Daily GK Updates - 20th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt launches its own QR code BharatQR for cashless payments: The government on Monday launched a QR (quick response) code-based payment solution called BharatQR to allow cashless payments without a card swiping machine. BharatQR has been jointly developed by MasterCard, Visa and Rupay. A customer will scan the BharatQR code to pay directly to a merchant. Currently, BharatQR is integrated into ICICI Bank’s Pockets app and HDFC Bank’s PayZapp.

2. CBI files an FIR against its former Director AP Singh: Following a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI on Monday filed a case against its ex-Director AP Singh, meat exporter Moin Qureshi and two others in a money laundering case. The CBI also conducted raids on Singh's residence in connection with the case. Last year, a Look Out Circular was issued against Qureshi to ensure his presence during investigation.

3. Raj Bhawan in Goa becomes cashless:The Raj Bhavan in Goa has turned cashless with all their transactions including household expenses and tour expenditures shifting from regular to plastic money, starting Monday. Governor Mridula Sinha made the first transaction to mark the occasion. The Goa government had announced that the coastal state will increasingly opt for cashless transactions.

4. 1% tax on cash purchase of jewellery for more than ₹2 lakh: Cash purchases of jewellery will attract 1% tax collected at source (TCS) from April 1 if the amount exceeds ₹2 lakh, as against the current threshold of ₹5 lakh. Once the Finance Bill 2017 is passed, jewellery will be treated on par with general goods. This comes amid the government's decision banning cash transactions above ₹3 lakh from April 1.

5. Malana to impose ₹1 lakh fine for drug peddling: Malana, a village in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district known for its cannabis production, has decided to impose a penalty of ₹1 lakh for people indulging in narcotic trade. The Panchayat resolution, which also bans smoking, will come into effect from February 25, Malana's Panchayat pradhan Baghi Ram said. The village had earlier also banned locals from employing Nepalese labour.

6. Barren Island: India’s only live volcano active again: According to scientists from Goa based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), India’s only live volcano at Barren Island in the Andaman and Nicobar has become active again. After lying dormant for 150 years, Barren Island volcano had erupted in 1991 and since then it is showing sporadic activity. Now it is erupting in small episodes of five to 10 minutes.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Scientists claim discovery of Zealandia a submerged continent in Pacific Ocean: Geologists have claimed discovery of new geological continent named Zealandia submerged beneath the south-west Pacific Ocean. Zealandia is around 4.5-million square km land mass and is 94% under water. Only its highest points — New Zealand and New Caledonia are visible. 

2. February 20: World Day of Social Justice: The World Day of Social Justice is observed every year on February 20 to recognize the need to promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment. To mark this occasion, UN and International Labour Office had organised several organisations to spread importance of social justice for people.

2017 Theme: “Preventing conflict and sustaining peace through decent work”

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Kohli 1st Indian athlete to sign a ₹100 cr deal with a brand: Virat Kohli has become the first Indian athlete to sign a deal worth over ₹100 crore with a brand, after signing up with Puma. With the reportedly eight-year-long deal, Kohli will join Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Thierry Henry as Puma's global ambassador. Puma will launch a signature line of sports lifestyle products with a special logo and brand identity.

2. Tymal Mills most expensive bowler in IPL history at ₹12 cr: England's Tymal Mills became the most expensive bowler in IPL history after the Royal Challengers Bangalore bought the 24-year-old for ₹12 crore during this year's auction on Monday. Mills, whose base price was ₹50 lakh, is also the fourth-most expensive player in the tournament's history behind Yuvraj Singh (₹16 crore), Ben Stokes (₹14.5 crore) and MS Dhoni (₹12.5 crore).

3. 'Rural Olympics' concludes in Ludhiana: Kila Raipur Sports Festival, which is popularly known as the 'Rural Olympics', came to a close in Ludhiana with participants performing daredevil stunts. The three-day festival included events like wrestling, athletics, dog racing and extreme stunts. Stunts, like lifting stacks of bricks and pulling cars with the beard or teeth, were also performed at the event.

