Daily GK Updates - 29th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Modi launches 81 investment projects : PM Modi launched 81 investment projects worth over ₹60,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh at a ground-breaking event.The projects are expected to give a big boost to industrialisation in the state and have the potentials of creating over 2 lakh jobs.Around 80 leading industrialists, including Gautam Adani participated in the event, which comes close on the heels of ‘Investors Summit’.

2. India’s agricultural land is shrinking : According to the government data, in 2017, nearly 40 lakh hectares of agricultural land was impacted because of water woes.It has resulted in a drop in the area under cultivation for crops like rice, pulses & oilseeds.With 1/3^rd of agriculture activities in India still depending on groundwater for irrigation, the country’s cultivated land is shrinking due to depleting ground water levels.

3. Venkaiah Naidu to be Chancellor : Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu has been appointed as the Chancellor of the Pondicherry Central University.The appointment was notified by the President, Ram Nath Kovind, in his capacity as Visitor of the university.The tenure of the Chancellor will be five years.

4. Fee drugs, diagnostics for hepatitis B & C : Considering the disease burden of viral hepatitis, government will now offer free drugs and diagnosis for Hepatitis B and C.The arrangement has been made under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program launched.The aim of the initiative is to reduce morbidity and mortality due to viral hepatitis.The government aims to eliminate viral Hepatitis by 2030.

5. States agree to supply milk under Mid-Day Meal : Most states, including Rajasthan, have agreed to supply milk for 2 days a week through Mid-Day Meal & Anganwadi schemes.This has been done in order to absorb surplus stock & ensure better prices to farmers, Animal Husbandry & Dairy.Farmers are in distress in key milk-producing states because of fall in procurement rate amid surplus milk production & piling up of skimmed milk powder.

6. Rajasthan signs MoU for first cow sanctuary : Rajasthan will soon have its first ‘cow sanctuary’, a shelter for 10,000 bovines spread over an area of more than 220 hectares in Bikaner district.The state government has signed a memorandum of understanding with a private trust in this regard.The state already has a ministry dedicated to welfare of cows and last year it had announced a 10% surcharge on stamp duty towards cow protection.

7. Assam to implement Pranam Scheme : Assam government has decided to implement PRANAM (Parent Responsibility & Norms for Accountability and Monitoring) Scheme that aims to ensure that government staff take care of their parents & physically challenged siblings.It mandates deduction of 10-15% of the gross salary of employees who do not take care of their parents & disabled siblings.

It will come into force from October 2, 2018.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Blockchain Congress : Hyderabad will host a 3 day International Blockchain Congress beginning August 3.Jointly hosted by NITI Aayog, Telangana & Goa governments, IBC will bring together 3,000+ blockchain enthusiasts, innovators, businesses & regulators.Global Blockchain Protocol Consortium, a body of various countries to further progress the evolution of blockchain technology, will be launched at the congress.

2. 4-lane highway along Indo-Bhutan border : Centre has agreed in principle to construct a four-lane highway of 264 KM along Indo-Bhutan border encompassing four districts of the state.The new connectivity would bring in revolutionary changes not only in connectivity but also in trade and commerce of the areas.The Bhutan–India border is 699 km long, and adjoins the Indian states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Sikkim.

3. First non-Muslim to win National Assembly seat : Mahesh Malani of Pakistan Peoples Party’s has become the first Hindu candidate to win a National Assembly seat.Malani contested & won the National Assembly (NA-222) Tharparkar-II seat in southern Sindh province, after defeating 14 candidates.Non-Muslims got the right to vote & contest on general seats in 2002 after the then president Gen Pervez Musharraf made amendments in the Constitution.

4. International Tiger Day : International Tiger Day is is celebrated every year on 29 July to raise awareness about tiger conservation.It was started in 2010 at the Saint Petersberg Tiger Summit in Russia in view of the alarming fall in the number of wild tigers.Many factors have caused their numbers to fall, including habitat loss, climate change, hunting and poaching.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. OYO inks pact with SBI, Bank of Baroda : OYO has inked an MoU with SBI and Bank of Baroda for extending support to budget hotels and create jobs across levels.The MoU will enable financial support for OYO’s existing & potential hotel partners for fuelling transformation and standardisation at their properties.These loans will help individuals hailing from Tier II and III cities to be self-employed and run their own budget assets.

SPORTS:

1. Baker breaks 100m backstroke world record : Kathleen Baker has set a world record in winning the 100-metres backstroke at the US national swimming championships.Baker, silver medalist in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, improved on the world record of 58.10 set by Canadian Kylie Masse.Baker’s performance was more remarkable because she has long had to deal with Crohn’s disease.

2. Sourabh lifts Russian Open Badminton trophy : Ace Indian shuttler Sourabh Verma lifted the Russian Open Badminton trophy at Vladivostok.In the title clash, Sourabh came back from a game behind to beat Japan’s Koki Watanabe, 18-21, 21-12, 21-17, and win his first title of the season.He had clinched the Chinese Taipei Grand Pri Gold and finished runners-up at the Bitburger Open in 2016.

Daily GK Updates - 28th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Odisha to implement its own food security act : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced that the state government would implement its own food security act from October 2 this year.Odisha’s own food security act would cover nearly 34.44 lakh people who have been left out from the National Food Security Act (NFSA).Earlier, Odisha had launched a scheme to provide rice to poor at Rs 2 per kg in 2008.

2. HRD minister releases AISHE Report 2017-18 : The Ministry of HRD organized a National Conference of Vice Chancellors & Directors of Higher Education Institutions of India in New Delhi on Guru Purnima.The theme of the conference was “Research and innovation in Higher Education”.The Minister released the All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) Report 2017-18, Higher Educational Profile 2017-18, and Swachh Campus Manual.

3. National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme : A National Viral Hepatitis control programme was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the World Health Organisation.The programme was launched on World Hepatitis Day with an aim to combat viral hepatitis and reduce mortality and morbidity associated with it.It has been launched in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), 2030.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nepal-India Think Tank Summit : The first ‘Nepal-India Think Tank’ summit will begin in Kathmandu to foster greater knowledge-sharing among the think tanks of the 2 countries.The summit, proposed to become an annual feature for the participating organisations, will be hosted alternatively each year in Nepal & India.The summit aims to support networks & promote mutual understanding through institutional collaboration.

2. BRICS nations adopt Johannesburg Declaration : The heads of state and government of all five BRICS nations convened for the 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.The BRICS leaders came together and discussed various international and regional issues of common concern and adopted the ‘Johannesburg Declaration’ by consensus.The declaration comes as the United States and China remain deadlocked in a trade war over tariffs.

3. Shivangi scales Mount Kilimanjaro : Shivangi Pathak has scaled the Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro in 3 days.Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro measures 5,895 meters in height.She is from Haryana and is also the youngest Indian woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest.

4. Longest Lunar eclipse of the century : Skywatchers around the world have witnessed the longest “blood moon” eclipse of the 21st Century.The eclipse lasted for one hour 43 minutes, and was visible in Europe, West Asia, Africa, Australia, most of Asia and South America.A total lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, and covers the Moon with its shadow.

5. World Hepatitis Day 2018 : Every year on 28 July, the world comes together to commemorate World Hepatitis Day.World Hepatitis Day is an initiative of the WHO to spread awareness about this liver disease and minimise the burden of hepatitis globally.Viral hepatitis, be it hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C, are a group of diseases that affect the liver.

5. Invest India and UAE Ministry sign MoU : Invest India & UAE Minister for Artificial Intelligence has signed a MoU for India – UAE Artificial Intelligence Bridge in New Delhi.The MoU will spur development across areas like Blockchain, AI and Analytics as data and processing will be a catalyst for innovation and business growth.It will generate an estimated $20 billion in economic benefits during the next decade for both countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. ONGC presented with INFRA Icon Award : ONGC has been bestowed with INFRA Icon Award in the ‘Global Energy’ category at the mid-day ‘INFRA Icons’.ONGC has received the top corporate level award in recognition of its valuable contribution in upgrading the country as a whole.ONGC is the second largest exploration and production (E&P) company in the world.

2. ICICI Bank reports loss for the first time : ICICI Bank, India’s largest private sector lender by assets, has reported a net loss of ₹120 crore on a stand-alone basis for the June quarter.This is the first time that the bank has reported losses from its India operations.The bank had taken a mark-to-market hit of ₹218 crore on its investments in government securities during the quarter.

  

BANKING/FIANANCE:

1. Paytm Payments Bank CEO Renu Satti resigns : Paytm Payments Bank CEO Renu Satti has resigned from the role and will now head Paytm’s new retail initiative.In the past, she has built businesses ground up that include marketplace, movie ticketing and Paytm Payments Bank.Under the ‘New Retail’ model, consumers will soon be able to discover nearby pharmacies, groceries and other shops to place an order and get instant deliveries.

DEFENCE:

1. Made in India’ engines for the Army : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has formally handed over two types of indigenously built high-power multi-fuel engines to the Army.The first engine V92S2 engine powers T-90 Bhisma Tank, the second engine V-46-6 engine powers the T-72 Ajeya Tank and its variants.The Engine Factory under the Make in India programme manufactured the two engines with 100 percent local parts.

OBITUARIES:

1. Cherkallam Abdullah passes away : Senior IUML leader and former Kerala Minister, Cherkallam Abdullah, passed away after a prolonged illness.He was 76 and was undergoing treatment for heart ailment.He was a prominent leader of the Opposition Congress-led UDF in north Kerala and is survived by wife, two sons and two daughters.He entered the parliamentary politics in 1987.

Daily GK Updates - 27th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. SC Scheme to include child victims : The Supreme Court said that a government scheme for rape survivors should include child victims of sexual assault.SC suggested that the Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of SexualAssault/Other Crimes-2018, proposed by the National Legal Services Authority should include child victims.

2. Projects for 6,320 km roads awarded : Projects for constructing 6,320 km of road have been awarded under the first phase of the Bharatmala project.Under the first phase, a total of 34,800 km of road, including 10,000 km of residualNHDP (National Highway Development Project) have been approved for development.The first phase of Bharatmala is to be implemented during the period from 2017-18 to 2021-22.

3. Railways to launch ‘Mission Satyanishtha’ : All the 13 lakh employees of the Indian Railways will take turns to swear an oath publicly to “bring about integrity” and “eradicate corruption”.Termed “Mission Satyanishtha”, the program will involve railwaymen attending formal training course on probity and integrity in public life.

Railway Board members and all senior officers of the ministry will swear the oath of ethics and integrity.

4. Kerala to host Global Hackathon series : AngelHack, the world’s largest hackathon organisers, will conduct the Global Hackathon series in the Kerala Startup Mission on July 28 and 29.The challenge for this round of the hackathon is to address problems that prevent female entrepreneurship, with its focus on health, safety, economic empowerment and culture.The hackathon is being organised to solve social or environmental problems.

5. Govt approves new scheme to empower women : The government has approved a new scheme to empower rural women through community participation.The cost for implementing the scheme, Mahila Shakti Kendra, from 2017-18 up to 2019-20 would be shared in the 60:40 ratio between the Centre and states.The scheme is envisaged to work at the national level and state level to governments on issues related to women.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World’s oldest person dies at 117 : The world’s oldest person, a 117-year-old Japanese woman, has died.Miyako, born on May 2, 1901, became the world’s oldest person in April after Nabi Tajima from the Kikai island in southern Japan died at age 117.Guinness said the successor to her world record is yet to be confirmed.

2. Kochi airport gets UN environmental award : The United Nations has honoured the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) with ‘Champion of Earth’ award for being the firstairport in the world to be completely powered by solar energy.CIAL is the first airport in the world to receive the highest environmental award issued by the United Nations.UN established ‘Champion of Earth’ award in 2005 to recognise outstanding environmental leaders.

3. India, B’desh Coast Guards conduct exercise : The Indian Coast Guard conducted a bilateral table-top exercise on maritime pollution response with Bangladesh Coast Guard.The two-day exercise is being conducted in the backdrop of the MoU signed between India and South Asian Cooperation for Environment Protection (SACEP).

The SACEP was approved by Union Cabinet in May 2018.

4. Bharat & Sonam named Ramon Magsaysay winners : Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk are among the winners of Ramon Magsaysay Award 2018.Bharat Vatwani is a psychiatrist who works for mentally-ill people living on the streets.Sonam Wangchuk, known for his reforms in the education sector in Ladakh.The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often referred to as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.

5. 6th India-UK SIC Meeting held in Delhi : The 6th India-UK Science & Innovation Council (SIC) meeting was held in New Delhi on 26th July 2018.In the meeting a range of issues on S&T cooperation between the two countries were discussed.Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, India and Mr. Sam Gyimah, Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, UK led the Indian and UK delegations respectively.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. DoT clears Vodafone, Idea merger : The Department of Telecommunications gave its final approval to the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular.The combination, to be known as Vodafone Idea, will create India’s largest mobile-phone company.

The next process is to notify the Registrar of Companies and get the company registered.

BANKING/FINANCE :

1. SoftBank partners with Paytm : SoftBank Group Corp will launch a digital payments service in Japan, and has partnered Paytm for the service.The service PayPay will be launched by SoftBank’s joint venture PayPay Corporation (with Yahoo Japan) in 2018.Paytm offers seamless mobile payments to over 300 million customers and 8 million merchants in India.

SPORTS:

1. India secures top position in archery : The Indian women’s compound archery team has been ranked as the No. 1 team in the latest world rankings.The team, which comprises of V. Jyothi Surekha, Trisha Deb, P. Lily Chanu, Muskan Kirar, Divya Dhayal, and Madhumita, reached the top spot with 342.6 points.World Archery Association also announced the rank in compound mixed team and India bagged fifth rank in world rankings.

Daily GK Updates - 26th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.NITI Aayog mulls using PSUs’ CSR funds : The NITI Aayog is seeking to realign the deployment of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in accordance with the pressing requirements in aspirational districts.The transformation of aspirational districts is a flagship initiative of the Centre in partnership with State governments, anchored at the NITI Aayog.

2. Government amends definition of hydrocarbon : The government has amended the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 1959 to include shale in the definition of petroleum.The change would allow private companies to explore and produce the resource in the blocks they already operate.It would help in enhancing domestic exploration and production of hydrocarbons and increasing India’s energy security and reducing dependency on imports.

3. Free WiFi services for villages : All villages adopted by the Member of Parliaments under ‘Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna’, will be provided free WiFi services across India by the Government.The government has proposed to set up 25000 WiFi hotspots at existing rural exchanges of BSNL.The government has targeted to link each of the 2.5 lakh gram panchayats of India through optical fibre network under Bharat Net Project.

4. Rajnath to inaugurate 2nd conference of SPs : Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the second conference of young Superintendents of Police in New Delhi.The theme of the conference is, ‘Predictive Policing and Contemporary Challenges for Indian Police Forces’.The objective is to generate awareness among young SPs and commandants in the areas of artificial intelligence, cyber crime and surveillance tracking.

5. Kovind to launch Sanchar Kranti Yojna : President Ram Nath Kovind will launch Chhattisgarh government’s Sanchar Kranti Yojna at Jagdalpur in the Naxal-affected Bastar region.Under the scheme, 50 lakh smartphones will be distributed free of cost to the people.President Ram Nath Kovind is on a two-day trip to Chhattisgarh’s Bastar range.

