Daily GK Updates - 14th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Amendment in Act leads to ‘enemy’ properties worth Rs 1 trillion being auctioned: Over 9,400 ‘enemy’ properties, worth more than Rs 1 trillion, are set to be auctioned by the home ministry starting the process of identifying all such estates. The properties were left behind by people who took citizenship of Pakistan and China. The move came after the amendment of the 49-year-old Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act.

2. Migrant Workers to Have Orange Passports: New passports for citizens who have Emigration Check Required (ECR) status will have orange cover jackets, instead of the traditional dark blue. Indian passports have a blue cover, diplomatic and official passports have white and red jackets, respectively. Applicants who haven’t cleared 10th standard are given a passport with ECR category.

3. NFHS4 names Delhi and Punjab as the richest states in India: On the basis of data from fourth round of the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-4), people in Delhi and Punjab are the richest, with more than 60% of their households in the top wealth quintile. The survey was conducted among more than 6 lakh households in 2015-16. The index has been prepared on the basis of scores on ownership of consumer goods and household characteristics.

4. Google Doodle as a tribute to Mahasweta Devi: Google celebrated the 92nd birthday of eminent Bengali littérateur and social activist Mahasweta Devi with a doodle on 14th January, 2018. Hailing from a family of prolific playwrights and writers, Mahasweta Devi wielded the power of the pen to bring to light the plight of “suffering spectators”. Her first book, Jhansir Rani was a biography of the Rani of Jhansi.

5. U5MR declines in India: Under-five mortality rate (U5MR) in India has shown an impressive decline of 9 per cent, from 43 per 1,000 in 2015 to 39 per 1,000 in 2016. The data comes from the recently-released 2016 sample registration system (SRS) bulletin. The number of under-five deaths in the country have come down to below 1 million with nearly 1,20,000 fewer under-five deaths in 2016 as compared to 2015.

6. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav begins in Karnataka: The seventh edition of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat matrix, is set to begin in Karnataka. The state paired with Karnataka is Uttarakhand. The event will cover a profusion of art forms from classical and folk, music and dance, theatre to literature and visual arts.

7. Teen Murti to be renamed as ‘Teen Murti Haifa’: As a symbolic gesture of friendship with Israel, India will rename the iconic Teen Murti Chowk, a war memorial. The new name of the memorial which was the official residence of the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru will be, Teen Murti Haifa Chowk.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Israeli PM Netanyahu set to visit India: Israeli PM is set to visit India where a series of events that will showcase the growing friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Israeli prime minister. PM Modi will break protocol to receive Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, at the airport.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. China commissions new missile frigate ‘Rizhao’: China’s Navy has commissioned a new missile frigate, named ‘Rizhao’, in a naval port in China’s Dalian located in the Liaoning Province. Rizhao is China’s indigenous missile frigate. It is 140-meter-long and 16-meter-wide with the capability to displace more than 4,000 tonnes.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Japan tops, India at 30th position on Global Manufacturing Index by WEF: The World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked India at 30th position on a global manufacturing index. Japan has been found to have the best structure of production in the Geneva-based WEF’s first ‘Readiness for the future of production report’. It is followed by South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, the US, Sweden, Austria and Ireland in the top 10.

2. BSE’s INX lists IRFC’s first Green Bond: The BSE’s India International Exchange, India INX, has listed the IRFC’s green bonds on its debt listing platform – the global securities market. With this, the Indian Railway Finance Corporation’s green bonds have become the first debt security to be listed on an exchange at International Financial Services Centre in Gujarat’s GIFT city. The bonds have an annual yield of 3.835 percent.

3. World Bank to recalculate EODB rankings: World Bank has announced that it will recalculate the national rankings of business competitiveness going back to at least four years. The announcement was after a complaint by Chile, the ranking of which has come down from 34th in 2014 to 57th in 2017. The last major changes in the methodology and parameter of the EODB rankings were done under the watch of Romer’s predecessor Kaushik Basu.

