Daily GK Updates - 27th October, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 27th October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-North Korea ties could act as conduit for communications - Rex Tillerson: India's diplomatic ties with North Korea could act as a "conduit for communications", US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said amidst tensions between Washington and Pyongyang over the latter's nuclear missile tests. India had informed the US that it has "minimal" trade with North Korea, and that there was a small Indian embassy in Pyongyang which should stay there so that some channels of communication remain open.

2. India, France discuss ways to ramp up strategic ties: India and France on Friday held wide-ranging talks aimed at further boosting defence and security ties, with a focus on co-development of military platforms, and enhancing cooperation in the maritime sphere.  Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her French counterpart Florence Parley deliberated on a host of key issues, including the regional security situation, transfer of critical technology for various defence projects and ways to ramp up overall strategic ties.

3. Senior journalist Vinod Verma arrested in extortion case: The police arrested the journalist from his residence in Indirapuram in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad. The case was registered against Verma at the Pandri Police Station of Raipur district under sections 384 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).  Verma, who is currently working with Amar Ujala as the Editor, had also worked with BBCfor several years.

4. US Senate Committee confirms Kenneth Juster's nomination as US envoy to India: Ken Juster who has served as Under Secretary of Commerce from 2001-2005 will replace Richard Verma. The position has been lying vacant since January 20, 2017. Juster also played a key role in enhancing the India-US ties under the Bush administration.

5. Awaiting law on Buyer Safety:Government will bring in a new law to crack down on misleading advertisements and set up a central authority to fast-track redressal of consumers' grievances, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday .  The proposed law, awaiting Cabinet approval, provides for fine up to Rs 50 lakh and up to three years' ban in case of misleading endorsement by celebrities while manufacturers would face fine and jail term for similar offence.

6. Non-Aadhaar cell verification only for NRIs, visitors: Government is looking to provide non-Aadhaar based verification for mobile phones only for certain categories. It is also seeking to ease the verification process for those with Aadhaar. The government is looking to provide non-Aadhaar based verification for mobile phones only for certain categories, such as NRIs and foreign tourists. It is also seeking to ease the verification process for those with Aadhaar. Telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan said the government had already simplified the process by providing for verification through a one-time password (OTP), app and a voice-recognition system. Using OTP, subscribers will be able to authenticate phone numbers which were not mentioned during Aadhaar registration. So, multiple phones can be verified using the mobile number registered with Aadhaar.

7. Rakesh Asthana's promotion was a unanimous decision – CVC: Chief vigilance commissioner K V Chowdary on Thursday asserted that the decision to elevate CBI additional director Rakesh Asthana as special director was taken unanimously by members of the selection committee.

8. NIA charges Zakir Naik for radicalization: NIA has chargesheeted the "televangelist" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for heading an 'unlawful association'.The agency accused him of inciting youth to take up terror acts and join global terror outfits like Islamic State. The agency has chargesheeted the "televangelist" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for heading an 'unlawful association' and accused him of inciting youth to take up terror acts and join global terror outfits like Islamic State.  Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), banned in 2016 under the UAPA, as well as private firm Harmony Media Pvt Ltd were named as co-accused for having conspired with Naik to promote enmity and hatred between different religious groups and insulting certain sects of Islam and other religions . Under the guise of preaching Islam, Zakir Naik made a fortune, receiving huge sums from within India and abroad over the years that he camouflaged as "friendly loans and gifts" and donations by "well-wishers".  In order to establish systematic money laundering by Naik, the NIA collected and analysed thousands of financial documents of 13 entities and 40 individuals, including his companies, NGOs, associated firms, directors and real estate agents, apart from scrutinising 85 bank accounts.

9. Kashmir talks: Interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma meets Mehbooba Mufti: Centre's newly-appointed special representative for holding a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma on Thursday met state Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and discussed broad contours of the proposed talks with all stake holders. The meeting which took place at Kashmir House on Prithviraj Road here comes two days after the Centre announced appointment of Sharma as its special representative to initiate dialogue, in a fresh move aimed at bringing peace to the troubled state.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES: 

1. Pentagon chief Jim Mattis accuses North Korea of threatening 'catastrophe': US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis accused North Korea today of building a nuclear arsenal to "threaten others with catastrophe" and said the Trump administration remains committed to compelling the North to accept complete nuclear disarmament.  Calling the North a threat to global order, Mattis stood inside the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas and pledged solidarity with the South.

2. Japan to propose strategic dialogue with US, India and Australia: Japan will propose a strategic dialogue among the leaders of the three countries aimed at counteracting China's expansion under OBOR. PM Shinzo Abe is expected to propose the idea to US President Trump on November 6. Japan foreign minister said the aim was to promote high-quality infrastructure investment across Asia to Africa.

3. Tillerson's visit to India highlights emerging ties between two countries: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, during his maiden visit to India, discussed strengthening India-US partnership, India's leadership on peace and security in the India-Pacific region and its vital role in Trump administration's South Asia strategy, a top US official said. Divulging the details of Tillerson's maiden visit to India, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert here said the top Trump official met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

4. Australian court disqualifies deputy PM Barnaby Joyce for dual citizenship: Australia's High Court rules deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, four others other lawmakers ineligible. Joyce will be able to stand for re-election, having renounced the New Zealand citizenship he unknowingly inherited from his father.

