Daily GK Updates - 27th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mt Everest 21 times, creates world record: Kami Rita Sherpa from Nepal created history by scaling Mt. Everest for a record 21 times. He became one of the three climbers in the world to hold the record for most of the summits on Mt Everest. Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa have also scaled the highest peak 21 times.

2. India, Mauritius sign four agreements including bilateral maritime security: India and Mauritius have signed four agreements (in the field of education, training, and research) after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Pravin Kumar Jugnauth in New Delhi.

3. Tajmahal among top 10 global landmarks: Taj Mahal has made it to the top 10 landmarks in the world by securing fifth position in the list. It is the only Indian monument to figure in the world’s top 10 Travellers Choice awards for Landmarks. Angkor Wat in Siem Reap topped the list followed by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center in Abu Dhabi.

According to the Asia list, Taj Mahal was at No. 2 spot after Angkor Wat

1st - Angkor Wat (Cambodia).

2nd - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (Abu Dhabi)

3rd - Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba (Spain)

4th - St Peter's Basilica (Vatican City)

5th - Taj Mahal (India)

4. India’s Ambassador to Philippines: Jaideep Mazumdar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Philippines. He is presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Earth sized storms over poles of Jupiter: Nasa’s exploratory spacecraft Juno has found Earth-sized storms are swirling violently above Jupiter’s poles. Jupiter’s poles are covered in huge storms that are densely clustered and rubbing together.

2. G7 summit begins in Italy: A two-day G7 summit began in Sicily’s picturesque town of Taormina, Italy. The summit will focus on issues surrounding security and growth. A tough debate is expected on issues including trade and climate change.

G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US. The EU also has representatives.

3. Indo-Thailand Siam Bharat 17: Indo-Thailand Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Table Top Exercise 2017 was recently held at Chiang Mai, Thailand. The exercise was carried out between the Indian Air Force and Royal Thailand Air Force.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Virat Kohli's Winning Formula Revealed in New Book by Abhirup: A new book “Winning like Virat: Think & Succeed like Kohli” has revealed by Abhirup Bhattacharya. The book unravels the secrets of Virat Kohli's consistent form, while attempting to decode his philosophy towards life.

OBITUARIES/ TRIBUTES:

2. Jawaharlal’s death anniversary, Modi pays tribute: PM Narendra Modi paid tributes to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his 53rd death anniversary. Jawarharlal Nehru remains the longest-serving prime minister of India as he remained in power for 17 years.

Daily GK Updates - 26th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s longest bridge inaugurated by PM Modi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the strategically important Dhola-Sadiya Bridge in Assam. It spans the Lohit River to connect the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and is 9.15 kms in length. The construction began in 2011 and was completed on 10 March 2017. It was built by Navayuga Engineering Company Limited.

2. Govt. changes start-up definition: The union government has introduced minor changes to the Startup definition. An entity shall be considered as a Startup if its turnover is less than Rs. 25 crore (unchanged) and has not completed seven years from the date of its incorporation /registration. Earlier, only companies up to five years from the date of incorporation were eligible for concessions.

3. Anurag Tripathy appointed as Secretary of CBSE: Anurag Tripathy (1998 batch-IRPS officer) has been appointed as the Secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for a period of five years.

4. Centre bans sale of cattle for slaughter: The central govt. has banned sale of cattle for slaughter and has allowed its trade only among farm land owners. Cattle can be sold only to a person having documents to prove he is an “agriculturist”, the rule says, adding “young” and “unfit animals” cannot be sold. Rules have been notified under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian-American, Amul Thapar, to get key judicial post: US Senate has confirmed Indian-American Judge Amul Thapar to a key judicial position on powerful US court of appeals. He is he the first Indian-American to be nominated by US President Donald Trump for the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals and second South Asian judge to be on the US Circuit Court of Appeals.

2. Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison, honoured by Authors Guild: The Authors Guild has honoured Nobel literature laureate Toni Morrison at its 25th annual gala. Morrison received Distinguished Service Award and praised the power of literature and the “community” of writers. Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award in 1988 for Beloved.

3. Mark Zuckerberg gets honorary degree: Facebook Co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg received an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard, 13 years after dropping out from the University. He dropped out of the Ivy League school to focus on Facebook. He started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2004.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Govt selects bankers for IOC stake sale: Govt. has selected five merchant bankers to manage 3% stake sale in Indian Oil Corporation. Govt. has set a target of raising 46,500 crore rupees through minority stake sale and 15,000 crore rupees from strategic disinvestment. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Deutsche Equities, SBI Capital Markets and ICICI Securities are the bank that are selected.

2. India retains world’s highest FDI crown: India has retained its top rank of being the world’s premier greenfield FDI investment destination for the second consecutive year. China has overtaken the US to become the second biggest country for FDI.

3. BHEL commissions thermal unit in Maharashtra: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has commissioned a 270 megawatt thermal unit at Sinnar in Nashik district of Maharashtra. This is a part of Rattan India Nasik Power Ltd’s 5×270 MW thermal power project.

BANKING & FINANCE:

4. RBI allows co-operative banks to issue Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs): RBI has allowed co-operative banks, who are permitted to install ATMs and issue debit cards, to also issue prepaid payment instruments PPIs like mobile wallets. RBI laid down strict norms and conditions to be followed by co-operative banks before permitting them to issue wallets for utility bill payments and other activities up to a limit of Rs 10000.

Daily GK Updates - 25th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mumbai is the second most-densely populated city in the world: Mumbai has been ranked the world’s second most densely populated city with 31,700 people per sq km by the World Economic Forum. Mumbai is also the most populous city in India and and ninth most populous agglomeration in the world. Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka topped the list with 44,500 people per sq km.

2. Hyderabad local authorities propose to build 100 fully automated & unmanned 'She Toilets': Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Hyderabad Municipal authorities have proposed to build 100 fully automated and unmanned “She Toilets” at 100 places in the city. The Authorities have built ‘She Toilets’ at two public places on pilot basis which received appreciation from all quarters as the move fulfilled the requirements of women.

3. Rohtang Pass opens for Vehicular traffic: 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass has been opened for vehicular traffic and tourists after remaining closed for almost six months. The pass connects tribal-district of Lahaul-Spiti with other parts of the state.

Tourists can access Rohtang Pass by obtaining a proper permit. The permit system has been put in place as per directions of the NGT which took serious note of the vehicular pollution.

4. Devendra Fadnavis to launch Samwad Sabha: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will launch a ‘Shivar Samwad Sabha’ to reach out to farmers and address their issues. MPs, MLAs, zilla parishad members and corporators, will engage in a dialogue with farmers to know about their issues and take their feedback on decisions taken by the government till now. The initiative is being launched amid the rising resentment among farmers.

5. Cabinet approves allocation of 2.5% of Central Road Fund for development of National Waterways: The union Cabinet has approved allocation of 2.5% of Central Road Fund for development and maintenance of National Waterways by amending in the Central Road Fund Act, 2000 to boost inland water transport. It will provide about Rs. 2000 crore per annum for the development and maintenance of National Waterways.

6. World’s first philosophical novel on God: Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs has unveiled a philosophical novel on God titled “Confessions of a dying mind: The blind faith of atheism”. A young Indian IAS officer, Haulianlal Guite, has written it.

7. Anti encephalitis campaign in UP: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched a campaign to eradicate the deadly encephalitis disease. Close to 40,000 children have died of the disease in the past four decades in the region. The drive will cover over 88 lakh children for which the central government has provided one crore vaccines.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal resigns: He was elected as the 39th prime minister of Nepal after forging alliance with the Nepali Congress. Nepali Congress Chief Sher Bahadur Deuba will replace him.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Digital Payment company - ItzCash raises ₹800cr: Digital payment company, ItzCash, has raised about ₹800 crore from US-based Ebix Inc. EBix will now own about 80 per cent stakes in ItzCash.

2. ITC and EDII bags Porter Prize 2017: ITC Ltd and EDII (Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India), Gujarat and have won the Porter Prize 2017 for their acumen in competitive strategies. ITC has won the award for Excellence in Corporate Governance and Integration and for its contribution in ‘Creating Shared Value’.

BANKING & FINANCE:

3. SBI launches national hackathon: State Bank of India has launched a national hackathon for developers, start-ups and students to come up with innovative ideas and solutions for the banking sector. The hackathon is named ‘Code For Bank’.

SPORTS:

4. Man United clinch Europa League title: Manchester United defeated Ajax 2-0 to win their maiden Europa League title and claim their second major trophy of the season. Manchester United is now the fifth team to have now won all three of Europe’s major competitions.

5. PV Sindhu elected to BWF Athlete Commission: PV Sindhu became one of the members of the BWF Athletes’ Commission after the end of voting for the four places on the representative body.

Daily GK Updates - 24th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UP government makes Aadhaar mandatory for board exam: Uttar Pradesh government has made Aadhaar compulsory for students appearing for board examinations in 2018. Aadhaar will help the basic education department to keep a tab on their attendance as well as their performance. It is noteworthy that the government had made Aadhaar Card mandatory for students from Class 1 to 8 in government schools.

2. Piyush Goyal launches mobile app 'SEVA' for quick tracking of coal dispatch: The government has launched an app named the ‘Saral Eindhan Vitaran Application’ (SEVA). The app is developed by Coal India Limited (CIL) for power sector consumers.

The aim of the ‘SEVA app’ to increase the “Consumer Connect” as well as the transparency and accountability in Coal dispatch.

3. Manoj Sinha launches Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Awards: The Communications Minister Manoj Sinha has launched ‘Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards’ and a scheme ‘Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratishthan’ named after the BJP ideologue at a function in New Delhi.

4. Government launches integration of e- sanad with CBSE's Academic Repository: e-Sanad is an e-service for verification and attestation of documents of Indian citizens. The applicants travelling abroad can get their documents attested and verified through e-Sanad. The integration will facilitate electronic movement of documents among stakeholders and digital cross verification by foreign governments.

5. India’s first underwater tunnel finished: India’s first underwater tunnel, which was built under the Hooghly river for establishing a metro link in Kolkata, has been completed before the deadline. Rachna, a giant tunnel-boring machine (TBM), was deployed to dig the underwater tunnel. The entire project is 16.6 km long, out of which 10.8 km runs under the ground.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tedros to be new Director General of WHO: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus from Ethiopia will be the next Director General of the World Health Organization. He will be the first African to head up the UN agency.

2. Airlander 10 completes test flight: The world’s largest aircraft Airlander 10 has successfully completed a test flight. Airlander 10 combines technology from airplanes, helicopters and airships. This aircraft has been built by Hybrid Air Vehicles. With a length of 92 metres, it is the largest aircraft currently flying.

3. Taiwan court to recognise gay marriage: Taiwan’s constitutional court has declared that same-sex couples have the right to legally marry. This is first such ruling in Asia.

4. World’s first robot police officer: Dubai has recruited world’s first robot police officer at the 4th Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference. This robot is known as robocop. The robot will patrol shopping malls and other tourist attractions.

5. Martial law in Mindanao: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law on the southern island of Mindanao after about 100 Muslim fighters laid siege to a major city following a deadly gun battle with government forces. The emergency declaration took immediate effect and will last for 60 days.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. Federal Bank launches new trading platform - ‘Selfie’: Federal Bank has launched a new trading platform called “Selfie” for customers. The platform is Designed and managed by Geojit. It will allow users absolute control over their investments with timely research inputs to make sound investment decisions. It also provides an advanced charting platform that enables users to trade directly from charts.

SPORTS:

2. Sweden wins ice hockey world title: Sweden won the 2017 Ice Hockey World Championship by defeating Canada in a dramatic penalty shootout. Sweden were twice on target in the shootout, while the Canadians failed to score. It is Sweden’s 10th world title.

3. International Cricketer of the Year, Ashwin takes the honour: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has won the coveted International Cricketer of the Year award at the CEAT Cricket Rating International awards 2017.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India becomes second largest steel producer in the world: According to the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) data (May 2017), India overtook Japan to become the second-largest steel producer in the world in 2016. In 2016, India’s stainless steel production rose to 3.32 million tons. While the top producer of steel in the world is China.

2. India’s Rohan Chakravarty wins WWF International President’s Award: Indian wildlife and environment cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty has won WWF International President’s Award 2017 for his efforts to inspire change and attitudes towards nature in Manado, Indonesia. Chakravarty, under the banner of Green Humour, has published several wildlife and environment magazines and newspapers.

3. Jacqueline Fernandez wins UK Humanitarian Award: Jacqueline Fernandez has been awarded the International Humanitarian Award (Editor's Choice category) of Asian Voice Charity Awards for her philanthropic work in India. She has been working with the charity Habitat for Humanity for last five years.

4. Committee on Scouts and Guides submits its report: A seven-member High-Level Committee on Scouts and Guides has submitted its Final Report to Sports Minister, Vijay Goel, with various recommendations. The committee is headed by Harsh Malhotra and was established in 2016.

5. Cochin Port Trust bags two Best Performance awards: Cochin Port Trust has received two Best Performance Awards from Ministry of Shipping for the highest growth in operating surplus and also for achieving third highest growth in cargo traffic among the major ports in the year 2016-17. It has registered an operating profit of Rs 127.7 cr during 2016-17 as against Rs 70.89 cr during 2015-16. The Port handled 25.01 MMT cargo in 2016-17.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Start up India Summit starts today in Abu Dhabi: A two day “Start up India Summit” began today in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is the first “Start Up Summit” being held in the UAE by the Consul General of India (in Dubai and Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi in partnership with iSPIRIT, a nonprofit think tank and supported by TiE, Dubai.

The aim is to provide a shared platform for the Start up eco system in both India and UAE.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Karnataka Bank, LIC join hands: Karnataka Bank Ltd has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India for selling life insurance products of LIC.

2. Megha Airways to get UDAN licence: Turbo Megha Airways has become the first private airline to get a licence to fly under UDAN. The Hyderabad-based airline, which flies as TruJet, last month said it will launch flights on Hyderabad-Cuddapah, Hyderabad-Nanded and Nanded-Mumbai routes.

3. Microsoft to reskill people under Project Sangam: As part of project ‘Sangam’ Microsoft India signed an MoU with the Telecom Sector Skill Council to improve skills of telecom executives. Project Sangam is a cloud hosted platform that leverages Azure services & LinkedIn.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ISRO and NASA to develop the most expensive imaging satellite: NASA and ISRO will jointly develop and launch the world’s biggest and most expensive earth imaging satellite, costing $1.5 billion. The satellite has been named NISAR – NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.

2. Israel firm signs $630 million deal with India: The Israel Aerospace Industries has signed a $630 million deal with the Indian state-owned aerospace and defense company Bharat Electronics Limited. As part of the deal, the IAI will provide BEL with the naval version of the aerial defense system Barak 8 for four Indian Navy ships. The deal was part of the “Make in India” initiative, BEL will be used as the main contractor for the project.

3. YC Deveshwar and Soumitra Chatterjee conferred Bengal's highest civilian award: Soumitra Chatterjee and Y.C. Deveshwar conferred the West Bengal's Highest Civilian Banga Samman award by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Two categories of awards are presented as part of Banga Samman - Banga Bhushan and Banga Bibhushan.

4. Madhya Pradesh govt announces indefinite ban on sand mining in Narmada river: The Madhya Pradesh government has banned sand excavation in the Narmada river. A committee has been formed to suggest scientific ways of mining in the rivers and also explore ways for sand excavation without harming rivers.

5. Tejas Express flagged off: The Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off the high speed, air-conditioned ‘Tejas Express’ from Mumbai to Goa. The train is equipped with CCTV cameras besides smoke and fire detection system.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day for Biological Diversity: The United Nations (UN) has proclaimed 22nd May ‘The International Day for Biological Diversity’ (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme of 2017 is 'Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism'.

2. Trump gets top civilian honour in Saudi: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presented Donald Trump with the kingdom’s top civilian honour. The King declared that Trump was being honoured for “his quest to enhance security and stability in the region and around the world”.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Amazon invests in India wholesale arm: Amazon Wholesale India Pvt Ltd, the business-to-business wholesale marketplace that operates amazonbusiness.in, has received Rs 100 crore ($15 million) in funding from Singapore-based Amazon Corporate Holdings Pvt. Ltd and its US-based parent Amazon Inc.

SPORTS:

2. Mumbai Indians win IPL 2017: Mumbai Indians defeated Rising Pune Supergiant by 1 run to win their third Indian Premier League title. Krunal Pandya was named Man of the match.