4. India’s first IT trade union gets registered in Pune: The Pune chapter of the Forum for IT Employees (FITE) has become the first officially registered trade union for the IT sector in India. FITE was formed in Bengaluru a few years ago to fight the layoffs in IT sector. The FITE also helped affected employees file cases under the Industrial Disputes Act before the offices of the Labour Commissioner and the labour court.

5. Bangla tops DIPP’s BRAP 2017: Bangla currently tops the list of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion’s Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2017. It is followed by Gujarat. The rankings are based on implementation only and scores of feedback evaluation have not been considered.

Daily GK Updates - 13th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Indu Malhotra becomes the first woman lawyer directly appointed for SC judgeship: The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the name of senior advocate Indu Malhotra as the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the apex court. She will be the seventh woman judge since independence to make it to the Supreme Court.In 1989, the first woman to be appointed as a judge of the apex court was Justice M Fathima Beevi.

2. 3rd edition of annual Raisina Dialogue to begin: The third edition of the annual Raisina Dialogue between India and Israel will be inaugurated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on January 16, 2018. The event will see a series of high-powered panel discussions on geopolitical issues. Agriculture and water are the major strategic cooperation areas between the two nations.

3. Election Commission panel to suggest changes to Representation of People Act, 1951: In view of social media expansion, Election Commission (EC) of India has constituted a 14-member committee chaired by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha to suggest changes to Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act. The Act prohibits poll campaign in the last 48 hours of voting. The Committee will study the impact of social media during the silence period and suggest modifications to the election law and model code of conduct.

4. J&K govt to open 17 new degree colleges in the state: According to the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) State Minister for Higher Education Altaf Bhukhari, the state cabinet has approved the opening of 17 new degree college in the state. These colleges shall be established in the uncovered areas of the State adding that the locations for these colleges are being worked out by the department.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. World's largest solar thermal plant to be built in South Australia: The world's largest solar-thermal power plant has been given development approval by the South Australian government. The capacity of the plant will be 150-megawatt. The construction of power plant will begin in 2018 at an estimated cost of $509 million.

2. Russia plants new missiles in Crimea: Russia deployed a new division of S-400 surface-to-air missiles in Crimea, Russian news agencies reported, in an escalation of military tensions on the Crimean peninsula. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, triggering economic sanctions by the EU and U.S. and a tense stand-off in the region.

3. China breaks India’s internet monopoly in Nepal: China on Friday became Nepal’s second internet service provider, breaking India’s monopoly in providing internet access to the Himalayan Kingdom. The Hong Kong and Beijing based China Telecom Global (CTG) — a company formed in 2012 — has teamed up with Nepal Telecom to provide alternate cyber-connectivity to Nepal.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Forex reserves surge to all time high: India’s foreign exchange reserves surged by $1.758 billion to mount a new record high of $411.124 billion. The reserves had crossed the $400-billion mark for the first time on September 8, 2017 but had since been fluctuating. Expressed in the US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of change due to the non-US currencies.

2. HDFC to raise Rs11,104 crore from investors including GIC, KKR: Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd (HDFC) will be raising around Rs11,104 crore from marquee institutional investors like KKR, GIC and Premji Invest among others. Separately, the country’s largest mortgage lender will also be raising up to Rs1, 896 crore through qualified institutional placement (QIP).

3. Shoppers Stop allots Rs179.26 crore shares to Amazon: Retail chain Shoppers Stop said it has allotted shares worth Rs179.26 crore to Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC, an investment arm of Amazon.com. As part of the deal, Shoppers Stop will have an exclusive flagship store on the Amazon marketplace. The two companies have an existing partnership since 2016 under which Shoppers Stops private and exclusive brands (Stop, Kashish, Haute Curry, RS by Rocky Star) have been listed on the Amazon marketplace.

