Daily GK Updates - 1st August, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Dharmendra Pradhan launches Atal Community Innovation Centre: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel has launched Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) in New Delhi, to encourage the spirit of innovation at the community level. This initiative aim is to provide solution-driven design thinking to serve society.  Atal Innovation Mission has a key role to perform in order to achieve the target of five trillion dollar economy by 2025.

2. Lok Sabha to become paperless from next session: Lok Sabha Speaker has announced that the Lower House will become paperless from the next session. This move will save crores of rupees to the exchequer.

Note: Speaker of Lok Sabha: Om Birla.

3. Tarun Chaudhri becomes first IAF pilot to complete wingsuit skydive jump: Wing Commander Tarun Chaudhri has become the first Indian Air Force pilot to perform a wingsuit skydive jump. Chaudhri achieved the feat during the Kargil Diwas celebrations at Air Force Station in Jodhpur. The jump was accomplished from a Mi-17 helicopter from an altitude of 8,500 feet. This is the first IAF Wing Suit Skydive Jump by a pilot who has flown and captained the same type of helicopter.

Note: Chief of the Air Staff of IAF: BS Dhanoa.

4. BJP’s Vishweshwar Kageri is the new Karnataka Speaker: Six-time MLA Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The Opposition Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) did not field any candidate. The post fell vacant after KR Ramesh Kumar resigned as the Speaker of the Assembly shortly after the BJP government won the trust vote.

Note: The Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka, the main law-making body for the Indian state of Karnataka. He is elected by the members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

5. Mobile library service launched by Delhi Public Library: Mr Prahlad Singh Patel (Culture and Tourism Minister) has flagged off mobile library bus service in New Delhi. The objective of the mobile library bus service to reach out to readers in Delhi, especially those in slums, resettlement colonies and rural areas. The five-bus mobile library service was launched under the "Ghar Ghar Dastak Ghar Ghar Pustak" Scheme of the Delhi Public Library (DPL). These buses have been procured under CSR (corporate social responsibility) assistance from the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

6. J&K: Governor admin approves operationalisation of 24x7 Free Ambulance Service: Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Governor’s Administration has approved operationalisation of the 102-108 Toll-Free Ambulance Service in the state. The State Government has decided to bring a fleet of 416 Ambulances under the ambit of this service, which will be operationalised through a centralised Call Centre working on a 24x7 basis. The project will be operational by 15th October 2019. It will provide round the clock transportation to the patients requiring immediate medical care especially critical, Trauma, accidental victims, pregnant women & sick children. 102 Ambulance Service will provide free of cost service to the targeted population.

7. Rakesh Asthana given additional charge of NCB: The Appointments Committee on Cabinet has given the additional charge of the post of Director General Narcotics Control Bureau to Rakesh Asthana. He is presently serving as the Director General of Civil Aviation Security.

8. IIT Hyderabad develops, eco-friendly solar cells using 'kumkum dye': Scientists at IIT Hyderabad have developed low-cost, environment-friendly solar cells by employing an off-the-shelf dye used to make kumkum or vermilion. The dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) is based on New Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous electrolyte and platinum-free counter electrodes, according to the research published in the Solar Energy journal.

Note: Headquarters National Institute of Solar Energy: Gwal Pahari, Gurugram.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Cabinet approves ISRO Technical Liaison Unit at Moscow: Cabinet has approved the setting up of ISRO Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) at Moscow in Russia. The unit will collaborate with Space agencies and industries in Russia and neighbouring countries for mutually synergetic outcomes. ITLU will support the ongoing bilateral programmes of cooperation in space technology and will act on behalf of ISRO.

Note: Chairman of ISRO: Dr K. Sivan; Headquarters: Bengaluru; Established: 1969.

2. India extends $500,000 assistance to Gambia: During the President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Gambia, India has promised to extend an assistance of USD 500,000 to Gambia. The assistance will contribute in supporting the skill development and cottage industry projects in the West African country. India has also received an instrument of ratification of the International Solar Allianceframework agreement from Gambia. The two countries has also signed a MoU on Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy.

Note: President of Gambia: Adama Barrow; Capital: Banjul.

3. Foreign Ministers from South East Asia attend 52nd ASEAN summit: Foreign Ministers from South East Asia are attending the 52^nd ASEAN summit in Bangkok, Thailand (30 July - 3 August 2019). Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Mr Don Pramudwinai chaired the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) plenary session. The annual meeting opened with a call from the host Thailand for deeper integration to expand trade and bolster prosperity in the region amid rising global challenges.

Note: The AMM was first held in 1967 and is currently held back-to-back with PMCs with Dialogue Partners and External Parties. ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners also discussed preparations for the 35th ASEAN Summit, which will be held later in November 2019.

