Daily GK Updates - 17th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  C P Joshi elected as Rajasthan assembly speaker : Senior Congress leader C.P. Joshi (68-years) elected as speaker of the 15th Rajasthan Assembly. Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh administered the oath of office.Mr. Joshi has been elected from the Nathdwara assembly constituency.

2.  PM Modi to visit Gujarat inaugurates the Global Trade Show : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Global Tr ade Show in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.Global Trade Show has been organized as a part of Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2019 to be held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, On Friday.The main theme of this edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be “Youth Connect 2019: Shaping A New India - The Story of Billion Dreams”.Prime Minister inaugurates newly constructed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel- SVP Institute of Medical Sciences in Ahmedabad.

2. India’s Satyarup becomes world’s youngest mountaineer to climb 7 peaks, 7 volcano summits : Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta conquered Antartica's highest point, Mount Sidley.With this feat, he became the first Indian and youngest man (35 years and 262 days) to climb the seven highest peaks and volcanic summits across all continents.Australia's Daniel Bull had done it at the age of 36 years 157 days.According to the in-Reach Satellite, Communicator Satyarup was carrying, he summited Mount Sidley at a temperature of minus 40-degree Celsius.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Yohei Sasakawa to get Gandhi Peace Prize for 2018 : The Union government has announced the names of the winners of the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2015-2018.The Gandhi Peace Prize 2018 will be given to Yohei Sasakawa, Goodwill Ambassador of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for Leprosy Elimination.For 2017, the award is given to Ekai Abhiyan Trust for their contribution to education for rural and tribal childrenFor 2016, the award has been jointly given to Akshaya Patra Foundation for providing mid-day meals to children across the country and Sulabh International for its work towards the emancipation of manual scavengers.

2.  UK PM Theresa May wins the no-confidence vote : British Prime Minister Theresa May has won a confidence vote by 325 votes to 306 - a majority of 19, averting a general election.After her win, Ms May called on MPs to put self-interest aside and work constructively together to find a way forward for Brexit.PM Theresa May (leader of the Conservative Party) was appointed by the Queen on 13 July 2016.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI, other banks agree to finance Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Corridor :  A consortium of banks led by State Bank of India (SBI) has agreed to lend 8,500 crore rupees finance for Nagpur-Mumbai 'Samruddhi Corridor' expressway project.Other lenders include Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra as well as the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.The estimated cost of the project, being constructed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, is around 50,000 crores, of which around 26,000 crores are required for the construction of the expressway.

SPORTS:

1. Mohammed Ali Qamar appointed Women’s Boxing team Coach : Mohammed Ali Qamar (38-years) has taken over as the chief coach for the country’s female boxers. He has replaced veteran Shiv Singh. Qamar won India’s first Commonwealth Games gold medal in boxing. Qamar’s CWG gold came in the 2002 Manchester edition in the light flyweight category.

2. Chennai’s Gukesh crowned world’s second youngest grandmaster : Tamil Nadu lad D Gukesh has become 2nd youngest Grand Masterin the world and the youngest Indian to achieve the feat at 12 years, 7 months and 17 days, erasing the mark set by his state-mate R Praggnanandhaa (in June 2018).Now, Gukesh becomes India’s 59th Grand Master.Ukraine’s Sergey Karjakin remains the youngest-ever GM, having achieved the feat at the age of 12 years and seven months in 2002.

OBITUARIES:

1. Malayalam Director Lenin Rajendran passes away :  Noted Malayalam director & screenwriter Lenin Rajendran (67-years) passed away at a private hospital in Chennai.He was a five-time recipient of the Kerala State Film Awards and also received the International Federation of Film Critics Award for the best Malayalam film for his film ‘Makaramanju’.He was also chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation.

Daily GK Updates - 16th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Puducherry to ban single-use plastic from 1st March : Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has announced to ban the production, sale and use of single-use plastic products in the Union Territory from 1st March 2019.The government wants to gift a plastic-free Puducherry to the future generation and curb the plastic in the larger interest of the environment.

