Daily GK Updates - 14th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Doordarshan Launches Online Souvenir Store in Partnership with Amazon India: Doordarshan has launched an online souvenir store for its viewers on Amazon India so that one can easily access it. Doordarshan is India's first broadcaster which has started Souvenir store. Chairman of Prasar Bharati A. Surya Prakash launched DD souvenir store on Amazon India. 

2. Young Scientist Programme 'Yuvika2019' inaugurated: The Young Scientist Programme ‘Yuvika2019’ was inaugurated by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr K Sivan, through video mode in Bengaluru. The two-week residential summer vacation programme spread over four ISRO centres in Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad and Shillong are attended by 110 students. He touched upon how the applications of Space technology is helping in the day to day activities of common man besides ensuring the safety of life and property during disaster situations. The participants will be visiting the spaceport of India, Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Shri harikota during this programme.

3. Spectacular Thrissur Pooram festival begins in Kerala: The most spectacular festival of Kerala ‘Thrissur Pooram’ has begun at Thekkinkadu Maidan in the heart of Thrissur city in Kerala. It is held at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur every year on the Pooram day - the day when the moon rises with the Pooram star. A 54-year-old elephant ‘Thechikottukavu Ramachandran’ also participated in the festival.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US Navy Chief holds discussion with Indian Naval Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba: US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Michael Richardson held discussions with Admiral Sunil Lanba, India’s Chief of the Naval Staff. Mr. Richardson, who is on an official tour to India, intends to further consolidate bilateral naval relations between India and USA and also to explore new avenues for naval cooperation. Mr Richardson also interacted with Defence Secretary, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Air Staff and the National Security Council Secretariat.

2. Cannes Film Festival Begins In France: The international event of the world of cinema Cannes Film Festival (72nd edition) has begun in France (14 to 25 May 2019). Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare is leading the Indian delegation at Cannes and will inaugurate India Pavilion. ii. The Pavilion will showcase Indian cinema across linguistic, cultural and regional diversity, with the aim of forging international partnerships in distribution, production, filming in India. Indian Delegation will also release a special poster to mark the golden jubilee of International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2019). 

3. Vice President inaugurates 'Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb' fitment camp: Vice President M. Naidu inaugurated the Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Camp in Hanoi during his four-day official visit to Vietnam. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu presented the artificial limb fitments to the beneficiaries at the Embassy of India in Hanoi under India for Humanity initiative. The Camp is being held under the 'India For Humanity' program in the context of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The iconic Jaipur Foot is lighter than all the other artificial limbs and has transformed the lives of thousands and helped them lead a life of dignity.

4. India extends 1 billion-dollar Line of Credit to Mongolia: India has extended 1 billion- dollar Line of Credit to Mongolia to set up it’s first-ever grass-root refinery at Sainshand in Dornogobi Province. The capacity of the refinery will be 1.5 Million Metric Tons Per Annum. It will be implemented with EXIM Bank funding.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup 2019: Japan's Yosuke Asaji Wins Title: India's Rahil Gangjee finished tied 39th while Viraj Madappa ended tied 53rd at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup held in Japan. Japan's Yosuke Asaji won the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup 2019 at the Sobu Country Club.

2. India's GS Lakshmi Becomes 1st Ever Female ICC Match Referee: India's GS Lakshmi has become the first ever woman to be appointed to the ICC International Panel of Match Referees and will be eligible to referee international games with immediate effect. The 50-year-old first officiated as a match referee in domestic women's cricket in 2008/09. Lakshmi has overseen three women's ODI matches and three women's T20I matches. The first woman on the ICC Development Panel of Umpires was Kathy Cross, who retired in 2018.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. LIC Mutual Fund Appoints Dinesh Pangtey as CEO: LIC Mutual Fund appointed Dinesh Pangtey as the company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Pangtey was Director and CEO at LIC Group's private equity division LIC HFL AMC. He joined LIC as a direct recruit officer in 1984. He has also served as Regional Manager Marketing channel in Western Zone spanning the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa.

2. RBI Slaps Rs1-crore Fine On Nainital Bank: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1 crore on Nainital Bank for its failure to fully automate the non-performing asset (NPA) identification process, despite specific directions issued in this regard.

3. ICICI Bank Joins Hands with Travel Portal Goibibo: ICICI Bank announced the launch of a co-branded multi-currency card with online travel booking portal Goibibo. The card also includes benefits of up to Rs 20,000, including gift vouchers of Rs 15,000 from Goibibo. 

4. NABARD Announces Rs 700-cr Venture Capital Fund for Agriculture, Rural Startups: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) announced Rs 700-crore venture capital fund for equity investments in agriculture and rural-focused startups. NABARD has been contributing to other funds till now and this is the first time that the rural development bank has launched a fund of its own.  The fund has been launched by Nabventures, a subsidiary of NABARD, and has a proposed corpus of Rs 500 crore with an option to retain over-subscription of Rs 200 crore, called as the greenshoe option.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India's retail inflation picks up to 2.92% in April: According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data, Retail inflation rose marginally to 2.92% in April this year, mainly due to the rise in food prices. The inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 2.86% in the previous month and 4.58% in April last. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) data the inflation in the food basket was 1.1% last month, up from 0.3 per cent in March this year. CPI-based inflation data is an important indicator of the economy as the Reserve Bank of India mainly factors in it while arriving at its monetary policy.