BANKING/FINANCE:

4. Savings account weekly withdrawal limit increased to ₹50,000:Beginning from Monday, the maximum cash withdrawal limit from savings account has been increased to ₹50,000 a week from ₹24,000. The relaxation is followed by an RBI notification issued on January 30, announcing the changes in the weekly withdrawal limits effective from February 20. The limits on cash withdrawals from savings bank account will be withdrawn completely from March 13.

Daily GK Updates - 19th February, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Navy inducts first all-women global circumnavigation vessel 'Tarini': The Indian Navy's second sailboat 'Tarini' was inducted into service at a ceremony in Goa. The vessel is slated to be the platform for the first Indian all-women global circumnavigation by the Indian Navy to begin in August.

The Indian Navy is operating four sailing vessels capable of open ocean deployments - Tarangini, Sudarshini, Mhadei and Tarini, all four of which have been built in shipyards at Goa.

2. Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH commissioned February: Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH was commissioned at Kochi, Kerala by Vice Admiral AR Karwe, Flag Officer Commanding-in- Chief, Southern Naval Command. 

ICGS AYUSH is the 20th and the last in the series of 20 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. 

3. Jharkhand signs MoU with Microsoft in ‘Momentum Jharkhand’: Jharkhand government and Microsoft India has inked an MoU for the state government to explore cloud, machine learning and mobile based solutions to improve citizen services and provide better facilities in the fields of education and agriculture.

The MoU was signed at the ‘Momentum Jharkhand: Global Investors’ Summit & Trade Exhibition’.

4. GSLV's Cryogenic upper stage tested successfully: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully ground tested India’s largest indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage engine for GSLV Mark III.

It said the cryogenic stage, designated as C25, was tested for a flight duration of 640 seconds.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.  Haryana's Sandeep Kumar breaks his own national record in 50km race walk: Sandeep Kumar of Haryana won the gruelling men's 50-kilometre event of the National Race Walking Championships held in New Delhi. Sandeep smashed his own national record in a brilliant performance to win the race and qualify for the London World Championships in August. 

2. India win silver at Asian Women's Rugby Sevens Trophy: The Indian Women's team won a silver after getting defeated by South Kores, at the Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy tournament at Vientiane, Laos.

Daily GK Updates - 18th February, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NRAI gets highest WHO ratings for vaccine regulations: India’s vaccine regulatory body NRAI (National Regulatory Authority of India) was given the maximum ratings by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for vaccine regulations. The ratings were given by WHO after completing the assessment of the status of the NRAI system against WHO NRA Global Benchmarking Tool and measured the maturity of the system in India.

2. Tamil Nadu CM Palanisamy wins trust vote in Assembly: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy on Saturday won the trust vote in the state Assembly. He proved the majority of his government in the House after 122 AIADMK MLAs voted in favour of him. Palanisamy, a four-time MLA from Salem, was handpicked by AIADMK chief VK Sasikala after her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

3. No concept of National Song in the Constitution: SC: Refusing to direct the Centre to promote Vande Mataram, the Supreme Court on Friday observed that there was no concept of a National Song in the Constitution. Referring to Article 51A of the Constitution, the court said it did not refer to National Song, but only to the promotion and propagation of the National Anthem and the National Flag.

4. IIM Bill 2017 drops Rajiv Gandhi’s name from IIM Shillong: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bill 2017, recently introduced in the Lok Sabha, has dropped the name of former PM Rajiv Gandhi from IIM Shillong's name. This is the first instance of the former PM's name being dropped from a leading education institution. The Bill aims to vestige greater autonomy and power to these institutions in granting degrees.

5. AAI plans ₹500 crore revamp of Goa Airport: The Airports Authority of India on Saturday announced its plans to upgrade facilities for flight operations and passengers over the next three years at the Goa International Airport, at an estimated cost of ₹500 crore. A parallel taxiway, three aerobridges, escalators and toilets are among the planned infrastructure developments, AAI chairperson Guruprasad Mohapatra said.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. London to levy a daily fine of ₹800 on polluting cars: London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that the city will start levying a daily 'toxicity charge' of about ₹800 on 'polluting' vehicles, typically registered before 2006. He described the fine as "the toughest emission standard of any world city." This will be in addition to London's Congestion Charge, which applies from Monday to Friday between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Team India sponsorship to fetch BCCI over ₹538 crore:Team India's sponsorship from 2017 to 2022 is expected to fetch BCCI over ₹538 crore. BCCI has set a base price of ₹2.2 crore per match for the 238 bilateral games in that period, while each of the 21 ICC matches are priced at ₹70 lakh. The tender process has started for rights' distribution, and will end on March 7.