5. India, US to implement HOSTAC to strengthen maritime security: To strengthen maritime security, India and the United States have agreed to implement the programme for Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC), the Pentagon has said.  A decision in this regard was taken by Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharamanand her US Counterpart Jim Mattisduring their meeting in Philippines on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. U-17 World Cup a success but no commitment on U-20 bid-Infantino: Infantino declared India a football continent and said that FIFA will continue to work with them "Having seen the U-17 World Cup in India, I can say that it was worth allotting this to India," Infantino said Infantino refrained from giving any commitment on India's bid to host the U-20 World Cup in 2019.

2. ISSF World Cup Final - Sangram wins silver in double trap: Dahiya won India's second medal of the day, a silver in the men's double trap. Dahiya shot 76 out of 80 targets, three behind gold medallist Binyuan (79). This is Dahiya's first-ever medal in senior level, having won a gold at the Asian Shooting for juniors back in 2009.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Reliance Nippon AMC IPO oversubscribed 81 times so far:The initial public offer of Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management (RNAM) was oversubscribed 81.22 times so far on the last day of bidding on Friday.  The IPO to raise an estimated Rs 1,542.42 crore received bids for 3,47,95,79,988 shares against the total issue size of 4,28,40,000 shares (excluding anchor portion), according to NSE data till 4:15 pm.

2. Maruti Suzuki Q2 net profit rises by over 3%: Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Friday posted over 3 per cent growth in its quarterly profit. Net profit for the second quarter ended September 30 stood at Rs 2,484 crore registering a growth of 3.4 per cent over the same period previous year. The company said it sold a total of 4,92,118 vehicles in Q2, a growth of 17.6 per cent over the same period of the previous year. Sales in the domestic market stood at 4,57,401 units, a growth of 19.4 per cent while exports were at 34,717 units.

Daily GK Updates - 26th October, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 26th October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tech, tariff concerns weigh on Jaitapur N-plant deal:Technological and financial concerns as well as differences over taking responsibility for the construction of the proposed 10,000-mw nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra are weighing down efforts to fast-track the general framework agreement ahead of French president Emmanuel Macron's visit in December.  Macron will be in Delhi on December 8 for a three-day visit, primarily to adopt the legal framework for International Solar Alliance, an international band of sunshine countries to promote solar energy. Efforts are on to get the deal with EDF, French state-controlled company that is Europe's largest operator of nuclear power plants, in the bag for Macron to carry back home.

2. 1.5 lakh children to participate in International Children Film Festival: As many as 295 films from 93 countries will be screened during the 'The Golden Elephant 2017' - the 20th International Children Film Festival India from November 8-14 in the city.  The film festival is being organized by the Children's Film Society India in association with the Telangana state government. The films were selected from a total of 1,408 entries received from 108 countries.  While the main festival venue is Prasads imax where movies will be screened for delegates from across the globe, the inauguration will take place at the Shilpa Kala Vedika, Madhapur. The closing ceremony will also be at the same place. 291 child delegates from across the world will participate in the film festival.

3. Major fire outside Bandra station in Mumbai, harbour line now working: Western Railway denies any impact on services due to fire incident near Behrampada adjacent to Bandra station in Mumbai. A major fire broke out at Behrampada adjacent to suburban Bandra station in Mumbai this afternoon, forcing the railway authorities to halt train services on the harbour line, a senior railway official said.  “All lines at Bandra working including Harbour lines. No effect on Railway lines & trains,” ANI quoted the Western Railway PRO as saying.

4. Drug-resistant tuberculosis cases on rise in India: A study found over 40% of 45,076 patients, in 75 selected studies for review, suspected for resistance to any first-line anti-TB drugs, tested positive in the last 20 years. India has witnessed an alarming increase in Drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (DR-TB) in the past two decades, a study published in Bio-Med Central (BMC) Public Health journal revealed. The study found that over 40% of 45,076 patients, in 75 selected studies for review, suspected for resistance to any first-line anti-TB drugs, tested positive in the last 20 years. Comparative analysis of the studies revealed a worsening trend in DR-TB between the two study decades. It was found to be 37.7% between 1995 and 2005 and 46.1% between 2006 and 2015. A systematic review of published studies reporting prevalence of DR-TB from biomedical databases (PubMed and IndMed) was conducted.

5. 2.5 million died due to pollution in India in 2015, says Lancet study: Report published in The Lancet journal said in 2015, pollution was the reason behind nine million deaths worldwide—or about one in six. Even as national capital Delhi reels under heightened air pollution levels following Diwali celebrations, a report has said that pollution led to 2.5 million deaths in India in 2015 –the highest in the world. India was closely followed by China, which saw 1.8 million deaths due to pollution during the year. The report, published in The Lancet journal, said that in 2015, pollution was the reason behind nine million deaths worldwide—or about one in six.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Inferno at Indonesia fireworks factory kills 47:  A fire broke out at a fireworks factory next to a residential area in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta. 47 people have been killed in the fire. Police say the toll could rise further.