4. TCS bags its biggest contract - ‘$2-plus bn’ contract with Transamerica: TCS has signed the ‘largest contract to date’ to become a third party administrator (TPA) for Transamerica. It will take care of Transamerica’s life insurance, annuity, supplemental health insurance and workplace voluntary benefits products. The multi-year agreement, worth more than $2 billion, would enable Transamerica to rapidly enhance its digital capabilities.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. IDFC Bank to merge with Capital First: IDFC Bank will merge with Warburg Pincus-backed Capital First in an all-share deal. V Vaidyanathan, the current chairman of Capital First, will become the MD and CEO of the merged entity, succeeding Rajiv Lall. Post-merger, the combined entity of IDFC Bank and Capital First will have assets under management of Rs 880 billion and will serve more than five million customers.

2. India a top borrower from China-sponsored AIIB in 2017: India has emerged as a top borrower from the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with USD 1.5 billion worth of loans last year and USD three billion more in the pipeline. Indonesia has emerged as the second largest borrower with about USD 600 million loans. China is the largest shareholder with 26.06% voting shares in the bank.

India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5% followed by Russia 5.93% and Germany with 4.5%.

SPORTS:

1. Sarjubala, Sarita Devi win National Women’s Boxing Championship: Former world silver medallist Sarjubala Devi representing Manipur claimed the gold in 48 kg category in the National Women’s Boxing Championships. While L Sarita Devi representing the All India Police, AIP picked up a gold medal in the 60 kg category.

Daily GK Updates - 12th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Government issues guidelines on the usage of the National Flag as Republic Day nears: The central government urged everyone not to use a national flag made of plastic. It also asked the States and Union Territories to ensure strict compliance of the Flag Code in view of the Republic Day celebration ahead. The Flag Code of India, 2002 sets the details on the usage of the National Flag.

2. National Youth Day observed: National Youth Day is celebrated in India every year on 12th January to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. He took the Indian thoughts to the western world and also had brought tremendous change in the Indian youth by his thoughts and work. He was the disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and had founded the Ramakrishna Mission in Calcutta (now Kolkata).

3. Rajputana state to digitise historical records: Rajasthan is all set to digitize administrative and historical records of Rajputana’s princely states. The move will boost the state government’s effort to use technology to improve the lives of people further. It will also help in preserving the state’s rich heritage.

4. Govt. to offer free treatment of Hepatitis C: The health ministry is set to roll out a National Programme for Control of Viral Hepatitis from the 2018-19 financial year. With the focus on Hepatitis C, an anti-viral treatment that costs $63,000-94,000 for the full course in the US and Europe will be provided free at all government health set-ups. Hepatitis C is caused by a blood-borne virus which affects the liver.

5. Cabinet (CCEA) approves continuation of MPLADS scheme: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval to the continuation of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme till the term of the 14th Finance Commission. The Scheme would entail an annual allocation of Rs. 3,950 crore and a total outlay of Rs. 11,850 crores. MPLADS was formulated by the Government of India in 1993.

6. New passports to drop parents’ names, address: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday announced that new passports will soon be printed without the usual last page of the document, which contains names of parents, and address of the applicant. The statement came even as it was declared that the passports for the Emigration Check Required (ECR) category will be issued with orange jackets.

7. Maharashtra starts surveys of Marathas in villages to answer the Quota demand: The Maharashtra government is conducting a sample survey of the Maratha community members in over 700 villages, ahead of the deadline set by the Maratha Kranti Morcha over its reservation demand. According to Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission Chairman, Justice (retired) M.G. Gaikwad, the sample survey has been undertaken for data collection to ascertain the economic backwardness within the community to justify its demand for quota in public service and educational institutions. The Maratha organisations in Maharashtra last month gave an ultimatum to the government saying it should address their demands — chief among them being reservations for the community.

8. PDP presents populist budget: Jammu & Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, who presented the fourth budget of the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party government on Thursday, came up with a slew of populist measures, including welfare initiatives for local industry, employees, women and transgender community. In the ₹80,000-crore budget, Dr. Drabu announced a social security net for the poor, employees and journalists, in the form of medical insurance and education loans.

9. Gujarat to conduct tiger census: The state of Gujarat, which is known to have approximately 650 lions, has decided to conduct a census to count the tigers in the state. The last tiger spotted in Gujarat was in 1985. However, reports say that tigers are present in Gujarat too. The state govt got the approval from National Tiger Conservation Authority to conduct the census.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Saudi women to watch a soccer match in stadium for the first time: Saudi women will be allowed for the first time to enter a sports stadium to watch a soccer match between two local teams, though they will be segregated from the male-only crowd with designated seating in the so-called “family section”. The first stadium is to open its doors to women in the Red Sea city of Jiddah.

2. North & South Korea agree to hold talks: North and South Korea agreed to hold military talks. North Korea also decided to send a high-ranking delegation and a cheering squad to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea next month.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Army Chief calls for multi-pronged approach to deal with an assertive China, to set up premier schools for the children of the Armed Forces: India had to intervene in Bhutanese territory in Doklam as China was trying to change the status quo by constructing a road, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat was quoted saying. He called for a multi-pronged approach to deal with an assertive China that includes diplomatic, military and partnerships with other countries in the region. On the issue of capping tuition fees for children of disabled soldiers and those killed in the line of duty, Gen Rawat said the Army would set up premier educational institutions to educate them.

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. ISRO launches its 100th satellite: The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It carries 31 satellites in total from countries including India and six other countries. Cartosat 2, a surveillance satellite that was part of India’s 100th satellite was placed into sun-synchronous orbit according to ISRO. The satellites are to be launched in two orbits which makes the mission a unique one.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Highest growth of domestic air traffic in India: India’s domestic air passenger traffic grew by 16.4 percent in November 2017, topping the growth chart worldwide, according to the global aviation body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Globally, the total revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) increased 8 percent compared to November 2016. The available seat kilometers (ASKs) or capacity grew by 6.3 percent. The increase in the disposable income of the people is a major factor propelling the growth.

SPORTS:

1. A new comic book on Rahul Dravid titled “The Wall”: In an attempt to immortalise Rahul Dravid, Sportwalk, a sports media and merchandise startup in Chennai has released a comic book titled ‘The Wall’. Hailing him as a superhero, the comic book has compiled 15 of the most glorious moments of his life. It is written by Himanshu.

2. Sanjay Manjrekar’s autobiography ‘Imperfect’ released: Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar unveiled Sanjay Manjrekar’s autobiography ‘Imperfect’ in Mumbai. Sanjay Vijay Manjrekar is a former Indian cricketer and is known for playing great innings with his mate Sachin Tendulkar.

Daily GK Updates - 11th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Dr. Sivan K appointed as ISRO Chairman: The government appointed renowned scientist Sivan K as the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation. Sivan, at present the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, will succeed Kumar, who was appointed on January 12, 2015. He graduated from Madras Institute of Technology in Aeronautical Engineering in 1980.

2. Soumitra Chatterjee to receive “Legion d’Honour” award: The French government will confer, actor Soumitra Chatterjee with the “Legion of Honour” which is the highest order of merit in France. The award will be given to him at the 42nd Kolkata Book Fair on January 30. The Legion of Honour is the highest French order of merit for military and civil merits, established in 1802 by Napoléon Bonaparte.

3. Narendra Modi to attend WEF: US President Donald Trump will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos later this month. This would be for the first time in 18 years that a US president would be attending an annual gathering of global economic leaders. Modi will travel to Switzerland on January 22 on a two- day visit. This would be the first time since 1997 that an Indian prime minister will attend the Davos summit.

4. First all-women station in India-Matunga, Mumbai: The first all-women station in India, Matunga on Central Railway (CR), manned by a staff of 41 women, has entered the Limca Book of Records. The unique initiative was taken by CR General Manager D.K. Sharma in July 2017 with the aim of empowering women, Matunga station is situated in Mumbai.

5. Fourth International Dharma Dhamma Conference: President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a three-day International Dharma-Dhamma conference at Rajgir in Bihar. The conference was jointly organised by India Foundation, Nalanda University, Ministry of External Affairs, ASEAN-India and Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha.

6. West Bengal government launches water ATMs in city, districts: The West Bengal government has launched a water ATM project to provide bacteria-free drinking water in schools with the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank. If someone can prove the presence of harmful bacteria in any such water ATM, he will be given Rs 2 lakh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Rishi Sunak inducted into Theresa’s team: British Prime Minister Theresa May has inducted Indian-origin lawmaker Rishi Sunak into her government. Mr. Sunak is the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy. He has been appointed as an Under Secretary of state in Britain’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

2. Jeff Bezos becomes the richest person: Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon has become the richest man in the history, overtaking Bill Gates, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Index showed that Bezos’ net worth had hit USD 105.1 billion. Index mentions Mukesh Ambani as the richest Indian and the 20th richest person in the world.

3. Ecuador gives citizenship to Julian Assange: Ecuador has granted citizenship to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been living in asylum at the nation’s embassy in London for more than five years. Ecuador gave Assange political asylum after he sought refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden for investigation of sex-related claims.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Paytm launches Paytm Money Ltd.: Paytm, run by One97 Communications Ltd, has set up a new entity called Paytm Money Ltd. It will offer investment and wealth management products and will invest close to $10 million upfront in the new entity. Paytm Money is the fourth product after Paytm Mall, Paytm Payments Bank and Paytm wallet. Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the founder of One97 Communications.

2. Reliance Jio planning its own cryptocurrency called JioCoin: After disrupting the telecom sector with its free offers and hyper-competitive tariffs, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd plans to create its own cyptocurrency, JioCoin. With Mukesh Ambani’s elder son Akash Ambani leading the JioCoin project, Reliance Jio plans to build a 50-member team of young professionals to work on blockchain technology, which can also be used to develop applications such as smart contracts and supply chain management logistics.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. SEBI bans Price Waterhouse entities from issuing audit certificates for 2 years: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has barred auditor major Price Waterhouse's network entities from issuing audit certificates to any listed company in India for two years. The order comes after Price Waterhouse's network is guilty of the multi-crore Satyam scam. SEBI also ordered disgorgement of over 13 crore rupees wrongful gains from the audit major and it's two erstwhile partners who worked on the IT major's accounts.

  

SPORTS:

1. Aditya Mehta wins Kolkata Open 2018: Veteran Aditya Mehta won the Kolkata Open 2018 International Invitation Snooker Championship at the Hindustan Club. He edged out Englishman Alfie Burden 5-4 in a thrilling final. This is his third Kolkata Open title since its inception.

2. BCCI bans all-rounder Yusuf Pathan: Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan was handed a five-month retrospective suspension for failing a dope test. The 35-year-old Pathan had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing program during a domestic T20 match between his team Baroda and Tamil Nadu on March 16 last year. His sample was subsequently tested and found to contain bronchodilator Terbutaline.

Daily GK Updates - 10th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. National Anthem not mandatory in cinemas: The Supreme Court said playing the National Anthem before screening movies in cinema halls is not mandatory. The bench was headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. In November 2016, the Supreme Court had ordered all cinemas to play the anthem before screening a film ‘for the love of the motherland’.

2. Bihar govt. bans electronic cigarettes in Bihar: Bihar has banned even e-cigarette. E-cigarette is smoked through electronics nicotine delivery system for nicotine intake. Its manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, display and advertisement also stand banned. Bihar has already banned the manufacture, distribution, trade, sale, purchase, display and advertisement of all tobacco products.

3. Mankidia tribe denied habitat in Simlipal, Odisha: Mankidia, one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in Odisha were denied habitat rights inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve. They are denied their rights under the historic Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006. State Forest Department has objected on grounds that tribals could be attacked by wild animals, especially tigers.

4. Gujarat tops Logistics Performance Index: Gujarat has topped the logistics index chart, according to a Report released by Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Suresh Prabhu in Delhi. The chart is an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports in particular and economic growth in general. Among 22 states, Gujarat is followed by Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra on the index.

5. Rahman becomes Sikkim’s Brand Ambassador: Music maestro AR Rahman was named the official Brand Ambassador of Sikkim. Mr. Chamling felicitated the legendary music composer during the inauguration of the 11-day Sikkim Red Panda Winter Carnival at Palzor Stadium in Gangtok. Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling, made the announcement.

6. UIDAI introduces ‘Virtual ID’ for Aadhaar cardholders to address privacy concerns: In a bid to address privacy concerns, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) introduced a ‘Virtual ID’, which Aadhaar cardholders can generate from its website and use for various purposes, including SIM verification, instead of sharing the actual 12-digit biometric ID. This will give the users the option of not sharing their Aadhaar number at the time of authentication. The 'Virtual ID', which would be a random 16-digit number, together with the biometrics of the user, would give any authorised agency like a mobile company, limited details like name, address and photograph, which are enough for any verification.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. China to fund base in Afghanistan: China will fund construction of an Afghan counterterrorism base in Badakshan province to block cross-border infiltration of the ethnic Uyghur militants. Fergana News Agency (FNA) has quoted Gen. Dawlat Waziri of the Afghan Defence Ministry as saying that China will provide financial support to build the base, whose precise location inside Badakshan, in northern Afghanistan, is yet to the determined.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. NPCI names Asbe as CEO: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Monday appointed Dilip Asbe as its MD & CEO with immediate effect. Asbe, who was the Chief Operating Officer of NPCI, was also the acting CEO of NPCI since August after A.P. Hota retired.

2. Government eases norms for FDI in single brand retail, construction, civil aviation: The Union government on Wednesday liberalised and simplified the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regime in a host of sectors, including Single Brand Retail Trading (SBRT), civil aviation (aimed at facilitating Air India’s divestment), construction development, power exchanges, pharmaceuticals and audit firms. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval to permit 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route for SBRT. The extant policy on SBRT allows 49 per cent FDI under the automatic route, and FDI beyond 49 per cent and up to 100 per cent through the government approval route.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. PNB Ties up with NSFDC: Punjab National Bank and National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation have tied up to provide financial assistance for economic empowerment of persons belonging to Scheduled Caste families living below Double Poverty Line. A MoA to this effect was signed between PNB and NSFDC. Under this tie-up, PNB would act as a channelising agent for the loan schemes of NSFDC.

2. Govt to divest 1.5% in NMDC: The government will begin the sale of 1.5% stake in NMDC at a floor price of Rs153.50 a piece. Sale of 1.5% would fetch Rs750 crore to the exchequer. The NMDC Limited is a state-controlled mineral producer of the Government of India.

3. ICICI Securities plans to launch 3,200 cr IPO: ICICI Securities plans to launch an IPO worth at least Rs. 3,200 crore ($500 million) in February. Parent ICICI Bank will be selling 64 million shares in the IPO. ICICI Securities offers investment banking, institutional broking, retail broking and private wealth management services.

4. SBI to raise $2 Billion via overseas bonds: SBI is planning to raise $ 2 billion by issuing bonds in U.S. dollar or in some other convertible currency in the current and the next financial year. The lender may raise the funds in more than one tranches. The funds could be used to boost credit demand. The bond is a debt security, under which the issuer owes the holders a debt and is obliged to pay them interest on the maturity date.

SPORTS:

1. Aanchal Thakur bags Bronze in skiing: Aanchal Thakur made history as she won India’s first ever international medal in skiing. She clinched the bronze in the coveted Alpine Ejder 3200 Cup. The Championship was organised by the Federation Internationale de Ski (skiing’s international governing body) in Erzurum, Turkey. She won the medal in the slalom race category.

OBITUARIES:

1. Peter Sutherland, first WTO Dir. Gen., passes away: Peter Sutherland, first WTO Director-General, passes away in Dublin. He was 71. Mr. Sutherland took the helm of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1993 at a time when the outcome of the broad and complex Uruguay Round of global trade talks was very much in question.

Daily GK Updates - 9th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Pratyush, India’s fastest supercomputer, unveiled: India unveiled Pratyush, an array of computers that can deliver a peak power of 6.8 petaflops. A petaflop is a measure of a computer’s processing speed and can be expressed as a thousand trillion floating point operations per second. Pratyush is the fourth fastest supercomputer in the world dedicated to weather and climate research and follows machines in Japan, USA and UK.

2. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas observed: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a celebratory day observed annually on 9 January by India to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915. It was established in 2003 and is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs and FICCI, CII and DoNER. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated the PIO (First Persons of Indian Origin) Parliamentarian Conference in New Delhi. Over 140 MPs and mayors of Indian-origin from 23 nations have converged as part of a conference.

3. Railways to deploy drones, West Central Railways the first zone to do so: Drones would now monitor railway projects, aid crowd management and oversee maintenance works across its zones. The West Central Railways, headquartered at Jabalpur (MP), is the first zonal railway to procure the drone cameras. The cameras (UAV/NETRA) would be used for these activities. ‘Netra’ is an Indian, light-weight, autonomous UAV for surveillance and reconnaissance operations and was developed by DRDO.

4. Akshay Kumar to promote the Swachh Survekshan: After Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) urged Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar to partner it to promote the Swachh Survekshan 2018 campaign, the actor promptly agreed. He will be an integral part of the team to promote its cleanliness campaign in Mumbai. The Swachh Survekshan 2018 will be carried out between January 4 to March 10, 2018, by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

5. Bengali actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay to be conferred French honor: At the 42nd International Kolkata Book Fair, France would be conferring its highest order of merit, the 'Legion of Honour', on legendary film and theatre actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay. He has acted in several of Satyajit Ray's iconic films including Apur Sansar, Abhijan, Charulata, Aranyer Din Ratri and Sonar Kella. The honor would be bestowed on the veteran actor by the French culture and communication minister Francoise Nyssen in Kolkata.

6. Nitish Kumar to get Mufti M Sayeed Award for Probity in Public Life: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been selected for the first Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Award for Probity in Public Life. He will be conferred the award at an official function of Jammu & Kashmir government to be held at Jammu on Monday. The award was constituted recently by the Jammu and Kashmir government to commemorate the death anniversary of PDP founder and two-time J&K Chief Minister Sayeed.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. World’s largest ice festival in China: 34th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, world’s largest ice festival started on January 5, 2018 in Harbin (north-east China). The festival will continue through late February.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Defence Innovation Centre in Coimbatore: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the release of ₹20 crore to the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association for setting up a defence innovation centre. The centre will help the MSME and start-ups engaged in the manufacture of components for the defence sector to conduct tests and trials. It is noteworthy that India is the third biggest armaments procurement country in the world.

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. India to have LIGO observatory in Maharashtra: India to set up LIGO observatory in Aundh (Hingoli dist.), Maharashtra which is expected to start functioning by 2025. India’s role in studying gravitational waves touted as one of the most important discoveries of the recent past will increase once the proposed gravitational wave observatory is set up in the country.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. AIIB plans to issue first USD bonds: China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, in which India is a second largest shareholder, plans to issue its first US dollar-denominated bond with the minimum worth of a USD billion by June this year. With 84 members so far, the AIIB was officially established in December 2015. The Beijing-based AIIB is a multilateral development bank with authorised capital of USD 100 billion.

SPORTS:

1. Nick Kyrgios takes Brisbane crown: Nick Kyrgios defeated American Ryan Harrison to claim the Brisbane International in straight sets. The 6-4, 6-2 win was the third-seeded Australian’s fourth title on the ATP tour and his first on home soil.