2. ITC appoints Sanjiv Puri as Chairman: ITC Ltd. has appointed Managing Director (MD) Sanjiv Puri (56-years) as the Chairman of the company with immediate effect. Mr Puri joined the company in 1986 and rose through the ranks like his predecessor. He was appointed as Chief executive officer (CEO) in 2017 and as Managing Director (MD) in 2018. Mr Sanjiv Puri is an alumnus of IIT-Kanpur and Wharton School of Business. On 11th May 2019, Company’s longest-serving chairman YC Deveshwar (72-years) passed away.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. CEAT Cricket Rating Awards 2019 Announced: CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) Awards 2019 were announced in Mumbai. India captain Virat Kohli bagged the International Cricketer and Batsman of the Year award during the CCR International awards. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged as International Bowler of the Year. Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan was awarded for outstanding bowling and Australian batsman Aaron Finch for his exceptional performance in T20. Young prodigy Yashasvi Jaiswal was awarded Junior Cricketer of the Year, while Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav took the home outstanding performance of the year award. Legendary Mohinder Amarnath, who played a key role in India's 1983 World Cup triumph, was bestowed with the 'CCR International Lifetime Achievement Award'.

DEFENCE

1. DRDO Successfully Conducts Flight Test of ABHYAS: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight test of ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from from Interim Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha. The flight test was tracked by various RADARS and Electro Optic Systems and proved its performance in a fully autonomous waypoint navigation mode. The configuration of ABHYAS is designed on an in-line small gas turbine engine and uses indigenously developed MEMS-based navigation system for its navigation and guidance. DRDO Chairman: G Satheesh Reddy, Established in: 1958, Headquarters in: Bengaluru.

OBITUARIES

1. US actor Peggy Lipton passes away: Renowned American actress and model, Peggy Lipton (72-years) passed away. She came to fame through her role as flower child Julie Barnes in the ABC counterculture television series. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 1970 for The Mod Squad (1968–1973).

Daily GK Updates - 13th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. WTO Ministerial Meeting Inaugurated in New Delhi: The World Trade Organisation, WTO ministerial meeting of developing countries began in New Delhi. The meeting will provide an opportunity for the Ministers to discuss various issues and the way forward. 16 developing countries and 6 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are participating in the meeting. It includes China, South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh.

2. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Ranked among Top 10 In World-Air Help: Global air passengers right expert Air help came out with the list of world's best airports and Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International airport was ranked the world's eighth best airport. The survey takes into account on-time performance, service quality and food & shops to determine the ranking. The top 3 airports in the list of world's best airports as per Air help are: 

Qatar's Hamad International Airport

Tokyo International Airport.

Athens International Airport.

3. World’s 1st complete parent-wise genome for buffaloes developed: The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has developed the world’s first complete parent-wise genome assembly called “NDDB_ABRO_Murrah” of riverine buffaloes. This comes after the successful launch of INDUSCHIP, a customized genotyping chip for indigenous cattle and their crosses. Buffaloes contribute more than 50% to the total milk production in India which is the world’s largest milk producer. The development of genome assembly will help in improving the genetics of the buffaloes and enhancing their productivity further.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-UK Sign Agreement to Boost Indo-Pacific Cooperation: India and the United Kingdom agreed to increase their collaboration in the fields of Indo-Pacific cooperation, climate change, disaster resilience, development in third world countries amongst other areas. The two countries held Foreign Office consultations, where the Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and the UK side was represented by Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Under-Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office of British Government.

2. 400 KMPH: Japan Tests World's Fastest Bullet Train: Japan has started testing its fastest-ever bullet train capable of reaching 400 kilometers per hour (249 mph) as it continues to develop the revolutionary mode of travel. The ALFA-X version of the Shinkansentrain began three years' worth of test runs. Once it enters operation around 2030, it will run at speeds of up to 360 kph (224 mph), comfortably making it the world's fastest bullet train.

3. Subhash Chand Appointed Next Ambassador of India To State of Eritrea: Subhash Chand, presently Deputy High Commissioner in the High Commission of India, Abuja, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the northeast African country Eritrea. Capital of Eritrea: Asmara.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Mumbai Indians win record 4th IPL title: Mumbai Indians (MI) became IPL champions for the fourth time after defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by one run in a thrilling final in Hyderabad. Last ball dismissal of Shardul Thakur by paceman Lasith Malinga registered a final win for Mumbai over Chennai. Chasing a victory target of 150 set by Mumbai, Chennai Super Kings were restricted to 148 for 7 in stipulated 20 overs. Earlier, Mumbai made 149 for 8 in stipulated 20 overs. CSK Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the most successful wicket-keeper in the history of IPL by taking his dismissals tally to 132, surpassing Dinesh Karthik (KKR).

