Daily GK Updates - 9th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NHAI and NIIF Signs MoU for funding highway projects: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) signed an MoU for funding highway projects. The MoU is related to co-operation in formation of SPVs to execute the fund arrangement for large size road projects particularly green field projects to be executed by NHAI in future.

Note: Minister of road and highway: Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

2. 10k monthly allowance to Padma Shri awardees by Odisha govt: Odisha government has decided to give monthly allowance of Rs 10,000 to Padma award winners of the state facing financial problems. The decision has been taken on the basis of the Culture Department's report on the economic conditions of the Padma award winners of the state.

Note: CM of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Governor of Odisha: Ganeshi Lal.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kyriakos Mitsotakis becomes Greece's new PM: Kyriakos Mitsotakis (51-year) was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Greece.  Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party won an outright majority with 158 seats in the 300-seat legislature. Earlier, he was Leader of the Opposition (from 2016 to 2019) and also served as Minister of Administrative Reform (from 2013 to 2015). Mitsotakis is the son of former Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of the country’s longest-serving parliamentarians.

Note: Capital of Greece: Athens, Currency: Euro.

2. Sri Lanka inaugurates model village built with Indian assistance: Sri Lanka has inaugurated first model village built with Indian assistance. The village is a part of housing project meant for war affected people. India has partnered with the ministry of housing and construction and cultural affairs of Sri Lanka to build 100 model villages with Indian grant of Rs 1,200 million. 

Note: Capitals of Sri Lanka : Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte; Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee.

3. Sharjah issues 1st permanent residency visa to Lalu Samuel:  Sharjah's first Golden Card visa was issued to an Indian expat businessman Lalu Samuel. The move is a part of the permanent residency system tailored for investors. The Golden Card is a 10-year long-term visa eligible for investors and entrepreneurs to engage them in the renaissance and development of the UAE. Lalu Samuel is a Chairman and Managing Director of Kingston Holdings and Chairman of Sharjah Industry Business Group.

Note: Capital of UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency: Dirham.

4. Shailesh Tinaikar assumes charge as Force Commander of UN mission: Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar of India assumes charge as Force Commander of United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Shailesh Tinaikar has been awarded the Sena Medal and the Vishisht Seva Medal for Distinguished Service.

Note:UN Secretary- General: António Guterres; Headquarters: New York, United States; Established: 24^th October 1945. 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Rahul Dravid appointed NCA’s Head of Cricket: BCCI has formally appointed Rahul Dravid as the National Cricket Academy’s Head of Cricket. Dravid will oversee all cricket related activities at NCA and will be involved in mentoring, coaching, training and motivating players, coaches and support staff at the NCA.

2. Magnus Carlsen won the 2019 Croatia Grand Chess Tour title: Magnus Carlsen won the 2019 Croatia Grand Chess Tour title. He scored 8 points. Wesley So finished second with 7 points. India's Viswanathan Anand ended up with 4.5 points and finished 11th.

3. Commonwealth Senior Weightlifting Championships: 4 gold medals for India in Commonwealth Senior Weightlifting Championships. Following is the list of winners in the different categories: Mirabai Chanu wins gold in the senior women’s 49 kg event; Jhilli Dalabehra wins gold in the senior women’s 45 kg event; Soroikhaibam Bindyarani Devi wins gold while Matsa Santoshi wins the silver medal in the senior women’s 55kg event; Rishikanta Singh grabbed the gold in the senior men’s 55kg event.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI board finalises ‘Utkarsh 2022’: The Reserve Bank of India board has finalised a three-year roadmap ‘Utkarsh 2022’. It is a three-year road map for medium term objectives to be achieved for improving regulation and supervision of the central bank.

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

2. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019-20 Series-II issue starts: The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019-20 Series-II is now open for the issue (from July 08 to July 12, 2019). Government of India has decided to offer a discount of Rs 50 per gram less than the nominal value to those investors applying online and the payment against the application is made through digital mode. For such investors, the issue price of Gold Bond will be Rs 3,393/-per gram of gold.

Note: The minimum investment in the Bonds shall be one gram with a maximum limit of subscription per fiscal year of 4 kg for individuals, 4 kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and 20 kg for trusts. The tenor of these Bonds will be for a period of 8 years (exit option after the 5th year). The Bonds can be bought from Commercial banks, designated post offices and recognized stock exchanges.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. LinkedIn appoints Ashutosh Gupta as country manager for India: Ashutosh Gupta has been appointed as the Country Manager for India of LinkedIn (Microsoft-owned social networking site). He will replace Mahesh Narayanan, who was the country manager for India (LinkedIn) from January 2019 to June 2019. Gupta will take charge, in his new role, from 2nd September 2019. LinkedIn has over 630 million global users and more than 57 million members in India.

