Daily GK Updates - 12th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘VAYU’ Over East-Central Arabian: The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘VAYU’ over East-central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 13 kmph in last six hours and lay centred over East-central Arabian Sea, about 470 km west-northwest of Goa, 280 km south-southwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and 340 km nearly south of Veraval (Gujarat). It is very likely to move nearly northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval & Diu region as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed 145-155 kmph gusting to 170 kmph around morning of 13th June 2019.

2. Arjun Munda Launches ‘E-Governance Initiatives for ST Welfare Schemes’: Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs launched the “e-governance initiatives for ST Welfare schemes” at a function organized by Ministry of Tribal Affairs. A power point presentation on these new e-governance initiatives was made on the occasion. Munda applauded the teamwork efforts of the Ministry of Tribal affairs for these-governance initiatives for Scheduled Tribes Welfare schemes and stated that as per the “SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas and SabkaVishwas”, these e-governance initiatives will serve their purpose of the betterment of tribal communities across the nation. 

3. Nripendra Misra re-appointed as Principal Secretary to PM Modi: Nripendra Misra has been re-appointed as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PK Mishra has also been re-appointed as Additional Principal Secretary to Mr Modi. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved both the appointments with effect from 31st May. According to DoPT order, during the term of their office, they will be assigned the rank of Cabinet Minister.

4. Thawarchand Gehlot appointed leader of Rajya Sabha: BJP leader Thawarchand Gehlot (Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment) has been appointed as the leader of Rajya Sabha. He will replace senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley who opted out of the government citing health reasons. Mr Gehlot is a Rajya Sabha member representing Madhya Pradesh.

Note: The Leader of the House is a Rajya Sabha member who is either a cabinet minister or nominated minister. The Leader has a seat next to the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, in the front row.

5. Uttar Pradesh govt hikes old-age pension: Uttar Pradesh Government has hiked old-age pension in the age group 60 to 79 years by rupees 100 monthly. Now, the old-age pensioners would receive 500 rupees per month (existing 400 rupees).This was approved in a Cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Lucknow. The 100-rupees hike would be enforced from January 2019 and the government will have to bear an additional burden of 106.84 crore rupees from January 2019 to March 2019. The newly hiked pension will benefit around 44.21 lakh people in the state.The state government has amended its rule for the appointment of assistant teachers in government schools according to which B.Ed. will be recognised along with BTC.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Japan To Invest Rs 13,000 cr In Northeast: The Government of Japan has decided to invest an amount of 205.784 billion Yen,equivalent to approximately Rs.13,000 crore, in several ongoing as well as new projects in different states of India's North- Eastern region. This was disclosed after a meeting which the DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh had with the Japanese delegation led by Ambassador Mr Kenji Hiramatsu.

2. World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June: The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year on 12 June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them. The theme for World Day Against Child Labour 2019 is Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams! 

3. 16th Asia Media Summit begins in Siem Reap, Cambodia: Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Hun Sen has inaugurated the 16th Asia Media Summit in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The theme of the 3-day summit is Media Digitisation with a focus on developing markets. 600 delegates from 42 countries are participating in the summit which is hosted by the Ministry of Information, Cambodia in partnership with Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD). One of the highlights of the summit is a round table among CEOs of broadcasting networks which will discuss digitisation and its impact on media credibility.

Note: In 2018, the summit was held in New Delhi with the theme 'Telling Our Stories - Asia and More'. Summit will offer an opportunity to take stock of technological advances, the level of digitisation and impact on the broadcast industry.

4. Sri Lankan Airlines named world's most punctual: Sri Lankan Airlines, the flag carrier of Sri Lanka has been named the 'World's Most Punctual Airline' for the second consecutive year. It has been named for the second consecutive time with over 90% of its flights in May being "on time". In May, it achieved a punctuality rating of 90.75%. Global flight tracker, ‘Flightstats’ analysed data of 41 carriers from Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, and South America, including most of the world's largest and most prestigious airlines before drawing its conclusions.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI constitutes six-member panel to review ATM interchange fee structure: The Reserve Bank of India constituted a six-member committee to review the ATM interchange fee structure with a "view to increase the ATM deployment in the unbanked areas". The committee will be led by V G Kannan, Chief Executive, Indian Banks Association.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India's TCS Now Has Higher Market Value than IBM at $120.5 bn: India's largest software services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has surpassed US technology giant IBM in terms of market capitalisation. As of recent closing, the market cap of TCS stood at Rs8.37 lakh crore ($120.5 billion) compared to IBM's $119.5 billion. TCS reported revenue of $20.9 billion in the previous fiscal while IBM ended 2018 with $79.6 billion in revenue.

