01 June 2017

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Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 1st June, 2017

1. World Milk Day: 1st June

i. World Milk Day is an initiative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, to celebrate the contribution of the dairy industry around the globe on 1st
June.
ii. The Day provides an opportunity to focus attention on milk and to publicize activities
connected with milk and the milk industry. The first World Milk Day was held in 2001.

Static Takeaways-

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) is an agency of the

United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation Headquarter is in Rome, Italy.

2. India to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Spain to fight terrorism

i. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has signed seven agreements with Spain PM
Mariano Rajoy to strengthen bilateral cooperation to fight against terrorism after the visit
from Germany.

The seven agreements and MoUs are as follows-

Agreement for Transfer of Sentence Persons
MoU on Cooperation in Organ Transplantation
MoU on Cooperation in Cyber Security
MoU on Cooperation in Renewable Energy
MoU on Technical Cooperation in Civil Aviation
Agreement on visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports
MoU between Foreign Service Institute and Diplomatic Academy of Spain.

Static Takeaways-

PM of Spain is Mariano Rajoy and its Capital and Currency is Madrid and Euro
Chancellor of Germany Angela Markel and its President is Frank-Walter
Steinmeier.

3. India to be first in world to run all government ports on green energy

i. All 12 major domestic ports will soon switch to renewable energy to meet their entire
power requirements, making India the first country to have all government-owned ports
running on solar and wind energy.
ii. The government plans to install almost 200 megawatt solar and wind power generation
capacity at the ports by 2019.
iii. Almost 150 mw of this will be solar power and 50 mw wind power generation
capacity. The capacity could be ramped up to 500 mw in the next few years.

Static Takeaways-
Few major Government Ports are Listed Below:
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Visakhapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh.
Kochi Port, Kerala.
New Mangalore Port, Karnataka.
Mundra Port, Gujarat.
Kandla Port, Gujarat.
Port of Quilon - The oldest and second largest port in Kerala
4. 70th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland

i. The 70th World Health Assembly was held recently (22nd-31st May) in Geneva,
Switzerland. In the meeting member nations agreed to increase their assessed
contributions by 3 percent.
ii. Member states also agreed on a five-year action plan that will initiate collaboration
between WHO, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development in tackling shortfalls in global health and social
workforce.

Static Takeaways-
The currency of Switzerland is Swiss Franc
Doris Leuthard has been elected to the Swiss presidency for 2017
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the newly appointed Director-General of World
Health Organization.

5. Delhi Police launch bicycle patrol

i. The Delhi Police launched patrolling on bicycle to improve policing in congested

localities in trans-Yamuna region of the city. The move is also being billed as a green
initiative.
ii. The bicycle patrols will complement and supplement the existing motorcycle and PCR
patrols which focus mainly on crime prevention along the arterial and main roads of
Delhi.

Static Takeaways-

Hansraj Gangaram Ahir the Union minister of state for home affairs
Amulya Patnaik is the current Commissioner of Police, Delhi
Sh. J. N. Chaturvedi was the first commissioner of Delhi Police
6. Arun Jaitley inaugurates Telangana solar plant

i. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated a grid-connected solar power plant of 16

MW capacity at the Ordinance Factory in Telangana’s Medak district.
ii. He also dedicated a 9 MW capacity windmill project installed at Dammur in Karnataka
at a cost of Rs 53 crore by Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).
iii. The solar power plant at Medak has been set up at a cost of Rs105 crore by Bharat
Electronics Limited.

Static Takeaways -

Telangana is the 29th state of India formed in 2014

The capital of Telangana is Hyderabad
K Chandrasekhar Rao is the CM of Telangana
Governor of Telangana is E S L Narsimhan
KBR National Park and Mrugavani National Park are located in Hyderabad,
Telangana.

7. Indian Railways to launch 'buy now, pay later' feature for tickets

i. To attract more passengers to buy online train tickets, Indian Railways has introduced a
service ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ which allow passengers to make payment for tickets
booked online within a window of 15 days.
ii. To buy tickets from the IRCTC website and pay later will decrease the difficulties
involved in the payment process at the time.
iii. ePayLater, a Mumbai-based fintech firm has joined hands with IRCTC for adding the
new feature to Indian Railways ticket booking services.
 Static Takeaways –

Suresh Prabhu is the Railway Minister of India

The First Railway Minister of India is John Mithai.

8. Shaktikanta Das retires as Economic Affairs Secretary; Tapan Ray to take

over

i. Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das announced his retirement as the Corporate
Affairs Secretary. Shaktikanta Das has been associated with the Government of India as
the Economic Affairs Secretary for nearly 37 years.
ii. He will be succeeded by Tapan Ray, who will take the additional charges as the new
Economic Affairs Secretary.

Static Takeaways-

First Finance Minister of Independent India is Ramasamy Chetty.

9. ADB and PNB sign $100 million loan to finance Solar Rooftop projects

i. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Punjab National Bank (PNB) signed a
$100 million loan to be guaranteed by the Government of India that will finance large
solar rooftop systems on industrial and commercial buildings throughout India.
ii. This is the first tranche loan of the $500 million multi-tranche finance facility Solar
Rooftop Investment Program (SRIP) approved by ADB in 2016.
iii. The first tranche loan of $100 million would be financed entirely from the Clean
Technology Fund CTF.
 Static Takeaways –

Sunil Mehta is a New MD and CEO of PNB

ADB President is Takehiko Nakao and its headquarter is in Phillippines.

10. India signs loan agreement of 36 million dollar with World Bank

i. India has signed a loan agreement of 36 million dollars with the World Bank for
Himachal Pradesh Public Financial Management Capacity Building Programme.
ii. The project aims to improve the efficiency of public expenditure management and tax
administration in Himachal Pradesh.
iii. The agreement was signed by Joint Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs Raj
Kumar and the Bank's Country Director Junaid Kamal Ahmad.

Static Takeaways -
Jim Yong Kim is the President of World Bank and its headquarter is in
Washington, D.C, USA.
World Bank was founded in 1944.

11. India’s GDP in Q4 grows 6.1%, loses fastest growing economy tag

[Link]'s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 6.1 percent year-on-year during the
January-March, 2017 period according to government data. With this, India loses its
status of the world's fastest growing economy. China's GDP grew 6.9 percent during the
same quarter.
ii. The GDP growth rate for the full year (2016-17) came in at 7.1 percent in line with
official estimate compared to a revised growth figure of 8 per cent in FY16.
 Static Takeaways-

Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all
final goods and services produced in a period (quarterly or yearly).

02 June 2017
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Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 02nd June, 2017

1. India, Russia sign St Petersburg Declaration for enhanced ties across the
board

i. India and Russia have signed Saint Petersburg Declaration as a roadmap to enhance
cooperation after the 18th annual bilateral summit.
ii. The Declaration was signed following the annual bilateral summit between Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both the leaders have
signed 12 agreements including the Saint Petersburg Declaration.
iii. Both the countries had agreed to interact closely on various fields including economy,
manufacturing, energy etc.

Static Takeaways-

PM of Russia is Dmitry Medvedev

The capital of Russia is Moscow and Currency is Russian Ruble.

2. Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired

i. India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II

missile from a test range in Odisha as part of a user trial by the Army.
ii. The trial of the surface-to-surface missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was
carried out using a mobile launcher of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur,
Odisha.

Static Takeaways-

DRDO was formed in 1958

Dr S Christopher is the current Chairman of DRDO
Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island is located in Odisha.

3. Telangana launches T-Wallet for people with and without mobile phones

i. The Telangana Government has launched a digital wallet, named T-Wallet, which
doesn’t charge transaction fee from consumers.
ii. T-Wallet is bi-directional in nature. While consumers use it for public and private
transactions, the government can use it to make payments to various beneficiaries. It also
can be used over the web version.
iii. One can top up the wallet using credit or debit cards, Internet banking or through cash
at Mee Seva centres. It allows a maximum transaction of Rs1 lakh for e-KYC (know your
customer) users. For non-KYC users, the limit is set to Rs20,000.

Static Takeaways-

Telangana was formed on 2 June 2014 and its CM is Sri [Link] Rao
Governor of Telangana is Sri ESL Narasimhan.
4. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis launches portal for job seekers,
employers

i. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a web portal 'Mahaswayam'

that will cater to job seekers, employers, entrepreneurs, and training institutes who can
avail details regarding skill development and employment.
ii. Earlier, the state government ran three different portals- Maharashtra State Skill
Development Society (MSSDS) portal for Skill Development, 'Maharojgar' for
employment and 'Mahaswayamrojgar' for entrepreneurship.
iii. These three have now been merged into 'Mahaswayam', making it easier for all
beneficiaries as well as the state to keep a track of the demand and supply of workforce.

Static Takeaways-

Governor of Maharashtra is [Link] Rao.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park is situated at Mumbai in Maharashtra.

5. Inauguration of MITS Mega Food Park at Rayagada, Odisha.

i. The first Mega Food Park in the state of Odisha MITS Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at
Rayagada has been inaugurated by Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of Food
Processing Industries.
ii. To give a major boost to the food processing sector by adding value and reducing food
wastage at each stage of the supply chain with particular focus on perishables, Ministry
of Food Processing Industries is implementing Mega Food Park Scheme in the country.

Static Takeaways-

India's First mega food park 'Srini' was opened at Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh.
List of five important National Parks and WLS in Odisha
Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary
 Kotagarh Wildlife Sanctuary
Hadahgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
Nandankanan Zoological Park
Simlipal National Park.

6. Road ministry launches online platform INAM PRO+ for infra raw
material

i. Minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has launched 'INAM PRO+'. It
is an e-commerce platform for construction and infrastructure raw material for
government and private procurement.
ii. The website '[Link]' launched by the National Highways and Infrastructure
Development Corporation (NHIDCL).
iii. INAM PRO+ is an updated version of the INAM portal, which was launched by the
ministry of road transport and highways in 2015, to procure cement. The INAM portal
has already done sales worth Rs32 crore in two years.

Static Takeaways-

National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDC) is a

fully owned company of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways,
Government of India.
Shri Sanjay Mitra is the Chairman of NHIDC.
Headquarter of NHIDC is in New Delhi.

7. RBI appoints Ganesh Kumar as ED

i. Reserve Bank of India has appointed S. G

anesh Kumar as Executive Director. His appointment is consequent upon voluntary
retirement of Chandan Sinha.
ii. The central bank currently has 11 Executive Directors. Prior to being promoted as ED,
Ganesh Kumar was Chief General Manager-in-Charge, Department of Information
Technology in the Reserve Bank.

Static Takeaways-

Urjit Patel is the 24th governor of RBI

RBI was nationalized in 1949 and its headquarter is in Mumbai.

8. Sanjiv Singh takes over as IOC Chairman

i. Sanjiv Singh has taken over as the Chairman of the country’s biggest company Indian
Oil Corporation. He replaces B Ashok.
ii. Prior to his elevation, [Link] was Director (Refineries) on the IOC board since July
2014. Concurrently, he will also be Chairman of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(CPCL) and Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd (HURL), a joint venture company set
up to revive the fertilizer plants at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni.

Static Takeaways-

IOC was established in 1959 and its headquarter is in New Delhi.

9. UN General Assembly elects Slovakia's Miroslav Lajcak as next president

i. The UN General Assembly elected Slovak foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak to be the
next president of the 193-member powerful body.
ii. Lajcak was elected by acclamation as President of the 72nd session of the UN General
Assembly at a special session. The 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly
will commence from September 12, 2017.
Static Takeaways-

9th Secretary-General of United Nations is Antonio Guterres and its headquarter is in

New York City, USA.

10. India ranked 137th in the Global Peace Index 2017

i. India has ranked 137th out of 163 countries on Global Peace Index 2017 published by
The Institute of Economics and Peace. This is the eleventh edition of the Global Peace
Index (GPI). ii. Iceland has been named the world's most peaceful country, topping the
Global Peace Index for the tenth consecutive year followed by New Zealand and Portugal
at second and third position while Syria has been named the least peaceful country.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

The Global Peace Index (GPI) is an attempt to measure the relative position of
nations and regions peacefulness across the world.

11. Nirupama Rao appointed Public Policy Fellow to US Think-Tank

i. Nirupama Rao has been appointed as the public policy fellow of Sino-India ties a top
American think-tank based in Washington.
ii. She was India's first woman ambassador to china and also served as India's foreign
secretary from 2009 to 2011.

Static Takeaways-

Donald Trumph is the current and 45th President of USA

The Capital of USA is Washington, D.C and its Currency is US Dollar
12. Vinay Dube named Jet Airways CEO

i. Jet Airways has announced the appointment of Vinay Dube as its Chief Executive
Officer (CEO). ii. The appointment is subject to receipt of all requisite government
/regulatory approvals, including his security clearance. Mr. Dube is currently senior vice-
president, Asia Pacific, Delta Air Lines.

Static Takeaways-

Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju is the Union Minister for Civil Aviation

13. NAAC receives Asia Pacific Quality Network Award 2017

i. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), has received Asia Pacific
Quality Network Award 2017 for International Co-operation in Quality Assurance.
ii. The award was received by NAAC Adviser Dr. Jagannath Patil in a special ceremony
held in Moscow, recently. APQN Quality Award is among the most prestigious
International Awards in quality assurance of higher education.

Static Takeaways-

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous

body established by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India
The NAAC was established in 1994 with its headquarters at Bangalore
Prof. Ved Prakash is the President - General Council of NAAC.

14. BEML product bags award

i. Defence public sector BEML Ltd has bagged the Raksha Mantri’s Award for
Excellence for design and development of 180-tonne electric hydraulic excavator
BE1800E.
ii. Deepak Kumar Hota, CMD, BEML received the award from Defence Minister Arun
Jaitley.

Static Takeaways-

BEML full form is Bharat earth Movers Ltd

15. Japan launches satellite for high-precision positioning system

i. Japan launched a satellite to help build a high-precision geolocation system that will
complement the US-operated GPS.
ii. A 'H-IIA' rocket blasted off from the Tanegashima space center in southern Japan
carrying the 'Michibiki' No.2 satellite. The Michibiki system is capable of covering the
Asia-Oceania region and works with the US-operated Global Positioning System (GPS).

