Coast 2018.

2. Munaf Patel retires from all forms of cricket: ​Cricketer Munaf Patel has announced his retirement from all form of Cricket. He was a part of India’s 2011 World Cup winning squad.

3. 1st Indian woman to score a hundred in T20I: ​Harmanpreet Kaur has become the  1st Indian woman to score a hundred in T20I cricket against New Zealand in the Women’s World T20 2018. She scored 103 runs off 51 balls.

Daily GK Updates - 10th November, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ashok Kumar Gupta appointed as the chairman of Competition Commission of India : Former IAS officer Ashok Kumar Gupta has been appointed as the chairperson of the Competition Commission of India, according to an official communication. The appointment would be till October 25, 2022 -- the date when he attains the age of 65 years -- or until further orders, whichever is the earliest, it addedGupta would replace acting chairperson Sudhir Mital

2.  Digital payment transactions jump to 244 cr in Aug 2018 : The number of digital payment transactions in India touched 244.81 crore in August 2018, more than three-fold rise from October 2016, underlining the massive adoption of digital payment modes over the last two years.The statement by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in New Delhi that New payment modes, BHIM-UPI, AePS and NETC have transformed digital payment ecosystem by increasing Person to Person (P2P) as well as Person to Merchant (P2M) payments.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Science Day for Peace & Development being observed today : World Science Day for Peace & Development celebrated every year on 10^thThe day is observed to highlights the important role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues.It also underlines the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives.The theme for 2018 is “Science, a Human Right”, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers.

2. Vice President Inaugurates Indian War Memorial in France : Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is on a three-day visit to France. He inaugurated Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain.Earlier the Vice President attended the Indian community reception in Paris.The main ceremony at Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris was presided over by the French President Emmanuel Macron.The Vice President also met the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay.

3. Sri Lanka President Sirisena dissolves parliament to pave way for an election : Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday dissolved parliament, paving the way for an early general election in the country which is grappling with unprecedented political crisis after the surprise sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and replacing him with Mahinda Rajapaksa.Sirisena signed an official notification dismissing the 225-member assembly well ahead of its August 2020 term expiry, state television reported.

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE:

1. SIMBEX 18 marks Silver Jubilee this Year : The 25th edition of SIMBEX, an acronym for “Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise” is scheduled from 10th to 21st November 2018 off Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.Bilateral cooperation between Singapore and India was first formalised when RSN ships began training with the Indian Navy in 1994.Both countries have a full calendar of more than 20 bilateral mechanisms, dialogues and exercises, many of which take place annually.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Reserve Bank of India plans payments ombudsman : The Reserve Bank of India is likely to establish an ombudsman for digital payments by March to take the load off the increasing number of complaints currently being handled by the banking ombudsman.Given the rapid adoption of digital payments across the country, RBI in its Annual Report for 2017-18 had said it was considering a plan to establish a separate ombudsman to handle consumer complaints related to digital transactions.

2. RBI relaxes ECB norms for infrastructure companies : The Reserve Bank has liberalized the norms governing foreign borrowings for infrastructure creation "in consultation with the Government".The minimum average maturity requirement for ECBs (external commercial borrowings) in the infrastructure space raised by eligible borrowers has been reduced to three years from earlier five years, a notification said.

Daily GK Updates - 9th November, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Cabinet decides to open a central tribal university in Andhra Pradesh : The Union Cabinet has approved an amendment to the Central Universities Act- 2009 for setting up of a Central Tribal University in Andhra Pradesh.A fund of 420 crore rupees has been granted as the first phase expenditure towards the establishment of the University.The Cabinet has also given in-principle approval for leasing out six airports through Public Private Partnership.

2.  Lok Sabha Secy Gen gets a one-year extension : The Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has extended the tenure of Snehlata Shrivastava (first female Lok Sabha Secretary General) for one year.She is a 1982 batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre.Her extension will be effective from the 1st of December to the 30th of November next year.

