PM Modi Full cabinet list till August 2016

1. Rajnath Singh - Home Affairs
2. Sushma Swaraj - External Affairs
3. Arun Jaitley - Finance & Corporate Affairs
4. M Venkaiah Naidu - Urban Development Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Information & Broadcasting
5. Nitin Jairam Gadkari - Road Transport and Highways & Shipping
6. Manohar Parrikar - Defence
7. Suresh Prabhu - Railways
8. D V Sadananda Gowda - Statistics & Programme Implementation
9. Uma Bharati - Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation 

Gk Update 17 August 2016

1. Jharkhand Assembly convened today to ratify GST Bill

i. Jharkhand Assembly has been convened today to ratify Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament.
ii. Now Jharkhand became the third state to ratify the bill.
iii. Last week, Assam became the first state in the country to ratify the constitution amendment bill on the GST as the assembly unanimously passed the bill.

GK Update 16 August 2016

1. Bihar Assembly unanimously passes GST bill

i. The Bihar state assembly has unanimously passed the crucial Goods and Services Tax Bill (GST Bill).
ii. With this, it has become the first non-Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state to ratify the GST, Last week, Assam became the first state to ratify the Bill.
iii. The GST Bill needs to be ratified by at least 15 state legislatures before the President can notify the GST Council, which will then decide the new tax rate and other issues.

GK Update 15 August 2016

Union Minister launches clean cooking fuel scheme for BPL women in West Bengal
i. Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has launched the Pradhan Mantri UjjwalaYojana (PMUY) in West Bengal, which is a scheme to provide clean cooking fuel to the women belonging to the 'Below Poverty Line' (BPL) households across the country.
ii. PMUY which was launched by the Prime Minister of India on May 1, 2016 at Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) aims to provide LPG connections to 5 Crore BPL households by 2019 and is a part of larger programme of adding 10 Crore new LPG connections by 2019 to achieve full coverage of connections in Indian households.

Gk Update 14 August 2016

No Rail Budget from next fiscal

i. The 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Rail Budget is set to come to an end from the next fiscal, with the Finance Ministry accepting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s proposal to merge it with the General Budget.
ii. Finance Ministry has now constituted a five-member committee comprising senior officials of the Ministry and the national transporter to work out the modalities for the merger.
iii. The committee has been asked to submit its report by August 31.

GK Update 13 August 2016

1. Railway Budget set to be merged with Union Budget from next fiscal

i. Ending a 92-year-old tradition which started during the colonial era, Railway Budget will be merged with the General Budget from 2017-18 onwards.
ii. The move is considered to be a relief to the national transporter, which was suffering from an additional burden of about Rs 40,000 crore on account the Seventh Pay Commission and close to Rs 35,000 crore on subsidy burden. If the merger happens, the Railways will get rid of the annual dividend that it has to pay for gross budgetary support from the government.
iii. According to a report, the finance ministry has given a go-ahead signal to the proposal by the Railways ministry and has set up a five-member committee in this regard. 

2. Govt sets up National Committee on Trade Facilitation

i. The Centre has constituted the National Committee on Trade Facilitation following India’s ratification of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in April.
ii. The NCTF will facilitate domestic co-ordination and TFA provisions' implementation, and help develop the pan-India trade facilitation road map.
iii. The committee is a mandatory, institutional arrangement under TFA.

GK Update 12 August 2016

1. India's first touch-and-feel garden for visually impaired 

i. A first-of-its-kind touch and feel garden for the visually impaired people in the country was inaugurated near Calicut University campus by Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan.
ii. The garden has nearly 70 aromatic, medicinal and herbal plants brought from various parts the country.
iii. The visually impaired will get an opportunity to study the plants not only by touching, feeling and smelling them but also getting information about them through audio inputs.

2. RBI transfers Rs 65,876 crore surplus to government

i. The Reserve Bank will transfer to the central government its surplus profit of Rs 65,876 crore which is marginally lower than the amount given last year.
ii. The approval to transfer the surplus was taken at the 559th meeting of the Central Board of the RBI, chaired by Governor Raghuram Rajan.
iii. The surplus is generated through RBI's investment activities, primarily in other sovereign bonds like that of the US T-bills, which is its single largest investment source. 

Gk Update 11 August 2016

1. Azim Premji, Shiv Nadar in Forbes list of 100 richest tech tycoons

i. Wipro Chairman Azim Premji and HCL co-founder Shiv Nadar are the only two billionaires from India in Forbes' list of the world's 100 richest people in technology. They are ranking in the top 20 ahead of Google boss Eric Schmidt and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.
ii. While the '100 Richest Tech Billionaires In The World 2016' list has been topped by Microsoft founder Bill Gates with an estimated fortune of USD 78 billion.
iii. Premji ranks 13th on the list with a net worth of $16 billion and Nadar comes in on the 17th spot with $11.6 billion of net worth. However, only five women rank among the world’s 100 richest in tech, including Zhou Qunfei on the 33rd spot.

2. Cabinet approvals

i. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for amendments to Section 44 and consequential amendments of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 by introducing the Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Parliament.
ii. The 2nd approval by the Union Cabinet is for the ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Africa for cooperation in the field of Tourism.
iii. The 3rd approval has given for signing and ratification of an Agreement between India and Croatia on Economic Cooperation.
iv. The 4th approval is for amendments which have been made into the Maternity Benefits Act to raise maternity leave for women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
v. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CEEA) has given its approval for the development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plants.

Gk update 10 August 2016

1. PM Narendra Modi launches Yaad Karo Kurbani celebrations

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Yaad Karo Kurbani (remember the sacrifices) celebrations at the birthplace of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad at Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh.
ii. The Yaad Karo Kurbani is a 15-day programme aimed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement (QIM) and 70 years of Independence.
iii. Later he also flagged off the Tiranga Yatra to mark the launch of the 70th Freedom Year celebrations with a theme song  '70 Saal Azadi Yaad Karo Kurbani' which has been composed by Dr. Ghazal Srinivas.

2. PM Modi, Russian Prez Vladimir Putin jointly dedicated Kudankulam Nuclear Plant Unit-I to the nation

i. The first unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant has jointly dedicated to the nation by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin through video conferencing.
ii. It has been built with Russian expertise following a pact between the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet leader Mikahil Gorbachev in November 1988.
iii. Now the first unit of Kudankulam power plant is generating its full capacity of 1000 megawatts of electricity.

GK Update 9 August 2016

1. RBI : 3rd Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2016-17

i. Raghuram Rajan the governor of Reserve Bank of India has published the third bi-monthly monetary policy statement for the fiscal year 2016-17 and kept the rates unchanged.
ii. Mr. Rajan, whose term ends on September 4, maintained repurchase (repo) rate at 6.5 %, cash reserve ratio (CRR) at 4 %, Reverse Repo Rate - 6.00%, Marginal Standing Facility Rate (MSF)- 7.00%, Bank Rate- 7.00% , Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)- 21%.
iii. While the Growth forecast at 7.6% for the current fiscal and Inflation target remains 5% for January 2017.

2. International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples observed on 9th August

i. The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed on August 9 each year to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population.
ii. The theme for 2016 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is 'Right to Education'.
iii. It was first pronounced by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1994, marking the day of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, in 1982.

3. Maharashtra govt launches 'Quit India 2' movement to mark its 75th anniversary

i. To mark the 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement, Maharashtra Government launched Quit India 2-from Swaraaj to Suraaj initiative.
ii. The initiative would emphasize on freedom from illiteracy, farmer suicide, wastage of water, addiction among youth and corruption.