2. Reckitt Names Pepsico’s Laxman Narasimhan as CEO: British consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser named PepsiCo executive Laxman Narasimhan to succeed Rakesh Kapoor as chief executive officer. Narasimhan, PepsiCo's global chief commercial officer, will join Reckitt as CEO-designate and be appointed to the board on July 16. He will become group CEO on September 1.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Novelist Amitav Ghosh honoured with Jnanpith Award 2018: Noted English writer Novelist Amitav Ghosh (63-year) has received the country’s highest literary honour Jnanpith Award 2018 (54th). Ghosh treads through historical settings to the modern era and weaves a space where the past connects with the present in relevant ways. Ghosh is the recipient of the Padma Shri (2007) and Sahitya Akademi Award.

Note: The Jnanpith Award is an Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their 'outstanding contribution towards literature'. The award was given to the authors for their most outstanding work and consisted of a citation plaque, a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh and a bronze replica of ‘Saraswati’.

Daily GK Updates - 11th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NDMA conducts training programme for CBRN emergencies: NDMA is conducting a basic training programme at the Deendayal Port Trust in Kandla, Gujarat, aimed at increasing the awareness and enhancing the preparedness of Seaport Emergency Handlers (SEHs) to respond to CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) threats which emanate at seaports due to arrival, storage and transportation of a large amount of chemical, petrochemical and other CBRN agents.

Note: NDMA: National Disaster Management Authority is the apex body, mandated to lay down the policies on disaster management. Based on the Disaster Management Act enacted on 23rd December 2005 by GoI, headed by the Prime Minister. Headquarter: New Delhi

2. Sharad Kumar named interim CVC Vigilance Commissioner: Sharad Kumar has been named as acting Central Vigilance Commissioner as current (CVC)   K V Chowdary completed his tenure at the anti-graft body.

Note: Central Vigilance Commission, headquartered in New Delhi. Set up by the GoI in February 1964. CVC is an apex vigilance institution.

3. I V Subba Rao to continue as secretary to vice president: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the continuation of I V Subba Rao as a secretary to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

4. Dr Virendra Kumar to be pro tem speaker of 17th Lok Sabha: Seven-time MP Virendra Kumar (65 years) is set to be the pro tem speaker (temporary Speaker) of the 17th Lok Sabha. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Virendra Kumar is likely to be administered the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17th June 2019. Virendra Kumar was elected to the 11th (1996), 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th Lok Sabha continuously. The election for the speaker will be held on 19th June 2019. President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament in the Central Hall at 11 am on 20th June 2019.

Note: The Pro-tem Speaker is a temporary speaker appointed for a limited period to conduct the works in Lok Sabha or in state legislatures. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha (House of the People), the lower house of the Parliament of India.

5. V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust Inks MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation: The V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust, Tuticorin and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) have signed an MoU for facilitating Direct Port Entry (DPE) of e-sealed factory stuffed export container to the port under ‘Ease of Doing Business’. With this MoU, Central Warehousing Corporation would make use of the 18,357 sqm area earmarked in the Truck Parking Terminal located opposite to Fisheries College, Tuticorin for operating and managing the DPE facility for 30 years on Annual Lease Rental basis.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India Invited To G-7 Outreach Session: India has received an invitation from France to attend the outreach Session at the G-7 Summit to be held in France in August 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted an invitation from French President to attend the outreach session of the G7 Summit in Biarritz as a special invitee.

Note: The 45th summit of the G7 group of countries is going to take place from August 24 to August 26 in Biarritz in France.

2. ICAT Releases India’s 1st BS – VI Certificate in Two Wheeler Segment: International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) released India’s first Type Approval Certificate (TAC) for Bharat Stage – VI (BS – VI) norms that are the latest emission norms as notified by the Government of India for the two-wheeler segment. The certificate was released and handed over by Director ICAT, Dinesh Tyagi to top officials of the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers).