2. Rohingya crisis: Rex Tillerson calls Myanmar army chief, urges him to end violence in Rakhine state: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has urged Myanmar's army chief to help end the violence in Rakhine state that has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee. In a phone call with Min Aung Hlaing yesterday, Tillerson expressed "concern about the continuing humanitarian crisis and reported atrocities in Rakhine", according to a statement by State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India thrash USA 22-0 in Sultan of Johor Cup 2017: For India three players - Vishal Antil, Dilpreet Singh, Harmanjit Singh and Abhishek - scored a hat-trick each. Harmanjit top-scored for India with five goals. There were 10 different goalscorers from India.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. PNB Housing board approves $1 billion masala bond issuance:PNB Housing Finance board also approves the issuance of secured and unsecured non-convertible debentures aggregating up to an amount of Rs6,000 crore in tranches. PNB Housing Finance Ltd, a housing finance company sponsored by state-owned lender Punjab National Bank and backed by private equity investor Carlyle Group, Thursday said its board has approved raising up to $1 billion by selling masala bonds. Masala bonds are rupee-denominated bonds sold in offshore capital markets. PNB Housing Finance board also approved the issuance of secured and unsecured non-convertible debentures aggregating up to an amount of Rs6,000 crore in tranches. World Bank arm International Finance Corp. (IFC) was the first to issue masala bonds in November 2014. It raised Rs1,000 crore to fund Indian infrastructure projects.

2. Rs2.11 trillion bank recapitalisation plan sufficient to tackle NPAs: SBI report: After provisioning for bad loans, SBI believes there may still be around Rs1 trillion in the bank recapitalisation outlay available for handing out loans. The government’s Rs2.11 trillion bank recapitalisation plan is sufficient to tackle the bad loan problem and will also give a push to economic growth, says an SBI research report.Finance minister Arun Jaitley unveiled the Rs2.11 trillion bank recapitalisation plan, which includes issue of recapitalisation bonds worth Rs1.35 trillion while the rest will be raised through budgetary allowances and fundraising by the banks from the capital markets.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1. First Jurassic-era ‘fish lizard’ fossil found in India: Scientists say the Jurassic-era ichthyosaur or ‘fish lizard’ fossil — nearly 5.5 metre long and rare in Southern Hemisphere— was discovered from Kachchh area in Gujarat. In a first, a near- complete fossilised skeleton of a Jurassic ichthyosaur — large marine reptile which lived alongside dinosaurs — has been discovered in India, scientists said. Fossil records of ichthyosaurs, which means ‘fish lizards’ in Greek, have been found in North American and Europe previously. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, they have mostly been limited to South America and Australia.  Researchers including those from the University of Delhi and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) in Germany have found what they believe to be the first Jurassic ichthyosaur in India, from the Kachchh area in Gujarat.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Sensex, Nifty close record high; metal, oil and gas stocks rally: BSE Sensex closed higher by 104.63 points to 33,147.13, while the Nifty 50 rose 48.45 points to close at 10,343.80. Here are the latest updates from the markets. Sensex and Nifty extended their record-setting run for the second session and ended at fresh lifetime highs on Thursday on short-covering following derivatives expiry amid optimism over earnings. The BSE Sensex gained 104.63 points to end at 33,147.13, while the broader Nifty rose 48.45 points to finish at 10,343.80. Both the key indices had climbed to lifetime highs yesterday as well, buoyed by the government’s massive Rs9 trillion package to boost the economy.

2. Albert Einstein’s theory of happiness fetches $1.3 million :Albert Einstein’s musings, handwritten on a note and given as tips to a bellboy in a Tokyo hotel, shed light on one of the great modern minds. While Albert Einstein’s theory of happiness may be relative, it fetched $1.3 million at a Jerusalem auction on Tuesday. The Nobel-winning scientist’s musings, handwritten on a note, may not be as famous as his groundbreaking theory of relativity, but they still shed light on one of the great modern minds. Winner’s Auctions and Exhibitions said Einstein was travelling in Japan in 1922 when he was told he would be awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. In Tokyo, Einstein scribbled the note in German to a bellboy after he did not have cash to give him a tip.

3. SpaceX, Google top list of companies techies want to work for: SpaceX, Google, Shopify and Tesla are the most appealing companies for technology workers, according to a survey by online jobs marketplace Hired. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Shopify Inc. and Tesla Inc. are the most appealing companies for technology workers, according to a survey by online jobs marketplace Hired. While big tech names topped the list, geographical breakdowns showed more diversity. Startups like SendGrid Inc., which does marketing email, had the highest ranking in Denver, while financial services like Capital One Financial Corp. topped scores in Washington. Online real estate database Redfin Corp., which went public this year, topped the list in Seattle. Notable companies excluded from the global top-ten were Amazon.com Inc., Uber Technologies Inc., and Airbnb Inc. Amazon did come in No. 3 in hometown Seattle, however, just ahead of Microsoft Corp.

4. Vodafone launches ‘SuperWeek plan’ with unlimited calls, 500 MB data at Rs69: Vodafone says the ‘SuperWeek plan’ will enable customers to make ‘unlimited local and STD calls to any network bundled with 500 MB data at just Rs69 for a week’. India’s second-largest telecom operator Vodafone on Thursday announced a short-duration plan that offers unlimited calling and 500 MB data at about Rs69 with 7 days of validity. The move comes at a time when the Indian telecom market — the second-largest in the world after China — is witnessing an intensifying competition among telecom operators which are trying to outdo each other with newer packs and attractive bundled offers to woo consumers. Vodafone, in a statement, said its ‘SuperWeek plan’ will enable customers to make “unlimited local and STD calls to any network bundled with 500 MB data at just Rs69 for a week”.

5. GST unleashed tsunami of tax terror, says Rahul Gandhi: Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of ‘killing’ the economy by firing the ‘double tap’ of demonetisation and GST into its heart. Launching a fresh salvo at the ruling BJP, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of “killing” the economy by firing the “double tap” of demonetisation and GST into its heart.