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

PM of Japan is Shinzo Abe

The Capital of Japan is Tokyo and its Currency is Yen.

23 June 2017
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Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 23rd June, 2017

1. ISRO’s PSLV-C38, carrying 31 satellites, lifts off from Sriharikota

i. Adding another feather in its cap, Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO)
workhorse rocket PSLV C-38 blasted off from the spaceport of Sriharikota, Andhra
Pradesh carrying the Cartosat-2 series satellite - a dedicated satellite for the defense
forces - along with 30 co-passenger satellites.
Here is all you need to know about the launch-

The 30 satellites will together weigh 243 kg and the total weight of all the 31 satellites,
including Cartosat, is about 955 kg.
The rocket will sling the satellites into a 505 km polar sun synchronous orbit (SSO).
The co-passenger satellites comprise 29 nano satellites from 14 countries - Austria,
Belgium, Britain, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia,
Lithuania, Slovakia, and the US as well as one Indian nanosatellite.
PSLV-C38 was launched from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
According to ISRO, the images sent by Cartosat satellite would be useful for
cartographic, urban, rural, coastal land use, utility management like road network
monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, change detection to bring out
geographical and man-made features.
Important Takeaways-

Chairman of ISRO is A S Kiran Kumar.

ISRO was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Satish Dhawan Space Centre is located in Sriharikota Andhra Pradesh.
2. Important Cabinet Approvals: 22 June 2017

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved
following agreements and MoUs in different fields.

The Cabinet has approved-

Amendment of the Bilateral Social Security Agreement (SSA) between India and the
Netherlands by incorporating the “Country of Residence” Principle into the said SSA.
MoU between Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands for bilateral cooperation in the field of water resources management.
Constitution of Indian Naval Material Management Service (INMMS) as an Organized
Group ‘A’ Engineering Service.

MoU on cooperation in the textiles, clothing and fashion sectors between India and
Australia
MoU on cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space between India and Armenia.
MoU for cooperation in Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy between
India and Sri Lanka.
3. Uttarakhand 4th and Haryana 5th ODF States in the country

i. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), rural Uttarakhand and rural
Haryana have declared themselves as the 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free (ODF) States
of India, respectively.
ii. The two states joined the league of Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala, which were
the first three states to be declared ODF.

Important Takeaways-

Sikkim was the first ODF state of the country.

Swachh Bharat Mission was Launched on 2 October 2014 with the Main Objective To
fulfill Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean and hygienic India.

4. Bengaluru firm Mypetrolpump, 1st in India to deliver diesel at home

i. Bengaluru has become the country's first city where one can have fuel delivered at
one's doorstep, just like milk and newspapers, only weeks after oil ministry announced
that the Centre was thinking of rolling out such a system.
ii. Mypetrolpump, a one-year-old startup, conducted a soft launch with three delivery
vehicles -each with a capacity of 950 liters. Above 100 liters, one needs to pay the diesel
price plus one additional rupee per liter.
Static Takeaways-

Bengaluru is also called as Silicon Valley of India.

Bannerghatta National Park is situated in Bengaluru.

5. World Bank sanctions 44 million dollars for ASPIRe

i. World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a loan assistance of 44

million dollars for the Assam State Public Finance Institutional Reforms (ASPIRe)
Project. The loan was sanction by World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development) in its meeting held at Washington DC, USA.
ii. The project aims at improving predictability and transparency in budget execution and
efficiency in tax administration in Assam. ASPIRe project is based on three important
components:
1. Strengthening public finance institutional capacity
2. Strengthening expenditure and revenue information systems
3. On project management, monitoring and evaluation, and coordination.

Important Takeaways-

The world Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., United States.

Jim Yong Kim is the President of the World Bank.
6. Major reshuffle in central bureaucracy, Rajiv Gauba named new Home Secretary

i. Urban development secretary Rajiv Gauba will be the new home secretary after the
completion of the tenure of Rajiv Mehrishi on August 30.

Other important Appointments are as follows-

Yudhvir Singh Malik- Secretary, Road Transport, and Highways.

Subhash C. Garg- Secretary of Economic Affairs.
Aruna Sundarajan- Telecommunications Secretary.
Avinash K. Srivastava- Consumer Affairs Secretary
Rajiv Kapoor- Secretary, Chemicals and Petrochemicals.
Sanjeevanee Kutty- Secretary, Ex-Servicemen Welfare in the Defence Ministry.
Ajay Kumar Bhalla- Power Secretary.
7. Union Government launches VAJRA scheme to attract Indian scientists abroad

i. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) under Ministry of Science and
Technology has launched the Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA)
scheme in a bid to bring together the Indian scientists abroad and India-based researchers
for conducting joint researches in India.
ii. The web portal of VAJRA was launched by Union Minister of Science and
Technology Harsh Vardhan. The motive behind the launching of VAJRA scheme is to
bring the best of the world to India and conduct research in the country itself. It aims to
convert brain-drain into brain-gain.

Important Takeaways-

Union Minister of Science and Technology is Mr. Harsh Vardhan.

8. RBI reconstitutes Oversight Committee; appoints three more members

i. The Reserve Bank of India reconstituted the Oversight Committee by appointing three
more members. The high-level panel was formed to examine the process to resolve
mounting bad loans in the banking sector. According to the RBI former chief vigilance
commissioner, Pradeep Kumar will head the now reconstituted 5-member panel.
ii. Besides Kumar, the other members of the committee are former SBI Chairman Janki
Ballabh, former Canara Bank Chairman and MD MBN Rao, former Chairman of L&T
Finance YM Deosthalee and S Raman, member SEBI. Raman would be inducted into the
panel from September 7, 2017 after he completes the term at SEBI. The expansion
follows promulgation of the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 last
month.

Banking Takeaways-

The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935, in accordance with the
provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
RBI was nationalized in 1949.
Urjit Patel is the 24th Governor of RBI.
9. AMRUT Scheme: 53 New Projects for 9 Cities Approved in Odisha

i. The state government approved 53 urban projects with a total investment of Rs 538
crore under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The
scheme, launched in nine urban places in the state since 2015-16 fiscal, has aimed at
strengthening drinking water distribution network, development of sewerage system,
storm water management, up-gradation of city transport system and development of
amusement parks.
ii. Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Balasore, Bhadrak and
Baripada are the nine places where the scheme is being implemented with fund sharing
patter of 50:50 between the Centre and state government.

About the Scheme-

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)

Launched on 24 June 2015
Main Objective: Providing basic services (e.g. water supply, sewerage, urban transport)
to households and build amenities in cities which will improve the quality of life for all,
especially the poor and the disadvantaged.
10. Mizoram launches scheme for better treatment of HIV-Hit people
i. The Mizoram Health Minister Lal Thanzara has launched the ‘Test and Treat Strategy’
of the Mizoram state AIDS Control Society (MSACS) to improve treatment for HIV
affected people in the state.
ii. Under the ‘Test and Treat Strategy’, the HIV-affected people would be given free Anti
Retrovira Therapy (ART) irrespective of the CD4 count.