Note: BS (Bharat Stage) – VI norms: Bharat Stage norms are the automotive emission norms to be implemented with effect from 1st April 2020, to curb the growing menace of air pollution through the vehicle’s emission. ICAT: International Centre for Automotive Technology is the premier testing and certification agency authorized by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for providing testing and certification services to the vehicle and component manufacturers in India and abroad.

3. AFD a French development agency to finance upto 7,00,000 EURO to IRSDC: Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) entered a Tripartite Agreement with French Railways (SNCF) & AFD, a French Agency which will finance up to 7,00,000 EURO, through French National Railways (SNCF)-Hubs and Connexions as a Technical Partner to IRSDC to support the Railway Station Development Program in India, so there will be no financial liability on IRSDC or Indian Railways.

Note: Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal. President of France: Emmanuel Macron, Capital: Paris, Currency: Euro, CFP Franc

4. Canada to Ban Single Use Plastics From 2021: Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that single-use plastics will be banned in the country from 2021. He declared it a global challenge to phase out the plastic bags, straws and cutlery clogging the world’s oceans. Less than 10% of the plastics used in Canada are currently recycled. Each year a million birds and more than 100,000 marine mammals worldwide suffer injury or death by becoming entangled in plastic or ingesting it through the food chain.

Note: Canada Capital: Ottawa, Currency: Canadian dollar.

5. UAE Cabinet adopts "National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031": The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cabinet adopted the ‘National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031’ during its meeting at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi. One of the most important initiatives is the development of the first 'National Wellbeing Observatory' to support the policymaking process. The strategy is based on a national framework of three main levels - individuals, society and the country. It includes 14 components and nine strategic objectives, which include enhancing people's wellbeing by promoting healthy and active lifestyles, promoting good mental health and adopting positive thinking.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Novak Djokovic Tops ATP Rankings: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has topped in the recently released ATP Rankings. Rafael Nadal who has recently won the 12th Roland Garros title is at 2nd position. Austrian Dominic Thiem, whom Nadal beat in final, keeps his fourth place behind Switzerland’s Roger Federer. Russian Karen Khachanov jumped two spots into a personal best of the ninth rank.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. FDI in services sector up 37% in 2018-19: According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the services sector grew 36.5% to USD 9.15 billion in 2018-19 (USD 6.7 billion in 2017-18). The union government has taken several measures like fixing timeliness for approvals and streamlining procedures to improve ease of doing business in the country and attract foreign investments. The sector accounts for about 18% of the total FDI India received between April 2000 and March 2019. The overall FDI inflows declined for the first time in the last six years in 2018-19.

Note: A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of the controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country.

Types of FDI: (i) Horizontal FDI arises when a firm duplicates it's home country-basedactivities at the same value chain stage in a host country through FDI. (ii) Platform FDI Foreign direct investment from a source country into a destination country for the purpose of exporting to a third country. (iii) Vertical FDI takes place when a firm through FDI moves upstream or downstream in different value chains.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Amazon dethrones Google as top global brand: 100 Top BrandZ report: According to global market research agency Kantar in its 2019’s ‘100 Top BrandZ Report’, US retail giant Amazon has moved past hi-tech titans Apple and Google to become the world’s most valuable brand. The brand value of Amazon surged by 52 percent to $315 billion, hence jumping from third to first place to replace Google.

Note: CEO of Amazon: Jeff Bezos

2. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) acquires Jaypore: Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL), which retails brands such as Louis Philippe, Peter England and Van Heusen, has acquired ethnic apparel and lifestyle retailer ‘Jaypore E-Commerce Pvt. Ltd‘ which sells ethnic fashion merchandise under its own brand ‘Jaypore’ for Rs 110 crore.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Equator Prize 2019 winners announced for local innovative climate solutions: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and partners announced the winners of the 10th Equator Prize, recognizing 22 local and indigenous communities from across the world. The winning organizations, which showcase innovative, nature-based solutions for tackling climate change, environment, and poverty challenges. Equator Prize winners will each receive US$10,000 and the opportunity for two community representatives to join a week-long summit in New York during the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The women groups of the Deccan Development Society, Telangana also have bagged the prize.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Puducherry CM R V Janakiraman passed away: Former Puducherry chief minister and DMK leader R V Janakiraman(78-years) passed away in a private hospital in Puducherry. Mr. Janakiraman had served as Puducherry chief minister between 1996 and 2000. He had been elected from Nellithope constituency for five consecutive terms (1985, 1990, 1991, 1996 and 2001).