Note: LinkedIn is an American business and employment-oriented service that operates via websites and mobile apps. It is mainly used for professional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their CVs. LinkedIn allows members (both workers and employers) to create profiles and "connections" to each other in an online social network which may represent real-world professional relationships.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 'Gully Boy' wins NETPAC award in Bucheon film festival: Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar's directorial 'Gully Boy' has won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award at the 23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea.

Note: Capital of South Korea: Seoul; Currency of South Korean: South Korea won.

DEFENCE

1. Indian Naval Ship Tarkash arrives in Morocco: Indian Naval Ship Tarkash arrived at Tangier, Morocco. The visit is part of an ongoing Overseas Deployment by the Indian Navy to the Mediterranean Sea, Africa and Europe. On its departure, INS Tarkash will carry out a Passage Exercise at sea with ships of the Royal Moroccan Navy.

Note: Chief of the Naval Staff: Karambir Singh.

2. India successfully tests vertical steep dive version of Brahmos missile: India has successfully tested the vertical steep dive version of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile that changes the dynamics of conventional warfare. Brahmos missile, which cruises at almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8, is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on the Su-30 fighters.

Note: The BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarine, ships, aircraft, or land. It is a joint venture between the Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) who together have formed BrahMos Aerospace. The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.

3. Two new heavy-lift Chinook helicopters for IAF arrive in Gujarat: American aerospace major Boeing has announced the arrival of two new heavy-lift Chinook helicopters for the Indian Air Force at the Mundra port in Gujarat. The Indian Air Force has ordered 15 Chinooks and the first four helicopters arrived in February. The IAF had placed the order in 2015 along with 22 Apache attack helicopters. According to Boeing India, the advanced multi-mission helicopter will provide the armed forces unmatched strategic airlift capability. The CH-47 Chinook is an advanced multi-mission helicopter and has unsurpassed ability to deliver heavy payloads to high altitudes.

OBITUARIES

1. Brazilian bossa nova pioneer Joao Gilberto passes away: Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter Joao Gilberto (88-years) passed away. He was considered one of the fathers of the bossa nova genre that gained global popularity in the 1960s and became an iconic sound of the South American nation. Bossa nova is a fusion of samba and jazz that emerged in the late 1950s and gained a worldwide in the 1960s.

Note:  Over his career, he won two Grammy awards and was nominated for six, and the US jazz magazine Down Beat in 2009 named him one of the 75 great guitarists in history and one of the five top jazz singers.

Daily GK Updates - 8th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Meghalaya fined Rs 100 cr for illegal coal mining:  The Supreme Court of India has directed the Meghalaya government to deposit the Rs 100 crore fine. The fine was imposed by the NGT for failing to curb illegal coal mining with the Central Pollution Control Board.

Note: Meghalaya Capital: Shillong; Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma; Governor: Tathagata Roy.

2. Bonalu festival kicks off in Telangana: The annual Bonalu festival kicked off at the Jagadamba temple in historic Golconda Fort, Telangana. Bonalu is celebrated every year in the state during the first month of the monsoon season.  Bonalu is the "state festival" of Telangana. Bonalu is celebrated to ward off diseases and usher in good health, peace and prosperity. Women, attired in colourful robes, carry the 'Bonalu' (decorated pots containing food) on their heads to the temples for offering them to the Goddess.

Note: CM of Telangana: K Chandrashekhar Rao; Capital of Telangana: Hyderabad; Governor of Telangana: ESL Narasimhan.

3. J&K govt approves Aadhaar-linked payment for pension disbursal:  The Jammu and Kashmir government approves Aadhaar-linked payment mode for pension disbursal. The aim is to distribute pension to the beneficiaries under various central and state sponsored schemes in order to ensure transparency and to avoid delay.

Governor of Jammu & Kashmir: Satya Pal Malik.

4. Govt to invest 50 lakh crore rupees in railways by 2030: According to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, the union government is eyeing investment of 50 lakh crore in railways by the year 2030 to make it the best in the world. The Minister said that the rail infrastructure in the country increased by mere 30% in the last 65 years due to the lack of adequate investment, while freight and passenger traffic increased by 1500%t. Mr Goyal announced that the entire Konkan Railway route from Mumbai to Mangaluru via Goa would be electrified at the cost of 11,000 crore rupees. The electrification of railways will improve speed and reduce pollution on the scenic Konakan railway route.

5. Assam Govt to develop over three hundred tourist spots: Assam government has taken a step to develop 316 tourists spot in the state. According to Bhaskar Phukan (M D of Assam Tourism Development Corporation), 150 crore rupees will be spent to develop these locations under Axom Darshan. Mr Phukan added that river tourism is one of the sought-after sectors in Assam and the state government will utilise the mighty Brahmaputra to develop the sector.

