Daily GK Updates - 10th January, 2019

         NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.World Hindi day being celebrated across the world today : The World Hindi day being celebrated across the world every year on 10th January to create awareness about the language of Hindi across the World.Hindi is the fourth most spoken language of the world.The first World Hindi Conference was organized in Nagpur on 10th January 1975.

2.PM Modi launched 'Gangajal Project' to provide better and assured water supply in Agra : Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched a series of development projects worth Rs. 2900 Crores for the Agra city and the adjoining areas.The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation ‘Gangajal project’ which will provide Agra with better and more assured water supply.The Gangajal project aims to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water to Agra.Prime Minister laid the foundation Stone of Integrated Command and Control Centre for Agra Smart City.In this project, CCTVs will be installed throughout Agra City for monitoring and surveillance for the purpose of safety and security.

3.India's longest single lane steel cable suspension bridge opens in Arunachal : Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has inaugurated India’s longest single-lane steel cable suspension bridge (300-metre) over Siang River in Upper Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh.The bridge is also known as 'byorung bridge', built at a cost of Rs 4,843 crore and funded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources scheme.The bridge will reduce the distance between Yingkiong and Tuting in Arunachal Pradesh by almost 40 km (earlier road length- 192 km).

4.First Global aviation summit to be held in Mumbai : The Global Aviation Summit 2019 will be organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in collaboration with FICCI in Mumbai, Maharashtra (15-16 January 2019).The theme of the two days summit is ‘Flying for all’.The objective of the summit to provide a platform to the aviation fraternity to showcase the challenges of the sector in the newly developing growth spots and understand how the technology-driven innovations will change the air travel in future.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.India allows Iran’s Bank Pasargad to open a branch in Mumbai : According to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, India has allowed an Iranian bank ‘Pasargad Bank’ to open a branch in Mumbai.Iran’s Pasargad Bank has received the necessary clearances to open its branch in Mumbai.The move is aimed at circumventing US trade and investment sanctions as India builds a strategic port in the West Asian country.

2.Opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi wins the presidential election in Congo : According to Congo electoral commission, opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi has won the long-delayed presidential election.Tshisekedi has won with 38.57 per cent of more than 18 million ballots cast.If Tshisekedi’s victory is confirmed by the constitutional court, Democratic Republic of Congo will see its first peaceful democratic transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

              OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE :

1.MoU between the Indian Army and Punjab National Bank : Indian Army and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Defence Salary Package.The signing ceremony was chaired by the Adjutant General, Lt Gen Ashwani Kumar and was attended by top dignitaries of PNB headed by Mr Naveen Kumar.The Army hopes this MoU will benefit many serving and retired Army personnel who have accounts with PNB.It will also provide them an opportunity to access modern banking facilities.

2.World Bank projects India's growth rate at 7.3% in 2018-19 : In its 2019 Global Economics Prospect released in Washington, The World Bank has projected India's growth rate at 7.3% in the fiscal year 2018-19 and average 7.5% in 2019 and 2020.Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation are expected to encourage a shift from the informal to the formal sector.

SPORTS:

1.Hockey India removed Harendra Singh as coach of India Men's Team : According to Hockey India a statement, Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh was removed from the position.Mr. Singh was given back the charge of the Junior Men’s Hockey team.Harendra Singh was brought in as men's coach in May 2018.Until the appointment of a new coach, Hockey India High-Performance Director, David John and current Analytical Coach, Chris Ciriello will oversee the team.

2.Mohamed Salah named African footballer of the year : Liverpool’s 26-years old Mohamed Salah (from Egypt) has been named as the 2018 Confederation of African Football Player of the Year.He received the award at a ceremony in Senegal.Houston Dash and South Africa forward Thembi Kgatlana was named Women’s Player of the Year.Salah scored 44 goals for Liverpool during the 2017-18 season.

Daily GK Updates - 9th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Lok Sabha passes Constitution 124th Amendment Bill, 2019 : The Lok Sabha has passed the Constitution 124th (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to provide 10% reservation to economically backward sections (EWS) in the General category.The bill facilitates reservation for EWS in direct recruitments and admission in higher educational institutions.This reservation will be given without tampering the existing quotas for SC, ST and OBCs.

2. Exhibitor of the Year Award for DRDO at 106th Indian Science Congress : The DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) pavilion received ‘Exhibitor of the Year Award’ at 106th Indian Science Congress held in Punjab.On 03^rd January 2019,’DRDO Pavillion’ was inaugurated by Shri VP Singh Badnore (Governor of Punjab)and Dr Harsh Vardhan (Union Science and Technology Minister).They took a keen interest in DRDO products and technologies displayed.