Daily GK Updates - 10th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. All States Can Now Constitute Foreigners Tribunals: The Ministry Of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, and has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not. Earlier, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested only with the Centre. The amended Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019 also empowers individuals to approach the Tribunals. These tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, earlier unique to Assam.

2. Govt notifies extension of PM-KISAN scheme to all farmers: The Union government has notified its decision to extend the benefit of six thousand rupees per year to eligible farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. Notifying the decision, the Union Agriculture Ministry has written to all state governments, asking them to identify beneficiaries subject to the existing exclusion factors. Now, the revised scheme is expected to cover two crores more farmers with an estimated expenditure of over 87 thousand crore rupees in the current financial year. The decision will benefit all 14.5 crore farmers, irrespective of the size of their landholding, in the country.

Note: PM-KISAN scheme was announced in the interim budget, under which the government decided to provide 6,000 rupees per year to about 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers.

3. The main event of International Yoga Day celebrations to be held in Ranchi: The main event of International Day of Yoga 2019 celebrations will be held at Prabhat Tara in Ranchi (Jharkhand) on 21st June 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the main function. Jharkhand government has planned to celebrate the day in a grand manner by organising a week-long programme starting June 15. From 15th June, a week-long event will start with 'Run for Yoga', that would culminate on 21st June International Yoga Day. About 35 thousand people will take part in Yoga Day event along with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ranchi, in the open air.

Note: This year International Yoga Day of 21st June of Ranchi would be eco-friendly and hence Khadi Yoga Mat would be used, in place of the usual rubber mat.

4. Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha gets three months extension: Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha (1977 batch -IAS officer) has been given further three months extensions.

The appointments committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the extension beyond 12th of this month until further orders. In May 2015, Mr Sinha was appointed as cabinet secretary for a fixed two-year term. This is the third time that Mr Sinha's tenure has been extended.

Note: The Cabinet Secretary is the ex-officio head of the Civil Services Board, the Cabinet Secretariat, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), and all civil services under the rules of business of the government. The Cabinet Secretary is under the direct charge of the prime minister.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NCGG and Maldives Civil Services Commission Sign MOU: The National Center for Good Governance (NCGG), India’s leading civil services training institution, has entered into an MOU with the Maldives Civil Services Commission for capacity building of 1000 Maldives civil servants over the next 5 years. The agreement was signed during the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Male. The agreement envisages that NCGG will be the nodal institution for designing customised training modules and its implementation taking into account the requirements of the Civil Service Commission, Maldives.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Gopalaswami Named BCCI's Electoral Officer for AGM: Former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami has been appointed as an electoral officer for the BCCI's Annual General Meeting (AGM), to be held on October 22, 2019. The Committee of Administrators (CoA), which was appointed by the Supreme Court in January 2017 to oversee the sweeping reforms recommended by the Lodha panel, met at the BCCI headquarters to discuss the road map for the elections.

2. Yuvraj Singh Announces Retirement from International Cricket: Yuvraj Singh announced retirement from international cricket, ending a roller-coaster career during which he became the hero of India's 2011 World Cup triumph and fought a gritty battle with cancer. The 37-year-old cricketer announced his decision in Mumbai. Yuvraj played 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is for India. He put together 1900 runs in the longest format, and 8701 in the one-dayers, the format in which he enjoyed the most success.

3. French Open 2019 Concludes: The 2019 French Open was a Grand Slam tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 123rd edition of the French Open. It took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. Rafael Nadal was the defending champion in the Men's Singles and won his 12th French Open title. Ashleigh Barty of Australia won the Women's Singles Category after defeating Marketa Vondrousova. Now she is the first Australian to win a singles titles at Roland Garros since Margaret Court in 1973.

Note: The French Open officially called ‘Roland-Garros’ is a major tennis tournament held at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France. The venue is named after the French aviator Roland Garros. It is the second of four annual Grand Slam tournaments the other three being the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. The total prize money for the 2019 edition is €42,661,000, an increase of 8% over 2018. The winners of the men's (€2,300,000,) and women's (€2,300,000,) singles title receive.