2. Harshvardhan launches DD Science and India Science channels : India  DST  (Department of Science and Technology) along with Doordarshan has launched the two-science communicationinitiative ‘DD Science’ and ‘India Science’ in New Delhi.The two channels will have science-based documentaries, studio-based discussions, and virtual walkthroughs of scientific institutions, interviews and short films and will be completely free to access (24/7). While DD Science is a one-hour slot on Doordarshan National channel, India Science is an internet-based science channel.

3. Regional Centre of National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) : The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has inaugurated 5th Regional Centre of National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) at Mohali, Punjab.NIPCCD is a premier organisation devoted to the promotion of voluntary action, research, training, and documentation in the overall domain of women and children development.

4. Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) in Jharsuguda to be dedicated to the Nation : The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the Nation Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP), at Jharsugudaand in Odisha.The Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Jharsuguda is built at a cost of Rs 100 Crores.PM Modi also inaugurated a new railway line from Balangir-Bichupali built at an estimated cost of Rs. 115 crores.It will facilitate EXIM and Domestic cargo including Private Freight Traffic.

5. 1st National EMRS National Sports Meet, 2019 began at Hyderabad :  The first National Level Sports Meet for the students of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) has been inaugurated by Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor (Minister of State for Tribal Affairs) at G.M.C Balayogi Stadium, Gachibowli, Hyderabad.The Minister also launched an app ‘EMRS Sports Meet’ dedicated on the occasion.The event has the participation of 1777 students (975 boys and 802 girls) representing 20 States of the country.

6. MP launches Rs 50,000-cr farm debt-waiver scheme : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has launched the Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named 'Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana'.It would benefit 55 lakh small and marginal farmers.About 70% people of Madhya Pradesh are associated with agriculture and allied sectors.

7. Jaideep Govind appointed Secretary General of NHRC : Senior IAS officer Jaideep Govind (1984-batch, Madhya Pradesh cadre) has been appointed the Secretary-General (15^th) of National Human Rights Commission(NHRC).Earlier, he was posted as Special Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministries of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  9th International Micro irrigation conference begins in Aurangabad : The Union Minister for water resources and river development Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 9th International Micro irrigation conference at Aurangabad, Maharashtra.The theme of the three-day conference is “Micro Irrigation and Modern Agriculture”. 740 delegates including 100 foreign delegates from 56 countriesand as many 100 Agricultural scientists will also attend the conference.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2018-19 (Series-V) opens : The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2018-19 (Series-V) opened for subscription, continue till 18th January 2019.

The issue price of the Bond during this subscription period will be Rs. 3200 and fourteen rupees per gram with the settlement date of 22nd January 2019. The Centre in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India has decided to allow a discount of 50 rupees per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and make the paymentthrough digital mode.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.  Govt forms GoM for GST issues in real estate : The Union Government has constituted a seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to boost the real estate sector under the GST regime.Nitin Patel (Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat) will be the convener of the GoM.Finance Ministers of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and the Panchayat Minister of Goa will be the members.Group of Ministers will analyse tax rate of GST and suggest a composition scheme for residential construction units.

Daily GK Updates - 15th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India celebrates 71st Army Day : 71st Army Day is being celebrated formally with an annual parade at the Cariappa Parade Ground in New Delhi.Army Day is celebrated on 15th January every year to mark the day when (then) Lieutenant General KM Popularly known as “Kipper”, KM Cariappa was the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army.The day is celebrated to pay homage, salute to the courageous and brave Indian soldiers who have been sacrificing their lives for protecting the country.

2. Makar Sankranti celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety : Makar Sankranti (Festival of harvest) is being celebrated in different parts of the country with religious fervour and gaiety.People have started gathering on the banks of various rivers in wee hours to take holy dip on this occasion.It is the harvest festival when agriculturists worship the sun as well as their cattle by way of thanksgiving for the bumper harvest.After taking holy dip people are offering water to Sun God and donate Til & rice among poor.

3. Pongal festival celebrated today in Tamil Nadu : Pongal festival (four-day) is being celebrated in Tamil Naduand the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry. It marks the first day of the auspicious month in Tamil calendar, “Thai.” People decked up their homes early in the morning with colourful “kolam’s” or rangoli’s in view of Pongal.