Orange Cap- David Warner of Sunrisers Hyderabad scored most runs: 692 Runs in 12 Matches.

Purple Cap- Imran Tahir of Chennai Super Kings took most wickets: 26 Wickets in 17 Matches.

2. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton Wins Spanish Grand Prix: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain and rose to the top of the Formula One world championship. Mercedes’ V. Bottas finished second, while Red Bulls’ M. Verstappen finished third.

3. Football: Manchester City Wins Premier League Title 2019: Manchester City clinched their fourth Premier League title (football)after winning the 2018-19 season. Manchester City registered a victory against Brighton to accumulate 98 points, while Liverpool, who were also in the title race, finished second with 97 points. Dominant Manchester City have successfully retained their Premier League title on the final day of an exhilarating 2018-19 campaign. 

4. Sana Mir Becomes Highest Wicket-Taking Spinner In ODI: Pakistan off-spinner Sana Mir has become the most successful women's ODI spinner in history after she took her 147th wicket, highest ever by any spinner in One-day International (ODI) cricket. Currently, Mir is placed on the third position in the ICC's ODI bowling ranking, which is topped by Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami. 

5. Novak Djokovic wins 2019 Madrid Open title: Top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia has won the 2019 Madrid Open title at the Park Manzanares in Madrid, Spain. He defeated Tsitsipas (Greece) 6–3, 6–4 in the final. Djokovic tied Nadal's record with 33 Masters 1000 singles titles. Dutch Kiki Bertens beat two-time Madrid Open champion Simona Halep (Romania) 6-4, 6-4 to take the women's title.

6. Indian racer Jehan Daruvala wins an inaugural round of FIA Formula 3 Championship: Indian racer Jehan Daruvala (20-years) has won the inaugural round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, one of the support events to Formula One in Barcelona. The all-new FIA F3 Championship was created by merging the erstwhile GP3 Championship and FIA F3 European Championship, resulting in an ultra-competitive 30 car grid. Jehan is the only Indian to win a Grand Prix when he won the New Zealand Grand Prix and later went on to become the only Indian to win a race in the erstwhile FIA F3 European Championship, which used slower cars.

7. Manchester City Legend Yaya Toure Retires From Football: Former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has officially announced his retirement from football. Achievements: At Barcelona, he won two LaLiga titles and the 2009 Champions League. He was named the African Footballer of the Year in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. 

8. Croatia's Igor Stimac to Become Indian Football Team Coach: Former Croatia international and manager Igor Stimac will be appointed as the Indian men’s team coach after the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) technical committee recommended him for the post. The committee, headed by Shyam Thapa, interviewed the four candidates for the post- Stimac, Albert Roca, Hakan Ericson, and Lee and zeroed in on Stimac.

9. World’s 1st Exclusive Women’s Cricket Magazine ‘Criczone’ Released: Inaugural issue of world’s first exclusive women’s cricket magazine‘Criczone’ was released with Indian team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana featuring as the cover story. It is a one-stop solution, exclusively dedicated to providing updates, articles, news, interviews, etc. from the world of women’s cricket. Publisher of the magazine is Yash Lahoti.

OBITUARIES

1. Padma Shri Awardee Bhojpuri Singer Hiralal Yadav Passes Away: Padma Shri awardee Bhojpuri vocal artist Hiralal Yadav passed away in Varanasi at the age of 93. Shri Yadav was a well known Bhojpuri folk singer from the 'Birha' genre. He received a Padma Shri award, the country's fourth highest civilian award, in January 2019. 

Daily GK Updates - 12th May, 2019

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Nurses Day: 12 May: All around the world, 12 May is the day to celebrate the irreplaceable contribution nursing makes to the world’s health and wellbeing and to commemorate the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965. ICN is leading the celebrations with online International Nurses Day (IND) resources and information, which this year has, the theme ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead, Health for All.’

2. K S Radhakrishnan appointed as a member of the CSAT: K S Radhakrishnan, former Supreme Court Judge, has been appointed as a member of the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal, London. He will render his services as a member of the Tribunal for a period of four years from 1st of June, 2019 to 31st of May, 2023. Justice (Retd.) K S Radhakrishnan served as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir High Courts before his term in Supreme Court from 2009-2014.

3. UN to hold 2020 Ocean Conference in Lisbon: United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) decided to hold its 2020 high-level conference early June in Portugal's Lisbon to support the sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. The conference will Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development in Lisbon, from June 2 to 6, 2020, according to a resolution adopted by the 80th plenary meeting of the UNGA 73rd session.