Important Takeaways-

The capital of Mizoram is Aizawl.

The CM of Mizoram is Pu Lal Thanhawla.
11. Anti-hunger activist Ankit Kawatra to be honored by Queen Elizabeth II

i. Anti-hunger activist Ankit Kawatra has been selected for prestigious Queen’s Young
Leaders Award with 60 others from all 53 Commonwealth countries.
ii. He will be honored by Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony to be held in the Buckingham
Palace, UK on June 29, 2017.

Important Takeaways-

The Queen’s Young Leader Award recognizes and celebrates exceptional people aged
18-29 from across the Commonwealth countries.
To read today's Daily GK Update Hindi, Click Here

24 June 2017
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Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 24th June, 2017
1. PM Modi leaves for Portugal on the first leg of his 3-nation tour

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today embarked on a three-nation visit. In the first leg
of his tour, he will reach Portuguese capital, Lisbon. After Portugal, the Prime Minister
will depart for the US capital, Washington DC.
ii. During his two-day US visit, the Prime Minister will meet its President, Donald
Trump. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. In the last leg of his tour,
Mr. Modi will visit The Netherlands for bilateral talks with his counterpart, Mr. Mark
Rutte.

Static Takeaways-

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal.

The Prime Minister of Portugal is Antonio Costa.
Washington DC is the capital of the USA.
Amsterdam is the capital of The Netherlands
The Netherlands is the 6th largest trading partner of India in the EU and 5th
largest investment partner globally.

2. RBI widens scope of Banking Ombudsman Scheme

i. The central bank has extended the scope of Banking Ombudsman Scheme. As per RBI,
under the amended scheme, a customer would also be able to lodge a complaint against
the bank for its non-adherence to RBI instructions with regard to mobile banking/
electronic banking services in India.
ii. As per the amendment, the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Banking Ombudsman to pass
an award has been doubled to 20 lakh rupees.

Banking Takeaways-
 The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935, in accordance with
the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
RBI was nationalized in 1949.
Urjit Patel is the 24th Governor of RBI.
Banking Ombudsman is a quasi-judicial authority functioning under the Banking
Ombudsman Scheme, 2006.

3. EPFO, HUDCO inked pact for housing subsidy under PMAY

i. Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has signed an MoU with the Housing
and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) to enable members of its housing
scheme to avail subsidy and interest subvention under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
(PMAY).
ii. Under the housing scheme, the EPFO allows its subscribers for withdrawing up to 90
per cent of their EPF accumulations to buy homes. The MoU was signed in New Delhi.
iii. Now, EPFO members can avail interest subsidy upto two lakh twenty thousand rupees
in Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme through HUDCO and National Housing Bank for those
members whose annual income is less that the amount specified in Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojna.

Important Takeaways-

Union Labour and Employment Minister is Bandaru Dattatreya.

4. Bengal's Kanyashree initiative wins United Nations Public Service Award

i. The West Bengal Government's Kanyashree Prakalpa was awarded the first prize in
United Nations Public Service Award for Asia Pacific. Out of 552 initiatives from 62
different countries, West Bengal Government's initiative was chosen the best.
ii. The award was presented at The Hague, Netherlands. Kanyashree Prakalpa is a
targeted conditional cash transfer scheme aimed at retaining girls in schools and other
educational and skill development institutions and preventing child marriage.

Static Takeaways-

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is in Kolkata, West Bengal

Sunderban is the famous Tiger Reserve of West Bengal.
Motijhil Lake is in West Bengal.

5. India, Russia agree to roadmap for development of defence co-operation

i. India and Russia have agreed to a roadmap for the development of bilateral defense
cooperation. The roadmap includes specific activities to be concluded by both sides, and
aims to enhance cooperation in the field of political and military dialogue, exercises,
exchange of visits, military cooperation and training of military personnel.
ii. The agreement was reached at the 17th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-
Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation held in Moscow. The
meeting took place was held under the Co-Chairmanship of the Defence Minister Arun
Jaitley and the Defence Minister of Russia Sergei Shoigu.

Important Takeaways-

The Capital of Russia is Moscow and its Currency is Russian ruble.

The President of Russia is Vladimir Putin.

6. MeitY launches Web Portal for smooth GST implementation

i. In order to ensure smooth GST implementation from 1st July, the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology has launched a dedicated Webpage for
facilitating taxpayers with regard to addressing issues related to Information Technology
Services and Electronics goods.
ii. The webpage can be accessed through Ministry’s Web Portal [Link].
Individuals, Companies, and Entrepreneurs in IT and Electronics sector can visit the
webpage for sector-specific information. It also enables filing of grievances in relation to
the implementation of GST.

Important Takeaway from Above News-

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad is the Cabinet Minister of Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (Meity).
Shri P.P. Chaudhary is the Minister of State of Meity.
To read today's Daily GK Update Hindi, Click Here

26 June 2017
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Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 25th & 26th June, 2017

1. International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: 26 June

i. By resolution 42/112 of 7 December 1987, the General Assembly decided to observe

26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit.
ii. The theme for 2017 is- "Listen First - Listening to children and youth is the first step to
help them grow healthy and safe."

Important Takeaways from Above-

Antonio Guterres is the ninth United Nations Secretary-General.

UN Headquarters in New York, The USA.
2. India, Portugal sign 11 MoUs across various fields

i. India and Portugal have signed eleven MOUs for cooperation in areas including double
taxation avoidance, science and technology, trade and investment, nanotechnology, space
research, administrative reforms and culture.
ii. 11 MoU's were exchanged in the meeting and there was the announcement of the
launch of a joint science fund for which both India and Portugal will contribute Euros
two million each. 5 of the MoU's were in the area of science and technology.

Important Takeaways from the above News:

Lisbon is Capital city of Portugal.

The currency of Portugal is Euro.
Antonio Guterres is Secretary-General of the United Nations and former Prime
Minister of Portugal.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is present president of Portugal.
Antonia Costa is present Prime Minister of Portugal.

3. Manushi Chhillar from Haryana wins the title of Miss India 2017

i. The 54th Femina Miss India World 2017 winner is Manushi Chhillar from Haryana,
while the first runner-up is Sana Dua from Jammu and Kashmir and the second runner-up
is Priyanka Kumari from Bihar.
ii. The event was held at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai. This is the first time the
participants wore an Indian dress at the finale designed by Manish Malhotra. The show
was hosted by Karan Johar and Riteish Deshmukh. Besides,

Important Takeaways from News-

Reita Faria was the first Miss India ever to win any international beauty pageant.
Miss World 2016 was Stephanie Del Valle.

4. Doon girl Bhumika Sharma wins Miss World title in bodybuilding championship

i. Bhumika Sharma, another Indian has become Miss World in bodybuilding

championship.
ii. Dehradun’s girl gained maximum points in three categories – individual posing, body
posing and fall in that eventually bagged her the Miss World title and the gold medal at
the world championship in Venice, Italy. The championship drew 50 competitors from
different countries.

