Daily GK Updates - 4th March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Odisha Govt Launches ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’ Programme: The Odisha government has launched a programme Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas (our village, our development) to reach out to the people in rural areas and involve themselves in the developmental activities. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off mobile video vans for ‘Ama Gaon Ama Vikas’ programme that will move across the State to highlight various welfare schemes at villages in the state.

2. BJP won Tripura for the first time: The BJP defeated the CPI(M) in Tripura to form the state government for the first-ever time after winning 35 seats. The CPI(M), which ruled the state for 25 years, reportedly won 16 seats in the 60-member Assembly with 43% vote share. BJP-ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) won 8 seats after fielding candidates in 9 constituencies.

3. BJP,NDPP claim stake to form govt. in Nagaland: The BJP and NDPP met Nagaland Governor PB Acharya to stake claim to form the state govt. The NDPP-BJP has secured a simple majority of 32 out of 60 seats.

4. Hung Assembly in Meghalaya, Congress the single largest party: Meghalaya faces a hung state Assembly after no party won the required 31 seats to form the government in the 60-member Assembly. The Congress, which has ruled the state for 10 years, won the maximum of 21 seats, followed by the National People’s Party which won 19 seats. The BJP secured two seats in the state Assembly.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha Wins Lifetime Achievement Award in UK: Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to the fields of arts and politics at a ceremony in the UK’s Parliament complex. The annual ‘Political and Public Life Awards’ presented by Britain’s Asian Voice weekly newspaper recognises individuals who have made a significant impact on public life or made a difference in their local communities.

2. World Wildlife Day 2018 celebrated: On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 March – the day of signature of the CITES as UN World Wildlife Day. This day was proclaimed to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. The theme for World Wildlife Day 2018 is ‘Big Cats’.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA finds water on Saturn-mass planet: Using NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, astronomers have found evidence of water in the atmosphere of a Saturn-mass exoplanet some 700 light-years away.The planet, WASP-39b, has three times as much water as Saturn does, which suggests it developed far away from its host star, where it was bombarded by a lot of icy material, said NASA.

DEFENCE:

1. ICG C-162: Bharati Defence delivers interceptor boat to Coast Guard: Bharati Defence and Infrastructure Ltd (BDIL) delivered high-speed interceptor boat ICG C-162 to Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at BDIL jetty in Mangaluru, Karnataka. It is fifth interceptor boat delivered by BDIL’s Mangaluru shipyard to ICG. The sixth boat will be delivered after three-and-a-half months of the delivery of the fifth boat. The vessel will be based at Kochi, Kerala and will be used for patrolling purposes.

SPORTS:

1. Rizvi sets world record in his first-ever World Cup: Indian shooter, Shahzar Rizvi clinched the gold medal with a world record score in a memorable maiden ISSF World Cup appearance, while Jitu Rai grabbed bronze in the same event. He shot a world record 242.3 in the 10m air pistol event’s final to beat reigning Olympic champion Christian Reitz of Germany, 239.7, to win the top prize. Mehuli Ghosh added another medal to India’s tally as she shot world junior record score to win bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle event.

2. India wins IBSF Snooker Team World Cup: The Indian Snooker team has lifted the first edition of IBSF Snooker Team World Cup title and won the prize money of $15,000. The Indian duo of Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra defeated Pakistan (Muhammad Asif, Babar Masih) in the best-of-five final played in Doha.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. World’s largest solar park, Shakti Sthala, inaugurated: The Karnataka government inaugurated the first phase of a 2,000 megawatts (MW) solar park in the drought-prone district, Tumkur. The first phase of the Rs. 16,500 crore park called “Shakti Sthala” will generate 600MW, while the balance 1,400MW is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2018. The solar project is the largest in the world and is spread over 13,000 acres and five villages. It is part of the “Karnataka Solar Policy 2014-2021” which aims to decrease dependence on traditional power sources and move to environmentally friendly ones to meet the growing power needs of the state.

2. UDAY Scheme in Lakshwadeep: Lakshadweep has joined hands with the UDAY scheme which is meant for the revival of debt-stressed power distribution companies (discoms) in the country. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in this regard with the UT’s Electricity Department. The Union Territory will have an overall benefit of around Rs 8 crore that would provide ways of cheaper funds, reduction in AT&C losses, and intervention in energy efficiency. Initiating mandatory distribution transformer metering, consumer indexing, consumer indexing and GIS mapping of losses and various other requirements will help eliminate the gap between cost of supply of power and realization.

3. Indian companies to participate in the Rooppur Project: Indian companies can now participate in the construction and installation works in the “non-critical” category of the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, according to the Russian atomic energy agency ROSATOM.  The Rooppur project is the first initiative under an Indo-Russian deal to undertake atomic energy projects in third-world countries. This will also be the first time that the Indian companies will be able to participate in a nuclear power project abroad. India, Bangladesh, and Russia signed an agreement in this regard in Moscow, Russia.

4. International Yoga festival at Parmth Niketan: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu arrived at Parmath Niketan in Rishikesh to attend the International Yoga Festival. The festival is being attended by National and International participants.  Naidu said India has become the spiritual leader in the world. The purpose of the festival is to make the people aware about Yoga and its benefits.

5. No transaction fees on rail tickets booked with debit card: The Indian Railways has announced that Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges won’t be levied on passengers for booking railway tickets through debit cards.

These transactions include those made at the railway ticketing counters as well as through IRCTC ticketing website.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Armen Sarkisian-new President of Armenia: He will succeed Serzh Sarkisian. Armen Sarkisian was the ambassador to the United Kingdom. He will assume presidential duties after his predecessor steps down in April 2018. The political shift comes after President Sarkisian, in 2015 initiated, controversial constitutional amendments to turn the impoverished Moscow-allied country into a parliamentary republic with a powerful Prime Minister.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA launches advanced weather satellite GOES-S: NASA launched another of the world’s most advanced weather satellites, this time to safeguard the western US. The GOES-S satellite marched towards the orbit aboard an Atlas V rocket. GOES-S is the second satellite in an approx. $11 billion effort that’s already revolutionising forecasting with astonishingly fast, crisp images of hurricanes, wildfires, floods, mudslides and other natural calamities.

DEFENCE:

1. Paschim Lehar, a naval exercise, concludes: Paschim Lehar, a three-week tri-service maritime exercise off India’s western coast, in which several ships, submarines and fighter aircraft participated, has concluded. The objective of the exercise, which commenced on February 12, was to build interoperability. Over 40 naval assets including the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, participated in it.

2. INSV Tarini reaches Cape Town: An all-women crew leading the INSV Tarini docked at a port in Cape Town in South Africa, in the last phase of its maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. RBI lifts per-borrower loan cap for MSMEs: RBI has decided to do away with the per borrower loan limits to Micro/ Small and Medium Enterprises for classification under priority sector lending (PSL). In view of the increasing importance of the services sector and to encourage banks to lend more to this sector, the step was taken. So far, loans to Micro/ Small and Medium Enterprises up to ₹5 crore and ₹10 crore, respectively, were classified as PSL.

2. ICICI and PNB hike rate: The Punjab National Bank (PNB) and the ICICI Bank have hiked the MCLR rates. ICICI Bank raised the one-year MCLR from 8.2% to 8.3%. The PNB, also increased one-year MCLR to 8.3% from 8.15%.

SPORTS:

1. Navjot Kaur wins Gold for India at Asian Wrestling Championship: Navjot Kaur clinched the first gold medal for India in the Asian Wrestling championship in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She defeated Imai Miyu of Japan in the final of women’s 65 kg freestyle. With 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal, India was at the second spot in the medals tally. Vinesh Phogat and Pinki of Indian Railways claimed silver medals while Sakshi Malik won a bronze in the 62-kilogram category. China is leading the table with 4 gold and 1 bronze medal while Japan was at the third place with 1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals.

2. Venkatesh Prasad quits as BCCI Junior National Selection Committee Chairman: Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad submitted his resignation from the post of chairman of the junior national selection committee.

Prasad cited personal reasons for stepping down. He has worked as the head of the committee for 30 months.

3. Sultan Azlan Shah Cup begins: The 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey tournament began in the Malaysian city of Ipoh. Six nations – India, hosts Malaysia, defending champions England, Australia, Argentina and Ireland – are taking part in the tournament. India, currently the world number six, will take on world number two Argentina in their opening round-robin match.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. NFRA establishment approved: Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA). NFRA will act as an independent regulator for the auditing profession which was one of the key changes brought in by the Companies Act 2013. The Cabinet also gave nod to the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill – 2018 to deal with those escaping overseas to avoid getting caught.

2. Rs. 2900 Crores under Nirbhaya fund approved for women safety: Women and Child Development Ministry has approved projects worth over Rs 2,900 crores under the Nirbhaya fund for eight major cities to make them safer for women. These cities are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow.

3. Cabinet Approves Anti-Trafficking Bill Draft: The Union Cabinet okayed the draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill. National Investigation Agency (NIA) will be the nodal authority for probing cases of human trafficking. It also proposes a punishment of life imprisonment for repeat offenders.

4. Vinay Kumar appointed as ambassador to Afghanistan: Senior diplomat Vinay Kumar has been appointed as India’s ambassador to Afghanistan, succeeding incumbent Manpreet Vohra. Mr. Kumar, a 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the headquarters of the External Affairs Ministry here.

5. CMFRI launches e-com portal and a mobile app for fishermen: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has come up with a solution to help fishermen fetch better price for their catch without depending on middlemen. The institute has developed a multi-vendor e-commerce website and mobile app to help fish farmers and fishermen sell their catch directly to customers online. The website, www.marinefishsales.com, and mobile app, marinefishsales, were developed under National Innovation under Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project of the CMFRI.

6. Hetero Healthcare launches HIV treatment drug in India: Hetero Healthcare Ltd. said it had launched generic anti-retroviral fixed-dose combination of ‘Emtricitabine & Tenofovir Alafenamide in India. The medication is indicated in combination with other anti-retroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age & older. The product will be marketed and distributed under the brand name ‘TAFERO-EM’.

7. Phirangipuram to be the third all-women rail station in the country: An all-women railway station is launched at Phirangipuram, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The railway station on the Guntur-Narsaraopet line would be handed over to an all-women crew. It will be third-of-its-kind railway station in the country after Jaipur’s Gandhi Nagar and Mumbai’s Matunga.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. President of Vietnam on a three day visit: President of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang arrived in India on a three-day visit.  Mr. Quang will first visit Bodh Gaya before coming to New Delhi. He will meet President Ram Nath Kovind tomorrow and also hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will also call on the visiting dignitary.  The Vietnamese President will also have an interaction with prominent Indian businessmen. The visit aims to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

2. Office of Missing Persons launched in Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has appointed commissioners to a special panel tasked with investigating war-era disappearances. The Office of Missing Persons was officially launched by President Maithripala Sirisena. The country’s Parliament agreed two years ago to the first steps toward reconciling its war-era past tracing about 20,000 people who went missing during 37 years of fighting.

3. India welcomes Afghanistan’s peace offer: India welcomed Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s outreach to the Taliban at the Second Kabul Conference. Afghan government’s called to armed groups to cease violence and join national peace and reconciliation process that would protect the rights of all Afghans.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Anti-Tank Guided Missile Nag tested successfully: The Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Nag was successfully flight-tested in desert conditions against two tank targets at different ranges and timings. As the developmental trials of the missile have been completed, it is now ready for induction in the Army. It is the third-generation fire-and-forget ATGM developed by the DRDO.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. SBI hikes lending rate: The State Bank raised its lending rates by 20 basis points to 8.15%, with immediate effect, setting the tone for the industry to follow suit. This is likely to make home and car loans costlier. This is the first lending revision by the bank since April 2016 and comes a day after it massively raised the retail and bulk deposit rates.

2. IndusInd Bank And Ripple tie-up: IndusInd Bank announced its partnership with Ripple to facilitate payments into and out of India. With this affiliation, RippleNet can now provide instant access in emerging markets such as India, Brazil and China.

SPORTS:

1. Vinesh wins Silver at Asian Wrestling Championship: India's star wrestler Vinesh Phogat has settled for Silver Medal in the 50kg Freestyle competition at the Asian Wrestling Championship in Kyrgyzstan.  In the final of the event at Bishkek lost to China's Chun Lei. Another Indian, Sangeeta claimed Bronze in the 59kg division.  Along with these two medals, India's medal tally has reached four in the ongoing championships.

2. IOC restores Russia’s Olympic membership: The International Olympic Committee has restored Russia’s Olympic membership, following its suspension from the Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang in South Korea. Russia was banned from February’s Games by the IOC over state-sponsored doping. Before closing ceremony of Winter Olympics, the IOC had stated that the ban would be lifted, as long as there were no more anti-doping violations.

Daily GK Updates - 1st March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India’s first Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre to be inaugurated: Union Minister of Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the country’s first Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre at Chandigarh Airport’s old terminal. The centre, which is a CSR initiative of Airports Authority of India (AAI), will initially train 2,360 students free of cost in three years.

2. Cabinet approves the Action Plan for CSS: The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of Ministry of Commerce and Industry to give focused attention to 12 identified Champion Services Sectors (CSS) for promoting their development and realizing their potential. 12 identified CSS are The Information Technology & Information Technology Enabled Services (IT & ITeS), Medical Value Travel, Transport and Logistics Services, Tourism and Hospitals. The respective Ministries/Departments will finalize Action Plans and implementation timelines along with monitoring mechanism to monitor implementation of Scheme. It will enhance the competitiveness of country’s service sectors through implementation of focused and monitored Action Plans.

3. Haryana to give death penalty to rapists: Haryana government gave its nod to a proposal to bring in a legislation that would have a provision awarding death penalty to those guilty of raping girls aged 12 years or less. Existing criminal laws related to sexual offences will be made more stringent.

4. First Mega Food Park inaugurated in Mahrashtra: The first Mega Food Park in the state of Maharashtra Satara Mega Food Park Private Limited at Village Degaon, District Satara was inaugurated by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries. This is the 10th Mega Food Park being operationalized in the country and the 8th operationalized during the tenure of the present government. Satara Mega Food Park has been set up in 64 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 139.30 crore.

5. India back as the world’s fastest-growing major economy: India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth surged to 7.2% in the December quarter of 2017-18, restoring its status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. The economy grew at 6.7% in Gross Value Added (GVA) terms. The GDP growth rebounded from 6.5% in the previous quarter, reportedly indicating that the economy has moved past disruptions due to demonetisation and GST rollout. China remains a major competitor of India.

6. Chilka is the home to world’s largest number of Irrawaddy Dolphins: The Chilka lake in Odisha has emerged as the single largest habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins in the world with the spotting of 155 dolphins. The finding is based on the preliminary report of the first ever ‘Annual Monitoring’ of the lake.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Taliban to be recognized as a political group: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani offered to recognise Taliban as a legitimate political group in order to end the over 16 year long war. He also proposed a ceasefire and the release of Taliban-linked prisoners along with fresh elections and a constitutional review.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. India’s first defence ‘Quad’ to be made in the South: The Defence Ministry has started the process to set up the country’s first defence industrial corridor to promote industries manufacturing weapons and military equipment. Quad or quadrilateral corridor will connect Chennai, Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruchirappalli.

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. New plant species named after Abdul Kalam: Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India have identified a new plant species from two protected National Parks in West Bengal. Named Drypetes kalamii, it is a small shrub found to be shorter version of its close relative Drypetes ellisii. The plant is named after former President Abdul Kalam.

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. SBI hikes deposit rates: After announcing a hike in the MCLR based lending rate, SBI raised the retail and bulk deposits rates for various maturities by up to 0.75% with immediate effect. This is the third pricing revision in past four months by the bank. For retail deposits, below ₹1 crore, rates have been increased by up to 0.50%, while for deposits maturing in one year to less than two years, the pricing has been raised by 0.15% to 6.40% from 6.25% earlier.

2. PNB appoints AK Pradhan as Chief Risk Officer: Hit by nearly Rs 12,700 cr fraud, PNB appointed its General Manager A K Pradhan as the Group Chief Risk Officer. PNB said that the amount of fraud in the Nirav Modi case can go up to Rs 12,700 crores as against the earlier estimate of Rs. 11,400 crores.

3. Catholic Syrian Bank ties up with Celebrus Capital: The Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd (CSB) has tied up with Celebrus Capital Ltd (Celebrus), to offer CSB’s customers online trading and demat services. With this partnership, CSB’s customers will be able to open a Celebrus trading account free of cost and also enjoy preferred rates on brokerage charges/AMC fees on the demat account.

4. Corporation Bank reports fraud of Rs. 6.77 crores in Jharkhand: The CBI has booked an auto dealer in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand for allegedly siphoning off the loan amount and causing a loss of Rs. 6.77 crore to Corporation Bank. The agency has booked Ramnandi Estate and its directors along with the bank’s valuer, Sanjay Kumar. Corporation Bank alleged that Kumar filed enhanced valuation reports based on which the loan was sanctioned.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Aircel files for bankruptcy: India’s sixth-largest telecom operator Aircel filed for bankruptcy at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) claiming that it has a debt of ₹15,500 crore. This comes after the Ananda Krishnan-owned Malaysian parent Maxis Communications refused to infuse more funds into Aircel.

SPORTS:

1. Blue-checked and pink-checked mascots chosen for Olympics 2020: The mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics selected by elementary school kids were unveiled. The Olympics mascot is a blue-checked, doe-eyed character with pointy ears and “special powers”, while the Paralympics mascot sports pink checks and can “talk with stones and the wind”. A total of 6.5 million children cast their vote to select the mascots. It is noteworthy that Summer Olympics will start from July 29, 2020.

OBITUARIES:

1. Kanchi saint Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi passes away: Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the senior seer of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt situated in Tamil Nadu, passed away. The junior pontiff, Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi will be the 70th Jagadguru of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi came to wield enormous say in matters affecting the Hindu religion in the country, including the Ayodhya issue.

Daily GK Updates - 28th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. National Science Day- 28th February: National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February. The theme of NSD-2018 is “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”. NSD is celebrated to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’, which led to Sir C.V. Raman winning the Noble Prize. The theme has been chosen for the purpose of raising public appreciation of the scientific issues involved.

2. Indian Railways to install sanitary pad dispensers: The Railway Ministry said it aims to install sanitary pad dispensers and incinerators at about 200 stations by International Women’s Day on March 8. The move is aimed to benefit Railway employees and passengers from financially weaker sections. The dispensers have already been installed at railway stations in New Delhi and Bhopal.

3. CSIR inks MoU with IORA-RCSTT for medicinal plants: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed a MoU with the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Regional Center for Science and Technology Transfer. The MoU is for designating Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Lucknow as the coordinating centre on medicinal plants. The IORA Centre will establish a database on the important medicinal plants.

4. GOBAR Dhan Yojana to be launched: The Union Government is going to roll out Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme. It was first announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during his 2018-19 budget speech. The scheme focuses on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to the use composition. It will also help in keeping the village clean while increasing income of farmers and cattle herders.

5. India 2018 book released: Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani released 'India 2018' (English Version) and 'Bharat 2018' (Hindi Version). The books are published by the Publications Division. The book available in both print and online versions. It is an exhaustive publication dealing with all aspects of the country's development. With its latest edition, the book has entered into its 62nd year of publication.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Moon to get its first mobile phone network: The moon will get its first 4G mobile network next year to allow lunar exploration vehicles to stream high-definition data back to a base station. Vodafone Germany, Nokia, and carmaker Audi said that they were working in collaboration with Berlin-based space exploration scientists. The project is a part of the first privately-funded mission to the Moon.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY:

1. Fastest distance measurements using LIDAR: Germany and France-based researchers have recorded 100 million distance values per second, demonstrating the fastest distance measurement so far. The team studied a bullet travelling at 540 kmph with micrometre accuracy using laser-based LIDAR (light detection and ranging). This technology could be used in autonomous navigation and 3D cameras.

2. Jupiter’s icy moon Europa may host life-Researchers: Jupiter’s moon Europa may host life in an ocean of liquid water under its 10-km-thicker ice crust, suggested Brazilian researchers. The team based their claims on a bacterium that survives deep underwater without sunlight in environments similar to Europa. The bacterium in 2.8-km-deep South African mines was found to synthesise its energy from rock sulphates, formed via ionising radiation.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Amazon buys video doorbell startup Ring: E-commerce giant Amazon has agreed to buy US-based video doorbell startup Ring, the companies confirmed. According to reports, the deal could be worth more than $1 billion, making it one of the most expensive acquisitions in Amazon’s history. Founded in 2012, the startup makes video doorbells and security cameras that connect to users’ phones or computers.

SPORTS:

1. Davis Cup to convert into ‘WC of Tennis’: The Davis Cup, in existence since 1900, may be converted into a ‘World Cup of Tennis’ from next year. The new format will feature 18 teams playing a week-long event at one venue, instead of the existing 16 teams playing across four different months. A 25-year, $3 billion partnership with investment group Kosmos is in place for the new event.

2. Karnataka beats Saurashtra to win Vijay Hazare Trophy: Karnataka defeated Saurashtra by 41 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final on Tuesday to win the tournament for the third time. Batting first, Karnataka put up a total of 253/10 and Saurashtra were bowled out for 212 in 46.3 overs.

3. Cricket Team India and South Africa donate  Rs. 5.5 lakh to Cape Town Water Crisis aid: Team India captain Virat Kohli and his Proteas counterpart Faf du Plessis have donated ₹5.5 lakh to the Cape Town Water Crisis on behalf of both the teams for drought relief efforts in Cape Town. This comes days after Cape Town pushed back ‘Day Zero’ to July 9, the day the city is expected to run out of water.

4. Federer becomes the most decorated Laureus Award winner: Tennis legend Roger Federer became the most decorated winner in the history of Laureus World Sports Awards after he won twin honors at the 18th edition of the awards ceremony in Monaco. It was his sixth award. American tennis great Serena Williams won the Sportswoman of the Year Award. She is now the most decorated female Laureus Award winner with five Laureus statuettes.

Daily GK Updates - 27th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India ranks 47th on Inclusive Internet Index: In a report ‘Inclusive Internet Index’ published by Facebook and EIU, India ranked 47th out of 86 countries when it comes to inclusive Internet and connectivity for all. Sweden stood at first place, followed by Singapore and the US. According to the index, the Internet is empowering, especially to citizens in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

2. Uma Bharti launches second project of Swajal Yojana: Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Uma Bharti launched the Swajal pilot project at Village Bhikampura in Rajasthan. Besides ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to every household around the year, the project would also generate employment. Swajal is a community-owned drinking water programme for sustained drinking water supply. Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be taken care by the Government and the remaining 10% of the project cost will be contributed by the community.

3. RISE scheme update: The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will get the largest chunk of loans on offer under Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE). This shifts funding mechanism to CFIs in higher education from grant assistance to loans to assure more funds, greater accountability. RISE scheme was announced in Union Budget 2017-18. It aims to lend low-cost funds to government higher educational institutions.

4. Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein arrives in India: King of Jordan Abdullah-II bin Al-Hussein has arrived in India on a 3 day visit. This will be his second visit to India after his visit along with Queen Rania in 2006. The two sides are expected to sign a number of memorandums of understanding and agreements in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation. India is Jordan’s fourth largest trading partner with bilateral trade worth $1.35 billion.

5. JP Nadda rolls out free viral load tests for HIV: Health minister JP Nadda has launched the free Viral Load Tests, which measure the quantity of virus in the body. The move is likely to benefit 12 lakh people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in the country. The test is of immense importance to monitor the effectiveness of treatment of patients taking lifelong anti-retroviral therapy.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. New Deputy PM of Australia: Michael McCormack elected new Deputy Prime Minister of Australia. He has replaced former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. The leader of the National Party automatically becomes deputy prime minister under the terms of the coalition agreement with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s Liberal party.

2. Saudi military leaders replaced: Saudi King Salman has sacked his military chief and a number of other top commanders in a shakeup apparently aimed at overhauling its Defense Ministry. The changes were made on the recommendation of the minister of defense, who is the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

3. US to overtake Russia as top oil producer: According to International Energy Agency, U.S. will overtake Russia as the world’s biggest oil producer by 2019 at the latest. U.S. crude oil output rose above 10 million barrels per day late last year for the first time since 1970s, overtaking top oil exporter Saudi Arabia. US oil is also increasingly being exported, including to the world’s biggest and fastest growing markets in Asia.

4. Saudi Arabia allows women to join military: Saudi Arabia has for the first time opened applications for women to join its military. The women, however, will not be given combat roles but will work in security. To apply, women will need to fulfill 12 requirements besides obtaining their guardian’s approval. Decision to recruit female soldiers is one of many reforms enhancing women’s rights introduced in recent months by Saudi Arabia.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Uttarakhand to host 13th Surya Kiran Exercise: India and Nepal will hold the 13th edition of Surya Kiran joint military exercise in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand in a couple of months. The military exercise will include training on jungle warfare, anti-terrorism combat as well as disaster response activities. The announcement came days after Army chief Bipin Rawat visited Nepal to attend a function to mark the Army Day.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Google brings Symptom Search feature to India: Google India has rolled out its feature called “Symptom Search” in India that lets users find quality health information on their smartphones. Google in collaboration with a team of doctors from Apollo Hospitals will add tailor-made information about commonly-searched symptoms in its Search. The project aims to provide quality healthcare information which can be accessed by a billion Indians

SPORTS:

1. Youngest captain in International Cricket: At 19 years of age, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan is set to become the youngest captain in the history of international cricket. The World’s No.1 ODI and Twenty20 International bowler, Rashid will lead Afghanistan after regular skipper Asghar Stanikzai was diagnosed with appendicitis. Rashid is also the youngest player to be ranked No.1 in the ICC’s Player Rankings across formats.

2. Bangladesh appoints Courtney Walsh as coach: Bangladesh has named former West Indies cricketer Courtney Walsh as the interim coach for upcoming tri-nation Twenty20 series. Walsh, who has been Bangladesh’s bowling coach since 2016, takes over as interim coach from former Zimbabwean cricketer Richard Halsall. Position of Bangladesh’s head coach had been vacant since Oct, when Chandika Hathurusingha quit after three years at the helm.

Daily GK Updates - 26th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates projects worth Rs. 1000 Crores in Daman and Diu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stones for projects worth 1000 crore Rupees in Daman in the union territory of Daman and Diu. PM distributed keys for scooters to differently-abled beneficiaries, 'SWABHIMAN' cards to pregnant and Lactating Women, 'Badhai Kit' to the newly born girl children under 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. PM also distributed cycles to school-going girls under Saraswati Cycle Yojna, extended loans under 'Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojna' and 'Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana' to beneficiaries.   The PM also distributed permits for CNG drove public transport vehicles for a cleaner environment in Daman.

2. PM Modi flags off “Run for New India” Marathon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the 'Run for New India' marathon in Surat, Gujarat. The Marathon is aimed at creating awareness about social causes and call upon all to resolve to build a New India. The Marathon is divided into 4 categories. Around 1.50 lakh runners participated in the 'Run for New India' marathon which was organized by the Surat Nagrik Samiti.

3. Eight ‘pheras’ proposed for Bihar couples: A Block Development Officer (BDO) in Bihar’s Supaul district has started a new initiative asking Hindu couples to take eight pheras at their wedding. An extra ‘phera’ as a cleanliness pledge. The BDO created a team of officials who have been going to weddings in the district, without a formal invitation, and asking couples to take the eighth phera.