6. "Vivekadeepini" book released by the Vice President of India:  The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has released the book ‘Vivekadeepini’ in ten languages. It is a concise book of aphorisms that contains glimpses of India’s wisdom. The book will be published by Vedanta Bharati.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Italy's Prosecco hills added to UNESCO World Heritage list: Italy's north-eastern Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills (home to the world-famous sparkling wine prosecco) have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. The region became Italy's 55th World Heritage site. The landscape is characterised by hogback hills, ciglioni -- small plots of vines on narrow grassy terraces -- forests, small villages and farmland. The prosecco sparkling white, which has the highest classification available to Italian wine, is produced in a territory spread over nine provinces in Italy's northeast. Prosecco has become the most popular Italian wine abroad, with its exports seen rising by a record 21% in 2019 in foreign markets.

Note: A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having cultural, historical, scientific or another form of significance and is legally protected by international treaties. The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity.

2. Tata Steel Kalinganagar joins WEF's Global Lighthouse Network: Tata Steel Kalinganagar has been included in World Economic Forum's Global Lighthouse Network. TSK in Odisha's Jajpur district is the first and the only Indian manufacturing plant to be included in the WEF's Lighthouse Network. Global Lighthouse Network is a community of manufacturers showing leadership in applying Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to drive financial and operational impact.

3. UAE Foreign minister arrives in India: United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in India. He will hold talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to boost cooperation in key sectors such as trade and energy. The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner and fourth-largest energy supplier.

Note: President of the UAE: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Capital: Abu Dhabi, Currency: Dirham.

4. ISRO ties up with Russian agency to select, train Indian astronauts: Indian Space Research Organisation has signed a contract with Russia’s Glavkosmosfor selection support, medical examination and space training of Indian astronauts. ISRO has planned to send two unmanned missions before the mission 'Gaganyaan-1'.

Note: ISRO Director: K Sivan, Headquarters: Bengaluru, Established: 1969.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Vinesh Phoga & Divya Kakran wins the Gold medal at Grand Prix of Spain: India’s wrestler Vinesh Phogat (in 53 Kg category) and Divya Kakran (in 68 kg category) have won Gold Medal at the Grand Prix of Spain. Vinesh comfortably beat Peru's Justina Benites and Russia's Nina Minkenova before getting the better of Dutch rival Jessica Blaszka in the final. Among others, World Championship bronze medallist Pooja Dhanda (57kg), Seema (50kg), Manju Kumari (59kg) and Kiran (76kg) won silver medal. India finished second with 130 points in team championship behind Russia (165-points).

2. Rohit Sharma records maximum hundreds in the single World Cup: Rohit Sharma has set a world record of maximum hundreds in the single World Cup. He has become the first batsman in the world to score five hundreds in a single World Cup and break the record of Former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakarra. He has also equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record of the total number of World Cup hundreds.

Note: Venue of ICC World Cup 2019 : England and Wales.

3. 4 Gold medals for India in Kutno Athletics Meet: Indian athletes have won 4 gold medals in the Kutno Athletics Meet held in Poland. Following is the list of winners in the different categories: Hima Das won the gold while V.K. Vismaya bagged the silver in the women’s 200m race. Muhammed Anas won the gold in men’s 200 m race. M P Jabir won the gold while Jithin Paul bagged the bronze medal in the men’s 400m hurdles. P Saritaben (gold), Sonia Baishya (silver) and R Vithya (bronze) won the women’s 400 m race.

4. Canada Open Badminton: Li Shi Feng won the men's singles title: India's Parupalli Kashyap (32-years) lost to Li Shi Feng (China) in the men's singles title clash of the Canada Open. Kashyap entered the final, defeating Taiwan's Wang Tzu-wei in a semi-final encounter at Calgary. Feng had defeated Koki Watanabe of Japan in the other semi-final.

Note: The 2019 Canada Open (or, YONEX Canada Open 2019) is a badminton tournament took place at Markin-MacPhail Centre in Canada (2-7th July 2019). This tournament is organized by the Badminton Alberta and sanctioned by the BWF and Badminton Canada.

5. Copa America 2019: Brazil wins Title on home soil: Brazil defeated Peru 3-1 to win its first Copa America title since 2007. Jesus scored the decisive goal after a penalty from Peru captain Paolo Guerrero cancelled out Everton’s opener for hosts Brazil at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium. A last-minute penalty from substitute Richarlison sealed a win for Brazil which handed the South American giants their ninth Copa triumph and first since 2007. Argentina took third place by beating Chile 2–1 in the third-place match. Brazil's veteran right-back Dani Alves was player of the tournament.

Note: The 2019 Copa América (46th edition) was the international men's association football championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. It was held in Brazil (between 14 June to 7 July 2019) at 6 venues across the country.