4. Mohammad Bande appointed as President of UNGA: Tijjani Mohammad Bande, a professor and former vice chancellor of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has been appointed as the new President of the United Nations General Assembly. His appointment was announced by María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, outgoing president of UNGA at a press conference in Abuja. Bande becomes the second Nigerian to be appointed President of UNGA after Mr. Joseph Nanven Garba who held the position between 1989 and 1990.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Tushar Mane leads India’s medal sweep: Youth Olympics silver medalist Shahu Tushar Mane led a clean sweep of the junior men’s air rifle medals for India in the international shooting competition. After qualifying with a modest score of 623.2, Tushar won the gold with an impressive total of 251.4. Rudrankksh Patil who lost the gold by 2.8 points, pipped the World junior champion Hriday Hazarika by 0.6 point for the silver. In the 25-metre sports pistol, Annu Raj Singh won the women’s bronze, while Abhidnya Patil won the junior women’s silver, after having qualified on top with 576.

2. Two new women’s awards announced by FIFA: Two new awards would be added to FIFA’s Best Football Awards in the women’s category. The two new additions are women’s goalkeeper and a female team of the year. The announcement on Monday ensures men and women will be in line for accolades in the same categories at the FIFA Best ceremony in Milan on Sept. 23.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Airtel to merge broadband satellite business with Hughes India unit: Bharti Airtel has decided to merge its broadband satellite, or VSAT, business with that of market leader Hughes Communications India, to create a stronger no. 1 in the space. The merger will help in a bid to increase scale, improve operational efficiencies and target new customers in areas such as in-flight connectivity. Hughes Communications will own 67 percent share of the new entity while Bharti Airtel will own the rest.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. IPS officer who oversaw Nirbhaya rape case receives McCain Institute Award: IPS officer Chhaya Sharma, who led the investigation team of the infamous Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, has been awarded the 2019 McCain Institute Award for Courage and Leadership on Friday. “A resolute guardian of human rights, Chhaya has led teams in detection and investigation of sensitive criminal cases and protection of human rights during her career spanning over 19 years. Sharma’s policing has consistently reflected victim-centric approach through her numerous investigations of serious crimes, particularly against women and children,” said McCain Institute in a statement.

Daily GK Updates - 11th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. New Heat-Sensing Snake Species Found, Named after Arunachal Pradesh: Pune-based Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) team found a new species of reddish-brown pit viper snake with a unique heat-sensing system, the first in past 70 years in India. The species is named 'Trimeresurus arunachalensis' after Arunachal Pradesh, where it was discovered. This makes Arunachal Pradesh the only state to have a pit viper named after it.

2. National Technology Day: 11th May: National Technology Day is observed every year on 11th of May in India, acting as a reminder of the anniversary of Shakti. On May 11, 1998, India successfully test fired the Shakti-I nuclear missile at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range (in Rajasthan) in an operation led by aerospace engineer and late President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. India conducted five underground nuclear tests at Pokhran test range in Rajasthan, on 11th and 13th of May in 1998. The first nuclear test Pokhran with a codenamed as ‘Smiling Buddha’ was carried out in May 1974.

3. BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta to be new Maharashtra chief secretary: BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta (1984 batch officer) will be Maharashtra's new chief secretary. Out-going chief secretary UPS Madan will be the chairman of SICOM and would be also an advisor to chief minister. Meanwhile, Additional chief secretary Praveen Pardeshi will be appointed as the new BMC chairman.

4. Air India offers hefty discounts on last-minute flight bookings: National carrier ‘Air India’ has decided that very last moment available seats within three hours of departure will be sold at a hefty discount. The decision was taken during a commercial review meeting at Air India headquarters. According to Air India Spokesman, Tickets can be purchased from all outlets including Air India Booking Counters, Air India Mobile App, Air India website and Travel Agents. The discount will normally be exceeding 40% of the selling price.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Konkan Railways Signs Contract Agreement with Nepal to Supply two 1600 HP DEMU Train Sets: Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd has signed a contract agreement with Nepal's Department of Railways to supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets. These trains will be used to operationalise railway link between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal. The train sets will be manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai. 

2. Ireland Becomes 2nd Country to Declare Climate Emergency: Ireland has declared a climate emergency in their country, to be the second country after Britain to do so. Britain's parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate emergency, passing the largely symbolic motion on May 1. 

3. Actress Dia Mirza Selected Among 17 New 'SDG Advocates' Of UN:  Indian actress Dia Mirza and Alibaba chief Jack Ma are among the 17 global public figures appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the new advocates to drive action and solidify global political will for the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

4. NASA to crash spacecraft into an asteroid in 2022: The US space agency ‘NASA’ revealed its plan to hit a small moonlet target in a double asteroid system with a spacecraft in 2022. It is its first mission to demonstrate a planetary defence technique. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will get one chance to hit its target. The asteroid, called Didymoon or Didymos B, is a moon asteroid around 150 meters tall orbiting a larger body Didymos A.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Bharatpe Launches India's 1st UPI Bahi Khata For Merchants: BharatPe - India's first Fintech start-up enabling payments for merchants through interoperable UPI QR codes, has announced its foray into merchant services with a new app. Along with UPI payments, the app now allows merchants to manage their entire Bahi Khata and even note receivables and payables seamlessly. 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Actress Anne Hathaway Receives Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame: Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in Los Angeles, US.