4. National Conference on e-Governance held in Hyderabad: The 21st national conference on e-Governance will be held in Hyderabad. The government of India and Telangana Administrative Reforms department are jointly organizing the conference with the main theme around- technology for accelerating development. The two-day conference will deliberate on several aspects of the e-governance including its universalization and replication, governing e-governance, best practices, emerging technologies and synergizing role of national and state government.

5. Only 7.28% women in country’s police force, the proposed strength is 33%: According to latest government data, women constitute only 7.28% of the country’s police force. This comes despite the government’s repeated directions to all state governments and union territories to increase the strength of women police personnel to 33%. Interestingly, overall crimes against women rose from 3.29 lakh cases in 2015 to 3.38 lakh in 2016.

6. Govt releases list of high-risk finance companies: A list of nearly 9,500 Non-Banking Financial Companies(NBFCs) has been released by the Finance Ministry which have been categorized as ‘High-Risk Financial Institutions’. Adani Capital, Cello Capital and DLF Finvest are some of the companies listed by the Financial Intelligence Unit.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Rome’s Colosseum lit up in red to show protest: The Colosseum in Rome was lit up in red to show solidarity with persecuted Christians, particularly a Catholic woman named Asia Bibi. She has been living on death row under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws since 2010, when she was condemned for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam. Her husband and daughter addressed a gathering at the Colosseum.

2. Sri Lanka to release all the fishermen as a goodwill gesture: Sri Lankan government decided to release remaining 20 Indian fishermen in their custody for charges of poaching in Sri Lankan waters. This will be the first time in recent years that no Indian fishermen are left in Sri Lankan custody. Fishermen from India and Sri Lanka are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other’s territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away.

3. China elected as FATF Vice President: India congratulated China for being elected Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force. China’s election to the FATF assumes significance as Pakistan is set to be put in the watchdog’s grey list. The FATF, also known as ‘Groupe d’action financière’, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. A&N Naval Command to host Milan 2018: The second week of March will witness Andaman & Nicobar Command hosting a multinational mega event MILAN 2018. MILAN is a congregation of littoral navies conducted biennially by Indian Navy at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The theme of this year’s MILAN International Maritime Seminar is ‘In Pursuit of Maritime Good Order - Need for Comprehensive Information Sharing Apparatus’. With the underlying theme of 'Friendship Across the Seas', MILAN 2018 will witness a diverse mix of professional exercises and seminars, social events and sporting fixtures.

2. CRPF starts bike ambulance in Bastar: The CRPF has launched a bike ambulance initiative in areas of anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, for providing basic healthcare facilities to those living in remote jungle areas of Bastar region. Medical teams, accompanied by well-armed security personnel ride their motorcycles to help the sick and injured in about 70 villages. The battalion is based in Bijapur.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Airtel joins global alliance for net in air: Bharti Airtel said it has joined a new global collaboration to bring high-speed and uninterrupted in-flight data connectivity to mobile customers. The global partnership Seamless Alliance, whose other founding members include OneWeb, Airbus, Delta and Sprint, will work towards leveraging satellite technology. It will offer high-speed data connectivity even in the sky.

SPORTS:

1. High jumper Tejaswin breaks his own high jump record: Tejaswin Shankar broke his own national record by clearing a height of 2.28m. Shankar had set the record at the 2.26m mark at the Junior National Championships in Coimbatore in 2016 when he was a school boy. The height cleared by Shankar is the best this year amongst athletes from Commonwealth countries.

2. Sameer Verma beats ex-world no. 2 to win Swiss Open: Indian shuttler Sameer Verma beat former world number two Jan O Jorgensen and clinched the men’s singles title at the $150,000 Swiss Open Super 300 tournament. Verma, who joins Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy as the Indian shuttlers who have won the Swiss Open, had clinched the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold last year.

3. PyeongChang Winter Olympics concludes: The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony. In the closing ceremony, the Olympic flag was handed over to Chinese organisers for the next Winter Games in Beijing in 2022. With the 2022 Games, Beijing will become the first city in the world to host both the summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games after hosting the Summer Games in 2008.