Daily GK Updates - 29th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Five-year vision plan EQUIP finalised and released by HRD Ministry: The Department of Higher Education of HRD Ministry has finalized and released a five year vision plan named Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme. The Expert Groups have set the following goals for higher education sector: Double the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education and resolve the geographically and socially skewed access o higher education institutions in India. Upgrade the quality of education to global standards. Promote Research & Innovation ecosystems for positioning India in the Top-3 countries in the world in matters of knowledge creation. Double the employability of the students passing out of higher education. Harness education technology for expanding the reach and improving pedagogy. Promote India as a global study destination.

Note: Union Minister of HRD Ministry of India: Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.

2. Govt cuts interest rate on small savings schemes: The GoI has reduced interest rates for small savings schemes by 10 basis points for the July-September quarter of the 2019-20 financial years. Some schemes that will fetch lower interest rates are Kisan Vikas Patra (7.6%), Public Provident Fund (7.9%), Sukanya Samriddhi Account (8.4%).

3. Haryana CM announces annual health assistance to 'loktantra senanis': Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced an annual financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to "loktantra senanis" or their spouse. Under this, they will be provided treatment at private or government hospitals. The term "emergency victim" on their identity cards would be replaced with "loktantra senani". "Loktantra senanis" are those people who were imprisoned during the 1975-77Emergency under preventive detention laws.

Note: Haryana Capital: Chandigarh, Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar; Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya.

4. First Resilient Kerala Program: The GoI, the Government of Kerala and the World Bank have signed the Loan Agreement of USD 250 million for the First Resilient Kerala Program. The program will focus on strengthening the state's institutional and financial capacity to protect the assets and livelihoods of poor and vulnerable groups. The New Program is part of ‘Rebuild Kerala Development Programme’ aimed at building a green and resilient Kerala.

Note: Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor: P. Sathasivam.

5. FIEO elects Sharad Kumar Saraf as new president: Exporters body Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has elected Sharad Kumar Saraf as its new president. Sharad Kumar Saraf will replace renowned exporter Ganesh Kumar Gupta.

6. National Statistics Day: 29 June: The “Statistics Day” is being observed every year on 29th June in India to create public awareness about the importance of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation. The theme of Statistics Day, 2019 is “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. The theme has been chosen for intensive and focused discussions towards filling the data gaps and improvement of timelines/quality in SDGs. The day acknowledges the notable contribution of Late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics, statistical system and economic planning. The main function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, chaired by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation and Ministry of Planning, Rao Inderjit Singh.

Note: Indian scientist and applied statistician ‘Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis’ (29 June 1893 – 28 June 1972) remembered for the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure. He was also one of the members of the first Planning Commission of India.

7. West Bengal launches free crop insurance scheme for farmers: West Bengal government has announced a crop insurance scheme ‘Bangla Shashya Bima (BSB)’ in collaboration with the Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC) for the 2019 kharif season. The scheme ‘BSB’ is applicable for farmers in 15 districts - Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Purba Medinipur, Malda, Hooghly, Nadia, Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Birbhum, Purulia, Dakshin Dinajpur, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. The crop insurance scheme would be free of cost for the farmers since the government will pay the full premium. The crops that will come under insurance are aman paddy, aus paddy, jute and maize.

8. ISRO forms new PSU to commercially exploit technology, launch satellites: The ISRO has formed a public sector undertaking (PSU) named as the New Space India Limited (NSIL). It will commercially exploit the research and development work of the space agency, co-produce PSLV and launch satellites through SSLVs. The functions of NSIL will involve small satellite technology transfer to industry, manufacture of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). The new company will also look after the production and marketing of space-based products and services, including launch an application, developed by ISRO Centres. Antrix Corporation Ltd is another PSU under the Department of Space that acts as a commercial arm of the ISRO.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day of the Tropics: 29 June: The United Nations observe 29 June as International Day of the Tropics. The International Day of the Tropics celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the tropics while highlighting unique challenges and opportunities the Tropical nations face.

Note: United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA. It was founded on 24 October 1945. Mr Antonio Guterres of Portugal is the Secretary General of the United Nations.

2. India signs USD 400M loan agreement with World Bank to eliminate TB: World Bank India has signed a loan agreement worth 400 million dollars with the World Bank to help treat and eliminate Tuberculosis (TB) from the country. The World Bank supported program will cover nine States and it will support the government's National Strategic Plan to end TB in India by 2025. The Program will provide financial incentives to private sector care providers for reporting cases of TB and ensuring that their patients complete the treatment regimen. According to the Finance Ministry, it will provide Direct Benefit Transfers to patients for acquiring the critical nutrition needed during treatment. The Program will also strengthen the detection, treatment and monitoring of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis and will track progress in the detection of additional drug resistance.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. South-East Asian countries will jointly bid to host 2034 Football World Cup: South-East Asian countries will jointly bid to host the 2034 Football World Cup. Prime Minister of Thailand Prayuth Chan-ocha invited the people of ASEAN to support the football associations in their countries to host the tournament. The FIFA World Cup has held only once in the continent when Japan and South Korea were joint hosts in 2002. Qatar will bring it back to Asia in 2022.

Note: The 2034 FIFA World Cup (25th) will be the quadrennial international men's football championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. ASEAN region is home to more than 640 million people many of whom follow football avidly; The ASEAN countries are Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei.