DEFENCE

1. 1st Apache Helicopter Formally Handed Over To IAF: First AH-64E (I) - Apache Guardian helicopter was formally handed over to the Indian Air Force at Boeing production facility in Arizona, USA. IAF had signed a contract with US Government and M/s Boeing Ltd in Sep 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters. The first batch of these helicopters is scheduled to be shipped to India by July 2019. The helicopter has been customized to suit IAF’s future requirements and would have significant capability in mountainous terrain. It has the capability to carry out precision attacks at standoff ranges and operate in hostile Airspace with threats from the ground. They have the ability to transmit and receive battlefield picture to and from the weapon systems through data networking

OBITUARIES

1. ITC's Non-Executive Chairman YC Deveshwar Passes Away: The Padma Bhushan awardee and ITC's Non-Executive Chairman YC Deveshwarpassed away at the age of 72. He spearheaded the diversification of ITC to an FMCG company. He stepped down as chief executive of ITC in 2017. Between 1991 and 1994, he led state-owned carrier Air India as the Chairman and Managing Director.

2. Tamil Novelist and Sahitya Akademi Awardee Thoppil Mohamed Meeran Passes Away: Noted Tamil novelist and Sahitya Akademi awardee Thoppil Mohamed Meeran, passed away in Pettai, Tamil Nadu. Saaivu Naarkkaali (The Reclining Chair), released in 1995, bagged him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1997. 

3. Acting Guru Roshan Taneja passes away: Roshan Taneja (87-years) known as the 'pioneer of method acting' in India passed away in Mumbai. Roshan Taneja trained scores of Hindi film actors like Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Jaya Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. He had been training talent first at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and later at his private school in Mumbai, the Roshan Taneja School of Acting.

Daily GK Updates - 10th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Army To Commemorate 2019 As ‘Year of next of kin’: The Indian Army is commemorating this year as the ‘Year of Next of Kin’ and plans to reach out to the next of kin of battle casualties, ex-servicemen and serving soldiers to inform them of entitled financial benefits, welfare schemes and help resolve pension-related problems. The Directorate of Indian Army Veterans will be the nodal agency.

2. WTO Ministerial Meeting of Developing Countries to Held New Delhi: A WTO Ministerial meeting of developing countries is being hosted by India in New Delhi. Sixteen developing countries, Six Least Developed Countries (LDC) (Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Egypt, Guatemala, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda) and DG, WTO participated in the meeting.

3. Justice PR Ramachandra Menon sworn in as chief justice of the Chhattisgarh HC: Justice PR Nair Ramachandra Menon was sworn in as the new chief justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court(13th). He was administered the oath by Chhattisgarh Governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhavan, Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Currently, he is serving as a Judge of the Kerala High Court.

Note: The Chhattisgarh High Court was established on 1 November 2000 with the creation of the new state of Chhattisgarh upon the reorganisation of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Australian Flight Carrier, Qantas Operated World’s First Zero-waste Flight: The Australian flight carrier, Qantas has operated the world’s first zero-waste commercial flight from Sydney to Adelaide which disposed of all waste through compost, reuse or recycle. The Australian airline Qantas has planned to eliminate 100 million single-use plastics by the end of 2020 and also to reduce 75% of airline’s waste by the end of 2021.

2. Facebook Chooses London as Base For WhatsApp Payments: Facebook has chosen London as the centre for the global roll-out of WhatsApp pay, before the social media giant launches its digital payments service on the mobile messaging platform in India. WhatsApp would hire nearly 100 people in London to focus on the digital payments service and additional operations staff would be hired in Dublin.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Amul To Sponsor Afghanistan In 2019 World Cup: Amul has been announced as the principal sponsor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the upcoming World Cup, slated to be held in England and Wales from (from 30th May to 14 July 2019). The logo of brand Amul will appear on the leading arm of the Afghanistan team playing jerseys as well as on the training kits throughout the showpiece event. The first time, Afghanistan Cricket team will play in the World Cup as a full member. Anand Milk Union Limited (Amul) is an Indian dairy company (formed in 1948), based at Anand in the state of Gujarat.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Bank Credit Grows 13.2% In FY19: Bank credit grew by 13.2% in the financial year 2018-19 as compared to 10.3% in the previous financial year, mainly aided by loans to services and retail sector. Deposit growth also gained momentum, growing by 10% as compared to 6.7% a year ago. Credit growth in services sector till the middle of February was 23.7% and in retail sector it was 16.7%. Credit growth in the industry sector was 5.6%.

2. Max Life Insurance to mark 6th of every month as Protection Day: According to Max Life Insurance Co Ltd, It will dedicate the 6th day of every calendar month as 'Protection Day'. The day aims to increase awareness around the concept of financial protection. As a part of this initiative, a wide range of initiatives will be rolled out across Max Life's network. The Company will also drive a "Super Customer Week", where customers across the board will be educated about various aspects of financial protection.