6. Parliament passes fugitive offenders bill : Parliament has given its nod to legislation that will help the government to bring back fugitives to stand trial in India.The bill empowers the government to attach properties of fugitives who run away from the country after committing tax and loan related offences.The Bill enables action against economic offenders committing offences worth Rs.100 crore and above.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Earth Overshoot Day 2018 is on August 1 : In 2018, the Earth Overshoot day is set to fall on August 1, which is two days earlier than last year’s date, as predicted by the Global Footprint Network (GFN).GFN is a think tank which observes the usage of natural resources every year.The day signifies the official date when the yearly ecological budget of natural resources is completely exhausted by human beings.

2. 10th BRICS Summit in South Africa : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 25 landed in South Africa to take part in the 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg.This 2018 theme for BRICS summit in Africa is ‘cooperation for inclusive growth and sharing the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution’.Twin stamps of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela will also be released during the meeting of PM Modi and Cyril Ramaphosa.

3. Int. Children’s Film Festival inaugurated : 18th International Children’s Film Festival was inaugurated on 25th July in West Bengal.The festival is being organised by Cine Central, one of the oldest cine clubs of the country in collaboration with the UNICEF.Thirty-six films from 17 countries will be screened in the festival.The inaugural film of the festival is ‘Moana’ from the USA.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. SEBI proposes using UPI : The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed allowing investors to use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) while bidding for shares in an initial public offer (IPO).This will reduce the public issue timeline from the current T+6 to T+3.T+3 refers to a system wherein the equity shares would be listed on the bourses on the third day from the day the IPO closes.

SPORTS:

1. Floyd Pinto is Indian Arrow head coach : All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Floyd Pinto as the head coach of the Delhi-based Indian Arrow football club.The decision was taken unanimously at AIFF’s technical committee meeting, headed by the chairman of the committee, Shyam Thapa.The committee confirmed that the deputy coach of the Indian Arrow will be appointed later.

2. Virat receives Int Player of the Year award : Virat Kohli received the International Player of the Year award for 2017-2018 from England’s Barmy Army.Barmy Army is a popular fan club of English cricket supporters.In 2018, Kohli has played a total of 19 matches across formats and has scored 1181 runs with an average of 65.61. He has scored four hundred and four half-centuries.

Daily GK Updates - 25th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Meeting of Nat Council under POSHAN Abhiyaan : Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has organised the 2nd meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under POSHAN Abhiyaan on 24th July 2018 in New Dehli under the Chairmanship of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.The month of September to be celebrated as National Nutrition Month every year.POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched on 8th March 2018.

2. Rajnath Singh inaugurates Traders Conclave : Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 3-day National Traders’ Conclave organised by the Confederation of All-India Traders, in New Delhi.The discussion on simplification of GST, policy for e-commerce, the relevance of FDI in retail business, digital payment & digitization of retail business etc. took place.The conclave is organised by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

3. Media banned inside Karnataka assembly : Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has issued an order to not allow access to media personnel inside the Vidhana Soudha- the state assembly building.To begin with, the movement of journalists and media personnel will be restricted inside the Vidhana Soudha on a day-to-day basis.This is the first time that such a move has been initiated in Karnataka state assembly.

4. WCD Ministry launches ‘#Childline1098’ Contest : The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a contest, #Childline1098, inviting people to share images of the Childline 1098 logo that they spot at unique locations and send it with a tagline.The contest has been organised to mark ‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’ on July 30.The Childline has been operating at 450 locations across the country.

5. ‘The most ambitious book’ on Mahatma Gandhi : Renowned historian and author of several bestselling books, Ramachandra Guha has penned a new book on the father of the nation.Billed as the most definitive new biography of Gandhi, the upcoming book is titled “Gandhi: The years that changed the world (1914-1948)”.It will not only tell the story of Gandhi’s life, but also the history of our freedom movement and its many strands.

6. Odisha CM launches ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched the ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’, a plantation drive under which 5 crore saplings will be planted in the Mahanadi river basin.The objective of the mission is to stop soil erosion on river banks and recharge the groundwater reserve. The volunteers will plant fruit-bearing trees like mango, jackfruit & jamun within 1 km radius of the river bank.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Graphic novel in Booker Prize longlist : A graphic novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction for the first time on July 24, with Nick Drnaso’s novel Sabrina in contention for the prestigious award.The U.S. cartoonist was among the 13 authors longlisted for the prize which markets itself as the leading literary award in the English-speaking world.The winner receives £50,000 and the award.

2. Mars coming closest to Earth : The mars is making its closest approach to Earth in 15 years.The earth and mars will be just 35.8 million miles (57.6 million kilometres) apart.That means Mars and the sun will be on exact opposite sides of Earth.In 2003, Mars and Earth were the closest in nearly 60,000 years—34.6 million miles (55.7 million kilometres). NASA said that won’t happen again until 2287.

3. Conference of female parliamentarians : Ireland will hold an international conference of female parliamentarians in Dublin.Named “The International Congress of Parliamentary Women’s Caucuses”, the event will be attended by an estimated 300 delegates from over 27 countries and regions.It will be organized by the Irish Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (IWPC), a cross-party forum for female parliamentarians within the Irish parliament.

4. Myanmar to host Asean education meet : Myanmar will host the next Asean Education Ministers Meeting (ASED) that aims to boost its education sector by cooperating with India, China and the US among others.The Association of Southeast Asian Nations partner countries include India, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, US and Australia.The first ASED was held in Singapore in 2006, while the last in Malaysia.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Panel to review third party motor cover costs : Insurance regulator IRDAI has constituted a 16-member committee to examine motor third party insurance pricing aspects and make recommendations on the premium rates for 2019-20.This is for the first time the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has formed such a committee.IRDAI Member – Non Life P.J. Joseph will be the Chairman of the committee.

DEFENCE:

1. IAF to participate in multinational exercise : For the first time, Indian Air Force will be participating in Exercise Pitch Black 2018, a multinational drill scheduled in Australia.Ex Pitch Black is a biennial large force employment warfare exercise hosted by Royal Australian Air Force.It involves over 100 aircraft from around the globe & will provide a unique opportunity to air-warriors to operate in a dynamic warlike environment.

Daily GK Updates - 24th July, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 19th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations begins : The 19th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations began at the Drass War Memorial in Jammu and Kashmir.The Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year for three days till 26th July to commemorate India’s emphatic victory against Pakistan.During the war, the Indian Army evicted Pakistani intruders and succeeded in recapturing the Tiger Hill and other posts as a part of Operation Vijay.

2. Sitamarhi - 1st ODF district in Bihar : Sitamarhi becomes the first Open Defecation Free (ODF) district in Bihar with more than five lakh households having toilets.Bihar needs to construct over six lakh toilets to go ODF by October 2019.Swachh Bharat Mission is a campaign launched on 2 Oct 2014 that aims to achieve Open-Defecation Free and a clean India by 2nd Oct 2019, which is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

3. Odisha forms committee for film development : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has set up a ministerial committee to prepare a draft policy for the development of Odia film industry.The committee headed by Finance Minister S B Behera, will have Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Prafulla Samal and Industries Minister Ananta Das as its members.The committee will examine the problems faced by the Odia film industry.

4. Gadkari kicks off work on road projects in MP : Union roads minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stones for over Rs 35.8 billion of roads projects in Madhya Pradesh.The minister said work on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway passing through Jaipur and the Bhopal-Indore Expressway and the Chambal Expressway will start soon.The minister also inaugurated the upgraded Shivpuri-Guna, Guna-Biora, Lakhanadoan-Chhapara roads.

5. First-ever tribal atlas of Odisha released : Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik released the first tribal atlas of Odisha, a set of maps and statistics highlighting the tribal demography of the state.The atlas has been prepared by the SC & ST Research and Training Institute in collaboration with the Academy of Tribal Language and Culture.The atlas has been brought out utilising the data of Census 2011 and other relevant statistics.

6. Bijli Mitra’ Mobile app in Rajasthan : Farmers in Rajasthan will soon be able to get their defunct transformers replaced within six hours of registering a complaint through a mobile app.The government decided to introduce mobile app ‘Bijli Mitra’ so that farmers can register their complaint.The scheme was being launched on a pilot basis from Jhalawara in Rajasthan.

7. Lupin Foundation adopts 3 districts : An agreement was signed between the Niti Aayog and Lupin Foundation.Lupin Foundation has adopted Dholpur, Vidisha and Nandurbar as part of government’s ‘Aspirational Districts Programme’ under the Niti Aayog.Dholpur in Rajasthan, Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh and Nandurbar in Maharashtra are amongst the districts ranked at the bottom in terms of development.

8. Lok Sabha passes NCTE amendment bill : The Lok Sabha passed a bill to amend the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act.It will provide post-facto approval to those approved institutions which are funded by the Centre or states but do not have recognition under the 1993 law.This has been done as a one-time measure to ensure that the future of students studying in these institutions is not jeopardised.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Venezuela inflation will hit 1,000,000% : Inflation in Venezuela is expected to reach 1,000,000% by the end of 2018, according to the International Monetary Fund.Venezuela’s economy has been steadily collapsing since the crash of oil prices in 2014.Venezuela’s economy is expected to shrink 18% in 2018 — the third consecutive year of double-digit contractions.

2. Pakistan gets its first woman chief justice : Justice Tahira Safdar was named as the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court.Justice Safdar will take charge of her new role following the retirement of incumbent Balochistan High Court Chief Justice.Justice Safdar had made history in 1982 when she became the first woman civil judge in Balochistan.

3. Iran pips S. Arabia in oil supply to India : Iran overtook Saudi Arabia to be the second largest supplier of crude oil to Indian public sector firms during the first three months of current fiscal.Indian PSUs bought 5.67 million tonnes of crude oil from the Persian Gulf nation during April-June, higher than imports from Saudi Arabia.

Imports from Iran were only second to Iraq.

4. India, Rwanda sign eight agreements : India and Rwanda have signed 8 agreements following delegation-level talks between PM Modi & Rwandan President Paul Kagame.The two countries signed agreements in the fields of Defence, Trade, Agriculture, Leather and Dairy.India also extended 2 Lines of Credit of $100 million each – one for development of industrial parks & Kigali SEZ and the other for 3 agricultural projects in Rwanda.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Karnataka sees 300% jump in FDI inflows : Karnataka registered the biggest increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2017, as inflows from overseas jumped 300% in the 12 months ended March 2018.While Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh all saw a drop in FDI inflows, data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) presented in Parliament show.While Karnataka received $8.58 billion in 2017/18 and Tamil Nadu netted $3.47 billion.

2. India drops 3 ranks in FDI Confidence Index : India in 2018 has fallen out of top 10 destinations for FDI in terms of its attractiveness, according to an AT Kearney report.

India ranks 11 in the 2018 AT Kearney FDI Confidence Index, down from 8 in 2017 and 9 in 2016.According to the report, the fall in ranking is due to teething troubles in the implementation of the GST and the government’s demonetisation decision in 2016.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. Materials that respond to light developed’ : Scientists have developed new materials that move when exposed to lightThe light actuated materials created by researchers are based on the principle of the Curie temperature.Curie Temperature is a temperature at which certain magnetic materials undergo a sharp change in their magnetic properties.

SPORTS:

1. Dhanvir Singh wins gold in shotput : Indian shot-putter Dhanvir Singh bagged a gold medal in the ongoing 15th National Youth Athletics Championship.While Adish Ghildiyal of Uttarakhand won the silver medal with a throw of 18.23 metre. Meanwhile, Dhanvir Singh and the winner of Women’s 100-metre hurdle race, Aparna Roy, were declared the ‘Best Athletes’ of the National Youth Athletics Championship.