Daily GK Updates - 10th October, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

   I.     AP Government signs pact with SBJ Cleantech, Gamesa for solar, wind power projects: In a major boost to renewable energy sector, Andhra Pradesh Government has inked MoUs with several companies with a total investment outlay potential of Rs 19,000 crore. SBJ Cleantech is a joint venture of SoftBank Corporation of Japan, Foxconn Technology Group of Taiwan and Bharti Enterprises. Gamesa is a Spanish Wind turbine maker.

II.       Andhra Pradesh CM inaugurates ‘e-pragati’: The new Andhra Pradesh will create the right eco system for the IT companies and they should invest in the state to create a win-win situation for both. It is a single integrated platform encompassing all government services and liking all government departments.

III.      Former Forward Markets Commission director S K Mohanty appointed as SEBI Executive Director (ED).

IV.        Future Group partners with PatanjaliAyurvedi: Under this tie-up, the products will be available at the Big Bazaar, KB’s and EasyDay outlets.

V.        India and Ecuador ink protocol to establish Ecuador Joint Economic and Trade Committee: It was signed by M. Villagomez, Ecuadorian Ambassador to India and Rita Teotia, Commerce secretary during the meeting between delegations of both countries.

VI.     Kerala Government launched Operation Valsalya to track missing children: This ambitious programme is envisaged to be implemented on the lines of the much acclaimed Operation Smile project in Ghaziabad.

VII.    Shekhar Basu appointed as the Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission.

VIII. Rajasthan Government unveiled Rajasthan Start-up Policy 2015: It was unveiled to galvanize the start-up ecosystem in the state and provide them required sustenance to the entrepreneurial talent.

IX.     Tapan Ray appointed to Board of Securities and Exchange Board of India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

  

 I.      Gannett Co agreed to acquire Journal Media for 280 million USD: A publicly traded media holding company, Gannett Company Inc. reached an agreement to acquire newspaper company Journal Media for approximately 280 million USD.

II.      Amrita Sher-Gil self-portrait sold for 17 crore rupees in London: She is also known as India’s Frida Kahlo. The eminent painter had created the self- portrait in 1931 and gave it to French Artist Boris Taslitzky.

III.    British researchers developed mobile app ASCmel.T to help people with autism: The app was developed by a consortium of researchers from the Universities of Southampton, Bath and Sussex.

IV.     North Korean soldiers parade in massive anniversary celebration: It was the 70^th anniversary of the North’s ruling party.

V.       V20 Group launched by Vulnerable Nations to foster greater investment in Climate Resiliency: Finance Ministers of 20 nations vulnerable to climate change launched the V20 Group during the annual meeting of IMF and World Bank in Lima, Peru.

VI.    Joint Declaration of the Heads of the Migration Authorities of the BRICS countries released: The Joint declaration was released after the 1^st BRICS Ministerial meeting on Migration that was held in Sochi, Russia. The declaration guided by Ufa Declaration is a commitment to respect human rights.

VII.    Wipro and First Book to provide 35000 new books to kids in need in 5 cities in US and Canada.

VIII. EU launched second phase of Operation Sophia to fight traffickers in Mediterranean Sea: The operation was launched by European Union Naval Force for Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED).

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

  I.      HDFC Bank launches nationwide campaign to go digital: ‘Integrated, nationwide brand campaign ‘HarZarooratPooriHoChutki Mein, Bank ApkiMutthi Mein’, will reinforce bank’s position as India’s premier digital bank.

SPORTS:

II.    FIFA suspended President Sepp Blatter, VP Michel Platini and Secretary General Jerome Valcke.

OBITUARIES:

III.            Bollywood’s veteran music composer Ravindra Jain dies at the age of 71.

IV.            Popular Filipino Entertainer Elizabeth Ramsay dies at the age of 83.

V.            Renowned Carnatic Flautist NatesanRamani died of cancer at the age of 82.

Daily GK Updates - 9th October, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

   I.        Aircel ties up with Tech Mahindra for new service offering: Mobile service provider Aircel has selected Tech Mahindra to roll out a comprehensive set of Internet of Things (IoT) service offerings. Tech Mahindra is providing these services in association with Aeris Communications.

II.        Priyanka Chopra tops list of most sensational celebrities on internet:Intel Security: Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra has replaced Alia Bhatt as the most ‘sensational’ celebrity on the internet in 2015, shows a study by Intel Security.

III.   Amit Gossain appointed as Kone India MD: Elevator and Escalator manufacturer Kone has appointed AmitGossain as new Managing Director in India.

