Champs Academy: 06/10/17

Saturday, 10 June 2017

Daily GK Updates - 7th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India signs agreement to provide Sri Lanka with USD 318 million for Railway: India has signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to provide fresh assistance of 318 million US $ credit line for the development of the railway sector in the Srilanka. India has already provided four Lines of Credit for the development of railway in Sri Lanka through its EXIM bank amounting around US $ 966 million.

2. Jaitley says that CAG will audit Goods and Services Tax Network:According to the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India will audit the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN). GSTN is a company that provides technology backbone for the Goods and Services Tax (GST). In the GSTN, the central and the state governments will together own 49 % of the equity and the rest would be with some very responsible bodies like LIC Housing, National Stock Exchange, and HDFC Bank.

3. Health Minister JP Nadda launches 'Skills for Life, Save a Life' initiative: The union Health Minister ‘J P Nadda’ has launched ‘Skill for Life, Save a Life’ initiative to promote skill development in the health sector in New Delhi. The initiative aims to upscale the quality and quantity of trained professionals in the healthcare system.

4. Kalinga Literary Awards winners: Writer Anand Neelakantan, Poet Haraprasad Das and author Paramita Satpathy were announced winners of the Kalinga Literary Awards. Neelakantan was chosen for Kalinga International Literary Award, Haraprasad was chosen for Kalinga Literary Youth Award and Satpathy was chosen for Kalinga Karubaki Award.

5. Govt. to appoint Nyaya Mitras to expedite resolution of pending cases: Union Government will appoint Nyaya Mitras across the country to expedite the cases pending for last 10 years in lower courts. Retired judges will be appointed as Nyaya Mitras to expedite the over seven lakh fifty thousand cases pending across the country. Their responsibilities would include offering assistance to litigants who are suffering due to delay in trial.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Montenegro becomes NATO’s 29th member: Montenegro has formally become the 29th member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization. To get there, Montenegro has stood up against its ally Russia which has sought to maintain strong historic and political influence in the country.

2. Fugan temple in China discovered after 1000 years: Fugan temple in China’s Chengdu city around 1,000 years after it was deemed to have been lost. It lasted from Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 A.D.) to Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.) Archaeologists unearthed 1000+ tablets inscribed with Buddhist scriptures and over 500 pieces of stone sculpture as well as glazed tiles with inscriptions.

3. World’s First Hybrid Aeroboat unveiled at Moscow: The world’s first hybrid “aeroboat” that has been built by an Indo-Russian joint venture was unveiled in Moscow. This Hybrid “aeroboat” is capable of travelling on land, water, snow and sand. The aeroboat is designed to access difficult terrain, such as flooded or marshy areas where the use of regular boats is made impossible. It has been designed by IIAAT Holding.

4. Sher Bahadur Deuba elected as the PM of Nepal: Nepali Congress Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Nepal. This is the tenth time in just over a decade that the leadership has changed hands. This will be Deuba’s fourth stint as PM of Nepal.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. Monetary Policy Review - RBI keeps repo rate unchanged: RBI kept repo rate unchanged at 6.25% during its bimonthly monetary policy review on June 7, 2017. This is 4th time in a row that repo rate has been kept unchanged. Cash Reserve Ratio has also been kept at current 4%, Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) was cut by 50 basis points to 20%.The reverse repo rate under the LAF remains at 6.0 per cent. The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.50 per cent.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. Sun Pharma, the most valued Indian pharma company: Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries continues to be the most valued pharma company in India with a market cap of Rs1.23 trillion. Cadila Healthcare has become India’s 2nd most valuable pharmaceutical company in terms of market capitalisation beating Lupin. Its market cap stood at Rs55,000.57 crores.

BOOKS & AUTHORS:

3. ‘Ministry of Utmost Happiness’ of Arundhati Roy launched: The much awaited second novel of Arundhati Roy “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness” has been launched. Arundhati Roy was the first Indian woman to win the prestigious Booker Prize with her 1997 work.

Daily GK Updates - 6th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. National Board of Wildlife clears Rutland Island for DRDO’s missile testing project: The Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife has approved Rutland Island (South Andaman) site for the country’s long-range missile test facility.