2. Julia Goerges wins Auckland Classic: Julia Goerges claimed a third-straight WTA title with victory over Caroline Wozniacki in the Auckland Classic final. ln the final, Goerges was dominant against the top-seeded Dane by 6-4 7-6 (7-4).

Daily GK Updates - 8th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Centre asks SC to take back its order on playing National Anthem in cinema halls: In a dramatic turnaround, the Centre told the Supreme Court to take back its order making it compulsory for cinema halls to play the National Anthem before screening a film and compelling patrons to stand up and show respect. On November 30, 2016, a Supreme Court Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra, before he became Chief Justice of India, had directed that “all cinema halls in India shall play the National Anthem before the feature film starts and all present in the hall are obliged to stand up to show respect to the National Anthem.”

2. Gujarat celebrates International Kite Festival, locals call it Uttarayan: The international kite festival which attracts kite flyers from across the country and the world began on Sunday in Ahmedabad. The international kite festival was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at Sabarmati Riverfront. The state government-sponsored festival will culminate on January 14, which is celebrated as Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti).

3. Curbs on tobacco sale in Rajasthan: In a pioneering step to curb tobacco consumption, the Rajasthan government has introduced vendor licensing for the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products. A circular of the Dept of Local Self-Government has laid down rules for licensing and prohibited tobacco sale outlets from selling non-tobacco products.

4. Indian Railways to equip stations with Wi-Fi: All railway stations in India, nearly 8,500 in number, will be equipped with Wi-Fi facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore. As part of the government’s ambitious Digital India initiative, it has currently commissioned Wi-Fi services at 216 major stations.

5. Arunachal to have India’s second FTII: Arunachal Pradesh would get its first Film and Television Institute, being set up by the Union Government as part of tapping the potential of the Northeastern region. This would be the second such institute in the country. The first Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in Pune, an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

6. Haryana launches HRP portal, the first state to do so: Haryana has become the first state in the country to launch high risk pregnancy (HRP) portal. This portal not only helps in early identification of high-risk pregnancy cases but also ensures their timely referral to the civil hospitals for further management and delivery by specialists.

7. India’s first National Park for differently-abled people in Telangana: Telangana State Government inaugurated India’s first National Park for differently abled people in Hyderabad. The park will have speech therapist, physiotherapist, vocational training instructors for the differently-abled children. An IT park on similar lines is coming up in the state.

8. HP govt to set up Gudiya helpline: Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the government would set up ‘Gudiya helpline’ for reporting crime against women. Special women cells would be created in the state to deal with crime against women. ’Gudiya’ is a nickname given to the 16-year-old victim of rape and murder in Kotkhai town. The incident took place in 2017.

9. Bangla unveils official Emblem of the Bangla Government: Bangla Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled the official emblem of the state government, which was recently approved by the centre. The logo highlights the Ashoka emblem on the top with the theme of “Biswa Bangla” at the centre.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Golden Globe Awards 2018 announced: The 75th Golden Globe Awards ceremony was held in Los Angeles, the USA. Following are the winners. Best motion picture, drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama: Frances McDormand. Best performance by an actor in a motion picture, drama: Gary Oldman.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. ICGS C-161 commissioned in Porbandar: Indian Coast Guard Ship C-161 was commissioned at Porbandar in Gujarat. The induction is a part of ongoing efforts by the Coast Guard to strengthen coastal security. It will strengthen the security umbrella of the west coast and also help augment patrolling to prevent illicit activities such as infiltration, smuggling, and illegal fishing.

SPORTS:

1. National Boxing Championship (Females) begins in Haryana: Over 300 top female boxers will be stepping into the ring during the second edition of the Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has indicated that the weeklong tournament will be seen as selection trials for 2018’s biggest boxing events – the Common Wealth Games and the Asian Games.

2. Switzerland won Hopman Cup Title: Switzerland won their third Hopman Cup as Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber. It was Federer’s second Hopman Cup triumph after victory in 2001 alongside then world number one Martina Hingis.