Daily GK Updates - 7th April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Justice Pradeep Nandrajog sworn in as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court : Justice Pradeep Nandrajog was sworn in as the new chief justice of Bombay High Court. He was administered the oath by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Justice Nandrajog was serving as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court since March 2017, following his transfer from the Delhi High Court.

2. Biannual Army Commanders’ Conference begins in New Delhi :  the biannual Army Commanders’ Conference has begun in New Delhi. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has delivered her opening address at the conference. During the conference, important issues that are likely to be discussed are the management of the extant security dynamics, mitigation of future security threats and enhancement of combat edge over potential adversaries. It is an important event for the planning and execution process of the Indian Army.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Praful Patel becomes 1st Indian to be elected as  the member of FIFA Executive Council :  All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel (62-years) has become the first Indian to be elected as a member of the FIFA Executive Council for four years (2019 to 2023). He got 38 out of 46 votes. Mr Patel was one of the eight candidates vying for the spot in the election which was held during the 29th Asian Football Confederations Congress in Kuala Lumpur.

2. 7th April: World Health Day :  The 'World Health Day’ is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7th April to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO). The day provides with a unique opportunity to mobilize action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.The tagline for this year's World Health Day is "Universal Health Coverage: everyone, everywhere".

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.  Lakshmi Vilas Bank to merge with India Bulls Housing :  Chennai-based Lakshmi Vilas Bank is set to merge with India Bulls Housing Finance in a share-swap deal. It reflects the trend of consolidation in the financial services sector.The boards of both entities approved the merger proposal. The shareholders of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) will get 14 shares of India Bulls Housing Finance (IBHF) for every 100 equity shares held in the bank.

SPORTS:

1. Lin Dan wins 2019 Malaysian Open Badminton singles title :  Chinese veteran Lin Dan (36-years) has won the Malaysian Open Badminton singles title in the men's final at Axiata Arena Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He defeated countryman Chen Long 9-21, 21-7, 21-11. Lin Dan is a two-time Olympic champion, five-time World champion, as well as a six-time All England champion. In the women's singles final top seed Tai Tzu Ying (Taiwan) saw off Japanese Akane Yamaguchi 21-16,21-19.

2. World’s oldest soccer player Isaak Hayik sets Guinness record :  Israel’s soccer player Isaak Hayik (73-years) broke the record after playing as a goalkeeper in an afternoon game with Israel’s Ironi Or Yehuda soccer club. The Iraqi-born keeper was officially recognised in an award ceremony attended by representatives from the Guinness World Record organisation. The previous record was held by Robert Carmona of Uruguay, who in 2015 played a professional match with Uruguay’s Pan de Azucar at the age of 53-years.

OBITUARIES:

1. 2002 Medicine Nobel Prize Winner Brenner passes away :  Biologist Sydney Brenner (92-years) passed away in Singapore. Brenner discovered fundamental steps in how cells use DNA to make the proteins that enable life. Brenner helped decipher the genetic code and jointly won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Brenner born in South Africa Brenner was an alumnus of Oxford University.

Daily GK Updates - 6th April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Dr Gyanaditya Shakya honoured with Presidential Award :  Vice-President M Vainkaiya Naidu gave the ‘Presidential Award of Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman’ to Dr. Gyanaditya Shakya in New Delhi. He has conferred the award for his outstanding contribution in the field of Pali language and literature. Currently, Dr Shakya is working as an Assistant Professor in Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida. Dr Shakya was honoured with Rs 1,00,000 Award and a certificate.

                          

2.  3rd Goa Anti-Tobacco Film Festival on 31st May :  The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) in association with the Goa Department of Public Health-Dentistry, and the Goa Dental College and Hospital is set to hold the 3rd Goa Anti-Tobacco Film Festival on 31st May. The festival will select ad films to spread the message of the harmful effects of tobacco use and decrease the occurrence of oral cancer and heart disease and to promote film art through non-profit screening of these films.This festival, whose ultimate objective is to make Goa smoke-free, will have two separate categories — one for Goa and another for national films.