4. World's largest religious and cultural human congregation ‘Kumbh Mela’ begins in UP : The World’s largest religious and cultural human congregation "Kumbh-2019” has begun at Sangam at Prayagraj, Uttar Paresh (conclude on 4th March 2019).The first bathing was taken by saints and seers of different Akharas.More than one lakh twenty thousand toilets have been erected for making Clean Kumbh.Twenty-one Snan Ghats have been set up for bathing.

5. The Global Aviation Summit 2019 started in Mumbai : The Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has inaugurated the two-day ‘Global Aviation Summit 2019’ in Mumbai.This will be the first-of-its-kind event in the world with participation from more than 86 countries.The Global Aviation Summit with a theme “Flying for all - especially the next 6 Billion”, being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation in association with FICCI.

6. Sitharaman to witness a joint military drill in Andaman, Nicobar Islands : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is on a two-day visit to Andaman & Nicobar Islands and reviewed a Special Forces', amphibious warfare operations.She also inaugurated a joint military drill involving the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard. The archipelago is straddled strategically near the mouth of the Malacca Straits which is an important Sea Lane of Communication used by the navies of several countries.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Greek defence minister announces resignation over Macedonia vote : The Greece Defence Minister ‘Panos Kammenos’ has announced his resignation from Alexis Tsipras’s coalition government.The Minister had announced his resignation ahead of an upcoming parliamentary vote to end a 27-year name dispute with Macedonia.For the Greeks, Macedonia is the name of a history-rich northern province that was the cradle of Alexander the Great's ancient empire

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.  Yes Bank appoints Brahm Dutt as non-executive part-time Chairman : Yes Bank has appointment Mr Brahm Dutt as non-executive part-time Chairman. (till 4th July 2020).Currently, He is also the chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.Brahm Dutt has been on Yes Bank’s board since July 2013 as anindependent director and contributed to almost all the sub-committees of the board over the past five and a half years.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Wholesale inflation falls to 3.80% in December : According to the government data released, Inflation based on wholesale prices fell 3.80% in December 2018.The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at 4.64% in November 2018 (in Dec 2017- 3.58%)Deflation in food articles stood at 0.07% in December, (in Nov 3.31%).The Reserve Bank of India mainly considers retail inflation datawhile formulating monetary policy. 

SPORTS:

1. Stephen Constantine steps down as coach of the Indian football team : Indian football team head coach ‘Stephen Constantine’ (56-year) has decided to step down after the team's shock 0-1 defeat to Bahrain.India conceded an injury time goal through a penalty to lose 0-1, which led to its exit from the showpiece Asian Cup 2019.Constantine, who had earlier coached India from 2002 to 2005, was handed over reins of the team again in 2015.He guided India to the Asian Cup after a gap of eight years.

Daily GK Updates - 14th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Gujarat becomes 1st state to implement 10% quota to EWS : Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has announced that the benefits of 10% for Economically Weaker sections of general category in educational institutions and government jobs will be applicable in the state.This 10% quota for the economically weaker class from the general category will be over and above the existing 49% quota for SC, ST and OBC.The eligibility of the new quota will be applicable only for which the announcement for jobs and admissions have been made but the process has not yet begun.

2. Ashok Chawla resigned as NSE Chairman : Ashok Chawla has resigned as chairman of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) with immediate effect. Earlier, Ashok Chawla stepped down from the post of non-executive Chairman of Yes Bank.Mr Chawla is named, along with former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in the Aircel-Maxis bribery case being probed by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation).

3. Sushil Modi To Head Committee On GST Revenue Shortfall Faced By States : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi will head the 7-member committee to look into revenue shortfall being faced by the states after the GST roll-out and suggest steps for augmenting collections.The GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state ministers, had on December 22, 2018, decided to set up a group of ministers (GoM) to analyze reasons for the shortfall in revenue collections by the states since July 2017.

4. Namita Gokhale Wins Sushila Devi Literature Award : Writer Namita Gokhale has won the Sushila Devi Literature Award for her novel “Things to Leave Behind”.She was awarded in the ‘Best Book of Fiction Written by a Woman Author’ category at the inaugural edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF).

