Daily GK Updates - 25th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Anil Kumar Chaudhary appointed as new SAIL chairman : Anil Kumar Chaudhary has been appointed as the new chairman and Managing Director of the Steel Authority of India (SAIL), country's largest steel making company.Currently, Mr. Chaudhary is serving as the Director (Finance) in SAIL.Chaudhary joined SAIL in 1984 as junior manager (F&A).SAIL is the largest steel-making company in India and one of the seven Maharatnas of the country's Central Public Sector Enterprises.

2.  Andhra Pradesh gets 1st rank in Ease of Living Index under AMRUT : Andhra Pradesh state has topped the charts among States in terms of “Ease of Living Index-2018” rankings launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).It was followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.The three States were awarded best performing States at the National Dissemination Workshop on Ease of Living Index, 2018

3. Arunachal CM launches GeM in state : Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu has launched the nation-wide mission for the promotion of GeM (Government e Marketplace), aimed at bringing in more transparency and streamlining the government procurement.More than 26,000 government agencies have been incorporated in the Government e Marketplace (GeM).The objective of the launch is to accelerate the adoption and use of GeM by the state government and its agencies.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian actress Jaya Prada appointed Nepal's tourism goodwill ambassador : Indian actress Jaya Prada (60-year) has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for four years, for the promotion of Nepal tourismThe Nepal government has decided to observe the year 2020 as the 'Visit Nepal Year' campaign.

2. Pakistan launches a nationwide anti-polio vaccination drive : Pakistan has launched a massive nationwide three days anti-polio vaccination drive so that no one was left out.It has been touted as the final push against the crippling disease to cover 38.6 million children less than five years of age.A country must have no cases for three consecutive years in order to be considered to have eradicated polio by the World Health Organisation.

3. Statue of Nelson Mandela unveiled at United Nations : A statue of Nelson Mandela has been unveiled at the United Nations to honor the late South African leader's birth.This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth, and the U.N. is declaring 2019-2028 the "Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the dedication today that Mandela embodied the highest values of the United Nations peace, forgiveness, compassion and human dignity.

4. India to organize 'Gandhi March' in the Netherlands : According to Indian Embassy in Hague, India will organize 'Gandhi March' from the iconic Peace Palace at the Hague to Grote Kerk to launch the two-year long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.The 'Gandhi March' will see the participation of people of all nationalities and around 20 ambassadors of different countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.  Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger resign : Instagram Co-founders ‘Kevin Systrom’ (Chief Executive Officer) and ‘Mike Krieger’ (Chief Technical Officer) announced to resign from their respective positions in the social media company.They founded the photo-sharing app ‘Instagram’ in 2010 and sold it to Facebook (in 2012 for) about USD 1 billion in cash and stock.Instagram has seen explosive growth since its founding, with an estimated 1 billion monthly users and 2 million advertisers.

2. BSNL inks deal with Softbank, NTT to roll out 5G, IoT service : Telecom firm BSNL has inked a pact with Japan's Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G and internet of things technology in India.Under the agreement with Softbank, BSNL will look at collaborating with the Japanese firm for its satellite constellation BSNL has signed an agreement with Nokia and Cisco as well for developing 5G ecosystem.

SPORTS:

1.  Croatian footballer Luka Modric wins FIFA's best player of the year award : Croatian footballer Luka Modric (33-year) has been named the world's best male player at the Best FIFA Football Awards in London.He beat former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah to the award.Brazil and Orlando Pride forward Marta won the best female player award.France's Didier Deschamps was named best men's coach.

OBITUARIES:

1.Former BCCI president BN Dutt passes away : Former BCCI president iswanath Dutt’ (92-year) passed away after suffering from acute lung infection.Mr. Dutt was best known in Indian cricket fraternity as Jagmohan Dalmiya's mentor.Dutt was the BCCI president in 1989 after a six-year stint as the vice-president of the parent body from 1982-88.

Daily GK Updates - 24th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.PM Modi inaugurates Sikkim's first airport at Pakyong : Prime Minister ‘Narendra Modi’ has inaugurated the Sikkim's first airport at Pakyong (about 30 km from Gangtok).It will improve connectivity and benefit the people of Sikkim.The Pakyong airport is situated at an elevation of 4,500 feet above the sea level, built at a cost of over 600 crore rupees.Commercial flights will begin from 4^th October when Spice jet will start its daily Kolkata-Sikkim flights.

2.PM Modi launches world’s largest healthcare scheme : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Centre's flagship ‘Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) from Ranchi,Jharkhand.Under this scheme, over 10 crore families will be provided health assurance worth five lakh rupees each, every year.The scheme will become operational from 25^th September on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.The ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme, renamed the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (PMJAY) aims to provide coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per family annually.

3. Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurates 2-day National Orientation workshop on NeVA : The Union Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal has inaugurated the two-day National Orientation workshop on National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).Mr. Meghwal has also launched the new website of the NeVA and administered the Swachhata Pledge to over 200 delegates.This digital intervention is a big step to increase transparency, accountability and decreases the scope of corruption in the functioning of House.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 23 September: International Day of Sign Languages : International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23rd September every year.The first International Day of Sign languages has been celebrated in 2018 under the theme “With Sign Language, Everyone is Included!”.The choice of 23^rd September is the same date that the WFD was established in 1951.

2.  Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wins the presidential election of Maldive : Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (Opposition leader) has won the Maldives' presidential election.Mr. Solih has secured 58.3% of the popular vote.The Maldives is a South Asian sovereign state, located in the Indian Ocean, situated in the Arabian Sea.The President of the Maldives is the head of state and government of the Republic of the Maldives, and the commander-in-chief of the Maldives National Defence Force.

3.  Assamese film ‘Village Rockstars’ is India’s official entry for Oscars 2019 : According to the Film Federation of India (FFI), Assamese film ‘Village Rockstars’ is India’s official entry for Oscars 2019 in the Best Foreign Language film category.Village Rockstars is the story of a young girl Dhunu (10-years) who wants to be a guitarist.Village Rockstars is only the second Assamese film to win the Swarna Kamal for Best Feature Film at the National Film Awards, after Jahnu Barua’s 1987 film Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai.Indian filmmaker Rima Das is the Director of the film, Village Rockstars

4. Lucknow Metro first from India to get RoSPA award : The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has become the first ever metro rail corporation from India to bag the International 'Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents' (RoSPA) Award at a function in Glasgow, UK.LMRC has been given the Silver Award for its Phase 1A (North-South Corridor) in the Project/Infrastructure category for the year 2018.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. India's growth to accelerate to 7.8% in next fiscal, says Fitch : According to Credit rating agency ‘Fitch’, India's economic growth will accelerate to 7.8% in the current financial year (earlier 7.4 percent).Forecast for the next two fiscals (2019-20 and 2020-21) have been shaved by 20 basis points (100 basis points means 1%) to 7.3 percent.According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), India's projected GDP growth of over 7% for the current fiscal.

SPORTS:

1. Deepak Punia settles for silver medal at junior world wrestling championship : India's Deepak Punia settled for a silver after losing the 86kg freestyle final to Arif Ozen (Turkey) at the junior world wrestling championship in Slovakia.India ended the championship with seven medals (4- silvers and 3 bronze).

OBITUARIES:

1. Renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi passes away : Renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi (64-years) passed away at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.She was known for her women-oriented films like ‘Rudaali’, ‘Daman’, ‘Darmiyaan’.Lajmi was suffering from a chronic kidney disease and liver failure. Lajmi's last movie as a director was "Chingaari" in 2006, based on a novel "The Prostitute and the Postman" by Bhupen Hazarika, who was her partner.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 1.Health Ministry Partners With Dell And Tata Trusts : The main aim is to provide a technological platform for nationwide prevention, control, screening and management program of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare released the user manual for NCD application under Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) IT Solutions.  

2. Goa holds inaugural Naval Flight Test Seminar :There were also a series of papers which were presented on weapon integration on service aircraft and towards building and sustaining the training for Naval Experimental Test Pilots and Flight Test Engineers. The industry participation was from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Boeing Defence and Dassault Aviation, in addition to the retired and serving experimental test crew from Indian Navy.  

3.  Gujarat clears desk for RoRo ferry services expansion : Around 54,639 passengers have already traveled through RoRo ferry services. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the highly prestigious Ghogha-Dahej ferry service. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India and Morocco signed the revised Air Services Agreement : The agreement will enable the airlines of each side to enter into code share with airlines of other party. It will also provide greater freedom in mounting direct flights. The revised Agreement is the outcome of three meetings of delegation from two countries who had worked towards liberalization of markets between the two countries and updating of the existing Air Services Agreement.

2. India and Pakistan foreign ministers to meet in New York : On Pakistan's request, India agreed to a meeting between Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week. India's Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj will be in New York from September 24 to 30. Swaraj’s last significant meeting with a Pakistan leader was in December 2015

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3.Trump suggested to build wall between Africa and Spain : Spain’s Foreign Minister said that the U.S. President Donald Trump suggested building a wall along the Sahara desert, Africa as on the Mexican border. This is to restrict the arrival of migrants. The wall spans from the Red Sea in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, or close to 5,000 km.  Spain has become the number one point of entry for migrants coming to Europe by sea or by land from Africa. Many of these migrants cross the Sahara to Morocco and on to Spain across the Mediterranean, or over two high fences into the Spanish overseas territories of Ceuta and Melilla in northern Morocco.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Madhya Pradesh gets $525 Million Loan for Infra Projects from BRICS Bank :Madhya Pradesh approved a $350-million loan for the Major District Roads Project II of Madhya Pradesh and $175 million for building and upgrading 350 bridges. The loan will be used by the Indian government for on-lending to the Madhya Pradesh government for rehabilitating major district roads with a total length of about 2,000 km to improve the connectivity of the rural interior with the national and state highway networks. The positive impacts of the project also include promoting an inclusive development of the rural communities in Madhya Pradesh and stimulating regional economic development through improved connectivity, 

DEFENCE:

1. DRDO Successfully Flight Tested Tactical Missile Prahar : It is a contemporary weapon system capable of carrying multiple types of warheads and neutralizing a wide variety of targets. About DRDO  Headquarters: New Delhi,  Founded:1958.  Chairman:Dr G Satheesh Reddy.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Scientist KN Vyas appointed Atomic Energy Commission Chief : Renowned scientist Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas has been appointed the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.Mr. Vyas has been appointed in place of Shekhar Basu.Currently, Mr. Vyas is the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).Mr. Vyas is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from MS University, Vadodara.

2. PM Modi inaugurates new airport in Odisha's Jharsuguda : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched an airport at Jharsuguda (Odisha) and unveils a plaque marking the revival of Fertilizer Plant at Talcher, Odisha.The airport will bring western Odisha on the country's aviation map and facilitate regional air connectivity through the government's UDAN scheme.

3. ISRO technology incubation center inaugurated at NIT Agartala : Biplab Kumar Deb (Tripura Chief Minister) has inaugurated ISRO’s first Space Technology Incubation Centre (STIC) at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Agartala via video conferencing from Bengaluru.The Centre was launched at the first edition of ‘Spacetronics’ organized by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA).

4.  First general assembly of ISA to be inaugurated in Delhi : According to External Affairs Ministry release, the first General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) will be inaugurated on the 2nd of October 2018 in Delhi.The ISA is a major initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through the rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.

5. Gujarat govt doubles farmers' accident insurance amounts : The Gujarat government has doubled the monetary assistance to farmers under the state-run Farmers' Accident Insurance Scheme.If a farmer dies or suffers a permanent disability in an accident, he or his kins would get Rs 2 lakh (Earlier 1 lakh).A farmer will also be entitled to get Rs 1 lakh instead of Rs 50,000 if he loses one eye or one limb in an accident.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang passes away : Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang (61-year) passed away after battling a ‘serious illness’ in Hanoi.In 2011, he was appointed Minister of Public Security, serving as Vietnam's de-facto top law enforcement officer.Quang became Vietnam's president following the 2016 Community Party Congress.

2. BRICS bank approves USD 525-million loan for infra projects in MP : The New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has approved a USD 525-million loan (350+175) to Madhya Pradesh for infrastructure projects.The Board of Directors of the NDB approved a USD 350-million loan for the Major District Roads Project II of Madhya Pradesh and USD 175 million for building and upgrading 350 bridges

3. 3rd edition of MahaBiz 2018 to be held in Dubai : The 3rd edition of acclaimed International Business Conference ‘MahaBiz 2018’ will be held in Dubai (on 12^th- 13^th October 2018).MahaBiz is considered a bridge for business opportunities between Maharashtra state and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.GCC is a political and economic alliance of six middle eastern countries. It includes Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.

OTHER UPDATES::

SPORTS:

1. India to host the Women’s World Boxing C’ship : According to the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Women's World Boxing Championships will be held in New Delhi (from 13-25th November).M C Mary Kom will be gunning for a sixth world title at the event.The first edition of the women's world championship was held in the United States in Scranton in 2001.

2.Track Asia Cup: Indian cyclists bag 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze on Day 1 : India won 3- Gold, 3-Silver and a Bronze on the opening day of the 5th Track Asia Cup Cycling at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.Mayuri Lute won the country's first Gold in the Women's Junior 500 meters race.Indian men's junior team performed as expected in the team sprint event, by defeating Kazakhstan

Daily GK Updates - 21st September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ISRO to set up the emergency control room in MHA for internal security : The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has signed a MoU for setting up a state-of-the-art integrated control room for emergency response in the ministry.ISRO will provide its technical expertise for setting up of proposed ICR-ER whereas the project will be executed under the overall supervision of MHA.The control room will cater to the requirement of internal security as well as disaster management.

2.  The Union Govt. launches sex offenders’ registry with 4.5 lakh entries :

The union government has come out with a National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO), containing a list of 4.5 lakh convicts with photos of about 3.5 lakh of them available.The registry makes India the ninth country in the world to set up and maintain a national database of sexual offenders.The database includes the name, address, photograph and fingerprint details for each entry.

3. Cyclonic storm 'DAYE' crosses Odisha coast : Cyclonic storm ‘Daye’ crossed near the Gopalpur coast in Odisha.Under the impact of Daye, heavy rain accompanied by high-speed wind occurred in coastal and southern parts of the state.The cyclone system lay centred over south Odisha, about 40-kilometre west-north-west of Gopalpur coast and 150-kilometer east-south-east of Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day of Peace observed today : The International Day of Peace is observed around the world annually on 21st September.It is dedicated to world peace and specifically the absence of war & violence such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access.The theme for 2018 is “The Right to Peace - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”.The theme celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

2.  World Alzheimer’s Day : The World Alzheimer’s Day is observed every year on 21^st September to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia.Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, a group of disorders that impairs mental functioning.

3.  India & Niger signed MoU for establishing Mahatma Gandhi convention centre : India and Niger signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre(MGICC) in Niamey, Niger, with the Indian government’s grant assistance.The Convention Centre is being established in the context of the African Union (AU) Summit that Niger is set to host next year.

4. Romania will open a consulate in Chennai : Romania will open a consulate in Chennai (India).This was decided in a meeting between Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Viorica Dancila (Romania Prime Minister) in Bucharest.Romania will take the lead for negotiations to restart on the early conclusion of India-EU free trade agreement with balanced outcomes

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE:

1. India successfully test fires 'Prahaar' missile : The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the indigenously developed surface-to-surface tactical missile ‘Prahar’ from Balasore, Odisha.‘Prahar’ is a contemporary weapon system capable of carrying multiple types of warheads and neutralizing a wide variety of targets.It is capable of filling the gap between the multi-barrel rocket system 'Pinaka' and medium-range ballistic missile 'Prithvi'.

SPORTS:

1. irat Kohli & Mirabai Chanu to get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2018 : Virat Kohli (Indian Cricket Captain) and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (world champion Weightlifter) have been selected for this year's prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2018.Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given for the spectacular performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years.Virat Kohli has 6147 runs in 71 Tests with 23 centuries and 9779 runs in 211 ODIs, including 35 tons.Chanu was chosen for the prestigious award following her gold medal in 48-kilogram category at the World Championships last year.Neeraj Chopra (Javelin thrower) is among 20 sportspersons picked for the Arjuna Awards.

Daily GK Updates - 20th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Dr. Raghupati Singhania conferred with the civilian honor of Mexico : Dr. Raghupati Singhania has been conferred with the 'Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle', the highest honor accorded to non-nationals by the Government of Mexico (on 128^th National day of Mexico).Dr. Singhania is the Chairman and MD of JK Tyre & Industries Ltd.The top honor has recognized Dr. Singhania's exemplary leadership and efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between India and Mexico.

2.  President Kovind Promulgates Ordinance banning the practice of instant triple talaq : According to Ministry of Law and Justice in a Gazette notification, President Ram Nath Kovind has Promulgated an Ordinance banning the practice of instant triple talaq.Earlier, Union Cabinet had approved an Ordinance making instant triple talaq a punishable offense with a three-year jail term.Under the Ordinance, the crime will be recognized only when the woman herself or her blood relative files a complaint against the husband.

3.PM Narendra Modi lay the foundation stone of IICC in New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) at Dwarka (Sector 25) in New Delhi.The Centre would be a world-class state-of-the-art Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre, with facilities like financial, hospitality and retail services.The project is implemented by India International Convention and Exhibition Centre Limited and the estimated cost of the project is Rs.25,700 crores.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Delhi airport gets top honor at ASQ Awards 2017 : Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has won the title of Best Airport to handle over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) by the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017.