6. World Youth Cup: Arinjeeta Dey wins silver medal: Arinjeeta Dey, a 10-year-old girl, has won a silver medal in the World Youth Cup held in Umag, Croatia. The tournament was organised by World Karate Federation affiliated to the International Olympic Association.

Note:  Capital of Croatia: Zagreb; Currency of Croatia: Croatian kuna.

7. Hima Das clinches gold in Kutno Athletics Meet in Poland: Indian sprinter Hima Das (19-years) won her second international gold in women's 200m with a top finish at the Kutno Athletics Meet in Poland. Hima clocked 23.97 seconds to clinch the gold while VK Vismaya bagged the silver in 24.06 seconds. This was Hima's second competitive 200m race of the year. She has a personal best of 23.10 seconds, which she clocked in 2018. Hima is the reigning world junior champion and national record holder in 400m. National record holder Muhammed Anas also won the gold in men's 200m race with a time of 21.18 seconds. MP Jabir won the gold in men's 400m hurdles in 50.21 seconds while Jithin Paul was third in 52.26 seconds.

DEFENCE

1. DRDO successfully tested Nag missiles in Pokhran: DRDO successfully tested Nag missiles in Pokhran ranges. The system includes a third generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile, the NAG, along with the Missile Carrier Vehicle (NAMICA). The Nag Missile has top attack capabilities that can effectively engage and destroy all known enemy tanks.

Note: DRDO Chairman: G Satheesh Reddy, Established: 1958, Headquarters: New Delhi.

2. Operation 'Sudarshan' launched along the Pakistan border: BSF has launched the operation 'Sudarshan' to fortify the 'anti-infiltration grid' along the Pakistan border in Punjab and Jammu. It was launched on July 1 and will cover the entire 1,000-kms length of the India-Pakistan International Border. The Border Security Force is the primary force guarding this frontier as the 'first line of defence'.

Daily GK Updates - 7th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pink City Jaipur gets UNESCO World Heritage tag: In a remarkable achievement, India gets its 38th UNESCO World Heritage Site as Pink City Jaipur. India’s nomination of the Jaipur City, Rajasthan got inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO during the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee held at Baku, Azerbaijan. The nomination of Jaipur City has successfully been done by complying with the various UNESCO guidelines of 2017. With Successful inscription of Jaipur City, India has 38 world heritage sites that include 30 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties, and 1 mixed site.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bahrain to partner with UK to pilot new AI guidelines: Bahrain has announced that it is to pilot new guidelines by the World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The announcement was made during the WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China. The Country aims that the project with WEF will build a global knowledge-base that can be used by other governments as AI can deliver huge benefits to citizens.

Note: Bahrain Capital: Manama, Official language: Arabic, King: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince: Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister: Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Currency: Bahraini dinar (BHD)

2. Leonardo DiCaprio helps create new environmental alliance: Leonardo DiCaprio is joining with billionaire investors and philanthropists Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth to create Earth Alliance. It is a non-profit environmental organization. It will work globally to protect ecosystems and wildlife, ensure climate justice, support renewable energy and secure indigenous rights to the benefit of all life on Earth.” It will provide grants, educational opportunities and fund campaigns and films, as well as work with grassroots organizations and individuals in places most affected by biodiversity loss and climate change.

3. Russia withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty: The Russian President Vladimir Putin  has signed a bill that suspends Russia's participation in the nuclear arms treaty. Putin's decree  formalizes the withdrawal of Russia from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty (INF) with the United States.

Why Russia withdrew from INF Treaty?: Russia's withdrawal from INF treaty is a response to the U.S. withdrawal from the key arms control pact signed by the Soviet Union and the United States in 1987. US accused Russia of violating the treaty with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to the allies and troops abroad. The U.S. and Europe said that the range of the new cruise missiles from Russia violate the treaty.  Russia denied the accusations.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. USA repeats as World Cup champions, beating Netherlands 2-0: United States’ Megan Rapinoe lifts trophy after winning the 2019 Women’s World Cup final against The Netherlands in Lyon, France. The United States Women’s National team is celebrating victory as World Cup champions. After beating the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday’s final, they hoisted the trophy for the second consecutive tournament.

2. Central Govt to set up three CoE in Sports at Itanagar in AP: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijijuinformed that the central government is going to set-up three Sports Centre of Excellence in Itanagar very soon. The three center of excellence will be for Martial Arts, Weight Lifting and Boxing. These centers will have a capacity of 300 sportspersons with the residential facility. This year Arunachal Pradesh will host the North East Youth Festival. The government will also set up 12 to 15 football stadiums with Astro-turf football pitches across the state in the next three years.