5. Aadhaar not valid for travel to Nepal, Bhutan: Home ministry

i. Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians traveling to Nepal and
Bhutan, according to the Union home ministry. Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan-
both countries for which they don't need visas - if they possess a valid national passport
or election ID card issued by the Election Commission.
ii. Moreover, to ease travel, persons over 65 and below 15 years can show documents
with photographs to confirm their age and identity. These include PAN card, driving
licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card and ration card but not
Aadhaar. The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Nepal shares borders with 5 Indian states- Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and
Uttarakhand.
Bhutan shares borders with 4 Indian States- Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West
Bengal.

6. IDFC Bank elevates Sunil Kakar as MD and CEO for 3 Years

i. IDFC Ltd announced the elevation of its CFO Sunil Kakar as the Managing Director
and Chief Executive Officer of the company with effect from July 16 for three years.
ii. Mr. Kakar has also been appointed as additional director. Both the appointments are
subject to shareholders' approval at the annual general meeting (AGM).
iii. Besides, the company announced that the Board has approved the resignation of
veteran banker Vikram Limaye from the post of MD and CEO who is set to join leading
stock exchange NSE as its new Managing Director and CEO.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Vikram Limaye is a member of a panel appointed by the Supreme Court to

administer the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Headquarter of IDFC Bank is in Mumbai.

7. Team India create world record for most 300-plus scores in ODIs

i. India became the team to score the most 300-plus totals in One Day International (ODI)
Cricket. India did so when they scored a total of 310 for the loss of five wickets in the
second ODI against West Indies.
ii. It was the 96th time that India crossed the 300-run mark, surpassing Australia’s 95.
iii. The other teams posted 300+ scores in ODIs as follows: Australia 95, South Africa
77, Pakistan 68, Sri Lanka 62, England 57 and New Zealand 51.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket.

Chairperson of ICC is Mr. Shashank Manohar.
ICC Headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
8. Ankush claims gold, Devendro gets silver at Mongolia boxing tournament

i. The fast-rising Ankush Dahiya (60kg) clinched a gold while the experienced L
Devendro Singh (52kg) settled for a silver medal on the final day of the Ulaanbaatar Cup
boxing tournament in Mongolia.
ii. The 19-year-old Ankush, who is a former Asian youth silver-medalist, defeated
Korean Man Choe Chol in a split verdict, while Devendro lost to Indonesia's Aldoms
Suguro, again a split decision. India thus signed off with a gold, a silver and three bronze
medals from the tournament.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Ulaanbaatar is the Capital of Mongolia.

Its currency is Mongolian togrog.

9. Anish Bhanwala set a junior world record at World Championship

i. Haryana's Anish Bhanwala gave a robust start for the Indian challenge by clinching the
25-metre standard pistol gold with a world junior record in the Junior World Shooting
Championship in Suhl, Germany.
ii. The 14-year-old Anish shot 579 to win the gold seven points ahead of Florian Peter of
Germany. In the process, Anish also bettered the junior world record of 574 set by Denis
Koulakov of Russia in Lahti, Finland, in 2002.

10. Kidambi Srikanth wins Australia Open Super Series

i. In Badminton, ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has lifted the Australian Open
Superseries trophy in Sydney. In the summit clash, 11th world ranked Srikanth stunned
former world number one and Rio Olympics Gold medalist Chen Long of China in
straight games, 22-20, 21-16.
ii. It was Srikanth's first victory over the Chinese in 6 matches.
iii. The trophy is Srikanth's second this season and fourth overall. He had won the
Indonesian Open last week.

11. Naidu launches book titled ‘The Emergency-Indian Democracy’s Darkest

Hour'

i. Venkaiah Naidu has launched the book which titled 'The Emergency - Indian
Democracy’s Darkest Hour'.
ii. A book is written by Surya Prakash who is a chairman of Prasar Bharati.
iii. The book was launched at a conference to mark the anniversary of the Emergency and
to honor all those who fought for the restoration of democracy in the country in the mid-
1970s.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

25 June marks the anniversary of Indian Emergency.

12. Jagannath Puri chariot festival begins

i. In Odisha, the most awaited biggest annual festival of Rath Yatra or Chariot Festival at
Puri commences. This is one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals of the country as well
as the whole world.
ii. The famous festival that is celebrated usually in the month of June-July commences
when the chariots of Lord Jagannath accompanied by his elder brother Balabhadra and
sister Devi Subhadra are brought out on to the main street of Puri.

Static Takeaways from the above News:

 The foremost epicentre for this festival is the Jagannath Puri temple, one of the
four major Hindu shrines, which is situated in the state of Odisha.
Naveen Patnaik is current Chief Minister of Odisha.
Dr Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamir is present Governor of Odisha.
Bhitarkanika National Park is a national park located at Odisha in eastern India.

27 June 2017
-------------------------------
Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 27th June, 2017

1. PM Modi leaves for Netherland in his last leg of his 3 nation visit

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for the Netherland in his last leg of the three-
nation visit after completing his two-day US tour. The Prime Minister will reach
Amsterdam where he will hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Mr. Mark Rutte.
ii. Both countries are celebrating 70 years of the establishment of Indo-Dutch diplomatic
relations this year. Mr.
iii. Two Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs), one each on water management and
cultural exchange, will also be exchanged in the presence of both Prime Ministers.

Important Takeaways from above News-

The Capital of The Netherlands is Amsterdam.

The PM of Netherland is Mr. Mark Rutte.
2. Dangal becomes 1st Indian movie to earn Rs2,000 cr worldwide: Forbes

i. The Aamir Khan starrer Dangal has become the first Indian movie to earn Rs2,000
crore worldwide. Recently, Dangal also created the record of being the fifth highest-
grossing non-English film ever.
ii. Based on the life of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, the sports drama film is also the
highest grossing Indian film in China. According to a report by Forbes, on its 53rd day of
release in China, Dangal made Rs 2.5 crore ($390,000) at the China box office taking its
worldwide total to Rs 2000 crore.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Nitesh Tiwari is the Director of Dangal.

3. US designates Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin as global terrorist

i. The USA designated Pakistan-based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a

specially designated global terrorist.
ii. The move by the US state department came before the first meeting between Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump at the White House.

4. World Bank clears $250-million loan to train India's job seekers

i. The World Bank has cleared a USD 250-million loan for making Indian youth more
employable through reskilling, in a move that is seen to aid the Skill India Mission.
ii. The multi-lateral lender is keen to support the Indian government in its efforts to better
equip the young workforce with employable skills. Under the program, adults in 15-59
years of age, underemployed or unemployed, will get the skill training.

Static Takeaways from Above News-

The Washington-headquartered World Bank.

It was Founded in 1944.
Jim Yong Kim is the President of The World Bank.
5. SpiceJet is world’s top airline stock in 2017 with 124% gain

i. Two and a half years after SpiceJet Ltd was forced to ground its entire fleet on its
inability to pay a mere $2.2 million in fuel bills, the budget airline has become the
world’s best-performing airline stock—with $26 billion in plane orders to boot.
ii. The company’s co-founder and chairman, Ajay Singh, has played the white knight,
injecting capital, cutting loss-making routes and aggressively adding capacity in one of
the world’s fastest growing markets. SpiceJet shares are the best performers on a
Bloomberg Intelligence index of airline stocks this year.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

CEO of SpiceJet is Mr. Ajay Singh.