Other important awards:

Gujarat Lions -- The fair play award.

Glenn Maxwell -- The award for hitting the most number of sixes in the season.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar -- Purple Cap (for topping the bowling charts with 26 wickets).

David Warner -- Orange Cap (for scoring 641 runs).

Sunil Narine -- The award for the fastest fifty of the season - 15 balls against RCB at the Chinnaswamy.

Basil Thampi -- The emerging player of the season award.

Ben Stokes -- Most Valuable Player of the season award.

3. Bengaluru FC wins 38th Federation Cup: Bengaluru FC beat Mohun Bagan 2-0 to win the 38th Federation Cup football tournament. With the win, Bengaluru also sealed a berth for next year’s Asian Football Confederation Cup.

4. Vaishali wins gold in Blitz Championship: India’s R Vaishali won the women’s title with eight points from nine rounds in the Asian Continental Blitz Chess Championship.

5. Real Madrid win La Liga title: Real Madrid defeated Malaga 2-0 to clinch their record 33rd La Liga title and their first after a five-year gap.

6. Elina Svitolina wins Italian Open: Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina has won the Italian Open tennis title by defeating Simona Halep in finals. Svitolina advanced to her maiden Rome final when Spanish semi-final opponent Garbine Muguruza, the French Open champion, retired injured as she trailed 4-1.

7. Zverev wins Rome Masters, beats Djokovic: Germany’s Alexander Zverev stunned four-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 to win the Rome Masters tennis tournament.

Daily GK Updates - 21st May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA names new organism after APJ Abdul Kalam, an honour for the nation: Scientists at NASA have named a new organism discovered by them after A P J Abdul Kalam. The new organism, a form of bacteria has been found only on the International Space Station and has not been found on earth. The bacteria has been named Solibacillus kalamii to honour the late President.

2. Climber Jamsenpa sets record: Indian climber Anshu Jamsenpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for the second time in less than a week, setting a women’s record for a double ascent of the world’s highest mountain in a single season.

3. 2 Indians awarded posthumously with UN honours: Brijesh Thapa and Ravi Kumar will be honoured with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers to be observed on May 24. Brijesh Thapa served with the UN Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while Ravi Kumar was deployed with the UNIFIL.

4. Joint HADR Exercise Commences: The Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise involving multiple agencies commenced at Naval Station Karwar. Named as Karavali Karunya, the exercise involves both professional exchange and actual disaster response mechanisms which is set on a Tsunami disaster scenario.

5. National Anti Terrorism Day observed: The National Anti Terrorism Day is observed every year on May 21 in India to raise awareness among all sections of people, about the danger of terrorism and violence. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber on May 21,1991 while conducting election campaign in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Iran re-elects Hassan Rouhani: President Hassan Rouhani won re-election in a landslide, giving him a mandate to continue his quest to expand personal freedoms and open Iran’s ailing economy to global investors.

2. Robert Mueller appointed as Special Prosecutor to oversee the Russia interference: Robert Mueller, former Director of the FBI was appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.

3. World Metrology Day celebrated: World Metrology Day is an annual celebration of the signature of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of 17 nations. Theme for World Metrology Day 2017 is“ Measurements for transport”.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

1. Reliance Jio wins the award of Digital Service Innovator of the Year: Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Jio has received TM Forum’s ‘Digital Service Innovator of the Year Award’ 2017. Reliance Jio got this award by acquiring 90 million customers in four months.

2. Yepme raises funds: Yepme.com, has raised an undisclosed amount in funding from listed garment exporter Gokaldas Exports Ltd. The firm will use the funds for the operations of its UK entity, Yepme UK Plc which deals in fashion products exclusively for the international markets, mainly the US, Europe and the Middle East.

3. Ford India has a new MD: American carmaker Ford has elevated Anurag Mehrotra as Managing Director for its Indian subsidiary.

SPORTS:

4. Laxman wins Rapid FIDE Rating chess meet: R.R. Laxman of Integral Coach Factory won the All India Open Rapid World Chess Federation Rating Chess Tournament at the Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra. Laxman defeated Mitrabha Guha to finish on top with 9.5 points.