3. India ratings downgrade Yes Bank with a negative outlook: India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) downgraded Yes Bank’s long-term issuer rating to ‘IND AA-’ from ‘IND AA+’ with a negative outlook citing “quick credit migration in the bank’s certain group exposures”. It estimates that the private lender will need to raise equity of Rs 7,500-8,000 crore in the next two fiscal years. The negative outlook reflects the downside risks to the agency’s estimates of profitability and capital buffers that could emanate from substantial delays in the resolution of certain stressed assets. Yes Bank had also reported its maiden loss of over Rs 1,506 crore in the March 2019 quarter, driven by a near 10-fold spike in provisions.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. RIL Acquires British Toy Retailer Hamleys: Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) acquired British toy retailer 'Hamleys 'in an all-cash deal. RIL has acquired Hamleys in 67.96 million pounds (about Rs. 620 cr). With this announcement, Reliance will get hold of 100% shares of Hamleys Global Holdings Limited (HGHL).

2. TCS once again becomes India's most valued firm; surpasses RIL in m-cap: India's IT conglomerate Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has become India’s most valued firm in terms of market capitalization (market-cap) by displacing Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to number two position. TCS (market-cap of Rs 8.13 lakh crore) followed by RIL (Rs 7.95 lakh crore), HDFC Bank (Rs 6,24,362.11 crore), Hindustan Unilever (Rs 3,67,880.69 crore) and ITC (Rs 3,67,513.78 crore). The m-cap figure of companies changes daily with stock price movement.

OBITUARIES

1. Tamil novelist Thoppil Mohamed Meeran passes away: Noted novelist and Sahitya Akademi awardee Thoppil Mohamed Meeran (74-years) passed away at his residence at Veerabahu Nagar in Pettai, TIRUNELVELI. Mohamed Meeran authored the novels Oru Kadalora Graamaththin Kathai, Thuraimugam, Koonan Thoppu, Saaivu Naarkkaali and Anju Vannam Theru between 1988 and 2011. He received 8 awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award (1997) and Tamil Nadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumantram Award (1992).

2. Renowned Bengali actor Mrinal Mukherjee passes away: The Veteran film and TV actor of Bengali Cinema, Mrinal Mukherjee(74-years) passed away due to cancer and liver problems. Mukherjee had worked for over five decades in the Bengali film industry as well as Bengali TV serials and theatres.

Daily GK Updates - 9th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 158th birth anniversary of Tagore: 9 May:  Today, the 158th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore is being celebrated all over West Bengal. Rabindra Nath Tagore reshaped Bengali literature and music, as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Note: Rabindranath Tagore was the Author of the "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse" of Gitanjali. In 1913, he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh's Amar Shonar Bangla.

2. Chhattisgarh Deploys 1st Anti-Naxal Women Commando Unit: The Chhattisgarh police for the first time has inducted women commandos in the District Reserve Guard (DRG), its frontline anti-Naxal force. Comprising 30 women led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dineshwari Nand, have received extensive training in jungle combat. 

3. IIT-B researchers develop ‘Made in India’ microprocessor: Engineers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have developed a microprocessor called AJIT, the first to be conceptualised, designed, developed and manufactured in India. It can be used inside a set-top box, as a control panel for automation systems, in a traffic light controller or even robotic systems. The project was funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and IIT Bombay. Mumbai-based company ‘Powai Labs‘invested in the venture, and will own, market and support the product. In the first stage, AJIT has been manufactured in the government-owned Semiconductor Laboratory, Chandigarh.

4. SC Collegium recommends names of Justices Gavai, Surya Kant for elevation as apex court judges: The five-member Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has recommended the names of Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant to the Centre for their elevation as apex court judges. Currently, Justice Gavai is Judge of the Bombay High Court and Justice Kant is the incumbent Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The apex court is presently functioning with 27 judges against the sanctioned strength of 31 judges.

5. Meeting of Regional Heads of Customs Administration of Asia Pacific Region of WCO Held in Kochi: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has organised a 2-Day meeting of the Regional Heads of Customs Administration of Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in Kochi. This meeting was chaired by Mr Pranab Kumar Das, Chairman, CBIC.

6. MNRE Holds ‘Chintan Baithak’ With Stakeholders of Renewable Energy Sector: Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) held a ‘Chintan Baithak’ with the stakeholders of the Renewable Energy sector in New Delhi. The ‘Baithak’ (meet) was chaired by Secretary, MNRE, Anand Kumar and saw good participation from Renewable Energy (RE) sector including the representatives of major RE developers, equipment manufacturers, financers, regulators, think-tanks, industry bodies and skill developers.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vice President Naidu embarks on 4-day visit to Vietnam: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a four-day official visit to Vietnam. The visit is expected to enhance India’s comprehensive strategic partnership with the Southeast Asian nation. The Vice President will participate in the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak at Tam Chuc pagoda in Vietnam's northern Ha Nam province. During his visit, Mr Naidu will also deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session of the event themed as "Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies."