2. Athlete's human rights complaint rejected for being 'late': National Human Rights Commission has rejected athlete Santhi Soundarajan's human rights violation complaint against the Athletics Federation of India and Indian Olympic Association, for being late. She underwent a 'gender test' in 2006 and was stripped of her silver Asian Games medal because of hyperandrogenism. The commission said the complaint needed to be filed within a year of the violation.

3. Japan to recycle outdated phones into 2020 Olympics medals:Japanese citizens have started donating old mobile phones, which will be used to make medals for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The organisers are looking to retrieve eight tonnes of metal from outdated phones, which will be used to produce 5,000 medals. The project is part of a cost-cutting effort, with the budget being slashed from $26.5 billion to $16.8 billion.

Daily GK Updates - 17th February, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tamil Nadu witnesses trust vote for 1st time in 30 years: Tamil Nadu on Saturday witnessed a trust vote for the first time in 30 years as the last time it happened was when the former state CM MG Ramachandran's party split after his death. While state CM Edappadi Palanisamy has claimed the support of 124 MLAs and asserted his government will stay, O Panneerselvam has the backing of 11 MLAs

2. Govt makes Aadhaar must for availing university scholarships: The Centre has made Aadhaar card mandatory for availing scholarships under the Central Sector Scholarship Scheme for College and University students.

3. India’s only active volcano erupted in January: Scientists: India's only active volcano, the Barren Island volcano, erupted for about four hours in January this year, say scientists attached to the National Institute of Oceanography. An NIO research team, which was in the vicinity of the volcano on January 23, said the volcano emitted red lava fountains. The Barren Island is located 140 km northeast of Port Blair.

4. India ranks 143rd in 2017 Economic Freedom Index: India was ranked 143rd out of 186 economies in the annual Index of Economic Freedom 2017 that measures the degree of economic freedom in the countries of the world. The index was released by top US based Think Tank, The Heritage Foundation. In this edition, India’s overall score was 52.6 points, 3.6 points less than scored in 2016 when it was ranked 123rd.

5. SC introduces Middle Income Group Scheme: The Supreme Court has introduced Middle Income Group Scheme, (MIGS) a self-supporting scheme for providing legal services to the middle and relatively lower income groups. Under this scheme, middle class people who cannot afford the expensive litigation in the apex can avail the services of the society for a nominal amount.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US cities hold 'A Day Without Immigrants' protests: Businesses across the US closed after thousands of immigrants stayed home as a part of 'A Day Without Immigrants' protests against President Donald Trump's immigration ban on Thursday. "If you want America to be 'great'...you need workers. And most of the people...are immigrants," a protestor said. Immigrants reportedly refused to spend money to show their impact on the US economy.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. A Test match was once played on four different pitches: A one-off Test between Australia and England, that started on February 17, 1883, was played on four different pitches in Sydney. As the best-of-three series had already been won by England, it was decided to play an extra match on the tour and the captains agreed to play each of the four innings of the match on a fresh wicket.

2. Sindhu breaks into top five rankings for the first time: PV Sindhu has broken into the top five of the Badminton World Federation rankings for the first time, placing a career-best fifth in the latest rankings released on Wednesday. Sindhu last won the Syed Modi International Grand Prix besides the China Open last year, post her silver finish at Rio Olympics. Meanwhile, Saina Nehwal ranks ninth in the latest standings.

