Daily GK Updates - 5th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. AYUSH, MeitY ministries collaborates for digitisation of AYUSH sector: The Ministries of AYUSH and Electronics and Information Technology have signed a MoU to collaborate on the digitization of the AYUSH sector. The ministry aims to digitize the entire AYUSH, leading to transformation in the field of health care delivery at all levels, along with greater research, education, delivery of various health care programmes and better drug regulations.

Note: Minister of State (Independent charge) of AYUSH Ministry: Shripad Yesso Naik; Minister of Communications and Information Technology: Ravi Shankar Prasad.

2. Delhi Police signs pact with SECI for rooftop solar energy systems: Delhi Police has signed a pact with Solar Energy Corporation of India. Under this, the  SECI will support the implementation of grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic systems on the establishments of Delhi police. The Delhi police will set up rooftop solar energy systems in over 200 of its buildingsacross the city.

Note: Chairman of SECI: Praveen Kumar.

3. UIDAI Opens its First ‘Aadhaar Seva Kendra’ in Delhi and Vijayawada: Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has set up its first exclusive ‘Aadhaar Seva Kendra’ (ASK) at Akshardham Metro station in New Delhi. It will be operational six days a week excluding Tuesdays and public holidays. The second such Aadhaar centre has been opened in Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh). These Aadhaar centres will make it easier for citizens to apply for a new Aadhaar card or update existing ones. UIDAI has an ambitious plan to set up 114 such centres by the end of 2019. Although thousands of Aadhaar centres are being run by banks and post offices currently but the Aadhaar Seva Kendras (ASK) are the first specialized centres operationalized by UIDAI.

Note: Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identity number that can be obtained by residents of India, based on their biometric and demographic data. The data is collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established in January 2009 by the government of India, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Aadhaar is the world's largest biometric ID system.

4. UP govt launches toll-free CM helpline 1076: The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a toll-free Chief Minister helpline 1076. It will enable people from across the state to register their complaints, ensure time-bound action on the complaints. According to CM Yogi Aditya Nath, he will personally review the complaints every month. If a department gets more than 100 complaints in a month, action will be taken against the concerned officials.

Note: When the complainant calls the helpline, he/she will get an SMS informing that the complaint has been sent to the department concerned. The Chief Minister’s helpline number 1076 will work 24x7 and anyone from any part of the state can call on this number anytime.

5. Rural sanitation coverage jumped to 99% from 38% in 2014: According to Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria, Under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), nine crore 62 lakh individual household toilets have been constructed so far. The sanitation coverage in the rural areas of the country has increased to more than 99% (over 38% on 2nd October 2014). 632 Districts, 30 States, over 2.50 lakh Gram Panchayats and five lakh 67 thousand 498 villages have been declared open defecation Free.

6. India’s first Design Development Centre ‘Fashionova’ launched in Surat: India’s first Design Development Center ‘Fashionova’ has been launched in Surat, Gujarat. The launch of Fashionova will promote the city in the field of the fashion design sector. The main objective of this studio is to provide a strong platform to all those who have a flair of the apparel business. It fulfils, on a large scale, all business needs from co-working space, technicians, expert advises to cognitive workshops and exposure to the industry.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ursula von der Leyen elected as next EU president: European Commission has elected Ursula von der Leyen as its new president.   She will replace Jean Claude Juncker. She has become the first woman to be elected to lead the EU’s executive arm.

Note: Headquarters of European Commission: Brussels, Belgium.

2. Duty-Free shops at Dubai airports to accept Indian currency: Dubai Duty-Free has announced that Indian Rupee will now be an accepted currency at all the retail outlets of the Dubai airport. However, the change, if any, will be given back in Dirhams and not the Indian currency. Stores at the Dubai Airport will accept notes of various denominations, including 100s, 200s, 500s and 2000s. The move makes the Indian rupee the 16th international currency to be accepted at Dubai's airports.

Note: According to a report, out of the 90 million passengers who used Dubai's airports, 12 million of them travelled to or from Indian destinations.

3. French lawmakers approve 3% tax on online giants: In France, the lower house of parliament today approved a small, pioneering tax on internet giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook. The French government hopes that other countries will follow the suit. The bill foresees a 3 per cent tax on the French revenues of digital companies with global revenue of more than 750 million Euros. At present, the companies pay nearly no tax in countries where they have large sales like France. The bill adopted by the National Assembly will be sent to the Senate next week, where it is expected to win final approval.