2. Marcus Trescothick announces retirement from professional cricket: Former England batsman Marcus Trescothick (43-years) is to retire from professional cricket. Trescothick represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals between 2000 to 2006. He scored 5,825 runs at an average of 43.79. He played first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club.

3. Milan-Cortina (Italy) to host Winter Olympics 2026: The city of Milan and Cortina of Italy have been selected to host the Winter Olympics 2026. This will be the fourth Olympic Games hosted in Italy and the first Olympic Games hosted by Milan. The 2026 Winter Olympics scheduled to take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 in Italy.

S. No	Olympics	City/Country
1.	2020 Summer Olympics	Tokyo, Japan
2.	2022 Winter Olympics	Beijing, China
3.	2024 Summer Olympics	Paris, France
4.	2026 Winter Olympics	Milan-Cortina, Italy

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Govt cuts interest rate on small savings schemes by 0.1 pc: The Union government has reduced interest rate on small savings schemes, including the National Savings Certificate and Public Provident Fund, by 0.1% for the July-September quarter. Barring interest on savings deposits, which has been retained at 4 per cent annually, rate on all other schemes has been slashed by 0.1 per cent. PPF and NSC will fetch an annual interest rate of 7.9 per cent from the existing rate of 8 per cent, while Kisan Vikas Patra will yield 7.6 per cent with a maturity of 113 months. At present, the interest rate on KVP is 7.7 per cent and maturity is 112 months. The girl child savings scheme Sukanya Samriddhi Account will fetch a lower return of 8.4 per cent from 8.5 per cent. The interest rate for the five-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme will now fetch a lower rate of interest at 8.6 per cent from 8.7 per cent.

2. RBI allows ARCs to buy financial assets from peers: The Reserve Bank of India has allowed Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) to buy financial assets from other ARCs. The transactions must be settled in cash between the 2 enitities. In view of amendment to the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act, 2002, it has been decided to permit ARCs to acquire financial assets from other ARCs.

3. RBI relaxes leverage ratio for banks: The Reserve Bank relaxed the leverage ratio (LR) to 4% for Domestic Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs) and 3.5% for other banks. This has been done to help them boost their lending activities. The reduced leverage ratio will be effective from the quarter commencing October 1, 2019. The leverage ratio, as defined under Basel-III norms, is Tier-I capital as a percentage of the bank's exposures.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. IIT Kanpur honours Gopichand with honorary doctorate: IIT Kanpur honours India's chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand with honorary doctorate on the occasion of their 52nd convocation. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are past recipients of the honour.

OBITUARIES

1. Malayalam director Babu Narayanan passes away: Malayalam director Babu Narayanan passes away. He directed several Malayalam hits such as ‘Kudumba Vishesham’ and ‘Welcome to Kodaikanal’. Babu Narayanan was also part of the Anil-Babu duo that made several box office hits like Sthreedhanam, Pattabhishekam.

2. Writer Abburi Chaya Devi passes away: Telugu story writer and the Sahitya Akademi award winner Abburi Chaya Devi passes away. Some of her popular stories are Bonsai Bathuku, Prayanam Sukhantam, Akhariki Aidu Nakshatralu, and Wood Rose.

Daily GK Updates - 28th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. BSES launches energy saving app: BSES Yamuna Power Ltd launches behavioural energy saving app 'Susthome'. The app was launched as part of its Demand Side Management programme. BSES partners with energy resources institute TERI, Panasonic India and the Council on Energy. Environment and Water to launch the app. The other two initiatives are "Green Division concept and solar micro grids with battery storage". BSES is a Delhi power distribution company. 

2. Maharaja Ranjit Singh honoured on his 180th death anniversary: A statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the legendary ruler of Punjab, was unveiled at the Lahore Fort on his 180th death anniversary. Around 500 people crossed the Wagah border to attend the unveiling event. The sculpture is the result of collaboration between Fakir Khana Museum and Sarkar Khalsa Foundation.

3. Nagaland Governor Acharya sworn-in as Additional charge of Manipur: P B Acharya was sworn-in as Governor of Manipur at Raj Bhawan in Imphal, Manipur. The senior most judge of the High Court of Manipur Justice Lanushungkum Jamir administered the oath of office. Nagaland Governor Acharya will serve as Governor of Manipur as an additional charge from today during the absence, on leave, of Dr Najma Heptulla (Governor of Manipur). Dr Najma Heptulla will be on leave for a month.

Note: Chief minister of Manipur: N. Biren Singh ; Capital of Manipur: Imphal.

4. Justice PK Saikia sworn-in as Arunachal Lokayukta chief: Justice Prasanta Kumar Saikia (Retired) has been sworn in as the Chairperson of the Lokayukta in Arunachal Pradesh.

Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra administered the oath of office to Justice Saikia at a function held in the Raj Bhavan in Itanagar. Retired IAS officer Mr. Yeshi Tsering was sworn in as Member of the Lokayukta.

5. Singhey Khababs Sindhu Festivals being celebrated in Leh: J&K Governor Sayta Pal Malik has inaugurated the ‘Sighey khababs Sindhu Festivals’ on the bank of ‘Indus River’ in Leh at the Ladakh Region of Jammu and Kashmir. The festival is celebrated every year to attract tourists to Ladakh by presenting the Indus River as a symbol of the cultural identity of India. The main attraction of the festival is local Folk songs and dances, exhibitions of handicrafts, and ethnic food items.