3. Elavenil Valarivan won the gold medal in 10m women's air rifle at ISSF World Cup 2019:  Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan won the gold medal in 10m women's air rifle event of the season's first junior ISSF World Cup 2019. She defeated Chinese Taipei's Lin Ying-Shinto win the title. She shot 249.8 in the women's final. Her 631.4 in the qualification was a new world record.China's Wang Zeru managed to win the bronze medal with a score of 228.4 in her first World Cup appearance. Elavenil Valarivan is a sport shooter from Cuddalore, Tamilnadu. She had also won a bronze medal at the FISU World Shooting Sport Championship 2019.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Centre announces RBI as the regulator of housing finance Companies (HFCs): Centre has announced that the Reserve Bank of India will now be the regulator of housing finance Companies (HFCs). The HFC were regulated by the National Housing Bank. It aims to strengthen oversight of the shadow banks and improve their access to funding by providing guarantees for purchases of their assets. The government has announced to provide a one-time partial credit guarantee for loan losses to state banks if the bank buy Rs.1 trillion ($14.6 billion) of high-rated pooled assets of non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).

Daily GK Updates - 6th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Railways commissions’ longest electrified tunnel: South Central Railway has commissioned the longest electrified tunnel, measuring 6.6 Kms between Cherlopalli and Rapuru stations. The tunnel is part of the recently completed Obulavaripalli-Venkatachalam new railway line. The tunnel has been completed in a record time of 43 months. It is situated between Cherlopalli and Rapuru Railway stations in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh. New Australian Tunnelling Method (NATM) is used and the cost incurred is Rs.460 crores. The height of the tunnel (rail level to roof) is 6.5 meters and the minimum height of the contact wire is maintained at 5.2 meters.

2. India's first highway corridors for e-vehicles expected by March 2020: India's first highway corridors with charging stations for electric vehicles are expected to come up along the Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra highways by 2020. The combined stretch of the corridors on the Yamuna Expressway (between Delhi and Agra) and the National Highway 48 (between Delhi and Jaipur) will be 500 km. Eighteen charging stations will be set up on the two routes. Eight will be between Delhi-Agra and 10 between Delhi-Jaipur. On a full charge, an SUV-like vehicle can travel 180 km, he said, adding that a DC charger takes around 1.25 hours to fully charge such a vehicle. The e-corridors are proposed to be the first under the Ease of Doing Business Programme (EODB) of the Advance Services for Social and Administrative Reforms (ASSAR), a private entity which is supported by the central government, an official engaged in the project said.

3. CCMB and CDFD sign MoU to improve genetic disease diagnostics: An MoU has been signed between CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD).  The aim of the MoU is to enable better ways of diagnosis and treatment of genetic disorders.

4. Tripura gets Rs 358 crore from GoI for road projects: The GoI has sanctioned an additional amount of Rs 358 crore for the construction of new roads in rural areas of Tripura.

Note: Capital of Tripura: Agartala, CM: Biplab Kumar Deb, Governor: Kaptan Singh Solanki.

5. Army Chief releases Kargil Tribute Song”: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has released a Kargil Tribute Song to honour, salute and pay homage to the Kargil martyrs and war veterans. The song has been composed by eminent Hindi lyricist Sammer Anjaan and sung by Shatadru Kabir. The song was released as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas to be celebrated on 26th of July.

6. PM Modi pays tribute to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his birth anniversary: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to BJP icon and the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his birth anniversary. Dr Mukherjee was born on the 6th of July, 1901 in Kolkata. He was a prominent Indian politician, barrister and academician and served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet. He laid the foundation of Patriotism-based politics in independent India and worked untiringly for national integration. His supreme sacrifice for India’s unity has made him immortal.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Iraq's Babylon listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO: UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has listed Iraq's Babylon as a World Heritage Site. Babylon is developed as a walled city of mudbrick temples and towers, constituting the Tower of Babel, and the Ishtar Gate. The city was the centre of the ancient Babylonian empire more than 4,000 years ago.

Note: Capital of Iraq: Baghdad; Currency: Iraqi dinar; Headquarters of UNESCO: Paris, France; Director General: Audrey Azoulay.

2. Cabinet approves India-Maldives MoU for passenger, cargo services: The Union Cabinet has approved the pact signed between India and Maldives to start passenger and cargo services via sea route. The MoU will pave way for ferry services between Maldives and India. The proposed ferry service would contribute in a big way to promote people to people contact and to boost bilateral trade.

Note: Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa; President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

3. Hong Kong to provide over $9 million aid for Cyclone Fani victims: The Hong Kong government has approved over $900,000 for relief and rehabilitation work in cyclone-hit Odisha that could benefit around 45,100 victims, China's official media reported. Three grants totalling 7.032 million Hong Kong dollars (about $902,278) from Hong Kong's Disaster Relief Fund to three agencies have been approved for the cyclone victims in Odisha. A Hong Kong SAR government spokesperson said that "the cyclone had affected more than 15 million people in Odisha and the grants will be used to provide hygiene kits, kitchen kits, water kits and education kits as well as household and shelter kits, to benefit around 45,100 cyclone victims.

Note: Cyclone Fani, an extremely severe cyclonic storm, made a landfall in Odisha’s Puri in May 2019. Cyclone ‘Fani’ is pronounced as ‘Foni’. The name was suggested by Bangladesh. The Bengali word 'Foni' refers to ‘Snake’ or ‘hood of the snake’. The wind speed of normal cyclones go up to 90 km per hour, but Fani has the potential to touch a 195 kmph speed.

4. International Day of Cooperatives: 6 July: The International Day of Cooperatives observed every year on the first Saturday of July since 1923. The aim of this celebration is to increase awareness of cooperatives. 2019 theme: ‘COOPS 4 DECENT WORK’. According to a recent estimate, cooperatives around the world employ or are the main source of income for more than 279 million people—almost 10% of humanity’s total working population.

5. World Zoonoses Day: 6 July: The World Zoonoses Day is observed every year on July 6. The day is observed to create awareness on zoonotic diseases, how to prevent them and what actions to take when exposed. The day has been observed since 1885 to mark the day Louis Pasteur administered his first rabies vaccine.

Note: Zoonotic diseases are caused when animals carrying dangerous pathogens come in contact with humans. Some animals are hosts of these pathogens or are infected by them. People who interact with animals on a daily basis and many also keep pets or others. When the climate is warmer, it tends to create a change in the behaviour of vectors (animals who harbour dangerous pathogens like virus and bacteria).

6. India ranked 86th in the Henley Passport Index 2019: The Henley Passport Index 2019 have ranked the Indian passport on the 86th positionwith a mobility score of 58. The score points out that Indian passport holder can acces 58 countries around the world without a prior visa. Japan and Singapore holds the top spot with a score of 189. The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations including micro-states and territories. 

7. Nasscom, NSDC launch Global Cloud Computing challenge: Nasscom partners with National Skill Development Corporation to organise ‘World Skills India’s International Cloud Computing Challenge 2019’. Ten countries including India are participating in the competition, along with New Zealand, Belgium, Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, Oman and Ireland. “WorldSkills India” is an NSDC initiative launched in 2011.

Note: President of NASSCOM: Debjani Ghosh; Chairman of NSDC: A M Naik; MD & CEO: Manish Kumar.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Pakistan's Shoaib Malik confirms ODI retirement: Pakistan batsman Shoaib Malik confirmed his retirement from one-day cricket without making a farewell appearance in his side's victory over Bangladesh on 05th July 2019. He had admitted last year that he intended to quit one-day cricket after the 2019 World Cup. He will continue to play the Twenty20 format, but he admitted it was an emotional moment to call time on his ODI career. He appeared in 287 one-day internationals and scored 7,534 runs with nine hundred. His last appearance came in the defeat against India in Manchester on June 16. As an off-spinner, he finished with 158 wickets, while he also captained Pakistan in 41 ODIs.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Punjab & Sind Bank sets up Cen-MARG: Punjab & Sind Bank has set up a centralised hub "Centralised MSME & Retail Group". It will process retail and MSME loans for the better efficiency of branches in business acquisition. The Cen-MARG has been envisioned to ensure qualitative improvement in credit appraisal, improved turnaround time, uniform documentation, and efficient monitoring.

MD & CEO of Punjab & Sind Bank: S. Harisankar.

2. PMMSY: A new scheme to promote processing in the fishery sector: While presenting Union Budget 2019-20, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new scheme to promote processing in the fishery sector. The new scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), will be established under the Department of Fisheries for a robust fisheries management framework. She also announced the creation of a new ministry for fisheries sector Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The new ministry was formed in order to promote the allied farm sector that has huge potential to help achieve the government's target of doubling farmers' income by 2022. The budget allocated for the newly carved out Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is Rs 3,737 crore.

3. Budget 2019: Rs 3.18 lakh crore allocated to the defence budget: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not mention the defence outlay in the budget speech in the Lok Sabha on 05th July 2019. During an interview to Finance Minister Sitharaman said she had - an allocation of Rs 3.18 lakh crore was made in the Union Budget to the defence sector for 2019-20 as against last year's Rs 2.98 lakh crore.

4. Budget 2019: To help marginal cultivators government proposes 10,000 FPOs: The government plans to form 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in the next five years. This is expected to help small and marginal cultivators team up to get lower rates for inputs and sell produce at higher rates. The budget proposal to set up 10,000 FPOs is a path-breaking step to ensure economies of scale for farmers. An FPO can raise capital only from farmer members or get grants from the government, which are usually meagre. Currently, 3,500 FPOs have been registered and another 3,000 are under promotion, said Pravesh Sharma, former head of the Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium.