3. Bureau of Indian Standards inks an MoU with IIT Delhi :  The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi to collaborate in the field of standardisation and conformity assessment. The MoU was signed by IIT Delhi Director Professor V Ramgopal Rao and Director General of BIS Surina Rajan. BIS and IIT Delhi have also agreed to set up a Centre of Excellence in the field of standardization, testing and conformity assessment.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shah Rukh Khan felicitated with an Honorary Doctorate by London’s University of Law :  Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has received an honorary doctorate in Philanthropy by The University of Law, London. The actor received the merit during a graduation ceremony for more than 350 students. Over the years, he has established himself as a successful actor, film producer, television host, philanthropist and an entrepreneur. He has lent support to the Indian government's campaigns, including Pulse Polio and National Aids Control Organization.

2. 6th April: United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Sport for Development and Peace :  The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is observed across the world on 6th April every year to recognize the power of sport in promoting peace and erasing cultural barriers worldwide.The day has been celebrated each year since 2014. The date commemorates the inauguration of the first Olympic games of the modern era, in Athens (Greece) in 1896.

3. Senior US Treasury official David Malpass selected as President of World Bank : Senior US Treasury official David Malpass (63-year) has been selected as President (13th) of the World Bank for a five-year term. He replaced Jim Yong Kim. Malpass has served on the boards of the Council of the Americas, Economic Club of New York, and the National Committee on US-China Relations.

4. CS Rajan appointed MD of IL&FS :  CS Rajan has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) while Vineet Nayyar named as Executive Vice-Chairman of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS). Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) is an Indian infrastructure development and finance company. It operates through more than 250 subsidiaries including IL & FS Investment managers, IL & FS financial services and IL & FS Transportation networks India Limited (ITNL). IL&FS’s projects include some of the largest infrastructure projects in India including India's longest tunnel, Chennai-Nashri Tunnel, which was opened for traffic in April 2017.

OTHER UPDATES: 

DEFENCE:

1. Sri Lanka to hold largest ever military exercise “Exercise — Western Shield” in July :  The Army of Sri Lanka will conduct “Exercise – Western Shield” starting from 1st July 2019 with the participation of over 5,000 soldiers. ‘Exercise-Western Shield’ is the biggest ever infantry training module. The exercise will provide an opportunity for army trainees to march through those areas that are inaccessible to others, except forest conservation authorities. Exercise Western Shield will extend from Mannar to Puttalam, including Kalpitiya, Wilpattu National Park, Mavillu and Thabbowa Forest Reserves and the Western coastal belt.

SPORTS:

1. Indian football team rises two places to 101 in FIFA rankings :  The Indian football team gained two places to rise to 101 in the new FIFA rankings. With 1219 total ranking points, the Indian team lies 18th among the Asian countries. Iran continued to top the Asian rankings at 21, followed by Japan (26), South Korea (37), Australia (41) and Qatar (55).

Daily GK Updates - 5th April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 5th April: National Maritime Day of India :  This day, the country renews its abiding faith in the importance of maritime zone as well as sea route for all-round development of the nation. The theme of the National Maritime Day 2019 (56th edition) is “Indian Ocean-An Ocean of opportunity”. The National Maritime Day was first celebrated on 5th April 1964. On this day in 1919, navigation history was created when the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. "SS Loyalty" journeyed to the United Kingdom.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. South Korea launched the world’s first Nationwide 5G Mobile Network :  South Korea has launched the world’s first nationwide 5G mobile networks services two hours ahead of the US. Three top telecom providers SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus launched the 5G services.5G will provide smartphones with near-instantaneous connectivity, 20 times faster than 4G. This allows users to download entire movies in less than a second.

2. 7th Foreign Office consultations between India and Italy held in Delhi :  The 7th Foreign Office consultations between India and Italy were held in New Delhi. These consultations provided an opportunity to review the follow-up actions taken after the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in October last year as well as the entire range of bilateral relations, including political, defence, scientific, economic and commercial ties. Both sides took note of the growing economic and commercial relations and discussed steps to further facilitate their growth, including through strengthening the existing institutional mechanisms. In the light of the robust exchange of people between the two countries, both sides agreed to establish a regular Consular Dialogue.

3. NuGen Mobility Summit 2019 : The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) will organise a NuGen Mobility Summit, 2019, at Manesar, NCR (from 27th to 29th November 2019). NuGen Mobility Summit is a biennial event being organised by the International Centre for Automotive Technology in collaboration with SAE-NIS. The objective of the Summit is to share new ideas, global experiences, innovations and future technology trends for faster adoption, and development of advanced automotive technologies for a smarter and greener future.