6. 81,03196 houses approved under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme: Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Scheme, A total of 81 lack 3 thousand 196 houses have been approved so far from the states and Union Territories. This was informed by Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri in the Lok Sabha. 47 lakh 57 thousand 987 houses are at various stages of construction and 26 lakh 7 thousand 913 have been completed or occupied.

The union Government assistance of Rs. 51,113 crores have so far been released under the PMAY(U).

Note: Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY) was launched in June 2015 with an aim to provide affordable housing in urban poor. Under PMAY, it is proposed to build 2 crore houses for urban poor including Economically Weaker Sections and Low-Income Groups (LIG) in urban areas by the year 2022 through the financial assistance of Rs. 2 trillion (USD- 29 billion) from central government.

7. Lok Sabha passes Homeopathy Central Council Amendment Bill: The Lok Sabha (LS) has passed the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which seeks to extend the period for reconstitution of the Central Council from existing period of one year to two years.

Now, the tenure of the Board of Governors may be extended for a further period of one year (from 17th May 2019.). The bill will help the Central Council of Homoeopathy in exercising the powers and performing functions of the Council. According to Minister of AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik, the bill will replace the ordinance promulgated earlier and will also prevent the opening of substandard courses in homoeopathy colleges.

8. 58 Railway stations of NE Frontier Railway provided with free Wi-Fi services: As many as 58 railway stations of North East Frontier Railway have been provided with free Wi-Fi services for the passenger. Free Wi-Fi services to passengers are being provided under ‘RailWire’ brand- the retail Broadband initiative of RailTel. The Northeast Frontier Railway is one of the 18 railway zones in India, Headquartered in Maligaon, Guwahati. In May, the total number of user logins at the Wi-Fi enabled stations was 2.35 crore in 1600 stations across India. Inspired by the vision of Digital India, Indian Railways and RailTel created a plan to transform stations into digital inclusion platform by providing fast free public Wi-Fi at stations.

Note: The railways' bid to provide access to free Wi-Fi at stations began from Mumbai Central in January 2016. RailWire WiFi will be available to any user who has a smartphone with a working mobile connection.

9. ‘Go Tribal campaign’ launched in New Delhi: The Union government has launched the Go Tribal Campaign in New Delhi to promote the use of tribal handicrafts and natural products. According to the Tribal Affairs Ministry, TRIFED has organized this event to institutionalize collaborations and partnerships with different organizations to promote tribal products. During the event, Tribes India and Amazon Global Marketing will launch TRIBES India products globally through Amazon platform. With this collaboration, tribal products will be available in the US and will help establish an export market with tribal products. The collection of Madua, Jowaer, Bazra, Red Rice, Honey, Lac products, Spices, Coffee, Tea and Handmade Soaps produced by Tribals in various parts of the country will also be showcased.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. SAI withdraws controversial order to ban parents, coaches from shooting range: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) withdrew its controversial circular to ban parents and personal coaches of shooters from the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi during practice. Recently, an order issued by the authorities at the shooting range restricted the movement of parents and coaches inside the range, leading to a controversy. As per international guidelines, they will, however, be not allowed on Field of Play.

2. Marcus Trescothick to retire from professional cricket: Former England batsman Marcus Trescothick is to retire from professional cricket. Trescothick, 43, played 76 Tests for England between 2000 and 2006 and scored 5,825 runs at an average of 43.79.

3. Virat Kohli becomes the fastest batsman to score 20,000 runs: India captain Virat Kohli (417- innings) has become the fastest batsman to reach 20,000 international runs. Virat Kohli (131 in Tests, 223 in ODIs and 62T20I) broke Sachin Tendulkar (453 innings) and Brian Lara's (453 innings) record to become the fastest to 20,000 international runs. Now, Virat Kohli became the 12th batsman and 3rd Indian batsman after Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 runs) and Rahul Dravid (24,208 runs) to reach 20,000 International runs. Virat Kohli has already become the fastest to score 11,000 ODI runs.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Indian woman crowned Miss Universe Australia: India born Priya Serrao has won the Miss Universe Australia title for 2019. Western Australia’s Bella Kasimba and another Victorian Marijana Radmanovic rounded out 2019’s top three, placing second and third.

Note: Australia Capital: Canberra, Currency: Australian Dollar.

2. Mumbai in top 20 most expensive cities in Asia for expatriates: Mercer has released 25th Annual Cost of Living Survey. Some findings of the survey: The costliest city in the world for the second consecutive year is Hong Kong followed by Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul. Mumbai fell 12 spots and was ranked at the 67th position out of 209 cities surveyed. Eight out of the top ten of the world's most expensive cities for expatriates are Asian. The world's least expensive cities for expatriates are Tunis (209), Tashkent (208), and Karachi (207).

DEFENCE

1. Nuclear-capable missile Prithvi II successfully test-fired: India successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear-capable missile Prithvi-II as part of a user trial by the Indian Army from a test range off the Odisha coast. It was carried out from a mobile launcher from Launch Complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur. The surface-to-surface missile has a strike range of 350 km. The missile can carry 500 to 1000 kg of warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines. Prithvi-II was also successfully test-fired on 21st February, last year from the ITR at Chandipur.