4. Indian archers bag four berths for Tokyo Paralympics: Indian archers secured two quota places each in the recurve and compound sections for next year's Tokyo Paralympics after dishing out superb performances at the World Para Championships in the Netherlands. Punjabi University's Harvinder Singh and Uttar Pradesh's Vivek Chhikara finished joint ninth to bag the two available berths in the recurve men's open section. In the compound men's open category, Jammu's Rakesh Kumar was first to qualify after making the bronze play. He was later joined by Rajasthan's Shyam Sundar Swami after his joint ninth finish.

5. Hamilton wins 7th Canadian Grand Pix: Lewis Hamilton secured a record-breaking seventh win at the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel was penalised for dangerous driving. During the race, both Vettel and Hamilton were engaged in a head-to-head battle when the former ran across the grass accidentally, in the process squeezing the Britsh driver when he re-joined the track. The incident led to the stewards awarding a five-second race time penalty to the German driver. Ferrari will appeal against the decision over the five-second penalty given to Vettel which cost him the race.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI issues new guidelines for resolution of bad loans: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a new framework for resolution of bad loans, offering a 30-day gap for stress recognition instead of the one-day default earlier. According to RBI, Lenders will have complete discretion with regard to the design and implementation of resolution plans, subject to the specified timeline and independent credit evaluation. Lenders may recognise incipient stress in loan accounts, immediately on default, by classifying such assets as special mention accounts (SMA). In case a borrower is reported to be in default, the lenders should undertake a prima facie review of the account within 30 days from the day of default. These norms come about two months after the Supreme Court held the February 12, 2018 RBI circular on Resolution of Stressed Assets as ultra vires.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Automobile Major Mahindra wins Gold Award in South Africa: India's Automobile major ‘Mahindra’ has won the Gold Award in South Africa for fairing on various indicators, including level of satisfaction among its network of dealers and the manner of allocation of vehicles to them. Mahindra has received the award from the country’s National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) which tests dealers’ satisfaction with the way a brand supports and communicates with them. The automobile giant, which has more than 60 dealers in South Africa (for the past 16 years), secured the top position out of the 29 vehicle brands surveyed for the awards.

OBITUARIES

1. Noted Playwright, Actor and Filmmaker, Girish Karnad Passes Away: Noted actor, filmmaker and playwright Girish Karnad passed away in Bengaluru due to multi-organ failure. He was 81. He was a recipient of the 1998 Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour conferred in India. He was also conferred the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, and had won several accolades for direction in Kannada cinema. Vamsha Vruksha, Ek Tha Tiger, Nagamandala and Malgudi Days are some of the movies and TV serials in which he played a role and Odakalu bimba, Taledanda and the fire and the rain are some of the plays written by him.

2. Comedy legend Crazy Mohan passed away: Tamil writer, comedian and actor, Crazy Mohan, who was also a Kalaimamani awardee, was known for his witty one-liners passed away in Chennai. Crazy Mohan's first film was K Balachander's Poikkal Kudhirai for which he wrote the dialogues.

Note: Kalaimamani Award: It is given by Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram for excellence in the field of art and literature.

Daily GK Updates - 9th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Justice Prashant Kumar appointed as Acting CJ of Jharkhand HC: Centre has appointed Justice Prashant Kumar as the Acting Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court with effect from the date present Acting Chief Justice D N Patel relinquishes charge following his appointment as the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. Former Chief Justice Aniruddha Bose was appointed as Supreme Court judge. Justice Patel appointed as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court in the vacancy due to the retirement of former CJ Rajendra Menon. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Jharkhand High Court.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 1. PM Modi reaches Maldives on 1st foreign visit after re-election to give boost to 'Neighbourhood First' policy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Maldives on 8 June and was accorded a ceremonial welcome. This is the first foreign trip of PM Modi ever since he took charge after winning the 2019 Lok Sabha election. He was received by Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid at the Velana International Airport. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and also addressed the national Parliament. The two-day visit is aimed at further cementing ties with the Indian Ocean archipelago. While Modi visited the Maldives in November 2018 to attend President Solih's swearing-in, this visit is the first by an Indian prime minister at a bilateral level in eight years.

Note: Maldives President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Capital: Malé, Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa

2. Piyush Goyal leads Indian delegation to G20 Ministerial meeting in Japan: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is leading the Indian delegation for the two-day G20 Ministerial meeting on Trade and Digital Economy beginning at Tsukuba city in Japan. Mr. Goyal will discuss developments in the global trade situation, WTO matters, and digital trade. He will also hold dialogue with other participating Trade Ministers on current international trade and investments. The G-20 Trade Ministers deliberations will form part of the G-20 Summit Leaders agenda in the formal discussions and will also be a part of the Summit Declaration.

