Daily GK Updates - 12th November, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jayant Sinha is planning to meet Chief Executives of state-run banks every 45 days: Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Finance, is planning to meet CEOs of state run banks every 45 days to take stock of various performance parameters and discuss evolving issues.

2. Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd (IHFL) has acquired a 40% stake in OakNorth Bank of the United Kingdom.

3. Easier FDI norms: advantage realty companies, private banks: The changes in the Foreign Direct Investment policy will help listed companies in the real estate and construction sector. Removing the caps on project size, giving greater flexibility in transfer of investments to other overseas investors and allowing investments in completed projects will attract more investments into this sector.

4. Subir Gokarn, former RBI Deputy Governor appointed as the Executive Director on the board of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Budweiser maker Anheuser-Busch InBev finalised takeover of SABMiller: As part of the deal, SABMiller will sell its stake in a venture with Molson Coors. AB InBev is seeking to bolster growth by acquiring SABMiller’s brands in Africa and Asia as changing tastes and craft beers cut sales in developed markets.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. State Bank of India announced partnership deal with Emirates NBD: A leading UAE based bank has announced its partnership deal with SBI to help NRI customers in the gulf to carry out their remittances instantly and more conveniently.

SPORTS:

2. Pakistan Cricketer Younis Khan retired from ODI Cricket.

AWARDS:

3. Indian-origin community campaigner awarded by British PM for charity work: MunaChauhan, an Indian-origin community campaigner has been named a ‘Point of light’ by the British PM David Cameron for her fantastic charity work and empowering young people, including women.

OBITUARIES:

4. Rhythm and Blues legend Allen Toussaint died at the age of 77.

Daily GK Updates - 11th November, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tension prevails in Kodagu (Karnataka): In Karnataka, tension prevails at Madikeri town in Kodagu district, when two groups clashed on 10^th November 2015 over the birthday celebrations of Tipu Sultan, erstwhile ruler of Mysore Kingdom. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister inaugurated the Tipu Sultan Jayanti celebrations in Bengaluru on 10^th November 2015.

2. NHRC issues notice to Gujarat Government: National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has issued notice to Gujarat Government over the issue of a separate Anganwadi for the Dalit children in Hajipur village of Patan district.

3. Amazon goes brick and mortar with Udaan:  Amazon, which is on its way to become India’s top online marketplace, has launched a project code-named Udaan to go offline across the country.

4. India’s first foreign exchange mobile app launched: Thomas Cook (India) on 10^th November, 2015 launched ‘foreign exchange app’, a consumer-empowering one stop shop for foreign exchange transactions. The Android mobile app features live rates across major global currencies, including USD, Euro, Swiss and Franc, to cover both buying and selling foreign exchange.

5. Tata Mutual Fund launches ‘Own a Piece of India Theme’: Tata Mutual Fund has announced five new fund offerings (NFOs) and one current scheme under what it termed ‘Own a piece of India’ theme.

6. First Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav organised by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India held at New Delhi.

7. CISF launched ‘m-Power’ mobile app for its troops which will enable them to check their pay-related queries and register grievances while being on the move.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UNESCO rejects Kosovo membership: UNESCO rejects Kosovo’s bid for membership yesterday after Kosovo failed to receive the support of two-thirds of the body’s member nations.

2. Indian Economy to grow at 7.2%: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said that the Indian economy is expected to grow by 7.2% this fiscal (2015-2016). It will be followed by 7.3% in 2016-17 and 7.4% in 2017-18 periods.

Daily GK Updates - 10th November, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ministry of Defence launched Army Cloud, Data Centre and Digi-Locker for the Indian Army: The three initiatives are aimed at catalysing automation and digitisation of the Indian Army and help in transforming it from a Platform Centric to a Network Centric Force.

2. Ministry of Railways issued Letter of Award to GE Global Sourcing India Pvt Limited: It issued a Letter of Award (LoA) to USA based GE Global Sourcing India Pvt Ltd for setting up of Diesel Locomotive Factory (DLF) at Marhowra, Saran district, Bihar and for procurement and maintenance of mainline Diesel Electric Locomotives.

3. Justice AP Shah appointed as the Ethics Officer (Ombudsman) at BCCI: He will preside as the sole decision maker on all conflict of interest issues plaguing Indian Cricket.

4. BIS elects RaghuramRajan as its Vice-Chairman: The RBI Governor has been elected as the vice-chairman of the Bank of International Settlement (BIS). He will have a three-year term as the vice-chairman.

5. India-Russia joint military exercise ‘Indra-2015’ begins in Rajasthan: The 7^th edition of India-Russia Joint Military Exercise ‘Indra-2015’ has begun in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. This edition focuses on ‘Counter-terrorism operations in desert terrain under a United Nations Mandate’.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Belgian court ordered Facebook to stop tracking non-members: The ruling was pronounced on a case lodged by the Belgian Privacy Commission, which said Facebook indiscriminately tracks internet users when they click like or share on the website.

2. Richard Proud-chaired Independent Commission on Doping in Sports submitted its report to WADA: World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) launched the IC in December 2014 to investigate the validity of allegations of doping practices, corrupt practices around sample collection, results management, etc that implicate Russian Government agencies, labs, athletes, coaches among others.

3. India re-elected to UN Commission on International Trade Law.

4. World Science Day for Peace and Development 2015 observed: It was observed on 10^th November 2015 across the world with the theme ‘Science for a Sustainable Future’.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Ravi Shastri removed from the IPL governing council: He was removed from the IPL governing council as he is also the Team Director of Indian cricket team.

2. OdishaBarabati stadium excluded from BCCI’s new Test venues: The decision was taken after cricket fans hurled plastic bottled onto the ground forcing the match referees to stop the match for some time.

OBITUARIES:

3. NRI industrialist Swraj Paul’s son Angad Paul died at the age of 45 after falling from his penthouse home in an eight-storey building in central London.

Daily GK Updates - 9th November, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nuclear capable surface to surface Agni-IV missile successfully test fired: Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully test fired surface to surface Agni-IV missile from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast.

2. Professor Ashok Mishra headed committee of Eminent Persons CEP on JEE submitted its report: It was constituted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Council under the chairmanship of Prof. Ashok Mishra to suggest reforms to the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE).

3. Union Government launched E-Pathshala, Saransh, Shaala Siddhi Portals: E-Pathshala is a web portal which hosts educational resources for students, teachers, parents, researchers and educators.Saransh is a tool which allows the schools to identify areas of improvements in students, teachers and curriculum to facilitate and implement change. Shaala Siddhi web portal is a comprehensive instrument for school evaluation which enables the schools to evaluate their performance in more focused and strategic manner.

4. FIPB clears four FDI proposals worth Rs 384 crore: The Foreign Investment Promotion Board has cleared four FDI proposals worth Rs 384 crore including that of pharma firm Lupin.

5. SBI’s Arundhati Bhattacharya most powerful woman in Indian business: Fortune India: The SBI chairperson remains the most powerful woman in the Indian business sector, according to Fortune India ICICI’s ChandaKochar and Axis Bank’s Shikha Sharma were placed at 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively.

6. India inks $273 mn loan pact with ADB for funding rural roads: The Government has signed a USD 273 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank to improve rural roads in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.

7. Union Government issues notification for implementation of OROP: The notification is in tune with the modalities for implementation announced on 5 Sep 2015.

8. Grand Alliance won the 2015 Assembly Elections of Bihar with two-thirds majority: Election commission of India announced the results of the 2015 Assembly elections of Bihar. Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) of RJD, JDU and Congress emerged as the winner of the election.

9. Conference of Power, New Renewable Energy and Mines Ministers of States and UTs concluded: The conference discussed problems faced by power and renewable energy sector and evolved appropriate resolutions.The conference was held in Kochi, Kerala.

10. Nestle partners with Snapdeal to re-launch Maggi in India: Nestle India has partnered with the e-commerce giant to re-launch Maggi noodles. The first lot of Maggi noodles was sold out in a flash.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Boeing and Tata Group form JV to make aero-structures: Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) have joined hands to manufacture aero-structures for aircraft and collaborate on integrated systems development opportunities in India.

2. Cyclone Megh struck Yemeni Island of Socotra: The cyclone made landfall with a force of a category 3 hurricane carrying heavy rains and destructive winds with a speed of 200 km/h.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. N Srinivasan removed as ICC Chairman: He was dethroned as the ICC Chairman after the BCCI decided to recall him and nominate its recently elected President ShashankManohar as the chief of the world body.

2. Nigeria won 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup: Nigeria defeated Mali 2-0 to win its third championship in the final held at Chile. India will host the bi-annual championship in 2017.

3. BCCI announced monetary benefits for former players: The board announced monetary benefits for former cricketers, both domestic and international, including monthly and one-time payments.

AWARDS:

4. Santoor maestro Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma honoured with Kala Shikhar Award.

OBITUARIES:

5. Former IAF Chief O P Mehra passed away at the age of 96.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

6. The book titled ‘What happened to Netaji?’ authored by former journalist Anuj Dhar released.

Daily GK Updates - 8th November, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jharkhand Government announces package for drought-hit farmers: It has announced a package of nearly 1,400 crore rupees for drought-hit farmers. The package would cover subsidised diesel, distribution of seeds and construction of small check dams.

2. Centre has approved the Kerala Tourism Department’s proposal for creating a world class eco-friendly project in Gavi-Vagamon region.

3. Union Cabinet approves inking MoU with Colombia: It approved the signing of MoU with Colombia for strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector.

4. Chhota Rajan brought to New Delhi: Underworld Don Chhota Rajan has been brought to New Delhi on 6^th November 2015 after being deported from Indonesia. He was arrested in Bali following his arrival from Australia.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Microsoft partners Justdial, PayTm, Snapdeal: It has announced partnerships with three e-commerce pioneers in India-Justdial, PayTm and Snapdeal, a special cloud initiative for start-ups aligned to smart cities.

2. The International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict was celebrated on 5^th November 2015.

3. Maldives declared State of Emergency for 30 days: The measure was taken after arms and explosives were seized by the police in a lorry parked at an island resort in male.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI includes Bandhan Bank in second schedule list: A scheduled bank is eligible for loans from the RBI at Bank Rate. It will now come under the 2^nd schedule of the RBI Act.

Daily GK Updates - 7th November, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government to impose 0.5% Swachh Bharat Cess on Services from Nov 15: All services including air, travel, telephony, eating out and banking will become expensive from November 15 as the government decided to impose a 0.5% cess on all taxable services to fund the Swachh Bharat Programme.

2. Indian Army successfully test fired Supersonic Cruise Missile BrahMos in Rajasthan: It was test fired from the Pokhran test range. For BrahMos, it was the 50^th test flight. Recently, it was test fired from INS Kochi off the west coast.

3. From today, trucks passing through Delhi to ‘pay green tax’: After a six-day delay in the implementation of the Environment Compensation Charge or ‘environment cess’ on trucks entering Delhi, the concessionaire-SYMR Consortium LLP has begun to collect the tax at its toll booths.

4. Supreme Court upheld Kerala Government’s ban online lotteries: The judgement was delivered by a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India H L Dattu.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India and China ink pacts on water resources and culture: India and China signed two agreements including one in the field of water resources on sharing hydrological data on Satluj River after talks between Vice President Hamid Ansari and his Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao.

2. WHO officially declares Sierra Leone Ebola-free: The country has been declared Ebola free by the World Health Organisation, prompting nationwide celebrations tinged with sadness over the loss of 4,000 victims to the disease.

3. President of China and Taiwan shake hands in first ever meeting: President Xi Jinping of China met with Ma Ying-Jeou, the President of Taiwan in the first ever meeting between both the countries. The meeting is a high point in the two leaders’ efforts to bridge the divisions of civil war and decades of animosity.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Hina Sindhu won gold in 13^th Asian Shooting Championship: She won the gold medal in 10m air pistol women’s event at the 13^th Asian Shooting Championship held at Kuwait City. Hina was also the winner of the gold medal in the 10m air pistol event in the 8^th Asian Air Gun Championship held at Delhi.

2. India beat South Africa by 108 runs in the 1^st Freedom Series Test Match held at Mohali.

Daily GK Updates - 6th November, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Cabinet gives not to UDAY Scheme for financial restructuring package for power DISCOMs: Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has given its nod to Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojna (UDAY) for financial restructuring of debt of power distribution companies.

2. Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and Belgium for Energy: It has approved a MoU which has been signed between Indian and Belgian government authorities at the Federal and regional level for cooperation in development of new and renewable energy technologies.

3. MP Government proposed 1656 crore rupees AMRUT Action Plan: The MP Government proposed to improve basic infrastructure relating to water supply, sewerage network services, storm water drainage, urban transport and parks and green services.

4. CCEA hiked Minimum Support Prices for Rabi Crops of 2015-16 season: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) hiked the minimum support prices for Rabi crops of 2015-16. It was done on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) for the price policy for rabi crops. The commission also decided to give a bonus of 75 rupees per quintal for rabi pulses.

5. 21^st INCOFYRA to be organised in Bengaluru in 2016: The 21^st International Conference on Frontiers in Yoga Research and Its Applications (INCOFYRA) will be held from 3 to 7 January 2016 at PrashantiKutiram, Bengaluru. The summit will be organised by the Vivekananda Yoga AnusandhanaSansthana. The theme of the conference is ‘Yoga in integrated healthcare systems’.

6. Rajasthan Government launched the Agro-Processing and Agri-Marketing Promotion Policy 2015: The policy seeks to promote agro-processing and to reduce post-harvest losses at the farm gate.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tanzania’s first female Vice President SamiaSuluhu sworn in: She was sworn in along with the new President John PombeMagufuli at the swearing-in ceremony held in the country’s economic capital Dar es Salaam.

2. Bosnia and Serbian Governments held first joint session post-Bosnian War in Saravejo: The aim of the session was to improve their relations and contribute to the stabilization of the Western Balkans. The two governments signed cooperation agreements on finding missing persons, telecommunications, protection of cultural heritage and sustainable development.

3. Maldives Parliament voted to impeach Vice President Ahmed Adeeb: All 61 parliamentarian present voted in favour of the impeachment and none opposed in the 85-member house. Vice President Ahmed Adeeb is accused of plotting to kill the President Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

4. ‘India in Shanghai’ Cultural Week inaugurated at Shanghai: It was inaugurated at China Shanghai International Arts Festival (SIAF) at the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI issued Uniform Guidelines on Internet Banking for Cooperative Banks: The Reserve Bank of India issued revised and uniform guidelines on internet banking for all licensed cooperative banks including Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs), Cooperative Banks and District Cooperative Banks.

SPORTS:

2. Ashwin fastest Indian to reach 150 Test wickets: RavichandranAshwin’s CV has another bullet point under the achievements column as he is now the fastest among Indian bowlers to reach the landmark of 150 Test wickets in 29 tests.

3. FIFA World Ranking 2015: Belgium topped for first time: The team rose from third to first after overtaking Argentina and world champions Germany.

AWARDS:

3. Veteran Actor VikramGokhale honoured with VishnudasBhave Award: Renowned film, television and stage actor VikramGokhale was conferred with the prestigiousVishnudasBhave Award.

OBITUARIES:

4. French intellectual Rene Girard passed away at the age of 91.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

5. The book titled ‘Rebooting India’ authored by NandanNilekani and Viral Shah has been released.