3. Polavaram enters Guinness Book of Records : The ‘Polavaram project’ in Andhra Pradesh has entered the Guinness Book of World by pouring 32,100 cubic metres of concrete in 24 hours.The project beat the existing record of 21,580 cubic metres, achieved by Abdul Wahed Bin Shabib, RALS Contracting LLC and Alfa Eng. Consultant (all UAE), in Dubai (in 2017).Polavaram irrigation project is a multipurpose terminal reservoir, envisaged to cater to the irrigation needs.

4. West Bengal govt extends the retirement age of college teachers : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced to extend the retirement age of College-university professors from 62 to 65 years and Vice-Chancellors from 65 to 70 years.The move was aimed to utilise their services for a longer period. The West Bengal government has also taken the decision to raise the retirement age of Vice-Chancellors from 65 to 70 years.

5.  Union Textiles Ministry launches Yarn Bank Scheme : The Union Ministry of Textiles has launched a Yarn Bank Schemeas one of the components of PowerTex India scheme with an aim to avoid fluctuation in yarn price.Under the scheme, an interest-free corpus fund up to Rs.2.00 crorewould be provided to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)/Consortium formed by power loom waivers.PowerTex India is a comprehensive scheme for power loom sector development.

6. Journalist Dinu Randive conferred with a lifetime achievement award :  Veteran journalist Dinu Randive has been conferred with the lifetime achievement award by the Mantralaya and Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh.It is an association of journalists covering Maharashtra legislature and secretariat. Mr Randive has participated in the freedom struggle, the Sanyukta Maharashtra movement and the Goa liberation movement.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim to step down on 1^st Feb : World Bank President Jim Yong Kim (58-years) will step down from his position on 1^st February 2019, much before the end of his term in 2022.According to the World Bank statement, he will join a firm and focus on increasing infrastructure investments in developing countriesKristalina Georgieva (World Bank CEO) will assume the role of interim President (from 1st of Feb 2019).

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.Exports of jute products rise to 24% since 2014 : According to Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani, Exports of jute diversified products have risen by 24% (since 2014).The ministry is trying to connect the weavers with big companies for realising higher margins.The government is looking at ways and means to raise the income of the weavers and generate employment

SPORTS :

1. 2nd edition of Khelo India Youth Games begins in Pune :  Union Minister for sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore has inaugurated the 2^nd edition of ‘Khelo India Youth Games’ in Pune,Maharashtra (till 20th Jan 2019).More than 9000 players from different states are participating in 18 different games at Khelo India Youth Games. Around 14,000 persons, including 9,000 sportspersons and 4,000 managers, will be coming for the Games. The hockey tournament for boys has already started in Mumbai from Monday.

2. BCCI announces cash awards for triumphant Team India members : The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced cash awards of Rs 15 lakh per match for each of the playing eleven that featured in India's maiden Test Cricket series win on Australian soil. BCCI also announced cash awards of seven and a half lakh rupees for all the reserve players, as well as the members of the support staff. The coaches will be awarded Rs 25 lakh each.

Daily GK Updates - 8th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Supreme Court reinstates Alok Verma as CBI Director : Alok Verma (1979 batch IPS officer) has been reinstated as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief by the Supreme Court.Earlier, Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana were sent on leave in October 2018 amid a bitter feud between the CBI’s top two. Verma's two-year tenure as CBI director ends on 31^st January 2019. CBI's Joint Director M Nageswara Rao (1986 batch Odisha-cadre IPS officer) was given the charge of interim chief of the probe agency. The judgment was pronounced by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice KM Joseph.

2. Rajesh Chandra appointed Director-General of SSB : According to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry, Kumar Rajesh Chandra (IPS officer-1985-batch-Bihar cadre) has been appointed as the director general of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), up to 31^st December 2021.Currently, He is the director general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).The SSB has about 80,000 personnel, guards India's borders with Nepal and Bangladesh. Prior to 2001, the force was known as the Special Service Bureau (SSB).

                                                                                      

3. HRD Minister approves the addition of 5000 more seats in Navodaya Vidyalayas from AY 2019-20 : The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced to increase 5000 seats (at present-46600 seats) in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) for the Academic Year 2019-20.This unprecedented expansion of JNVs, nearly free of cost residential schools, will provide more opportunity for talented children from rural areas to get a quality education.For the 2019 entrance test, 31.10 lakh students have registered for the entrance examination. In the next four years, the government is likely to add 32000 more seats.