IV.   TATA Power launched LED tube light scheme in Mumbai: Under the scheme, TATA Power will provide five lights to each household at 525 rupees per piece against the market price of 1325 rupees.

V.  Swine Flu Vaccination for High-risk Groups made mandatory by Delhi Government.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 I.   China launched the 1^st phase of China International Payment System: It is a milestone in bolstering Yuan’s global usage and furthering cross border clearing of its currency from the Chinese mainland instead of offshore centres abroad.

II.    Indo-China Joint Military Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2015: It will be conducted at Kunming Military Academy of Yunnan province in China from 12 to 23 October 2015. It will be the 5^th Joint military exercise in the Hand-in-Hand series between the armies of both countries which had started in 2007.

III.  World Egg Day observed on 9^th October 2015: Celebration of this day gives a unique opportunity to help propagate the nutritive value of eggs in human nutrition.

IV.     World Sight Day observed on 8^th October with theme ‘Eye care for all’.

V.       The US Food and Drug Administration approved Keytruda drug to treat advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

VI.    Forbes Asia’s Richest Families list released: The list was topped by Lee (Byung-Chull) family of Samsung Group of South Korea with 26.6 billion dollar. Ambani family of India was placed at 3^rd position.

VII.   CiplaMedpro partnered with Serum Institute India to provide Vaccines in South Africa.

VIII.   World Post Day observed globally on 9^th October 2015 with the theme ‘Posts claim their place in the changing communication landscape’.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

  I.  Kotak Bank launched an offline funds transfer facility: Kotak Mahindra Bank launched a fund transfer service for its offline mobile app ‘Bharat’ in Ahmedabad. With this, Kotak has become the first bank in India to offer a funds transfer facility that does not require internet connectivity or a beneficiary.

II.    ICICI launches ‘m-VISA’ mobile payment service for Pockets app: Top private sector lender ICICI Bank launched a mobile-payment solution based on ‘m-VISA’, that will allow its customers pay for services using their smartphones.

SPORTS:

III.      South Africa won the 3 match T-20 series against India 2-0 as the third and the final T20 at Eden Gardens Kolkata was washed away by rains.

AWARDS:

IV.   Nobel Peace Prize 2015 awarded to Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet: Four Tunisian civil society groups have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their contribution to the country’s transition from dictatorship to democracy.

V.            A R Rahman chosen for 2015 Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award.

Daily GK Updates - 8th October, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

   I. ‘Neeranchal’ programme gets cabinet nod: The World Bank-assisted ‘National Watershed Management Project’ or ‘Neeranchal’ received the approval for implementation by the Union Cabinet. The project aims to fulfil the watershed component of the PradhanMantriKrishiSinchaiYojana (PMSKY) to reduce surface runoff of rainwater, increase groundwater levels and better water availability in rain-fed areas.

II.           Government approves Rs 500 crore project for war memorial, museum: Acceding to a long-pending demand of the armed forces, the government approved a Rs 500 crore project for building a National War Museum near India Gate in memory of over 22,500 soldiers who laid down their lives post-independence.

III.    Union Cabinet approved Productivity Linked Bonus for Railway Employees: It approved the payments of Productivity-Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for the financial year 2014-15 to about 12.58 lakh non-gazetted railway employees excluding RPF/RPSF personnel.

IV.  Union Cabinet approved setting up of three AIIMS under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana at Nagpur (Maharashtra), Manglagiri (Andhra Pradesh) and Kalyani (West Bengal).

V.       Union Cabinet approved Framework for Cooperation in Blue Economy between India and Seychelles: The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi gave its ex-post facto approval to the protocol for cooperation in the field of blue economy.

VI.        SC refused to modify its order limiting Aadhaar use to LPG, Kerosene and PDS.

VII.    Union Cabinet approved Protocol on Double Taxation Avoidance with Israel and Vietnam: The Protocol provides for internationally accepted standards for effective exchange of information on tax matters including bank information and information without domestic tax interest.

VIII.   High Level Anil Baijal panel suggested Uniform Tax Treatment for CSR Works.

IX.  National Green Tribunal directed commercial vehicles entering Delhi to pay Pollution Tax in addition to toll tax.

X.     83^rd Air Force Day observed across India: The Indian Air Force Day 2015 was celebrated on 8^th of October across India. This is the 83^rd celebration of the day that began in 1932.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

  I.            A R Rahman named Cultural Ambassador for Seychelles: Oscar winning composer A R Rahman has been named the Cultural Ambassador for Seychelles.

II.            UNCTAD released Trade and Development Report 2015: The report titled ‘Making the International financial architecture work for development’ was released at UNCTAD headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The report says that India’s GDP will grow at 7.5% in 2015.