3. Sri Lanka beat Australia in last-ball thriller in first T20I:Sri Lanka defeated hosts Australia by 5 wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series on Friday, claiming their fourth win in as many T20I matches on Australian soil. Batting first, Australia posted 168/6 driven by captain Aaron Finch's 34-ball 43. Asela Gunaratne's maiden T20I fifty and Chamara Kapugedara's last-ball four helped SL chase down the targe

4. Klinger becomes oldest Aussie T20I debutant at 36:Batsman Michael Klinger on Friday became Australia's oldest T20I debutant at the age of 36 years and 228 days, passing spinner Brad Hogg's record of 35 years and 18 days. Klinger, who is representing Australia for the first time across formats against Sri Lanka, has played domestic cricket for over 19 years and has scored 22,163 runs, including 51 centuries

5. 12 years since the first ever T20 international was played: The first ever T20 international was played between Australia and New Zealand in Auckland on February 17, 2005. Ricky Ponting's 55-ball 98* helped Australia set up a target of 214 runs. New Zealand failed to chase the target and fell 44 runs short. Pacer Glenn McGrath pretended to bowl the final ball underarm, referencing Trevor Chappell's underarm incident from 1981.

BANKING/FINANCE:

6. RBI allows multilateral FIs to invest in masala bonds: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted multilateral and regional financial institutions (FIs) to invest in ‘masala bonds’, rupee denominated bonds issued by Indian entities. This decision will allow multilateral agencies like Asian Development Bank (ADB) and BRICS led New Development Bank (NDB) to invest in these bonds. It also provides more choices of investors to Indian entities issuing rupee-denominated bonds abroad.

7. HDFC Bank beats Reliance to become 2nd most valued company:Financial services major HDFC Bank beat Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries on Friday to become the country's second-most valued firm, behind only Tata Consultancy Services. The bank reached a market capitalisation of ₹3.54 lakh crore, against Reliance's ₹3.49 lakh crore. This came after shares of HDFC Bank surged as much as 9% on Friday to hit a 52-week high.

AWARDS:

8. Hindi Scholar and writer Surendra Verma selected for 2016 Vyas Samman award: Renowned Hindi Scholar, litterateur and playwright Surendra Verma (75) was selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman 2016. He was chosen for this award for his novel Kaatna Shami Ka Vriksha : Padma Pankhuri Ki Dhar Se, published in 2010.

Daily GK Updates - 16th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Palanisamy takes oath as TN CM along with 30 ministers: AIADMK chief Sasikala Natarajan's choice, Edappadi K Palanisamy, was on Thursday sworn in as the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister by Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, along with 30 ministers of the state cabinet. He has been given 15 days to prove his majority in the Assembly.

2. BJP releases MGM mascot inspired cartoon for BMC polls: The Bharatiya Janata Party has released its own 'Khau Sena' cartoon, inspired by Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's mascot, for the upcoming Mumbai civic polls. Replacing the leo with a tiger, the cartoon series launched unofficially by BJP workers features senior and junior tigers symbolising Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray and takes a dig at Shiv Sena's mismanagement and corruption in BMC.

3. MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup appointed envoy to Canada: Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup has been appointed as the High Commissioner of India to Canada. He had also penned a novel, 'Q & A', which served as the inspiration for Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

4. Govt revives 30-yr plan to build India’s 1st passenger plane: India is reviving a three-decade-old plan to build its first passenger aircraft, a 14-seat plane called Saras, which is undergoing preliminary tests, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Director Jitendra Jadhav said. India’s air force has committed to purchase 15 of these planes. Notably, the plane's development suffered a setback in 2009 when a test flight ended in a crash.

5. Delhi Police celebrates its 70th Raising Day: Delhi Police on Thursday celebrated its 70th Raising Day with a ceremonial march at Kingsway Camp in New Delhi. February 16 is celebrated as the Raising Day to commemorate the day DW Mehra was appointed as Delhi's first Inspector General in 1948.

6. 5 judges appointed to Supreme Court, total strength now 28: Five new judges were appointed to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, taking its working strength to 28. The new judges elevated to the apex court include four chief justices of state high courts and a sitting Karnataka High Court judge. Notably, the Supreme Court has a total sanctioned strength of 31 judges.

7. Union Cabinet approves establishment of Food Legumes Research Platform at Amlaha: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved establishment of Food Legumes Research Platform (FLRP) at Amlaha in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh with Satellite Hubs in West Bengal and Rajasthan. Cabinet approval confers FLRP an international status as contemplated in Clause 3 of the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947. It authorizes the Department of Agricultural Research (DARE) on behalf of Union Government in all matters regarding establishment of the Platform.