4. Vodafone renews multi-million dollar IT deal with IBM

i. India’s second largest mobile operator Vodafone has renewed its multi-million dollar agreement for IT infrastructure with tech giant IBM for another five years.
ii. IBM will support Vodafone India’s IT environment transition into its hybrid cloud, allowing the telecom to leverage and integrate existing IT resources and data assets with private cloud environments.

5. Apple buys US machine learning startup Turi

i. Apple has confirmed that it has bought US machine learning startup Turi as Silicon Valley giants focus on a future rich with artificial intelligence.
ii. Turi specialises in enabling developers to imbue software applications with artificial intelligence, so the apps learn to think more the way people do.
iii. The move will help Apple to step up its artificial intelligence efforts to compete against rival services from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

GK Update 8 August 2016

1. PM launches Mission Bhagiratha and lays Foundation Stone of key development projects in Telangana

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Telangana government's ambitious Mission Bhagiratha at Komatibanda Village, Gajwel, in Medak District of Telangana. 
ii. The scheme has been launched by the State Government with an objective to provide safe drinking water to all. As the Mission, Bhagiratha is a pet project of the Chief Minister, taken up at an outlay of Rs. 42,000 crore. Apart from creating a water grid for supply drinking water to houses, it aims to rejuvenate more than 45,000 water tanks.
iii. The Prime Minister also laid the Foundation Stones for important development projects. These included the 1600 MW Thermal Power station of NTPC at Ramagundam, revival of a Fertilizer Plant at Ramagundam, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences, Warangal, and Manoharabad-Kothapalli Railway line. He also dedicated to the nation the 1200 MW Thermal Power Station of Singareni Collieries at Jaipur, in Adilabad district at an outlay of Rs. 7,000 crore.

2. Odisha Government launches special assistance scheme for elderly weavers

i. The Odisha government launched a special assistance scheme- ‘Baristha Bunakar Sahayata Yojana’  for elderly weavers to mark the National Handlooms Day (7th August). 
ii. It has been launched by the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with an aim to improve the financial condition of over 8,000 weavers, who have been working in this field for the last 20 years. 
iii. The Baristha Bunakar Sahayata Yojana is for all senior weavers who are above the age of 60 years. Under this scheme all weavers who are above 60 years they will get a monthly pension of 500 rupees, and those above 80 years would get 700 rupees. 

3. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar inaugurates Chhattisgarh’s first IIT

i. Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Raipur at the Government Engineering College campus. 
ii. The IIT will have its own campus by the time its first batch of students pass out.

4. IRCTC signs MoU with Manipur govt to provide hospitality & tourism services

i. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and the Manipur government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which seeks to provide improved hospitality and tourism services to their customers by making 'joint use of their capabilities and facilities'.
ii. The MoU entails upon both the parties to identify areas of cooperation and draw up detailed plans for the development of joint tourism products and opening and managing various catering and hospitality outlets, budget hotels and handicrafts shops at railway as well as non-railway locations.
iii. The MoU also include involvement of Self Help Groups (SHGs), setting up of water vending machines, use of Rail Neer (IRCTC's packaged water) and development of lounges and greeting services for tourists.

5. Over 1000 Dancing Robots Set Guinness Record In China

i. A new Guinness World Record for the most robots dancing simultaneously has been set in China where 1,007 robots shimmied in unison, nearly double the previous record. 
ii. The attempt was organised by Qingdao-based Ever Win Company which almost doubled the previous record of 540 dancing robots which was achieved earlier this year by Chinese company UBTECH Robotics Corp.
iii. A few robots were disqualified because they did not dance or fell over, but the majority of the mechanical dance troupe completed the 60 second routine in perfect unison. Each of the 43.8 cm tall dancing machines at the Qingdao Beer Festival were controlled using just one mobile phone and they had to dance for a full minute in order to count towards the record.

6. First-ever 'Pizza ATM' opens in the US

i. The first-ever 'Pizza ATM' has been installed at a university campus of US by French- based company Paline, which developed the ATM. 
ii. The pizza vending machine on the campus of Xavier University (XU) in Ohio can hold seventy 12-inch pizzas and dispense them fresh and hot in just three minutes. The cost of each pizza is around $10, with the ATM accepting credit and debit cards, as well as a student card.
iii. Customers can select what kind of pizza they want using the 24-hour machine's touchscreen. The pizza ATM, which opens for public on August 10. 

7. Former RBI Deputy Governor Anand Sinha joins IDFC Bank board

i. IDFC Bank has appointed former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor Anand Sinha to the bank's board. 
ii. His appointment comes into effect from August 1. 
iii. This comes after Vinod Rai, the former comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India, who served as a nominee director representing IDFC Limited on the board of IDFC Bank, stepped down after serving on the board for a year. 

8. Syndicate Bank launches new products

i. Arun Shrivastava, MD & CEO of Syndicate Bank has launched new products to ease customer transactions.
ii. The  first products launched by the bank was the fund transfer based on ‘Aadhaar Number through NUUP’, using an ordinary mobile phone without internet connection.
iii. While the other one was ‘Fund Transfer through IMPS’ at any branch for instantaneous credit to any bank account.

9. Zydus acquires derma brand Melgain from Issar Pharma

i. Ahmedabad-headquartered Zydus Group has acquired Melgain brand from Hyderabad based Issar Pharma for an undisclosed sum that would marketed in India by Liva Healthcare. 
ii. Zydus is currently the leader in the skin de-pigmentation segment and the acquisition of Melgain marks its foray into the re-pigmentation.
iii. Zydus is a fully integrated, global healthcare provider, with strengths all along the pharmaceutical value chain.

10. Sitaraman Shankar appointed Network18 Managing Editor

i. Network18 has appointed Sitaraman Shankar as Managing Editor - Special Projects. Shankar will work across all digital and TV news properties.
ii. Shankar will also serve as Group Training Editor and manage the content quality.
iii. He is a chemical technologist-turned-journalist and has 22 years of experience in journalism. His last assignment was with Hindustan Times where he played a variety of roles including that of Deputy Managing Editor and Editor. 

11. Australian surfing champion Bernard Farrelly dies

i. Australian surfing champion Bernard Farrelly, best known as Midget for his slight size, has passed away. He was 71 years old. 
ii. He won the first official surfing World Championship at Sydney's Manly Beach in 1964 and dominated the sport as it gained popularity during that decade. 
iii. Farrelly was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. He was also the first president of Australia's oldest surfboard riders club.

12. Gymnast Dipa Karmakar becomes first Indian to qualify for Vault Finals

i. Dipa Karmakar, the Indian Gymnast, created history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to enter the Olympic final at the Rio Olympic Centre.
ii. The 22-year-old qualified for the final round in the Individual vault final of artistic gymnastics after finishing eighth on the standings.
iii. Competing in the third sub-division, Dipa had an average score of 51.665. She scored 14.850 by performing her much-vaunted ‘Produnova’ vault cleanly on the vault, 11.666 on the uneven bars, 12.866 in balance beam and 12.033 in floor exercises. While American Simone Biles, the three-time world all-round champion topped the charts with a score of 16.050. 

GK Update 7 August 2016

1. Vijay Rupani takes oath as Gujarat Chief Minister
i. 60 year old BJP leader Vijay Rupani has sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar today.
ii. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the Governor OP Kohli.
iii. While Nitin Patel has sworn in as the Deputy CM of the state.