III.      American chemical company, DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman announced retirement.

IV.     Hoesung Lee elected as the Head of Inter-governmental panel for Climate Change: The Korean professor of economics of climate change, energy and sustainable development was elected as the Head of the Inter-Governmental Panel for Climate Change at its 42^nd session in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

V.      Swetlana Alexievich wins Nobel Prize in Literature: She is a Belarussian journalist and prose writer. She was given the award ‘for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time’.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

  I.        RBI to be payment aggregator for GST: The Finance Ministry released reports that the RBI can act as the aggregator of payments, and businesses will have to mandatorily register with the goods and services tax network (GSTN) portal to avail of benefits of the new tax system.

SPORTS:

II.     NCC National Games declared open: The Director General of the National Cadet Corps inaugurated the NCC National Games 2015 at DG NCC Camp, Delhi Cantt.

III.   Cyclist Deborah Herold became first-ever Indian to win five medals at Taiwan Cup: She became the 1^st ever Indian cyclist to win in women’s elite section.

IV.   Russia retained 2015 Women’s European Volleyball Championship: Russia defeated Netherlands 3-0 to win its 19^th title.

AWARDS:

   V.    Indian firm Nualgi won Popular Choice Award at Climate CoLab of MIT: With this, Nualgi became the 1^st Indian company to win the annual MIT contest at Cambridge.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

VI.       Book titled ‘The Courage to Act- A Memoir of a crisis and its aftermath’ authored by Ben S Bernanke released.

Daily GK Updates 7th October, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

   I.            INS Astradharani commissioned into Indian Navy: The Indian Navy commissioned the 1^st indigenously designed and built torpedo launch and recovery vehicle INS Astradharani at the Naval Base in Visakhapatnam.

II.            India and Germany signed 125 million Euros loan agreement to fund two projects under Green Energy Corridor:Government of India and Federal Republic of Germany signed two loan agreements worth 125 million Euros for financing two projects under the Green Energy Corridor programme in Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Green Energy Corridor programme seeks to facilitate the flow of renewable energy into the national grid.

III.     Utkal starts ‘Project Saksham’ to empower rural women: In its bid to empower rural women, Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL), a unit of Aditya Birla Group, has launched a unique project for the welfare of communities living in the vicinity of its project area in Odisha. ‘Project Saksham’ the new initiative involves an advanced training-cum-garment manufacturing unit at Tikiri in Rayagada district.

IV.      2016 PravasiBhartiya Divas (PBD) Conference to be held in New Delhi: The PBD Conference 2016 will be organised with an objective for developing a new paradigm for engagement with the Diaspora over the next decade.

V.            Growth of eight core sectors increased by 2.6% in August 2015.

VI.        Bank of Maharashtra to raise Rs 394 crore from Government: The shareholders of Bank of Maharashtra at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) approved the bank’s proposal for capital infusion of Rs 394 crore by the Government of India.

VII.   Three-member Achary Panel recommended 400% hike in basic salary of Delhi MLAs.

VIII.     Ashok Vemuri resigned as CEO of iGate Corporation.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

  I.       2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar: They were awarded with the Nobel Prize for having mapped how cells repair damaged DNA and safeguard the genetic information at a molecular level.

II.            Indian-American Shital Patel appointed as USA Funds’ Chief Info Officer.

III.     WWF Report Hidden Himalayas: Asia’s Wonderland released: According to the report, 211 new species like sneezing monkey, walking fish and jewel like snake were discovered in the Eastern Himalayas region between 2009 and 2014.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

  

I.          IMF released World Economic Outlook October 2015 update: The report projects global growth for 2015 at 3.1%, which is 0.3% lower than in 2014, and 0.2%  point below the forecasts in July 2015 World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update. India’s growth is expected to strengthen from 7.3% in 2015 to 7.5% in 2016.

II.        RBI relaxed norms of FPI investment in Government Securities: The RBI relaxed the norms of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) of government debt and also announced higher investment limits in rupee terms in government securities with a view to bring in an additional 1.2 lakh crore rupees.

SPORTS:

III.      Sergey Karjakin wins 2015 World Cup Chess Championship: Sergey Karjakin of Russia has won the 2015 World Cup Chess Championship held at Baku, Azerbaijan.

AWARDS:

   IV.   Raif Badawi, James Fenton shared 2015 PEN Pinter Prize: Badawi was named as the 2015 International Writer of Courage by Fenton himself during a public event held at British Library in London.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

V.       Book titled The Clintons’ War on Women authored by Roger Stone and Robert Morrow released.