8. Government launches TAMRA Portal and Mobile App: The Ministry of Mines has launched Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource Augmentation (TAMRA) Portal and Mobile Application to ensure transparent award of statutory Clearances for mining operations The TAMRA platform was simultaneously launched across 12 mineral rich states as a part of the Ease of Doing Business in the Mining sector and to double mining contribution to GDP.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UAE announces plan to build first city on Mars by 2117: Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid on Tuesday announced the 'Mars 2117' plan to build the first city on Mars in 100 years. "We aspire to great things, so...I today decided the UAE will...send humans to Mars," Rashid said. The city, reportedly the size of Chicago, will have a population of 6 lakh.

2. French Prez Hollande demands cybersecurity for elections: French President Francois Hollande has demanded a briefing on monitoring and protection measures to be taken against cyber-attacks during the Presidential elections scheduled for April. "The defence council studied the level of threat," the President's office said in a statement. This comes after an independent candidate complained about repeated cyber-attacks and blamed Russian interference.

3. India, Nepal to build new cross-border power lines: India and Nepal have agreed to build new cross-border power transmission lines during their fourth bilateral meeting on power cooperation, reports said. The transmission lines will reportedly help in distribution of electricity from upcoming power projects in Nepal. India also expressed readiness to train Nepalese engineers and consider new letters of credit for building infrastructure in Nepal.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sunil Chhetri breaks Bhaichung Bhutia's goalscoring record: Striker Sunil Chhetri has broken former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia's record of most goals scored in Indian league football. The 32-year-old surpassed Bhutia's record of 89 goals during Bengaluru FC's I-League match against Aizawl FC on Wednesday. In the past, Chhetri has also broken Bhutia's record of most goals for India and most caps for the national team.

BANKING/FINANCE:

2. Cabinet approves merger of SBI with 5 subsidiary banks: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday announced that the Cabinet has approved the merger of State Bank of India with its five subsidiary banks. The associate banks include State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, and State Bank of Hyderabad. The proposal was cleared by SBI last year.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

3. Scientists ‘unmask’ superbug-shielding protein: Scientists from University of Western Australia have successfully mapped three-dimensional molecular structure of EptA protein that shields superbugs from antibiotics. The EptA protein causes multi-drug resistance by masking bacteria from both the human immune system and important antibiotics.

Daily GK Updates - 15th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. A journey into history: ISRO’s 104 satellites launch: ISRO, on Wednesday – 15^th February 2017, registered itself in record books with the launch of 104 satellites in a single mission. With this, the Indian space agency broke the previous record of launching 37 satellites in one go held by Russia. In this mission, the Cartosat-2 series satellite meant for earth observation, and 103 other co-passenger satellites were put in their respective orbits

2. Nearly three-fold hike in UPSC chief's salary: Union Public Service Commission chairperson has got nearly three-fold hike in his monthly salary as President Pranab Mukherjee cleared a proposal for the increase in salaries of members of the UPSC. As per the new norms, the Chairman shall receive a pay of ₹2.50 lakh and each of the other members shall receive a pay of ₹2.25 lakh per month.

3. PSLV can even launch 400 nano satellites: G Madhavan Nair:After the ISRO's launch of 104 satellites in one go, space scientist G Madhavan Nair said that the PSLV has the capability to even launch 400 nano spacecraft if India makes 3 or 4 kg satellites. "This is no new technology. We started with ten satellites then went to 18 or something; then it's 35. Now it's 100," he was quoted as saying.

4. India in talks with Vietnam for first missile sale - DRDO: India is in talks to sell short-range surface-to-air Akash missiles to Vietnam, the head of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said on Wednesday. The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wish to establish India as an arms exporter. Modi had also announced a $500 million credit line to Vietnam to buy defence equipment last year.

5. Centre hikes immediate assistance for bonded labour to ₹20k: The government has increased the immediate assistance to rescued bonded labourers to ₹20,000 from ₹5,000, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said. Besides, financial assistance for adult male beneficiaries was hiked to ₹1 lakh from the existing ₹20,000. It has been increased to ₹2 lakh for females and minors, and to ₹3 lakh for the most deprived and marginalised victims.

