Daily GK Updates - 15th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Odisha CM launches health scheme : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the start of Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), an universal health coverage scheme in the state on 15th August 2018.The scheme would benefit 70 lakh families.Under the scheme, secondary and tertiary chashless health care assistance will be provided up to Rs 5 lakh per family per annum.

2.Raj to observe Sept as ‘month of nutrition’ : Rajasthan will observe September as the “month of nutrition” to create awareness among people living in the state.In the month of nutrition awareness in rural as well as urban areas will be created for nutrition.From September, students of Class 1 to 8 of government schools will be given milk daily instead of thrice a week.

3.Shaurya Chakra for Major Aditya, Aurangzeb : Rifleman Aurangzeb and Major Aditya Kumar of Indian Army will be conferred the Shaurya Chakra along with 18 others Armed Forces Personnel and members of Paramilitary Forces.Sepoy Vrahma Pal Singh was selected for Kirti Chakra posthumously.The President has approved 131 Gallantry Awards to armed forces personnel and members of paramilitary forces.

4.Prez awards medals to Indian Coast Guard : President of India has awarded one President’s Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished Service, five Tatrakshak Medal for Gallantry and two Tatrakshak Medal for Meritorious Service on the  to Indian Coast Guard personnel.The President’s Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished Service has been awarded to IG Rakesh Pal.These awards are being given to the personnel of Indian Coast Guard since 1990.

5.Scheme for monitoring drugs safety aspects : The AYUSH Ministry introduced a new central sector scheme for monitoring of the safety aspects of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and documenting their adverse effects.The ministry introduced the scheme for promoting pharmacovigilance of these drugs.All India Institute of Ayurveda was designated as the National Pharmacovigilance Centre.

6.WB govt lifts income ceiling for ‘Kanyashree’ : The West Bengal government has widened the reach of its flagship women welfare scheme ‘Kanyashree’ by lifting the ceiling on annual family income.As per the scheme, unmarried girls above 13 years are offered cash incentive for remaining unmarried till 18.Kanyashree was launched in 2013 to prevent child marriage in economically weaker sections with an annual household income of ₹1.2 lakh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 24th World Congress of Philosophy held in Beijing, China : The five days 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) was held in Beijing, China (13 to 17 August) 2018.The objective of the WCP is to contribute to the development of professional relations between philosophers of all countries, promote philosophical education, and contribute to the impact of philosophical knowledge on global problems.The theme of WCP was “Learning To Be Human”.Around 6,000 philosophers & academics from 121 countries and regions had attended the event.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. REC inks pact with German bank : Rural Electrification Corporation has inked a loan agreement with German bank KfW for EUR 200 million.The fund will be used to finance clean energy projects in India.This is REC’s fourth line of credit under Indo-German development cooperation which REC will utilise to finance renewable energy projects in India.

SPORTS:

1. Ramesh appointed women’s team head coach : The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Ramesh Powar as the Head Coach of Indian Women’s Cricket Team.Powar’s term will include a tour to Sri Lanka, a bilateral series in the West Indies in October 2018 followed by the ICC Women’s World T20 in West Indies in November 2018.Powar has played 31 ODIs and two Tests from 2004 to 2007 for India.

Daily GK Updates - 14th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Rajnath inaugurates NDMC Smart City projects : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated various initiatives as part of smart city project of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on 13th August, 2018.The facilities inaugurated includes smart poles with free wi-fi, 360 degree cameras and environmental sensors, solar tree with the LED lights, mobile charging points, ideation centre for promoting smart city entrepreneurs.

2. IRDA constitutes working group : Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) constituted a working group to the norms for insurance surveyors.The 7-member working group has been formed to address areas pertaining to licensing, renewal and others in the context of the existing regulatory framework for Surveyors and Loss Assessors.The working group will submit its report within 2 months.

3. Govt dismisses Usha Ananthasubramanian : The government has dismissed Usha Ananthasubramanian, former managing director of scam-hit Punjab National Bank and Allahabad Bank, from service.Usha, who completed her one year as the CEO & MD of Allahabad Bank on May 6 2018.She also served as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Punjab National Bank from August 2015 to May 2017.

4. Uttarakhand HC appoints itself as guardian : The Uttarakhand high court said it would act as the legal guardian of cows in the state.The court did this by invoking the ‘parens patriae’ doctrine and is a doctrine that grants the court inherent power and authority to act as guardian for those who are unable to take care for themselves.

The court banned slaughter of cows, bulls, bullocks, heifers or calves in the state.

5. Hry to launch Ayushman Bharat in 22 districts : Haryana will launch its pilot health project Ayushman Bharat Haryana from August 15, 2018 in 22 district hospitals, one ESI and one medical college.Under this scheme medical facility upto Rs 5 lakh will be provided for free to 15.50 lakh families.Initially this facility will be provided in government hospitals, which would later be started in empanelled private hospitals.

6. Jodhpur, Marwar cleanliest railway stations : Rajasthan’s Jodhpur and Marwar railway stations have emerged the cleanliest among the major stations in the country.While Jodhpur secured the first position in A1 category stations for 2018, Marwar took the pole position in A category, according to the study report released Nby Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.the North Western Railway (NWR) topped the list as the cleanest zone.

7. First project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme : The first project under the central government’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme, ‘North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom’, will be inaugurated by Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla on 14th August, 2018.

The project covers 2 sites – Kangla Fort and Khongjom.‘Swadesh Darshan’ is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Tourism for the development of thematic circuits in the country.

8.First project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme : The first project under the central government’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme, ‘North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom’, will be inaugurated by Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla on 14th August, 2018.

The project covers 2 sites – Kangla Fort and Khongjom.‘Swadesh Darshan’ is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Tourism for the development of thematic circuits in the country.

9. Pune tops Ease of Living Index 2018 : Pune has topped the Ease of Living Index 2018, followed by Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai.This was announced at the launch of the Index as well as Swachh Survekshan 2019 in New Delhi on 13th August 2018.The Ease of Living Index will help cities assess their liveability in relation to global and national benchmarks.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vienna is world’s most liveable city : Vienna has replaced Melbourne for the first time at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index.

Damascus retained the last place, followed by the Dhaka, and Lagos in Nigeria.

The survey does not include several of the world’s most dangerous capitals, such as Baghdad and Kabul.

2. India rejects U.K. proposal on DNA tests :India rejected a proposal by the U.K. to use DNA sampling to establish the nationality of illegal migrants living there citing “privacy issues”.As per the proposal, security agencies in India were to verify the antecedents of illegal migrants without documents in the U.K. within 72 days and those with documents within 15 days.India refused to sign the final pact in April 2018.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Inflation slows to 9-month low at 4.17% : Retail inflation eased to a nine-month low of 4.17% in July 2018 as food inflation cooled to its lowest level since July 2017.

Inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) slowed from the 4.92% pace set in June 2018.Among all the Indian states and Union Territories, West Bengal recorded the highest annual inflation rate of 7.37%.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Terms of two PSU banks’ chairmen extended : he government gave two-years extension to non-executive chairman of two public sector banks.Canara Bank Chairman T N Manoharan and Bank of India Chairman G Padmanabhan were given two-years extension each.They were appointed chairmen in August 2014 for a term of three years.

DEFENCE:

1. JCOs are gazetted officers, says Defence Min : Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) in the Indian military are gazetted officers, the Defence Ministry has clarified in an order issued on August 1, 2018.The Ministry has instructed the three services to issue suitable identity cards to the JCOs immediately in the order.JCOs and equivalent officer having been accorded gazetted officer status by an Act of Parliament.

SPORTS:

1. Smitha tops list of India’s wealthiest women : Smitha V. Crishna was ranked first in the ‘Kotak Wealth Hurun-Leading Wealthy Women 2018 list’.Roshni Nadar, the CEO and executive director at HCL, ranks second in the list.The chairperson of the Times Group, Indu Jain, ranks third in the list.Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder and MD of Biocon, ranks fourth in the list.

Daily GK Updates - 13th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nirmala Sitharaman dedicates to nation bridge at Hussainiwala border in Punjab : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dedicated to the nation a bridge at the Hussainiwala border in Ferozepur district of Punjab.It is a permanent bridge as the old one was demolished in 1971 during the Indo-Pak war to stop the advancement of the Pakistani forces.The bridge is the only lifeline for nearly 10 villages connecting Hussainiwala enclave with the rest of the country.

2.  Swachh Survekshan 2019 : 2019 Swachh Survekshan will focus on sustainability and public participation.Swachh Survekshan 2019 will be conducted across all cities and towns across the country between 4th – 31st January 2019.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 12 August: International Youth Day : The International Youth Day (IYD) is observed every year on 12^th August(first in 2000) to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.The theme for International Youth Day 2018 is “Safe space for Youth”.There are currently 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world.

2. 12 August: World Elephant Day : The World Elephant Day (WED) is being observed to spread awareness about the animal.The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated a four-day special event Gaj Mahotsav in New Delhi,The goal of International Elephant Day is to create awareness of the urgent plight of African and Asian elephants and to share knowledge and management of captive & wild elephants.

3. Nepal-India literature festival 2018 begins in Birgunj : The two-day Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018 has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Province 2 Mohammad Lalbabu Raut in Birgunj, Nepal.The festival is aimed at strengthening Indo-Nepal ties.Around 250 participants from India and Nepal, organized by Nepal India Co-operation Forum.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Axis Bank introduces iris authentication for Aadhaar-based transactions : Axis bank has become the first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan Authentication feature (customer to scan their iris on a tablet) for Aadhaar -based transactions through its micro ATM tablets.It will boost the bank's financial inclusion efforts by making Aadhaar authentication process hassle-free and offering easier access to digital banking for consumers especially in the rural parts of the country.This is being run as a pilot project in 8 branches of rural Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. NASA launches parker solar probe to ‘Touch Sun’ : US space agency the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) blasted off a USD 1.5 billion spacecraft toward the Sun on a historic mission to protect the Earth by unveiling the mysteries of dangerous solar storms.The Parker Solar Probe rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.The probe is set to become the fastest-moving manmade object in history.It is the first spacecraft to be named after a living person - astrophysicist Eugene Parker, 91, who first described solar wind in 1958.

2.  India to launch its 2nd lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 on January 3 next year : According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan, India will launch its 2^nd lunar mission "Chandrayaan-2" (3,890-kg) on 3^rd January 2019 to land on the moon with a lander and rover.It will be launched onboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-3.It will orbit around the moon and study its lunar conditions to collect data on its topography, mineralogy and exosphere.This is the first time India will have a rover landing on the moon nearly 50 years after American astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the eerie lunar surface in 1969.

SPORTS:

 1. Viraj Madappa wins maiden Asian Tour title : Indian golfer Viraj Madappa  has become the youngest Indian to win on the Asian Tour.He won his maiden title on the Asian Tour at Take Solutions Masters in Bengaluru and USD 63,000 cheque. Earlier, the record held by Gaganjeet Bhullar, who won the Indonesia Invitational when he was 21-years

OBITUARIES:

1. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee passes away : Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee passed away due to multi-organ failure at a city hospital in Kolkata.Chatterjee served as Lok Sabha Speaker during the UPA-I rule (2004 to 2009).He was elected to Parliament’s Lower House for ten times since 1971.He won the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1996.In July 2008, he was expelled from the Communist Party of India(Marxist) for refusing to resign as Speaker after his party CPM

Daily GK Updates - 12th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.ISRO to celebrate Sarabhai centenary : The Indian Space Research Organisation will have a year-long Vikram Sarabhai centenary celebration starting in August 2019 to honour visionary scientist and its legendary founding father.Sarabhai, the architect of the Indian space programme, the first ISRO chief and renowned cosmic ray scientist, was born on August 12, 1919.

2. Gita Mittal is first Woman CJ of J&K : Justice Gita Mittal became the first-ever woman Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.She was administered the oath of office by Governor NN Vohra.The ceremony took place at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

3. AIIMS starts wellness clinic to tackle stress : All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has started a wellness clinic for its medical students and doctors.Medical college in India experiences the highest level of stress than students in any other country.The wellness clinic is being run under the supervision of the AIIMS psychiatric department.

4. Tahilramani sworn-in CJ of Madras HC : Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani was sworn-in as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court by Governor Banwarilal Purohit at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Sunday.The new Chief Justice, along with Justice M. Duraiswamy would hear from August 13.She was born in 1958 and started practice in the Bombay High Court as well as City Civil and Sessions courts in Mumbai in 1982.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.efence Minister meet South Korea counterpar : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with South Korean counterpart Young-Moo Song.The two ministers discussed “issues of mutual interest” and ways to strengthen cooperation in defence and security.The meeting comes ahead of a planned high-level meeting between the rival Koreas on Monday.

2. Pak Navy’s maritime ship to visit Colombo : Pakistan Navy’s maritime security ship ‘Kashmir’ to visit Sri Lanka’s Colombo port on Monday for a four days visit.During the stay the officers and men of the ship will take part in various professional activities with Sri Lankan Navy.

3. Meeting of Senior Officials of BIMSTEC held : A special meeting of Senior Officials of the Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was held in Kathmandu on 11th Aug.Senior officers from all member states and Secretary General of BIMSTEC attended the meeting.The group was formed in 1997.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. FPIs infused Rs 8,500-cr in capital markets : Foreign investors have pumped in over Rs 8,500 crore into the Indian capital markets in the last eight trading sessions.The latest fund infusion comes following a net inflow of over Rs 2,300 crore in the capital markets equity and debt last month.Prior to this overseas investors had pulled out over Rs 61,000 crore during April-June

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI to sell NPA worth Rs 2490 crore : SBI will sell two non-performing assets worth Rs. 2490 crore.These two accounts include Bombay Rayon worth Rs 2260.79 crore and Shivam Dhatu worth Rs 229.32 crore.The e-bids will be processed on August 20

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. World’s first mission to touch the Sun starts : NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, mankind’s first mission to ‘touch’ the Sun, has been launched today on a seven-year long journey.Liftoff took place from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the US early today.The Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona.

DEFENCE:

1. Army to produce products for soldiers in India : The Army is giving final touches to a long-pending project to manufacture specialized clothing, sleeping kits and key equipment for its soldiers deployed in the Siachen glacier – the world’s most dangerous battlefield.Currently, Army source the clothes and other equipment from US. Australia, Canada, and Switzerland.The army will save nearly 300 crores annually by indigenous production.

SPORTS:

1.Badminton championship: Jayaram ends runnerup : Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram had to be content with a runner-up at the Vietnam Open after losing the final to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City.It was second consecutive runner-up finish for Jayaram on the circuit as he had also reached the final at the White Nights International Challenge, last month.The 30-year-old Indian had an impressive run at the tournament.

OBITUARIES:

1. VS Naipaul passes away : British novelist and Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Sir. V.S. Naipaul passed away in London.Sir Vidia, who was born in rural Trinidad in 1932, was known for works including ‘A Bend in the River ‘and his masterpiece, ‘A House for Mr Biswas’.He published more than thirty books, both of fiction and nonfiction, over some fifty years.

Daily GK Updates - 11th August, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Modi launched the digital platform Parivesh : Modi launched the digital platform the “Pro Active and Responsive facilitation by interactive and Virtuous Environment Single window Hub” (Parivesh).It is an initiative of the Environment Ministry.Through this portal, environmental clearances for forest and climate-related issues will be done easily. He also gave clearance to the first project which is being built in Odisha via Parivesh.

2. Exhibition inaugurated by Ministry of Culture : An exhibition entitled ‘Prathibandhit Sahitya mein Swatantrata Sangram’ (Freedom Movement through Proscribed Literature) was inaugurated on 10th August in the premises of National Archives of India, in New Delhi.The Exhibition was based on the unique collection of proscribed literature.It is being organised by Ministry of Culture.

3. Rajendra Menon sworn in as CJ of Delhi HC : Justice Rajendra Menon was sworn in as the new Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court by Lt Governor Anil Baijal at a ceremony held at the Raj Niwas in New Delhi.Justice Menon was earlier the Chief Justice of Patna High Court.He succeeded Justice Gita Mittal, who was elevated to head the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

4. Santali to get own Wiki edition : Santali has become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its own script after the Santali Wikipedia went live earlier this month.Wikipedia contributors from India, Bangladesh and Nepal generated the content for the page, officials said.Santhali is written in Ol Chiki script and spoken by 6.4 million people, according to the 2001 census.

5. ree sex change operations – Kerala : The Kerala government will foot the bill for transgenders willing to undergo sex change operations, CM Pinarayi Vijayan has announced.An amount of ₹2 lakh will be reimbursed as hospital expenses, while those who have already undergone such surgeries can also apply for reimbursement.Earlier, Tamil Nadu had announced free sex change surgeries in government hospitals for transgenders.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.SCO Peace Mission 2018 - Russia : As part of Shanghai Cooperation Organization initiatives, SCO Peace Mission Exercise is conducted biennially for SCO member states.The joint exercise for the year 2018 will be conducted from 22 August to 29 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk, Russia.This will be a historic occasion due to the maiden participation of India post becoming a full member of the SCO in June 2017.

2. World’s 1st Hindi-Speaking Robot ‘Rashmi’ : Ranchi-based software developer Ranjit Srivastava is developing the world’s first Hindi-speaking humanoid robot, claimed to cost just Rs 50,000 so far.Named Rashmi, the AI-powered robot can also speak Bhojpuri, Marathi, and English, and is equipped with facial expressions and recognition systems.He was inspired to create Rashmi after seeing Hong Kong-made humanoid ‘Sophia’ in 2016.

3. Army Commander heads for China to visit Delhi : India and China will be engaged in a series of military related confidence building measures over the next 2 weeks.It includes visit by Chinese Defence Minister to Delhi in the backdrop of the Wuhan Summit.A four-member Indian Army delegation headed by Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Abhay Krishna will be going on a “goodwill visit” to China from August 13 to 19.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Industrial output hits 4-month high of 7%Industrial output recorded a four-month high growth rate of 7% in June on account of higher output in mining, manufacturing and power generation segments.The cumulative growth for the period April-June 2018 stands at 5.2% over the corresponding period of the previous year.The manufacturing sector, which constitutes 77.63% of the index, grew by 6.9 per cent in June

2. US to create Space Force by 2020 :The US Defence Department will create a Space Force as the sixth branch of the military by 2020, Vice President Mike Pence announced.Advancements in space technology made it clear that space is the new battlefield for the 21st Century, Pence said.Pence also announced plans to establish the US Space Command and the Space Development Agency.

SPORTS:

1. Lionel Messi named Barcelona’s captain : Lionel Messi will replace Andrés Iniesta as Barcelona’s captain for the new season, after the latter ended his 22-year stint at the Spanish club.Messi, who already wears the armband for Argentina, has previously led Barça in Iniesta’s absence.Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentine national team.