3. Uttarakhand celebrates its 18th formation day :  Uttarakhand state is celebrating its 18th formation day with much fanfare and gaiety (after separation from Uttar Pradesh).Uttarakhand’s Governor Baby Rani Maurya reviewed the ceremonial parade at Police line in Dehradun and honoured police personals for rendering excellent service.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vice President Naidu embarks on the three-day visit to France : The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will attend the Paris Peace Forum being held to commemorate the centenary of the end to the First World War.The Heads of State, Heads of Government of over 50 countries and their representatives are participating in the centenary activities.Mr Naidu will attend the ceremony to commemorate the armistice of World War I at Arc de Triomphe.He will also address the Indian community and will inaugurate the Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain.

2. Parliamentary elections to be held on 23^rd December in Bangladesh : According to Bangladesh Chief Election Commissioner of KM Nurul Huda, Parliamentary elections of Bangladesh will be held on 23rd December 2018.All preparations for an election were already completed, the last date for filing of nominations is 19^th November 2018.The ruling Awami League has urged the poll body to stick to its poll plan.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. World Bank inks USD 172 million project agreement with AP : The Central Govt. & Andhra Pradesh (AP) state governments and the World Bank have signed the loan agreement of USD 172.20 million projects to enhance agricultural productivity, profitability, and climate resilience of poor and marginalized farmers in Andhra Pradesh.This project will help to enhance agricultural productivity, profitability, and climate resilience of poor and marginalised farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

SPORTS:

1. Bajwa shoots historic skeet gold at Asian Shotgun Championship : Angad Vir Singh Bajwa has won a gold with a world record score in the men's skeet final at 8th Asian Shotgun Championship in Kuwait.He became the first Indian skeet shooter to win a continental or world level event.Angad shot a perfect 60 out of 60 in the final round to claim top spot ahead of Di Jin  (China), shot 58.

Daily GK Updates - 8th November, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. LS Secretary General got one-year extension : The tenure of Snehlata Shrivastava has been extended by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for one year.She was scheduled to retire on 30 November 2018 but after the extension, she will retire in  30 November 2019.She is the first woman Secretary General of the Lok Sabha.She has served as Secretary in the Ministry of Law and Justice and as Special/Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

2. Proposed Ganga bill bans ports, jetties : According to a proposed ‘Ganga Act’, the government has banned the construction of jetties, ports or ‘permanent hydraulic structures’ in the Ganga river.The Bill lays down a host of restrictions to ensure the ‘uninterrupted, ecological flow’ of the river. The proposed act is formally called the National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Conservation and Management) Bill, 2018.

3. New record created in Ayodhya : A new world record was set in Ayodhya on 7 November 2018 with over three lakh ‘diya’ lit up simultaneously.A total of 3,01,152 diyas were lit up simultaneously for five minutes.The record was created at the Deepotsav event on the banks of the Sarayu river.The target was to illuminate a total of 3.35 lakh diya on both sides of the ghats at Ram Ki Paidi.

4. JNPT planning to host edible oil refinery : Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) is planning to host an edible oil refinery to maximise revenue and ensure captive cargo.The raw material for the refinery will be imported from abroad and a considerable part of the finished products will be sent out through the sea.The port already has a liquid cargo terminal in addition to the 4 container terminals.The port is situated in Maharashtra

5. ‘Bhubaneswar Me Wi-Fi’ launched  : Odisha Government launched the ‘Bhubaneswar Me Wi-Fi’ project in Bhubaneswar on 5 November 2018.The project is implemented by Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL).It will initially have 100 hotspots enabled locations with 275 access points.One wi-fi hotspot would be able to handle 150 users at a given point of timeBSCL is a Special Purpose Vehicle incorporated by Odisha Government.

6. Mo bus’ service launched in Odisha : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘Mo bus’ service in Bhubaneswar on 6 November 2018.The newly-launched buses feature free Wi-Fi, CCTV surveillance, public information display system and on board announcements.The bus service will come up with ‘Mo Bus’ mobile app through which citizens can book their tickets and also get to know the locations of the vehicle.