Since 2012, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been seeking the approval for the test facility. The proposal involves diversion of 49.978 acres forest of which 0.84 ha falls in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park and 49.138 ha reserve forest within 10km of the Eco Sensitive Zone.

2. Habibganj to be India’s first private station: Bhopal’s Habibganj station has become the first railway station of the country to be built in a Public-Private partnership. Bansal Group will manage the same for a period of 8 years. Station will be powered by solar energy and will also be differently-abled friendly.

3. Honourable PM inaugurates the 5th international conference of SPIC MACAY at IIT Delhi: SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth) is a non-political, nationwide, a voluntary movement founded in 1977 by Dr. Kiran Seth at IIT Delhi. SPIC MACAY organizes an International Convention every year to expose the youth from across the world to the rich and multi-hued culture of India.

4. Central govt sets deadline for handling corruption cases against government employees: The Central Govt. has changed an over 50-year-old rule by setting a deadline of 6 months to complete probes in corruption cases involving government employees. Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)has amended Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules and decided time-line for critical stages of investigation and enquiry proceedings.

5. World Bank projects 7.2% growth rate for India: World Bank has projected 7.2% growth rate for India this year, against 6.8% growth in 2016. World Bank in its latest Global Economic Prospects, projects India’s growth to 7.5% in 2018 and 7.7% in 2019.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UN Russian Language Day: The United Nations (UN) Russian Language Day is observed annually on 6th June to maintain the equality of all six official UN languages. The day coincides with the birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin (Russian poet), who is considered the father of modern Russian literature.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sachin Joins UN ‘Super Dads’ Campaign: Sachin Tendulkar joined Beckham, Jackman, Djokovic and Lewis Hamilton for UNICEF’s Super Dads campaign. Campaign highlights the significant role played by fathers in children’s early development. Super Dads initiative forms part of UNICEF’s EarlyMomentsMatter campaign, which aims to drive understanding of how children’s environments and experiences in early childhood can shape their future.

2. Ramkumar wins ITF Futures title: Indian tennis player Ramkumar Ramanathan lifted the ITF men’s Futures tennis title after outplaying Raymond Sarmiento. He outplayed Raymond Sarmiento 6-2, 6-2 in the finals.

BANKING & FINANCE:

3. SBI to organise mega farmers’ meet: Ahead of kharif season, SBI will meet 10 lakh farmers to understand their credit need and provide finance. The meeting will be organised at bank’s 15500 rural and semi-urban branches across the country on June 8.

4. Vijaya Bank to develop 100 Digital Villages: Vijaya Bank is going to develop 100 digital villages in various States to promote digital banking among rural population.

Bank would offer free Wi-Fi connectivity, mobile payment facilities, ATM cards, online banking and will carry out a door-to-door campaign to educate villagers.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

5. Apple unveils new operating system: Apple has unveiled iOS 11, a new and advanced operating system for its devices. It features a “Do Not Disturb while Driving” mode that turns iPhone screens black and stops users from replying to messages.

6. NSE launched in GIFT city: National Stock Exchange has launched its international exchange in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City. NSE IFSC Ltd is the global exchange which is promoted by NSE. It will remain operational for a longer period than NSE.

Daily GK Updates - 5th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ISRO launches India’s heaviest rocket: ISRO launched India’s heaviest rocket GSLV-Mk III along with a communications satellite GSAT-19 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The 43.43m rocket that weighs 640 tonnes is capable of lifting payloads of up to 4000 kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.

2. NTPC installs electric charging stations: National Thermal Power Corporation Limited has facilitated the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles at Delhi and Noida. The main objective of setting up EV charging points is to promote clean energy transportation.

3. Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh bags MGNREGA National Award:Ministry of Rural Development has selected Vizianagaram across the nation for the MGNREGA annual award for effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act during 2015-16. Vizianagaram generated works for 3,61,668 households in 2015-16 and disbursed Rs. 483.42 crore as wages with an average of Rs. 106.

4. Bhandarkar, Sri Sri and Late Kalpana Chawla to get New York’sBharat Gaurav Award: Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar will be conferred with the Bharat Gaurav Award at the United Nations Hall, New York. He will be conferred with Bharat Gaurav Award along with spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Late Kalpana Chawla.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Environment Day 2017: World Environment Day is observed on 5 June every year to raise global awareness worldwide for the protection of our environment and the planet Earth. World Environment Day was designated by the UN General Assembly in 1972. The theme for 2017 World Environment Day is ‘Connecting People to Nature’. This year’s host country Canada got to choose the theme.

2. Arab states break ties with Qatar: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates broke off relations with Qatar. The countries have accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region. Qatar has been ejected from the Saudi-led coalition. Qatari citizens have been told they have 14 days to leave Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, and those countries also banned their own citizens from entering Qatar.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. RBI initiates prompt corrective action against Dena Bank: Reserve Bank of India has initiated Prompt Corrective Action for Dena Bank In view of high non-performing assets and negative return on assets. Earlier similar action was initiated against UCO Bank, IDBI Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. India tops Global Retail Index: India has surpassed China to secure the top position among 30 developing countries on ease of doing business in retail sector. China stood at 2nd position.

3. India sinks in World Competitiveness list: India has been ranked 45th in IMD’s World Competitiveness list. Hong Kong topped the list while Switzerland and Singapore were ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively.

4. NSDC signs MoU with Bird Academy: National Skill Development Corporation has signed a MoU with Bird Academy for skilling of unemployed youth in aviation and aerospace sector. More than 30000 unemployed youth across various states and 5000 women and tribal youths from underprivileged sections of the society will be trained.

Daily GK Updates - 4th June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India tests Quick Reaction missile for 1st time: India successfully test fired Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile from Chandipur in Odisha. The missile’s strike range is 20 to 30 kms and is capable of hitting multiple targets. It is developed jointly by DRDO and Bharat Electronics.

2. All states agree to GST rollout from July 1: GST Council has cleared the pending rules, including transition provisions and returns. All the states have agreed to July 1 roll out of the Goods and Services Tax.

3. K K Paul launches Vidya-Veerta mission: Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul has launched Vidya-Veerta Abhiyan by presenting VC’s of universities with portraits of Param Vir Chakra recipients. It will be displayed at institutions to send out a message that not only soldiers but every citizen is responsible for country’s safety.

4. Mann appointed as Ambassador to Slovenia: Param Jit Mann has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Slovenia. He is presently Ambassador of India to the Slovak Republic.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Muslim children forced to drop ‘religious’ names in China: Muslim children in China’s Xinjiang region are being forced to change their names which have been deemed “overly religious” by authorities. As many as 15 names have been banned, including Islam, Quran, Mecca, Jihad, Imam.

2. UN General Assembly elects five non-Permanent UNSC Members:The UN General Assembly elected Cote D’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Poland and Peru as the non-permanent members of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2018. The General Assembly also voted to approve the Netherlands taking over from Italy in 2017 after the countries agreed to split a two-year term between them.

3. NASA to launch Sounding Rocket: NASA will launch a sounding rocket which will release blue-green and red artificial clouds. The rocket will eject vapour canisters between 10 to 20 km from the rocket’s main payload. The vapor tracers will allow scientists on the ground to view the movement of the particles in the ionosphere.

4. ‘Fireball’ hits computers globally: Chinese malware named ‘Fireball’ has infected over 250 million computers worldwide. It is designed to hijack browsers to changedefault search engine and track their web traffic on behalf of a digital marketing firm called Rafotech. It has the ability to spy on victims, perform efficient malware dropping and execute any malicious code.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sai Praneeth wins Thailand Grand Prix Gold Title: Indian shuttler ‘B Sai Praneeth’ (24-year) has clinched the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold badminton title by defeating Jonatan Christie (Indonesia) 17-21, 21-18, 21-19 in Bangkok, Thailand. This is Praneeth's second consecutive title win following the Singapore Open victory.

2. Sudha Singh claims gold medal: Rio Olympian Sudha Singh claimed a gold medal in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at 21st Federation Cup National Senior Athletics Championships.

3. Real Madrid first to retain 2017 UEFA Champions League title: Real Madrid defeated Juventus 4-1 in finals to win 2017 UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid became the first team to retain the UEFA Champions League.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

4. Shashi Shekhar Vempati named CEO of Prasar Bharati: Shashi Shekhar Vempati has been named chief executive officer of Prasar Bharati. He will replace Rajeev Singh, who has been serving as interim CEO since February 2017.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Devendra Fadnavis launches portal Mahaswayam: The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has launched a web portal 'Mahaswayam' for job seekers, employers, entrepreneurs and training institutes. This web portal will cater to job seekers, employers, entrepreneurs, and training institutes who can avail details regarding skill development and employment.

2. Varanasi to get freight village: Varanasi will get India’s first ‘freight village’ spread over around 100 acres. The project will be setup close to the multi-mode terminal on the banks of the river Ganga. It is one-of-its-kind infrastructure platform, will anchor movement of goods by railways and roadways ultimately dovetailing with the waterways. It will be developed by Inland Waterways Authority of India.

3. Shashi Shekar Vempati is new Prasar Bharati CEO: Shashi Shekar Vempati has been appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati for a period of five years on the recommendation of the three-member committee headed by the Vice-President Hamid Ansari. He will replace Rajeev Singh (interim CEO).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Leo Varadkar to be next Irish PM: An Indian-origin doctor Leo Varadkar is set to become the Republic of Ireland's next Prime Minister after winning the leadership of the Fine Gael party. He will succeed Enda Kenny as leader of the centre-right party. Varadkar will become the first gay Prime Minister and also be the country's youngest ever leader. Capital of Ireland is Dublin.

OTHER UPDATES:

1. Neelakanta to be a member of Umpires and Referees Committee:Ganeshan Neelakanta Iyer has become the first Indian to be nominated as a member of Umpires and Referees Committee. His term as URC member is for 2 years.

2. West Indies cricket team's official name changed to 'WINDIES': The cricket board for West Indies has re-branded themselves as Cricket West Indies from the former West Indies Cricket board. The board also announced, the cricket team from now on will be officially known as ‘WINDIES’.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. Airtel-Telenor merger gets regulatory approval from SEBI, BSE, NSE: Bharti Airtel has received the merger approval between Airtel and Telenor communications from SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India), BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange), National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE).

4. BEML bags Raksha Mantri award: BEML Ltd has bagged the ‘Raksha Mantri’s Award for Excellence’ under the group award category for design and development.

It has been awarded for design and development of 180 tonne class electric hydraulic excavator – BE1800E. BE1800E is the biggest-ever excavator designed and developed in India.

5. SEBI sets up a Committee on Corporate Governance: To improve standards of corporate governance of listed companies, Sebi has setup a Committee on corporate governance. The committee will be headed by Uday Kotak.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired: India has successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile (surface-to-surface) from Chandipur test range in Odisha as part of a user trial by the Army. The missile can carry 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines. The missile has a strike range of 350 km.

2. India, Russia ink nuclear plant pact: India and Russia have signed an agreement on setting up the last two units of the Kundankulam nuclear power plant. The fifth and the sixth unit will cost about Rs 50,000 crore with half of it being funded by Russia. The reactors will be built by India’s Nuclear Power Corporation of India and Russia’s Atomstroy export.

3. ‘SPARROW-ITS’ launched: The Union Govt. has launched SPARROW ITS: Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window. It is in accordance with Govt’s policy to introduce online Annual Performance Appraisal Report for Group A services.

4. Union Govt. launches web platform INAM-Pro + : The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has launched INAM-Pro + web platform in New Delhi. INAM-Pro+ is an e-commerce platform for construction and infrastructure raw material for government and private procurement.

5. NAAC receives Asia Pacific Quality Network Award 2017: National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of India has received International Award of Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN) Quality Award 2017 for International Co-operation in Quality Assurance in Moscow, Russia. APQN Quality award are among the most prestigious International Awards in quality assurance of higher education.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Slovakian Lajcak to be next UNGA president: United Nations General Assembly has elected Miroslav Lajcak to be its next president. He will succeed Peter Thomson in September and chair the assembly’s 72nd session.

2. Global Peace Index 2017, India ranks 137^th: Iceland has been named the world’s most peaceful country, topping the Global Peace Index for the tenth consecutive year. Syria has been named the least peaceful country, followed by Afghanistan. India has moved up 4 position, from 141st last year to 137th this year.

3. Trump announces US withdrawal from Paris Agreement on Climate Change: US President Donald Trump has announced to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change. He said that countries like China and India are benefiting the most from the Paris Agreement.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING & FINANCE:

1. RBI appoints Ganesh Kumar as ED: Reserve Bank of India has appointed S. Ganesh Kumar as the new Executive Director. He will succeed Chandan Sinha.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

2. Sanjiv Singh takes over as IOC Chairman: Sanjiv Singh has taken over as the Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation. He will replace B Ashok.

3. Vinay Dube named Jet Airways CEO: Jet Airways has appointed Vinay Dube as its Chief Executive Officer. He is currently senior vice president, Asia Pacific with Delta Air Lines Inc.

Daily GK Updates - 1st June, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nirupama Rao appointed public policy fellow to US think-tank:Former Indian envoy to the US Nirupama Rao has appointed public policy fellow to a Washington-based think-tank. She will work on a project on the Sino-India ties for the top American think-tank. Ms Rao will be affiliated with the Wilson Centre's Asia programme.

2. Telangana Government launches T-Wallet: Telangana has launched a digital wallet titled as T-Wallet. It is the official digital wallet of the state, offering anytime anywhere platform for digital payments with no additional charge for citizens. Transaction Analysts has partnered with Telangana to develop T-Wallet. It is 1st official e-wallet from any state government.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Japan launches satellite for high-precision positioning system to complement GPS: Japan launched a satellite from the Tanegashima space centre to help build a high-precision geo-location system that will complement the US-operated Global Positioning System (GPS).

2. India & Spain sign seven agreements: India and Spain have signed seven agreements in cyber security, renewable energy, technical cooperation in civil aviation, visa waiver for diplomatic passport holders.The agreements were signed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with President of Government of Spain Mariano Rajoy at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid.

3. NASA’s first mission to the sun: NASA is launching a spacecraft named ‘Parker Solar Probe’ to Sun in the summer of 2018. It will explore sun’s outer atmosphere and make critical observations that will answer decades-old questions about the physics of how stars work.

4. Global Day of Parents observed: The Global Day of Parents is observed on the 1st of June every year. The Global Day provides an opportunity to appreciate all parents in all parts of the world for their selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship.

5. Jhumpa Lahiri Wins 2017 PEN/Malamud Award: Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri has been announced as the recipient of the 2017 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize.

6. World Milk Day observed: The World Milk Day has been observed on 1st June each year since 2001. The World Milk Day is a day established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to recognise the importance of milk as a global food.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. ICC Champions Trophy 2017 begins in London: 2017 ICC Champions Trophy (8th edition) began in London with hosts England taking on Bangladesh in the opening encounter at Kennington Oval.

BANKING & FINANCE:

2. ADB and PNB sign $100 million loan: The Asian Development Bank and Punjab National Bank has signed a $100 million loan. The loan will be used to finance large solar rooftop systems on industrial and commercial buildings throughout India. PNB will use the ADB funds to make further loans to various developers and end users to install rooftop solar systems.

3. Indian Railways introduces “Buy Now, Pay Later” service for bookings: Indian Railways has introduced ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ service for passengers to book tickets.

It will allow passengers to make payment for tickets booked online within a window of 15 days.

Daily GK Updates - 31st May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bicycle Patrols – An initiative of Delhi Police: Delhi Police (DP) has launched the Bicycle Patrols for better policing in the capital. The patrolling officers will be equipped with standard police communication equipment which will operate in 'hands-free mode' and function like mobile police posts of the local Police Station. A total of 65 high-end bicycles have been made operational. It will normally cover distance of 2 to 5 kms per patrol.

2. George Kurian appointed as Vice-Chairman of National Commission for Minorities: Minister of State Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has appointed George Kurian as the vice-chairman of National Commission for Minorities. The other appointed members are Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi (Chairman), Sulekha Kumbhare (former Maharashtra minister), Sunil Singhi (Jain representative) and Vada Dasturji Khurshed Kaikobad Dastoor. First time a Jain member has been appointed to the panel after the community was notified as minority in Jan 2014. The six notified minority communities in the country are Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi, and Jain.

3. Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award to Priyanka Chopra under a new category: Actress Priyanka Chopra will be conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for being an international icon. She will be given the award under the newly introduced ‘Internationally Acclaimed Actress’ category. This Award is India’s highest award in cinema.

4. India becomes World’s third largest aviation market: India has emerged as the third largest aviation market in the world with a passenger traffic of over 10 crore reported for 2016-17. Average or median air fares fell by 18% during 2016-17 and scheduled domestic flight movements rose from 7 lakh in 2014 to 8.2 lakh in 2016. US is currently world’s largest aviation market.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 31st may as World No-Tobacco Day: The theme for world No Tobacco Day 2017 is "Tobacco - a threat to development". This day aims to create awareness about the health risks associated with consumptionof tobacco and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The Union Health Minister JP Nadda is chosen for this year's WHO Director-General Special Recognition Awards.

2. ‘The Square’ wins top prize at Cannes: The Swedish film ‘The Square’ has won the Palme d’Or, the top prize at 70th Cannes Film Festival. The Square is a Swedish satirical drama film directed by Ruben Östlund. The film ‘120 Beats Per Minute!’ won the Grand Prix, the runner-up prize.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Lionel Messi wins fourth Golden Shoe: Lionel Messi has won the European Golden Shoe for a record fourth time. With this fourth Golden Shoe Messi has drawn level with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi has scored 37 goals this season in the Spanish league. The award goes every season to the leading goal scorer from every top division national league in Europe.

BANKING & FINANCE:

2. Banks Board Bureau gets 2 more members: The government has expanded the Banks Board Bureau by adding two more members. Shubhalaxmi Panse and Pradip Shah have been inducted into the board. The bureau is headed by former comptroller and auditor general Vinod Rai.

Daily GK Updates - 30th May, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. FICCI smart policing award 2017 won by Pune Police: Pune Police has won this award for the project ‘Mahila Suraksha’. It was received by Commissioner of Pune Rashmi Shukla. Initiatives like “BuddyCop” was launched to help women working in IT companies and “Damini squad” involving women police officials played a key role in tightening the security.

2. Ban on the usage of thin plastic bags in Goa: Goa government has decided to ban buying and selling of plastic bags below 50 microns from July, to tackle the garbage and litter menace in public places.Fine of Rs. 500 will be imposed and then the fine will be subsequently raised to Rs. 5,000 depending upon the success. Goa has already banned plastic bags below 40 microns.

3. A new Jamia Chancellor - Najma Heptulla: Manipur governor 'Najma Heptulla' has been appointed the first woman chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia university for a term of five years.This happened to her at the age of 77 years. She will succeed Lieutenant General (Retd.) MA Zaki.She has also worked as former minority affairs minister. Heptulla is a five-time member of the Rajya Sabha and served as the Deputy Chairman of the House for sixteen years. (Note: Earlier, Heptulla served as the minister of minority affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet before being appointed as the governor of Manipur.)

4. Expectation of rise in GDP of our Nation in 2017-18: India’s gross domestic product(GDP) is expected to grow 7.2 in 2017-18 according to the World Bank Report. In 2016-17, India’s GDP is expected to be 6.8 percent. This is due to the impact of demonetization. According to the report India needs to create safe, flexible and well-paying jobs for a large number of women who are currently not in the labour market to achieve higher growth.

5. Reserve Bank of India announces about new one rupee notes: RBI will be putting new one rupee notes into circulation soon. The notes have been printed by the Government of India. The existing currency notes in this denomination in circulation will also continue to be legal tender. The colour of One Rupee currency note shall be predominantly pink green on obverse and reverse in combination with others. The note will bear the signature of Shaktikanta Das – The Economic Affairs Secretary.

6. The launch of India’s first digital bank for sanitary pads: On the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, India’s first digital bank for sanitary pads has been launched in Mumbai by MLA Bharati Lavekar. People can log in to ‘teefoundation.in’ to either donate pads or money to those in need. The needy can also access available resources on the portal. According to the 2015-16 National Family Health Survey, 57.6% of Indian menstruating women use sanitary napkins.

7. A steep Fall in average pay hike in India: According to Aon Hewitt Survey, India’s average pay hike has registered a steep fall from 15.1% in 2007 to 10.2% in 2016. It is expected to drop further to 9.5% in 2017.

8. BSF officer climbs Mt.Everest for the 6th time: An assistant commandant of Border Security Forces “Loveraj Singh Dharamshaktu” became the first Indian to climb the world’s highest peak Mount Everest for a record sixth time. He was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India in 2014. He hails from Uttarakhand and scaled the Everest first in 1998.

9. INS Ganga – An Indian Navy frigate to be placed in non-operational state soon: INS Ganga is a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy. It was built in Mumbai by Mazagon Dock Limited. It gave services for last 32 years. INS Ganga is also affiliated to the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) of the Indian Army.

10. UGC App to fight ragging: HRD minister Prakash Javadekar has launched an Anti-Ragging Mobile App introduced by the University Grants Commission. This mobile app will help students register complaints to counter the menace of ragging. Now the Students can login and register their complaints instantaneously. The app will work on android system.

11. “Darwaza Bandh” Campaign: The aim of the campaign is to encourage usage of toilets in rural area. The union minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation ‘Narendra Singh Tomar’ and Maharashtra Chief Minister ‘Devendra Fadnavis’ jointly launched this campaign. Bollywood star ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ is leading the campaign along with ‘Anushka Sharma’ who will be seen encouraging women for the same.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. “Kazakhstan” all set to produce nuclear fuel: Kazakhstan is all set to produce nuclear fuel for Chinese power plants in 2019. This would take place through a Joint Venture(JV) set up by the two countries. This JV is between Kazatomprom and China General Nuclear Power Group. The JV, Ulba-FA, is now building on land at the Ulba plant, Kazakhstan’s main uranium processing factory.

2. The Launch of Zan TV (Women’s TV) Channel in Afghanistan: Zan TV (Women's TV) has staff of all female presenters and producers. It executed a high-profile marketing campaign. It is being seen a ground- breaking step for women's rights, in a male dominated country. The station is run on a low-cost digital technology in a basic studio in the Kabul, Afghanistan.

3. Cyclone Mora hits Bangladesh: Cyclone Mora has hit the south-eastern coast this year whereas Cyclone Roanu hit the southern coast of Bangladesh last year. Mora-wind speed was in the range of 100-150 kilometres per hour. About 20,000 houses in refugee camps for Rohingya were damaged.

4. ‘Un-Islamic’ Lady Justice Statue reinstalled in Bangladesh: A statue of Lady Justice which had been removed recently from outside the Supreme Court in Dhaka has been reinstalled at a different location on the court grounds. The statue shows a lady blindfolded and holding scales while wearing a sari. Opponents demanded the statue be destroyed and replaced with the Koran, calling it “un-Islamic.” The statue is reinstalled at a different location on the court grounds – one where it would be less visible.

5. India and Fiji sign MoU: India and Fiji has signed an MoU on defence cooperation. The MoU envisaged cooperation on defence industry, military training, humanitarian assistance & disaster management. The two defence Ministers discussed expanded defence partnership in maritime security between both the countries. Naval cooperation was identified as an area of promise.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel wins Monaco Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel has won 2017 Monaco Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finished second while Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo clinched the third spot. He is a four-time Formula One World Champion and currently drives for Scuderia Ferrari.

2. Amla becomes the fastest batsman to score 7000 runs in ODI cricket: South African opener Hashim Amla has become the fastest batsman to score 7000 runs in ODI cricket. He reached this milestone in his 150th innings. He also holds the record for fastest to reach 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000 ODI runs. The record for the fastest 7000 ODI runs was earlier held by Virat Kohli.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

3. Online food delivery firm ‘Swiggy’ raises $80M: Swiggy is an Online food delivery platform which has successfully raised USD 80 million in series E funding led by Naspers. These funds would help Swiggy to introduce new products and service offerings to enhance its customer experience. Naspers has also invested into Foodpanda. CEO of Swiggy is Sriharsha Majety.

OBITUARIES:

4. Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis passes away At the age of 98 years: He was an early proponent of austerity cuts that Greece eventually had to adopt during the economic crisis of 2010.Mitsotakis served as the Prime Minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993.