The award was given by the Airports Council International (ACI).Now, Delhi airport is the seventh busiest airports in Asia and among the top 20 busiest airports in the world.

2.  Exercise Aviaindra-18 Commences at Lipetsk : India and Russia joint Air Force level exercise ‘Aviaindra-18’ held in Lipetsk, Russia (17-28^th Sep 2018).It will be conducted in Jodhpur (India) from 10 - 22 December 2018.The aim of the exercise is focused towards anti-terrorist operations in a bi-lateral scenario.The contingent comprises of 30 officers from different branches and streams of IAF including four women officers of Flying, Admin and Medical Branch.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. India signs a loan agreement with the World Bank for USD 74 Million for Uttarakhand : The World Bank has signed a loan agreement for IBRD Credit of USD 74 million for Uttarakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP).The objective of the project is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labor -market-relevant workers through short-term training in Uttarakhand.

SPORTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton wins Singapore Grand Prix 2018 : Mercedes’ driver Lewis Hamilton has won the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore.He was followed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the 2nd spot and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in 3rd place.Now, with this victory, Hamilton has increased his chance to win this year’s Formula One World Championship.

2. Hangzhou to host 2022 Asian Para Games : The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) confirmed that Hangzhou(China) will host the fourth edition of Asian Para Games in 2022.The confirmation came following a visit to Hangzhou by Majid Rashed(APC President) and Tarek Souei (APC CEO).Hangzhou will be the third Chinese city to play host to the Asian Games after ‘Beijing’(1990) and 'Guangzhou' (in 2010).

Daily GK Updates - 19th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind launches logo & web portal of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary : President Ram Nath Kovind has launched the logo and the web portal for the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (Father of the Nation) at Rashtrapati Bhawan.The designs of the logo with the colour guide are available on the website of gandhi.gov.in.The Logo Branding will be done in Trains, Air India aircrafts, State Roadways Buses, Government websites, Government advertisements besides Public Sector Undertakings.The two years long celebrations (2nd Octobers, 2018 to 2020) will be held across the country and all over the globe to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

2. Union Home Secretary launches ‘E-Sahaj’ Portal for grant of security clearance : Mr. Rajiv Gauba (Union Home Secretary) has launched an online ‘e-Sahaj’ portal for grant of Security Clearance.The online portal will facilitate an applicant to submit the application online and view the status of his application from time to time.The process has become standardized, resulting in a process which will be faster, transparent and easy to monitor.

3. Varun and Anushka signed as ambassadors of Skill India Campaign : Bollywood stars Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma have been signed on to promote and endorse the Skill India Mission.They will dedicate time to promote India's skilled talent and their fine work by engaging with them across different parts of the country.

4. Uttarakhand ranked best among states in PMGSY : Uttarakhand state has been ranked the best among states in the country for the construction of a maximum number of roads under the PMGSY during 2017-2018.The state constructed a maximum of 1,839 km roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (target for the year 2017-18 - 1,500 km).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Germany launches world's first hydrogen-powered train : The world’s first hydrogen train is now zooming along a 62-mile stretch of track in Germany.The hydrogen engines can hit a top speed of 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour) and the trains have a range of about 600 miles.The vehicles are powered by fuel cells that combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity.The hydrogen train Created by Alstom (French company).

2. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrives in New Delhi : Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani arrived in New Delhi on a day-long visit to India.During the visit, Mr Ghani met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House (in Delhi) and discuss the issues related to bilateral ties and matters concerning regional security.India Foundation will host the civic reception for the visiting dignitary.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. India Post Payments Bank, Bajaj Allianz join hands ‘to provide insurance to all’ : India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and private life insurer Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co Ltd (BALIC) have entered into a strategic partnership to provide life insurance solutions.This partnership will leverage IPPB’s last mile reach for building awareness about life insurance.Both the companies came together to formally sign the Corporate Agency Agreement.

SPORTS:

1. World Champion Kevin Mayer sets new world record in Decathlon at Talence in France : The World champion Kevin Mayer (26-year) set a new world record in the decathlon with 9,126 points at the Decastar meet at the Decastar event in Talence, France.Mayer surpassed previous holder American Ashton Eaton’s 9045 points recorded at the 2015 world championships in Beijing.