6. IMF opens technical assistance and training centre SARTTAC in New Delhi: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has opened a first-of-its-kind South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Centre (SARTTAC) in New Delhi for economic capacity building in South Asia. It will work to support local member countries of South Asia viz. India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka to build human and institutional capacity and implement policies for growth and poverty.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Surge in US air strikes brings ISIS death toll to 60,000: At least 60,000 militants fighting for the Islamic State have been killed in US air strikes in the war on terror, US Special Operations Commander, General Raymond Thomas announced on Tuesday. It was previously reported that 50,000 IS fighters were killed in the two-year campaign till December last year. US officials said the anti-ISIS campaign was escalated in recent months

2. Donald Trump lifts anti-corruption rules for oil companies: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lifted anti-corruption rules which forced oil companies to disclose payments made to foreign governments to secure mining and drilling rights. The regulations were a part of financial reforms passed by the Barack Obama administration after the 2008 financial crisis. The oil industry had opposed the rules claiming they gave global rivals a competitive edge.

 3. Russia deployed missile violating arms treaty - US: Russia has secretly deployed a cruise missile in violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a Trump administration official said on Tuesday. The Obama administration had accused Russia of violating the treaty three years ago by developing and testing the missile and had anticipated that Russia would eventually deploy it. However, Russia denied that it violated the treaty.

4. USA's tallest dam collapse warnings were ignored for 12 yrs:Environmentalist group South Yuba River Citizens League has revealed that it had warned authorities about the collapse of USA's tallest Oroville Dam 12 years ago but they were ignored. Notably, on Sunday nearly 2 lakh residents living near the dam were ordered to evacuate over fears of collapse of the dam's spillway.

5. Russia tells US that Crimea won’t be ‘given back’ to Ukraine:Russia's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said Russia will not hand back control of Crimea to Ukraine. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is [a] territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. This comes after White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said US President Donald Trump expects Moscow to return Crimea.

                       OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Mithali Raj becomes second woman to score 5,500 ODI runs: Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj has become the second woman player to cross 5,500 runs in ODIs, achieving the feat during India's women's World Cup qualifier against South Africa on Wednesday. The 34-year-old recently rose to the second spot in the women's ODI rankings, and is India's highest ODI run-getter, besides playing most 50-over matches for the country.

2. Yusuf Pathan's Hong Kong T20 Blitz stint cancelled: Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan's stint at the Hong Kong T20 Blitz next month has been scrapped by the BCCI. The 34-year-old was set to play for the Kowloon Cantons in the competition, but the board has now returned to its previous stance of not providing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for players to compete in overseas cricket leagues.

BANKING/FINANCE:

3. Cabinet approves merger of SBI with 5 subsidiary banks: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday announced that the Cabinet has approved the merger of State Bank of India with its five subsidiary banks. The associate banks include State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, and State Bank of Hyderabad. The proposal was cleared by SBI last year.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. Scientists develop Thubber, stretchable rubber material with high thermal conductivity: It is an electrically insulating composite material that exhibits an unprecedented combination of metal-like thermal conductivity, elasticity similar to soft, biological tissue.

Daily GK Updates - 14th February, 2017

                     NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian kids fly 7,730 paper planes in a minute to set record: As many as 80 students of Moginand Senior Secondary School in Himachal Pradesh have set a world record by flying 7,730 paper planes in one minute. This record was set as a part of a campaign against drugs. The record was previously held by 87 students of a New Zealand school, where 3,622 paper planes were flown in a minute.

2.  India witnessed maximum bombings worldwide in 2016 – Report: India witnessed the maximum bombings worldwide in 2016, according to a report by the National Bomb Data Centre. While there were 406 bombing incidents, including IED and ordnance explosive blasts, in India, Iraq came second with almost half the number at 221. Notably, Pakistan witnessed 161 bombing incidents in 2016, followed by Afghanistan at 132 and Turkey at 92.

3. New District in West Bengal created: CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday made Kalimpong West Bengal's 21st district after separating it from Darjeeling. She also announced a ₹220 crore road link project which will connect Kalimpong to Sikkim via the old Silk Route. Kalimpong has seen separate statehood demands since the 1980s. Notably, when TMC government was formed in 2011, Bengal had 19 districts.