4. Vikram Patel awarded the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award :  The Gairdner Foundation has announced the 2019 Canada Gairdner Award laureates, recognizing Goa and Boston-based Vikram Patel for his research career raising the global profile of mental health problems. Vikram Patel has been awarded for his research career raising the global profile of mental health problems. Each year seven Canada Gairdner Awards are presented to honour the world's most significant biomedical and global health researchers.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. ADB cuts India’s growth rate to 7.2% in 2019-20 : According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), India's projected GDP growth of over 7.2% for the current fiscal. ADB has projected India to remain the fastest growing Asian nation with 7.3% growth in 2020 as policy rates are cut and farmers receive income support, bolstering domestic demand. For entire Asia, the multilateral agency forecasted that growth will soften to 5.7 per cent in 2019 and 5.6 per cent in 2020. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19th December 1966.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Vipin Anand takes charge as Managing Director of LIC :  Vipin Anand has taken charge as Managing Director (MD)of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)of India. Earlier, he was In-charge of LIC’s Western Zone, headquartered at Mumbai He was also a member of the IRDAI committee for framing Regulations on Digital Marketing. Mr. Anand has handled several assignments in various capacities and departments across different locations in India during his 35 years’ service.

2. Karnataka Bank signs a pact with Bharti AXA for Insurance products :  Karnataka Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company to distribute the latter’s life insurance products. Now, the bank will be able to provide a wide choice of life insurance products to its customers across 836 branches, supported by the products of Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company.This is the third such tie-up by the bank after PNB MetLife Life Insurance Company and LIC of India.

SPORTS:

1. ICC to join hands with Interpol to fight corruption in sport :  The International Cricket Council (ICC) has sought closer working relations with the Interpol to widen the scope of its fight against corruption in the sport. The cooperation was discussed during ICC Anti-Corruption Unit General Manager, Alex Marshall's visit to the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France. Marshall said the idea is to ensure that players are better educated about the corruptors and Interpol's vast network would be helpful in this.

Daily GK Updates - 4th April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Telangana tops in eLearning training for field staff :  Telangana state has ranked number one by reaching 20,000 field staff during 2018-19 in eLearning training. This is the second year in succession that the State got the distinction under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Dr MCR HRD Institute enrolled over 20, 000 field staff in different districts of the State to impart training on 12 soft skills modules and three domain-specific modules.

2. India signs an agreement to set agriculture institute in Malawi :  India signed an agreement with a development bank (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Consultancy Service) for setting up the India-Africa Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development (IAIARD) in Malawi. IAIARD will be a Pan-African Institute wherein trainees not only from Malawi but also from other African countries. The travel, logistics and training course expenses for students from other African countries will be borne by the Government of India for an initial period of three years.

3. Maitri Bridge over Indus in Leh opened to the public :  The longest suspension bridge (260-foot) over the Indus River at Choglamsar village in Leh was opened to the public. The bridge has been named 'Maitri Bridge', symbolising the excellent civil-military relations existing in the Leh-Ladakh region. It was constructed by the combat engineers (Sahas aur Yogyata Regiment) of the Fire and Fury Corps of the Indian Army in a record time of 40 days, ferrying almost 500 tons of equipment and construction material.

4. WhatsApp launches 'tipline' to tackle rumours ahead of elections : WhatsApp launched a new service in India named as 'tipline' to tackle rumours ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It allows users to submit for review messages they think are misleading or carry unsubstantiated information, in the latest of a series of steps to curb misinformation on the messaging platform. Users can send suspicious messages to the 'tipline phone number' (+91-9643-000-888) to validate the authenticity of claims in those messages, which may be in the form of text, images or videos. The service will respond by classifying the said information as “true, false, misleading, disputed or out of scope and (may) include any other related information that is available.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 4th April: International Mine Awareness Day : International Mine Awareness Day (IMAD) is being organized across the world on 4th April to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities in countries. The Theme for IMAD 2019 is “United Nations Promotes SDGs – Safe Ground – Safe Home”.On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