4. Prayagraj to Katra direct bus services started :  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off the direct bus services from Prayagraj to Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. The service was started on the occasion when the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) signed an inter-state bus pact with its counterpart in J&K. Now, those pilgrims who will visit Kumbh (Prayagraj) can directly go to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine located in Katra. Fare of these AC buses will be Rs 1,333 each. The distance of about 1,387km between Prayagraj and Katra will be covered in almost 24 hours.

5. Cabinet approves 10% quota for economically backward upper castes : The Union Cabinet has approved 10% reservation in direct recruitments and for admission in higher educational institutions for the economically backward section in the general category. The reservation benefit is likely to be availed by those whose annual income is below Rs 8 lakh and have up to five acres of Agricultural land. The government will bring a constitutional amendment bill in Parliament, as the quota will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation. Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution will have to be amended for implementation of the decision.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Gita Gopinath joins IMF as its first female chief economist : India born Gita Gopinath (47 -years) has joined International Monetary Fund(IMF) as its chief economist(11th).She has the first woman to hold the top IMF post.Gopinath succeeds Maurice (Maury) Obstfeld (retired on 31st December) as Economic Counsellor and Director of the IMF's Research Department. The Economic Counsellor of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is also the Director of the Fund's Research Department and is responsible for providing independent advice to the Fund on its policy issues.

2. Egypt opens West Asia's largest cathedral in its new administrative capital : Egypt President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has opened West Asia's largest cathedral in its New Administrative Capital (45 kilometres east of Cairo).President al-Sisi inaugurated the newly-built Cathedral of Nativity and mosque on the eve of Coptic Christmas.The two places of worship stand as a symbol in the face of attempts to undermine the country's stability and sectarian seditions. The ceremony was attended by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and a host of Arab dignitaries. It included recorded video messages of support from the region's top Christian clerics as well as Pope Francis.

3. 4th Edition of Raisina Dialogue begins in New Delhi : The fourth edition of the Raisina Dialogue has begun in New Delhi. Ms Erna Solberg (Norway Prime Minister) has delivered the inaugural address in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj (External Affairs Minister). The theme of this year Dialogue is "A World Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes”. The Dialogue will bring together over 600 delegates from 93 countries, including influential political leaders, strategic thinkers, policy practitioners, technology innovators, business representatives and academics. Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with Observer Research Foundation is organizing the flagship annual geopolitical and geostrategic conference.

4. AAI bans single-use plastic items at 129 airports across the country :  Airports Authority of India (AAI) has imposed a ban on single-use plastic items at its 129 airports across the country. These steps include the banning of single-use plastic items like straws, plastic cutlery, plastic plates etc. Based on a third-party assessment carried out by the Quality Council of India(QCI), 16 of its airports have been declared as Single-Use Plastic Free.Single-use plastic items are used only once and then thrown in the trash.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Indian economy expects to grow at 7.2% in 2018-19 : According to Central Statistics Office (CSO) report, Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.2% in 2018-19 (earlier 6.7%) due to improvement in the performance of agriculture and manufacturing sectors. At current prices, GDP grows by 12.3% rising to 188. 41 lakh crores.Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg described India continued to remain the fastest growing economy in the world.

2.  Naveen Patnaik announces interest-free loans for women SHGs : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced interest-free loans of up to Rs. 3 lakhs for six lakh women self-help groups (WSHGs) in the state. It will benefit about 70 lakh women of the state. Mr. Patnaik also distributed financial assistance of Rs. 3,000 each to six lakh WSHGs as part of the state government’s efforts to digitally empower women. He also launched a scheme to distribute Rs. 15,000 seed money per group to three lakh new self-help groups.

Daily GK Updates : 7th January, 2019

         NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.WCD minister Maneka Gandhi confers National Anganwadi Awards : The Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has conferred National Awards to 97 Anganwadi workers for their exceptional achievements for the year 2017-18 in New Delhi.The award is given to motivate the Anganwadi workers and recognize their exemplary services in the field of child development and related areas under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme.The annual award was given in two levels .From this year, the cash prize of the national level has been increased from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000.State level award comprises of a cash prize of 10,000 rupees .

2.Vice President gives away Textiles Awards : The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has given Textiles Awards to Seventeen persons for their outstanding contribution in different fields of textiles sector in New Delhi.Mr Naidu also stressed on improving the quality of products to become competitive in international markets and called upon the textiles industry to create brand for Indian textiles products.Earlier in the day, the national conclave was inaugurated by the Union Textiles Minister, Smriti Zubin Irani.He also presented commemorative stamps on GI registered handicrafts.For the first time, The Textiles Ministry is giving awards to people who have made a significant contribution to the textiles sector.