Daily GK Updates - 25th October, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 25th October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NS Venkatesh has been appointed as CEO of Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI): Before joining AMFI, Venkatesh served in Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) for over 19 years, where he held several senior positions, including that of chief financial officer and executive director. He was also working as the executive director at Lakshmi Vilas Bank.

2. Kanwaljit Singh Cheema appointed principal secretary BoA-Darjeeling:  West Bengal government appointed Kanwaljit Singh Cheema as the principal secretary of Board of Administrators (BoA) in Darjeeling. Kanwaljit Singh Cheema, was the principal secretary of the Mass Education Extension and Library Service Department. The BoA is a nine-member board.

3.  Meghalaya Election Department has entered Limca Book of Records for the formation of the biggest human logo comprising young voters in the state: The logo formation was part of Mission Unite (U and I towards Enrolment) as part of the Special drive to enroll young and left out voters. A total of 2,870 students, 113 schools, three colleges participated. The logo size was 120ft x 75ft.

4. MP aggressive in digital initiatives: As per a report by Coeus Age Consulting, Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the top state in terms of digital initiatives undertaken by State Government. Coeus Age Consulting is an organisation which provides consultancy services on various aspects of digital economy. A comparative assessment of digital initiatives by 36 states and Union Territories was undertaken by Coeus Age Consulting.

5.  Paika Bidroha: Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar mentioned that from the next academic session, ‘Paika Bidroha’ of 1817 will be included in history text books as ‘the First War of Independence’. Paika Rebellion was an armed rebellion against British East India Company, which broke out in the year 1817 across Odisha. Combination of social-political-economic causes triggered the Paika rebellion.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Central American country Nicaragua has signed the Paris Agreement on climate change:Only two countries, United States and Syria are left, who have not signed this global climate pact. Till June 2017, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, 148 of which have ratified it.

2. India’s gift to Bangladesh - memorabilia of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971: On 22nd October 2017, India gifted a memorabilia of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 to the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. During the war, about 10 million Bangladesh people took refuge in India. India and Bangladesh fought together to drive out the Pakistani occupation army. The memorabilia includes military equipment utilized during the war, artifacts, documents etc.

3. India – Indonesia CORPAT: The 30th edition of CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) and 3rd Bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy is being conducted in Belawan, Indonesia. The exercise will be held from 24th October to 5th November 2017. Indian Naval Ship Sukanya arrived at Belawan to participate in the 30th edition of CORPAT. CORPAT exercise is conducted on IMBL twice a year since 2002.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Manav Thakkar has become the first Indian to occupy the top spot with 3,455 points on the ITTF World Junior Circuit standings:  Manav Thakkar hails from Surat. He was previously placed at No. 5 position. He has reached the top position of top ITTF Junior Circuit standings after finishing runner-up at the 2017 Serbian Junior and Cadet Open, Belgrade. 

2. India’s Divij Sharan and America’s Scott Lipsky won the European Open trophy in Antwerp, Belgium:  Divij Sharan and Scott Lipsky defeated Santiago Gonzalez and Julio Peralta by 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 in the finals. They won the 2017 European Open title. Divij Sharan has won his first title of the 2017 season on the ATP World Tour, and third overall, by winning the European Open trophy.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. RBI assigned task Force on ‘Public Credit Registry’: Reserve Bank of India has constituted a 10-member ‘High Level Task Force on Public Credit Registry (PCR) for India’. It will suggest a roadmap for developing a transparent, comprehensive and near-real-time PCR for India. The committee will be Headed by YM Deosthalee, ex-CMD, L&T Finance Holdings.

2. EEPC India - PNB Pact:Engineering Export Promotion Council of India has signed an MoU with PNB to provide easy access to finance for SMEs and merchant exporters of the council. PNB will provide finance with assurance that loans up to Rs. 10 crore would be provided within 6 to 7 weeks at competitive rates. PNB would also extend foreign currency loan facilities and provide advisory support to EEPC India members.

3. SBI ties up with Escorts Ltd:SBI announced that it has entered into a tie-up with Escorts Ltd to finance farmers for the purchase of Escorts tractors. As per the terms of the tie-up, farmers across India, who wish to purchase Powertrac and Farmtrac brand tractors manufactured by Escorts, will be provided finance facility by SBI at competitive interest rates. This will help a large number of small and marginal farmers.

4. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is set to make Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) compulsory for companies : Companies having aggregate fund-based and non-fund based exposure over Rs 5 cr. LEI is a unique 20 digit alphanumeric code that will be assigned to corporate borrowers. Fetching loan details on basis of LEI, will prevent banks from extending multiple loans to companies against the same collateral.

5. IndusInd Bank and MobiKwik announced the launch of a co-branded wallet, “IndusInd Mobikwik”: IndusInd Mobikwik wallet allows IndusInd bank’s customers to pay at the MobiKwik merchant network using their accounts. This wallet has a ‘direct debit feature’ which allows IndusInd Bank account holders to link their accounts just once and pay using the co-branded app as and when required.

OBITUARIES:

1. Noted Malayalam filmmaker I.V. Sasi passed away: He was 69 years old. He had been ill for a while. He has directed more than 150 movies in his 40 year career. He started his career as an art director for Kaliyalla Kalyanam in 1968. He made his debut as a director with the movie Ulsavam. He has won various awards like National Film Award, Kerala State Film Awards etc.