5.  Presidential Award Presented to PM Narendra Modi : The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award, in New Delhi. The Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of People, Profit, and Planet. It will be offered annually to the leader of a Nation Prof. Philip Kotler is a world renowned Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Owing to his ill-health, he deputed Dr. Jagdish Sheth  of EMORY  University, Georgia, USA, to confer the award.

           

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, US Hold 2+2 Inter-Sessional Meeting in New Delhi :  A 2+2 Inter-Sessional meeting between the United States and India took place in New Delhi, focusing on the progress of defence and foreign policy issues between the two countries.The Indian delegation was led jointly by Joint Secretary (AMS) from the Ministry of External Affairs Gourangalal Das, and Joint Secretary (PIC) from the Ministry of Defence, Shambhu S Kumaran.

2.  US Launches 'Fair Value for Innovation' At Raisina Dialogue : The Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) of United States Chamber of Commerce launched a new innovation strategy at Raisina Dialogue, 2019 in New Delhi. The Initiative is titled as “Fair Value for Innovation”.The Initiative will examine economic underpinnings in order to enable breakthrough innovation and explore the opportunities to harness innovation capital in India and around the globe through research, advocacy, partnerships, and programs. 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.  Khelo India Youth Games Concludes: Maharashtra Tops Medal Tally   : Maharashtra topped the medal tally with 37 golds at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune. It had 111 medals in its kitty with 37 gold, 31 silver and 43 bronze. Delhi was at second position with 35 gold and Haryana too maintains its third position with 29 gold. 10-year old Abhinav Shaw became the youngest gold medallist in the shooting. He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air rifle mixed team event.

Daily GK Updates - 13th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Prakash Utsav of Guru Gobind Singh celebrated across the country : The 352nd birth anniversary of the 10^th & last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh is being celebrated across the country as ‘Prakashotsava’.The main function being held at "Takht Harmandar Sahib" in Patna Sahib (birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh).Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a 350-rupee commemorative coin as part of the birth anniversary celebrationsof Guru Gobind Singh in New Delhi.Guru Gobind Singh Ji's entire life was devoted to serving the people and fighting for values of truth, justice, and compassion.

2. Prez Kovind approves re-promulgation of Triple Talaq ordinance : According to Ministry of Law and Justice notification, President Ram Nath Kovind has approved re-promulgation The Muslim Women(Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019.The ordinance seeks to protect the rights of married Muslim women and criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq.The President has also re-promulgated Companies Amendment Ordinance 2019 and Indian Medical Council Amendment Ordinance 2019.

3. Rajyavardhan Rathore launches National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 : Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore has launched the National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 at a function in New Delhi.The theme of the festival is- Be the Voice of New India and Find solutions and contribute to policy.The festival will continue till 24th of next month.The Ministry has decided to organise the youth festival at every district of the country so that the youth (18 to 25 years) can participate and discuss and debate about how to make a New India.

4. Vice President Naidu inaugurates 25th edition of Partnership Summit 2019 in Mumbai : Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated thePartnership summit 2019 (25^th edition) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.New India Rising to Global Occasions is the theme of the inaugural session of the Summit.The summit is expected to build new partnerships and explore investment opportunities in sectors like Artificial Intelligence, big data, food processing, defense, aeronautics, renewable energy and tourism.

5. Sikkim CM launched ‘one family, one job’ scheme : Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has launched the ‘One Family One Job’ scheme in Gangtok. Now, Sikkim has become the first state in the country to carry out such a programme for the people entitling them to state government employee benefits.Under this Scheme, every family one government job has been allotted.New recruits were taken for Group C and Group D posts in 12 departments.

6.  INDUS FOOD 2019 to begin today in Greater Noida :  INDUS FOOD-II with the theme of 'World Food Supermarket' has been started at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida (14th and 15th January 2019).It will promote value addition to India's agriculture exports and integrate Indian farmers and agricultural products with global value chains.INDUS FOOD is a global platform where top exporters from the Food and Beverage Industry of India will be participating and buyers from across the world have been invited.The event is aimed at promoting India as a strong and reliable exporter of food and beverage products to the world

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nepal Army Chief conferred honorary ‘General of Indian Army’ : Nepal's Army Chief Purna Chandra Thapa has arrived in New Delhi on a four-day official visit.

General Thapa conferred honorary ‘General of Indian Army’ by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhawan.The visit symbolizes the deep-rooted ties between the two armies and will help strengthen defence cooperation.He will also visit defence formations based at Jaipur and Lucknow.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul suspended pending an inquiry into comments on the TV show : According to The Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai, Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul were suspended pending an inquiry into their comments on women during a TV show.The decision to hand them suspensions came after Rai's CoA colleague Diana Edulji recommended suspension till further action against the two.Both will be sent home on the first available flight from Australia.

2. Abhinav Shaw becomes youngest gold medallist in shooting : Abhinav Shaw (10-years) has become the youngest gold medallist in shooting at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune.He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air rifle mixed team event.Delhi's Devanshi Rana bagged gold in Under-21 girls 25m pistol event.

3. Mahendra Singh Dhoni joins an elite list of Indian cricketers to score ten thousand runs : India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the fifth player to score 10,000 runs (in 330 ODIs) for India in One-day International (ODI) Cricket.Earlier achieved are Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli.Now Dhoni has over 10,050 runs at an average of 49.75, including 9 centuries and 67 fifties.Overall, Dhoni is the 13th player in history to score ten thousand runs in the ODIs.

Daily GK Updates - 12th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. National Youth Day being observed today : National Youth Day (Yuva Diwas) is celebrated in India on 12th January on the birthday of social reformer, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda (156th).According to Ramakrishna Mission, the theme for 2019 is “Youth and Nation Building”Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has unveiled the tallest bronze statue of Swami Vivekanand at Ranchi Lake.

2. Malala pens new book on refugee girls titled 'We are Displaced' : Nobel Peace Prize winner, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai is coming up with a new book, charting her experiences travelling the world and visiting refugee camps.The Title of the 244-page book is ‘We Are Displaced’, priced at Rs 399.Malala's experiences visiting refugee camps caused her to reconsider her own displacement - first as an Internally Displaced Person when she was a young child in Pakistan, and then as an international activist who could travel anywhere in the world except to the home she loved.

3.  ISRO announces Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivahas announced setting up of Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru to make India's maiden human mission to Space a reality.Gaganyaan project (Headed by- R. Hutton), will send three astronauts to orbit the Earth for three to seven days at about 400 kilometres.The space agency has tied up with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and L&T among other firms to manufacture the industry-made PSLV launch vehicles.

4.  NIC Command and Control Centre inaugurated : The Union minister of Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad has inaugurated the National Informatics Centre (NIC)’s Command and Control Centre (CCC) and its Centre for Excellence in Artificial Intelligence.National Informatics Centre hosts over 10,000 e-Governance applications and offers Data Centre and Cloud services to the Government.The Command and Control Centre is set up as a specialized facility with a nationwide view of ICT infrastructure for effective monitoring and management of the performance & availability of all these critical services.

5.  Urea fertilizer prices reduced by 11% in UP : The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reduced the prices of urea fertilizer by 11% in the interest of the farmers.The decrease in prices of Urea is due to the reduction in additional VAT levied on natural gas.Now, the bag of 45 kilograms of urea will be available at the cost of Rs. 266.50 instead of Rs. 299.

6. Union Government launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) :   The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by Union minister for environment, forests and climate change, Harsh Vardhanwith an initial budget of Rs. 300 crores for the first two years.The NCAP will be a mid-term, five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year.The Centre stepped up its efforts to combat air pollution by launching a five-year action plan with a tentative target of 20-30% reduction in concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 by 2024, with 2017 as the base year.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Su Tseng-chang appointed as Taiwan PM : Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has appointed Su Tseng-chang as Prime Minister, during a Cabinet reshuffle following the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's heavy losses in local electionsSu is a former premier appointed in 2006 by then-President Chen Shui-bian.She was a chairman of Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party for two terms.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.  TCS appoints Daniel Hughes Callahan as Independent Director : India’s largest IT services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)has appointed Daniel Hughes Callahan as an Additional and Independent Director for a period of five years.He was the Chief Administrative Officer (CEO) and Head of Operations and Technology at Citi group and was a member of Citi’s Operating Committee until November 2018. Callahan has broad experience in driving strategic change across large global organisations and dealing with multiple stakeholders in local and national governments and regulatory bodies.

2. Finance Minister to present interim Budget for 2019-20 fiscal on 1st February : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the interim Budget for 2019-20 fiscal on 1st of February 2019.The budget session of the Parliament to be held from 31^st January to 13th February.The work for preparation of interim Budget has already commenced and is now gaining momentum.

SPORTS:

1. Egypt to host 2019 Africa Cup of Nations : According to Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad Ahmad, Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations between 15th June and 13th July 2019.The CAF executive committee preferred Egypt to South Africa as a replacement for original hosts Cameroon.Cameroon was dropped due to delays in preparations and concerns over security.

Daily GK Updates - 11th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Selection Committee chaired by PM removes Alok Verma as CBI Chief : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma has been transferred and appointed Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards.The three-member Selection Committee (Justice AK Sikri & Mallikarjun Kharge), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which appoints the CBI chief took the decision.The decision was taken by a majority with Mallikarjun Khargeopposing the move.

2. Six States sign agreement for Renukaji Multipurpose Dam Project : An agreement for Renukaji Dam Multipurpose Project has signed among the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.The agreement has been signed in the presence of the Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Nitin Gadkari and all six Chief Ministers of the states in New Delhi.The project is aimed at meeting the drinking water needs of these states.Under it, three storage projects are proposed to be constructed on the river Yamuna and two of its tributaries - Tons and Giri in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. 

3. Women and Child Development Ministry launches ‘#www: WebWonderWomen' Campaign : The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched an online campaign, ‘Web - Wonder Women’ also known as ‘#www’.The objective of the campaign is to discover and celebrate the exceptional achievements of women, who have been driving positive agenda of social change through social media itself.The Ministry partnered with the Breakthrough and Twitter India for ‘#www: WebWonderWomen’ campaign.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Venezuela President Maduro sworn in for the second term : The socialist leader Nicolás Maduro (56-year) has been sworn in for the second term (first elected in 2013) as Venezuela's president.Thousands of spectators gathered for the ceremony in Caracas, including Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, and president of Bolivia Evo Morales.The May 2018 polls were marred by an opposition boycott and vote-rigging claims.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Gets USD 400 Million Swap from RBI : According to Sri Lanka’s Central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has agreed to provide USD 400 million under a swap arrangement to boost the island nation’s reserves.The RBI has agreed to provide the funds under its SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Corporation) Swap facility.These are to be made available under the SAARC SWAP facility.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. GST exemption limit doubled for small businesses : The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has doubled the GST exemption limit to Rs 20 lakh for northeastern states and Rs 40 lakh for the rest of the country.The scope of GST Composition Scheme, under which small traders and businesses pay a small tax based on turnover rather than value addition is raised to Rs 1.5 crore from Rs 1 crore.The twin move would give relief to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).The changes will come into effect from 1st April this year.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope's premier camera shuts down :  The main camera onboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been shut down after it encountered a hardware problem.The telescope will continue to perform science observations with its other three active instruments.The defect in the Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 is being investigated.The camera is equipped with back up electronics that can be called to action if the need arises.

SPORTS:

1. Bopanna serves big in Tata Open title win with Sharan : Top-seeded Indian pair Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharanhave won maiden ATP tour Tennis title at the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune.Indian pair defeated British pair of Luke Bambridge and Jonny O'Maara by 6-3 6-4.This was Bopanna's 18th ATP tour title while Sharan has won his fourth tournament on the circuit.

2. IWF president named as Chef de Mission for Tokyo Olympics 2020 : President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Birendra Prasad Baishya, has been named Chef de Mission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.It is for the first time that the Weightlifting has been accorded with the honour of Chef de Mission for the Olympics. Baishya is also one of the Indian Olympic Association Vice Presidents.

3. Mary Kom attains number one position in AIBA rankings : Indian Olympic boxer from Manipur M C Mary Kom (35-year) has attained number one position in the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) latest world rankings.She became the most successful boxer in world championships' history when she claimed the 48kg category top honours in Delhi in November 2018.Mary Kom is placed top of the charts in the weight division with 1700 points.