OBITUARIES

1. Eminent Gandhian Jharna Dhara Chowdhury Passes Away: Jharna Dhara Chowdhury, an Eminent Social Activist and secretary of the Gandhi Ashram Trust in Jayag, Noakhali, Bangladesh passes away in Dhaka. She devoted her whole life to promoting peace, communal harmony and social justice. In recognition of her work, she was honored with Padma Shri in 2013. She was awarded Jamnalal Bajaj award in 1998.

Note: Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka, Currency: Taka, PM: Sheikh Hasina.

2. Former Bengal cricketer Shyam Sundar Mitra passes away: Former Bengal cricketer Shyam Sundar Mitra passes away . He was awarded the Karthick Bose Lifetime Achievement Award by Cricket Association of Bengal. Mitra, who captained Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, was an elegant right hand batsman and a part-time medium pacer.

3. Freedom fighter Mohammed Baji passes away: Eminent freedom fighter Mohammad Baji (103-years) passed away at his residence at Sunari Sahi in Nabarangpur District of Odisha.

He was a close associate of tribal civil rights activist Laxman Nayak. He joined the Indian National Congress (in 1936) and Quit India Movement on 19th August 1942. Baji was injured in police firing during the 1942 movement when 29 tribal killed while protesting before the Mathili police station in Malkangiri district. He spent nearly five years in jail before he was released on June 25, 1947. After the freedom struggle, Baji was active in the Sarvodaya movement. He was the chairman of Utkal Gandhi Smarak Nidhi and a close associate of Utkal Sarvodaya Mandal.

Daily GK Updates - 27th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt to provide broadband connectivity under BharatNet project to all gram panchayats: According to Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Government plans to provide broadband connectivity under ‘BharatNet Project’ to all gram panchayats in the country. One lakh 28 thousand 870 Gram panchayats have been connected with optical fibre till date. Under BharatNet project, the last mile connectivity is to be provided at all the 2.5 lakh gram panchayats in the country. Phase I of the project was completed in December 2017, and one lakh gram panchayats were made service ready. Phase II is under implementation, and a total of 2 lakh gram panchayats are targeted to be completed by March 2020.

Note: BharatNet is a project of national importance to establish, by 2017,a highly scalable network infrastructure accessible on a non-discriminatory basis, to provide on-demand, affordable broadband connectivity for all households in partnership with States and the private sector. The objective of the project is to facilitate the delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-education, e-banking, Internet and other services to rural India.

2. MoA signed to set up Centre for Inland & Coastal Maritime Technology at IIT Kharagpur: Ministry of Shipping and IIT Kharagpur has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for setting up the Centre for Inland and Coastal Maritime Technology. According to Shipping Minister Mr. Mandaviya, the MoA will further the dream of Make in India and reduce the recurring cost incurred in the import of technology. The Centre will focus on indigenisation of ship designing, building and testing. Currently, only Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and Belgium have model testing facilities for ships.

3. 'Swachhta Pakhwada’ observed by MNRE from 1-15 June: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and institutions under it observed Swachhta Pakhwada (cleanliness fortnight) from 1st June to 15th June 2019. During this period, MNRE undertook various activities such as Shramdan (cleanliness drive) by staff, lectures and seminars.

Note: Minister of State (IC) of MNRE: Raj Kumar Singh

4. Meenakshi Lekhi Writes her first Novel ‘The New Delhi Conspiracy’: BJP MP & Supreme Court lawyer Meenakshi Lekhi has written her debut novel titled ‘The New Delhi Conspiracy’. The book has been co-authored by Krishna Kumar who works with her and is published by Harper Collins India, is slated for release on 8th July. Meenakshi Lekhi is a Lok Sabha member from South Delhi and is a Supreme Court lawyer.

5. The Rahimatpur Police station in Satara tops SMART survey: The Rahimatpur police station in Satara district in Maharashtra has emerged as the State topper in a survey based on the ‘SMART’ policing concept. ‘SMART’: Strict and sensitive, modern and mobile, alert and accountable, reliable and responsive, techno-savvy and trained. The survey was executed by the Quality Council of India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Narendra Modi reaches Osaka for G20 Summit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the Japanese city of Osaka to attend the G20 Summit which will be held tomorrow and the day after. On the sidelines of the summit, Mr Modi will hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe (today) and US President Donald Trump (tomorrow) and discuss important issues of bilateral and global importance. The Prime Minister will attend nearly 30 programmes during his 57 hours stay on this visit. The summit under the Japanese presidency is centred around the theme "Human centred future society". G-20 summit will provide an important opportunity to reiterate and reinforce India’s strong support to reformed multilateralism.

Note: The G20 is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union. The members of G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Collectively, the G20 economies account for nearly 90% of the gross world product, 80% of world trade, two-thirds of the world population, and approximately half of the world land area. The G20 Summit is formally known as the “Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy”.

Note: Japan Capital: Tokyo, Currency: Japanese yen, PM: Shinzo Abe.