3. India, Portugal to join hands in setting up maritime museum: India and Portugal will cooperate in the setting up of a national maritime heritage museum at Lothal in Gujarat. The Indian Navy is keen to be a stakeholder in the project and the Portuguese Navy has agreed to assist with their experience of administering the maritime museum in Lisbon, according to defence sources. Initial discussions were held during the visit of Portuguese Defence Minister João Gomes Cravinho to India in April.

Note: Portugal Capital: Lisbon, Currency: Euro

4. G20 Finance Ministers call for creation of digital tax: Japan, US, China, France and the UK wanted digital giants such as Amazon, Google and Facebook to be taxed based on their revenue and number of users in every market where they operate. The Finance Ministers of the G20 member nations called for the creation of a digital tax for multinational technology companies, the details of which will be finalized next year. The initiative was debated during a G20 Ministerial Symposium in the Japanese city of Fukuoka, with the world’s leading industrialized countries coming out in favour of setting up a new tax model that is adapted to the digital economy.

Note: G20 Chairperson: Shinzō Abe, Founded: 26 September 1999

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. French Open: Ashleigh Barty clinches her first Grand Slam singles title: In French Open Tennis, Australian Ashleigh Barty won her first Grand Slam singles title after easing past Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets in the women’s final. In the women’s final, No. 8 seed Barty outclassed Vondrousova 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and 10 minutes.

2. Japan defeat Mexico by goal margin of 3-1 won FIH Hockey Series: In the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men’s Hockey Series Finals match played at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Japan defeated Mexico by a goal margin of 3-1.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Forex reserves swell by $1.8 bn to $421.8 bn: The country’s foreign exchange reserves increased by USD 1.875 billion to USD 421.867 billion in the week ending 31st May 2019. Reserve Bank weekly data released showed that foreign currency assets, which is a major component of the overall reserves, rose by USD 1.946 billion to USD 394.134 billion.

2. RBI imposes Rs 2 crore penalty on Kotak Mahindra Bank: The RBI has slapped a penalty of Rs. 2 crores on Kotak Mahindra Bank for the non-state lender’s failure to adhere to the regulator’s diktat on promoter shareholding. The central bank has been engaged in a dispute with Kotak Mahindra since 2014 over its failure to meet the milestone for stake reduction by Uday Kotak, the billionaire promoter of the bank.

3. Jammu and Kashmir govt appoints RK Chibber as interim chief of J&K Bank: The Jammu and Kashmir government has removed J&K Bank Chairman Parvez Ahmad and appointed RK Chibber as interim chairman of the lender. Parvez Ahmad, Chairman cum Managing Director, shall cease to be Director on the Board of Directors of the Bank and consequently be no longer the Chairman cum Managing Director of the board.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Maldives to confer its highest award ‘Nishan Izzuddin’ on PM Modi: Maldives will confer ‘Nishan Izzuddin’ award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is the highest award to honour foreign nationals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Male on the first leg of his two-nation tour to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. This will also be the first bilateral visit to the Maldives of an Indian Prime Minister after 2011.

Daily GK Updates - 8th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Housing Ministry launches Swachh Survekshan League: Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri launched Swachh Survekshan League 2020. It will be conducted in three quarters of 2019 and the final quarter in 2020. The results of the League will form part of Swachh Survekshan 2020, the 5th edition of the annual cleanliness survey of urban India to be conducted in January-February 2020.

2. ISRO to launch Chandrayaan-2 between July 9-16: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has found a suitable window to launch India’s second spacecraft to the moon, 'Chandrayaan-2' between July 9 and July 16 with an expected soft landing on the moon on September 6. ISRO sources have confirmed that GSLV Mark-III will launch Chandrayaan-2 from Sriharikota during the favoured window time. All three modules of the moon mission, Orbiter, Lander-Vikram and Rover-Pragyan are ready. The modules underwent tests in the ISRO satellite Integration and test establishment campus in Bengaluru and are ready to be shifted to Sriharikota spaceport of ISRO. India is standing on a cusp of creating history by becoming the only country in the world to launch a rover in the lunar South Pole.

3. Culture Minister inaugurates exhibition-‘Unknown masterpieces of Himachal Folk Art’: Culture Minister Prahalad Singh Patel has inaugurated the exhibition titled Unknown Masterpieces of Himachal Folk Art at National Museum in New Delhi. The Exhibition is being jointly organised by the National Museum and Home of Folk Art, Gurugram in which more than 240 artifacts displayed. The aim of the exhibition is to highlight the Folk-art tradition of Himachal Pradesh. It will remain open for public till 31st of next month.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Oceans Day being observed globally: World Oceans Day (WOD) is observed every year on 8th June to provide an opportunity to take personal and community action to conserve the ocean and its resources. The theme of World Oceans Day- 2019 is "Gender and Oceans". The main action focus is to prevent plastic pollution and encourage solutions for a healthy ocean. The Ocean Project has promoted and coordinated World Oceans Day globally since 2002.

2. World Brain Tumor Day: 8 June: World Brain Tumor Day is observed on the June 8 every year with the objective of spreading awareness and educating people about the same. Brain tumors are fatal, with majority of the patients dying within 9 to 12 months of diagnosis. Every year 40,000 to 50,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumors, out of which 20 per cent are children.

3. S Jaishankar reaches Bhutan for his first overseas visit as External Affairs Minister: S Jaishankar arrived in Bhutan for his first overseas visit as External Affairs Minister. This is Mr. Jaishankar's first overseas visit after assuming charge of the Ministry. During the visit, Mr Jaishankar will call on Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering and meet his counterpart Tandi Dorji.The Minister is also expected to receive an audience with King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

4. Left-wing opposition bloc wins General Election in Denmark: In Denmark, left-wing opposition bloc has won the General Election of the country, leaving behind the ruling Liberal Party. Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen conceded defeat after his party came second with 75 seats in the Parliament as against the 91 seats of the Social Democrats. Lokke told supporters at an election rally that the country had a good election, but there will be a change of government. With all votes counted, results showed the left-wing bloc, led by the Social Democrats, won a majority in the parliament, while the right-wing led by Rasmussen took 75 seats following a collapse for the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party.

5. Military government chief Prayuth Chan-ocha elected Thailand PM: Thailand’s new parliament has elected military government chief Prayuth Chan-ocha as the country’s prime minister, completing a transition from coup leader to head of a civilian government in a system seen tilted in his favour. He comfortably exceeded the 375-vote threshold in the two houses of parliament to give him the majority needed to fend off his sole challenger, a charismatic billionaire heading up the anti-military government coalition.

Note: Capital: Bangkok, Currency: Thai baht

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Fincare SFB, Kookmin Bank gets included into second schedule of RBI Act: Fincare Small Finance Bank and Kookmin Bank have been included in the second schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, according to RBI notifications. Fincare Small Finance Bank was included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act vide notification dated March 28. The central bank in separate notification said that Kookmin Bank has been included in the Second Schedule vide notification dated April 4. Fincare Small Finance Bank, as a Scheduled Commercial Bank can now broad-base its lines of funding and liquidity facilities. The Bank can issue certificates of deposits and get access to interbank borrowings at competitive interest rates, enabling it to bring down its cost of funds.

2. IRDAI Hikes third party insurance premium for Small-Medium Cars: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has increased the third party (TP) motor insurance premium for small and medium private cars in the range of 12-12.5% for 2019-20. The TP motor insurance premium for two-wheelers and heavy vehicles has also been hiked. The new rates will come into effect from June 16, 2019.

Daily GK Updates - 7th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Delhi Metro Becomes India's 1st Project to Receive Power from Waste-To-Energy: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has become the first ever project in the country to receive power generated from a waste-to-energy plant. It has started receiving 2 MW power from a 12 MW capacity waste-to-energy plant set up in Ghazipur. The waste-to-energy plant set up by East Delhi Waste Processing Company Limited (EDWPCL) is based on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) involving the Delhi government and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), besides the EDWPCL.

2. Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel Takes Oath As New CJ Of Delhi High Court: Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Lt Governor Anil Baijal administered the oath of office to Justice Patel at a function held at Raj Niwas. Earlier, Justice Patel was posted at the Jharkhand High Court. The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended his name for the appointment as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

3. Azim Premji to Retire as Executive Chairman of Wipro in July: IT Industry icon Azim Premji will retire as Executive Chairman of Wipro with effect from 30th July 2019. He led the company for 53 years. He will continue to serve on the board as Non-Executive Director and founder Chairman. His son Rishad Premji, Chief Strategy Officer and a board member will take over as the Executive Chairman of the company. 