2. UAE awards PM Modi with highest civilian honour for boosting ties :  United Arab Emirates (UAE) has conferred its highest civilian honour ‘Zayed Medal’ to PM Narendra Modi for his role in consolidating ties between the UAE and India.UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahya has conferred Mr. Modi the highest decoration awarded to kings, presidents and heads of states. The award came in appreciation of Narendra Modi's role in consolidating the long-standing friendship and joint strategic cooperation between the two countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.  Mayuri Kango is now Google India industry head : Mayuri Kango has now joined Google India as its industry head. Earlier, Mayuri Kango Kango was the managing director of Performics Resultrix, part of the Publicis Group. She has also worked with Digitas as associate director, media and Zenith as chief digital officer. At the age of 15-years, Kango chose films over getting enrolled in IIT Kanpur and went on to make her acting debut with National Award-winning film ‘Naseem’.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.RBI cuts repo rate by 25 basis points :  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced its first Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Rates for 2019-20 in Mumbai. The Bi-monthly policy has been released based on the assessment of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) led by RBI Governor also decided to maintain the neutral monetary policy stance. The RBI reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 6.0 per cent from 6.25 per cent with immediate effect.

2.  RBI sets WMA Limit for Government at Rs 75000 crore for H1 of 2019-20 : The Reserve Bank of India (consultation with the Government of India) has decided that the limits for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the first half (April- Sep 2019) of the financial year 2019-20 will be Rs 75000 crore. The Reserve Bank may trigger fresh floatation of market loans when the Government of India utilises 75% of the WMA limit. The Reserve Bank retains the flexibility to revise the limit at any time, in consultation with the Government of India.

SPORTS:

1. Pawan Munjal felicitated by Asian Tour for contribution to Golf in Asia :  Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, was felicitated by the Asian Tour with a Special Achievement Award for his contributions to Asian Golf. Dr. Munjal was presented with a special salver by leading Indian golfer Shiv Kapur, representing the players on the Asian Tour. Pawan Munjal Felicitated By Asian Tour For Contribution To Golf In Asia

2. Saurav Ghosal becomes first Indian male squash player to enter top 10 of PSA rankings :  India’s Saurav Ghosal has become the first Indian male squash player to enter the top 10 in the latest PSA world rankings. Before Saurav Ghosal, only two Indian women players (Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal) had made it to the top 10 in the world rankings. Egypt's world champion Ali Farag maintains his position at the top of the ladder.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Registration for annual Amarnath Yatra begins : Registration of pilgrims for Amarnath Yatra (two-month long) began through 442 branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank and YES Bank across the country.This year, the 46-day pilgrimage will commence simultaneously on both the routes(Baltal and Pahalgam) from 1st July. Any person below the age of 13 years or above 75 years, pregnant women and medically unfit people are barred for taking the pilgrimage in south Kashmir. For details visit the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board's website: “www.shriamarnathjishrine.com”.

2. Kandhamal haldi (turmeric) gets GI tag :  Kandhamal haldi (turmeric) produced by the tribal farmers in Odisha's Kandhamal district received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Kandhamal turmeric, originally grown by tribal people in Kandhamal, is famous for its medicinal properties. Kandhamal haldi is organic by default being cultivated by more than 60,000 families. The colour of Kandhamal haldi is golden yellow being well distinguished from other varieties.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US approves sale of 24 MH 60 Romeo Seahawk helicopters to India :  The US government has approved the sale of 24 multi-role MH-60 Romeo Seahawk  helicopters to India at an estimated cost of 2.4 billion US dollars. It is considered the world's most advanced maritime helicopter. The choppers will provide the Indian defence forces with the capability to perform anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions.

2. Algeria's president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigns amid mass protests :  Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (82-year) has resigned from the post with immediate effect. Bouteflika (in power for 20 years) has come under mounting pressure to step down since his decision to seek a fifth term despite rarely being seen in public after suffering a stroke in 2013. The powerful Algerian army had called for to be declared incapable of carrying out his duties.

3. Japan unveils the name of Its New Imperial Era ‘Reiwa’ :  Japan’s government has unveiled an era name, “Reiwa,” for soon-to-be Emperor Naruhito, who will succeed the Chrysanthemum throne on 1st May. The name ‘Reiwa’ which consists two Chinese characters, the first meaning ‘good’ or ‘beautiful’ as well as ‘order’ or ‘command’ and the second meaning ‘peace’ or ‘harmony’. The country’s current era, Heisei, will end in April.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Eicher Motors appoints Vinod Dasari as Royal Enfield CEO :  Eicher Motors Ltd. has appointed ‘Vinod K. Dasari’ as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Royal Enfield. Mr. Dasari will also join the board of Eicher Motors as an executive director with immediate effect. Mr Dasari takes over from Siddhartha Lal, who will continue as the MD of Eicher Motors Ltd. Earlier, Mr. Dasari was the CEO and managing director (MD) of Ashok Leyland, a position he held since 2011.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Paytm Money receives Sebi approval to start stock broking services :  The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has given approval to Paytm Money to start offering broking services. Paytm Money is the investment and wealth management platform of the mobile payments company. The broking services will allow investors to trade in the cash segment, derivatives, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), among other listed entities. Paytm Money has also received membership of NSE and BSE.

SPORTS:

1. India’s first professional Kho-Kho league “Ultimate Kho-Kho” launched : The Kho-Kho Federation of India (KKFI) has launched a franchise-based league for the sport named 'Ultimate Kho-Kho'. It will conduct the 21-day league (IPL-style)), which will see eight franchise teams playing a total of 60 matches in a double round-robin format KKFI has partnered with Dabur India for this event. Tenzing Niyogi (former sports advisory leader at Ernst and Young) has been appointed as the CEO of the league. Former KKFI president Rajeev Mehta is the Chairman of the league.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Air Marshal NS Dhillon appointed as new Strategic Forces Command chief : Fighter pilot Air Marshal NS Dhillon has been appointed as the new Strategic Forces Command Chief. The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) is tasked to look after the strategic nuclear arsenal of the country and is a part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) headed by PM Narendra Modi. Dhillon graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla in Pune and later attended Defence Services Staff College in Wellington Cantonment and National Defence College in New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.World Autism Awareness day being observed :  The ‘World Autism Awareness Day’ has been observed across the world on 2nd April every year to raise awareness about people with autism throughout the world. The 2019 theme for the day is "Assistive Technologies, Active Participation". In 2008, The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2nd April as World Autism Awareness Day.

2. China successfully launches second generation data relay satellite : China has successfully launched the first of its new-generation data relay satellites into orbit to provide data relay, measurement and control services for its manned spacecraft.The Tianlian II-01 satellite was launched by a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. The Tianlian II network will be markedly more advanced in mission planning, system management and operations than the first-generation network composed of Tianlian I satellites.

3. India, Chile agree to work together to defeat terrorism :  India and Chile signed three memoranda of understanding (MoU)s for cooperation in the fields of mining, culture and Empowerment of persons with disabilities. The agreements would further enhance engagement in economic, social and cultural fields between the two countries. President Ram Nath Kovind who was on an official visit to Chile said this after a brief Tete-a-Tete with his Chilean counterpart. Chile is the sixth largest trading partner of India in the Latin American region.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Reserve Bank to inject USD 5 billion more liquidity into the banking system :  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will inject long-term liquidity worth5 billion US Dollars into the banking system through a dollar-rupee buy-sell swap for a tenure of three years on April 23. The RBI statement stated that the move intends to meet the durable liquidity needs of the system. It stated that the auction is meant to give RBI greater flexibility in managing banking system cash while helping absorb any potential large dollar inflows, which could make the rupee rise sharply. The auction would be a multiple-price based auction -- successful bids will get accepted at their respective quoted premium.

SPORTS:

1.Manu Sawhney takes charge as ICC Chief Executive :  Media professional Manu Sawhney took charge as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He will work alongside Dave Richardson, who will step down after the World Cup in July 2019. Sawhney was with ESPN Star Sports for 17 years and was responsible for scaling the business and doubling annual revenues.

2. Sam Curran youngest player to claim a hat-trick in IPL history :  KXIP's Sam Curran (20 years and 302 days) has become the youngest player to take a hat-trick in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Capitals. In 2009, Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians) had taken a hat-trick at the age of 22 years and 6 days. England all-rounder Curran removed Harshal Patel (0), Kagiso Rabada (0) and Sandeep Lamichhane (0) to take the 1st hat-trick of the 2019 Indian Premier League in Mohali.

Daily GK Updates - 1st April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ISRO launches observation satellite EMISAT : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched 29 satellites including the primary payload EMISAT from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India. The main satellite EMISAT and the 28 customer satellites will be ed into two different orbits. The foreign satellites include 24 from the United States, two from Lithuania and one each from Switzerland and Spain. An ISRO release says EMISAT (weighing 436 kg) is intended for electromagnetic spectrum measurement, developed for monitoring radar network by India.