It Headquarters in Gurugram.
6. Govt clears proposal for setting up new airport in Greater Noida

i. The Government has cleared the proposal for setting up a new airport in Jewar in
Greater Noida. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju stated that in-principle
approval for a greenfield airport at Jewar has been granted to cater to the growing flying
requirements of National Capital Region.
ii. Acc. to the Aviation Minister, the Noida International Airport will cater to 30 to 50
million passengers per year over the next 10 to 15 years.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The Union Minister of Civil Aviation is Mr. Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju.
7. J-K Governor N N Vohra appointed as president of IIC

i. Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has been appointed the president of the India
International Centre (IIC) - one of the premier cultural institutions in the country.
ii. The appointment was made after eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee quit the presidential post.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

IIC was founded in 1958 and its head office is in New Delhi.
In 1959, it was registered under the Societies Registration Act (XXI) of 1860.
8. K. Kasturirangan to head panel on National Education Policy

i. Ex-ISRO Chief and Padma Vibhushan awardee Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan has been
appointed the Chairman of the committee to prepare the final draft of the National
Education Policy.
ii. The Chairperson apart, the committee has eight members. The National Policy on
Education was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Prakash Javadekar is the Union HRD Minister.

9. Srinivas Gokulnath becomes 1st Indian to finish solo Race Across America

i. Srinivas Gokulnath from Maharashtra created history by becoming the first Indian to
complete the 4,941-km Race Across America (RAAM) in solo category. Considered to
be the toughest cycle race in the world, he cycled for 11 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes.
ii. In a feat that marks the Indian arrival on the endurance cycling scene globally, another
Maharashtrian, Dr. Amit Samarth followed Gokulnath at the finish line at Annapolis on
American east coast.
iii. Among the nine men who finished, Gokulnath stood 7th while Samarth was right on
his heels at number 8. The race was won by Christoph Strasser.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Srinivas Gokulnath is Nashik’s army doctor.

Srinivas Gokulnath holds a national record of cycling 4,000km from Leh to Kanyakumari
in 16 days in 2014.
10. Lupin founder & Chairman Dr. Desh Bandhu Gupta passes away

i. Desh Bandhu Gupta, Founder and Chairman of Pharma major Lupin, passed away
recently in Mumbai. He was 79.
ii. Under the leadership of Dr. Gupta, the company grew from being a domestic Indian
pharmaceutical company to a global pharmaceutical major. It is now the 4th largest
generics pharmaceutical player by market capitalization in the world.

To read today's Daily GK Update Hindi, Click Here

28 June 2017
-------------------------------
Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 28th June, 2017

Study Daily Current Affairs from Daily GK Update on Bankersadda and Adda247 app,
and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's
time to gear up your preparations for NICL AO Mains 2017 and with the daily dose of
current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

1. All You Need to Know About PM Modi's Three-Nation Visit

i. PM Modi in Portugal-
The Journey of PM started on 24th June. In the first leg of his tour, he reached
Portuguese capital, Lisbon. Over there, India and Portugal have signed eleven MOUs for
cooperation in areas including double taxation avoidance, science and technology, trade
and investment, nanotechnology, space research, administrative reforms and culture.
So the visit of Portugal was more oriented and focused towards development in the areas
of Space, Science and Technology.

About Portugal-

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal.

The Prime Minister of Portugal is Antonio Costa.
The currency of Portugal is Euro.
ii. PM Modi in The USA-
In the second leg of his three-nation tour PM arrived in US capital Washington D.C.
India and the United States agreed to enhance cooperation in fighting the menace of
terrorism, extremism and radicalisation. According to the PM, the two countries will
enhance intelligence exchange in respect of terrorist organizations.
So the PM visit to the USA was more focused towards combating Terrorism.

About The USA-

Washington D.C. is the Capital of USA.

Mr. Donald Trump is the 45th President of the USA.
The Currency of the USA is American Dollar.
iii. PM Modi in The Netherlands-
In the final leg of his three-nation tour, PM Modi arrived in Amsterdam, the capital of
Netherlands, after concluding his visit to the US. PM Modi described the Netherlands as
India’s “natural partner” in its economic development. India and Netherlands also signed
three MOUs on water management, cultural cooperation and on amending social security
arrangement. Mr. Modi also interacted with the CEOs of Dutch companies inviting them
to utilize the vast opportunities provided by his ‘Make in India’ initiative.
So the visit in the Netherland was broadly focused on the Environmental and Economic
Development of the Nation.

About The Netherlands-

The Capital of Netherland is Amsterdam.

Mr. Mark Rutte is the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
The Currency of Netherland is Euro.
2. Romanian President appoints Mihai Tudose as Prime Minister
i. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis appointed Social Democrat Mihai Tudose as the
Prime Minister and mandated him to form a new government. Mihai Tudose, the
outgoing economy minister of Romania, has been appointed as prime minister, days after
the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) removed its own government following an
internal power row.
ii. The 50-year-old Tudose now has 10 days to gain the vote of confidence in his
government and his program.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

The Capital of Romania is Bucharest.

Its Currency is Romanian leu.
3. Google fined record 2.42 billion euros by European Commission

i. Google has been fined 2.42 billion euros ($2.7 Billion) by the European Commission
after it ruled the company had abused its power by promoting its own shopping
comparison service at the top of search results.
ii. It is the biggest fine the EU has ever imposed on a single company in an antitrust case,
exceeding a 1.06-billion-euro sanction handed down to U.S. chipmaker Intel in 2009.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Alphabet Inc. is the parent company of Google.

Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google.
It is the USA based Company.
4. ‘War room’ set up to deal with GST crises

i. Equipped with multiple phone lines and computer systems and manned by tech-savvy
youngsters, a “mini war room” has been set up in the finance ministry to deal with crises
related to the implementation of GST.
ii. The unit will act as a quick resource centre for central and state government officials to
address their queries on the historic tax reform scheduled to be implemented from July 1.
The action room will function from 8 am to 10 pm.
iii. It will provide prompt response to queries raised by states and central government
officials. The room will act as a single-window for anything and everything related to the
GST.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The GST Council is headed by the Finance Minister of India Mr. Arun Jaitley.
GST will roll out from July 1st.
5. UP govt signs pact with ADB for strengthening of roads

i. Uttar Pradesh Government has signed an agreement with Asian Development Bank
(ADB) for a loan of 1950 crore rupees for strengthening of roads in different district. The
agreement was signed at Lucknow in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and
ADB President Takehiko Nakao.
ii. As per agreement, ADB will provide the loan amount for Uttar Pradesh Main District
Roads Development Project of 2782 crore rupees cost. State government will spend 832
crore rupees form its own resources on the project.
iii. Project is scheduled to be completed by 2024 and ADB will provide the loan for the
period of 25 years on the interest rate of 2 percent.

Static Takeaways from Above News-

Takeshi Watanabe was ADB's first President.