Daily GK Updates - 24th October, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 24th October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. IPS Rakesh Asthana appointed CBI Special Director: Senior IPS officer (1984-batch: Gujarat cadre) has been appointed as the special director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Earlier, Asthana had been serving in the Central Bureau of Investigation as Additional Director. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the domestic security agency of India, overseen by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions of the Federal government headed by a Cabinet Minister who reports directly to the Prime Minister.

2. Japan's ruling coalition wins overwhelming victory in general election: Japan's ruling coalition has won an overwhelming victory in yesterday's general election. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito party won more than two-thirds of the Lower House seats. The LDP, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, secured 283 seats, one less than before the election but far more than a simple majority of 233. Komeito won 29, bringing the total of seats held by the ruling camp to 312.

3. TRAI recommends 40% carbon emission reduction in telecom network by 2022-23: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended 40% carbon emission reduction in telecom network by 2022-23. The target for reduction in carbon emission be set as 30% by year 2019-20 taking base year as 2011-12 and 40% by the year 2022-23. The report of carbon footprint of telecom operators should be submitted annually within 45 days after March of every year. The targets should be reviewed in the year 2022-23.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. United Nations Day is observed on 24^th October, 2017: The United Nations Day is being observed globally on 24th October to make people aware of the aims and achievements of the United Nations Organization. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly declared 24 October, the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations. United Nations Day is part of United Nations Week (runs from 20 to 26 October).In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly had declared 24th October as the United Nations Day by adopting Resolution 2782.

2. Bangladesh - India deal for Gas and Oil: The Bangladesh Petroleum Corp. (BPC) and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) has signed long-term sales and purchase agreement to import gas oil to meet the country’s energy demand. BPC will take up to 250,000 tonnes of gas oil each year from NRL for the first three years of the deal to the BPC’s northern fuel depot via a 131-km (79 mile) pipeline, which will be built by India.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.  Jitu Rai & Heena Sidhu strike gold in air pistol mixed team event: Commonwealth and Asian Games gold-medallist Jeetu Rai and Heena Sidhu have won the gold medal of the ISSF World Cup Final in New Delhi, in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. Rai and Sidhu picked up their third gold together in the mixed team event. The mixed team competitions were organised as test events in the World Cups this year and will be making their Olympic debut in the Tokyo 2020 Games. France secured the silver medal and China settled for the bronze medal.

2. Best FIFA Men's Player- Cristiano Ronaldo: The four-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the Best FIFA Men's Player award (second straight year) at the 2017 award ceremony in London. Real Madrid's Portugal striker helped Real to a Champions League-La Liga double in 2016-17. Lieke Martens of Barcelona and the Netherlands won best female player, Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) was named best men's coach and Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands) the best female coach. Arsenal's Olivier Giroud received the Puskas award for the best goal of 2017 for his 'scorpion kick' against Crystal Palace in January. Celtic won the fan award after they honoured the club's 1967 'Lisbon Lions' with a stunning 360-degree card display on the 50th anniversary of their historic European Cup win.

3. Brazil and Spain have joined England and Mali in the semi-finals of the Under-17 FIFA World Cup Football being held in India:Brazil will face England in Guwahati, with Spain taking on Mali in Mumbai on 25th of this month. The Final is slated to take place on 29th Oct 2017 (Saturday) in Kolkata.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. India Post Payments Bank(IPPB) appoints Suresh Sethi as its MD & CEO: Suresh Sethi was former MD of Vodafone M-Pesa Ltd. IPPB has appointed him as its Managing Director (MD)and chief executive officer (CEO). He takes over from AP Singh who had held the post in the interim since January 2017. IPPB plans to leverage the unparalleled reach of the India Post network to achieve a pan-India roll out of 650 branches by early next year. The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has been incorporated as a public-sector company under the Department of Posts with 100% GOI equity. India Post has about 1,54,000 post offices, of them 90% are in rural areas. After State Bank of India, India Post has the largest deposits valued at Rs. 6 lakh crores.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd October, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 23rd October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kolkata food items have high lead levels: According to Geological Survey of India, Raw food items sold in Kolkata city markets have Lead concentration far above the permissible limit. High concentration of Lead can permanently damage key human organs. Samples of raw food items collected from 12 markets in the city showed a mean Lead (Pb) concentration between 3.78 and 43.35 mg/kg (average 23.56 mg/kg).

2. IAF Exercise on Lucknow-Agra Expressway: The Lucknow-Agra Expressway will be closed for commuters from 10 am on October 23 till 2 pm on October 24 as the IAF plans to conduct a major touchdown exercise.20 planes, including the AN-32, will take part in exercise on the highway.The AN-32 are meant for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It can bring a large amount of relief material and can also help in evacuating people.

3. MIDC to get anti-encroachment cells: Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation will finally get a dedicated encroachment removal department. The MIDC is presently in control of nearly 1.5 lakh hectares of land, in various stages of acquisition.The mandate of the department that was set up in 1962 is to acquire land, undertake provisioning of infrastructure on these plots and facilitate setting up of industrial units.

4. Mega textile park in Warangal: Telangana CM K.Chandrasekhara Rao laid the foundation stone for the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park. It is a fibre-to-fabric integrated textile cluster proposed to be built on 1,200 acres of land in the Warangal district.This is going to be one of the largest textile parks in the country.

