Daily GK Updates - 24th January, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India submitted first Biennial Update Report to UNFCCC: The report was submitted towards fulfilment of the reporting obligation under the convention. As per the provisions of the convention, countries need to periodically provide information in the form of their National Communication. 

2. Andhra Pradesh Government launched Giriputrika Kalyana Pathakam Scheme for tribal people: The scheme seeks to reduce rampant infant mortality and child marriages among tribal people. It is designed to provide a onetime financial assistance of Rs 50,000 rupees to each tribal woman who gets married.

3. Delhi Airport suspends sale of entry tickets for visitors in view of the present security scenario.

4. Ambedkar, ‘Swachh Bharat’ among themes for 67^th Republic Day tableaux: A giant statue of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, rare natural abode of Asiatic lions of Gir, white tiger safari and initiatives like ‘Swachh Bharat’ and ‘Digital India’ are among the themes this year for the Republic Day tableaux.

5. Modi flags off hi-tech Varanasi-Delhi train: PM Modi flagged off a new train, Mahamana Express, connecting the city and New Delhi through Lucknow in 14 hours. The train is named after Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of BHU.

6. India and Oman conduct bilateral naval exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’: India and Oman will conduct 10^th edition of bilateral maritime exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ in the Arabian Sea.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UNESCAP released World Economic Situation and Prospects 2016 report: The report highlights that the world economy stumbled in 2015 and only a modest improvement is projected for 2016/17. Global growth is expected at a mere 2.4% in 2015, making a downward revision by 0.4 percentage points from the UN forecasts presented in 2015.

2. Sri Lanka tops South Asia in human development: Sri Lanka has maintained its high ranking in human development. But the country’s performance in terms of average annual human development index (HDI) growth rate during 1990-2014 was lower than many other South Asian countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI asks banks to extend loans to women SHG: RBI has asked banks to provide loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at 7% interest rate to Women Self –Help Group (SHG) under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) Aajeevika scheme during 2015-16.

OBITUARIES:

2. Eminent Tabla player Shankar Ghosh passed away at the age of 80.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd January, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jan Dhan accounts deposits cross Rs 30000 crore: Deposits in accounts opened under the government’s flagship financial inclusion programme-PMJDY have crossed the Rs. 30000 crore mark. 

2. PM declassifies 100 files relating to Netaji: PM Modi made public digital copies of 100 secret files relating to Subhash Chandra Bose on his 119^th birth anniversary, which could throw some light on the controversy over his death.

3. MSDE, DoT signed MoU to develop National Action Plan for Skill Development in Telecom Sector: Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Department of Telecom (DoT) together have agreed to make concerted joint efforts towards skill development by facilitating mobilisation of financial support under the National Ecosystem for Development of Telecom Skills.

4. BEPS guidelines of OECD to be implemented in India from 1 April 2016: The term BEPS is an acronym of Base Erosion and Profit Sharing and it was in news as India decided to implement it these guidelines. The BEPS refers to tax planning strategies that would exploit the gaps and mismatches in tax rules to artificially shift profits to low or no-tax locations where there is little or no economic activity, resulting in little or no overall corporate tax being paid.

5. Chhattisgarh Government inked pact with central PSUs for Railway Projects: A special purpose vehicle SPV-Chhattisgarh Dakshin Railway Pvt Ltd was constituted through the agreement to build 142km railway line at a cost of 2000 crore rupees. The project aims at leading the economic development of tribal-dominated Bastar region.

6. New bird species named Himalayan Forest Thrush found in northeast India and adjacent parts of China.

7. Union Government notified stricter standards for Sugar Industry to minimise water pollution: The revised standards will lead to improved operational performance of sugar industries through implementation of wastewater discharge standards and waste water conservation and pollution control management protocol.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Scientists of California spotted the potential Planet 9: Konstantin Batygin and Michael E Brown, the researchers at the California Institute of Technology claimed it as a possible 9^th planet and their research papers were published in The Astronomical Journal.

2. 2016 NTI Nuclear Security Index released: Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a US-based think-tank released the 2016 Nuclear Security Index with the theme ‘Building a Framework for Assurance, Accountability and Action. The Index assessed global nuclear security conditions in 176 countries in two areas-the potential theft of weapons-usable nuclear materials and the potential sabotage of nuclear facilities. Australia was adjudged as the safest country while India got the 21^st rank.

3. Inaugural Best Countries report released at World Economic Forum: Germany is viewed as the best country in the world followed by Canada and the United Kingdom. India is ranked as the 22^nd best country in the World.

4. Japan lifted nuclear sanctions on Iran.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Indian Olympic Association signed 2-year marketing deal with Infinity Optimal Solutions.

