Daily GK Updates - 3rd April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Registration for annual Amarnath Yatra begins : Registration of pilgrims for Amarnath Yatra (two-month long) began through 442 branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank and YES Bank across the country.This year, the 46-day pilgrimage will commence simultaneously on both the routes(Baltal and Pahalgam) from 1st July. Any person below the age of 13 years or above 75 years, pregnant women and medically unfit people are barred for taking the pilgrimage in south Kashmir. For details visit the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board's website: “www.shriamarnathjishrine.com”.

2. Kandhamal haldi (turmeric) gets GI tag :  Kandhamal haldi (turmeric) produced by the tribal farmers in Odisha's Kandhamal district received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Kandhamal turmeric, originally grown by tribal people in Kandhamal, is famous for its medicinal properties. Kandhamal haldi is organic by default being cultivated by more than 60,000 families. The colour of Kandhamal haldi is golden yellow being well distinguished from other varieties.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US approves sale of 24 MH 60 Romeo Seahawk helicopters to India :  The US government has approved the sale of 24 multi-role MH-60 Romeo Seahawk  helicopters to India at an estimated cost of 2.4 billion US dollars. It is considered the world's most advanced maritime helicopter. The choppers will provide the Indian defence forces with the capability to perform anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions.

2. Algeria's president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigns amid mass protests :  Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (82-year) has resigned from the post with immediate effect. Bouteflika (in power for 20 years) has come under mounting pressure to step down since his decision to seek a fifth term despite rarely being seen in public after suffering a stroke in 2013. The powerful Algerian army had called for to be declared incapable of carrying out his duties.

3. Japan unveils the name of Its New Imperial Era ‘Reiwa’ :  Japan’s government has unveiled an era name, “Reiwa,” for soon-to-be Emperor Naruhito, who will succeed the Chrysanthemum throne on 1st May. The name ‘Reiwa’ which consists two Chinese characters, the first meaning ‘good’ or ‘beautiful’ as well as ‘order’ or ‘command’ and the second meaning ‘peace’ or ‘harmony’. The country’s current era, Heisei, will end in April.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Eicher Motors appoints Vinod Dasari as Royal Enfield CEO :  Eicher Motors Ltd. has appointed ‘Vinod K. Dasari’ as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Royal Enfield. Mr. Dasari will also join the board of Eicher Motors as an executive director with immediate effect. Mr Dasari takes over from Siddhartha Lal, who will continue as the MD of Eicher Motors Ltd. Earlier, Mr. Dasari was the CEO and managing director (MD) of Ashok Leyland, a position he held since 2011.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Paytm Money receives Sebi approval to start stock broking services :  The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has given approval to Paytm Money to start offering broking services. Paytm Money is the investment and wealth management platform of the mobile payments company. The broking services will allow investors to trade in the cash segment, derivatives, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), among other listed entities. Paytm Money has also received membership of NSE and BSE.

SPORTS:

1. India’s first professional Kho-Kho league “Ultimate Kho-Kho” launched : The Kho-Kho Federation of India (KKFI) has launched a franchise-based league for the sport named 'Ultimate Kho-Kho'. It will conduct the 21-day league (IPL-style)), which will see eight franchise teams playing a total of 60 matches in a double round-robin format KKFI has partnered with Dabur India for this event. Tenzing Niyogi (former sports advisory leader at Ernst and Young) has been appointed as the CEO of the league. Former KKFI president Rajeev Mehta is the Chairman of the league.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Air Marshal NS Dhillon appointed as new Strategic Forces Command chief : Fighter pilot Air Marshal NS Dhillon has been appointed as the new Strategic Forces Command Chief. The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) is tasked to look after the strategic nuclear arsenal of the country and is a part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) headed by PM Narendra Modi. Dhillon graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla in Pune and later attended Defence Services Staff College in Wellington Cantonment and National Defence College in New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.World Autism Awareness day being observed :  The ‘World Autism Awareness Day’ has been observed across the world on 2nd April every year to raise awareness about people with autism throughout the world. The 2019 theme for the day is "Assistive Technologies, Active Participation". In 2008, The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2nd April as World Autism Awareness Day.

2. China successfully launches second generation data relay satellite : China has successfully launched the first of its new-generation data relay satellites into orbit to provide data relay, measurement and control services for its manned spacecraft.The Tianlian II-01 satellite was launched by a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. The Tianlian II network will be markedly more advanced in mission planning, system management and operations than the first-generation network composed of Tianlian I satellites.

3. India, Chile agree to work together to defeat terrorism :  India and Chile signed three memoranda of understanding (MoU)s for cooperation in the fields of mining, culture and Empowerment of persons with disabilities. The agreements would further enhance engagement in economic, social and cultural fields between the two countries. President Ram Nath Kovind who was on an official visit to Chile said this after a brief Tete-a-Tete with his Chilean counterpart. Chile is the sixth largest trading partner of India in the Latin American region.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Reserve Bank to inject USD 5 billion more liquidity into the banking system :  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will inject long-term liquidity worth5 billion US Dollars into the banking system through a dollar-rupee buy-sell swap for a tenure of three years on April 23. The RBI statement stated that the move intends to meet the durable liquidity needs of the system. It stated that the auction is meant to give RBI greater flexibility in managing banking system cash while helping absorb any potential large dollar inflows, which could make the rupee rise sharply. The auction would be a multiple-price based auction -- successful bids will get accepted at their respective quoted premium.

SPORTS:

1.Manu Sawhney takes charge as ICC Chief Executive :  Media professional Manu Sawhney took charge as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He will work alongside Dave Richardson, who will step down after the World Cup in July 2019. Sawhney was with ESPN Star Sports for 17 years and was responsible for scaling the business and doubling annual revenues.

2. Sam Curran youngest player to claim a hat-trick in IPL history :  KXIP's Sam Curran (20 years and 302 days) has become the youngest player to take a hat-trick in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Capitals. In 2009, Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians) had taken a hat-trick at the age of 22 years and 6 days. England all-rounder Curran removed Harshal Patel (0), Kagiso Rabada (0) and Sandeep Lamichhane (0) to take the 1st hat-trick of the 2019 Indian Premier League in Mohali.

Daily GK Updates - 1st April, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ISRO launches observation satellite EMISAT : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched 29 satellites including the primary payload EMISAT from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India. The main satellite EMISAT and the 28 customer satellites will be ed into two different orbits. The foreign satellites include 24 from the United States, two from Lithuania and one each from Switzerland and Spain. An ISRO release says EMISAT (weighing 436 kg) is intended for electromagnetic spectrum measurement, developed for monitoring radar network by India.

2.  Odisha celebrating 84th foundation day :  Odisha is celebrating 84th foundation day also known as ‘Utkal Divas’. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has greeted the people of Odisha on the auspicious occasion of Odisha Day. Odisha is the 9th largest state by area and the 11th largest by population. To commemorate the sacrifices of people for the formation of Odisha province in 1936, programmes are being organised at various places across the State.

3. Govt. extends PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline to 30th September :  The Union government has announced that the deadline for the linking of Aadhaar with PAN has been extended to 30th September 2019. Those looking to file their income tax returns on or after 1st April 2019 will still have to quote their PAN while doing so.This is the sixth time the government has extended the Aadhaar-PAN linking deadline.

4. Dr Rajendra Joshi conferred with ‘Pravasi Bhartiya Samman’ :  Scientist Dr Rajendra Joshi has been conferred with the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. Swiss-based NRI Dr Rajendra Joshi is the RUJ Group's founder and chairman. The Indian Ambassador to Switzerland Sibi George handed over the award citation signed by the President to Dr Joshi at his residence in Switzerland.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Zuzana Caputova becomes Slovakia's first female President :  Anti-corruption activist 'Zuzana Caputova' has been confirmed as the first female President of Slovakia. She defeated Maros Sefcovic, a candidate nominated by Slovakia's ruling party. According to Xinhua News Agency reported, Caputova received 58.40% of votes, while Sefcovic got 41.59% of votes.

2. Tesla builds its 'largest energy storage system in Asia' :  Tesla has developed its ‘largest power storage system in Asia’ at Osaka train station in Japan to reduce energy demand and provide emergency backup power to trains in Japan. It was Launched in partnership with Kintetsu, a railway operator in Japan’s Osaka. The 42 Powerpack battery system will also help reduce energy demand on the Osaka grid during peak hours. Tesla stated that 7 megawatt-hours (MWh) system is its largest energy storage project in Asia and the fourth largest in the greater Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. RBI sets NBFC-MFIs' average base rate at 9.21% for Apr-Jun : The Reserve Bank set the average base rate to be charged from borrowers by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and micro-finance institutions (MFIs) at 9.21% for the first quarter of the next fiscal. The applicable average base rate to be charged by Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). The regulator in February 2014 had issued directions to NBFC-MFIs regarding pricing of credit.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank merge with Bank of Baroda :  Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank merged with Bank of Baroda (BoB) to create the third-largest lender of the country after State Bank of India and HDFC Bank. According to BoB chief PS Jayakumar, the new unified entity will work for the success of the amalgamation by effective execution of all the activities to build a stronger organisation and collectively deliver more to the stakeholders than that of the sum of individual entities. All customers of Dena Bank, which is under prompt corrective action (PCA) framework of the RBI, will have renewed access to credit facilities immediately.

2. Vijay Chandok appointed as MD & CEO Of ICICI Securities :  Vijay Chandok (Executive Director of ICICI Bank) will be the MD and CEO of its subsidiary ICICI Securities with effect from 7th May 2019. He will succeed Shilpa Naval Kumar.Mr Chandok holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) and master’s degree in Management Studies from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai (NMIMS).

SPORTS:

1. Kidambi Srikanth loses in India Open final :  India’s Kidambi Srikanth lost in straight games 7-21, 20-22 to former world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open badminton tournament in New Delhi. It was Srikanth's first final in a BWF world tour event in 17 months.Thai badminton player Ratchanok Intanon has won the women's singles in India Open.

2. South Korea defeat India in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final :  South Korea lifted the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament defeating India in a shootout (4-2) at Ipoh in Malaysia. Hosts Malaysia defeated Canada 4-2 and secured the 3rd place. Asian Games Gold medalist Japan stood at 5th place, defeating Poland 6-1.

3. Roger Federer lifts Men's Singles trophy of Miami Open 2019 :  Switzerland’s Roger Federer has won Miami open 2019, defeating American John Isner (defending champion) in the final 6-1, 6-4 at Dolphins’ NFL stadium in Miami. It was Federer's 4th Miami title and 28th Masters 1000 title. Now, Federer (101-title) is behind only America’s Jimmy Connors with 109 career singles titles.

Daily GK Updates - 31st March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Five varieties of Indian coffee have been awarded the GI tag : Five varieties of Indian coffee have been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, a move that will enhance their visibility globally and allow growers to get the right value. The 5 Varieties are: Coorg Arabica coffee from Kodagu district of Karnataka  Wayanaad Robusta coffee from Wayanad district in east Kerala Chikmagalur Arabica coffee from Chikmagalur district, Karnataka,   Araku Valley Arabica coffee from Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region  Bababudangiris Arabica coffee from the central portion of Chikmagalur district

2. Ministry for Health added new ruled to the Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules : The Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare have added new ruled to the Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 with an aim to promote clinical research in the country. The new rules reduce the time for approving applications to 30 days for drugs manufactured in India and 90 days for those developed outside the country. The new rules state that in case of no communication from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the application will be deemed to have been approved. The new rules will ensure patient safety, as they would be enlisted for trials with informed consent and the ethics committee will monitor the trials and decide on the amount of compensation in cases of adverse events.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Red Cross to aid Venezuela in two weeks : The Red Cross announced that it is to aid Venezuela in two weeks. It also said it would not allow any political “interference” in the operation. Francesco Rocca, head of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent said that the organisation would begin distributing aid that President Nicolás Maduro has to date refused to allow into the country, leaving it stockpiled since mid-February on the borders with Colombia and Brazil. Venezuela Crisis: A crisis concerning who is the legitimate President of Venezuela has been underway since 10 January 2019, when the opposition-majority National Assembly declared that incumbent Nicolás Maduro's 2018 reelection was invalid and the body declared its president, Juan Guaidó, to be acting president of the nation.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Facebook banned White Nationalism, White Separatism on its Platforms : Facebook has banned praise, support and representation of white nationalism and white separatism on its platforms. This move had a qualified approval from the recent Christchurch mosque shooting. Facebook will also direct users who post or search content connected to these ideologies to an organization that helps people leave hate groups. Social Media platforms were under pressure and criticisms that they have failed to confront extremism.  White Supremacy is defined as a belief system with tenets like "whites should have dominance over people of other backgrounds, especially where they may co-exist; whites should live by themselves in a whites-only society, white people have their own 'culture' that is superior to other cultures; white people are genetically superior to other people.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.Centre to infuse Rs.5,042 crore into BoB : The Finance Ministry has decided to infuse Rs.5,042 crore into state-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) ahead of the merger of two other public sector lenders Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with BoB. The merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda would be effective from April 1

DEFENCE:

1. Indian Army inducted 4 indigenous Dhanush Howitzer guns : Indian Army inducted 4 indigenous Dhanush Howitzer guns. The induction of Dhanush Howitzer guns gives major fire-power boost to the Indian Armed Forces. Dhanush Howitzers Long Range Artillery Guns are the first ever indigenous 155 mm x 45 calibre long-range artillery guns. Dhanush Long Range Artillery Guns are equipped with inertial navigation-based sighting system, auto-laying facility, on-board ballistic computation and an advanced day and night direct firing system. The self-propulsion unit on Dhanush allows the gun to negotiate and deploy itself in mountainous terrains with ease. Dhanush is also electronically upgraded to enhance firing accuracies, laying speeds of the existing gun and to provide compatibility with various kinds of ammunition as well. 

SPORTS:

1. Justice D.K.Jain to be the Ethics Officer of the Indian cricket board : Supreme Court-appointed BCCI Ombudsman Justice D.K.Jain (retd) has been appointed to serve as the Ethics Officer of the Indian cricket board on an ad-hoc basis. According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), provisions in its constitution require an Ethics Officer to be appointed to determine and decide issues related to conflict of interest.

Daily GK Updates - 30th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Rajan’s Book titled ‘The Third Pillar -How Markets and the State leave the Community Behind’ ‘‘launched’’ :  Mr. Rajan was in conversation with N. Ram, Chairman, The Hindu Publishing Group, after the launch of his book The Third Pillar — How Markets and the State leave the Community Behind. The Third Pillar is an important contribution to understanding why, a decade after the crisis, the world’s politics and economics remain so brittle. Mr Rajan was the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India between September 2013 and September 2016.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Rima Das becomes Ambassador of Toronto International Film Festival :  Rima Das joined Toronto International Film Festival's Share Her Journey as their official ambassador. TIFF launched the 5-year campaign in 2017 with a view to increase participation, skills, and opportunities for women behind and in front of the camera.The woman behind 'Village Rockstars', India's Official Entry to Oscars 2019 would like to see more and more women in the industry break the glass ceiling.

2. Amartya Sen Awarded Oxford University’s Bodley Medal : Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen (85-years) has been awarded the prestigious Bodley Medal, the highest honour bestowed by the University of Oxford's world-famous Bodleian Libraries. The Medal is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the fields in which the Bodleian is active, including literature, culture, science and communication. Mr. Amartya Sen is the Thomas W Lamont University Professor at Harvard University and a member of faculty at Harvard Law School, received the Medal from Lord Patten of Barnes, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, and Bodley's Librarian Richard Ovenden.

3. India & Bolivia sign 8 MoUs in various fields including culture, mining, space : India and Bolivia have signed eight MoUs in the fields of culture, Visa waiver arrangement for diplomats, the exchange between diplomatic academies, mining, space, traditional medicine, the establishment of Centre of Excellence in IT and Bi-Oceanic Railway project. Mr Kovind was also conferred with the highest State honour of Bolivia, “Condor de Los Andes en el Grado de Gran Collar” during his visit to Bolivia. President of Bolivia Evo Morales awarded him the Honour at a function held in Santa Cruz.

4.  India, Australia to hold a joint exercise on maritime security from 2nd April : India and Australia are set to further deepen defence and strategic relationship with the third edition of the biennial, bilateral exercise AUSINDEX 19 from April 2 to April 16 at Vishakhapatnam. The upcoming exercise will focus on anti-submarine warfare and will see Australia's largest defence force deployment in India.This exercise is part of the strong and growing Australia-India strategic partnership.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Maruti Suzuki re-appoints Kenichi Ayukawa as MD & CEO :  The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has re-appointed Kenichi Ayukawa as Managing Director (MD)and CEO for three years. The company's board appointed Ayukawa on the existing terms and conditions including remuneration. This would be Ayukawa's third three-year term (first time -March 2013) as MD and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India.

SPORTS:

1. Asian Airgun C'ship: Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary clinch gold :  Young pistol shooters Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary has clinched a gold medal each, their second in the competition, as India continued their domination at the 12th Asian Airgun Championships in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei. Manu Bhaker has won the women's 10 metre Air Pistol at the 12th Asian Airgun Championships in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei. Saurabh Chaudhary has clinched a team gold medal in the men's event. Abhishek Verma also won individual silver in the men's 10-metre Air Pistol.

Daily GK Updates - 29th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Former Governor's Book Titled ‘Indian Fiscal Federalism’ Launched  : The Chairman of 15th Finance Commission of India, N.K. Singh launched the book “Indian Fiscal Federalism”. The book has been written by Dr. Y. V. Reddy, former Governor of RBI and Chairman of the 14th Finance Commission of India along with Dr. G. R. Reddy, Advisor (Finance) to the Government of Telangana.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Israelis discover 'world's longest salt cave' : Israeli researchers have discovered the world’s longest salt cave named ‘Malham’. The cave stretches for over 10-kilometres (6.25 miles), through Mount Sodom (Israel's largest mountain) and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea. It was mapped out over two years by cavers from nine countries, led by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

2. Nepal Investment Summit 2019 commences in Kathmandu :  Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli has inaugurated "Nepal Investment Summit 2019" at ‘Hotel Soaltee’ in Kathmandu. Over 600 investors (265 from China, 120 from India) and delegates from 40 countries including India are participating in the two-day summit.The main objective of the event is to project Nepal as a favourable investment destination. Summit will unveil potential opportunities for investment in various sectors in Nepal including Hydropower, Tourism, Infrastructure, Industry, Transport, Agriculture and Information and Communication Technology.

3. India, Bangladesh start cruise service :  India and Bangladesh have started a cruise service that would take passengers through the Sunderbans to Dhaka. The objective of the move to strengthen inland waterway routes between the two countries.The MEA (External Affairs Ministry) official said, as the movement of goods starts using inland waterways, so goods from India can go in the cheapest possible form up to Narayanganj and Dhaka in Bangladesh. People would have the option to travel through the Sunderbans on luxury vessels up to Dhaka and back with border formalities being done at the crossing points in both countries.

4. Pakistan approves the proposal to open Sharda Peeth corridor :  The Pakistan government has approved a proposal to establish a corridor to visit Sharda Peeth in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Sharda Peeth is an ancient Hindu temple and cultural site in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It will be the second religious tract after Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan-controlled territory that will connect the two neighbouring nations. The Sharda Peeth (130km from Srinagar) went under the control of Pakistan after Partition in 1947.

5. UN council passes a resolution to combat terrorist financing : The UN Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously passed the first-ever resolution ordering members to enforce laws against terror financing. It demands all states "ensure that their domestic laws and regulations establish serious criminal offences" to collect funds or financial resources to terrorist groups or individual criminals. The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression.

6. Venezuela′s Juan Guaido barred from public office for 15 years :  According to Venezuela's Comptroller General Elvis Amoroso, Venezuela has barred opposition leader Juan Guaido from holding public office for 15 years. The decision was taken following an investigation that shows irregularities in his financial records. The decision will be for the maximum period established in the decree with the scope, courage and strength of the law against corruption.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.Govt. decides to infuse around Rs 5000 Cr into Bank Of Baroda :  The Union Government has decided to infuse around 5,042 crore rupees into Bank of Baroda (BoB) ahead of the merger of two other public sector lenders Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda. The merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda would be effective from 1st April 2019. In September 2019, the 'Alternative Mechanism' (AM) headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had decided to merge Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda.

2. Bank of Baroda set to Develop Digital Agri Platform ‘Baroda Kisan’ : Bank of Baroda (BoB) has signed an MoU with agriculture services companies to develop an agriculture digital platform ‘Baroda Kisan’ for agricultural requirements solutions.The initiative is being executed by ITCoE of Bank of Baroda, in partnership with IBM India. Bank of Baroda (BoB) has signed the agreement with Skymet Weather Services, Weather Risk Management Services, BigHaat, Agrostar India, EM3 Agri Services, and Poorti Agri Services.

SPORTS:

1. Breakdancing makes next move to Olympic status at Paris 2024 :  The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recommended adding breakdancing, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games when the full membership meets in June. IOC President Thomas Bach said at a news conference in Switzerland that making the Olympics more affordable and responsive has been a key aim for the committee. He said the addition of these four sports to the Paris medal program offers the opportunity to connect with the young generation.

Daily GK Updates - 28th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India successfully conducts an anti-satellite missile test :  India conducted its first anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test successfully destroying a low earth orbit satellite in space by using a missile which covered a distance of 300 km to engage the target. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the test, called ‘Mission Shakti’, successful in a specially televised announcement. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed Ballistic Missile, Defence Interceptor Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a Hit to Kill mode from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.