4. Czech brewery using Ganesha image on beer bottles sparks row: A Czech Republic brewery has sparked a row for using images of Lord Ganesha and other Hindu deities on bottles of Primator IPA, which has 6.7% alcohol by volume. Terming it as 'inappropriate' and 'disrespectful', Hindu officials have asked the Czech Republic brewery to remove images of Indian deity Lord Ganesha from beer bottles according to reports.

5. Eleventh edition of Aero India begins: The 11th edition of Aero India kicked off on Tuesday at the Indian Air Force Station in Yelahanka, Bengaluru. The event is being organised from February 14-18. The opening ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the three service chiefs. Industrialist Anil Ambani will fly a sortie in Rafale fighter jets at the event on Wednesday.

6. Sasikala gets 4-year jail in disproportionate assets case: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sentenced AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala to four years imprisonment in the disproportionate assets case. With this, she stands disqualified to take over as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and also she can't contest any election for a period of 10 years. Notably, the apex court has asked her to surrender immediately.

7. Not mandatory to stand if National Anthem part of movie - SC: The Supreme Court on Tuesday clarified that it was not necessary to stand during the National Anthem if it was a part of a movie or a documentary. The government guidelines state that standing during a movie would only create disorder and confusion. Notably, the court recently directed theatre owners to play the National Anthem before movie screenings.

8. IAF inducts first indigenously developed surveillance plane: The Indian Air Force on Tuesday inducted its first indigenously developed all-weather airborne early warning and control system at the Aero India 2017 in Bengaluru. Mounted on a Brazilian Embraer-145 jet, the surveillance plane has the capability to detect enemy aircraft and missiles. The AeW&CS system has been developed by the DRDO and has a range of around 200 km.

9. Lufthansa brings Airbus A350-900 to India: Airbus A350-900, which is part of Airbus' new fleet, has been brought to India via Lufthansa Airlines. The aircraft landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Saturday. The new model, which weighs 280 tonnes and can seat 325 passengers, has been personalised by Lufthansa to accommodate large TV screens and personalised playlists.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US puts sanctions on Venezuelan Vice President for drug trafficking: US President Donald Trump's administration on Monday imposed sanctions against Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami, accusing him of involvement in international drug trafficking.

2. Indonesian authorities ban Valentine’s Day: Authorities reportedly banned students from celebrating Valentine's Day in various parts of the country. Authorities claimed that the romantic tradition encourages casual relationships and runs against cultural norms.

3. 2 mn deaths in China, India in 2015 due to pollution -  Study: A research by the US-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) has claimed that 2.2 million deaths out of the total 4.2 million deaths caused due to air pollution worldwide in 2015 were recorded from China and India alone. "India still appears to have some ministers who say there is not a strong connection between air pollution and mortality," said HEI President.                    

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1.  India's wholesale inflation rises to 2.5-year high: The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation in January expanded to a 30-month high at 5.25% year-on-year, as against 3.39% in December. The rise was attributed to a surge in fuel prices, which jumped 18.14%, the fastest since October 2008. Notably, oil prices have been on a rise since OPEC decided to cut output for the first time in eight years.

SPORTS:

2. Sachin adopts a village in Maharashtra, sanctions ₹4 crore: Former Indian cricketer and Member of Parliament Sachin Tendulkar is set to adopt Donja village in Osmanabad, Maharashtra, under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna. The Rajya Sabha MP has sanctioned over ₹4 crore from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development fund for developing a school building, a water supply scheme, concrete roads and a sewage line in the village.

3. India's maiden sport-themed literary festival, SporTale to be organised: It will be held in Pune on February 21 and 22. The event will feature as many as 38 luminaries from the field of sports, media, cinema, books and photography. Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Shane Warne and Dipa Karmakar will be speaking at the event among others.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. Triangle-shaped molecule synthesised for the first time: A triangle-shaped carbon-based molecule has been synthesised for the first time since its prediction 70 years ago. 'Triangulene', made of six fused circular benzene molecules has an even number of atoms and electrons. Due to its unique geometry, two of its electrons are not able to pair up, which could make it magnetic and valuable for quantum computing, researchers said