3. NCR launches a mobile app to help people navigate through Prayagraj city during Kumbh Mela : The North Central Railway (NCR) has launched a mobile application 'Rail Kumbh Seva Mobile App' to help people navigate through Prayagraj city during Kumbh Mela (from 15 th January).It will also provide information regarding all the 'Mela special' trains that will be run during the period.The app will provide a link to the user to buy both unreserved and reserved train tickets.Through this app, the users will not only get to know their current location but will also be able to reach to all railway stations, the mela zone, major hotels, bus stations and other facilities within Prayagraj.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Bohemian Rhapsody’ wins Golden Globe 2019 for best motion picture drama :Bohemian Rhapsody and its lead star Rami Malek were declared as the Best Motion Picture (Drama) and theBest Actor, respectively in the 76th Golden Globe Awards 2019.Bohemian Rhapsody is a 2018 biographical film about the British rock band Queen .Green Book won the most awards for the ceremony with three, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy .Jeff Bridges was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement.

2.Norwegian Prime Minister arrives in New Delhi : Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg has arrived in New Delhi on a three-day state visit to India.She will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi , President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.The Norwegian Prime Minister will participate in the Indo-Norwegian Business Conference.The visit of the Prime Minister of Norway will provide an opportunity to review the progress in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.India and Norway enjoy close & multifaceted ties and economic, technical cooperation are important facets of the bilateral relation.

3.Sheikh Hasina takes oath as PM of Bangladesh : Awami League President Sheikh Hasina (71-years) took oath as Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the third consecutive term.President Mohammad Abdul Hamid has administered the oath of office to the Ministers at Bangabhaban.Recently, Awami League and its allies secured 288 seats (Awami League -266 seats & Jatiya Party-21 ) out of elections held for 299-member Parliament.The opposition N ational Unity Front (UNF) with BNP being its key partner got only seven seats and Independent candidates won in two seats.

               OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY :

1.Govt allocates Rs 10,900 cr for development of 40 satellite launch vehicles in next 4-years : According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr K Sivan , the Union Government has allocated 10,900 crore rupees for the development of 40 satellite launch vehicles in the next four years.Chandrayan Mission will be launched within three months.It will land in one part of the Moon which is still unexplored.The human space flight Gaganyaan is planned to be launched by 2022 (the 75th anniversary of Independence).

BANKING/FINANCE :

1.Direct Tax Collections for F.Y. 2018-19 up to December 2018 : According to the provisional figures of Direct Tax collections 2018 , The gross collections are at Rs. 8.74 lakh crore which is 14.1% higher than the gross collections for the corresponding period of last year.Refunds amounting to Rs.1.30 lakh crore have been issued during April to December 2018, (17.0% higher) than refunds issued during the same period in the preceding year.Net collections (after adjusting for refunds) have increased by 13.6% to Rs. 7.43 lakh crore during April - December 2018.The net Direct Tax collections represent 64.7% of the total Budget Estimates of Direct Taxes for F.Y. 2018-19 (Rs. 11.50 lakh crore).So far as the growth rate for Corporate Income Tax (CIT) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) is concerned, the growth rate of gross collections for CIT is 14.8% while that for PIT (including STT) is 17.2%.

SPORTS:

1.Head Constable Rani wins gold medal in Senior National's Judo C'Ship : Lady head constable Rani of 5th Indian Reserve Battalion of Himachal Pradesh Police has won the Gold medal in the Senior National Women's Judo Championship at Visakhapatnam.She claimed top honours in the 78 kg category .Rani was also declared the best Judoka at the Championship.

2.India win their maiden series in Australia : India has won the first ever series (ending a 71-year wait) on Australian soil beating the home team 2-1 after the fourth and final Test ended in a draw due to inclement weather . India scored 622 for 7 in their first innings and then bowled out Australia for 300 thereby enforcing the follow-on.However persistent drizzle washed out day five thereby keeping the victory margin down to 2-1 and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the series win.It is the first time India managed the feat since they began touring Australia in 1947-48 .Now, Virat Kohli has become the first Indian as well as the first Asian captain to win a Test series in Australia.

Daily GK Updates - 6th January, 2019

          NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.NGT imposes Rs 100 Cr fine on Meghalaya govt : National Green Tribunal imposed a fine of 100 crore rupees on Meghalaya government for its failure to curb illegal coal mining in the state. The amount of the fine has to be deposited with the Central Pollution Control Board within two months. The action comes after a high-level committee submitted an adverse report to a bench headed by NGT chairperson AK Goel. The report stated that the majority of the mines in the state are operating without a lease or license.

2.Karnataka MP Pratap Simha demands change in IBPS recruitment pattern : Karnataka MP Pratap Simha on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and requested him to review the existing recruitment policy of Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) In an official communication Simha urged Jaitley to reinstate the provision of ‘Local language’ which was dropped in 2015 notification of the Central recruitment agency IBPS. Referring to the language barriers in the banking sector, the Mysuru-Kodagu MP observed that officers from other states who are not well-versed with Kannada are facing trouble in daily business.

3.Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to address IIT Bombay event : Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will participate in IIT Bombay’s prestigious event Pre-Summit 2019. The Union Minister will share his ideas on flagship programmes like Start-up India, Mudra, and Skill India Mission. Veteran Industrialist and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar will moderate the interactive session.

4.LS passed a Bill to amend the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill : The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to amend the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The amendment will allow individuals to offer voluntarily biometric ID as a means of identity verification for obtaining services such as opening a bank account and getting a mobile phone connection. The Bill also gives a minor the option to opt out of the 12-digit identity scheme on attaining the age of 18. It provides for stiff penalties for violation of norms set for the use of Aadhaar and bans service providers from storing core biometric information and Aadhaar number of individuals who voluntarily offer it as a means of authentication.

5.Sudhir Bhargava apppointed as the new CIC : Centre has appointed Sudhir Bhargava as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). Four new members have also been appointed to CIC, taking its strength to seven. Four vacancies still remain. Mr. Bhargava, a former Secretary to the Social Justice Ministry, has been a Commissioner since June 2015. He will be the ninth chief of the CIC. The CIC is the highest appeal body under the Right to Information Act. It has been functioning with just three members since the former chief and several members completed their tenure last month.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Donald Trump Signs Asia Reassurance Initiative Act Into Law : U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA), which passed the U.S. Senate earlier in December. According to the White House, the act establishes a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.

2.China named its lunar rover as Yutu 2 : China successfully deployed Chang’e-4 lunar probe to carry out a string of experiments on the unexplored far side of the moon. It has named the lunar rover as ‘Yutu 2’. The Lunar rover Yutu 2 touched the lunar surface and left a trace on the loose lunar soil. The rover’s touchdown is part of China Chang’e-4 lunar probe. Analysts say that China’s lunar probe is part of its Made in China-2025 project. It will be focusing on advanced technology, including space applications.

3.China successfully tested its Mother of All Bombs : China successfully tested its most powerful non-nuclear weapon, dubbed as the Mother of All Bombs. The bomb, whose strength is only second to that of a nuclear weapon, was dropped by a Chinese H-6K bomber. The bomb is five to six metres long (16 to 20 feet), but weighs less than the American version. In a short video published on the website of state arms manufacturer Norinco, the massive bomb drops on to a plain and produces a gigantic ball of fire and black smoke.

               OTHER UPDATES:

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY :

1.Chandrayaan-2 mission launch most likely in Feb : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will most likely launch Chandrayaan-2, the country’s second mission to the Moon. The features of the Chandrayaan-2 mission are: Chandrayaan-2 mission is a totally indigenous venture comprising of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. There would be a controlled descent and the lander would soft-land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy a rover.

Daily GK Updates - 5th January, 2019

          NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.World Book Fair begins in the national capital : The Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated the nine-day World Bookfair (27th) at Pragati Maidan New Delhi (5-13th Jan 2019).This year’s theme is ‘Books for Readers with Special Needs ’ and Sharjah is the guest of honours’ country.To mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary , there will be a special book exhibition of books on and by Mahatma Gandhi.More than 600 publishers will display books at more than 1350 stalls at the fair.Over 20 countries will participate in the fair.

2.FSSAI asks food businesses to comply with new packaging norms by 1 st July : According to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), The food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations that bar use of recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap food articles by 1 st July 2019 .The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level.The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carrying bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

3.Government launches nationwide : cleanliness survey ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’ The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has launched the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’ , the fourth edition of the annual nationwide cleanliness survey of urban India in New Delhi.It is a part of the ‘ Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ , the Swachh Survekshan 2019 aims to evaluate the achievements in the cleanliness level in urban areas of the country.It will encourage large-scale citizen participation, ensure sustainability of initiatives taken towards garbage free and open defecation free cities, and will provide credible outcomes.The survey will cover 40 crore people across over four thousand towns and cities.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.India to host a two-day meeting of Arab League : India will host a two-day meet of foreign ministers of 22 Arab League nations in Delhi from 31st January 2019.If Syria is admitted to the grouping in the intervening period it could be among the participants at the meet.The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab states in and around North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Arabia.

2.Pakistan abolishes visa on arrival for Afghans : Pakistan abolished the long-standing facility of visa on arrival for Afghan nationals.The Immigration Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency cited increased security risks from the western border as a reason for the move.Earlier, Afghan nationals were granted a 30-day visa on arrival at the entry points but now they will be required to apply for a visa from Pakistani missions in Afghanistan.The move to restrict Afghans came as Pakistan has already decided to issue 'on-arrival' visas to citizens of 24 other countries to increase tourism and investments.

3.Five nations assume charge as Non-Permanent Members of UN Security Council : Five nations (Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa) assumed the charge as the Non-Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).These five countries will hold a two-year term in the Council with effect from 1 st January 2019.This will be the Dominican Republic’s first time on the Security Council.They will fill the seats vacated by Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands and Sweden on December 31, 2018, after serving a two-year term on the 15-member Security Council.

4.Arunima Sinha is world's 1st female amputee to scale Antarctica's highest peak : Arunima Sinha has become the World's 1st woman amputee to climb Mount Vinson , the highest peak in Antarctica.She has already done six peaks: Everest in Asia, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus (Europe), Kosciuszko (Australia), Aconcagua (Argentina) and Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya) in Indonesia.

               OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS :

1.80th National Table Tennis Championship begins in Cuttack : The 80th National Table Tennis Championship began at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack (Odisha).As many as 35 teams, including 550 players from different parts of the country are participating in the mega championship.Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA) is hosting the championships after a gap of 18 years.The event will conclude on 9 th January.

Daily GK Updates - 4th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Indian Panorama Film Festival begins in New Delhi : The Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare has inaugurated the ten-days Indian Panorama Film Festival at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.A total of 26 Feature Films and 21 Non-Feature Films will be screened during the festival.The film festival is being organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.Directors of the opening feature film - Olu, Shaji N Karun and non-feature film Kharvas, Aditya Suhas Jambhale will be present on the occasion.All the films selected under the Indian Panorama section in the 49th International Film Festival of India will be screened during the Festival.

2 .HRD Ministry constitutes a task force to look into suicides of JNV students : The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has constituted a task force to look into the issues of suicides of the students in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) residential schools.The task force has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Psychiatrist, Dr Jitendra Nagpal .It will also suggest ways and means arrest the trend of suicides by students .According to the report, around 49 students of the residential Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas committed suicide between 2013 and 2017

3.Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang District achieves 100% electrification : East Siang District (in Arunachal Pradesh) has achieved 100% electrification under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana - Saubhagya Scheme.Pasighat Electrical division has electrified 2,662 households which were earlier left out till the end of December last year.The power department has electrified 1,483 villages under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Gram Jyoti Yojana in the state so far.

4.V K Yadav takes charge as Chairman, Railway Board : General Manager of South-Central Railway (SCR) Vinod K. Yadav (1980 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers) has been appointed as the Chairman of Railway Board.Yadav succeeds Ashwani Lohani (retired on 31st Jan 2018)The Railway Board is the apex body of the Indian Railways.It reports to the Parliament of India through the Ministry of Railways headed by the Railway Minister of India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.4th January-World Braille Day : The World Braille Day is observed across the world every year on 4th January to mark the birth anniversary of Louis Braille.He was the inventor of Braille script or Braille code .Braille is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired.

2.Indian-American takes oath as Fort Bend County Judge in Texas : Indian-American K P George (53-years) has been sworn in as the Fort Bend County Judge, becoming the first person from the community to hold the office of one of America's most diverse counties.In the US, county judges' duties vary from state to state.Depending upon the size of the county, they perform a wide range of judicial and administrative duties.The Fort Bend County in Texas has a sizeable population of Indian-Americans.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.Allahabad Bank & SBI Life join hand for bancassurance partnership : Allahabad Bank and SBI Life Insurance came together and signed a bancassurance pact to sell the policies of the insurer from over 3,200 branches of Allahabad Bank across the country.This will empower the consumer to address theircomplete financial needs under one roof.The agreement was signed in the presence of Allahabad Bank Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mallikarjuna Rao and Sanjeev Nautiyal.