4. 3rd Global Sunflower Seed Meet to be held in Mumbai: India will host the 3rd edition of the International Sunflower Seed and Oil Conference (ISSOC) 2019 in Mumbai (from 19-20th July 2019). The event will be hosted by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA). The last two editions was hosted by China and Ukraine. The conference will see participation from global industry leaders, experts, researchers, and government representatives.

Note: Sunflower seed is seen as a healthy table-seed and culinary seed having wide applications in variety of food preparations including cakes and pastries. India is the largest importer of sunflower oil with imports of about 2.8 million tonnes. The global imports of sunflower oil are around 9.6 million tonnes.'

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Arjen Robben announces retirement from football: Dutch winger Arjen Robben (35-years) has announced his retirement from football after a 10-year spell with German giants Bayern Munich. He has played 96 international matches for the Netherlands, scoring 37 goals. Robben, who joined Bayern in 2009 from Real Madrid, played 309 competitive games for the Bavarian powerhouse, contributing 144 goals and setting up 81 more.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Union budget 2019-20 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman: The union finance minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman has presented the maiden union budget for 2019-20 in Lok Sabha. This is the first Budget of the Narendra Modi Government in the second tenure. The annual financial statement of a government, the Union budget gives details about the revenue and expenditure of the Centre in the past and estimated spending and projections for the coming year.

2. RRB recruitment exams to be conducted in 13 regional languages: The Union government has announced that the recruitment examination of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) will be conducted in 13 regional languages in addition to English and Hindi. It has been decided that examination of direct recruitment of Scale-1 officers and Office Assistant in RRBs will be conducted in regional languages too. The regional languages are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malyalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. The candidate has the option to choose the regional language of the State, they have opted for the examination. The decision will be implemented from this year onwards.

Note: At present, there are 45 Regional Rural banks functioning in the country has a total staff strength of around 90 thousand employees.

3. Airtel Payments Bank to sell Bharti AXA Life's term insurance: Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Bharti AXA Life Insurance to offer a life term insurance plan. The product, Bharti AXA Life (Point of Sale) Saral Jeevan Bima Yojana, is a pure life term insurance plan which is aimed at the under insured and uninsured segments in India.

Note: MD & CEO of Bharti AXA Life Insurance: Vikas Seth;  MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank: Anubrata Biswas.

4. RBI appoints A K Misra as additional director in J&K Bank: The Reserve Bank of India has appointed A K Misra as an additional director on the board of Jammu and Kashmir Bank (J&K Bank). He is a former executive director of RBI. A K Misra shall hold the office for a period of two years up to July 2, 2021, or till further orders.

5. Harideesh Kumar appointed as Director of Institute of Banking Personnel Selection: Karnataka based B Harideesh Kumar has been appointed as the Director of Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) for a period of three years. Earlier, he was the Executive Director of Canara Bank. He is a Post-Graduate with a Degree in Law and started his banking career with erstwhile Vijaya Bank in the year 1978.

Note: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is a recruitment body that was started with an aim to encourage the recruitment and placement of young graduates in public sector banks in India, other than the State Bank of India. It also provides standardised systems for assessment and result processing services to organisations.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Ola gets green light for London taxi business: India’s biggest ride-hailing platform Ola Cabs, has received approval from London’stransport regulator to start private hire vehicles (PHV) in the capital city of the UK.  Ola will be the first ever platform to offer both PHVs and black cabs in the UK.

Note: CEO of OLA: Bhavish Aggarwal; Headquarters: Bengaluru.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Ajay Banga, Azim Premji to receive excellence awards from USISPF: The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum has announced that Mastercard CEO and President Ajay Banga and Wipro Chairman Azim Premji will receive the 2019 Global Excellence Awards. This is the Second Annual Leadership Summit of USISPF. They have been honored with the awards for their significant contribution to strengthening economic ties between the US and India.

Daily GK Updates - 4th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt hikes Minimum Support Price of Kharif crops for 2019-20 season: The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all Kharif crops for 2019-20 Season. Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of paddy has been increased by 65 rupees per quintal, Jowar by 120 rupees and Ragi by 253 rupees per quintal. According to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, the move will lead to increased investment and production through assured remunerative prices to the farmers. MSP of Tur has been raised by 125 rupees, Moong by 75 rupees and Urad pulses raised by 100 rupees per quintal. The Minister said, the MSPs of soyabean increased by 311 rupees, sunflower by 262 rupees and sesamum by 236 rupees per quintal which is a major step towards increasing the income of farmers.

Note: Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the price at which government purchases crops from the farmers, whatever may be the price for the crops. The MSP helps to incentivize the framers and thus ensures adequate food grains production in the country.

2. Indian Railways to install CCTV cameras in over 7,000 train coaches: According to the GoI, the Indian Railways has set a target to install CCTV cameras in more than 7,000 coaches of mainline passenger trains by March 2021. Also, CCTV cameras have already been installed in coaches of premium, mail, express and suburban trains.

Note: Minister for Railways: Piyush Goyal.

3. Jagannath Rath Yatra 2019 begins: Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra begins in Puri, Odisha.  The Rath Yatra marks the journey of Lord Jagannath along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra from Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple.  The journey covers a distance of around 17 km in Puri.

In Gujarat, 142nd annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath begins in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has performed the 'Pahind’ ritual, the symbolic path cleaning by golden broom at Lord Jagannath temple before the start of the procession.

Note: CM of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik, Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

4. UP govt to set up Committees in all 25 districts situated on banks of river Ganga: Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to set up Ganga Committees in all 25 districts situated on the banks of river Ganga. This step is part of the largescale program to clean the holy river. Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat met CM Yogi Adityanath and discussed issues like water conservation, revival of dry rivers, rainwater harvesting and plantation drive. According to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, the state has listed 15 rivers which gone dry at present and will be revived under the action plan. In coming days, a special plantation drive on the banks of prominent holy rivers will be taken up. Total of 85 projects related to Clean Ganga Mission worth 1185 crore rupees are running in the state, out of which 15 have been completed so far.

5. Rahul Gandhi resigns as Congress President: Rahul Gandhi officially resigned as Congress President. In his resignation letter, Mr Gandhi said, he is responsible for his Congress' defeat in Lok Sabha elections. He said, accountability is critical for the future growth of Congress and therefore, he is resigning as party president. According to Mr Gandhi, the party's working committee should meet immediately to decide on his successor.

Note: Indian National Congress (known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major political party in India.  Indian National Congress Created in 1885 by A. O. Hume.

List of party presidents:

No.	Name of President	Year of Presidency	Place of Conference
1st	W C Bannerjee	1885	Bombay
2nd	Dadabhai Naoroji	1886	Calcutta
83rd	Rajiv Gandhi	1985–91	Bombay
84th	P. V. Narasimha Rao	1991–96	Tirupati
85th	Sitaram Kesri	1996–98	Calcutta
86th	Sonia Gandhi	1998–2017	Calcutta
87th	Rahul Gandhi	2017-2019	Delhi

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. IMF approves $6 billion loan for cash-strapped Pakistan: The IMF has approved a USD 6 billion loan over a period of 3 years for cash strappedPakistan. ii. The USD 6 billion financial aid includes an immediate disbursement of USD 1 billion to help Pakistan address its balance of payment crisis. The approved loan aims to support Pakistan's economic plan, which aims to return sustainable growth to the country's economy and improve the standards of living.

Note: Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan; Capital: Islamabad.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. BCCI announces the domestic schedule for 2019-20 season: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the domestic schedule for the 2019-20 season in New Delhi. It comprises 2036 matches, marking an addition of 19 games over the last season's schedule. The country's premier national T20 tournament, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, will be held before the IPL players' auction (from November 8 to December 1). The Ranji Trophy will stretch to March for the first time after starting on December 9. The Duleep Trophy will mark the beginning of the season as usual and will be followed by Vijay Hazare 50-over Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, Ranji Trophy and Irani Trophy.

2. Hima bags gold in Poznan Athletics Grand Prix: Hima Das, the under-20 World champion has won the gold medal in women’s 200m in the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix. Poznan Athletics Grand Prix is taking place in Poznan, Poland.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI Constitutes Working Group on Core Investment Companies: The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a Working Group of six members headed by Shri Tapan Ray to Review Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for Core Investment Companies (CIC). Mr. Tapan Ray is a Non-Executive Chairman of Central Bank of India and former Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Govt. of India. The committee will suggest measures to strengthen corporate governance and disclosure requirements for CICs, assess the adequacy of supervisory returns submitted by CICs and suggest changes therein and various other things for the betterment of CIC.

2. Karnataka Bank launches web tool for the NPA recovery process: Karnataka Bank Ltd. MD (Managing Director) & CEO (Chief Executive Officer) M S Mahabaleshwara has launched the web tool named ‘Vasool So-Ft’ to digitalise the NPA (non-performing asset) recovery process of the bank. The tool will enable easy and faster processing, real-time information and immediate decision making in the recovery area. The bank has joined hands with a local IT start-up to develop the tool for recovery management.