2.  Odisha celebrating 84th foundation day :  Odisha is celebrating 84th foundation day also known as ‘Utkal Divas’. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has greeted the people of Odisha on the auspicious occasion of Odisha Day. Odisha is the 9th largest state by area and the 11th largest by population. To commemorate the sacrifices of people for the formation of Odisha province in 1936, programmes are being organised at various places across the State.

3. Govt. extends PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline to 30th September :  The Union government has announced that the deadline for the linking of Aadhaar with PAN has been extended to 30th September 2019. Those looking to file their income tax returns on or after 1st April 2019 will still have to quote their PAN while doing so.This is the sixth time the government has extended the Aadhaar-PAN linking deadline.

4. Dr Rajendra Joshi conferred with ‘Pravasi Bhartiya Samman’ :  Scientist Dr Rajendra Joshi has been conferred with the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. Swiss-based NRI Dr Rajendra Joshi is the RUJ Group's founder and chairman. The Indian Ambassador to Switzerland Sibi George handed over the award citation signed by the President to Dr Joshi at his residence in Switzerland.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Zuzana Caputova becomes Slovakia's first female President :  Anti-corruption activist 'Zuzana Caputova' has been confirmed as the first female President of Slovakia. She defeated Maros Sefcovic, a candidate nominated by Slovakia's ruling party. According to Xinhua News Agency reported, Caputova received 58.40% of votes, while Sefcovic got 41.59% of votes.

2. Tesla builds its 'largest energy storage system in Asia' :  Tesla has developed its ‘largest power storage system in Asia’ at Osaka train station in Japan to reduce energy demand and provide emergency backup power to trains in Japan. It was Launched in partnership with Kintetsu, a railway operator in Japan’s Osaka. The 42 Powerpack battery system will also help reduce energy demand on the Osaka grid during peak hours. Tesla stated that 7 megawatt-hours (MWh) system is its largest energy storage project in Asia and the fourth largest in the greater Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. RBI sets NBFC-MFIs' average base rate at 9.21% for Apr-Jun : The Reserve Bank set the average base rate to be charged from borrowers by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and micro-finance institutions (MFIs) at 9.21% for the first quarter of the next fiscal. The applicable average base rate to be charged by Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). The regulator in February 2014 had issued directions to NBFC-MFIs regarding pricing of credit.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank merge with Bank of Baroda :  Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank merged with Bank of Baroda (BoB) to create the third-largest lender of the country after State Bank of India and HDFC Bank. According to BoB chief PS Jayakumar, the new unified entity will work for the success of the amalgamation by effective execution of all the activities to build a stronger organisation and collectively deliver more to the stakeholders than that of the sum of individual entities. All customers of Dena Bank, which is under prompt corrective action (PCA) framework of the RBI, will have renewed access to credit facilities immediately.

2. Vijay Chandok appointed as MD & CEO Of ICICI Securities :  Vijay Chandok (Executive Director of ICICI Bank) will be the MD and CEO of its subsidiary ICICI Securities with effect from 7th May 2019. He will succeed Shilpa Naval Kumar.Mr Chandok holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) and master’s degree in Management Studies from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai (NMIMS).

SPORTS:

1. Kidambi Srikanth loses in India Open final :  India’s Kidambi Srikanth lost in straight games 7-21, 20-22 to former world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open badminton tournament in New Delhi. It was Srikanth's first final in a BWF world tour event in 17 months.Thai badminton player Ratchanok Intanon has won the women's singles in India Open.

2. South Korea defeat India in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final :  South Korea lifted the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament defeating India in a shootout (4-2) at Ipoh in Malaysia. Hosts Malaysia defeated Canada 4-2 and secured the 3rd place. Asian Games Gold medalist Japan stood at 5th place, defeating Poland 6-1.

3. Roger Federer lifts Men's Singles trophy of Miami Open 2019 :  Switzerland’s Roger Federer has won Miami open 2019, defeating American John Isner (defending champion) in the final 6-1, 6-4 at Dolphins’ NFL stadium in Miami. It was Federer's 4th Miami title and 28th Masters 1000 title. Now, Federer (101-title) is behind only America’s Jimmy Connors with 109 career singles titles.