2. 5th United Nations Global Road Safety Week: The Fifth United Nations (UN) Global Road Safety Week is being held from 6 to 12 May 2019. The theme for the weekly event in 2019 is “Leadership for road safety”. The UN Global Road Safety Weeks and its’ campaigns are coordinated by United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, chaired by the World Health Organization (WHO).

3. Singapore Passes Laws to Combat Fake News: Singapore's Parliament passed a law to curb the spread of fake news under which offenders may face up to 10-year jail or fines of up to S$1 million (over Rs5.12 crore). The law empowers the government to direct social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to carry corrections or remove content it considers to be fake news. 

4. India and China Sign Protocol for Export of Indian Chilli Meal: Commerce Secretary, Anup Wadhawan and Vice Minister, General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), Li Guo, held a meeting in New Delhi to discuss trade-related issues of pending Indian request for clearance of agricultural products. Both sides agreed to resolve market access issues expeditiously in order to achieve the vision of the leaders of both India and China by promoting a more balanced trade. At the end of the meeting, a protocol was signed for export of chilli meal from India to China.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Indian Boxers Win 6 Medals at 36th Feliks Stamm International Boxing:  Indian boxers finished with a rich haul of six medals, including two gold at the 36th Feliks Stamm International Boxing Tournament in Warsaw, Poland. Gaurav Solanki and Manish Kaushik bagged one gold each. Indian boxers also clinched a silver and three bronze.  The 22-year-old Solanki out-punched England's William Cawley 52 kilogram on his way to the coveted yellow metal. In 60-kilogram weight category, Kaushik beat Morocco's Mohamed Hamout.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI Card raises Rs. 700 crores from banks: SBI Card raised Rs. 700 crores from several financial institutions including its parent State Bank of India (SBI) in the second half of FY19. SBI Cards and Payment Services Pvt. Ltd (SBI Card) raised Rs. 100 crores from ICICI Securities Primary Dealership Ltd, Rs. 250 crores from State Bank of India and Rs. 50 crore each from Canara Bank and Axis Bank by issuing non-convertible debentures (NCDs) at 9.15% coupon. The company also raised another Rs. 250 crores from Axis Bank through a coupon of 9.55%.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Airtel, Hughes To Combine Their India VSAT Operations: Sunil Mittal led telecom major Bharti Airtel and Hughes Communications India (HCIL) have decided to combine their VSAT(Very Small Aperture Terminal) satellite communications operations in India. The transaction is subject to approvals by relevant authorities. HCIL is the India unit of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services. VSAT refers to the provision of data services using satellites and is used extensively by banks and ATMs. 

OBITUARIES

1. Former billiards player Derek Sippy passes away: Former billiards player, coach and administrator Derek Sippy (60-years) passed away in Mumbai. He served the BSAM in various capacities and was its secretary for several years. He was the Indian team's coach at recently concluded Asian Under-21 Boys Snooker and Asian Women Snooker tournament in Chandigarh.

2. The first Chronicler of Partition Prof. Kirpal Singh passes away: The first chronicler of Partition Prof. Kirpal Singh (95-years) passed away in Chandigarh. Prof. Singh started building an archive in 1954. He began his journey in Partition’s historiography in 1953 as a young lecturer at Khalsa College, Amritsar. The turning point came in 1962 when then chief minister Partap Singh Kairon offered to send him to the UK to collect papers related to Punjab.

3. Dr. NR Madhava Menon passes away: Father of Modern Legal Education, Prof N.R. Madhava Menon (84 years) has passed away. He is known for changing the face of Indian legal education by pioneering the establishment of National Law Schools. He is credited with the conceptualization of five-year integrated LLB course, in place of the earlier 3-year course. Menon was bestowed with the Padma Shri in 2003 for his outstanding contribution to public services. A book "Turning Point" published by Universal Law Publishers, Delhi (2010) is on the life and works of Prof. Menon.

4. Renowned Economist Baidyanath Mishra Passes Away: Renowned economist Baidyanath Mishra passed away due to old-age related problems. He was 99. Mishra had started his career as a lecturer in Ravenshaw University in Cuttack in 1949. He was vice-chancellor of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) from 1981 to 1985. He was also the chairman of the State Planning Board from 1985 to 1990.

Daily GK Updates - 8th May, 2019

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Red Cross Day: 8 May: The ‘World Red Cross Day’ is observed on 8th May annually to commemorate the birth anniversary of 'Henry Dunant'. Henry Dunant was the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This day is dedicated to the people who suffer from food shortage, natural calamities, war as well as disease of the Epidemic. The theme for World Red Cross Day 2019 is “#love” or simply "love". In 1901, Henry Dunant has received the first Nobel Peace Prize together with Frédéric Passy.

2. India's Jagjit Pavadia re-elected to International Narcotics Control Board: India's Jagjit Pavadia has been re-elected to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) for another five-year term. Ms Pavadia has been a member of the INCB since 2015 and her current term is set to expire in 2020. Jagjit Pavadia Pavadia has held several senior positions in the Indian Revenue Service for 35 years in the Government of India, including Narcotics Commissioner of India, Central Bureau of Narcotics.

