Daily GK Updates - 24th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. LokSabha passes Bill to establish new NIT in Andhra Pradesh.

2. Kerala Government constitutes State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation: The Kerala State Government constituted a State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (STAGI) on the lines of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).The Group will advise the State government on the policies and practices to be adopted and implemented under the National Immunisation Programme.

3. 2016 set to be world’s hottest year on record as per a report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

4. Union Cabinet approves Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016: Through this Bill, the Government aims to evolve a mechanism for social, economic and educational empowerment of the transgender. The Bill will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalized section and bring them into the mainstream of society.

5. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Ghatampur Thermal Power Project in Uttar Pradesh: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 20 July 2016 gave its approval for installation of Ghatampur Thermal Power Project (GTPS) of 1980 MW capacity through a Joint Venture Company.The Joint Venture Company is named as Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL). The company is formed jointly by Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited (NLC) and Uttar Pradesh RajyaVidyutUtpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL).

6. Odisha Government to celebrate bicentenary of 1817 Paika revolt:Odisha Government on 19 July 2016 decided to celebrate the bicentenary (200 years) of the 1817 Paika revolt against the British Empire in 2016. For the purpose, the state will organise a series of events in Odisha and at national level.The decision was taken at a high level meeting held under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Ashok Chandra Panda.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Annual electronic music festival Tomorrowland begins in Belgium: One of the biggest electronic music festivals Tomorrowland began on 22 July 2016 in Boom, Belgium. The year 2016 also marks Tomorrowland 10th edition. More than 350000 tickets for the festival were sold out in an hour of their opening in February 2016.

2. Facebook’s Aquila Internet drone completes first test flight: Facebook Inc. announced the successful completion of test flight of a solar-powered drone named Aquila.The social media giant believes that Aquila will help to extend Internet connectivity to every corner of the planet.The company ultimately hopes to have a fleet of Aquilas that can fly for at least three months at a time at 60000 feet and communicate with each other to deliver internet access.

SPORTS:

3. Neeraj Chopra becomes 1^st Indian to set world record in Junior athletics Championships: India’s Neeraj Chopra has won the javelin gold at the IAAF World under-20 athletics championship in Poland, setting a world record of 86.48m while South African Johan Gobler (80.59m) took the silver and Anderson Peters (79.65m) of Granada finished third.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India makes the first contribution to UN Trust Fund: India has contributed USD 100,000 to a trust fund set up for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. The fund was established at the end of March and continues to seek funds to support services for victims and address gaps in services.

2. Suresh Prabhu inaugurates passenger amenities at Yasvantpur station: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has inaugurated a host of passengers’ services and other amenities at the Yasvantpur station, one of the three railways stations that serve Bengaluru, Karnataka.

3. Startup India States Conference held: The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) have organized a day-long conference on Startup India in New Delhi on 23^rd July 2016 with an aim to give impetus to start up India initiative.

4. Snapdeal joins hands with BookMyShow: Online marketplace Snapdeal has announced its partnership with e-ticketing platform BookMyShow and extended its service offerings. With the help of this partnership, customers can now book tickets for movies on Snapdeal.

5. IRCTC, SBI sign MoU on promotion of rail ticketing activities: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the country's largest public sector bank(PSB) State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to hammer out a detailed plan for promotion of rail ticketing activities, including internet ticketing and unreserved ticketing system.

6. Ganesh Singh appointed as Head of JPC for Land Acquisition Bill:LokSabha Speaker SumitraMahajan has reformed the Joint Parliamentary Committee(JPC) for Land Acquisition Bill and appointed Ganesh Singh as the Chairperson of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Land Acquisition Bill.

  

7. Dr. Sanjiv Misra appointed as AD and NE (part time) Chairman at Axis Bank.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. ICCI Bank organises Coin Exchange Mela during the ‘RathaYatra’ festival in Puri: ICICI Bank Ltd has organised a coin exchange mela during the 'RathYatra' festival at the RBI financial literacy camp in BholanathVidyapith. The mela took place under the guidance of the Reserve Bank of India. S. P. Mohanty, General Manager, Issue Department of RBI, inaugurated the event.

2. Karnataka Bank’s solar initiative for rural students: Karnataka Bank Ltd has initiated a programme to provide solar lights in the non-electrified houses of students in rural areas. The initiative has been launched in association with the Manipal-based non-governmental organization BharatiyaVikas Trust (BVT) under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

3. HDFC ERGO enters into bancassurance tie-up with SVC Bank: HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company and ShamraoVithal Co-operative (SVC) Bank have announced their bancassurance agency partnership to provide a range of non-life insurance offerings to the customers of the bank.

SPORTS:

4. Keni Harrison breaks 28-year old world hurdles: American hurdler, Keni Harrison broke a 28-year-old world record in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.20 seconds at the London Anniversary Games. She beat the previous record of 12.21sec set by Bulgaria's YordankaDonkova in 1988.

5. ViratKohli becomes first Indian captain to score double century outside India: He scored 200 runs against West Indies on day two of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in North Sound. With his double century, Kohli entered the list of visiting captains with highest scores in West Indies.

OBITUARIES:

6. DD News correspondent Sanjiv Thomas passes away at the age of 59.

7. Legendary Artist S H Raza passes away at the age of 94.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi lays foundation stone AIIMS and revival of a fertilizer plant in Gorakhpur: Prime Minister NarendraModi has laid the foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and revival of fertilizer factory which was closed for the last three decades in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

2. India ranks 110^th on Sustainable Development Index: India ranks 110th on the list followed by Lesotho on 113th position, Pakistan (115), Myanmar (117), Bangladesh (118) and Afghanistan (139). The index is topped by the Sweden followed by Denmark and Norway on the top three performing countries respectively.

3. Centre forms a panel to prepare a draft bill on Ganga River: Centre has constituted a committee to prepare Draft Bill on Ganga to deal with all the issues related to the River. The committee will be chaired by the retired Justice GiridharMalviya.

4. Green nod for Odisha Power Project: A State green panel has given first-stage clearance to Orissa Integrated Power Ltd (OIPL) for diverting 17.02 hectares of revenue forest land to set up a 4,000 MW UMPP in Sundargarh district in Odisha at a cost of ₹29,000 crore.

5. Kerala Tourism has secured two gold awards at PATA Awards: Kerala Tourism has secured two Gold Awards at the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) awards in recognition of its trendsetting marketing initiatives. The two gold medals for 'Marketing Media' are in the categories of 'Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media' and 'E-Newsletter', which were clinched by the successful 'Visit Kerala' television commercial campaign and the popular Kerala Tourism E-Newsletter respectively.

6. Odisha Government forms a judicial panel for reforms in Jagannath temple management:The Odisha government has constituted a judicial commission to study the functioning of the PuriJagannath Temple, which has in recent weeks witnessed major controversies over mismanagement of rituals by unruly servitors. The one-man commission will be headed by retired Orissa High Court judge Bimal Prasad Das.

7. Kerala Government constitutes State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation: The Kerala State Government has constituted a State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (STAGI) on the lines of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). The Group will advise the State government on the policies and practices to be adopted and implemented under the National Immunisation Programme.

8. A film festival on Mother Teresa in Indian and abroad: The Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF), a film festival focusing on Mother Teresa's life and teachings is going to be held at over 100 locations in India and around 50 other countries. The festival will be kicked off from Kolkata on August 26 after which it will travel all over the world for the next six months. It will be organized by the World Catholic Association for Communication.

9. NMDC signs MoU with NEERI to develop sewage treatment plants: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to develop 12 sewage treatment plants (STP).

10. Ajay BhushanPandey appointed as CEO of UIDAI.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Fox News CEO Roger Ailes resigns: Roger Ailes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox News Channel has resigned from his post. He will be succeeded by Rupert Murdoch, Head of parent company 21st Century Fox and Founder of the empire that includes Fox.

2. Sony Pictures Networks bags broadcast right of International Champions: Sony Pictures Networks India has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights to telecast the 2016 edition of the International Champions Cup (football) in India. The matches this year will be held across North America, Europe, Australia, and China, and will see 17 of the top clubs from across the world participating in the highly anticipated season opening tournament.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. Corporation Bank launches ‘Green Pin’ facility: This is an online module for generation of Personal Identification Number (PIN) for credit card holders. The facility enables credit card users to generate PIN online. PIN is compulsory for all point-of-sale (POS) terminal transactions at a merchant establishment.

OBITUARIES:

2. Former French Cyclist Dominique Arnaud passes away at the age of 60.

Daily GK Updates - 21st July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Seven Indian firms in Fortune 500 list: The list is topped by the retail giant Walmart with revenue of $482,130 million, followed by State Grid (revenue of $329,601 million) and China National Petroleum ($299,271 million) at the second and third place respectively. While among Indian firms, Indian Oil Corporation ranked highest at 161st place with revenue of $54.7 billion. However, another state-run firm ONGC has moved out of the rankings for 2016 and private gems and jewellery major Rajesh Exports has made its debut at the 423rd position.

2. India, Bangladesh has inaugurated Petrapolecheck-post: India and Bangladesh has opened the newly constructed modern integrated check-post at Petrapole-Benapole point of the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. The cost of the project is 200 crore.

3. Various Cabinet approvals:

·        Establishment of a new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh under PradhanMantriSwasthyaSurakshaYojana (PMSSY) has been approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi.

·        Another approval by the Union Cabinet is for the incorporation of Sagarmala Development Company (SDC) under the Companies Act, 2013 with an initial authorized share capital of 1 thousand crore rupees and a subscribed share capital of Rs. 90 Crore. SDC will be under the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping.

·        The 3rd approval for the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016 which has been approved by the Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi.

·     The 4th approval by the Union Cabinet is for introducing amendments to the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2015 in Parliament. The amendments aim to strengthen the Bill in terms of the legal and administrative procedure so as to overcome the practical difficulties which may arise in the implementation of the provisions of the Bill when it becomes an Act.

·    The 5th approval is for the signing of the Air Services Agreement between India and Mozambique as at present there is no Air Services Agreement between India and Mozambique.

·    Sixth approval is for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which has been signed between India and Tunisia for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Digital Economy.

4. India and Japan signed a Social Security Agreement: India and Japan have signed a Social Security Agreement (SSA) that will come into force on 1st October 2016. The SSA will benefit Indian and Japanese professionals and skilled workers working in each other’s country and will also boost bilateral business linkages.

5. ECI launched National Electoral Roll Purification 2016: The programme was launched to improve health of Electoral Rolls (ERs) and to optimize the Polling Station (PS) location and area across the country. The motto of ECI for the year 2016 is No voter to be left behind.

6. BHEL commissions 40mw hydropower units in West Bengal:Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned the third unit of the 4x40 MW Teesta Low Dam Hydro Electric Project (HEP) Stage-IV in West Bengal. A run-of-the-river Greenfield project located in Darjeeling district of West Bengal(WB), Teesta HEP is being set up by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), on the River Teesta.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Turkey declares 3-month state of emergency: Turkey's president has declared a three-month state of emergency following a failed coup. The decision was made following a meeting with cabinet ministers and top security advisers in Ankara. While declaring the imposition of the emergency Erdogan said that the measure was being taken to counter threats to Turkish democracy.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. Federal Bank ties up with Reliance Jio Money: Federal Bank has signed an agreement with Reliance Jio Money for one-click payment service. Reliance Jio Money is a wallet application that will be launched soon for mobile devices where Federal Bank will enable a direct payment option for its customers.

2. IRCTC joins hands with SBI to promote rail ticketing: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has joined hands with the State Bank of India to chalk out a detailed plan for promotion of rail ticketing activities, including internet ticketing and unreserved ticketing system.

SPORTS:

3. BCCI conducts ‘English language and communication skills’: The Board of Control for Cricket in India has organised a course for umpires on English language and communication skills. The course has been designed by the British Council along with the International Cricket Council and is aimed at equipping the match officials with requisite communication skills.

Daily GK Updates - 20th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Rohit Khandelwal becomes first Indian to win Mr. World Title: Rohit Khandelwal has become the first Indian to win the title of Mr. World at a grand ceremony at Southport in England. He received a whopping cash prize of 50,000 US dollars. However, the first runner-up crown went to Mr. Puerto Rico.

2. NITI Aayog and Intel India sign SOI to kick-off Atal Tinkering Lab Initiative for Young Innovators: NITI Aayog and Intel India sign Statement of Intent (SOI) to start Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) Initiative for Young Innovators as a part of its flagship programme the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). The aim of setting up Atal Tinkering Laboratories is to build relevant skill sets among youngsters and to provide access to technology that will enable solutions.

3. ECI launches SVEEP portal in Hindi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched the SVEEP Portal in the Hindi language along with two other releases in the sidelines of the Conference of Chief Electoral Officers of States by the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi.

4. SC accepts structural reforms in BCCI: The Supreme Court (SC) has accepted the major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 from becoming its members. The court has also accepted the recommendations of the committee headed by retired Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice R M Lodha to have a CAG nominee in the BCCI.

5. Paytm ties up with grocery retailer Heritage Fresh: Mobile payment and commerce platform Paytm has entered into a strategic alliance with Hyderabad-based grocery retailer Heritage Fresh as Paytm aims to provide more and more users the convenience and safety of cashless transactions.

6. The Western Union appoints SohiniRajola as new Vice-President:International remittance company the Western Union appointed Sohini Rajola as Regional Vice President, India and South Asia.

7. Sarvita Sethi appointed Coca-Cola VP-Finance for India and South West Asia.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Russian PM suspends its sports minister: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has suspended Deputy Sports Minister Yury Nagornykh, who was named in a report on the doping of Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. SBI launches Rs 7000 crore stressed assets fund with Brookfield: Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) SBI and Brookfield Asset Management have set up a joint venture (JV) with an initial commitment of over $1 billion to make investments in businesses with stressed assets.

SPORTS:

2. Steve Elworthy appointed as the MD of 2019 Cricket World Cup going to be held in England and Wales.

AWARDS:

3. Nigerian journalist wins BBC World News Komla Dumor Award: A Nigerian journalist DidiAkinyelure has won the second BBC World News KomlaDumor Award for 2016. DidiAkinyelure is a prime-time news anchor in Nigeria and presents business news for CNBC, which broadcasts across the continent.

4. Indian boy’s project to safeguard fisherman bags Google Community Impact award in Asia region: An Indian boy from Tamil Nadu has won the community impact awards from Google for his project of mobile GPS that keeps fishermen safe from invisible maritime boundaries. 14-year old Advay Ramesh won the mentioned prize for Asia-Pacific region in the Google Science Fair of 2016.

OBITUARIES:

5. Oldest litigant of Ayodhya dispute Mohammad Hashim Ansari passed away at the age of 96.

6. Hockey legend Mohammad Shahid passed away at the age of 56.

Daily GK Updates - 19th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CBDT signs 7 advance pricing agreements to cut tax litigation with Indian taxpayers: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed seven Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers in a moving design to reduce tax litigation.

2. Parliament passes Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016: The bill seeks to establish a Regional Centre for Biotechnology, an institution of education, training and research, under the auspices of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the National Capital Region. It also confers upon it the status of an institution of national importance.

3. Rs 28,000 crore released under MGNREGA: The Centre has released more than Rs. 28,000 crore so far this year to States under MGNREGA to clear the last year’s liabilities and for running the programme in the on-going year.

4. Herbalife associates with IOA as Nutrition Partner: Herbalife International India, a global premier nutrition company, has entered into a two-year exclusive partnership with Indian Olympic Association to be the official nutrition sponsor of the Indian Olympic contingent to Rio De Janeiro.

5. Dabur acquires South African cosmetic firm Discaria Trading: Homegrown FMCG major Dabur has stated that it has acquired South Africa-based Discaria Trading (PTY) Ltd for an undisclosed amount. The South Africa based firm is engaged in manufacturing and trading of cosmetics.

6. Tata STRIVE skill development centre launched in Hyderabad:Tata STRIVE, an initiative of Tata Community Initiatives Trust, has been launched its first Skill Development Centre (TSSDC) centre. The centre will equip the youth in the State with skills in BPO, banking, financial services, insurance and retail industries to make them employable. The 17,000-sq ft facility in Kukatpally was inaugurated by Telangana IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao.

7. Odisha-born bureaucrat GuruprasadMohapatra appointed as chairman of AAI.

8. Navjot Singh Sidhu resigns as RajyaSabha MP: Navjot Singh Sidhu, former Indian cricketer and Member of Parliament has resigned from his RajyaSabha seat on the first day of the Monsoon Session. Sidhu’s resignation was accepted with immediate effect by RajyaSabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA announces discovery of 104 new planets outside solar system: NASA has announced the discovery of 104 new planets outside our solar system including four that could have Earth-like, rocky surfaces. Scientists discovered the exoplanets in Hawaii using Kepler space telescope.

2. SpaceX launched space station docking port: US space firm SpaceX has launched supplies to the International Space Station, including a crucial docking port for future American commercial crew vehicles. The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft lifted off on the company's Falcon 9 rocket on time from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

3. World Bank Group appoints Paul Romer as Chief Economist: World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim has appointed Paul Romer as World Bank Chief Economist with effect from September 2016. Romer is a widely respected economist and a successful entrepreneur.

3. Malcolm Turnbull sworn in as Australia’s PM.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. Government allocates Rs 22,915 crore capital to 13 PSU banks for FY17: The Narendra Modi government has allocated Rs 22,915 crore capital to meet the capitalization needs of 13 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in the current fiscal. This is in line with its Indradhanush initiative, aimed at restoring banking sector health. The maximum capital infusion will be for State Bank of India (SBI) at Rs 7,575 crore and the least for Allahabad Bank at Rs 44 crore.

SPORTS:

2. Pakistan’s Yasir Shah scales number one spot in ICC Test Rankings: Wrist spinner Yasir Shah has scaled the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings becoming the first Pakistani bowler to do so since Mushtaq Ahmed in December 1996.

OBITUARIES:

3. Legendary singer Mubarak Begum Shaikh passed away at the age of 80: Rajasthan-born Mubarak Begum is known for the evergreen song 'Kabhi tanhaiyon mein hamari yaad ayegi' from the 1961 movie 'Hamari Yaad Aayegi', which is, till this day, regarded as a classic rendition.