4. London named the world’s best city for students: UK's capital London has named the world’s best city for students for the 2nd consecutive year, beating Tokyo and Melbourne that came 2nd and 3rd, respectively, on a new worldwide ranking. According to the rankings, India’s best student city is Bengaluru (81st), followed by Mumbai (85th), Delhi at 113th and Chennai at 115th, out of a total of 120th cities in the list. The 'QS Best Student Cities Ranking' compiled by global education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds highlights each city's performance across six categories - the number of top-ranked universities; the proportion of a city's population.

5. Indian tourists exempted from visa fees by Sri Lankan govt: India is among 48 countries whose citizens have been exempted from visa fees for tourism purposes by the Sri Lankan government. According to Sri Lankan tourism minister John Amaratunga, visa fees (20 to 40 US dollars) will not be charged for grant of one-month visa for tourism. The tourists can apply for electronic travel authorisations online or apply for visa on arrival. Sri Lankan tourism has been impacted after the Easter Sunday attacks but the tourism authorities have claimed that there is a revival seen since last month.

Note: Tourism is Sri Lanka’s third-largest and fastest-growing source of foreign currency last year, accounting for almost 5% of the gross domestic product in 2018.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. IFSG appoints Justice A.K. Sikri as ombudsman: The Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), country’s self-regulatory industry body for the online fantasy sports gaming sector, announced the appointment of Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri as its ombudsman and ethics officer. Justice A.K. Sikri will be responsible for investigating queries/complaints raised by the users of the online fantasy sports gaming platforms.

2. Ellyse Perry becomes first cricketer to reach 1000 runs, 100 wickets in T20Is: Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry became the first cricketer of either gender to reach the rare milestone of scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the T20 format.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Atanu Chakraborty nominated on RBI Central Board: The Union Government has nominated Atanu Chakraborty(Economic Affairs Secretary) as a Director on the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Currently, he is a Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. Shri Rajiv Kumar (new Finance Secretary) is also a Director on the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India.

Note: The central board of directors is the main committee of the central bank. The RBI has four regional representations: North in New Delhi, South in Chennai, East in Kolkata and West in Mumbai.

2. India Post Payments Bank to be converted into SFB: The Postal Department has decided to convert the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) into a small finance bank (SFB), enabling it to offer small loans to customers. Besides, the department also looks to open one crore accounts for IPPB in 100 days. According to the Postal Department statement, the decisions were taken at the annual Heads of Circles Conference held at Srinagar.

                                      
AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Kapil Dev honoured with Bharat Gaurav Award: India's first World Cup-winning cricket captain Kapil Dev (60 years) has been conferred with the East Bengal's highest honour, ‘Bharat Gaurav’. Kapil had signed for East Bengal on June 22, 1992, and played for 27 minutes six days later as a substitute forward in an exhibition match against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan. Bhaichung Bhutia honoured with "identifying and nurturing the icon' award, while former India captains, Manoranjan Bhattacharyaand Bhaskar Ganguly have given Lifetime Achievement awards. The club also honoured legendary PK Banerjee with the 'Coach of coaches' award, while Laldanmawia Ralte was given 'Best Footballer of the Year' award.

Note: East Bengal club officially started the centenary celebrations on its foundation day (1st August) with a glittering ceremony at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.

2. Ruhan Rajput honoured with 'Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2019': Ruhan Rajput, a renowned entrepreneur, co-founder and Director of Einfolge Technologies Pvt Ltd was awarded the prestigious Entrepreneur Award 2019 at New Delhi. Ruhan was acknowledged for his contributions and achievements in the business industry. His company is one of the leading players in the knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) industry. The company operates to provide comprehensive research, analysis and expert solutions to its clients.

3. DD News channel bagged Champions of Empathy Award: DD News is awarded with "Champions of Empathy Award" for spreading awareness about hepatitis. Director General of DD News, Mayank Agrawal received the Award from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. DD News to aware people about various diseases and preventives by showing health related programmes, reports and policies that help to spread awareness towards health in society.

OBITUARIES

1. Former cricketer Malcolm Nash passes away: Former cricketer Malcolm Nash passed away. He was Glamorgan's legendary left-arm bowler who took 993 first-class wickets in a 17-year career between 1966 and 1983. He became famous after Garfield Sobers hit him for six sixes in an over.

2. Founder of Cafe Coffee Day V G Siddhartha passes away: The founder of cafe chain Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) V G Siddharthahas passed away, as he committed suicide. The body of Mr. Siddhartha was found in the Netravati river in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. He served as the Chairman and Managing Director of CCD. Non-Executive Independent Director S.V. Ranganath has been named the interim chairman.

Note: Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) is an Indian cafe chain owned by Coffee Day Global Limited, a subsidiary of Coffee Day Enterprises Limited. Cafe Coffee Day has also expanded outside India with its outlets in Austria (Vienna), Czech Republic, Egypt and Nepal. As of July 2019, there are 1,843 outlets across 28 states of India.

Daily GK Updates - 31st July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Atal Innovation Mission to launch a new programme for Community Innovation: Union Ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Dharmendra Pradhan have jointly inaugurated the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a new programme for Community Innovation in New Delhi. The new initiative aims to encourage the spirit of innovation in the country. The purpose of the programme is to make innovation eco-system socially inclusive as well as to ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure for innovation across the country. The new programme has been specifically designed for underserved, unserved regions of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, Smart Cities, Aspirational districts, North-East, Jammu and Kashmir as well as rural and tribal regions of the country.

Note: The Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country. It has been created as an umbrella innovation organization to play an instrumental role in the alignment of innovation policies between central, state and sectoral innovation schemes incentivizing the establishment.

2. Dr Harsh Vardhan celebrates the 110th Annual Day of NCDC: Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare at the 110th Annual Day celebrations of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), at this occasion Union Health Minister inaugurated the laboratory complex (Lab 3) at NCDC and the new building of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).

Note: Headquarter of NCDC: New Delhi; NCDC Established in: ‎1909.

3. 'Pink coaches' introduced by the Northest frontier railway: Indian Railways 'Northeast Frontier Railway zone' has started a unique initiative to earmark a special portion of the SLR coach with pink colour. This is done to specially help the women passengers with better safety and security. 8 trains in Rangiya division of the Northeast Frontier Railway have begun operations with some pink coaches. 

Note: Headquarter of Northeast Frontier Railway zone: Maligaon, Guwahati.

4. 22nd National Conference on e-Governance: The 22nd National Conference on e-Governance will be held in Shillong, Meghalaya. The theme of the conference is 'Digital India: Success to Excellence'. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), in association with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Meghalaya government will organise the 22nd National Conference.

5. Senior IAS officer Rajiv Kumar appointed as new Finance Secretary: Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Rajiv Kumar (1984 batch-Jharkhand cadre) has been appointed as the new Finance Secretary. The approval was given by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He succeeded Subhash Chandra Garg (1983 batch IAS-officer), who is currently the power secretary. Currently, Mr Rajiv Kumar is serving as Secretary in the Department of Financial Services.

Note: Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.

6. Birth anniversary of Premchand being celebrated: The birth anniversary of a great novelist and celebrated storyteller Munshi Premchand is celebrated on 31 July every year. He was born on 31st July 1880 in Lamhi Village near Varanasi. Premchand's stories confront the truth of this society underlining the importance of truth, justice and loyalty. His renowned stories includes 'Kafan', 'Namak Ka Daroga', 'Panch Parmeshwar', 'Poos Ki Raat' are timeless and ever relevant.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. South Asia Air Quality Tech Camp organised in Kathmandu: The U.S. Embassy in Nepal has organized a South Asia Air Quality Tech Camp in Kathmandu. The aim of camp is to address political, social, and scientific facets of the problem and improve the ability of civil society, media, and other influencers to engage governments, empower the public and take action to improve air quality in South Asia.

Note: Nepal Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli; Capital: Kathmandu.

2. India signs deal to acquire R-27 Missiles from Russia: India has signed a deal worth around Rs 1,500 crore to acquire R-27 air-to-air missiles from Russia to be equipped on the Su-30MKI combat aircraft. The R-27 missile is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile for MiG and Sukhoi series of fighter jets.

3. India, Mozambique signs 2 MoUs: India, Mozambique sign 2 MoUs to strengthen defence cooperation. The two MoUs include an agreement on sharing white shipping information and another on co-operation in the field of Hydrography. The documents were signed following a meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Mozambican counterpart Atanasio Salvador M'tumuke. Rajnath Singh is currently on his first official visit abroad as the Defence Minister to the African country. This is also the first time a Defence Minister has visited Mozambique.

Note: Prime Minister of Mozambique: Carlos Agostinho do Rosario; Capital: Maputo.

4. Infosys launches Cyber Defence Center in Romania: Infosys announced the launch of its state-of-the-art Cyber Defence Center in Bucharest, Romania. The Defence Center is an expansion of services delivered through the Infosys Digital Innovation Center. The Center will provide end-to-end, real-time, 24/7 cyber security monitoring and protection services to support European and global businesses on their digital transformation journey.

Note: Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys: Salil Parekh.

5. Pakistan opens historic Hindu temple in Punjab: Pakistan has opened a 1,000 year old Hindu temple in eastern city Sialkot for worship for the first time since partition on the demand of the local Hindu community. The Shawala Teja Singh temple, located in city’s congested Dhaarowal locality, some 100 km from Lahore, is more than 1,000 years old, according to the book ‘History of Sialkot’ by the late Rashid Niaz.

Note: Pakistan Capital: Islamabad; PM of Pakistan: Imran Khan. President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. BCCI suspends Prithvi Shaw for doping violation: Indian Test opener Prithvi Shaw (19-years) has been suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a doping violation till 15th November 2019. According to a BCCI release, Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups. Mr Shaw had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI's anti-doping testing program during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on 22nd February 2019 in Indore. His sample was subsequently tested and found to contain Terbutaline. Terbutaline, a specified substance, is prohibited both In & Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances.

Note: Prithvi Shaw became the second-youngest Indian after Tendulkar to make a Test century and the youngest Indian to do so on Test debut.

2. ICC names two new umpires in elite panel for 2019-20: The International Cricket Council has named Michael Gough of England and Joel Wilson of the West Indies in the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires for 2019-20 season. They will replace retired umpire Ian Gould and Ravi Sundaram who were part of the previous panel.

Note: ICC Chairman: Shashank Manohar; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 13th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup will be held in India from February 9 to March 26, 2023.

3. Venugopal Rao announces retirement from all forms of cricket: Former India player and Andhra Ranji captain, Y. Venugopal Rao has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He was the 2nd player to play for India from Andhra. He played for India in 16 ODIs and was also a member of the India under-19 World Cup-winning team in 2000.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI relaxes External Commercial Borrowing norms for corporates, non-banking lenders: The Reserve Bank has liberalised the end-use stipulations for the External Commercial Borrowings both for corporates as well as liquidity starved non-banking lenders. According to The central bank, liberalisation will be applicable to ECBs taken for working capital, general corporate purpose loans or repayment of rupee loans. Corporate borrowers will be able to avail of ECBs to repay rupee loans taken for Capital expenditures if they are into manufacturing or infrastructure building and classified as Special Mention Account, SMA-2 or Non-Performing Asset, under any one-time settlement arrangement with lenders. The RBI also issued a revised circular for bankers capturing the changes.

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

1. Microsoft acquires data privacy & governance startup BlueTalon: Microsoft has acquired data privacy, governance service firm BlueTalon. BlueTalon helps enterprises set policies for how their employees can access their data. BlueTalon works with leading Fortune 100 companies to eliminate data security blind spots and gain visibility and control of data.

Note: CEO of Microsoft : Satya Nadella.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 'Indian Woman of Influence Award' received by Priya Priyadarshini Jain: Eminent fashionista, social entrepreneur and philanthropist Priya Priyadarshini Jain has been felicitated with the prestigious 'Indian Woman of Influence' award at the House of Lords, the United Kingdom Parliament, London. Priyadarshini Jain for it also marked the grand launch of coffee table book on '50 most influential Indian women worldwide' featuring her as one of the most prominent personalities from India.

OBITUARIES

1. Former RBI Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn passes away: Noted economist and former RBI Deputy Governor Subir Vithal Gokarn (59-years) passed away. Gokarn served as the Deputy Governor of the RBI between 2009 and 2013, during the tenure of Governor D Subbarao. Gokarn was also Chief Economist of Standard & Poor’s Asia-Pacificand Chief Economist of CRISIL. In 2015, he was appointed as Executive Director on the board of the IMF (International Monetary Fund).

Daily GK Updates - 30th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Odisha Rasagola gets Geographical Indications Tag: The rasagola, a popular dessert of Odisha, has received the geographical indication tag from the Registrar of Geographical Indication. The GI number 612 has been registered in favour of the Odisha Small Industries Corporation Limited. Historical records submitted say the ‘Odisha Rasagola’ is associated with world famous Puri Jagannath Temple.

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

2. Odisha Secretariat renamed ‘Lok Seva Bhavan’: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced in State Assembly that Sachivalaya or the State secretariat will now be called as ‘Lok Seva Bhawan’. The Odisha secretariat building was inaugurated on November 12, 1959, by the then Union Home Minister Govind Ballabh Pant.

3. J&K District Administration Udhampur launches helpline “Jeene Do”: Jammu and Kashmir, District Administration Udhampur has launched a helpline, “Jeene Do”. The objective is to improve sex ratio and deal with defaulters of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques or PCPNDT Act under the Centrally sponsored Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme. A Mobile Number ‘9469793363’ has been dedicated to the public to register complaints regarding sex determination during prenatal checkups.

Note: Governor of Jammu & Kashmir: Satya Pal Malik.

4. Maharashtra Police launches AMBIS for crime detection: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched the Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) to identify and track down criminals. This technology will make it easy to track a criminal who is on police record, which will eventually increase the rates of crime detection and conviction. Under AMBIS, a digital database of criminals consisting of their fingerprints, irises, palms and facial features will be prepared, which will help to track a criminal having a single criminal record. The system is said to be first-of-its-kind in the country and Maharashtra.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India signs MoUs with Benin: India and Benin signed four MoUs on education, health and e-visa facilities. The signing of the agreement on mutual exemption of visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and official passports and agreement on the fresh line of credit of 100 million US dollars by India to finance development projects in Benin. Benin also extended its support for India's candidature for permanent membership of UN Security Council.

Note: Benin President: Patrice Talon; Capital: Porto-Novo; Currency: West African CFA franc.

2. India, Myanmar signs MoU on Defence Co-Operation: Minister of State for Defence and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services of Myanmar signed MoU to enhancing defence co-operation, review joint exercises and training provided to Myanmar Defence Services, strengthen maritime security by joint surveillance and capacity building, medical co-operation, pollution response and for developing new infrastructure.

Note: Myanmar Presiden: Win Myint; Capital: Naypyitaw.

3. India-Nepal Logistics Summit organised in Kathmandu: Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli has inaugurated ‘India-Nepal Logistics Summit’ in Kathmandu, Nepal. The theme of the summit was “Transforming Logistics Landscape”. He stressed upon smooth and quality logistics between India and Nepal. The aim of the bilateral cooperation is initiatives have been taken on crucial components of road, rail, inland waterways and air connectivity.

Note: President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari; Capital: Kathmandu; Currency: Nepalese rupee.

4. World Day Against Trafficking in Persons: 30 July: United Nations observes 30 July every year as World Day Against Trafficking. In 2013, the General Assembly designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights. On the 2019 World Day UNODC is focusing on highlighting the importance of Government action with a tagline: Human Trafficking: call your government to action

Note: Headquarters of the UN: New York, USA; Founded: 24 October 1945; Secretary General of the United Nations: Antonio Guterres.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sniper Frontier Competition: 2019: A Nine member Indian Army team has left for Belarus to compete in the Sniper Frontier Competition as part of the International Army Games scheduled on 03 Aug to 17 Aug 2019. An intense sniper competition and encompassing flexibility of mind, physical fitness along with firing. The competition is likely to have over 23 participating countries including Russia & China.

Note: Chief of the Army Staff: General Bipin Rawat.

2.  Former France defender Patrice Evra announced retirement: Former France and Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has announced his retirement. He had played 81 times for France and also captained the side at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He went on to make almost 300 appearances for the Manchester United club, winning 5 League titles and the Champions League.

3.  Collin Morikawa wins the US PGA title: American Collin Morikawa has won the US PGA title at the Barracuda Championship. This was his 1st win in the US PGA title. It is the only US tour event that uses the Modified Stableford scoring system. US's Troy Merritt finished as the runner up of the event.

4. Tamil Nadu girl wins gold medal in World Deaf title: Tamil Nadu girl Jerlin Anika has won the gold medal in the World Deaf Youth Badminton Championships held in Taipei. 15-year-old Anika bagged four medals in the championship, including the gold, two silver and one bronze.

Note: President of Taiwan: Tsai Ing-wen; Currency of Taiwan: Taiwanese Dollar.

5. Dalilah Muhammad shatters 400m hurdles World record: Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad shattered one of the longest standing records in women’s athletics with a superb display to clinch victory in the 400m hurdles at US Championships. Dalilah Muhammad took more than a tenth of a second off a record that had stood for 16 years, clocking 52.20 seconds to beat Russian Yuliya Pechonkina's previous mark of 52.34 seconds.

6. ICC launches World Test Championship: The International Cricket Council (ICC) officially decided that the inaugural ICC World Test Championship will be played from 1st of August to 30th April 2021(to be played over two years). The World Test Championship will witness the top nine Test teams in the world compete in 71 Test matches across 27 series. Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies are the nine teams that will battle it out for the top honours in the World Test Championship.

Note: India will begin their campaign in the championship with the two-match Test series against the West Indies starting on 22nd of next month.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI fines Mobikwik & Hip Bar for violating norms: The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty on two online payment solutions providers. Mobikwik Systems and Hip Bar for non compliance of regulatory guidelines. Mobikwik Systems Private Limited has been slapped a fine of Rs 15 lakh while Hip Bar Pvt Ltd faced a fine of Rs 10.85 lakh.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Vidisha Baliyan was crowned the Miss Deaf World 2019 title: Vidisha Baliyan, a 21 year old girl from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar city, was crowned the Miss Deaf World 2019 title. The international beauty pageant was held in Mbombela, South Africa. She is a former international tennis player who represented India in the Deaflympics and also won a silver medal.

DEFENCE

1. IN LCU L56 ship commissioned into Indian Navy: The sixth ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) MK IV class, IN LCU L56, was commissioned into the Indian Navy. Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, Eastern Naval Command commissioned the ship in a ceremony held at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. According to Vice Admiral, the induction of LCU 56 will add to Maritime and Humanitarian and Disaster Relief capability. The ship will be deployed for multi-role activities such as beaching operations, search and rescue missions, disaster relief operations, coastal patrol and surveillance operations along the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands.

Note: LCU 56 is an amphibious ship with its primary role being transportation and deployment of Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Vehicles, Troops and Equipment from ship to shore.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Andhra Pradesh state Minister Mukesh Goud passes away: Senior Congress leader and former minister M. Mukesh Goud (60-years) passed away after a prolonged illness in Hyderabad. Mukesh Goud was suffering from cancer. He was also a popular backward caste leader and never hesitated to raise his voice for the cause of the BCs. He served as BC Welfare and Marketing Minister in Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and Kiran Kumar Reddy Cabinets.

Daily GK Updates - 29th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 7th Economic Census begins from Tripura: The Government of India begins the 7th Economic Census from Tripura. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will conduct the census.  It will be launched in other states and union territories in August and September. It will be conducted after a gap of 5 years. The fieldwork is expected to be completed by December and the results at the national level is expected to be available by March 2020.

Note: As per the last Economic Census conducted in 2013, there were 58.5 million establishments employing around 131 million workers. The economic census gives insights on the economic activities being carried out across the country, their geographical distribution, the number and distribution of workers, types of ownership and sources of finance. The economic census is the only source of information on the significantly large unorganized sector in the country.

2. 5th Dharma-Dhamma conference was held in Rajgir: The 5th international Dharma-Dhamma conference was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Kiren Rijiju. The aim of the conference is to address people about the terror, violence and global warming prevalent in the world. The conference will also address the subjects of Sat-Chit-Ananda and Nirvana which are the pivotal topics of Buddhism.

Note: Chief Minister of Bihar: Nitish Kumar; Governor of Bihar: Phagu Chuhan.

3. Girish Bapat appointed as chairman of estimates committee: Girish Bapat has been appointed the chairman of the "Estimates Committee" of the parliament. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made the appointment. Estimates committee is one of the three financial standing committees of the parliament apart from the public accounts committee and committee on public undertakings.

4. K'taka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa wins confidence Motion: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has won Confidence Motion in the State Assembly by a voice vote. Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar declared that the Motion moved by Mr Yediyurappa has won the confidence of the House. Earlier, as the House assembled, BS Yediyurappa moved a one-line confidence motion seeking to prove the majority of his three-day-old government. KR Ramesh Kumar (Karnataka Assembly Speaker) has announced his resignation as Karnataka Assembly Speaker soon after BS Yediyurappa government won floor test in the house.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nepal invited as a partner country for Gita Jayanti Mahotsav 2019: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has invited Nepal to be the partner country for this year's 'Gita Jayanti Mahotsav 2019' scheduled to be held at Kurukshetra. He extended the invitation to Ambassador of Nepal to India Nilamber Acharya.

Note: Nepal Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli; Capital: Kathmandu; Currency: Nepalese rupee; President of Nepal: Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

2. Rajnath Singh arrives in Maputo on a three-day visit to Mozambique: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Maputo on a three-day visit to southern African country, Mozambique. India is willing to forge a strong bilateral relationship with Mozambique by increasing regular engagement and cooperation in multiple spheres. Mr Singh will hold talks with President, Defence Minister, Foreign Minister and Interior Minister of Mozambique during his visit. India and Mozambique will sign bilateral agreements to boost military cooperation. During the defence minister's visit, India will also hand over two fast interceptor boats and 44 SUVs to Mozambique.

3. Global Tiger Day: 29 July: The ‘Global Tiger Day’ is being celebrated across the world to create awareness about tiger conservation and protection of the natural habitat of tigers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released the results of the fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 in New Delhi. According to PM Narendra Modi, India is one of the safest habitats in the world with 2967 tigers. Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka at 524 with Uttarakhand at number 3 with 442 tigers. The Tiger Estimation exercise is believed to be the world’s largest wildlife survey effort in terms of coverage, the intensity of sampling and quantum of camera trapping.

Note: Project Tiger was launched in 1973 with the initiative of conserving India's national animal. Tigers are considered as an “umbrella species” as their conservation also conserves many other species in the same area. The 2014 country-level tiger assessment had shown a 30% increase of tigers from 1706 in 2010, the tiger population has increased to 2226 in 2014.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1.  Nikoloz Basilashvili wins the German Tennis Championships: Nikoloz Basilashvili wins the German Tennis Championships. He defeated Andrey Rublev to successfully defend his title at the German Tennis Championships. With the win, he has become first player to win the event in successive years since Roger Federer in 2004-2005.

2. Egan Bernal claims Colombia's 1st Tour de France title: Egan Bernal became the 1st Colombian to win the Tour de France which finished in Paris, France. He beat the defending champion Geraint Thomas of Britain by 1 minute 11 seconds. The 22 year old Bernal has also become the youngest rider to win the race in 110 years. The Tour de France is an annual men's multiple stage bicycle race.

3. Bajrang Punia booked a berth in India's World Championship squad in 65kg category: Bajrang Punia (25 years) booked a berth in India's World Championship squad in the 65kg category defeating Harphul Singh in the trials held in New Delhi. Ravi Kumar Dahiya (U-23 World Championship silver-medallist) earned his chance by winning the most competitive 57 kg category during the trials. It featured seven wrestlers, including Sandeep Tomar and Utkarsh Kale. The World Wrestling Championship is slated to be held in Kazakhstan from September 14th to 22nd.

4. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju receives Special Olympics Torch came from Singapore: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has received the Special Olympics Torch “Flame of Hope” from the Chairman of the Special Olympics International Football Championship (SOIFC), Dr. Amar Prasad Reddy in New Delhi. The Flame of Hope after travelling from Singapore to Delhi, reached New Delhi. The championship will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai from 3rd to 6th August 2019. According to Mr. Rijiju, the Union government will fully support the Special Olympics and international football championships in Chennai.

Note: The ‘Flame of Hope’ symbolises courage and celebration of diversity uniting communities around the globe. The SOIFC 2019 is an initiative of Special Olympics, an international organization that serves athletes with intellectual disabilities.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1.  NITI Aayog partners with WhatsApp to promote women entrepreneurs: WhatsApp has partnered with NITI Aayog, under the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) to announce its plan to support and promote women entrepreneurs in India. WhatsApp will also partner with the Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards 2019,flagship initiative of NITI Aayog.

AWARD AND HONOURS

1. Meryl Streep to receive Tribute Actor Award at TIFF 2019: Veteran star Meryl Streep will be honoured Tribute Actor award at the 2019 in 44th Toronto International Film Festival.  The 70-year-old actor will be the first-ever recipient of the award in TIFF. Streep is a 3 times Oscar winner for the Iron Lady, Sophie's choice and Kramer vs Kramer.

DEFENCE

1. RAW officer appointed as new BSF Director General: IPS officer V.K. Johri has been appointed as the next Director General (DG) of the country’s largest border guarding force, Border Security Force(BSF). He will succeed Rajni Kant Misra who retires on 31st of July 2019. He is presently serving as the Special Secretary in the external intelligence agency RAW, under the Cabinet Secretariat. The order has been issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) that is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Note: BSF Established in: 1 December 1965; Headquarters of BSF: New Delhi.

Note: The BSF is the country's largest border guarding force (present strength of about 2.5 lakh personnel) and is tasked to secure two of India's most important and sensitive fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The two other border guarding forces are ITBP (China) and SSB (Nepal and Bhutan).

2. Lt Gen Paramjit Singh to be new DGMO of Army: Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, who has vast experience in counter-terror operations, will be the next Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army. Lt Gen Singh, currently serving as General Officer Commanding of the Army's Nagrota-based XVI Corps, will take over as the new DGMO on October, succeeding Lt Gen Anil Chauhan.

OBITUARIES

1. Senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy passes away: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy (77-years) passed away in a hospital in Hyderabad. Recently, Jaipal Reddy was diagnosed with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital. He was a four-term MLA, member of Lok Sabha for five terms and member of Rajya Sabha for two terms.

2. Meghalaya assembly speaker Donkupar Roy passes away: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Donkupar Roy (64-years) passed away at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon following a brief illness.

Mr. Donkupar Roy was elected as the assembly speaker in March 2018. Donkupar Roy served as Chief Minister of Meghalaya (from 19th March 2008 to 18th March 2009). He was the head of the United Democratic Party, a political party recognised in Meghalaya.

3. Former Gujarat MP Vitthal Radadiya passes away: Former Gujarat MP Vitthal Radadiya passed away. He was one of the Saurashtra’s most prominent politicians and was former Member of Parliament from Porbandar in Gujarat. Vitthal Radadiya also served as a director of IFFCO and was the chairman of the Rajkot District Co-operative Bank. 

4. Saudi King Salman's elder brother, Prince Bandar passes away: King Salman’s elder half-brother Prince Bandar (96-years) passed away. He was the eldest living son of the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud. Prince Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was not an active political royal within the ruling Al Saud family and had been passed over in the line of succession to the throne. He was the tenth son of the country’s founding monarch. Prince Bandar’s sons, however, hold important posts- Prince Faisal bin Bandar is governor of Riyadh; Prince Abdullah bin Bandar heads the National Guard.

Daily GK Updates - 28th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt inks MoU with industry body to streamline deliver of services under Ayushman Bharat: To streamline deliver of services under the Centre’s flagship healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat, its implementing agency inked an MoU with industry body NATHEALTH. The partnership between National Health Authority (NHA) and the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) aims to streamline all innovations ensuring that it increases the efficacy of service delivery of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The collaboration provides an industry interface for testing innovations, providing mentorship and creating channels for facilitating support required for scaling these innovations. This will bolster NHA’s effectiveness in implementing its innovation strategy, which is aligned with the its vision of ‘Health for All’, its CEO Indu Bhushan said.

2. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu releases book titled ‘New-Age Technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0’: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released titled ‘New-Age Technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0’ book written by Rajya Sabha Member, Narendra Jadhav. He congratulated him for giving the Book which is of great contemporary relevance. This book examines and elaborates on various dimensions of the so-called Industrial Revolution 4.0.

3. Dr Jitendra Singh reviews status of implementation of various projects under MDoNER: Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) reviewed the status of implementation of various projects under MDoNER. Key highlights of the meeting: During the meeting, it was informed that India’s first Bamboo Industrial Park will be set up in Manderdisa in Dima Hasao district of Assam in an area of 75 hectares at a cost of Rs 50 crore. The in-principle approval will be granted to this project in August this year. It was informed that the target is to complete the project by March 2021. The Minister was also informed that another project for Bamboo Park in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh would be taken up by NEC.