4. Traffic Index-2018: Mumbai ‘Most Congested’, Delhi Ranks 4^th: Mumbai ranked first in the study, ‘Traffic Index-2018’, compiled by location technology specialist TomTom, with a congestion level of 65%, while New Delhi ranked fourth with congestion of 58%. The study covered 403 cities in 56 countries and defined congestion as the extra time added to road travel when traffic doesn’t flow freely.

5. PM Modi approves reconstitution of NITI Aayog: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the reconstitution of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog). Mr Modi will be the Chairperson of the Aayog and Rajiv Kumar will be the Vice Chairman. An official release said V K Saraswat (former DRDO Chief), Ramesh Chand (Agriculture Expert) and Dr V K Paul (Public Health expert) will be the full-time members of the NITI Aayog. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be the Ex-Officio Members. Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot, Rail Minister Piyush Goyal and Statistics and Programme Implementation Minister Rao Inderjit Singh will be the special invitees of NITI Aayog.

Note: The ‘NITI Aayog’ established (in 2015) with the aim to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and to enhance cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.

6. Preparations underway for seventh Economic Census: Preparations for 7th Economic Census are underway In New Delhi. The Common Service Centres (CSCs) are being partnered in the census for the first time, providing quality training to the workforce of CSCs is the responsibility of the Ministry so that data collected by them is effective and of better quality. The Economic Census provides disaggregated information on various operational and structural variables of all establishments of the country. The Census also provides valuable insight into geographical spread and clusters of economic activities, ownership pattern, persons engaged in all economic establishments of the country. The output of the census will be released in January 2020.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Food Safety Day: 7 June: World Food Safety Day is observed every year on 7th June. The theme for World Food Safety Day 2019 is 'Food Safety, Everyone’s Business'. 

2. Nigeria's envoy to UN elected President of the 74th session of UNGA: Nigeria's Ambassador to the United Nations Tijjani Muhammad-Bande (61-year) has been elected as President of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). He succeeds Ecuadorian María Fernanda Espinosa, whose term ends in September 2019. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande had been nominated by Nigeria and endorsed by the African group, at the election by acclamation. In accordance with the rules, the President of the 74th session of the General Assembly (193-member) should be elected from among the African States. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN).

Note: The President of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a yearly basis. The President presides over the sessions of the General Assembly.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Starts in France: The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is the 8th edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship contested by the women's national teams between 7 June and 7 July 2019. The Championship will be held in nine cities across France. In March 2015, France won the right to host the event, the first time the country will host the tournament. 

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. CII Launches New Index to Measure Fiscal Performance: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched a Fiscal Performance Index (FPI) to assess state and central budgets. The Index incorporates qualitative assessments of revenue expenditure, capital expenditure, revenues, fiscal prudence and the level of public debt arrive at a more holistic picture of fiscal performance than the fiscal deficit to GDP ratio according to the CII.

DEFENCE

1. India-France to Hold Mega Air Exercise “Garuda VI” in July: The Air Forces of India and France will carry out a two-week-longmega air exercise “Garuda VI” beginning July 1, 2019, at an air base in France. “Garuda VI” will boost the military-to-military ties between the two countries. From the Indian side, a fleet of Sukhoi 30 fighter jets will engage in dogfights with France’s Rafale multirole aircraft in simulated scenarios as part of the exercise.

OBITUARIES

1. Six-Time Grammy-Winning Musician Dr John Passes Away: Six-time Grammy-winning musician Malcolm John Rebennack, better known as Dr John, passed away aged 77. The singer-songwriter suffered from a heart attack. He started his career as a pianist in the 1950s.

2. Sweden's former UEFA president Lennart Johansson passes away: Former President of UEFA ‘Lennart Johansson’ (89-years) passed away following a short illness. Lennart Johansson was president of European football body UEFA from 1990 to 2007. Johansson's long reign at the head of UEFA coincided with a transformation in the finances of football as the game became big business and saw a huge increase in TV revenue. In 1998, he was defeated by Sepp Blatter in his bid to become head of football's global federation FIFA.