Takehiko Nakao is the current President of ADB.
ADB is headquartered in Mandaluyong, Philippines.
The Asian Development Bank was conceived in the early 1960s.
6. Priyanka Chopra appointed as ambassador for Government’s Skill India campaign
i. Actress Priyanka Chopra has been appointed as the ambassador for government’s
flagship Skill India campaign, with the National Skill Development Corporation.
ii. Priyanka will use her celebrity status to motivate youngsters to hone their abilities
through a media campaign.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The Skill India campaign was launched by Prime Minister Modi in July 2015.
The government aims to train 40 crore people by 2022 through its skilling initiatives.
The MD and CEO of National Skill Development Corporation is Manish Kumar.
7. Scientists create the brightest light ever produced on Earth

i. Scientists have created the brightest light ever produced on the Earth, shining a billion
times stronger than the surface of the sun. The researchers discovered that it could be
used as a new type of X-ray, capable of taking higher resolution images than the
traditional kind.
ii. These could be used in hospitals but also by engineers, scientists and for security
purposes. Normally an electron scatters just one photon of light at a time but the light
beam produced in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Extreme Light Laboratory saw
nearly 1,000 photons scattered at a time.

8. MSME Ministry launched 'Digital MSME Scheme', exchanged MoUs with SAP India,
Intel and HMT

i. MSME Minister Mr. Kalraj Mishra has launched the Digital MSME Scheme and also
exchanged three MoUs with SAP India, Intel and HMT. The United Nations has recently
declared 27th June as the UN Day for MSMEs.
ii. It has been celebrated for recognizing the importance of the crucial role that the sector
plays both in terms of job creation and contribution towards economic growth. The
MSME has a total budget of Rs. 85.705 Crore including Government of India’s
contribution of Rs. 58.105 crore during 2017- 18 to 2019-20.
iii. International Trade Centre (ITC) has celebrated the first International MSME Day on
June 27, 2017. The theme of MSME is ‘Small business – big impact’.”

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The move is in accordance with the government's 'Digital India' initiative.

9. ISSF Junior World Championship: India finish second in Junior Shooting World
Championship

i. The Indian shooting squad has finished a creditable second at the ISSF Junior World
Championship with three gold, two silver and three bronze medals in Suhl, Germany.
India picked up a gold and silver in the team and individual sections of the 25m pistol
junior men’s event.
ii. Anish Bhanwala won three medals, one of each colour. On day one, Anish had
claimed gold in the 25m standard pistol men’s event. He also won another gold teaming
with Anhad Jawanda and Shivam Shukla for the 25m pistol event.
iii. China topped the tally in the rifle/pistol tournament with 19 medals, including eight
golds.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Full form of ISSF is International Shooting Sport Federation.

Olegario Vazquez Rana is the President of ISSF.
ISSF Junior World Championship 2017 was held in Germany.
China topped with total 19 Medals and India was second with total 8 Medals.
10. Federer lifts ninth Halle Open title, defeated Alexander Zverev

i. Swiss legend Roger Federer has clinched his ninth Halle Open title after beating
Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-3 in the final. The top seed Roger Federer showed no mercy
with fourth seed Alexander Zverev after wrapping up his ninth title in his 11th Halle
final.
ii. The final took place at the Gerry Weber Stadion in Halle, Germany. The match was
the quickest final in the history of the Halle Open.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Roger Federer is from Switzerland.

Alexander Zverev is from Germany.
The Halle Open also called as the Gerry Weber Open, is a tennis tournament held in
Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
To read today's Daily GK Update Hindi, Click Here

29 June 2017
-------------------------------
Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 29th June, 2017

Study Daily Current Affairs from Daily GK Update on Bankersadda and Adda247 app,
and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's
time to gear up your preparations for NICL AO Mains 2017 and with the daily dose of
current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

1. India’s communication satellite GSAT-17 successfully launched

i. India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-17 has been successfully launched from
Kourou in French Guiana. GSAT-17 with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg carries
payloads in Normal C-band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various
communication services.
ii. The Satellite also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite-based
search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites.
iii. This was third satellite launch by ISRO this month, the other two being first
developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions launched from
Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Dr. K Sivan is the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

French Guiana is an overseas region of France on the northeast coast of South America.
Its Capital is Cayenne.
2. India Signs Loan Agreement with the World Bank for USD 35 Million

i. An agreement for IBRD Credit of USD 35 Million from World Bank for “Assam State
Public Financial Institutional Reforms Project” was signed in New Delhi.
ii. The program size is USD 44 million, of which USD 35 million will be financed by the
Bank, and the remaining amount will be funded out of State Budget. The program
duration is 5 years.
iii. The objective of the project is to improve predictability and transparency in budget
execution and efficiency in tax administration in Assam.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The President of the World Bank is Mr. Jim Yong Kim.

It was founded in 1944.
It Headquarters in Washington DC, USA.
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is the full form of
IBRD.
3. Sharjah named 'World Book Capital 2019' by UNESCO

i. Sharjah, a city in the United Arab Emirates was named 'World Book Capital for the
year' 2019 by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova.
ii. The city was selected because of the very innovative, comprehensive and inclusive
nature of the application, with a community-focused activity program containing creative
proposals to engage the very large migrant population.
iii. The program runs with a slogan ‘Read - you are in Sharjah’. It focuses on six themes:
inclusivity, reading, heritage, outreach, publishing, and children.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

As the nineteenth cities to bear the title since 2001, Sharjah follows Athens (2018) and
Conakry (2017).
The Full form of UNESCO is United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization.
UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France
4. 6th Joint Trade Committee Meeting between India and Myanmar held in New Delhi

i. The 6th India - Myanmar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) Meeting co-chaired by Smt.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Commerce & Industry from India and Dr. Than Myint,
Union Commerce Minister from Myanmar was held in New Delhi.
ii. The Joint Trade Committee plays a key role in facilitating issues related to the
enhancement of the bilateral economic partnership between the two countries.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

Naypyidaw is the Capital of Myanmar.

The Name of Burma was changed to Myanmar in 1989.
5. India’s first blood bank for Cattle to come up in Odisha

i. Odisha is all set to become the first state in the country to have a blood bank for the
cattle. Acc. to the Vice-chancellor of the Odisha University of Agriculture and
Technology (OUAT) Surendra Nath Pasupalak, it is the first of its kind blood bank
established on the premises of OUAT at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.25 crore.
ii. After approval from the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP), the
OUAT is now awaiting approval from the state government. The project will have a
60:40 sharing between the Centre and the state government.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Naveen Patnaik is the CM of Odisha

Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamir is the governor of Odisha.
6. Election Commission joins hands with Facebook to Launch First Time Nationwide
“Voter Registration Reminder”

i. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has joined hands with Facebook to launch
nationwide voter registration reminder aimed at reminding eligible Indian voters to
register themselves on the electoral rolls.
ii. As a part of the initiative, Facebook will activate a unique ‘Register Now’ button
reminding all the eligible Indian users to enroll themselves as voters. The reminder will
be made available for four days beginning July 1.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Dr. Nasim Zaidi is the Chief Election Commissioner of ECI.