5. IMF Chief Christine Lagarde nominated as president of European Central Bank: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde was nominated as the president of the European Central Bank. The nomination means Lagarde will step down two years before the end of her second five-year term at the helm of the IMF. Christine Lagarde would succeed Mario Draghi, whose term ends on October 31.

Note: European Central Bank was established on 1 June 1998. ECB headquarters is located in Ostend district, Frankfurt, Germany. It is the central bank of 19 European Union (EU) countries which have adopted Euro.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Govt ropes in IBM for a pilot study on using AI, weather tech in agriculture: The Centre inked pact with IBM India for undertaking a pilot study to utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) and weather technology solutions in agriculture in one district each in three states. The pilot study will be conducted for the Kharif crop season 2019 in three districts - Bhopal, Rajkot and Nanded  in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, respectively. IBM’s Watson Decision Platform will give solution in the field of agriculture through AI and weather technology at village level/ farm level to provide weather forecast and soil moisture information on the pro bono basis to help farmers for taking decisions regarding water and crop management for better production and productivity.

2. First ever IICTF to be held in India: The first ever India International Cooperatives Trade Fair (IICTF) to be held in New Delhi, India. It is a unique initiative for taking farmers, artisans & other members of cooperatives directly to the global trade arena which will be held from 11th till 13th October 2019 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The Trade Fair is aimed at promoting cooperative to cooperative trade within India and abroad leading to enhanced rural and farm prosperity.

Daily GK Updates - 5th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. AYUSH, MeitY ministries collaborates for digitisation of AYUSH sector: The Ministries of AYUSH and Electronics and Information Technology have signed a MoU to collaborate on the digitization of the AYUSH sector. The ministry aims to digitize the entire AYUSH, leading to transformation in the field of health care delivery at all levels, along with greater research, education, delivery of various health care programmes and better drug regulations.

Note: Minister of State (Independent charge) of AYUSH Ministry: Shripad Yesso Naik; Minister of Communications and Information Technology: Ravi Shankar Prasad.

2. Delhi Police signs pact with SECI for rooftop solar energy systems: Delhi Police has signed a pact with Solar Energy Corporation of India. Under this, the  SECI will support the implementation of grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic systems on the establishments of Delhi police. The Delhi police will set up rooftop solar energy systems in over 200 of its buildingsacross the city.

Note: Chairman of SECI: Praveen Kumar.

3. UIDAI Opens its First ‘Aadhaar Seva Kendra’ in Delhi and Vijayawada: Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has set up its first exclusive ‘Aadhaar Seva Kendra’ (ASK) at Akshardham Metro station in New Delhi. It will be operational six days a week excluding Tuesdays and public holidays. The second such Aadhaar centre has been opened in Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh). These Aadhaar centres will make it easier for citizens to apply for a new Aadhaar card or update existing ones. UIDAI has an ambitious plan to set up 114 such centres by the end of 2019. Although thousands of Aadhaar centres are being run by banks and post offices currently but the Aadhaar Seva Kendras (ASK) are the first specialized centres operationalized by UIDAI.

Note: Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identity number that can be obtained by residents of India, based on their biometric and demographic data. The data is collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established in January 2009 by the government of India, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Aadhaar is the world's largest biometric ID system.

4. UP govt launches toll-free CM helpline 1076: The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a toll-free Chief Minister helpline 1076. It will enable people from across the state to register their complaints, ensure time-bound action on the complaints. According to CM Yogi Aditya Nath, he will personally review the complaints every month. If a department gets more than 100 complaints in a month, action will be taken against the concerned officials.

Note: When the complainant calls the helpline, he/she will get an SMS informing that the complaint has been sent to the department concerned. The Chief Minister’s helpline number 1076 will work 24x7 and anyone from any part of the state can call on this number anytime.

5. Rural sanitation coverage jumped to 99% from 38% in 2014: According to Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria, Under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), nine crore 62 lakh individual household toilets have been constructed so far. The sanitation coverage in the rural areas of the country has increased to more than 99% (over 38% on 2nd October 2014). 632 Districts, 30 States, over 2.50 lakh Gram Panchayats and five lakh 67 thousand 498 villages have been declared open defecation Free.

6. India’s first Design Development Centre ‘Fashionova’ launched in Surat: India’s first Design Development Center ‘Fashionova’ has been launched in Surat, Gujarat. The launch of Fashionova will promote the city in the field of the fashion design sector. The main objective of this studio is to provide a strong platform to all those who have a flair of the apparel business. It fulfils, on a large scale, all business needs from co-working space, technicians, expert advises to cognitive workshops and exposure to the industry.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ursula von der Leyen elected as next EU president: European Commission has elected Ursula von der Leyen as its new president.   She will replace Jean Claude Juncker. She has become the first woman to be elected to lead the EU’s executive arm.

Note: Headquarters of European Commission: Brussels, Belgium.