2. UGC prohibits imparting distance degree programmes in agriculture : The University Grants Commission (UGC) has prohibited imparting distance degree programmes in agriculture. The decision was taken by the higher education regulator. A degree programme in agriculture is technical in nature as it requires practical or laboratory courses. The Union agriculture ministry had referred the matter to the commission. However, no new enrolments will be permitted from the 2019 academic session.

3.All eight members of Lokpal takes the oath of office :  The Chairperson of the anti-corruption ombudsman Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose (country's first Lokpal) administered the oath of office to all eight members of the ‘Lokpal’. Former Chief Justices Dilip B. Bhosale, Pradip Kumar Mohanty, and Abhilasha Kumari and sitting Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court Ajay Kumar Tripathi are the judicial members who took the oath. Besides Chairperson, the President Ram Nath Kovind had appointed four Judicial members and four Non-Judicial members as Lokpal.

4. Goa - Dipak Pauskar sworn in as Cabinet Minister :  In Goa, Dipak Pauskar was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister by Governor Mridula Sinha at the Raj Bhavan in Dona Paula. Pauskar replaces deputy Chief Minister Sudin Dhavalikar (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party) in the Council of Ministers. As two of the three MGP MLAs, Manohar Ajgaonkar and Pauskar merged their party’s legislative wing with the BJP, thereby isolating Mr Dhavalikar as the lone MGP legislator in the house.

5. Navin Chawla’s new book titled ‘Every Vote Counts’ launched :  Former Vice President of India Hamid Ansari has launched Navin Chawla’s (former Chief Election Commissioner of India) new book titled ‘Every Vote Counts’ in New Delhi. This book is about how the electoral machinery works in India. The book explains about India is on the cusp of change, and with its parliamentary elections coming up.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-African Union sign MoU on strengthening cooperation in the healthcare sector :  An agreement has been signed between India and the African Union to establish an India-Africa health sciences collaborative platform. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that the MoU will pave the way for cooperation in research and development, capacity building, health services, pharmaceutical trade and manufacturing capabilities for drugs and diagnostics.The statement said, to carry forward the vision of a structured and concrete partnership in the health sector, the MEA partnered with Indian Council of Medical Research and had jointly organised the first India-Africa Health Sciences Meet in 2016 in New Delhi.

2. Oman signs agreement allowing the United States military to use its ports : Oman has signed an agreement with the United States that allow American ships and warplanes to take advantage of his ports and airports. The framework agreement is aimed at bolstering Omani-American military relations. The agreement will allow the US forces to take advantage from the facilities offered at some of the Sultanate's ports and airports during visits of the US military vessels and aircraft, particularly in the port of Duqm. Duqm port is in southern Oman on the Arabian Sea and around 500 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz.

3. Comoros President Azali Assoumani re-elected with over 60% of votes : According to Electoral Commission of the Indian Ocean archipelago, Comoros President Azali Assoumani was re-elected. Azali (first took office in 2016) was way ahead of his closest rival Mahamoudou Ahamada, who garnered only 14.62% of the ballots cast. Comoros is a volcanic archipelago off Africa’s east coast, in the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique Channel.

4. Croatia honours President Kovind with the highest civilian award : President Ram Nath Kovind was honoured with Croatia's highest civilian award the ‘Grand Order of the King of Tomislav’. The civilian order is awarded to heads of state for their important contribution towards the development of state relations between Croatia and their respective countries. Kovind is in Croatia as part of his eight-day three-nation visit to Croatia, Bolivia and Chile.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Manu Bhaker and Saurabh bag Gold medal in 10m Air Pistol Mixed event :  Manu Bhaker (17-year) and Saurabh Chaudhary (16-year) have bagged a Gold medal in the 10-metre Air Pistol Mixed team event at the 12th Asian Airgun Championship at Taoyuan in Taipei. Manu and Saurabh shot a combined score of 784, breaking the record set by Russians Vitalina Batsarashkina and Artem Chernousov at the European Championships. The pair made it to the Final after smashing the world record in the qualification.

OBITUARIES:

1.Legendary singer-songwriter ‘Scott Walker’ passes away : The legendary singer-songwriter Scott Walker (76-years) passed away. Scott Walker shot to fame in the mid-'60s as the frontman of The Walker Brothers (Scott Walker, John Maus, Gary Leeds). The Ohio-born Walker is known for his baritone voice within the world of experimental music.