7. West Bengal to observe ‘Rosogolla Day’ : The West Bengal government will observe ‘Rosogolla Day’ on November 14.The day will be observed to commemorate the first anniversary of the State’s famous sweet getting Geographical Indication (GI) tag as ‘Bengal’s Rosogolla’.On 14 November 2017, West Bengal got the GI tag for ‘Bengal’s Rosogolla’.The GI tag is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. European defence coalition launched in Paris : Defence ministers from European countries met in Paris on 7 November 2018 and launched a jointmilitary force known as the ‘European Intervention Initiative’ or EI2.The military force could rapidly be deployed in response to a conflict or natural disaster.Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Portugal, Britain and Finland are part of this initiative.

2. India loses row over safeguard duty at WTO : India lost a major trade dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 6 November 2018.A dispute settlement panel upheld Japan’s complaint that India’s imposition of safeguard duty on imports of hot-rolled steel flat products during September 2015 and March 2018 violated core global trade rules.Japan launched the dispute settlement proceedings against India in 2017.

3. ASEAN member countries offer concession : Several Asian member countries of the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have offered India a concession on the extent to which it needs to open up its markets.India can now open up 83% of its market against the earlier 92%.The RCEP is a proposed trade agreement between the ASEAN countries and the six free trade agreement partners.

4. Tesla names new chair to replace Elon Musk : Electric carmaker Tesla has appointed Robyn Denholm as the Chairman of the company’s board of directors, replacing Elon Musk.She will also be leaving her role as CFO and Head of Strategy at Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications company.She has been on the Tesla board as an independent director since 2014.Elon Musk will remain the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. ECB norms for infra firms eased : The Reserve Bank of India has liberalised the norms governing external commercial borrowings (ECBs) for infrastructure creation.

The minimum average maturity requirement for ECB in the infrastructure sector has been reduced to three years from earlier five years.Additionally, the average maturity requirement for mandatory hedging has been reduced to five years from earlier ten years.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. Study finds that 3 moons orbit the Earth : A team of astronomers and physicists has confirmed that the dust clouds orbit the Earth.These dust clouds move with the Earth and Moon at a stable 4,00,000 kilometres from the Earth.The dust clouds is also known as ‘Kordylewski’ clouds. The first glimpse of the clouds was seen only in 1961 by Polish astronomer Kazimierz Kordylewski.

Daily GK Updates - 7th November, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. WB inked $172 million agreement with AP : The Central and Andhra Pradesh governments and the World Bank have signed the $172.20 million loan agreement for an agriculture project.The project will enhance the agricultural productivity, profitability, and climate resilience of poor and marginalised farmers in Andhra Pradesh.The projects seeks to ensure that farming continues to remain a financially viable activity.

2.PM to inaugurate various projects in Varanasi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Ring Road Phase-I and Babatpur-Varanasi road in Varanasi on 12 November 2018.The Prime Minister will also launch inland waterways terminal on river Ganga.It is the first of the four multi-modal terminals being constructed on NW-I (River Ganga) as part of the World Bank-aided Jal Marg Vikas project.

3. Namrata Ahuja bagged IPI-India Award : The prestigious 2018 IPI India Award for excellence in journalism has been given to Namrata Ahuja of ‘The Week’ magazine.She received the award for her exclusive story on Naga underground camps.The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, a trophy and a citation.The  International Press Institute (IPI) is a forum of editors, publishers and senior executives of newspapers and magazines.

4. Meghalaya announces Aqua Mission 2.0 : The Meghalaya Government announced `378 crore investment in the State’s flagship aquaculture mission named ‘Meghalaya State Aqua Mission 2.0’.The aim of the mission is to cut down fish imports into the State.Under the mission, willing partners will need to contribute only 15% while another 25% will be credit linkages and the rest 60% Government assistance.

5. First Chairperson of Lokayukta sworn in : Retired Gauhati High Court judge Pranoy Kumar Musahary was sworn in as the first Chairperson of Meghalaya Lokayukta on 6 November 2018.Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office to Justice (retd) Musahary.The Lokayukta is empowered to probe allegations of corruption against public functionaries such as the Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Assembly.

6. Separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh : The Supreme Court has given nod for a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh.It will start functioning from 1 January 2019 in Amravati.The new court will be the 25th High Court in the country.Presently, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have a common High Court situated at Hyderabad.The existing court will from 2019 be known as the Telangana High Court.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan-China luxury bus service launched : Pakistan and China have launched a luxury bus service passing from Lahore to Kashgar city in China on 5 November 2018.

It is part of an initiative to connect the two countries via road under the US$ 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).The bus will take 36 hours from Lahore to reach the Xinjiang province in China’s far west

2. China unveils replica of its space station : China has unveiled a replica of its first permanently crewed space station.The Chinese space station would replace the international community’s orbiting laboratory, International Space Station (ISS).The station assembly is expected to be completed around 2022 and would have a lifespan of around 10 years.The ISS has been in operation since 1998 but is due to be retired in 2024. 

3. S. Korea, U.S. resumed marine drills : South Korea and the United States resumed their combined marine drills on 5 November 2018.The Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP) exercise has been suspended for six months since May 2018 as the two countries engaged in diplomacy with North Korea.The two-week KMEP involves some 500 troops, including U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan, and military equipment.

4. Dharmendra appointed Ambassador to Iran : Senior diplomat Gaddam Dharmendra has been appointed India’s Ambassador to Iran.Dharmendra is a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer.At present, he is the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.He replaced Saurabh Kumar, who was appointed India’s ambassador to Myanmar in October 2018.

5. India elected as a Member of the ITU Council : India has been elected as a Member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council for another 4-year term (2019-2022).The elections to the council were held during the ongoing ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 at Dubai, UAE.The ITU is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) that is responsible for issues that concern information and communication technologies.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. MoU signed between NMCG & HCL foundation : The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has signed a MoU with the HCL Foundation to work on tributaries of Ganga- Hindon and Yamuna and to increase forest cover in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.The two organisations will work for sensitisation and awareness programs on forest and environment conservation.The organisations will also try to ensure plantation success rate of 60% to 70%.

SPORTS:

1. Book on history of women’s cricket to be out : A book on history of women’s cricket in India will be released on 30 November 2018.The book, titled ‘The Fire Burns Blue: A History of Women’s Cricket in India’, is co-authored by sports journalists Karunya Keshav and Sidhanta Pathak.The book explores the biggest moments for the game in the country.

2. Elavenil-Hriday won gold in shooting : India’s Air Rifle mixed team junior pairing of Elavenil Valarivan and Hriday Hazarika won the gold medal at the 11th Asian Championship in Kuwait City on 6 November 2018.A second Indian pair of Mehuli Ghosh and Arjun Babuta also won bronze in the same event.The silver medal was won Chinese pair of Shi Mengyao and Wang Yuefeng.

3. Angad Vir Singh won gold medal in shooting : Angad Vir Singh Bajwa won the gold medal in the men’s skeet final of the 8th Asian Shotgun Championship on 6 November 2018.He became the first Indian skeet shooter to win a gold medal at any continental or world level event.Di Jin of China won the silver medal while Saeed Al Maktoum of UAE won the bronze medal.

Daily GK Updates - 6th November. 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Naidu launched ‘Jaipur Foot’ camp in Malawi : Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated a ‘Jaipur Foot’ camp in Malawi.The camp was launched under the ‘India for Humanity’ programme, which honours Mahatma Gandhi’s service to humanity.The Indian government partnered with Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayta Samiti for ‘India for Humanity initiative’.The ‘India for Humanity’ was launched on 2 October 2018.

2. Lucknow stadium renamed after Vajpayee : The newly-built ‘Ekana International Stadium’ has been renamed after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow.The stadium will now be known as ‘Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium’.UP Governor Ram Naik has approved the government proposal to this effect. 

3. Jayant Sawarkar to get Maha lifetime award : Noted Marathi actor Jayant Sawarkar will be honoured with the Maharashtra government’s ‘Natvarya Prabhakar Panshikar Lifetime Achievement’ award in the field of theatre.The ‘Sangeetacharya Annasaheb Kirloskar Lifetime Achievement’ award will be given to tabla artist Vinayak Thorat.Both awards comprise cash prizes of Rs 5 lakh, citation and memento each.

4. Anupam Kher got ‘Distinguished Fellow’ award : Anupam Kher was honoured as a ‘Distinguished Fellow’ by IndiaGlobal – a leading think-tank that works on issues concerning non-resident Indians.The actor was given a fellowship on November 3, 2018 at the 3rd IndiaGlobal Summit.The event was held at the prestigious MIT Sloan School of Management in Boston, and was facilitated by MIT Sloan India Business Club.

5. Ram Mohan Roy award for N. Ram : Veteran journalist and The Hindu Publishing Group Chairman N. Ram has been chosen for the prestigious Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award 2018.The award is presented by the Press Council of India (PCI) for his outstanding contribution to journalism.Ruby Sarkar, the chief correspondent of Deshbandhu, and Rajesh Parshuram Joshte of Daily Pudhari, have been named joint winners for ‘Rural Journalism’.

6. Guidelines for ‘Operation Greens’ issued : Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has approved the operationalisation strategy for Operation Greens.Operation Greens was announced in the Budget speech of 2018-19 with an outlay of Rs 500 crores.It was launched to stabilise the supply of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) crops and to ensure availability of TOP crops throughout the country round the year without price volatility.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Earth’s ozone layer is finally healing : According to a new United Nations report, earth’s protective ozone layer is finally healing from the damage caused by aerosol sprays and coolants.The upper ozone layer above the northern hemisphere should be completely repaired in the 2030s and the gaping Antarctic ozone hole should disappear in the 2060s.The ozone layer had been thinning since the late 1970s.

2. UN Pledging Conference held : The 2018 ‘United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities’ was held on 5 November 2018.About 19 countries pledged a total of USD 425.69 million at the Pledging Conference.India pledged contributions of USD 13.36 million for the various UN agenciesIndia’s pledged contributions include $4.5 million to the UN Development Programme.

3. ‘Preventing the environment from War’ observed : The ‘International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict’ is observed every year on 6 November.The aim is to educate people about the damaging effects of war and armed conflict on the environment.The day was declared by the United Nations on 5 November 2001.

4. India allowed to buy Iranian oil-US : India is one of the eight countries to receive temporary exemptions from U.S. sanctions on Iran that came into effect on 5 November 2018.The other countries that have been exempted are China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey.U.S. said that each country on the list had demonstrated ‘significant reductions’ of the purchase of Iranian crude over the past six months.

5. MoU signed between India & South Korea : A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea on 5 November 2018.The MoU was signed in the field of sports cooperation.The cooperation under this MoU may include areas like exchange of coaches, athletes, and experts.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. RBI imposed Rs 1 cr fine on Fino Payments Bank : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on Fino Payments Bank for opening new accounts despite directions not to do so until further order on 5 November 2018.This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.Fino Payments Bank started its operations in June 2017.

DEFENCE:

1. INS Arihant completes Nuclear Triad : INS Arihant, India’s first nuclear-powered submarine, successfully completed its first deterrence patrol.This means that INS Arihant is now prowling the deep seas carrying ballistic missiles.Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN) submarine is part of Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command.The vessel has been designed by the Indian Navy’s Submarine Design Bureau

SPORTS:

1. Elavenil Valarivan won bronze medal : Elavenil Valarivan won the bronze medal at the 11th Asian Shooting Championship in Kuwait on 6 November 2018.Elavenil shot 227.9 in the corresponding Women’s event to claim the bronze medal.Shi Mengyao of China won the gold medal while Xu Hong won the silver medal at the event. 

2. Divyansh won silver medal in men’s shooting : India’s junior shooter Divyansh Singh Panwar won a silver medal in the 11th Asian Shooting Championship in Kuwait city on 6 November 2018.Divyansh shot 251.4 in the final of 10m Air Rifle Junior Men’s event.Wang Yuefeng from China won the gold medal, who shot a Junior World and Asian record score of 252.

3. Gafur Rakhimov elected president of AIBA : Uzbek businessman Gafur Rakhimov was elected president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Rakhimov beat his only opponent, former boxer Serik Konakbayev of Kazakhstan.The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is a sports organisation that sanctions amateur (Olympic-style) boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.