5. BSF organises Half Marathon 2017: The BSF Half Marathon 2017 was flagged off in the memory of martyrs. It was organised by the Minister of State for Youth Affairs (I/C) & Sports and Information and Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. All trophies and prizes were dedicated to force martyrs. Medals and certificates were distributed to all the participants.

6. Sabbatical leave to begin startups: Kerala government has given green signal to a proposal of the state Startup Mission to accord sabbatical leave to the faculty members of all colleges who intend to establish startups. The new initiative would help members of the academic community to become part of entrepreneurship. It will contribute to the government’s determined efforts to strengthen and accelerate the startup ecosystem.

7. Bi-Annual Naval Commanders’ Conference: A four day Naval Commanders’ Conference is scheduled at New Delhi from 24-27 Oct 17. The Conference serves as a platform for institutionalised interaction between the Naval Commanders and senior government officials with the Chiefs of Indian Army and Air Force.They will review major Operational, Materiel, Human Resource, Training and Administrative activities undertaken in the last six months.

8. Rakesh Asthana as CBI Special Director: The cabinet committee for appointments has appointed 1984- batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as CBI special director. He is currently posted as additional director.AGMUT cadre IPS officer of 1984 batch Deepak Kumar Mishra has been named Special DG in CRPF. Odisha cadre IPS officer from the same batch Gurbacham Singh has been appointed special director in IB.

9. Defence Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman left for the Philippines to attend the Southeast Asian Defence Ministers’ Meeting: The two-day ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting will discuss ways to enhance defense and security cooperation among the member nations. Sitharaman will also hold bilateral talks with her counterparts from a number of countries.

10. Now IDs mandatory with Photocopies - PMLA: The Government has made it mandatory for banks and financial institutions to check the original identification documents of individuals. The Department of Revenue in the Finance Ministry made amendment in the Prevention of Money-laundering Rules.The Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA) forms the core of the legal framework put in place by India to combat money laundering.

11. Shri. Narendra Miodi Inaugurates RoRo ferry service:Shri. Narendra Miodi has inaugurated the first phase of ambitious Ghogha-Dahej Roll-on Roll-off ferry service at Ghogha in Bhavnagar district in Gujarat. With this, the distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions could be covered in less than an hour via-sea route. This passenger movement service reduced the distance between the Ghogha and Dahej from 310 kilometres by road to just 30 kilometres.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shinzo Abe reelected as PM of Japan: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party secured over two-thirds majority in the lower house of Parliament. The win gives Abe’s ruling coalition, which already holds majority in the upper house, free reign to pass legislation in the country.Abe is likely to acquire the title of Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister. His four-year term was to otherwise end in December 2018.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India wins hockey Asia Cup: India beats Malaysia by 2-1 in the finale to win the 2017 Asia Cup Hockey tournament held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.This was India’s third continental title. Ramandeep Singh scored the opening goal in the third minute while Lalit Upadhyay extended India’s lead in the 29th minute of the game. Lalit Upadhyay won the goal of the match award while Akashdeep Singh was adjudged the Man of the match.

2. Srikanth wins Denmark Open Superseries: Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has lifted the Denmark Open Superseries trophy at Odense, Denmark. In the title clash, Srikanth, seeded 8th, defeated South Korea’s Lee Hyun-il in straight games, 21-10, 21-5 to bag his third Super Series title of the year and fifth overall. Kidambi Srikanth has recently (June 2017) won Australia Open Super Series title.

3. Lewis Hamilton wins USA Grand Prix:  The victory was the 62nd of Hamilton’s career and his ninth of the season. Lewis Hamilton needs to finish in top five in Mexico to become Britain’s first four times world champion.

4. Amjyot made it to the NBA’s minor league – the G-League:Chandigarh hoopster Amjyot Singh became the third Indian after Satnam Singh and Palpreet Singh Brar to walk into the National Basketball Association (NBA) league. Amjyot made it to the NBA’s minor league – the G-League. The Indian skipper was picked by Oklahoma City Blue. The OKC Blue is NBA development league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder, an American professional basketball team.

5. Gaganjeet Bhullar lifted his eighth Asian Tour title at the Macau Open: He drained five birdies on the front nine and won by three shots despite a nerve-jangling double bogey. The 29-year-old fired rounds of 64, 65, 74 and 68 for an aggregate score of 13-under 271, lifting his first Asian Tour trophy of the year. Bhullar is also the 2012 champion in Macau.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1. Dawn Mission Extended at Ceres: NASA has authorized a second extension of the Dawn mission at Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. During this extension, the spacecraft will descend to lower altitudes than ever before at the dwarf planet, which it has been orbiting since March 2015. Dawn is the only mission ever to orbit two extraterrestrial targets.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd October, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 22nd October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Narendra Modi to visit the truly vibrant Gujrat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Gujarat for the third time this month, as the BJP pulls out all the stops ahead of the assembly elections in the state. Modi will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for a number of projects in Bhavnagar and Vadodara districts. The projects that will be launched by Modi include the first phase of the Rs 650-crore ‘roll-on, roll-off ferry service.

2. IFS Sibi George appointed as the Ambassador: Sibi George is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of 1993 batch. He has also served as deputy chief of mission of Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia. Sibi George will replace Smita Purushottam as the ambassador of India to Switzerland. He is presently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Aftairs. He would to take up this assignment shortly.