OBITUARIES:

2. Former Deputy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly Nirmala Gajwani died at the age of 87.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd January, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 19^th National Conference on e-Governance begins in Nagpur: The 19^th edition of National Conference on e-Governance has begun on 21^st January 2016 in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The two day conference aims at discussing various aspects of e-governance ranging from Technology Enabled Services to Cyber Security framework. 

2. Nai Manzil Scheme launched in Jammu and Kashmir: The scheme was launched for girls in Srinagar in three institutions-Skills Development Centre, University of Kashmir and two madarsas.

3. IRS Officer Atulesh Jindal appointed as Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes.

4. Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhavan Palace named the world’s best hotel of 2016: The hotel won this award at the Travellers’ Choice Award organised by TripAdvisor.

5. Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation has won the National Award for e-Governance 2015-16 for its Universal Account Number Programme.

6. India expected to be World’s fastest growing economy says the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects 2016 report.

7. J P Nadda named to the high-level UN Advisory group on women, children ‘Every Women Every Child’.

8. Ashok Kumar Mehta appointed Private Secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee.

9. Google’s free Wi-fi launched at Mumbai Central Railway Station.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Moldovan parliament appointed Pavel Filip as Prime Minister: The appointment follows the rise and fall of two prime ministers in 2015. The capital of Moldova is Chisinau.

2. NASA formalised Planetary Defence Coordination Office to detect and track Near-Earth Objects: It will supervise all NASA-funded projects to find and characterise asteroids and comets that pass near the orbit of the Earth around the sun.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Banks to get 2.5% commission for unlocking household gold.

OBITUARIES:

2. Italian film director Ettore Scola died at the age of 84.

3. Founder Chairman of MTAR Ravindra Reddy passed away at the age of 77.

Daily GK Updates - 21st January, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra replaced Aamir Khan as ‘Incredible India’ brand ambassadors. 

2. Union Cabinet approved MoU between India & UK on cooperation in governance reforms: It covers areas of cooperation such as sharing good governance practices in public administration, user led service design, reducing bureaucracy in service delivery and government process re-engineering.

3. CCEA approved setting up of over 5000 MW of Grid-connected Solar PV Power Projects.

4. ISRO, Kuwait Institute signed MoU on cooperation in Space exploration: The MoU was signed for cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes. It will allow use of data from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites by Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) for initiating a few research and application projects.

5. SEBI released report of Narayan Murthy-panel on Alternative Investment Policy: The 21-member committee was constituted by the Securities and Exchange Board of India under the chairmanship of N R Narayan Murthy, to suggest measures for development of the alternative investment funds (AIFs) and start-up eco-system in the country.

6. Indian Mi-25 helicopters set to join Afghanistan Air Force.

7. DMRC inks interim consultancy pact for light metro projects in Kerala: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has signed an interim consultancy agreement with Kerala Rapid Transit Ltd (KRTL) for the Rs 6728-crore ‘light metro’ in Thiruvanathapuram and Kozhikode.

8. Union Cabinet approved Policy on Promotion of City Compost: The policy primarily seeks to promote the use of city compost by bringing better coordination among various government departments and agencies. Under the policy, a provision has been made for market development assistance of 1500 rupees per tonne of city compost for scaling up production and consumption of the product.

9. CCEA approved six-laning of NH-2 in Bihar and Jharkhand.

10. New tree frog genus Frankixalus, discovered in forests of north-eastern India.

11. Girls First initiative improved emotional and physical well-being of Bihar school children: The initiative is a first of its kind project in the country as it integrates evidence-based practices from the fields of social-emotional rearing, restorative justice, positive psychology and emotional intelligence.

12. Union Government, World Bank signed Financing Agreement for Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project.

13. Ravi Chellam took charge as Executive Director of Greenpeace India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Economic Forum meeting starts in Davos, Switzerland: The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting has started in Swiss resort of Davos, Switzerland with participation of global leaders and business from around the world. In this edition of WEF meeting, the agenda includes the outlook of the global economy and measures to fight terrorism.

2. NASA formalised Planetary Defence Coordination Office to detect and track Near-Earth Objects: It will supervise all NASA-funded projects to find and characterise asteroids and comets that pass near the orbit of the Earth around the sun.

3. Japanese astronomers discovered second largest black hole in Milky Way.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI asks banks to stop Rs 1000 notes without security thread.

SPORTS:

2. Uttar Pradesh won 2014-15 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by defeating Baroda in the final held at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

AWARDS:

3. Oscar for Indian-origin actor, producer Rahul Thakkar in technical categary.

OBITUARIES:

4. Eminent dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai, wife of Late Dr Vikram Sarabhai, passed away at the age of 97.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

5. The book titled ‘The Z Factor’ authored by Subhash Chandra was released by PM Modi in New Delhi.

Daily GK Updates - 20th January, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PSLV-C31 successfully launched IRNSS-1E satellite: The ISRO successfully launched the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) 1E satellite from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The satellite will provide navigation, tracking and mapping services to the Indian sub-continent.

2. Andhra Pradesh Government reconstituted the Commission for Backward Classes: It has reconstituted the Commission for Backward Classes with immediate effect. AP Commission for Backward Classes will be a two member commission with Justice K L Manjunath (retd) as its Chairman and member secretary.

3. BSE launches algorithm trading test: Bombay stock exchange has launched a new service for algorithm trading test facility for investors on its derivatives and equity platform. The new service has been launched in partnership with Mumbai based Symphony Fintech Solutions Pvt Ltd and is free of cost for market participant.

4. Maharashtra Government inks MoU with Tata Trust for skill training of youth: Maharashtra Government has signed a MoU with Tata Trust for a skill training programme for the youth in the state.

5. Union Government sanctioned 3300 crore rupees for infrastructure projects in Tamil Nadu.

6. Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas to fly at Bahrain Air Show.

7. Cabinet approves new power tariff policy: The cabinet approved a new power tariff policy that aims at promoting clean energy, better regulation of discoms, and faster roll-out of investments.

8. MamtaBinani elected President of Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

9. Ministry of Shipping initiated Project Green Port to make Indian ports cleaner and greener.

10. Bihar cabinet approved 35% reservation for women in Government jobs.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UNWTO released World Tourism Barometer: The World Tourism Organisation has released the World Tourism Barometer, which reviewed trends in tourism at the regional and global level for 2015 and enumerated prospects for 2016.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Indian driver JehanDaruwala (Sahara Force India) won Lady Wigram Trophy motor race held in New Zealand.

OBITUARIES:

2. Veteran Journalist AroonTikekar passed away at the age of 72.

Daily GK Updates - 19th January, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. IBM bags $40mn deal from Bank Tech India Payments: Technology giant IBM bagged a 7-year deal worth $40 million from Bank Tech India (BTI) Payments a white label ATM (WLA) operator to transform its IT Infrastructure. 

2. BHEL commissions 660 MW Lalitpur supercritical thermal unit: BHEL has commissioned the second 660 MW supercritical unit of Lalitpur Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) in Uttar Pradesh.

3. Tata Motors appoints Airbus official Guenter Butschek as CEO & MD.

4. Ola appoints Raghuvesh Sarup as Chief Marketing Officer.

5. World Bank to fund 20 million US dollar for reconstructing Indira Gandhi Zoological Park: The World Bank decided to extend an assistance of 20 million US dollar to help reconstruct the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP), which got devastated during the cyclone Hudhud, in Vishakhapatnam.

6. Jayalalithaa launches Amma Call Centre: In an initiative aimed at quick delivery of government services, TN CM J Jayalalithaa launched a round the clock call centre for ensuring fast response to grievances.

7. 40^th edition of International Kolkata Book Fair to be held on 27^th January.

8. HaloSource appoints Tamal Chaudhari as India head.

9. IMF retains India’s GDP forecast for 2017 at 7.5%.

10. India slips to 89^th rank on global talent competitiveness: Switzerland has topped the list. India has slipped 11 places to rank 89^th on a global index of talent competitiveness.

11. World Bank approves 24x7 water project for Belagavi, Karnataka.

12. Union Government to introduce new category of award for ‘most film friendly state/UT’ under the National Film Awards.

13. ReNew Power commissioned 40 MW wind project in Karnataka.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UNWTO released World Tourism Barometer: The World Tourism Organisation has released the World Tourism Barometer, which reviewed trends in tourism at the regional and global level for 2015 and enumerated prospects for 2016.

2. Oxfam released report titled An Economy for the 1%: The report analysed growing trends of concentration of wealth across the world and suggested remedies to correct the anomaly.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Draft report of R V Easwar Committee to simplify Income-tax Act, 1961 released: The draft recommendations of the 10-member committee contain 27 suggestions for amendments under the Income-tax Act, 1961 and 8 recommendations for reform through administrative instructions.

2. SBI offers loans for women entrepreneurs under MUDRA scheme: The MUDRA loan for women entrepreneurs or Boutique Finance for Women Entrepreneurs-a special loan scheme under PM Mudra Yojana-has been launched for catering to the financial needs of women entrepreneurs.

SPORTS:

3. BCCI imposes a five year ban on Ajit Chandila, Hiken Shah.

4. Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Barry Hawkins to win sixth Snooker Masters title.

5. Viktor Troicki defeated Grigor Dimitrov to win 2016 WTA Apia International Sydney title.

OBITUARIES:

6. World’s oldest man Yasutaro Koide dies at the age of 112 in Japan.

7. The Eagles’ guitarist Glenn Frey died at the age of 67.

8. Senior BJP leader Daulatrao Aher died at the age of 74.