2. Meeting of Expert Working Group of Paris Pact Initiative to be held in New Delhi: The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance is hosting a Meeting of Expert Working Group on Paris Pact Initiative in New Delhi. The meeting focuses on Illicit Financial Flows deriving from the trafficking of Opiates originating in Afghanistan. The Meeting is being organised with the support of United Nations Office on Drugs & Crimes. The Meeting will be attended by the representatives of the Member Countries of Paris Pact, Regional Representatives of UNODC and Senior Officers of the Indian agencies like DRI, ED and NCB.

Note: Director Genereal of UNODC: Yury Fedotov.

3. Micro, Small and Medium sized Enterprises Day: 27 June: The United Nations observe 27 June as the Micro, Small and Medium sized Enterprises Day. Since 2017, Micro, small and Medium-sized businesses celebrate this day in recognition of their work in local and global economies. These enterprises, which generally employ fewer than 250 persons, are the backbone of most economies worldwide. International Trade Center, United Nations will launch its flagship report: "The SME Competitiveness Outlook 2019: Big money for small businesses". The Government of India (GoI) has also organized a National Conclave (Udyam Sangam) to encourage dialogue and partnership among various stakeholders of the MSME ecosystem.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Lewis Hamilton Wins France Grand Prix 2019: Mercedes Driver Lewis Hamilton wins France Grand Prix 2019. This is his sixth triumph in eight races in this season.

2. IOC strips world boxing body AIBA of Olympic status: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped Olympic status from the troubled world boxing body AIBA (Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur) Now, IOC will organize qualifying and final tournaments for the 2020 Tokyo Games. IOC members had voted to endorse the executive board's recommendation last month to suspend AIBA's Olympic status. Olympic inquiry panel chairman Nenad Lalovic said that AIBA had created very serious reputational, legal and financial risks for the IOC and its American stakeholders. It is cut off from future income from Tokyo revenues, and the 2019 world championships for men and women in Russia are no longer Olympic qualifiers.

3. Narinder Batra elected as IOC member: Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra has been elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee. He secured 58 votes out of 62. Narinder Batra now has a rare distinction of becoming a member of the IOC, while heading a National Olympic Committee as well as an international federation.  He is the first Indian to have this distinction.

Note: President of IOC: Thomas Bach

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI advises all banks to accept coins of all denominations: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has advised all banks to immediately direct all their branches to accept coins of all denominations. RBI's advisory came after it received complaints about non-acceptance of coins by branches of various banks. Reserve Bank advised all banks to accept coins of all denominations tendered at their counters for transactions or exchange and ensure strict compliance in the matter.

2. Data related to payments to be stored only in India: RBI: According to The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), all data related to payments must be stored in systems located only in India. Data processed abroad will have to be brought back to the country within 24 hours. In April 2018, The RBI had issued a directive on 'Storage of Payment System Data'. It had advised all system providers to ensure that within a period of six months, the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them is stored in a system only in India. The complete end-to-end transaction details should be part of the data. In case the processing is done abroad, the data should be from the systems abroad and brought back to India not later than the one business day or 24 hours from payment processing, whichever is earlier.

3. CBDT directs I-T dept to share info of loan defaulters with banks: The Central Board of Direct Taxes has directed the Income Tax Department to share in "public interest" the details of assets and accounts of all such loan defaulters whose details are requested by the public sector banks. The policy move is aimed to tighten the noose on such entities and extract recovery of public money.

Note: Chairman of CBDT: P.C. Mody

4. Max Bupa partners with MobiKwik for health insurance: Health insurance provider Max Bupa partners with fintech platform MobiKwik to promote bite sized group health insurance products for MobiKwik’s 107 million customers across the country. Bite-sized insurance offerings are over the counter health insurance products, primarily targeted towards working professionals and millennials.

Note: CEO of Mobikwik: Bipin Preet Singh.

OBITUARIES

1. Actor-director Vijaya Nirmala passes away: Veteran actor-filmmaker Vijaya Nirmala (75-years) passed away in Hyderabad at Continental hospital, Gachibowli due to a heart attack. Vijaya Nirmala (born in Tamil Nadu) worked as actress, producer, and director known for her works predominantly in Telugu cinema. She acted in more than 200 films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. In 2008, she received the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award for her contributions to Telugu cinema.

2. Eminent social activist Jharna Dhara Chowdhury passes away: Eminent Social Activist Jharna Dhara Chowdhury passed away in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She was deeply influenced by the Gandhian principles of non-violence and communal harmony. In recognition of her work, Jharna Dhara Chowdhury was honoured with Padma Shri (in 2013) and Jamnalal Bajaj award (in 1998).

She also received many other prestigious awards like Begum Rokeya Padak, Gandhi Seva Puraskar and Ekushey Padak.

Note: Jharna Dhara Chowdhury was born on 15th October 1938 at Lakshmipur. She devoted her whole life to promoting peace, communal harmony and social justice. The Gandhi Ashram Trust in Jayag, Noakhali conducts a skill-enhancing training programme for women to boost their income and provides free education to poor children.

Daily GK Updates - 26th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Beekeeping Development Committee Report: The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister set up a Beekeeping Development Committee under the Chairmanship of Bibek Debroy to identify ways of advancing beekeeping in India. Some of the recommendations in the report include: Recognizing honeybees as inputs to agriculture and considering landless beekeepers as farmers. Institutionalizing the National Bee Board and rename it as the Honey and Pollinators Board of India. Plantation of bee friendly flora at appropriate places and engaging women self help groups in managing such plantations. Training and development of beekeepers by state governments. Development of national and regional infrastructure for storage, processing and marketing of honey and other bee products.

2. 31.4% of Indian children will be stunted by 2022: Food and Nutrition Security Report: Recently released Food and Nutrition Security Report stated that 31.4% of Indian children will be stunted by 2022. Which means one in every three Indian children under five years will be stunted by 2022. In States like Bihar (48%) and Uttar Pradesh (46%), almost one in two children are stunted, while it is only one in five children in Kerala and Goa (20% each). The report is prepared by the UN World Food Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

3. Kerala tops health rankings: NITI Aayog report: Kerala has topped in NITI Aayog's Health Index followed by Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Also, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jharkhand showed the maximum improvement of health outcomes from base to reference year. The health index has been developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, in consultation with the ministry of health and family welfare. The report ranks the states and Union territories innovatively on their year-on-year incremental change in health outcomes, as well as, their overall performance with respect to each other.

4. Communication gadgets to fishing vessels: The Indian Space Research Organisation has distributed 250 NavIC Messaging Receivers to fishermen of Kerala on a trial basis. The device will provide Emergency Warning Alerts like cyclone, high waves and Tsunami and also provides information on Potential Fishing Zone and International boundary crossing based on the position information from NavIC.

Note: ISRO Director: K Sivan, Headquarters: Bengaluru, Established in: 1969.

5. 17th Run against Drug Abuse: Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment flagged off “17th Run Against Drug Abuse” on the occasion of “International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking” in New Delhi. ‘Listen First’ was chosen as the theme to increase the support for prevention of drug use.

Note: Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment: Thaawarchand Gehlot.

6. Amitabh Kant gets two year extension as NITI Aayog CEO: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of Amitabh Kant’s tenure as the CEO of NITI Ayog beyond June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2021.

7. New heads for the country’s premier spy agencies IB & RAW: Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has named new heads for the country’s premier spy agencies — the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW). Arvind Kumar will head the Intelligence Bureau, the main internal intelligence unit of the government. He will succeed Rajiv Jain. Samant Goel will take charge of the RAW, which looks after the external intelligence of the country. He will succeed Anil Dhasmana. Prime Minister is the head of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Telangana hosts International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) congress: Telangana hosts 32nd edition of the International Seed Testing Association congress. This is the first edition of ISTA congress to be held in Asia. Scientists, policy makers, researchers and members of public and private seed industry from over 80 countries are participating in the congress. The eight-day congress would have the main event for three days and technical committee meetings/sessions would be held over the next five days.

Note: President of ISTA: Craig McGill, Headquarters: Switzerland.

2. Qu Dongyu becomes first chinese to head FAO: Qu Dongyu becomes the first Chinese national to head the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. Qu Dongyu will replace Brazil's Jose Graziano da Silva. He is a biologist by training and has 30 years of experience in developing digital technologies in agriculture and introducing micro credit in rural areas.

Note: Headquarters: Rome, Italy; Founded: 1945.

3. Ann Sarnoff becomes first female CEO of Warner Bros: WarnerMedia has appointed Ann Sarnoff as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Warner Bros. Ann Sarnoff (former BBC executive) has become the first female CEO of Warner Bros. Sarnoff will replace Kevin Tsujihara, who was ousted earlier this year as a result of sexual misconduct allegations.

Note: Warner Bros. is an American entertainment company (founded in 1923) headquartered in Burbank, California and a subsidiary of AT&T's Warner Media. It has operations in film, television and video games and is one of the "Big Five" major American film studios, as well as a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

4. International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: 26 June: The United Nations’ (UN) International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is being observed every year on 26th June to raise awareness about the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society. This year the theme is Health for Justice, Justice for Health, which highlights that justice and health are two sides of the same coin when it comes to addressing drug problems. It is an initiative to increase support for prevention of drug use that is based on science and is thus an effective investment in the well-being of children and youth, their families and their communities. Union Minister Dr Thawarchand Gehlot flagged off the 17th Run Against Drug Abuse”, on the occasion of ‘International Day Against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking’, in New Delhi.

Note: The UN General assembly chose the day in December 1987 to strengthen global action and cooperation to achieve the goal of a society free of drug abuse.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. India's junior women's team adjudged best in Black Forest Cup: In Boxing, India's junior women pugilists clinched seven medals (gold medal – 5), while the team was adjudged the best of the tournament in the Black Forest Cup in Villingen, Schwenningen, Germany. Haryana's Neha (54kg) and Karnataka's Anju Devi (50kg) claimed the honours of best boxer and promising player of the tournament. Ten countries including India, Ukraine, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Mongolia, Greece, and Poland took part in this tournament.

2. Girish Koushik becomes India's 63rd Grandmaster: Karnataka's Girish A. Koushik (22-years) has become India’s 63rd Grandmaster at the 37th Balaton International Chess Festival in Hungary. He is the only Indian chess player to have won gold medals at the Asian U-8, U-10, U-12, U-14 and U-16 age-group categories. Girish had completed his second GM norm in Mallorca late in May, and the third in Budapest the following week. World popular Chess player Mr. Viswanathan Anand was the first Grandmaster in India.