2. Duty-Free shops at Dubai airports to accept Indian currency: Dubai Duty-Free has announced that Indian Rupee will now be an accepted currency at all the retail outlets of the Dubai airport. However, the change, if any, will be given back in Dirhams and not the Indian currency. Stores at the Dubai Airport will accept notes of various denominations, including 100s, 200s, 500s and 2000s. The move makes the Indian rupee the 16th international currency to be accepted at Dubai's airports.

Note: According to a report, out of the 90 million passengers who used Dubai's airports, 12 million of them travelled to or from Indian destinations.

3. French lawmakers approve 3% tax on online giants: In France, the lower house of parliament today approved a small, pioneering tax on internet giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook. The French government hopes that other countries will follow the suit. The bill foresees a 3 per cent tax on the French revenues of digital companies with global revenue of more than 750 million Euros. At present, the companies pay nearly no tax in countries where they have large sales like France. The bill adopted by the National Assembly will be sent to the Senate next week, where it is expected to win final approval.

4. 3rd Global Sunflower Seed Meet to be held in Mumbai: India will host the 3rd edition of the International Sunflower Seed and Oil Conference (ISSOC) 2019 in Mumbai (from 19-20th July 2019). The event will be hosted by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA). The last two editions was hosted by China and Ukraine. The conference will see participation from global industry leaders, experts, researchers, and government representatives.

Note: Sunflower seed is seen as a healthy table-seed and culinary seed having wide applications in variety of food preparations including cakes and pastries. India is the largest importer of sunflower oil with imports of about 2.8 million tonnes. The global imports of sunflower oil are around 9.6 million tonnes.'

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Arjen Robben announces retirement from football: Dutch winger Arjen Robben (35-years) has announced his retirement from football after a 10-year spell with German giants Bayern Munich. He has played 96 international matches for the Netherlands, scoring 37 goals. Robben, who joined Bayern in 2009 from Real Madrid, played 309 competitive games for the Bavarian powerhouse, contributing 144 goals and setting up 81 more.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Union budget 2019-20 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman: The union finance minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman has presented the maiden union budget for 2019-20 in Lok Sabha. This is the first Budget of the Narendra Modi Government in the second tenure. The annual financial statement of a government, the Union budget gives details about the revenue and expenditure of the Centre in the past and estimated spending and projections for the coming year.

2. RRB recruitment exams to be conducted in 13 regional languages: The Union government has announced that the recruitment examination of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) will be conducted in 13 regional languages in addition to English and Hindi. It has been decided that examination of direct recruitment of Scale-1 officers and Office Assistant in RRBs will be conducted in regional languages too. The regional languages are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malyalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. The candidate has the option to choose the regional language of the State, they have opted for the examination. The decision will be implemented from this year onwards.

Note: At present, there are 45 Regional Rural banks functioning in the country has a total staff strength of around 90 thousand employees.

3. Airtel Payments Bank to sell Bharti AXA Life's term insurance: Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Bharti AXA Life Insurance to offer a life term insurance plan. The product, Bharti AXA Life (Point of Sale) Saral Jeevan Bima Yojana, is a pure life term insurance plan which is aimed at the under insured and uninsured segments in India.

Note: MD & CEO of Bharti AXA Life Insurance: Vikas Seth;  MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank: Anubrata Biswas.

4. RBI appoints A K Misra as additional director in J&K Bank: The Reserve Bank of India has appointed A K Misra as an additional director on the board of Jammu and Kashmir Bank (J&K Bank). He is a former executive director of RBI. A K Misra shall hold the office for a period of two years up to July 2, 2021, or till further orders.

5. Harideesh Kumar appointed as Director of Institute of Banking Personnel Selection: Karnataka based B Harideesh Kumar has been appointed as the Director of Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) for a period of three years. Earlier, he was the Executive Director of Canara Bank. He is a Post-Graduate with a Degree in Law and started his banking career with erstwhile Vijaya Bank in the year 1978.

Note: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is a recruitment body that was started with an aim to encourage the recruitment and placement of young graduates in public sector banks in India, other than the State Bank of India. It also provides standardised systems for assessment and result processing services to organisations.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Ola gets green light for London taxi business: India’s biggest ride-hailing platform Ola Cabs, has received approval from London’stransport regulator to start private hire vehicles (PHV) in the capital city of the UK.  Ola will be the first ever platform to offer both PHVs and black cabs in the UK.

Note: CEO of OLA: Bhavish Aggarwal; Headquarters: Bengaluru.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Ajay Banga, Azim Premji to receive excellence awards from USISPF: The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum has announced that Mastercard CEO and President Ajay Banga and Wipro Chairman Azim Premji will receive the 2019 Global Excellence Awards. This is the Second Annual Leadership Summit of USISPF. They have been honored with the awards for their significant contribution to strengthening economic ties between the US and India.