2. Modi Launches PMO App At MyGov Anniversary Event

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the new PMO app at a function organised by MyGov in New Delhi. The app would correspond to the website of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
ii. The app is developed by a team of young engineering students from Delhi who has won the contest to develop the app.
iii. The new app will allow mobile users to connect with the website of the Prime Minister's Office.

 

3. 2nd National Handloom day has celebrated today

i. The second National Handloom Day has been celebrated all over the country, on today (August 7). As the first National Handloom Day was celebrated last year and Hon’ble Prime Minister was the Chief Guest in the main event held in Chennai on 7th August, 2015.
ii. But this time, the main function was held in Varanasi in which Sant Kabir Awards and National Handloom Awards has been presented by the Union Textiles Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani who was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
iii. Besides the main event in Varanasi, there was many other programmes across the nation.

4. Odisha govt launches new website of state Home department

i. The Odisha government has launched a new website of the state Home department to enable the differently-abled persons to see and hear the website.
ii. The portal has been designed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with accessibility guidelines for differently-abled persons and inaugurated by the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
iii. This is a bilingual website available in both English and Odia language. It facilitates access to all directorates or departments along with various citizen services like Secretariat Pass, Tracking the Missing Child, Reservation of Odisha Bhawan, Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems and other such services.

5. Telangana signs MoU with ISRO for water resources info system

i. Telangana Irrigation Department has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Space Research Organisation for setting up a Telangana Water Resources Information System (TWRIS) on the ‘Bhuvan’ web portal.
ii. The MoU was inked in the presence of Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar at the Hyderabad-headquartered National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO.
iii. The main aim is to capture every field-level irrigation network including dams/barrages, anicuts, main and field channels, etc. and mark every irrigation structure on satellite visualisation tool Bhuvan (similar to Google Earth). The project, likely to be completed in one year.

6. Taxis in Dubai to promote Kerala Tourism

i. Kerala Tourism has rolled out a promotional campaign in Dubai targeting Arab travellers and showcasing the state's backwaters and waterfalls on taxis plying in the bustling metropolis, with the onset of the outbound tourism season in the Middle East.
ii. In this regards, as many as 200 Kerala-branded taxis will ferry the message of 'A Faraway Land Four Hours Away' - with eye-catching visuals featuring hill stations, backwaters, waterfalls and also Ayurvedic therapies - through the streets of Dubai, the throbbing heart of the UAE.
iii. The campaign, inspired by the previous highly successful branding efforts on London taxis and the Mumbai metro, will run till August 15. The government has also given the administrative sanction for a budget of Rs. 60 lakh for Kerala Tourism’s marketing strategy.

7. Tamilnadu CM gives cash awards to five sportspersons

i. Five sportspersons from Tamil Nadu, including a differently-abled woman who had won honours in international contests, have been given cash awards by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa which includes Jenitha Anto of Tiruchirappalli has presented with a cheque for Rs 25 lakh for winning an international chess tournament for the differently abled held in Serbia last month. Anto had won the tournament for the fourth time.
ii. The other receiver of the cash awards are- C Ajith Kumar, R Naveen, L Samayasri, and S Priyadarshini.
iii. Jayalalithaa also gave away a total cash incentive of Rs 1.20 crore to four other sportspersons who had won medals in different events at the World School Athletics Championship in Turkey in July.

8. Kathakali dance troupe in Egypt for first time

i. A nine-member Kathakali dance troupe has performed first time in Egypt.
ii. The Kathakali dance troupe was a part the 14th Summer Festival organized by Bibliotheca Alexandrina. And as part of their tour, the Indian dance troupe will performe in different places including Port Said Cultural Palace, Ismailia Cultural Palace.
iii. Kathakali is a complex art belongs to Kerala, which is combination of many different forms of art. It includes dance, drama, literature, music both vocal and instrumental, and plastic form of art, such as painting and sculpture.

9. CSS Corp appoints Manish Tandon as its new CEO

i. CSS Corp, a global Technology Support company, has appointed Manish Tandon as its new Chief Executive Officer of the company. He will be inducted as a whole time director of the board and as CEO later this quarter.
ii. He will take over from "Tiger" TG Ramesh, the current CEO who now transitions to a strategic advisor role as a non-executive director on the board.
iii. Mr. Manish is an IIT Kanpur alumnus, and a Gold Medalist from IIM Bangalore. He is currently the head of Healthcare & Life Sciences, Insurance and High-Tech Manufacturing businesses at Infosys. He also is a director on the board of Infosys Lodestone, Infosys Public Services and EdgeVerve.

10. ‘Vietnam Veedu' Sundaram passes away

i. Veteran South Indian film director and scriptwriter “Vietnam Veedu’ Sundaram has passed away in Chennai. He was 76 years old.
ii. Sundaram was born in Tiruchi and 'Vietnam Veedu' became part of his name after he wrote the script, first for theatre and then for the film, starring Sivaji Ganesan.
iii. He also acted in a few films and directed a lot of teleserials.

11. New head for BHEL Corporate R&D
i. KK Khurana, General Manager in-charge, has taken over as Head of BHEL Corporate R&D with effect from August 4, 2016.
ii. Prior to the elevation as GM I/C of Corporate R&D, he was involved in Project Engineering Management (PEM), Technical service among other areas in the company.
iii. He has wide experience in thermal power plant projects.

GK Update 6 August 2016

1. Union Government aims to roll out GST from April 1, 2017

i. The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has announced that the Government has set the ambitious target to roll out of the Goods and Services Tax, (GST) from 1st April 2017. 
ii. Mr. Jaitley also unveiled a detailed roadmap for GST implementation. 
iii. This announcement was made after Rajya Sabha had passed The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014.

2. Union Government fixes an inflation target of 4 percent for five years

i. The Union Government has set an inflation target of 4 % for the next five years with a range of plus/minus 2 % for the next five years under the monetary policy framework agreement with the Reserve Bank. 
ii. In this regard, Union Government will soon set-up Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to adhere to the target till March 31, 2021. 
iii. This target was fixed after the Union Government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had reached an agreement on a monetary policy framework. 

3. South India's first Doppler weather radar inaugurated

i. ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar has inaugurated a 'C Band Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar' at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram. 
ii. It is first of its kind in South India. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the first Doppler weather radar in Cherrapunji which was built by the ISRO and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) in May. The work was on for two more Doppler radars to be set up in Bhuj in Gujarat and Gopalpur.
iii. This Doppler weather radar can provide advance information about storms, cyclones, and other severe weather conditions. The data from this radar would be available to India Meteorological Department (IMD) to supplement its weather predictions and also to researchers and user agencies. 

4. Centre launches nation-wide breast feeding programme

i. Centre has launched a nation-wide breastfeeding programme "MAA - Mother's Absolute Affection" with an aim to enhance optimal breastfeeding practices in New Delhi. 
ii. MAA is an intensified programme of the Health Ministry for creating an enabling environment to ensure that mothers, husbands, and families receive adequate information and support for the promotion of breastfeeding. 
iii. The Ministry has also allocated 30 crore rupees for the Programme and 4.3 lakh rupees for each district for implementing the various activities under MAA programme.

5. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated India's International Footwear Fair

i. A three day long India's International Footwear Fair (IIFF) has been launched by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on August 5th in New Delhi. 
ii. This year around 263 companies from India and abroad are participating in the event.

6. Railways, Chhattisgarh govt. ink agreement for the formation of JV

i. The Ministry of Railways has signed an agreement with the Chhattisgarh government for the formation of a joint venture (JV) company for focused resource mobilisation, implementation and monitoring of critical rail projects. 
ii. Mr. S. C. Jain, Executive Director (Works) signed the agreement on behalf of the Railways Ministry while Mr. Subodh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industry, Chhattisgarh and Secretary to Chief Minister signed for the State. 
iii. Chhattisgarh has become the third state to sign JV Agreement with the Ministry after Odisha and Haryana. The JV company will have 51% share from Government of Chhattisgarh and 49% from Ministry of Railways and will work in identifying projects which may be taken up in Chhattisgarh. 

7. Naidu launches Swachh Survekshan for 500 cities

i. Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu has launched Swachh Survekshan-2017 for 500 cities in the country with an idea to make competitive environment make the cities clean in New Delhi.
ii. The main objective of Swach Survekshan is not to point out shortcomings but to suggest ways to improve the state of cleanliness in the particular area.
iii. This is the second round of survey to cover 500 cities and towns, including those with a population of one lakh and above, besides capital towns with less than one lakh population and towns known for heritage, tourism, and hilly locations. 

8. Maharashtra Government to provide as many as 1,200 wi-fi hotspots in Mumbai

i. Chief Minister of Maharastra Government Mr. Devendra Fadnavis has stated that Maharashtra government will provide as many as 1,200 wi-fi hotspots in the megapolis as a part of transforming Mumbai into a Smart City. 
ii. As the state government wants to make Mumbai a wi-fi city by May 2017 with 1,200 hotspots at important places.  
iii. While out of the total of 1,200 hotspots, 500 will be operational in the first phase by November 2016.

9. Javadekar inaugurated transit campus of IIT in Jammu 

i. Union Minister for Human Resource and Development Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated the transit campus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at village Jagti, Tehsil Nagrota in Jammu. 
ii. Even a total of 90 students has been enrolled at IIT Jammu for the academic session. 
iii. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had also been signed between the Department of Higher Education, Jammu and Kashmir and the Department of Higher Education in the HRD Ministry, on May 1, 2016, in this regard. 

10. Kolkata hosts 64-day- long theatre festival

i. The Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), an autonomous organization under Government of India's Ministry of Culture, has organized a 64-day-long theatre festival in Kolkata. 
ii. The festival- Kolkata Theatre Festival 2016- will showcase as many as 245 theatres of several groups at Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex in Kolkata's satellite town Salt Lake. 
iii. This is the biggest theatre festival, not even in Kolkata but in the World as well. 

11. China successfully launches the first satellite for mobile telecommunication

i. China has successfully launched the first Tiantong satellite for mobile telecommunication at southwestern China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center, with the Long March-3B carrier rocket. 
ii. It is the first satellite of China's home-made satellite mobile telecom system and a key part of the country's space information infrastructure.
iii. Tiantong-01 was designed by China Academy of Space Technology and its ground service will be operated by China Telecom. 

12. IBM and Apple open first global development hub in India

i. IBM in partnership with Apple has launched a new global development hub at Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru. 
ii. The hub mainly aims to help the clients in India complete digital mobility process platform. 
iii. IBM is also planning to launch satellite centres in many other countries including China, Romania, and Brazil.

13. Mercedes-Benz India appoints Michael Jopp at top marketing post

i. German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz India Limited (MBIL) has announced the appointment of Michael Jopp as vice-president (sales & marketing) with effect from August 1, 2016. 
ii. Jopp succeeds Boris Fitz who has completed his tenure of four years in India and will now take on a larger role in Mercedes-Benz Turkey.
iii. Currently, Jopp is responsible for sales performance and sales profitability for Mercedes-Benz Cars in Berlin. 

14. Olympics 2016 opens with a glittering ceremony in Rio De Janerio

i. The 31st Summer Olympic Games has opened in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, with a vibrant opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium. 
ii. Acting Brazil President Michel Temer declared open the Games.
iii. The theme of Rio De Janerio Olympic is world peace and environment. This time in Rio more than 11,000 athletes from 209 countries are all set to compete, including India, and a refugee Olympic team.

15. IOA announces cash award for medal winning athlete in Rio Olympics

i. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has announced a cash award of 50 lakh rupees for the gold medal winning athlete in the Rio Olympics. 
ii. While 30 lakh rupees for silver and 20 lakh rupees for bronze. In addition, the coaches will be awarded an equivalent of 50 % of the amount that the athletes receive.
iii. Apart from IOC, Indian Railways has also announced a cash award of 1 crore rupees for its athlete who wins a gold medal at the Rio Olympics. While silver medallist will get 75 lakh rupees and bronze medal winner 50 lakh rupees. For the athletes who manages a top-8 finish, the reward will be 30 lakh rupees and for mere participation 5 lakh rupees. 

GK Update 5 August 2016

1.Vijay Rupani to be CM of Gujarat while Nitin Patel his Deputy

i. In a surprise move, BJP state chief Vijay Rupani has been named as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat while Nitin Patel as Deputy CM after a meeting of the BJP legislators at State Party headquarter. 
iii. The 60-year-old Nitin Patel is a Cabinet Minister for Health, Medical Education, Family Welfare, Road and Building, Capital Project in the government of Gujarat in India. He was formerly a cabinet minister for water supply, Water Resources, (excluding Kalpsar Division), Urban Development and Urban Housing. He was elected to Gujarat Legislative Assembly from Mehsana in 2012.

2. First Tech Meet of Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 

i. The first technology two-day meet under the Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for Northeast India has begun in Guwahati and deliberate various issues regarding implementation of the document which envisages an investment of Rs 1,30,000 crore. 
ii. The meet is a stepping stone to put the north-east region on top of Indian energy map by utilising its hydrocarbon potential in line with the Hydrocarbon Vision 2030.
iii. The experts from different PSUs and private sector oil firms are attending the two-day technology meet. The Technology Meet is an initiative of the sub- committee of the upstream sector led by ONGC and has members from upstream national oil companies as well as private companies.

3. Goa to implement 7th Pay Commission from Nov 1

i. Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has stated that the 7th Pay Commission recommendations would be implemented in the state from November 1st. 
ii. While the pending arrears from January to October 2016 would be deposited in the employee provident fund (PF) and National Pension System (NPS). 
iii. A provision of Rs.2,553 crore has been made in the state budget towards this implementation.  As the state government will have to pay Rs 272 crore per month as against Rs 213 crore per month as per the existing scale, which will be an additional burden of Rs 59 crore. 

4. Odisha opens 100 new multi-purpose calamity shelter units

i. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has dedicated 100 multi-purpose shelter houses to the people of Odisha for use during floods and cyclones with an aim to ensure zero casualty during calamities. 
ii. These 100 multi-purpose calamity shelter units have been inaugurated by the CM across 17 districts of the state which include Puri, Ganjam, Balasore, Bhadrak and Kenrapara, Malkangiri, Keonjhar and Cuttack, Boudh and Jajpur, besides in Bargarh, Kalahandi, Nayagarh and Subarnapur.
iii. Theses 100 new shelters will add to the state’s existing 526 multi-purpose shelter houses, adding people can take shelter in these places during calamities like floods and cyclones. The chief minister also stated that more shelter houses are already under construction and the state will have 879 multi-purpose shelter houses by end of this year. 

5. RBI imposes penalty on two cooperative banks of Chhattisgarh

i. Reserve Bank of India has imposed the penalty on two cooperative banks of Chhattisgarh under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. 
ii. The Zila Sahakari Kendriya Bank Maryadit, Raipur, and Raipur Urban Mercantile Cooperative Bank Limited are the two on which RBI imposed the penalty of five lakh rupees each. 
iii. The Zila Sahakari Kendriya Bank Maryadit was penalised for violation of the directives/guidelines of the Central Bank on 'Know Your Customer' norms. While the Raipur Urban Mercantile Cooperative Bank Ltd faced action for violation of the directives on the prohibition of grant of loans and advances to own directors or their relatives or concerns in which they are interested. 

6. Corporation Bank launches group credit life insurance scheme

i. Mangalore-based mid-sized public sector bank, Corporation Bank has launched ‘group credit life insurance scheme’ of LIC of India in Mangaluru. 
ii. It has been launched by the Jai Kumar Garg, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Corporation Bank. The scheme has been made available initially at all the branches of Mangaluru zone. It will later be extended to all the branches of the bank.
iii. The scheme is available to customers in the age group of 18-60 years who have taken term loan from the bank. The scheme covers various term loans, including retail loans and loans to MSME and agriculture.

7. Nita Ambani elected as the first Indian woman member of IOC

i. Noted sports promoter and founder chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani has been elected as an individual member of International Olympic Committee. 
ii. With this, she became the first Indian woman to join the prestigious body which governs Olympic sports in the world. She had been nominated for the same in June by the IOC Executive Board and was elected by IOC members in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday at the 129th IOC Session.
iii. The 52-year-old Nita is the only individual member from India and her appointment at the world body is until she attains the age of 70. 

8. Vinod Rai steps down from IDFC Bank’s board

i. Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Vinod Rai has stepped down from private sector lender IDFC Bank’s board. However, he will continue to be the non-executive independent chairman of IDFC Ltd. 
ii. The decision has been taken to avoid conflict of interest as Rai is also the chairman of Bank Board Bureau (BBB). The BBB will not only select board members of public sector banks but will also devise strategies for them.
iii. Mr. Rai was on Mumbai- headquarter IDFC Bank board since its inception in October 2015. He was appointed as the Chairman of Bank Board Bureau on 28 February 2016. He is also the current chairman of UN Panel of External Auditors and Honorary Advisor to the Railways as well as a member of the Railway Kaya Kalp Council. He was the 11th Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

9. Assamese Litterateur Mahim Bora passed away

i. Noted Assamese litterateur Mahim Bora has passed away due to old age problems. He was 92 years old. 
ii. He was a Padma Shri (2011) and Sahitya Akademi winner. He had received the Sahitya Akademi award for his most popular work ‘Edhani Mahir Hanhi’ in 2001 and the Assam Valley Literary award in 1998.
iii. Mr. Mahim Bora's literary works include ‘Kathanibari Ghat’, ‘Bohubhuji Tribhuj’, ‘Much aru Manuh’, ‘Top’, ‘Tinir Tini Gol’. His ‘Chinta Bichitra’ is a work on criticism.

10. IBJA announces awards for Indian medal winners at Rio 2016 Olympics

i. India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA) has announced 500 gms Sovereign Gold Bonds and silver to the Indian medal winners at the Rio 2016 Olympics. 
ii. The Sovereign Gold Bonds of 500 gms will be awarded to the Gold Medal winners and 1 kg silver will be awarded to Silver Medal winners.
iii. As India is scheduled to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And this time, the Indian Olympic Association is going to send the nation's largest ever delegation in Summer Olympic history.

Gk Update 4 August 2016

1. Cabinet Approval :- 

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for the terms and conditions for transfer of 12 acres of National Textile Corporation Ltd. (NTCL), Indu-6 Mill land to Government of Maharashtra for construction of a memorial of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
ii. The Union Cabinet has also approved the rates for Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) for various bands of spectrum for which auction are going to be conducted shortly. With this decision the path is clear for issuance of the Notice Inviting Application for spectrum auction by the Department of Telecommunications.
iii. The 3rd approval by the Union Cabinet has given for Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 to improve road safety in the country. As every year 5, lakh road accidents are reported in the country in which 1.5 lakh people lose their lives. The Government has committed to reducing the accidents and fatalities by 50% in five years.
iv. The 4th approval is for signing of new Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).
v. The 5th approval by the Union Cabinet has given for making suitable amendments in the Central List of OBCs by way of inclusion/correction/deletion of castes/communities applicable to the State of Andhra Pradesh and the newly formed State of Telangana as per the advice received from the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).
vi. The next approval is for the acceptance of the major recommendations of the Sub-Group of Chief Minsters on Rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs). The Sub-Group had examined 66 CSSs and recommended that the number of CSSs should not normally exceed 30. A consensus was reached on many contentious issues not only between the States represented on the Sub- Group but other States/UTs also through regional consultations and meetings with Union Ministries/Departments.

2. RBI launches new website ’Sachet’ to curb Illegal Collection of Deposits

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan has launched ’Sachet- www.sachet.rbi.org.in’, a web portal to curb illegal collection of deposits.
ii. Sachet is an SLCC (State Level Coordination Committees) website from which the members of the public would be able to obtain information regarding entities that are allowed to accept deposits, lodge complaints and also share information regarding illegal acceptance of deposits by unscrupulous entities.
iii. The website would also help enhance coordination among regulators and State Government agencies and thus be useful in curbing instances of unauthorised acceptance of deposits by unscrupulous entities.

3. RBI constitutes a Committee on Household Finance

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a committee to look at the various facets of household finance in India and to benchmark India’s position vis-à-vis both the peer countries and advanced countries.
ii. The Committee will be chaired by Dr. Tarun Ramadorai, Professor of Financial Economics, University of Oxford and will have representation from financial sector regulators, namely, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) apart from Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
iii. The Committee is expected to submit its report by end-July 2017.

4. LS Speaker inaugurates DRDO exhibition in Parliament premises 

i. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has inaugurated the three-day Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) exhibition in the Parliament premises in New Delhi.
ii. The three-day long exhibition will showcase numerous state-of-the-art defence technologies, products, and systems developed by various DRDO laboratories indigenously.
iii. This would include the BrahMos missile, the 'Arjun' main battle tank, Airborne Early Warning and Control System, Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher 'Pinaka' Various type of Radars and other products. The DRDO will also organise a virtual reality display of Arjun Main Battle Tank, BrahMos Missile, AEW&C & LCA-Tejas.

5. UD Min approves investment of Rs 4404 Cr to 8 states, UTs

i. Ministry of Urban Development has approved an investment of Rs. 4,404 crore in augmenting water supply, sewerage networks, drainage, urban transport and public and green spaces in urban areas in 8 States and UTs under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for the current financial year.
ii. An inter-ministerial Apex Committee chaired by Rajiv Gauba, Secretary (Urban Development) has approved the State Level Annual Action Plans (SAAP) of these 8 States/UTs.
iii. Investments approved were included - Karnataka- Rs.1,625 Cr, Andhra Pradesh-Rs.877 Cr, Bihar-Rs.775 Cr, Telangana-Rs.555 Cr, Haryana-Rs.525 Cr, Nagaland-Rs.40 Cr, Dadra, Nagar & Haveli-Rs.3.70 Cr and Andaman & Nicobar Islands - Rs.3.18 Cr. 

6. Raje lays the foundation of 14 projects in Jaipur

i. Rajasthan's Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has laid the foundation of 14 projects worth Rs 2,229 Crore and stated that the city of Jaipur will be a 'wonder city' in next two years.
ii. The projects include converting Amanishah Nala into its original form of Dravyawati river. The task is being undertaken by Jaipur Development Authority, Tata Projects Limited and Shanghai Urban construction group with an estimated cost of Rs 1,676 crore.
iii. The project aims to make the 47-km long water body pollution free and beautiful in the next two years. Plantation of 16,000 saplings in 65,000 sq meters will also be a part of the beautification of the river, etc.

7. Shipping Corporation of India Inks MoU amid Growth Plans

i. Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Shipping for the financial year 2016-17.
ii. The MoU was signed by Shri Rajiv Kumar, IAS, Secretary (Shipping) and Capt. B.B. Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director, Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., at New Delhi.
iii. The MOU, which is based on the MOU guidelines 2016-17 issued by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), consists of parameters drawn on the prescribed evaluation criteria and factors such as capacity and its expansion, business environment, projects under implementation have been considered.

8. Six-year-old Indian boy enters Guinness World Record

i. A six-year-old boy, Om Swaroop Gowda from Karnataka has set the world record for covering longest distance by limbo skating under cars.
ii. He clinched the Guinness World records title after a successful attempt to travel a staggering 65.283-metre distance while holding his body just above the ground and maintaining a splits position throughout.
iii. Om managed to clear 36 cars during the incredible challenge at Orion Mall in Bangalore. Official Guinness World Records adjudicator Rishi Nath attended the event to ensure that all the rules for were followed correctly. 

9. D K Gayen new GM of East Central Railway

i. D K Gayen has assumed charge of new General Manager of East Central Railway (ECR) with headquarters at Hajipur in Bihar.
ii. Earlier, Rajeev Mishra, GM of Eastern Railways, was holding additional charge of ECR.
iii. Gayen was earlier working as Chief Mechanical Engineer of South Eastern Railway at Kolkata. 

10. Sudhanshu Mani appointed as new GM for ICF

i. Sudhanshu Mani has been appointed as General Manager, Integral Coach Factory.
ii. Prior to this, he was Chief Mechanical Engineer, Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka Bengaluru. Mani belongs to 1979 batch of Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME).
iii. He has over 36 years of experience in Indian Railways and worked in areas like workshop management, railway operations, project management, planning, and R&D. In his earlier capacities, he had worked as Advisor (Minister), Berlin, at Embassy of India, Germany, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, etc.

11. ‘Grassroots Innovation’ authored by Prof. Anil K. Gupta has released

i. ‘Grassroots Innovation’ authored by Prof. Anil K. Gupta of IIM Ahmedabad, also the Vice Chairman of National Innovation Foundation at Rashtrapati Bhavan has been released.
ii. He has gifted his first copy of the book to the President.
iii. The book was about stories of extraordinary men and women who are silently contributing to the innovation movement for the economic development and advancement of society.

12. 4 Indian-origin persons among US' top wealth advisors: Forbes 

i. Four Indian-origin persons have been named among America's top wealth advisors by Forbes on a list of 200 members who collectively manage USD 675 billion.
ii. Raj Sharma and Ash Chopra, both working in Merrill Lynch - Private Banking & Investment Group, have been ranked 17th and 129 respectively on the Forbes 2016 'America's Top Wealth Advisors' list.
iii. While Sonny Kothari of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management has been ranked 176, Raju Pathak of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is placed at 184. 

13. Nimesh Kampani resigns as Managing Director of JM Financial Ltd

i. Nimesh Kampani has resigned as the Managing Director of JM Financial Ltd with effect from 30 September 2016.
ii. However, Kampani will continue to be the Non-Executive Chairman of the group and a director on the board of a few group companies at JM Financial.
iii. Nimesh Kampani will be succeeded by his son Vishal Kampani as the Managing Director of JM Financial with effect from 1 October 2016.

14. Shubha Mudgal to be awarded Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award

i. The advisory committee of the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award has decided that the 23rd Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award will be given to Shubha Mudgal.
ii. Mudgal will be honoured for her outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill on 20 August 2016 at Jawahar Bhawan Auditorium.
iii. She is a well-known Indian singer of Hindustani classical music, Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, and Indian pop music.

15. IOC gives nod to addition of five new sports in Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

i. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has agreed to add Baseball-Softball, Karate, Skateboard, Climbing Sports and surfing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
ii. The decision was taken by the 129th IOC session being held in Rio de Janeiro.
iii. The additional sports in Tokyo will not impact the athlete or event quotas of existing Olympic sports or be binding on future host cities. The inclusion of the new sports will add 18 events.

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GK Update 3 August 2016

1. WEF India Economic Summit in Delhi on October 6-7

i. World Economic Forum (WEF), will host its annual India Economic Summit on October 6-7 in New Delhi which would be attended by over 500 business and political leaders including top policymakers and CEOs.
ii. This year's meet will be convened under the theme, 'Fostering an Inclusive India through Digital Transformation'. 
iii. WEF is known for its annual five-day meet in Davos, Switzerland, attended by top leaders from business, politics, academia, civil society, international organizations, arts and culture and media.

2. Rajasthan becomes first state to approve sewage & waste water policy

i. Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to approve sewage and wastewater policy. It has been approved by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Jaipur.
ii. Under this policy, all district headquarters, heritage cities, and cities in the state which have more than one lakh population will be included. Waste water treated under it will be used in irrigation and agricultural work. The requirement of next 30 years will be covered in this policy. 
iii. It will be compulsory for every house in the state to connect with sewage system in those cities which have 100% sewage system in next five years.

3. Khandu expands cabinet, inducts 10 ministers

i. In its first expansion of the cabinet, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has expanded his cabinet by inducting 10 ministers including former Speaker Nabam Rebia. 
ii. Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers at Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan.
iii. The politicians included in the cabinet are : Tanga Byaling, Rajesh Tacho, Nabam Rebia, Honchun Ngandam, Wangki Lowang, Kamlung Mossang, Tapang Taloh, Kumar Waii, Takam Pario and Jomde Kena. All of them were sworn in as cabinet ministers.

4. Kerala cabinet appoints Achuthanandan head of administrative reforms panel

i. The Kerala cabinet has decided to appoint veteran CPI-M leader V.S Achuthanandan as the chairman of the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission with cabinet rank. 
ii. Former chief secretaries Neela Gangadharan and C.P Nair will be the other members of the three-member panel headed by Achuthanandan.
iii. The Kerala Assembly had earlier passed an amendment bill to pave the way for his appointment.

5. Six New IITS Get Parliament Nod

i. The Parliament has approved the establishment of six new IITs across the country by passing the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Rajya Sabha. 
ii. These IITs will be started in Palakkad (Kerala), Goa, Dharwad (Karnataka), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Jammu, and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). 

6. SBI launches cheaper home loan schemes for public sector undertaking employees and Defence personnel

i. India's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI) has launched 2 new schemes of loans for the employees of central as well as state government, public sector undertaking employees and Defence personnel. 
ii. The bank has introduced ‘Privilege Home Loan’ for government employees and ‘Shaurya Home Loan’ for Defence Personnel with pensionable service. 
iii. Under the new schemes, loans will be available without any processing fees. The interest rates will be 0.05 % less than current interest rates on home loans. According to officials, the borrowers will enjoy cheaper interest rates and the extended installment tenure up to 75 years of age.

7. AXA, Alibaba, Ant Financial have tied up in global strategic partnership

i. AXA, Alibaba, and Ant Financial Services have stated that they have agreed to engage in a global strategic partnership to explore opportunities to distribute AXA's insurance products and services through Alibaba's global e-commerce ecosystem. 
ii. This agreement will support the company to work together to co-innovate and to develop value-added products and services to customers around the world as well as to mutually support each other in developing and exploring new markets and segments.
iii. The AXA Group is a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management, serving 103 million clients in 64 countries. While the Alibaba Group is the largest retail commerce company in the world in terms of gross merchandise volume. Through Ant Financial Services (an Alibaba-affiliate which provides financial services), AXA would offer travel insurance products for Chinese travelers going overseas.

8. Neyveli Lignite plans to buy 1200 MW Raghunathpur Thermal Power Project

i. Neyveli Lignite (NLC) is planning to acquire a 1200 MW Raghunathpur Thermal Power Project (RTPP) of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). 
ii. The proposed acquisition will be done through a joint venture company (JVC) of NLC and Damaodar Valley Corporation DVC with an equity shareholding of 74:26. 
iii. RTPP consists of two units of 600 MW each and both the units has been commissioned during March 2016.

9. BHEL commissions 500 Mw Marwa Thermal Power station in Chhattisgarh

i. State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has commissioned the second 500 Mw (megawatt) thermal unit at Marwa Thermal Power Station in Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh. 
ii. The first unit of Marwa TPS was also commissioned earlier by BHEL. Marwa TPS has been set up by Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company (CSPGCL). 
iii. In Chhattisgarh, BHEL has contributed a total of 12,500 MW to the state's installed power generation, including central and private sector utilities.

10. Pushpa Kamal Dahal elected as new Prime Minister of Nepal

i. Maoist Party Chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Nepal.
ii. The Parliament elected him with 363 in favour and 210 against it. Dahal returns to the post for the second time after a gap of over seven years.
iii. Dahal who will be heading a coalition government comprising Nepali Congress, the largest party in parliament, will be taking the oath of office and secrecy at the President’s Office today.

11. BCCI appoints Katju to head a legal panel to help implement Lodha report

i. The BCCI has appointed former SC judge Markandey Katju as the head of a 4-member legal panel to help the implications of the Justice Lodha Committee reforms. 
ii. This panel will be a single point interface for the BCCI to interact with the Justice Lodha Committee.
iii. Justice Markandey Katju is the former Chairman, Press Council of India. Prior to his appointment as Chairman, he served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. 

12. Angela Ruggiero appointed IOC’s Athletes’ Commission chair

i. American ice hockey Olympic champion Angela Ruggiero has been elected as the new chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Athletes’ Commission.
ii. Ruggiero will be replacing Claudia Bokel.
iii. Angela Ruggiero is a former ice hockey player who has played more games for Team USA than any other man or woman. She is the current Vice-Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

13. Anant Maheshwari named as President of Microsoft India

i. Software major company Microsoft has named Anant Maheshwari as the next President of Microsoft India. He will join Microsoft India as president on September 1st and take over the operations of the company on January 1st. 
ii. He will succeed Bhaskar Pramanik, who retires in March 2017. 
iii. As president, Maheshwari will be responsible for all of Microsoft’s product, service, and support offerings across India. Presently, Mr. Maheshwari is working as the President of Honeywell India, a Fortune 100 company. 

14. Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail has passed away

i. Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian-American chemist Ahmed Zewail, a science and technology advisor to President Barack Obama and the first U.S. science envoy to the Middle East, has passed away in the United States. He was 70 years old. 
ii. He was a member of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) faculty and was the sole recipient of the Nobel chemistry prize in 1999 for his pioneering work in femtochemistry, the study of chemical reactions in ultra-short time scales.
iii. Mr. Ahmed was born in Cairo and studied at Alexandria University. He later moved to the United States and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. 

15. Former Ferrari driver Chris Amon dies aged 73

i. Former Ferrari driver Chris Amon, often described as one of the best in Formula One never to have won a race has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 73 years old. 
ii. He was the part of a well-known trio of New Zealand drivers competing in Formula One in the 1960s and early 70s alongside Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, who both enjoyed more successful careers in the sport’s premier series.
iii. Amon was born in Bulls and learned to drive at the age of six, taught by a farm worker on the family farm. 

GK Update 2 August 2016

1. Parliament passes Indian Medical Council (Amendment Bill), 2016

i. The Parliament has passed Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to conduct of uniform entrance examination for admission to all medical educational institutions. 
ii. The bill seeks to replace the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and its provisions will come into force retrospectively from May 24, 2016. 
iii. It will be applicable for admission at the undergraduate and the postgraduate level. This provision will be applicable to state government seats in government and private medical institutions. 

2. Central body approves Rs 400 crore for Ganga rejuvenation projects

i. A high-level panel of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has approved various projects worth approximately Rs 400 crore for development of ghats (river fronts) and crematoria at different places along the river Ganga from Uttarakhand to West Bengal under the Centre’s ambitious Namami Gange programme.
ii. The projects, approved by the empowered steering committee of the NGRBA, include development of ghats and crematoria in the stretch from Rudraprayag to Guptkashi in Uttarakhand, Kanpur, Allahabad, Bithoor and Bijnor (on Ramganga) in Uttar Pradesh, Kahalgaon in Bihar, Sahibganj and Rajmahal in Jharkhand and Bhatpara and Naihati in West Bengal.
iii. The NGRBA is a key central body which monitors planning and execution of all schemes of Ganga rejuvenation in coordination with five river basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. 

3. Government launches credit rating scheme for MSMEs

i. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has launched a performance and credit rating scheme to assess the capabilities and creditworthiness of industries in the sector. 
ii. The 'Performance and Credit Rating Scheme' will provide "trusted" third party opinion to create awareness about the strengths and weaknesses of enterprises' existing operations.
iii. As per officials, a new scheme of Financial Support to MSMEs in Zero Defect Zero Effect Certification has been approved in which the MSMEs will be assessed on ZED Maturity Model on 50 parameters which will strengthen or facilitate the Make in India initiative. 

4. India to host international summit on tobacco-control

i. India is going to host a crucial global summit in November to eliminate the illicit trade of tobacco products. 
ii. The summit is scheduled for November 7-12 at the Indian Exposition Mart in Noida. In this summit delegates from 180 countries will take part. 
iii. This is the 7th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC).

5. Odisha government to recruit transgenders as jail warders

i. The Odisha government has decided to recruit members of transgender community persons as warders in jails of the State as per the directive of the Supreme Court. The home department has issued instructions to the Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) to include the gender category. 
ii. This is for the first time the state government will mention the third gender as a separate category in any of the recruitment process.
iii. As per the direction of the Directorate of Prison, the physical standards stipulated for transgender who will apply for the post of jail warders will be same as prescribed for women candidates. 

6. Resolution for the renaming of Madras High Court passed

i. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution that the Madras High Court be renamed as Tamil Nadu High Court and not as High Court of Chennai as proposed by the Centre.
ii. The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Law and Justice, Ravi Shanker Prasad with an aim to modify the names of the High Court’s (HCs) of Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. 
iii. The High Courts of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras will be known as the High Courts of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai respectively.