Note: Grandmaster (GM) is a title awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. FIDE awards separate Grandmaster titles to composers and solvers of chess problems, International Grandmaster for chess compositions to the former and International Solving Grandmaster to the latter. The International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF) awards the title of International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (ICCGM).

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI plans to tap Singapore SME businesses: The State Bank of India (SBI) is planning to expand its market in Singapore by enhancing its relationship across small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The SBI has served the Singapore retail and corporate sectors as a qualified full bank since 2008. It has six branches and offering ATM services under the ATM5 network across the island state and two remittance centres. The SBI plans to offer its YONO app, an omnichannel service at the fingertip, to manage a wide range of financial services here.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. The Tribune's reporter wins the 'Journalist of the Year' RedInk Award: The RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism are conferred to encourage good quality reporting and analysis, fair play and high ethical standards in Indian journalism. The following are the winners of awards in different categories: Rachna Khaira of The Tribune has bagged the prestigious RedInk Award for 'Journalist of the Year'. She won it for exposing the functioning of the UIDAI and its Aadhaar data cache. Two retired senior journalists Dinu Ranadive from the Maharashtra Times, and Sebastian D'Souza, from the Mumbai Mirror, have jointly received the Lifetime Achievement Award for this year.

2. ‘Kalu’ in Rajasthan is India's best police station: As per Ranking of Police stations for 2018 by the Home ministry, Rajasthan’s ‘Kalu Police Station’ (in Bikaner district) has been ranked the best Police Station in the country (in 15,666 - PS ) on its performance in crime prevention, investigation and disposal of cases, crime detection, community policing and maintenance of law and order. The No-2 rank goes to ‘Campbell Bay police station’ in Nicobar district of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The No-3 rank goes to ‘Farakka police station’ in Murshidabad, West Bengal, which has facilities like air-conditioners, besides a gymnasium and playground that provide a comfortable environment for public-police interaction.

Note: The 2018 survey covered a set of police stations shortlisted from across the country. The stations were evaluated on the basis of crimes against women and SCs/STs, and property-related offences. Around 20% weightage was also given to the police station’s infrastructure and citizen feedback on the performance of the police personnel posted at the police station. The score was calculated depending on the number of FIRs charges sheeted within 60 days.

DEFENCE

1. K Natarajan to be the new director general of Indian Coast Guard: Krishnaswamy Natarajan has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of Indian Coast Guard (ICG). He will take over from Rajendra Singh, who retires on 30th June 2019. Currently, Mr. Natarajan is the Additional Director General of the ICG's Western Sea-Board, which looks after the security of the sensitive maritime boundary from Gujarat to Kerala. K. Natarajan joined the Coast Guard on January 18, 1984, and holds a Masters Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies from Madras University.

OBITUARIES

1. Goa freedom fighter Mohan Ranade passes away: Veteran freedom fighter Mohan Ranade (90-years) passed away after a prolonged illness. Mohan Ranade entered Goa under disguise as a teacher in 1950 and founded an organisation called Azad Gomantak Dal to raise an armed revolt against the Portuguese rule. He was honoured with the Goa's highest civilian award as well as Padmashri by the Union government. Mohan Ranade had penned two books - 'Struggle Unfinished' in English and 'Satiche Vaan' in Marathi - based on his experience during the Goa liberation movement.

2. Spiritual Leader Swami Satyamitranand Giri Maharaj passes away: Renowned spiritual guru Swami Satyamitranand Giri Maharaj (87-years) passed away after a prolonged illness. The famous seer was the founder and head of Bharat Mata Mandir, a famous temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. He was born as Ambika Prasad in Agra.

Daily GK Updates - 25th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Maharashtra to get floating solar power generation plants on four dams:According to state Water Resources minister Girish Mahajan, Maharashtra is all set to get floating solar power generation plants on four dams. The backwater of Wardha, Bebala, Khadakpurna and Pentakli dams has been selected for setting up the floating solar panels as per the Swiss Challenge method. The estimated investment per megawatt is 4.45 crore rupees, with a total installed capacity of 500 MW.

2. Govt. to provide CNG, PNG infrastructure in 406 districts: According to Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister 'Dharmendra Pradhan', The Centre has chalked out a plan to provide CNG and PNG infrastructure in 406 districts of the country. Till 2014, only 66 districts of the country were covered under Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) infrastructure. After expanding this-facilities 70% of the population will get clean energy. One lakh twenty thousand crore rupees will be invested in the next eight years in the energy sector.

Note: CNG (Compressed Natural Gas): Natural gas is stored in vehicle compressed form (200-250 bar pressure). The Major gas in CNG is methane; PNG (Pipelined Natural Gas): Only difference that it is supplied through pipelines for household uses; LNG (Liquified Natural Gas): This is a form of Natural gas which is kept in super-cooled (cryogenic) temperature; LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas): It is by-product during the processing and refining petroleum products. It mainly consists of propane, butane, propylene, butylene.

3. Self Defence Training for Girls in Schools: Samagra Shiksha, an Integrated Scheme for School Education has been launched by Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development. Self Defence training will be imparted to girls of class VI to XII belonging to Government Schools to ensure their safety and security.

Note: Union Minister for Human Resource Development: Ramesh Pokhriyal.

4. Government to launch Universal Smart Card Driving License: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to modify the format of driving licenses to smart card type driving licences. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha that his Ministry has prescribed a common standard format and design of the Driving Licence for the whole of the country. This Ministry, through its flagship application called SARATHI developed by NIC, has a common countrywide database of all driving license holders. Almost 15 crore driving license records are available in its central repository. The SARATHI application has the feature to identify duplicate records online in real time and access information about the challans if any.

5. Mata Vaishno Devi shrine to get disaster response force by 2020: The Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, a religious pilgrimage, will get a dedicated in-house disaster response force by September, 2020. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board is going to train 180 employees to prepare a dedicated disaster response force for the shrine.  It will also set up an Emergency Operation Centre as part of its disaster preparedness.

6. Centre distributes DD set-top boxes to J&K people: GoI distributes free Doordarshan (DD) set-top boxes to people living in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The event was organized by Doordarshan Kashir. DD Kashir also launched a news bulletin, Dogri news for the Jammu region.

Note: Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting: Prakash Javadekar.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Japan Gifts Museum of Peace to Manipur in Memory of Second World War: Japan has gifted a war museum called ‘Imphal Peace Museum’ to Manipur located at Red Hill, 20 km south-west of Imphal. The museum has been inaugurated to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Imphal. The Battle of Imphal is regarded as one of the fiercest battles of World War II in which about 70,000 Japanese soldiers along with the Indian National Army, died in battles with the British-led Allied forces in areas around Imphal and Kohima from March to June 1944.

Note: Capital of Manipur: Imphal; Chief Minister: Nongthombam Biren Singh.

2. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives on 3-day visit to India: US Secretary of State ‘Mike Pompeo’ arrives in New Delhi today to further strengthen India-US strategic partnership. During the three days visit, Mr Pompeo will hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and call on other dignitaries in the government. It will also continue the high-level engagement on matters of mutual interest including bilateral, regional and global issues. The visit will deepen and broaden the bilateral relationship and kick-start a dialogue towards the resolution of some of the key issues in trade ties.

3. Day of the Seafarer: 25th June: The Day of the Seafarer is being observed on 25th June by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The theme of the 2019 Day of the Seafarer is ‘Get on board with gender equality’. The theme supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development goals, specifically SDG 5.  The Day was proclaimed with an aim to recognize the unique contribution made by seafarers from all over the world to international seaborne trade and civil society as whole.

Note: The Day of the Seafarer was established in a resolution adopted by the 2010 Diplomatic Conference in Manila. IMO is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Ashleigh Barty becomes world No.1 women tennis player: Ashleigh Barty becomes world No.1 women tennis player after winning the Birmingham Classic by defeating Julia Goerges by 6-3, 7-5.  Ashleigh Barty is an Australian Professional tennis player.

2. IOC opens new headquarters in Switzerland: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally opened its new headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. It has been opened exactly 125 years after the Olympic Games were revived. The Olympic House has been built on the site of the former headquarters, and 95% of the old materials were reused and recycled. Designed by architecture firm 3XN of Denmark, the energy-efficient building has won international awards for sustainability.

Note: The next Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo, 2020. 

3. Feliciano Lopez wins Queen’s Tennis Title: Spanish Tennis player Feliciano Lopez (37-years) has won the men’s single Queen’s Club Championships. He defeated Gilles Simon. In the men’s double, Andy Murray and Feliciano Lopez defeated Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 10-5 to win the men’s double Queen’s Club Championships.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI launches Complaint Management System: The Complaint Management System (CMS) is a software application launched by Reserve Bank of India on its website. It will be used for lodging complaints against banks and NBFCs with a view to improve customer experience in timely redressal of grievances. Customers can lodge complaints against any regulated entity on the platform. These complaints will be directed to the appropriate office of the Ombudsman/Regional Office of the RBI. The RBI is also planning to introduce a dedicated Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to track the status of complaints.

2. RBI advises commercial banks to adopt Education Loan Scheme: The Reserve Bank of India has advised all Scheduled Commercial Banks to adopt Education Loan Scheme, formulated by Indian Banks Association.

Salient features of the Scheme includes: Loan upto Rs 10 lakh for study in India and upto Rs 20 lakh for study abroad. Collateral free loans upto Rs 7.5 Lakh under the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Education Loans (CGFSEL). No Margin for loan up to Rs 7.50 Lakh. Repayment period of 15 years. One Year Moratorium for repayment after completion of studies in all cases.

3. World Bank approves $147 Million Loan to the Government of Jharkhand: The Government of India, the Government of Jharkhand and the World Bank signed a $147 Million Loan Agreement. Jharkhand will invest the amount to provide urban services such as water supply, sewerage, drainage and urban road. 

Note: World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, USA; Established: 1944; President of World Bank: David Malpass.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Award for Malayalam film at 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival: Veyil Marangal (Trees Under the Sun) have become the first Indian film to won ‘Outstanding Artistic Achievement’ award at the Shanghai International Film Festival. The film is directed by Bijukumar Damodaran. This was the 22nd edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival.

OBITUARIES

1. Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Lal Saini passes away: Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajasthan chief and Rajya Sabha MP Madan Lal Saini (75-years) passed away at AIIMS in New Delhi. Mr. Saini was suffering from a lung infection and was flown to Delhi for treatment in AIIMs. Saini, who hailed from Sikar district (Rajasthan), was appointed BJP state president last year.