3. Punjab & Sind Bank setups Cen-MARG for MSME for credit facilities: MD & CEO of Punjab & Sind Bank S. Harisankar has set up the Centralised MSME & Retail Group (Cen-MARG) for credit facilities at its head office in New Delhi. This will help branches focus better on lead generation for retail and MSME lending and enhanced customer service. The Cen-MARG would be linked with pan-India branches in a phased manner. Now, all MSME and retail credit approvals will be performed at this centralized setup. The bank is aiming to bring about much- enhanced customer satisfaction through this initiative.

4. ICICI & IndoStar Capital partner to finance commercial vehicles: ICICI Bank has tied up with NBFC IndoStar Capital for vehicle financing for small and medium fleet owners to buy new as well as old commercial vehicles. Under this partnership, IndoStar will originate and service the customers through the entire loan life cycle including sourcing, documentation, collection and loan servicing.

Note: Managing Director & CEO of ICICI Bank: Sandeep Bakhshi.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Jio launches ‘Digital Udaan’, a digital literacy initiative in partnership with Facebook: Reliance Jio has launched a new digital literacy programme “Digital Udaan”. The objective of the Digital Udaan’ is to provide digital literacy to first-time internet users who are using the connected internet ecosystem and apps for the very first time. The Jio Digital Udaan programme is being launched across 200 locations in 13 states in partnership with Facebook. As a part of the Digital Udaan initiative, Jio will engage with users every Saturday to help them learn about the JioPhone features, use of various apps and internet safety including use of Facebook on JioPhone.

2. Maharashtra ranks first in NITI Aayog's AMFFR Index: Maharashtra achieves first rank in NITI Aayog launched "Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index (AMFFRI)".  The index ranks states based on the degree of reforms they have undertaken in agricultural marketing.  AMFFRI has a score that can have minimum value “0” implying no reforms and maximum value “100” implying complete reforms in the selected areas.

Note: NITI Aayog CEO: Amitabh Kant; Vice Chairman: Rajiv Kumar.

OBITUARIES

1. US auto industry legend Lee Iacocca passes away: Automobile industry legend from USA Lee Iacocca passed away. He was known for creating the iconic Ford Mustang and saving Chrysler from bankruptcy.

2. Veteran industrialist BK Birla passes away: Birla Group patriarch and an ace of the Indian industry Basant Kumar Birla passed away in Mumbai. He was the chairman of Century Textiles and Industries and was active in business since the age of 15.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Campaign to eradicate AES and JES launched in UP: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh have launched the 2nd phase of Communicable Disease Control and Dastak Abhiyan 2019. The campaign is launched to eradicate deadly Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and Japanese Encephalitis disease. The state wide program was organized under the banner of Health department and UNICEF. Chief Minister flagged off the vehicles of awareness campaign and also honored the Dastak Yoddhas by awarding certificates.

Note: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath; Governor: Ram Naik

2. Chattisgarh govt raises the retirement age of private sector labourers to 60 years: The Chattisgarh government has decided to increase the retirement age of industrial labourers working in private sectors to 60 years from the current 58 years. Employees and labourers working in various undertakings, factories, industries and commercial institutions would now retire at the age of 60 years. Final notification will be issued within 15 days after disposing of the suggestions received from all stakeholders. This will be applicable to all undertakings, including factories, establishments, institutions and other industrial units coming under the purview of the Chhattisgarh Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Act, 1961, and the Chhattisgarh Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Rule, 1963.

3. Smriti Irani launches a book title ‘Whispers of Time’: Union Minister Smriti Irani has launched a book titled 'Whispers of Time' at the India International Centre in New Delhi. The book 'Whispers of Time' authored by Dr Krishna Saksena (91-years). ‘Whispers of Time' is an effort to condense nine decades of her life experiences, realisations and observations into a book of fiction based on facts. Dr.  Saksena is the first woman candidate from Uttar Pradesh to get a PhD degree in English Literature in the year 1955.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. USA designates Baloch Liberation Army as terror group: The Department of State of USA has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Hizballah operative Husain Ali Hazzima as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The USA has also blamed the organizations for the attacks on Chinese assets amid an ongoing civil war like situation in Pakistan’s biggest province Balochistan.

2. U.S. Senate passes provision to give India NATO ally-like status: The U.S. Senate has passed a legislative provision National Defense Authorisation Act for India. The act will bring India at par with America’s NATO allies which will increase U.S.-India defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean in the areas of humanitarian assistance, counter terrorism, counter-piracy and maritime security. The act has been passed for the fiscal year 2020.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Ambati Rayudu retires from international cricket: Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu has announced his retirement from international cricket. He has played 55 ODIs for India, scoring 1694 runs at an average of 47.05 with three hundreds and 10 half-centuries.

2. India loses to Pakistan in the IBSF Snooker World Cup finals: The Indian team lost to Pakistan in the final of the IBSF Snooker World Cup in Doha. India lost the summit clash by 1-3. Pankaj Advani and Laxman Rawat represented the Indian team in the world cup.

3. Odisha to host 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis tournament: Odisha Government will host the 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship at the Jawaharlal Indoor Stadium in Cuttack (from 17th to 22 July 2019). This championship will see participation from some of the best players from across the world. Sports Secretary Vishal Dev and senior vice president, TTFI SN Sultan and president, OSTTA LN Gupta signed the MoU in presence of CM Naveen Patnaik.

Note: The tournament has received a good entry with 14 associations, consisting India, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey, Australia, Cyprus, South Africa, Nigeria, Pakistan.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI fines 4 Public Sector Banks for violating KYC norms: The Reserve Bank of India has imposed penalties on four state-run lenders for violating Know Your Customer norms and anti-money laundering standards. Punjab National Bank, Allahabad Bank, and UCO Bank were fined Rs 50 lakh each while Corporation Bank was fined Rs 25 lakh.

2. S. Vishwanathan reappointed RBI deputy governor for one year: N.S. Vishwanathan has been reappointed as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the extension of Vishwanathan's term as RBI deputy governor by one year (from 4 July 2019). Vishwanathan is in charge of regulation of banks, non-banking finance companies and cooperative banks. Besides Vishwanathan, the other deputy governors of the RBI include B.P. Kanungo and M.K. Jain.

3. Karnam Sekar takes over as Indian Overseas Bank MD and CEO: Karnam Sekar was taken over the charge as new Managing Director (MD) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Indian Overseas Bank. He has replaced R Subramaniakumar. Mr. Sekar began his career in State Bank of India (SBI) as a probationary officer. He also had served Dena Bank as its Managing Director and CEO

Note: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) is a major public sector bank based in Chennai, India, with about 3,400 domestic branches and about 6 foreign branches and representative office.

4. IMF appoints economist David Lipton as interim leader: American economist David Lipton will serve as interim leader of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He will replace Christine Lagarde who was nominated to head the European Central Bank. Chief of International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde has been nominated as the first woman to head the European Central Bank.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Ola Electric gets $250m funding from SoftBank: Japanese company SoftBank has invested around $250 million in Ola Electric Mobility. With this investment, Ola Electric has become the newest unicorn of India, joining the list of companies like Flipkart, Zomato and Paytm.

Note: CEO of Ola Electric: Bhavish Aggarwal; CEO of Softbank Corp.: Ken Miyauchi, Chairman: Masayoshi Son.

2. Manoj Kumar Nambiar elected chairman of MFIN: Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) has elected Manoj Kumar Nambiar as its chairman. He will replace Udaya Kumar Hebbar, President MD & CEO of CreditAccess Grameen. Vineet Chattree (Svatantra Microfin) will be the vice-chairman.

Note: Microfinance Institutions Network is an association for the microfinance sector in India. Its member organizations constitute the leading microfinance institutions in India. MFIN comprises 56 NBFC-MFIs and 40 associates including banks, small finance banks and NBFCs.

Chief Executive Officer of MFIN: Harsh Shrivastava; Founded: December,2009.

3. Nalin Singhal has been appointed as new CMD BHEL: Dr. Nalin Shinghal has been appointed as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). Mr. Singhal is presently working as Chairman and Managing Director of Central Electronics Limited. BHEL is India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer and is owned by Government of India.

4. Amazon tops as the world’s most valuable brand: BrandZ Report: As per the BrandZ Report, Amazon has topped in the 100 Most Valuable Global Brand for 2019. The brand value of Amazon saw an increase of 52% in 2019 at USD 315,505 million (USD 207,594 million- in 2018). Apple is at the second rank followed by Google at 3rd. Three Indian companies (HDFC Bank-60^th, LIC-68^th & TCS-97^th) have found place in the ranking.

Note: The BrandZ rankings of the world’s most valuable brands have been compiled by WPP’s research arm. BrandZ calculates the value that the brand contributes to businesses by combining financial and market data with surveys of nearly 4m consumers in 51 countries on their views about brands. 

DEFENCE

1. Indo-French Joint Air Exercise Garuda-VI Begins: The Indian and French Air Force has started Garuda VI exercise at Mont de Marsan in France. The exercise is scheduled to take place from 1 July to July 12, 2019, in France. The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent comprises of 120 air-warriors and four Sukhoi 30 MKI along with an IL-78 flight refuelling aircraft.

Note: Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa is the present Chief of the Air Staff of IAF.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. High Powered Committee for ‘Transformation of Indian Agriculture’: Prime minister has constituted a high powered committee of chief ministers for transforming Indian agriculture and raising farmers’ income. Maharashtra chief minister will be the convenor of the committee. The committee has been asked to submit its report within two months. The other members of the committee include: H.D. Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister, Karnataka; Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister, Haryana; Pema Khandu, Chief Minster, Arunachal Pradesh; Vijay Rupani, Chief Minster, Gujarat; Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh; Kamal Nath, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh; Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister, Agriculture Rural Development and Panchyati Raj. NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand will be the member secretary of the committee.

Note: The panel will suggest a mechanism for linking of market reforms with e-NAM, GRAM and other relevant Centrally Sponsored Schemes. It will also suggest policy measures to boost agricultural export, raise growth in food processing and attract investments in modern market infrastructure, value chains and logistics, besides making other key suggestions.

2. Indian Railways releases new All India Railway Timetable: Ministry of Railways has released its new All India Railway Timetable known as 'Trains At A Glance'. In addition to this, all the 17 Zonal Railways have also released their Zonal Railway Timetables. The new Trains at a Glance is available on Indian Railways’ official website- www.indianrailways.gov.in. The Northern Railway zone has introduced two new Tejas Express trains on the New Delhi-Chandigarh-New Delhi and the New Delhi-Lucknow-New Delhi routes.

3. Parliament approves the resolution to extend President rule in J&K: The Parliament has given its nod to the resolution seeking an extension of President rule in Jammu and Kashmir for a further period of six months with effect from 3rd July 2019. Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was also passed by Parliament with Rajya Sabha approving it today. A total of 3.50 lakh population of 435 villages will be benefitted through this amendment. The reservation bill proposes to give three per cent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs to people living within 10 kilometres of the International Border in Jammu.

Note: In India, the president's rule is the suspension of state government and imposition of direct central government rule in a state. Under Article 356 of the Constitution of India: A state government is unable to function according to constitutional provisions the Central government can take direct control of the state machinery.

4. P.K. Purwar appointed as the CMD of BSNL: The GoI has appointed MTNL CMD P.K. Purwar as the  Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. He has been appointed for a period of three months starting July 1. He will replace Anupam Shrivastava as the CMD of BSNL.

Note: Union Minister of Communications and Electronics & Information Technology: Ravi Shankar Prasad.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India to contribute USD 5M in 2019 to UN Palestine refugee agency: India has pledged to contribute USD 5 Million in 2019 to the UN Palestine refugee agency. The Indian Government is assisting 150 Palestinian professionals every year under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme. 

Note: Palestine Capital: Ramallah & East Jerusalem.

2. New Zealand bans single-use plastic shopping bags: New Zealand has officially banned single-use plastic shopping bags. Under the new rules, thin plastic single-use shopping bags can no longer be supplied, but reusable carriers are allowed. Companies that break the ban will face heavy penalties, including fines of up to 100,000 New Zealand dollars.
Note: New Zealand Capital: Wellington, Currency: New Zealand dollar.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Indian Pro Boxer Wins WBC Asia Title: Indian pro boxer Vaibhav Yadav has become the WBC Asia Silver Welterweight Champion. He defeated Thailand's Fahpetch Singmanassak in the title bout held in Pattaya, Thailand. The fight was conducted by the Asian Boxing Council and approved by the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Note: Thailand Capital: Bangkok, Currency: Baht.

2. Veer wins U-19 Asian Squash title: India’s Veer Chotrani has won a gold medal in Under-19 Squash title at the Asian Junior Championship in Macau, China. Veer Chotrani beat Yash Fadte. With this victory, Veer became the third Indian to win the Asian trophy after Ravi Dixit and Vela Senthilkumar. In the other two finals, India bagged two silver medals through Neel Joshi in the boys' Under-17 category and Yuvna Gupta in the girls' Under-15 section. India finished the tournament with one gold, three silver and as many bronze medals.

3. Sports Minister announces an increase in diet budget of all athletes to bring parity: Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports ‘Kiren Rijiju’ has announced an increase in diet budget of all athletes to bring parity. The move will impact 12,500 athletes training in various centres of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The Sports Ministry will release an additional amount of 150 crore rupees annually to fund the new diet budget. Earlier, the diet budget for SAI trainees, junior athletes and senior athletes was Rs 250, Rs 480 and Rs 690 respectively.

4. Sports Journalists Federation of India 2019 Awards: SJFI Medal (Highest Honour): Prakash Padukone (Badminton). Sportsperson of the Year Award: Pankaj Advani (Billiards and Snooker) and Bajrang Punia (Wrestling). Emerging Talent of the Year Award: Saurabh Choudhary (Shooting). Team of the Year Award: Vidarbha Cricket Team.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI, NIIF in pact for funding infrastructure projects: The State Bank of India has signed a memorandum of understanding with National Investment and Infrastructure Fund to boost availability of capital for infrastructure projects. The scope of the agreement includes equity investments, project funding, bond financing, renewable energy support and take-out finance for operating assets.

Note: SBI Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters: Mumbai, Founded: 1 July 1955. MD & CEO of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund: Sujoy Bose.

DEFENCE

1. AFSPA extended in Nagaland till december end: Ministry of Home Affairs have extended The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act(AFSPA) for another six months in Nagaland. The Act is implemented with effect from June 30 and will be in force till December end.

Note: Union Home Minister of India: Amit Shah.

OBITUARIES

1. Professional motorcycle racer, Carlin Dunne passes away: Professional motorcycle racer, Carlin Dunne passes away. He unfortunately suffered a fatal crash during Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype run at Pikes Peak Hill Climb. He was also known as “The King of the Mountain”.

Daily GK Updates - 1st July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ‘One nation one ration card’ scheme from July 1, 2020: ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme will be available across the country from July 1, 2020. The scheme will allow portability of food security benefits according to which the poor migrant workers will be able to buy subsidised rice and wheat from any ration shop in the country as long as their ration cards are linked to Aadhaar.

Note: Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution: Ram Vilas Paswan.

2. UGC approves a scheme "STRIDE" to boost research culture in India: University Grants Commission has approved a ‘Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy’ to boost research culture in India. It will provide support to research projects that are socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally important and globally significant. An Advisory Committee has been set up by the UGC under the chairmanship of Prof Bhushan Patwardhan to oversee the entire scheme.

3. Nationwide Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched today: Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has launched ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’ across the country to accelerate water harvesting and conservation measures. The scheme is aimed at making water conservation and promotion of irrigation efficiency a mass movement through asset creation and communication campaigns. Over 250 officers, including Additional and Joint Secretaries, have been appointed as in-charge of water-stressed districts in the country to plan ways to conserve the natural resource. They have been appointed as Central Prabhari Officers of 255 water-stressed districts for coordinating the Jal Shakti Abhiyan. These teams will visit identified blocks & districts and coordinate theimplementation of various water harvesting and conservation measures.

4. Rajasthan CM inaugurates 5th & 6th Unit of Chabra Super Critical Thermal Power Station: Rajasthan Chief Minister ‘Ashok Gehlot’ has inaugurated 5th and 6th Unit of Chabra Super Critical Thermal Power Station in Baran district. In Chhabra, 4 Units are already producing power with a capacity of 250 MW each. These two new units are of capacity to produce 660 Megawatts power each and now the total capacity of this thermal power station has reached up to 2 thousand 320 MW. This is the state’s First project based on Super Critical Thermal Power Technology and the estimated cost of this project is 9 thousand 550 Crore Rupees. This Project will not only meet out the power demand of the state but also it will make the state independent in the power production sector.

5. Tamil yeoman declared Tamil Nadu's state butterfly: Tamil yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) butterfly has been declared the state butterfly of Tamil Nadu. These butterflies are also known as Tamil Maravan, which means warrior,  are found mainly in the hilly areas. Tamil Nadu is only the fifth state in the country to declare its state butterfly.

Note: Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai, CM: Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Governor: Banwarilal Purohit.

6. GST Day: 1 July: India will celebrate 1st July as the "Goods & Services Tax Day". This year, it is the second anniversary of the implementation of historic tax reform of Goods & Services Tax. The introduction of GST in the Indian economy has replaced a multi-layered, complex indirect tax structure with a simple, transparent and technology-driven tax regime.

Note: GST was launched on 1st July 2017 in New Delhi. Chairperson of GST Council: Union Finance Minister of India.

7. National Doctors' Day: 1 July: The National Doctors’ Day is celebrated every year on 1st July in India to honour the legendary physician and the 2nd Chief Minister of West Bengal Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. This is a vital day for doctors as it provides them with an opportunity to reflect on their career and remind them about practising the art and science of Medicine and Surgery in an ethical manner. Dr Roy was honoured with the country's highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Money in Swiss banks: India ranked 74: According to the Swiss National Bank (SNB), India has moved down one place to 74th rank in terms of money parked by its citizens and enterprises with Swiss banks.  ii. U.K. has retained its top position. India was ranked 73rd last year, after jumping from its 88th rank a year ago.

2. India signs Rs 200 Crore deal with Russia for ‘Strum Ataka’ anti-tank missiles: India has signed a deal with Russia for acquiring the ‘Strum Ataka’anti-tank missiles. The deal has been signed under the emergency clause as a result of which the missile would be delivered within a time of 3 months of the signing of the contract.  The deal is worth around Rs 200 Crore. The deal would give an added capability to the Mi-35 attack choppers to take out enemy tanks and other armored elements.

3. Abu Dhabi to host first ISA's joint security exercise ‘ISALEX19’: Representatives of 50 law enforcement agencies of the International Security Alliance are taking part in the first joint security exercise ‘ISALEX19’ in Abu Dhabi. Joint Security Exercise will test the readiness of the different teams and to evaluate the tools, strategies and procedures developed jointly between member countries. The participants include representatives from tactical teams, rapid intervention units, communications, civil defence, and explosive ordnance disposal, teams.

Note: The International Security Alliance (launched in 2017) is an international working group to confront organised, transnational and extremist crimes in Abu Dhabi. Now, the alliance comprises nine countries, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, France, Italy, Spain, Senegal, Singapore, and the Slovak Republic.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Max Verstappen wins Austrian Grand Prix: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix for the second year in a row while champion Mercedes lost for the first time in this season.

2. Wimbledon Tennis Championships 2019 begins in London: The iconic tennis championships ‘Wimbledon 2019’ (133rd-edition) start in London. The grass court Major Wimbledon Tennis Championships is the third Grand Slam tournament of the year after the ‘Australian Open’ and the ‘French Open’. The Swiss great Roger Federer will be playing his 21st consecutiveWimbledon.

Note: The 2019 Wimbledon Championships is a Grand Slam tennis tournament which took place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom.

Winners List: 2018 Wimbledon Championships

S. No.	Category	Winner-2018	Runner Up-
1.	Men's Singles	Novak Djokovic(Serbia)	Kevin Anderson (South Africa)
2.	Women's Singles	Angelique Kerber(Germany)	Serena Williams (USA)

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. No charges on NEFT, RTGS money transfers from 1 July: As per Second Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement for 2019-20, the Reserve Bank of India will stop imposing additional charges on Fund transfer through RTGS and NEFTsystems from 1st July, 2019. This has been done to provide an impetus to digital funds movement.

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das, Headquarters: Mumbai, Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata. The real time gross settlement (RTGS) system is meant for large value instantaneous fund transfers and the national electronic funds transfer (NEFT) system is used for fund transfers of up to Rs 2 lakh.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. ITBP DIG Aparna Kumar becomes the first civil servant to summit Mount Denali: Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Aparna Kumar (IPS officer - 2002 batch-UP cadre) has become the first civil servant to scale Mount Denali (in the third attempt), the highest peak in North America. Currently, Ms Kumar posted as DIG, ITBP Northern Frontier at Dehradun. She also became the first woman IPS DIG and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer to successfully complete the South Pole expedition.

2. Achyutanand Sahu conferred with 'Narad Samman-2019’: Martyred Achyutanand Sahu (DD News cameraman) conferred with posthumously ‘Narad Samman-2019’. Late Sahu was martyred in Naxal attack in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh in October last year, in the line of duty. Even after having been shot, Achyutanand showed exemplary courage and set new standards in journalism. The 2019 Narad Samman was given in total nine categories.

Note: The award has been constituted in memory of the first-ever and the most eminent journalist-scholar of the universe, namely ‘Narad Maharishi’.

DEFENCE

1. K. Natarajan has sworn in as the 23rd chief of ICG: K. Natarajan took over as the Director-General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). He has become the 23rd chief of India’s coastal security force. He took over from Rajendra Singh.

2. Former Navy Chief Sushil Kumar authors Book ‘A Prime Minister to Remember’: A Book titled ‘A Prime Minister to Remember: Memories of a Military Chief’ has been released. The book has been written by Admiral Sushil Kumar. The book is about the huge impact that the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had on the Armed Forces of India. Former Navy Chief Sushil Kumar served with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (from 1998 to 2001) during challenging times of Kargil War, hijacking of IC 814 and Operation Parakram.