3. India, Mozambique to develop Rovuma gas: India and Mozambique agreed to expedite development of the giant Rovuma gas discovery, which is planned to be converted into LNG for exports. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while his visit to Tokyo for LNG Producer–Consumer Conference discussed the development of the gas field. Oil India Ltd has 4% stake while a unit of BPCL holds 10% stake in project.

4. Dasna Jail to rename its dental clinicto acknowledge the Talwar couple’s services: the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to rename the dental clinic at Dasna Jail in Ghaziabad after Aarushi Talwar. Aarushi was murdered at the age of 14 at her residence in 2008. Aarushi Talwar’s parents – Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, who are also dentists spent four years in the jail since 2013 as the accused in the murder case.

5. Committee to select RSTV’s editor: A five-member committee has been formed to select the candidate for the post of editor-in-chief of Rajya Sabha TV. This committee is headed by Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash. The post of RSTV’s editor-in-chief felt vacant when Gurdeep Singh Sappal resigned after Hamid Ansari’s term as vice-president came to an end in August 2017.

6. Sushma Swaraj visits Dhaka: With External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh. Dhaka will be looking at increased cooperation on how to deal with the Rohingya refugee crisis. Sushma Swaraj had promised all possible help to deal with the massive influx of Rohingya refugees during her 15-hour flight to New York, seated next to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina last month.

7. Toilets to be named as ‘izzat ghar’: The Central Government has asked each state to name the toilets in their rural households as “izzat ghar”, or to use a phrase in regional language equivalent to “house of dignity”. It is done with the aim of making India open defecation free by 2nd October 2019. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is looking over the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission in villages.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Legalization of marijuana for medical purposes in Peru: Peru’s conservative Congress passed a bill to legalize medical uses of marijuana. This legislation was proposed by Preu’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. It came after police cracked down on a group of mothers making cannabis oil in a makeshift laboratory to treat their children suffering from epilepsy, a neurological disorder.

2. Aung San Suu Kyi’s and Oxford: Students at the St Hugh’s College voted to remove Aung San Suu Kyi’s name from the title of their Junior Common Room, in North Oxford, England. Her name was dropped owing to her inability to stop severe human rights abuses against Rohingyas in Myanmar. She had graduated from St. Hugh’s College in 1967 and was granted an honorary doctorate from the university in 2012.

3. Lebanon passes first budget since 2005: Lebanon’s parliament has approved a government budget for the first time since 2005. For 12 years, political crises and wars have forced Lebanon’s state institutions to operate without a budget. The 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, plunged Lebanon into turmoil, dividing the country between supporters and enemies of Damascus.

 OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Government encouraging small saving schemes: In order to encourage savings, Central Government has issued a notification allowing all public sector banks and top three private sector banks (ICICI, HDFC and Axis Bank) to accept deposits under various small savings schemes. Until now, most of these schemes were sold through post offices. Small savings schemes include National Savings Certificate, recurring deposits and monthly income plan.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

1. Two NASA astronauts have successfully completed a spacewalk to install a new camera system outside the International Space Station: This has replaced a blown fuse and installed a new high definition camera on the starboard truss of the station. This was the fifth spacewalk of Bresnik’s career – 32 hours total spacewalking – and the third for Acaba – 9 hours and 46 minutes total spacewalking.

HONOURS/AWARDS:

1. Playback singers Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan have been selected for the Madhya Pradesh state government’s prestigious National Lata Mangeshkar award:  The artistes will be honoured for their contribution in the field of singing and composition of music. The award is alternatively given to music directors and playback singers every year.

Daily GK Updates - 21st October, 2017

Daily GK Updates - 21st October, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Film on murdered journalist Gauri Lankesh to be made: A Kannada film will be made by director AMR Ramesh who knew Gauri Lankesh personally. He said that his focus will be on who killed her and would be done with clarity.

2. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar resigns: The Solicitor General of India is below the Attorney General for India and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar has resigned due to personal reasons. In June 2014, he was appointed solicitor general after the Modi government came to power.

3. Meals served on train to have details of quantity and supplier:Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has directed officials to ensure that meals served onboard trains carry information about quantity, date of packing and the contractor supplying it. As of now, the packets only mention if the food is vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

4. IIT Bombay partially rolls back hiked fee: After students protested against the fee hike introduced in May this year, the institute has decided to partially roll back. The roll back varies between 28-43% depending on various categories.

5. 150 people trapped after dam collapses in Maharashtra: A check dam on Pimpaldoh lake in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar collapsed causing flooding and inundation in Arangaon village . They have been rescued by the National Disaster Response Force teams which were rushed to the spot. 

6. Centre gives clearance to greenfield airport project at Hirasar near Rajkot in Gujarat: The Centre has given clearance for a greenfield airport project at Hirasar, near Rajkot in Gujarat.The Environment Ministry has given the environment clearance to the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Ltd (GSAICL) for development of a greenfield airport at Rajkot at a cost of over 1,400 crore rupees.The proposed project will aid the development of trade and tourism besides improving regional connectivity in Gujarat.

7. Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates 1st phase of PNG supply system in Bhubaneswar: The Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated first phase of Piped Natural Gas supply system in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In the first phase, 255 houses in Nalco Nagar in Chandrasekharpur of Bhubaneswar were supplied with environment-friendly PNG. Around 25 thousand households in twin-city Bhubaneswar and Cuttack would get PNG connection by end of next year. The overall capital expenditure for the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack gas distribution projects will cost around Rs. 1700 crore. Piped Natural gas (PNG) is used for Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Consumption. PNG has several distinctions to its credit of being a pollution-free fuel, economical and safer fuel being few of them.