3. Laurentino Cortizo wins Presidential elections of Panama: Businessman & politician: Laurentino Cortizo (66-year) has won Panama's presidential election with 33.27% of the vote in support. Chairman Rómulo Roux lost a close race, polling just around 31% of the vote. Cortizo was also a member of the National Assembly between 1994 and 2004, serving a year as chamber president. Due to constitutional term limits, Outgoing President Juan Carlos Varela is ineligible for a second consecutive term.

4. Stevo Pendarovski elected new President of North Macedonia: Stevo Pendarovski (56 years) has won the 2019 Macedonian presidential elections with 51.66% vote to become the President-elect of North Macedonia. The president must be a citizen of North Macedonia, be over 40 years of age and have lived in North Macedonia for at least ten of the previous fifteen years.

5. India, Bangladesh to produce a movie on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: India and Bangladesh will jointly produce a movie based on the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a documentary on Bangladesh Liberation War. The movie will be directed by acclaimed India’s filmmaker Shyam Benegal. Prasar Bharati has decided to carry Bangladesh TV on DD Free Dish platform without charging carriage fees. As a reciprocal gesture, Bangladesh Delegation announced that a Doordarshan channel will be adopted on the soon to be launched DTH platform of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Delegation assured full cooperation in ensuring smooth logistics for shooting the movie in Bangladesh.

6. India re-elected as an observer to inter-governmental forum Arctic Council: India and Finland re-elected as an observer to inter-governmental forum Arctic Council. The Arctic Council promotes cooperation, coordination and interaction among Arctic states on common issues, particularly on sustainable development and environmental protection. Observer status is open to non-Arctic states approved by the Council at the Ministerial Meetings that occur once every two years. The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic.

7. Microsoft unveils tool “ElectionGuard” for secure, verifiable voting: Microsoft has launched software named “ElectionGuard” to help countries ensure secure and verifiable voting. The tool “ElectionGuard” will enable end-to-end verification of elections, open results to third-party organisations for secure validation, and allow individual voters to confirm their votes were correctly counted. However, it should be noted that “ElectionGuard” is not designed to support internet voting and is aimed at supplementing and improving the paper ballot systems. "ElectionGuard" provides each voter a tracker with a unique code that can be used to follow an encrypted version of the vote through the entire election process via a web portal provided by election authorities.

8. USAF successfully tests Laser System ‘SHiELD’ to shoot down missiles: The United States Air Force (USAF) has successfully conducted the test of a laser weapons system called the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) at the US Army’s White Sands Missile range in New Mexico. It successfully shot down multiple air-launched missiles while in flight. The SHiELD is an Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) Program which is capable of shooting down multiple missiles in flight. It would be mounted on aircraft to demonstrate self-defence of aircraft and protect the fighter jets against surface-to-air (SAM) and air-to-air (AAM) missiles attack.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Chess: TePe Sigeman & Co International tournament begins in Sweden: In chess, the TePe Sigeman & Co International tournament begins in Malmo, Sweden. Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin (14-years) is training his sight to become the youngest Indian to break the 2600 rating barrier from this event. According to the World Chess Federation (FIDE), the tournament will have eight players with an average rating of 2663, making it a Category 17 tournament. India’s No. 2 Grand Master Pentala Harikrishna will open his campaign against Persson while Nihal is set to meet Saric in the opener.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. e-Governance Services India ties up with IIT-Kanpur to upscale Unnat Bharat Abhiyan: Common Service Centre’s (CSC) e-Governance Services India Limited has tied up with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur to upscale ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’. Under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, IIT-Kanpur has brought together 15 leading higher education institutions from Uttar Pradesh. These institutes will adopt gram panchayats and equip them with all citizen-centric services through CSCs. ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’ is an initiative of the Ministry of HRD. It aims to find solutions to accelerate sustainable growth in rural India. 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Trump awards highest US civilian honour to Tiger Woods: US President Donald Trump presents the Presidential ‘Medal of Freedom’ to Golfer Tiger Woods (43-years) during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Woods is only the fourth and the youngest golfer ever to have received the highest American civilian award. Tiger Woods is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time. Mr Woods won the Masters tournament last month, his first major title since the 2008 US Open, capping a remarkable comeback from personal turmoil and physical injuries.

Note: The Medal of Freedom is America’s highest honour for civilian accomplishment. Presidents can award the medal of freedom to any person, living or dead, who have made “an especially meritorious contribution” to the security or national interest of the United States, world peace, or to a significant public or private endeavour.

OBITUARIES

1. West Indies cricketer Seymour Nurse passes away: Former West Indies batsman Seymour Nurse (85-years) passed away following a prolonged illness. He played 29 Tests between 1960 and 1969 and scored 2523 runs at an average of 47.60. The middle-order batsman from Barbados made 9489 runs in 141 First-Class matches at 43.93. He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1967.