Daily GK Updates - 5th November, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 1st India-Nepal passenger train : The first passenger train to run on ‘broad gauge’ between India and Nepal is likely to run from December 2018.The train will run from Jayanagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Dhanusa district in south-eastern Nepal.An immigration check-post is likely to be established at Jayanagar station.No visa will be required for Indian and Nepalese nationals crossing the border through this stretch.

2. AR Rahman launched his biography : AR Rahman released his biography, ‘Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of AR Rahman’, in Mumbai on 3 November 2018.

The book has been written by author Krishna Trilok.AR Rahman has won six National Film Awards, two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and fifteen Filmfare Awards

3. Ayurveda Day celebrated on 5th November : Ayurveda Day was observed on 5th November 2018.Ministry of AYUSH observes Ayurveda Day every year on ‘Dhanawantari Jayanti’ (Dhanteras).On this occasion, Ministry is organising a ‘National Seminar on Entrepreneurship and Business Development in Ayurveda’ in association with NITI Aayog on 4th & 5th November 2018.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India to extend USD 310 m loan for Zimbabwe : India would extend a US$ 310 million loan to Zimbabwe to finance a rehabilitation project for a thermal power plant that would entail upgrading the station and extending its lifespan.Hwange is Zimbabwe’s second biggest power plant with an installed capacity of 920 MW.The decision was taken during a meeting between Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

2. Changsha declaration’ signed in China : More than 20 countries have committed to ‘Changsha declaration’ on agricultural and rural development in Changsha, China on 2 November 2018.The ‘Changsha Declaration’ aims to ramp up the efforts towards South-South Cooperation, an initiative working to eliminate hunger and malnutrition through the mutual sharing and exchange of good practices, resources.

3. India ranked 12th in web-borne threats : According to a recent report by Kaspersky Lab, India is ranked 12th worldwide when it comes to the dangers associated with surfing the web.In the third quarter (July- September), 32.8% of the users were attacked by web-borne threats in India.Kaspersky Lab products detected 48,093,743 Internet-borne malware incidents on the computers of KSN participants in India.

4. World Tsunami Awareness Day observed on 5 Nov : The ‘World Tsunami Awareness Day’ is observed on 5 November.The day is observed in order to raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to risk reduction.In 2018, World Tsunami Awareness Day will align with the International Day for Disaster Reduction and the ‘Sendai Seven Campaign’. 

5. India, Zimbabwe signed six agreements : India and Zimbabwe signed six agreements on 3 November 2018.The agreements were signed on mining, Information and communications technology (ICT), visa waiver and traditional medicine.MoUs were also signed between the two countries on cooperation in the field of arts, culture and heritage.India also accepted Zimbabwe’s request to supply 10 ambulances to the African nation.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. RBI starts process to set up PCR : The Reserve Bank has initiated steps to set up a wide-based digital Public Credit Registry (PCR).PCR will capture details of all borrowers, including wilful defaulters and also the pending legal suits in order to check financial delinquencies.PCR will also include data from entities like market regulator SEBI, the Corporate Affairs Ministry and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA grants $7 Million For new life detection : NASA has awarded nearly $7 million for a fresh interdisciplinary project to detect new, non-Earth-like life on Mars, Jupiter and Saturn’s icy moons.The Laboratory for Agnostic Biosignatures (LAB) will lay the groundwork for characterising potential biosignatures, or signs of life.The LAB is a consortium of 15 team members from universities and institutions around the world.

SPORTS:

1. Subhankar Dey won SaarLorLux Open : In Badminton, Subhankar Dey has won the SaarLorLux Open at Saarbrucken in Germany on 5 November 2018.He defeated Rajiv Ouseph of Britain in finals.This is Subhankar’s first title of 2018.In March 2018, he had finished runner-up in the Kabal International tournament at the Czech Republic.

2. Lilima Minz received ‘Ekalabya Puraskar’ : Woman Hockey player Lilima Minz was honoured with the prestigious ‘Ekalabya Puraskar’ on 4 November 2018.She was part of the squad that represented the country in the 2016 summer Olympics.The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation.The Ekalabya Puraskar has been instituted by ‘IMPaCT’, the social wing of the Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys.