Daily GK Updates - 23rd February, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Kerala police induct first ever robot ’KP-BOT’ into their force :  Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated India’s first Humanoid Police Robot ‘KP-BOT’ at the Police Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The robot’s gender is declared female (ranked as Sub-Inspector) keeping in mind women empowerment and gender equality. The work on the project was started by state police Cyberdome and a Kochi based start-up, Asimov.In 2018’s Cocoon Cyber Conference it was announced that robots will be included in the police force.

2.  CCEA approves KUSUM Scheme for farmers’ welfare : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the launch of ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan’ (KUSUM Yojana). The objective of the KUSUM Yojana is to provide financial and water security to farmers. The scheme aims to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022. The Central Government will provide total financial support of Rs 34,422 crore for the scheme.

3. West Bengal sets up Directorate to deal with tax evasions' cases : West Bengal Government has set up a separate Directorate to deal with the cases of tax evasions.The headquarters of the Directorate will be situated at Kolkata and will have seven branch offices in the Districts. The state government has estimated that evasion of commercial taxes, excise duties and taxes on the building and land registration leads to revenue losses of one thousand crore rupees in the State.

4. UP CM launches Scheme for Adolescent girls : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched ‘Scheme for Adolescent girls’ in the state. The objective of the scheme is to take care of the education of girls, aged between 11 to 14 years, till graduation, who have left studies. The state government has also decided to observe 8th of every month as Adolescent Girls Day at Anganwadi centres across the state.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Eighth World CSR Congress 2019 held in Mumbai : The 8th World Corporate Social Responsibility Congress (World CSR Congress 2019) was held in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The theme of the year 2019 is ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) to focus on corporate strategies, innovation, and strategic alliances. Dr. Soumitro Chakraborty won ‘CEO of the year’ award.

2. Sudan: President Bashir declares a year-long state of emergency : Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has declared a year-long state of emergency throughout the country. He also dissolved his cabinet and local governments throughout the country. Omar al-Bashir's term ends in 2020 and he has repeatedly promised over the years not to make new runs for the presidency. Since December 2018, various areas in Sudan have been witnessing popular protests over the deteriorating economic conditions and price hikes of basic commodities.

3. Climate change has officially led to the extinction of a mammal, the Australian rat : According to the Australian government, a small brown rat is the world's first mammal known to have become extinct due to ‘human-induced climate change’. The mammal ‘Bramble Cay melomys’ which had not been seen for almost 10 years was initially pronounced extinct after “exhaustive” conservation efforts failed. It was found only on a small sand island near the coast of Papua New Guinea.

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE:

1. OFB gets clearance for producing 114 long-range artillery gun ‘Dhanush’ : The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has received a bulk production clearance from the Indian Army and the Defence Ministry for production of 114 'Dhanush' artillery guns. 'Dhanush' is the first long-range artillery gun to be produced in India. It is the product of efforts by the OFB and the Army with various contributions.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:         

1. Ajay Singh appointed as the Head of AIBA Elite foundation : India's boxing chief Ajay Singh has been elected as the president of the Foundation Board for Better Boxing of AIBA (International Boxing Association) for a tenure of 4 years. Currently, Mr. Singh is the president of the Boxing Federation of India. AIBA formed the Foundation Board for Better Boxing in the last meeting of its Executive Committee to formulate an action plan for global development of the sport in future.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd February, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Month-long ‘festival of India’ begins in Kathmandu : Manjeev Singh (Indian Ambassador to Nepal) and Rabindra Adhikari(Nepal’s Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation) jointly inaugurated a month-long 'Festival of India' event in Kathmandu, Nepal.The festival organised by the   Indian Embassy and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre. Buddhism has been established as a major religion in both the countries as Lord Buddha was born in Nepal and attained enlightenment in India.

2. KALIA Chhatra Bruti’ Scholarship launched in Odisha : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched ‘KALIA Chhatra Bruti’ scholarship for the children of farmers the state in Bhubaneshwar. The objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance for technical and professional education to farmers’ children. The state government will bear all expenses involved in various levels of education.  The scholarship will be sent directly to the bank accounts of students via. DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).

3. Justice Uma Nath Singh to take oath as first Lokayukta of Nagaland : Justice Uma Nath Singh has taken oath as the First Lokayukta of Nagaland for a term of five years or till, age of 70-years. Nagaland Governor PB Acharya administered the oath of office to Justice Singh at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Kohima. Justice Singh is a former Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi receives the Seoul Peace Prize in South Korea :  Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize - 2018 for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth. The award was presented to him by the Seoul Peace Prize Foundation at a grand ceremony in Seoul. PM Modi gives the prize money of Seoul Peace Prize USD 200,000 to Namami Gange fund. Earlier, PM Narendra Modi paid tributes to Korean soldiers at the National Cemetery.

2. Trump signs order to establish US space force : US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to establish its Space Force as a new armed service within the Department of Air Force.The Space Force will include both combat and combat support functions to enable prompt and sustained offensive and defensive space operations in all domains. The force will be organized, trained, and equipped to meet and protect the US national interests in the space, consistent with international laws.It will organize and train the next generation of warriors to deter aggression and defend the United States.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.  EPFO hikes Interest rates on EPF 2018-19 by 0.1% : Employee’s Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has hiked interest rate on employee’s provident fund to 8.65% (earlier- 8.55%) for the 2018-19 fiscal year. Now, the proposal would go to the Finance Ministry for approval. The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) headed by Labour Minister is the apex decision making body of the EPFO which finalises rate of interest on PF deposits for a financial year. As many as over 6 crore subscribers of EPFO will benefit from the interest hike.

SPORTS:

1.SC appoints former Judge Justice D.K. Jain as BCCI Ombudsman : The Supreme Court (SC) has appointed Justice (retired) D K Jain as BCCI’s (Board of Control for Cricket in India) first ombudsman. The Ombudsman is expected to resolve any issue that comes with regards to the players as also financial issues. Supreme Court has appointed Lt General Ravi Thodge as a third member of Committee of Administrators in Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Thodge will join Chairman Vinod Rai and former women’s captain Diana Edulji in the panel entrusted with the job of running the BCCI by the apex court.

2. ICC bans UAE Cricket coach Irfan Ansari for 10 years :  According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) statement, United Arab Emirates (UAE) coach Irfan Ansari has been banned from all forms of cricket for ten years. The Anti-Corruption Tribunal of ICC found him guilty of breaching three counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. Ansari approached Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed during Pakistan series with Sri Lanka in the UAE in October 2017.

OBITUARIES:

1. Bengali singer Pratik Choudhury passes away : Bengali singer Pratik Choudhury (55-years) passed away at a City hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest The popular singer, known for his albums on contemporary Bengali songs invluding “Mukhosh”, “Bhusandir Mathe”, “Ebar Pratik er Pallay” and so on.He has sung in numerous TV serials, Bengali movies.

Daily GK Updates - 21st February, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government clears National Policy on Electronics to make India global hub in this sector : The Union Govt. has cleared the National Policy on Electronics 2019(NPE 2019), proposed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).The NPE- 2019 aims to position India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) by encouraging and driving capabilities in the country for developing core components. It envisions positioning India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing. The National Policy of Electronics 2019 (NPE 2019) replaces the National Policy of Electronics 2012 (NPE 2012).

2. Operation Digital Board launched to provide better digital education : The Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has launched ‘Operation Digital Board’ on the lines of Operation Blackboard to provide better digital education in schools.Under the initiative, seven lakh classrooms of 9th, 10th and 11th standards and two lakh classrooms of colleges and Universities will be equipped with digital boards in the next three years. It will improve the quality of education and offer new opportunities and new ways of teaching and learning. It will revolutionize the education system in the country with different kinds of digital teaching materials, quality lectures and other facilities.

3. Senior IPS officer Anuj Sharma appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner : The West Bengal government has appointed Additional Director General (ADG) of West Bengal Police (law and order) Anuj Sharma (IPS officer-1991-batch) as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner, replacing Rajeev Kumar. Earlier, Rajeev Kumar was transferred as ADG & IGP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

4. ‘Simplicity & Wisdom’ authored by Mr. Dinesh Shahra launched : West Bengal Governor ‘Keshari Nath Tripathi’ and Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Head of Parmarth Ashram) have jointely launched book ‘Simplicity & Wisdom’ at Parmarth Ashram in Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The book authored by famous Industrialist and Philanthropist Mr. Dinesh Shahra(Chairman of Ruchi Group). The book aims at guiding towards saintly wisdom and leading a content and happy life.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. The 4th India-ASEAN Expo and Summit 2019 begins in New Delhi : Union Minister Suresh Prabhu & ASEAN Secretary-General have jointly inaugurated the 4th India-ASEAN Expo and Summit, 2019 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi Trade Ministers of ASEAN Countries, Secretary-General of ASEAN, business delegations, 200 plus exhibitors from India and ASEAN are participating in the Expo and Summit. ASEAN being the second largest trading partner of India (after China) with a total bilateral merchandise trade of USD 81.33 billion.

2. PM Modi arrives in Seoul on a two-day visit : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Seoul on a two-day visit to South Korea. He will receive the ‘Seoul Peace Prize’ in recognition of his dedication to international cooperation, global growth and human development. Mr Modi will also hold bilateral talks with Moon Jae-in (South Korean President). Prime minister addressed the India-Korea Business Symposium and launched India-Korea Startup Hub. As a part of Mahatma Gandhi 150th birth anniversary, Prime Minister will unveil a bust of Mahatma at the Seoul Campus of Yonsei University.

3. Saudi Arabia to invest 100 billion dollars in India : Saudi Arabia will invest 100 billion dollars in India in range of areas including energy, refining, petrochemicals, infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing.On the visit of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the two sides also expressed satisfaction at the positive trend in the bilateral ties and stressed on the need to tap the untapped potential in trade particularly in Non-Oil trade. A joint working group on counter-terrorism will also be set up. 

4. International Mother Language Day being celebrated  : International Mother Language Day is being observed every year on the 21st of February (since February 2000) to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.The theme of this year’s Mother Language Day is ‘Indigenous Languages as a factor in development, peace and reconciliation’.

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OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. LIC launches ‘Micro Bachat’ plan : Indian state-owned insurance group and investment company Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has launched a new microinsurance plan ‘Micro Bachat’.It is a regular premium, non-linked participating endowment microinsurance plan, offers a combination of protection and saving. For the first time, a microinsurance plan has been launched providing coverage up to Rs 2 lakh.This plan is available for standard healthy lives only in the age group of 18-55 years without undergoing any medical examination.

SPORTS :

1. Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurates ISSF Shooting World Cup : The Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore has inaugurated the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup in New Delhi. The ISSF World Cup is crucial for Indian shooting as it has 16 quotas up for grabs for Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification.India is fielding a 23-member squad with 11 shooters in the non-competition Minimum Qualification Score category.

OBITUARIES:

1. Climate scientist Wallace Smith Broecker passes away in New York : Climate scientist Wallace Smith Broecker (87-years) passed away in New York City hospital. Columbia University professor Broecker brought "global warming" into common use with a 1975 paper that correctly predicted rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere would lead to pronounced warming. He was known in science circles as the "Grandfather of Climate Science". Broecker was also first to recognize what he called the Ocean Conveyor Belt, a global system of ocean currents circulating water and nutrients.

Daily GK Updates - 20th February, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Suresh Prabhu launches ‘SWAYATT’ on GeM : The Union Minister Suresh Prabhu has launched SWAYATT initiativeand Start-up Runway in New Delhi. SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage using e-Transactions on Government e Marketplace (GeM). This will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-Marketplace the national procurement portal. GeM Start-up Runway will address goals and objectives under United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

2. Telangana gets two new districts : The Telangana state government has announced to create two more districts (Narayanpet and Mulugu) in the state.Now the number of districts in the State is 33. Narayanpet has been carved out of Mahbubnagar district and Mulugu from Jayashankar Bhupalpally. When Telangana was carved out of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh (on June 2, 2014), it had just 10 districts.

3. Himachal Assembly passes Bill to make Sanskrit the 2nd official language : Himachal Pradesh states assembly passed Official Language (Amendment) Bill 2019 to make Sanskrit as the second official language of the state (first - Hindi). The state assembly also passed the Himachal Pradesh University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to rename as ‘Atal Medical and Research University, Himachal Pradesh’.

4. President of India inaugurated International Conference ENCO-2019 in New Delhi :  President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the International conference and Exhibition on Energy and Environment Challenges and Opportunities (ENCO-2019) in New Delhi (20th to 22nd Feb 2019). Around 1000 delegates from India and abroad are participating in the conference. The conference aims to deliberate and identify the R&D needs to innovate new techniques, technologies and applications for clean, safe, symbiotic sustenance of society, environment, energy and industries in the post-2020 era.

5. 7th National Photography awards announced : Union Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore presented the 7th National Photography Awards in New Delhi. The theme for the Professional category was “Women-led Development”, while the theme for Amateur category was “Fairs and Festivals of India”.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Asia's premier Air show 'Aero-India' begins in Bengaluru : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has inaugurated the five-daylong biennial 'Aero-India-2019' (12th edition) at Yelahanka air force station in Bengaluru. 61 aircraft, including HAL's indigenous products LCA Tejas are all set to roar in the city skies. The tagline for Aero India 2019 is “The Runway to a Billion Opportunities”. Aero India 2019 will provide a significant platform in bolstering business opportunities in the International aviation sector.

2.  Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia arrived in New Delhi : Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud arrived in New Delhi on a two-day official visit to India. The Crown Prince is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials and leading Saudi businessmen. India and Saudi Arabia have historically enjoyed close and friendly relation anchored in mutually beneficial partnership and extensive people to people contacts. The bilateral trade was 27.48 billion dollars during the last financial year 2017-18, making Saudi Arabia India’s 4th largest trading partner.

3. International annual desert festival held in Jaisalmer  : The three-day International Annual Desert Festival (40th) held in Jaisalmer with thousands of tourists participating in the colourful event. The festival exhibits the rich cultural heritage of the desert state, commenced with a colourful procession from Gadsisar lake fort. It had interesting events like Mr Desert and Ms Moomal competitions, mustache competitions, turban tying, musical and cultural performances, among others.

4. World Day of Social Justice being observed : The United Nations' (UN) World Day of Social Justice is annually observed on 20th February to encourage people to look at how social justice affects poverty eradication. It also focuses on the goal of achieving full employment and support for social integration. The theme for 2019 is " If You Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice”.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS :

1. Nikhat, Meena win gold medals at Strandja Memorial Boxing : Nikhat Zareen and Meena Kumari Devi have become the first Indian women boxers to win gold medals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.Zareen claimed a 5-0 win in the 51kg category finals against Filipino Irish Magno. Devi defeated another Filipino Aira Villegas 3-2 in the bantamweight (54kg) summit clash.Manju Rani (48kg) settled for a silver after a defeat from Filipine's Josie Gabuco in a split 2-3 verdict.  

OBITUARIES:

1. Noted Hindi writer Namvar Singh passes away : Noted Hindi Writer Prof. Namvar Singh (92-years) passed away at All India Institute of Medical Science in New Delhi.Mr. Singh was the first Chairman of JNU’s Centre of Indian Languages. He has authored over dozen books including 'Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman', 'Chhayavad' and 'Dusri Parampara Ki Khoj' among others. He received Sahitya Academy Award for literary criticism in 1971 for 'Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'.

Daily GK Updates - 19th February, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Hina Jaiswal becomes India's first woman flight engineer : Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal has become the first Indian women flight Engineer of the Indian Air Force (IAF). She completed the 6 months flight engineer course from the 112 Helicopter Unit attached to the Air Force station in Yelahanka in Bengaluru.The Flight Engineer branch was opened to women officers in 2018(earlier restricted to men). Now, Hina will be posted to a helicopter squadron where she will monitor and operate IAF’s complex aircraft in various conditions.

2. President Kovind presents Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony : The President of India Ram Nath Kovind presented the Tagore Award for the years 2014, 2015 & 2016 for Cultural Harmony at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi.This annual award is given to individuals, associations, institutions or organizations for their outstanding contribution towards promoting values of Cultural Harmony.The exponent of Manipuri dance Rajkumar Singhajit Singh was given the award for the year 2014.Chhayanaut (cultural organization of Bangladesh) was given the award for 2015 for its role in the promotion of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's works and Bangla arts.

3.  Shivaji Jayanti being celebrated in Maharashtra : The birth anniversary of Maratha Warrior King ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’ is being celebrated in all over Maharashtra.Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu paid tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on his birth anniversary.Shivaji Bhonsle was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan,

4. Guru Ravidas Jayanti being celebrated across the country : The birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas (the founder of Bhakti movement) is being celebrated across the country. As per the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated on full moon day of the Magh month (Magh Purnima). On the day, people who follow the Ravidas religion, take out a Nagar Kirtan procession with the saint’s portrait while chanting special prayers.Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Sant Ravidas Templeat Sier Govardhan where he took part in foundation stone laying of Ravidas Birth place development projects.

5. Rajnath Singh launches Single emergency helpline '112' for 16 states, UTs :

The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched single emergency helpline number '112' in 16 States and UT (Union Territories).The 16 states and UTs are Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman, Dadar Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir.People can also log onto the ERSS' website for the state and lodge emergency Email or send SOS alert to state ERC

6. PM flags off 1st ever diesel to electric converted locomotive twin engine at Varanasi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the world’s first electric engine converted from diesel locomotive at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Under Make in India initiative, The 10,000 HP freight locomotive has been converted from two units of old diesel locomotives of 2,600HP each with indigenous technology The converted locos will result in less greenhouse gas emissions and better efficient locomotives for the Indian Railways.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Abdul Aziz Muhamat wins International Human Rights Prize : As per the UN refugee agency UNHCR, Abdul Aziz Muhamat (Sudanese refugee) has won the Martin Ennals Award 2019 in Geneva (Switzerland) for exposing “the very cruel asylum seeker policy of the Australian Government”.Mr. Muhamat spent five years in the Australian detention centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize for human rights’.

2. Best-selling British Author ‘Andrea Levy’ passed away : Bestselling British Author Andrea Levy (62-years) passed away due to cancer. She was known for penning books ‘The Long Song’ and ‘Small Island’(story of Jamaican migrants in Britain). ‘Small Island’ won the Whitbread prize, the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Commonwealth Writers’ prize. Levy's last novel, "The Long Song," was published in 2010 and was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize.

3. Iran launches new locally-made submarine capable of firing cruise missiles : Iran President Hassan Rouhani has launched a new locally-made submarine ‘capable of firing cruise missiles. The submarine, named the Fateh, Persian for 'conqueror', is Iran's first in the semi-heavy category.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. RBI to give Rs 28,000 cr to Centre as interim dividend : The Reserve Bank of India (RBi) will transfer an interim surplus of 28,000 crore rupees to the central government for the half-year (ended 31st December 2018). The decision has been based on a limited audit review and after applying the extent economic capital framework. This is the second straight year that the RBI has announced an advance payment to the government.It will help the union government partly bridge a budget gap and could be key to funding an income support programme for farmers.

Daily GK Updates - 18th February, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Annadata Sukhibhava scheme 2019-20 : Annadata Sukhibhava scheme 2019-20 is announced by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.  Rs 9000 each to farmers with less than 5-acre land

2. District cooling system in India : Amravati (capital city of the Andhra Pradesh) will have India’s first District cooling system. District Cooling System. District cooling system (DCS) distributes thermal energy in the form of chilled water from a central source to multiple buildings through a network of underground pipes for use in space cooling.

3. CMD of Pawan Hans :  Govt. has appointed BP Sharma as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Pawan Hans. Pawan Hans Limited is a helicopter service company based in New Delhi, India. Pawan Hans is a Mini Ratna-I category PSU. It has cumulatively flown more than 1 million hours and has had 2.5 million landings on its fleet since its formation. The operations are based at the Juhu Aerodrome in Vile Parle, Mumbai.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ as ‘Parent 1’ and ‘Parent 2’ : France Govt. are set to replace the words ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ with ‘Parent 1’ and ‘Parent 2’. It is aimed at ending discrimination against same-sex parents.

2. Exercise Cobra Gold : Exercise Cobra Gold is one of world’s largest multinational military exercises, has started in Thailand. The 38th annual Cobra Gold exercise is co-sponsored by the Royal Thai and U.S armed forces.

3. Security Protection Agreement between India and Sweden : The Agreement is about sharing classified information between India and Sweden. It was signed during Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s visit to the Nordic country.

4. International Human Rights Prize : Abdul Aziz Muhamat, a Sudanese refugee has won the prestigious Martin Ennals Human Rights Prize.The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, sometimes called “the Nobel Prize for human rights”, was created in 1993 to honour and protect individuals around the world who demonstrate exceptional courage in defending and promoting human rights.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. First US Bank with Cryptocurrency : New York-based investment bank JP Morgan Chase is launching the first-ever major cryptocurrency backed by a U.S. bank.The digital token, dubbed “JPM Coin,” will be used to “instantly settle payments between clients J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in New York City. JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States, and is ranked by S&P Global as the sixth largest bank in the world by total assets as of 2018, to the amount of $2.534 trillion.

SPORTS :

1. Chris Gayle announces retirement from One-day Internationals : West Indian left-hander batsman Chris Gayle (39-year) has announced that he will retire from One-day Internationals after the forthcoming World Cup. Gayle has scored 9,727 ODI runs, second only to the legendary Brian Lara among West Indians in 284 matches. Gayle has scored a Windies record of 23 ODI hundreds, including the first-ever World Cup double century against Zimbabwe. The World Cup will be held in England and Wales from 30th May till 14th July 2019.

2. Vidarbha beat Rest of India to retain Irani Cup : Vidarbha (Ranji Trophy champions) successfully defended their title and defeated Rest of India on the first-innings basis to win the tournament in Nagpur. Vidarbha has become the third team after Mumbai and Karnataka to clinch two Irani Cup titles in a row.According to Vidarbha captain Faiz Fazal, the entire prize money will be donated to the families of the CRPF personnel martyred in Pulwama terror attack.

Daily GK Updates - 17th February, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pramod Chandra Mody appointed as New CBDT Chairman : Shri Pramod Chandra Mody (Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre)- 1982-batch) has been appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes. Mr Mody succeeds Sushil Chandra, who was named as Election Commissioner of India. Mody has been working as the Member (Administration) in the CBDT. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the policy-making body of the Income Tax Department.

2.PM Modi hold talks with Argentinian President Mauricio Macri : Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds talks with ArgentinianPresident Mauricio Macri in New Delhi. Earlier, Mr Macri arrived in India on a three-day visit. Mr Macri's visit comes at a time when India and Argentina are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. World Sustainable Development Summit 2019 held in New Delhi

3.Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated the World Sustainable : Development Summit (WSDS) 2019 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) is The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI) annual flagship event. The theme of the 2019 edition of the Summit is 'Attaining the 2030 Agenda: Delivering on Our Promise'.

4.  Pranab Mukherjee releases a book of Venkaiah Naidu's speeches : Former President Pranab Mukherjee has released the book containing selected speeches (92 speeches) of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu at a function in New Delhi. The book titled “Selected Speeches: Volume-1”. The book is categorised into six broad sections - ‘Functioning of Legislatures’, ‘Nation and Nationalism’, ‘Polity and Governance’, ‘Economic Development’, ‘Media’ and ‘India and the World’.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit : The Spanish Govt. will confer upon Sushma Swaraj the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit. The Order of Civil Merit was established by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1926. The order recognizes “the civic virtue of officers in the service of the Nation, as well as extraordinary service by Spanish and foreign citizens for the benefit of Spain.”

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.FPIs pour Rs 5,300 cr into equities in Feb so far : According to the latest data available with depositories, Foreign investors have put in over 5300 Crore rupees into the Indian equity market in the first half of this month. The infusion into the equity market comes following a pull-out of 5,264 crore rupees by foreign portfolio investors (FPI) in January. However, FPIs pulled out a net amount of 248 rupees crore from the bond market during the period. This has translated into a net investment of 5,074 crore rupees in the country's capital markets (equity and debt together).

2.  RBI imposes Rs 3.5 cr penalty on 3 PSU banks : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed Rs 3.5 crore penaltieson three public sector banks for violation of various banking norms. Rs 1.5 crore penalty has been imposed on Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and Rs 1 crore each on Punjab National Bank(PNB) and Bank of India. The monetary penalty on the banks has been imposed for non-compliance with various directions issued by the RBI on monitoring of end-use of funds, exchange of information with other banks, and on a restructuring of accounts.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. India raises customs duty to 200% on all goods imported from Pakistan : According to the Finance minister Arun Jaitley, India has raised the basic customs duty to 200% on all goods imported from Pakistan with immediate effect. Earlier, India withdraws the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. The main items which Pakistan exports to India include fresh fruits, cement, petroleum products, bulk minerals and ores and finished leather.

SPORTS :

1.Sunil Chhetri has given first ever Football Ratna Award : Indian professional footballer Sunil Chhetri has been conferred the first ever Football Ratna honour at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.He is popularly known as ‘Captain Fantastic’.He has scored the 2nd highest number of goals in international matches among active players after Cristiano Ronaldo. Chhetri has also been named AIFF Player of the Year five times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2017.

2. Saina Nehwal wins women’s 83rd Singles Senior Badminton Title : Saina Nehwal won her fourth title at the Yonex-Sunrise 83rd Senior Nationals. She defended PV Sindhu in the finals in Guwahati by 21-18, 21-15. Sourabh Verma claiming the men’s singles crown after defeating young Lakshya Sen in straight games of 21-18, 21-13. Pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Chirag Shetty defeated Arjun M.R and Shlok Ramachandran in straight games to clinch the Men’s Doubles title.