7. Union Government appoints Rajesh Shah as NIFT Chairperson

i. The Union Government (Ministry of Textiles) has appointed Shri Rajesh V. Shah as
Chairperson on the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Fashion Technology
(NIFT).
ii. He has replaced Shri Chetan Chauhan as per the provisions of the National Institute of
Fashion Technology Act, 2006.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

NIFT was Set up in 1986 and it comes under the Union Ministry of Textiles.
8. Kaushik Basu takes over as president of International Economic Association

i. Former chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu has taken over as president of the
International Economic Association (IEA). Basu's three-year term started from June 23.
ii. Mr. Basu has also served as senior vice-president and chief economist at the World
Bank from 2012 to 2016. He is currently the C. Marks Professor of International Studies
at Cornell.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The IEA is a leading organization for professional economists and it seeks to shape
global economic policy and research.
The IEA was founded in 1950.
IEA headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.
9. BCCI forms Committee to oversee Lodha Panel Reforms

i. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the formation of a special
seven-member committee to identify the ‘few critical points’ for the general body of the
cricket board to consider before they are submitted to the Supreme Court.
ii. This committee will be responsible for identifying those points that are difficult to be
implemented, in regards to the Justice RM Lodha Committee reforms. The seven-
member committee has Rajeev Shukla, Sourav Ganguly, Naba Bhattacharjee, TC
Mathew, Jay Shah, Amitabh Choudhary and Anirudh Chaudhary.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The Lodha Panel was set up by the Indian Supreme Court in January 2015.
10. National Statistics Day: 29th June
i. The National Statistics Day, celebrated every year on June 29 to mark the birth
anniversary of renowned statistician Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis.
ii. He was the first Indian statistician to receive world recognition. In 1933, he had
founded the first Indian statistical journal Sankhya.

11. Vidya Balan named ambassador of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

i. Actress Vidya Balan has named an ambassador of the Indian Film Festival of
Melbourne (IFFM).
ii. It will be held in August 10-22, 2017, which showcase over 60 films. In 2017, IFFM
has diversity as its central theme.

To read today's Daily GK Update Hindi, Click Here

30 June 2017
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1. PM Modi inaugurates filling of Aji Dam at Rajkot by Narmada water

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated various irrigation and water-related

initiatives at Aji Dam in Rajkot, Gujarat including the filling of Aji dam with Narmada
waters under Sauni Yojana.
ii. PM recognized the role of younger generation in finding solutions to the everyday
problems. PM on the occasion launched Smart Rajkot Hackathon where urban local body
will engage with young students to find innovative solutions to improve the efficiency of
various government departments.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The Capital of Gujarat is Gandhinagar.

 Mr. O.P. Kohli is the governor of Gujarat.

2. UNSC approves resolution reducing joint UN-AU peacekeeping force in

Sudan’s Darfur

i. The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution sharply reducing the
joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan’s troubled Darfur
region.
ii. The British-drafted resolution will reduce the number of peacekeepers by 44 per cent
and international police by about 27 per cent in the Darfur mission.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Darfur is a region in western Sudan.

The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 in London.

3. British PM Theresa May wins confidence vote in parliament

i. British Prime Minister Theresa May narrowly won the confidence vote in the
parliament, winning her first major test as the Prime Minister of a minority government
in the United Kingdom (UK).
ii. With this, May was finally confirmed as the British Prime Minister three weeks after
the election, after winning the vote on her legislative program known as the Queen's
Speech.

Static Takeaways from Above News-

Robert Walpole (1721–42) was the first PM of Britain.

4. Rajiv Kumar appointed as Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh

i. Rajiv Kumar was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. His appointment
was approved by the Uttar Pradesh Government. Prior to this appointment, Kumar was a
Secretary in the Union Shipping Ministry.
ii. Mr. Kumar has replaced Rahul Prasad Bhatnagar.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Mr. Ram Naik is the Governor of UP.

Dudhwa National Park is in UP famous for Tigers.

5. Uttarakhand gets award of excellence at international meet

i. Uttarakhand was conferred with the award of excellence at the 2nd Global Skill
Development Summit held in Paris recently for innovations and extensive use of IT for
skilling the state's youth.
ii. Project Director of Uttarakhand Skill Development Committee Pankaj Kumar Pandey
received the honor on behalf of the state on the concluding day of the event.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Krishna Kant Paul is the present Governor of Uttarakhand.

Trivendra Singh Rawat is the newly elected CM of Uttarakhand.

6. Vijay Keshav Gokhale appointed economic relations secretary in MEA

i. Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale was appointed as the economic relations
secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Appointments Committee of the
Cabinet has approved his appointment.
ii. Mr. Gokhale, a 1981-batch officer of Indian Foreign Service (IFS), is at present India's
envoy to China. He was the High Commissioner of India to Malaysia from 2010 to 2013.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Smt. Sushma Swaraj is the Union External Affairs Minister.

7. Dr. Jitendra Singh launches new training programme ‘COMMIT’ for State
Government officials

i. The Minister of State for Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr.
Jitendra Singh launched a new training program 'Comprehensive Online Modified
Modules on Induction Training' (COMMIT) for State Government officials.
ii. The objective of this training program is to improve the public service delivery
mechanism and provide citizen-centric administration through capacity building of
officials who interact with the citizens on day-to-day basis.
iii. COMMIT will be launched in 6 States of Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,
Telangana and West Bengal initially on the pilot basis during the current financial year
2017-18 and within next year it is expected to cover all India level.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training is the full form

of COMMIT.

8. India becomes 1st country to give to UN Tax Fund with $100000 contribution

i. India has contributed $100,000 to a UN fund to help developing countries actively

participate in the discussion of tax issues, becoming the first country to make the
contribution. The UN Tax Trust Fund aims to support the work of the Committee of
Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters.
ii. The UN Tax Committee, a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council
(ESOSOC), has provided guidance on current issues such as double taxation treaties,
transfer pricing (profit shifting) taxation of the extractive industries and taxation of
services.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

UN Headquarters in New York City, USA.

The Secretary General of UN is Mr. Antonio Guterres.

9. Govt. unveils new hydrocarbon policy

i. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced a new oil and gas block licensing
policy that is expected to open up 2.8 million square kilometers of sedimentary basins to
exploration and production activities.
ii. The Minister was at the inauguration of the government’s Open Acreage Licensing
Policy (OALP) and the National Data Repository. The OALP, a part of the government’s
Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), gives exploration companies the
option to select the exploration blocks on their own, without having to wait for the formal
bid round from the Government.

10. Adi Godrej, Andrew Liveris bag USIBC Global Leadership Awards

i. Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej and Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveries have
been awarded the Global Leadership Awards of the US-India Business Council for their
role in integrating India in the global supply chain.
ii. Liveris and Godrej were presented with the prestigious annual award at the USIBC's
annual gala. Both were honored for creating inclusive business environments, integrating
India in the global supply chain and advancing core values such as manufacturing,
innovation and scale in tough market conditions.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The President of USIBC is Mr. Mukesh Adhi.

11. Hyderabad-based TS Vineeth Bhatt conferred with the 'best astrologer of world'
award

i. City-based astrologer and numerologist T S Vineeth Bhatt has been conferred with the
'Best astrologer of the world' award at the 'Russian-Indian economic dialogue' round-
table meet held in Moscow.
ii. The event was organized by Peacemakers International, a charity that works for the
advancement of conflict resolution through mediation services and training.

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