8. 500 long distance trains to run quicker from next month: The Indian Railways will soon cut short the running time of over 500 long distance trains by up to two hours. The new timings will be updated in the November timetable of the railways. The railways has also started the exercise of an internal audit through which 50 mail and express trains will be upgraded to super-fast services. This is part of an overhaul of the rail system of increasing the average speed of existing trains.

9. International conference on consumer protection to be held on 26th Oct: A two-day international conference on consumer protection will be held in New Delhi on 26th October, 2017. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the conference. The conference will discuss how the UN guidelines on consumer protections can be implemented. The Consumer Affairs Ministers and representatives of 24 South East Asian countries will attend the conference on the theme of empowering consumers in the age of new markets.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jacinda Ardern to be next New Zealand PM: Jacinda Ardern (37-year) is set to become the next prime minister of New Zealand just months after taking control of the opposition Labour party in the middle of an election campaign. She will become one of her country’s youngest prime ministers and the third woman to lead a government after winning the support of the nationalist New Zealand First party. The Labour-NZ First coalition controls 55 of the 120 seats in the country's parliament and the Green Party supporting it with eight lawmakers cross the 61-mark to pass policies.

2. Musharraf blames Zardari for Benazir Bhutto’s murder: Pakistan’s ex-President Pervez Musharraf accused former PM Benazir Bhutto’s husband Asif Ali Zardari of Bhutto’s murder. Musharraf claimed that Zardari,who co-chaired the People’s Party of Pakistan after Bhutto’s death had the most to gain from her murder.

3. Hurricane Maria towards Atlantic Ocean: Hurricane Maria which struck the Dominica Island made landfall in Puerto Rico. It is likely to reach the Turks and Calicos Islands, the Bahamas and travel north into the Atlantic Ocean.

4. UAE appoints country's first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence:  Artificial intelligence (AI) is apparently intelligent behavior by machines, rather than the natural intelligence (NI) of humans and other animals. The UAE has named Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama (27-years) as the country's first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence (AI). His appointment is part of the UAE's ambition to be at the forefront of the global technological revolution. Other new positions created in the reshuffle include a Minister for Advanced Sciences and another for Food Security.

5. Have short range nuclear weapons to counter Indian conflict - Pakistan: Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the country has short range nuclear weapons to counter India’s Cold Start military doctrine. Pakistan is on course of having 350 nuclear weapons, the world’s third largest stockpile after US and Russia.

6. China gets world’s fastest bullet train: China started operating the world’s fastest bullet train, Fuxing between Beijing and Shanghai. The train has an average speed of 350 km/hr and maximum speed of 400 km/hr.

 OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Dhoni becomes 6th cricketer to play 300 ODI’s for India : MS Dhoni played 303 ODI’S overall with the former captain having played 3 ODI’s for Asia XI in 2007.Sachin Tendulkar has played most ODI’s for India at 463 followed by Rahul Dravid at 340.

2. Sindhu, Saina crash out of Japan Open : Sindhu lost to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara and Saina lost to Spain’s Carolina Marin in the second round. Both of them lost to their opponents in straight sets.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Birla Sun Life, Max Life initiate merger talks: Analjit-Singh promoted Max Financial services is in talks with Aditya Birla Group to explore a merger of their life insurance businesses. Singh is also in talks with Apax Partners to sell his 30% stake in Max Financial.

2. GSTN launches excel-based offline tool to file initial GSTR-3B returns: Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has launched an Excel-based offline tool for businesses to file initial GSTR- 3B returns. Now, taxpayers can download the offline utility from the GSTN portal and after filling in the data the file can be uploaded on GST portal. After uploading of the return to the GST Portal, the taxpayer has to preview the form, complete formalities like submit, offset the liability and file their GSTR-3B Return using digital signature or electronic verification code. This facility will provide an opportunity to the taxpayer to verify details of GSTR 3B before filing and minimise chances of error.

3. BlackRock sells Singapore office tower for $1.5 billion: World’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, is selling its Asia Square Tower 2 in Singapore. The deal will mark Singapore’s second largest office building sale. Last year, Qatar Investment Authority had bought Tower 1 from Black Rock for $2.5 billion.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.Govt permits banks to sell more small savings schemes: The government has authorized all public-sector banks and three private banks (ICICI, HDFC, and Axis) to accept deposits under various small savings schemes like National Savings Certificate (NSC), recurring deposits and monthly income plan. So far, public sector banks were allowed to receive subscription under Public Provident Fund (7.8%), Kisan Vikas Patra-2014 (7.5%-mature in 115 months), Sukanya Samriddhi Account (one for girl child savings-8.3%), Senior Citizen Savings Scheme-2004 (8.3 per%- quarterly). Increased outlets for selling small savings scheme would result in higher mobilization under the scheme.

2. Yes Bank cuts over 2,500 jobs:Private sector lender Yes Bank cut nearly 2,500 jobs citing reasons such as digitisation and bad performance. The bank had 20,851 employees at the end of June.

OBITUARIES:

1. Former CPI-M MP Amal Datta passes away: Former CPI-M Lok Sabha member Amal Datta (84-year) passed away at a private hospital in Kolkata yesterday following a cardiac arrest. Datta represented Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal for 14 years. He was a nephew of veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu.