Daily GK Updates - 7th August, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vijay Rupani takes oath as Gujarat Chief Minister: 60 year old BJP leader Vijay Rupani has sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar today.He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the Governor OP Kohli.While Nitin Patel has sworn in as the Deputy CM of the state.

2. Modi launches PMO App at MyGov Anniversary event: Prime Minister NarendraModi has launched the new PMO app at a function organised by MyGov in New Delhi. The app would correspond to the website of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

3. 2^nd National Handloom Day celebrated on 7^th August: The second National Handloom Day has been celebrated all over the country, on today (August 7). As the first National Handloom Day was celebrated last year and Hon’ble Prime Minister was the Chief Guest in the main event held in Chennai on 7th August, 2015.

4. Odisha Government launches new website of State Home Department: The Odisha government has launched a new website of the state Home department to enable the differently-abled persons to see and hear the website.

5. Telangana signs MoU with ISRO for water resources info system: Telangana Irrigation Department has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Space Research Organisation for setting up a Telangana Water Resources Information System (TWRIS) on the ‘Bhuvan’ web portal.

6. Tamil Nadu CM gives cash awards to five sportspersons:Five sportspersons from Tamil Nadu, including a differently-abled woman who had won honours in international contests, have been given cash awards by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa which includes JenithaAnto of Tiruchirappalli has presented with a cheque for Rs 25 lakh for winning an international chess tournament for the differently abled held in Serbia last month. Anto had won the tournament for the fourth time. The other receiver of the cash awards are- C Ajith Kumar, R Naveen, L Samayasri, and S Priyadarshini.

7. Kathakali dance troupe in Egypt for the first time: A nine-member Kathakali dance troupe has performed first time in Egypt. The Kathakali dance troupe was a part the 14th Summer Festival organized by Bibliotheca Alexandrina. And as part of their tour, the Indian dance troupe will performe in different places including Port Said Cultural Palace, Ismailia Cultural Palace.

8. CSS Corporation appoints Manish Tandon as its new CEO.

9. K KKhurana has been appointed as the new head for BHEL Corporate R&D.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Taxis in Dubai to promote Kerala Tourism: Kerala Tourism has rolled out a promotional campaign in Dubai targeting Arab travellers and showcasing the state's backwaters and waterfalls on taxis plying in the bustling metropolis, with the onset of the outbound tourism season in the Middle East.

OTHER UPDATES:

OBITUARIES:

1. ‘Vietnam Veedu’ Sundaram passes away at the age of 76: Veteran South Indian film director and scriptwriter “Vietnam Veedu’ Sundaram has passed away in Chennai. He was 76 years old. Sundaram was born in Tiruchi and 'Vietnam Veedu' became part of his name after he wrote the script, first for theatre and then for the film, starring SivajiGanesan.

Daily GK Updates - 6th August, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Government aims to roll out GST from April 01, 2017: The Union Finance Minister ArunJaitley announced that the Government has set the ambitious target to roll out of the Goods and Services Tax, (GST) from 1st April 2017.This announcement was made after RajyaSabha had passed The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014.

2. Union Government fixes an inflation target of 4% for five years: The Union Government has set an inflation target of 4 % for the next five years with a range of plus/minus 2 % for the next five years under the monetary policy framework agreement with the Reserve Bank.

3. South India’s first Doppler weather radar inaugurated: ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar has inaugurated a 'C Band Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar' at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram. It is first of its kind in South India. While Prime Minister NarendraModi had inaugurated the first Doppler weather radar in Cherrapunji which was built by the ISRO and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) in May.

4. Centre launches nation-wide breastfeeding programme: Centre has launched a nation-wide breastfeeding programme "MAA - Mother's Absolute Affection" with an aim to enhance optimal breastfeeding practices in New Delhi.

5. Finance Minister ArunJaitley inaugurated India’s International Footwear Fair: A three day long India's International Footwear Fair (IIFF) has been launched by the Finance Minister ArunJaitley on August 5th in New Delhi.

6. Railway, Chhattisgarh government ink agreement for the formation of JV:The Ministry of Railways has signed an agreement with the Chhattisgarh government for the formation of a joint venture (JV) company for focused resource mobilisation, implementation and monitoring of critical rail projects.

7. Naidu launches SwachhSurvekshan for 500 cities: Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu has launched Swachh Survekshan-2017 for 500 cities in the country with an idea to make competitive environment make the cities clean in New Delhi. The main objective of SwachSurvekshan is not to point out shortcomings but to suggest ways to improve the state of cleanliness in the particular area.

8. Maharashtra Government to provide as many as 1,200 Wi-Fi hotspots in Mumbai: Chief Minister of Maharastra Government Mr.DevendraFadnavis has stated that Maharashtra government will provide as many as 1,200 wi-fi hotspots in the megapolis as a part of transforming Mumbai into a Smart City.

9. Javadekar inaugurated transit campus of IIT in Jammu: Union Minister for Human Resource and Development PrakashJavadekar has inaugurated the transit campus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at village Jagti, Tehsil Nagrota in Jammu.

10. Kolkata hosts 64-day long theatre festival: The Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), an autonomous organization under Government of India's Ministry of Culture, has organized a 64-day-long theatre festival in Kolkata. The festival- Kolkata Theatre Festival 2016- will showcase as many as 245 theatres of several groups at Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex in Kolkata's satellite town Salt Lake.

11. IBM and Apple open first global development hub in India: IBM in partnership with Apple has launched a new global development hub at Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru. The hub mainly aims to help the clients in India complete digital mobility process platform.

12. Mercedes-Benz India appoints Michael Jopp as Vice-President, Sales and Marketing.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China successfully launches the first satellite for mobile telecommunication: China has successfully launched the first Tiantong satellite for mobile telecommunication at southwestern China's Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, with the Long March-3B carrier rocket.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Olympics 2016 opens with a glittering ceremony in Rio De Janerio: The 31st Summer Olympic Games has opened in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, with a vibrant opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium. Acting Brazil President Michel Temer declared open the Games. The theme of Rio De Janerio Olympic is world peace and environment. 

Daily GK Updates - 5th August, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vijay Rupani to be CM of Gujarat while Nitin Patel his Deputy: In a surprise move, BJP state chief Vijay Rupani has been named as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat while Nitin Patel as Deputy CM after a meeting of the BJP legislators at State Party headquarter.

2. First Tech Meet of Hydrocarbon Vision 2030: The first technology two-day meet under the Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for Northeast India has begun in Guwahati and deliberate various issues regarding implementation of the document which envisages an investment of Rs 1,30,000 crore.

3. Goa to implement 7^th Pay Commission from Nov 1: Goa Chief Minister LaxmikantParsekar has stated that the 7th Pay Commission recommendations would be implemented in the state from November 1st. While the pending arrears from January to October 2016 would be deposited in the employee provident fund (PF) and National Pension System (NPS).

4. Odisha opens 100 new multi-purpose calamity shelter units: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has dedicated 100 multi-purpose shelter houses to the people of Odisha for use during floods and cyclones with an aim to ensure zero casualty during calamities.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. RBI imposes penalty on two cooperative banks of Chhattisgarh: Reserve Bank of India has imposed the penalty on two cooperative banks of Chhattisgarh under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The ZilaSahakariKendriya Bank Maryadit, Raipur, and Raipur Urban Mercantile Cooperative Bank Limited are the two on which RBI imposed the penalty of five lakh rupees each.

2. Corporation Bank launches group credit life insurance scheme: Mangalore-based mid-sized public sector bank, Corporation Bank has launched ‘group credit life insurance scheme’ of LIC of India in Mangaluru.

3. Vinod Rai steps down from IDFC Bank’s board: Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India VinodRaihas stepped down from private sector lender IDFC Bank’s board. However, he will continue to be the non-executive independent chairman of IDFC Ltd.

  

SPORTS:

4. Nita Ambani elected as the first Indian woman member of IOC: Noted sports promoter and founder chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani has been elected as an individual member of International Olympic Committee. With this, she became the first Indian woman to join the prestigious body which governs Olympic sports in the world.

5. IBJA announces awards for Indian medal winners at Rio Olympics: India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA) has announced 500 gms Sovereign Gold Bonds and silver to the Indian medal winners at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The Sovereign Gold Bonds of 500 gms will be awarded to the Gold Medal winners and 1 kg silver will be awarded to Silver Medal winners.

OBITUARIES:

6. Assamese Litterateur Mahim Bora passed away at the age of 92.

Daily GK Updates - 4th August, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Six year old Indian boy enters Guinness World Record: A six-year-old boy, Om Swaroop Gowda from Karnataka has set the world record for covering longest distance by limbo skating under cars. He clinched the Guinness World records title after a successful attempt to travel a staggering 65.283-metre distance while holding his body just above the ground and maintaining a splits position throughout.

2. LS Speaker inaugurates DRDO exhibition in Parliament premises: LokSabha Speaker SumitraMahajan has inaugurated the three-day Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) exhibition in the Parliament premises in New Delhi.

3. Urban Development Ministry approves investment of Rs 4404 crore to 8 states, UTs: Ministry of Urban Development has approved an investment of Rs. 4,404 crore in augmenting water supply, sewerage networks, drainage, urban transport and public and green spaces in urban areas in 8 States and UTs under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for the current financial year.

4. Vasundhara Raje lays the foundation of 14 projects in Jaipur: Rajasthan's Chief Minister VasundharaRaje has laid the foundation of 14 projects worth Rs 2,229 Crore and stated that the city of Jaipur will be a 'wonder city' in next two years. The project aims to make the 47-km long water body pollution free and beautiful in the next two years. Plantation of 16,000 saplings in 65,000 sq meters will also be a part of the beautification of the river, etc.

5. Shipping Corporation of India inks MoU amid Growth Plans: Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Shipping for the financial year 2016-17.

6. Dr D K Gayen appointed as the new GM of East Central Railway.

7. Sudhanshu Mani appointed as new GM of Integral Coach Factory (ICF).

8. Nimesh Kampani resigns as Managing Director of JM Financial Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 4 Indian-origin persons among US’ top wealth advisors: Forbes: Raj Sharma and Ash Chopra, both working in Merrill Lynch - Private Banking & Investment Group, have been ranked 17th and 129 respectively on the Forbes 2016 'America's Top Wealth Advisors' list. While Sonny Kothari of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management has been ranked 176, RajuPathak of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is placed at 184.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. RBI launches new website ‘Sachet’ to curb Illegal Collection of Deposits: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor RaghuramRajan has launched ’Sachet- www.sachet.rbi.org.in’, a web portal to curb illegal collection of deposits. Sachet is an SLCC (State Level Coordination Committees) website from which the members of the public would be able to obtain information regarding entities that are allowed to accept deposits, lodge complaints and also share information regarding illegal acceptance of deposits by unscrupulous entities.

2. RBI constitutes a committee on Household Finance: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a committee to look at the various facets of household finance in India and to benchmark India’s position vis-à-vis both the peer countries and advanced countries.

SPORTS:

3. IOC gives nod to addition of five new sports in Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has agreed to add Baseball-Softball, Karate, Skateboard, Climbing Sports and surfing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The decision was taken by the 129th IOC session being held in Rio de Janeiro.

AWARDS:

4. ShubhaMudgal to be awarded Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award: Mudgal will be honoured for her outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill on 20 August 2016 at JawaharBhawan Auditorium.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

5. Book titled ‘Grassroots Innovation’ authored by Prof. Anil K Gupta has been released.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd August, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. WEF India Economic Summit in Delhi on October 6-7: World Economic Forum (WEF), will host its annual India Economic Summit on October 6-7 in New Delhi which would be attended by over 500 business and political leaders including top policymakers and CEOs. This year's meet will be convened under the theme, 'Fostering an Inclusive India through Digital Transformation'.

2. Rajasthan becomes first state to approve sewage and waste water policy: Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to approve sewage and wastewater policy. It has been approved by Chief Minister VasundharaRaje in Jaipur. Under this policy, all district headquarters, heritage cities, and cities in the state which have more than one lakh population will be included. Waste water treated under it will be used in irrigation and agricultural work. The requirement of next 30 years will be covered in this policy.

3. Khandu expands cabinet, inducts 10 ministers: In its first expansion of the cabinet, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister PemaKhandu has expanded his cabinet by inducting 10 ministers including former Speaker NabamRebia. The politicians included in the cabinet are: TangaByaling, Rajesh Tacho, NabamRebia, HonchunNgandam, WangkiLowang, KamlungMossang, TapangTaloh, Kumar Waii, TakamPario and JomdeKena. All of them were sworn in as cabinet ministers.

4. Kerala cabinet appoints Achuthanandan head of administrative reforms panel: The Kerala cabinet has decided to appoint veteran CPI-M leader V.S Achuthanandan as the chairman of the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission with cabinet rank.

5. Six new IITs get parliament nod: The Parliament has approved the establishment of six new IITs across the country by passing the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the RajyaSabha. These IITs will be started in Palakkad (Kerala), Goa, Dharwad (Karnataka), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Jammu, and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh.

6. Neyveli Lignite plans to buy 1200 MW Raghunathpur Thermal Power Project:Neyveli Lignite (NLC) is planning to acquire a 1200 MW Raghunathpur Thermal Power Project (RTPP) of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). The proposed acquisition will be done through a joint venture company (JVC) of NLC and Damaodar Valley Corporation DVC with an equity shareholding of 74:26.

7. BHEL commissions 500 MW Marwa Thermal Power Station in Chhattisgarh: State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has commissioned the second 500 Mw (megawatt) thermal unit at Marwa Thermal Power Station in Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh.

8. Anant Maheshwari named as the President of Microsoft India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pushpa Kamal Dahal elected as new Prime Minister of Nepal.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. SBI launches cheaper home loan schemes for public sector undertaking employees and Defence personnel: The bank has introduced ‘Privilege Home Loan’ for government employees and ‘Shaurya Home Loan’ for Defence Personnel with pensionable service. Under the new schemes, loans will be available without any processing fees. The interest rates will be 0.05 % less than current interest rates on home loans.

2. AXA, Alibaba, Ant Financial have tied up in global strategic partnership: AXA, Alibaba, and Ant Financial Services have stated that they have agreed to engage in a global strategic partnership to explore opportunities to distribute AXA's insurance products and services through Alibaba's global e-commerce ecosystem.

SPORTS:

3. BCCI appoints Katju to head a legal panel to help implement Lodha report: The BCCI has appointed former SC judge MarkandeyKatju as the head of a 4-member legal panel to help the implications of the Justice Lodha Committee reforms.

4. Angela Ruggiero appointed IOC’s Athletes’ Commissions Chair: Angela Ruggiero is a former ice hockey player who has played more games for Team USA than any other man or woman. She is the current Vice-Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

OBITUARIES:

5. Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail passed away at the age of 70: Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian-American chemist Ahmed Zewail, a science and technology advisor to President Barack Obama and the first U.S. science envoy to the Middle East, has passed away in the United States. He was 70 years old.

6. Former Ferrari driver Chris Amon died at the age of 73.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd August, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Parliament passes Indian Medical Council (Amendment Bill), 2016: The Parliament has passed Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to conduct of uniform entrance examination for admission to all medical educational institutions.

2. Central body approves Rs 400 crore for Ganga Rejuvenation projects: A high-level panel of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has approved various projects worth approximately Rs 400 crore for development of ghats (river fronts) and crematoria at different places along the river Ganga from Uttarakhand to West Bengal under the Centre’s ambitious NamamiGange programme.

3. Government launches credit rating scheme for MSMEs: The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has launched a performance and credit rating scheme to assess the capabilities and creditworthiness of industries in the sector. The 'Performance and Credit Rating Scheme' will provide "trusted" third party opinion to create awareness about the strengths and weaknesses of enterprises' existing operations.

4. India to host international summit on tobacco-control: India is going to host a crucial global summit in November to eliminate the illicit trade of tobacco products. The summit is scheduled for November 7-12 at the Indian Exposition Mart in Noida. In this summit delegates from 180 countries will take part.

5. Odisha Government to recruit transgenders as jail warders: The Odisha government has decided to recruit members of transgender community persons as warders in jails of the State as per the directive of the Supreme Court. The home department has issued instructions to the Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) to include the gender category.

6. Resolution for the renaming of Madras High Court passed:The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution that the Madras High Court be renamed as Tamil Nadu High Court and not as High Court of Chennai as proposed by the Centre.