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Hepatitis Day 2019: 28 July:  World Hepatitis Day (WHD) was observed on July 28, 2019. It is observed to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis. The theme of the World Health Organization (WHO) for WHD 2019 is “Invest in Eliminating Hepatitis”. WHO will release new estimates for additional investments needed to achieve globally agreed hepatitis elimination goals by 2030, in the context of the universal health coverage. The host country for World Hepatitis Day 2019 is Pakistan. The global events will be held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 27-28 July 2019.

Note: The date of 28 July was chosen because it is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. 

2. World Nature Conservation Day: 28 July: World Nature Conservation Day was observed on July 28, 2019. It is celebrated with an objective to increase awareness about natural resources and protecting them. The day recognizes that a healthy environment is a foundation for a stable and productive society and to ensure the well-being of present and future generations.
Note: World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) Founded: April 29, 1961, Headquarters: Rue Mauverny, Gland, Switzerland

3. BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting 2019 Held In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Foreign Ministers Meet was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 25-26, 2019. India was represented by Gen. (retd) VK Singh who is the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways. Key Points: The members condemned terrorism in all its forms & manifestations and recognized terrorist acts as criminal and unjustifiable. Views were exchanged on key issues on the international agenda. They called for an expedited adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2462 (2019). The Ministers looked forward to their next meeting on the margins of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which will be held in September 2019.

Note: BRICS: BRICS as an idea was coined in Foreign Ministerial meeting of Brazil, Russia, China and India in Newyork in September, 2006. BRIC officially came into existence in 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. South Africa became its member in 2010.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. The third edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held in Guwahati in 2020 January: Ministry of Sports has announced that the third edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held in Guwahati from January 18-30, 2020. It will be conducted in partnership with IOA, SGFI, and Assam. Participants: It will be conducted in partnership with Indian Olympic Association, School Games Federation of India and Assam as host State. The inaugural edition was held in New Delhi, while Pune hosted the second one this year. It is expcted that more than 10,000 athletes and officials will be participating in the mega event.
Khelo India is national level multidisciplinary grassroots games in India. It is held for two categories, mainly U-17 years school students and U-21 college students.

2. Mary Kom wins gold in President’s Cup: Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom claimed the gold medal in the 23rd President’s Cup, asserting her supremacy in a lop-sided 51kg bout final in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. The Olympic bronze medallist pugilist decimated Australian April Franks 5-0. The 36-year-old Indian had also won a gold medal at the India Open boxing tournament in May. Mary Kom, who claimed her sixth world title last year in Delhi, will be looking to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the World Championships in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The 2019 World Boxing Championships for women will be held from September 7 to 21.

3. Max Verstappen wins German Grand Prix: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took his second win of the year in a chaotic and incident-strewn German Grand Prix held in intermittent rain. The Dutchman led a topsy-turvy result in which Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel took second from the back of the grid and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat was third. Lewis Hamilton had a day to forget, finishing 11th after two mistakes. But the Briton did not lose any ground to team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the championship after the Finn crashed.

Note: Germany Capital: Berlin, Currency: Euro

AWARD AND HONOURS

1. Sudarsan Pattnaik wins People’s Choice Award in U.S: International sand artist, Padmashri Sudarsan Pattnaik won People’s Choice Prize at Boston International Sand Art championship in the US. Pattnaik was among the 15 top sand artists selected from across the world to participate in the 2019 Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival in Boston. Representing India at the festival, Patnaik bagged the award for his sand art on plastic pollution with the message ‘Stop Plastic Pollution, Save Our Ocean’.

DEFENCE

1. INS Tarkash arrives at St. Petersburg, will take part in Russian Navy Day parade: INS Tarkash was received warmly at St. Petersburg on Thursday where it will take part in the Russian Navy Day parade. According to Russian news agency TASS, more than 40 ships will take part in the naval parade with participation also from 40 planes and helicopters. A total of 4,000 servicemen will also be part of the celebrations.

Note: Russia Capital: Moscow, Currency: Russian ruble, President: Vladimir Putin

2. CRPF celebrates 81st raising day: 27th July:  Central Reserve Police Force, CRPF, paid tributes to those who laid down their lives for the nation, at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi on the occasion of its 81st Raising Day. Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai offered floral tributes at the Memorial. Speaking on the occasion, Rai said CRPF lives and dies for the country. He underlined the fact that CRPF leaves no stone unturned in winning the hearts of those who have turned against the nation to get them into mainstream before coming down heavily on anti-national elements.

Note: CRPF Founded: 27 July 1939, Motto: Service and Loyalty, Headquarters: New Delhi

Chief- Rajeev Rai bhatnagar Founded: 27 July 1939