7. Freecharge inks partnership with PayUbiz: India's digital payments platform Freecharge has partnered with the leading payment gateway solution provider, PayUbiz, to further strengthen its merchant base and help consumers move from cash to digital payments.

8. Deepak Iyer appointed Mondelez India MD.

9. BhaskarKhulbe appointed as Secretary to PM Modi.

10. Air Marshal Neelakantan takes charge of Southern Air Command.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. ICICI Bank ties up with Apollo India to form ARC: ICICI Bank has inked a MoU with Apollo India Credit Opportunity Management LLC and AION Capital Management to set up an asset reconstruction company.

2. Bank of Baroda ties up with start-up Fisdom: India's leading public sector bank, Bank of Baroda has tied up with a fintech start-up Fisdom for personal wealth management services. Fisdom app helps users make financial investments in an easy and paperless manner by blending cutting-edge technology with personalised financial advice. It helps people manage their money with the help of a robo-advisor.

SPORTS:

3. SimonaHalep wins Rogers Cup women’s singles by defeating Madison Keys 7-6, 6-3.

AWARDS:

4. Anita Gopalan wins 2016 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants: Translator and artist Anita Gopalan has awarded with the 2016 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants for her English translation of Hindi novel Simsim by GeetChaturvedi.

OBITUARIES:

5. Indian-American Professor Emeritus Braj B Kachru passed away at the age of 84.

Daily GK Updates - 1st August, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Suresh Prabhu flags off Agartala-Delhi train 'Tripura Sundari Express': Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off maiden broad-gauge train service between Agartala and Delhi, ‘Tripura Sundari Express’.The ‘Tripura Sundari Express’ will run weekly between Agartala and AnandVihar in Delhi. The rail link was developed at an expense of 968 crore rupees.

2. Andhra Pradesh signs MoU with Japan to develop food value chain: Under the MoU, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) will encourage direct investments by Japanese companies in the fields of agriculture and food-related industry in Andhra Pradesh.

3. IRCTC's app tie-up with Mobikwik for e-cash payments: Mobile Payments CompanyMobiKwik and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) have announced an exclusive partnership, wherein MobiKwik will power e-cash payments on IRCTC's e-catering app, Food on Track. 

4. NTPC commissions NP Kunta power project:NTPC Ltd has commissioned a 50 MW (1X50 MW) capacity solar photovoltaic power project of NP Kunta Ultra Mega Solar Power Project Stage-I at Anantapuramu in Andhra Pradesh.

5. Justice DB Bhosale sworn-in as Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court: Justice DilipBabasahebBhosale has sworn-in as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. His oath of the office was administered by Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik. 

6. DilipRath assumes additional charge as NDDB chairman:DilipRath took over as the chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), after the department of personnel and training (DoPT), Government of India gave him the additional charge of the post until the appointment of a regular incumbent. 

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1.Oracle India Joins SBI To Foster Digital Skills Initiative: Global software major, Oracle India has announced corporate citizenship collaboration with State Bank of India (SBI) and launched the 'D-Change' programme which will support education and learning, women's empowerment and rural skills development in the country.

2. ICICI Bank reduces MCLR by 0.05%:Country's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has announced a 0.05% reduction in its marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR).

SPORTS:

3. India to host Kabaddi World Cup in October:International Kabaddi Federation has announced the selection of India for hosting "The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup".

4. Patna Pirates wins 4th season of Pro Kabaddi League:The Patna Pirates have won the fourth edition of STAR Sports-ProKabaddi League by defeating Jaipur Pink Panthers in the final match played at Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad (Telangana). 

5.Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 German Grand Prix title of Formula One:Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has won the 2016 German Grand Prix title of Formula One. It was his fourth consecutive win in the 2016 season and overall fifth title of the 2016 season.

AWARDS:

6. Syed Nayeemuddin conferred Mohun Bagan Ratna: The Mohun Bagan FC has conferred club’s highest decoration Mohun Bagan Ratna (jewel) on legendary Indian Footballer Syed Nayeemuddin.With this, he became the 16th recipient of the prestigious award, which is bestowed upon a person for making a seminal contribution to the success of the club. He is also the only sportsperson awarded with the prestigious Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards for football.