7. ICICI Bank ties up with Apollo India to form ARC

i. ICICI Bank has inked a MoU with Apollo India Credit Opportunity Management LLC and AION Capital Management to set up an asset reconstruction company. 
ii. The MoU is subject to regulatory approvals, acquisition of debt exposures from lenders and equity stakes in companies.
iii. The collaboration seeks to streamline the operations of borrowers, facilitate deleveraging and arrange additional funding on a case-by-case basis. The motive is to revitalise distressed assets and maximise their economic value. 

8. Freecharge inks partnership with PayUbiz

i. India's digital payments platform Freecharge has partnered with the leading payment gateway solution provider, PayUbiz, to further strengthen its merchant base and help consumers move from cash to digital payments.
ii. This integration allows Freecharge to tap PayUbiz's more than 10, 000 online merchants. Furthermore, the latter's wide assortment of merchants across sectors will also be accessible to Freecharge patrons. 
iii. The partnership draws Freecharge closer its vision of creating an ecosystem where organized and unorganized merchant networks can accept electronic payments through one secure platform.

9. Bank of Baroda ties up with start-up Fisdom

i. India's leading public sector bank, Bank of Baroda has tied up with a fintech start-up Fisdom for personal wealth management services.  
ii. Fisdom app helps users make financial investments in an easy and paperless manner by blending cutting-edge technology with personalised financial advice. It helps people manage their money with the help of a robo-advisor.
ii. Besides, the bank has also entered into a pact with six other fintech companies, proficient in different areas. 

10. Deepak Iyer appointed Mondelez India MD

i. Confectionery major Mondelez International has appointed former Bharti Axa General Insurance Company CEO and MD Deepak Iyer as Managing Director of its India operation.
ii. He succeeds Chandramouli Venkatesan, who led the business as Managing Director of India operations for two years and was with the company for more than a decade.
iii. Iyer, as Managing Director of Mondelez India Foods, will be part of the Asia Pacific Leadership Team and report into Maurizio Brusadelli, President of Asia Pacific, Mondelez International.

11. Anita Gopalan wins 2016 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants

i. Translator and artist Anita Gopalan has awarded with the 2016 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants for her English translation of Hindi novel Simsim by Geet Chaturvedi.
ii. Gopalan is the second Indian translator to be selected for the grant.
iii. Simsim, the lyrical, award-winning novella was first published in 2008. It is recognized for its groundbreaking contribution to contemporary Hindi fiction. The book narrates the clash between two Indias, i.e. one old and traditional, and the other driven by consumerism and corporate greed.

12. Bhaskar Khulbe appointed as Secretary to Prime Minister

i. Bhaskar Khulbe, a Senior IAS officer of 1983 batch of West Bengal cadre has been appointed as Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was Additional Secretary in Prime Minister's Office. 
ii. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of Khulbe with effect from 7th August. 
iii. He will look after work related to Cabinet Secretariat and thrust areas of the government.

13. Air Marshal Neelakantan takes charge of Southern Air command

i. Air Marshal S Neelakantan has assumed charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Air Command. 
ii. The traditional Guard of Honour was presented to him by the 'Air Warriors.'
iii. Air Marshal Neelakantan, who was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force on December 28, 1977, is an alumni of National Defence Academy. He also led the IAF contingent in Congo as part of the UN Mission in 2006-07.

14. Indian-American Professor Emeritus Braj B Kachru passes away

i. Noted Indian-American Professor Emeritus of Linguistics Braj B Kachru has passed away in Urbana. He was 84 years old. 
ii. He was a Jubilee Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 
iii. He was born on May 15 in 1932 in Srinagar and was a member of the Indian Cultural Society, The Linguistic Society of America and the founder of the International Association of World Englishes. 

15. Simona Halep wins Rogers Cup women's single by defeating Madison Keys

i. The 24-year old Romania's Simona Halep has won the Rogers Cup women's singles title after beating American Madison Keys 7-6, 6-3 in the final Montreal. 
ii. This is her 14th WTA title. But overall this is her third title of the year. Simona has also won the titles in Bucharest and Madrid earlier this season.
iii. While in men's title Serbian Novak Djokovic has defeated Kei Nishikori (Japan) to won this title. Apart from this, in Men’s doubles- Ivan Dodig (Croatia) and Marcelo Melo (Brazil) defeated Jamie Murray (Scotland) and Bruno Soares (Brazil) and in Women’s doubles- Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina (Russia) defeated Simona Halep and Monica Niculescu (Romania). 

GK Update 1 August 2016

1. Suresh Prabhu flags off Agartala-Delhi train 'Tripura Sundari Express'

i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off maiden broad-gauge train service between Agartala and Delhi, ‘Tripura Sundari Express’.
ii. The ‘Tripura Sundari Express’ will run weekly between Agartala and Anand Vihar in Delhi. The rail link was developed at an expense of 968 crore rupees.
iii. Apart from this, Prabhu along with Bangladesh Railway Minister Md. Mazibul Hoque also laid the foundation stone for Agartala-Akhaura International Rail Project. This train link would be part of the trans-Asian rail connectivity. 

2. Andhra Pradesh signs MoU with Japan to develop food value chain

i. The Andhra Pradesh government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan to develop a food value chain in the state.
ii. Under the MoU, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) will encourage direct investments by Japanese companies in the fields of agriculture and food-related industry in Andhra Pradesh.
iii. Along with developing a food value chain, it will also establish food industrial parks and develop cold chains.

3. IRCTC's app tie-up with Mobikwik for e-cash payments

i. Mobile payments company MobiKwik and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) have announced an exclusive partnership, wherein MobiKwik will power e-cash payments on IRCTC's e-catering app, Food on Track. 
ii. The app allows passengers to book and get food from their preferred restaurants, delivered right at their train coaches. MobiKwik is also powering payments for IRCTC Connect, which allows users to book train tickets instantly.
iii. MobiKwik is a mobile wallet and online payment system where a user can store money to make mobile and DTH recharge, pay utility bills and shop using wallet with over 50,000 merchants.

4. Oracle India Joins SBI To Foster Digital Skills Initiative

i. Global software major, Oracle India has announced a corporate citizenship collaboration with State Bank of India (SBI) and launched the 'D-Change' programme which will support education and learning, women's empowerment and rural skills development in the country. 
ii. The initiative will merge SBI's financial expertise and expansive reach with Oracle's technology leadership to help local communities drive substantial change and develop a skilled economy.

5. NTPC commissions NP Kunta power project

i. NTPC Ltd has commissioned a 50 MW (1X50 MW) capacity solar photovoltaic power project of NP Kunta Ultra Mega Solar Power Project Stage-I at Anantapuramu in Andhra Pradesh.
ii. With this, the installed capacity of NP Kunta Ultra Mega Solar Power Project Stage-I coming up at Anantapuramu has touched 250 MW and that of NTPC Group now stands at 47,228 MW.

6. ICICI Bank reduces MCLR by 0.05%

i. Country's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has announced a 0.05% reduction in its marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR). 
ii. The overnight MCLR will be 8.90% under the revised rate structure which is effective from today. 
iii. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced the MCLR from April 1 this year for faster transmission of its policy actions into actual lending rates by the banks. The MCLR replaced the base rate system and so far the banks, lenders have been very quick to react to competitive forces in making marginal rate adjustments.

7. Syed Nayeemuddin conferred Mohun Bagan Ratna

i. The Mohun Bagan FC has conferred club’s highest decoration Mohun Bagan Ratna (jewel) on legendary Indian Footballer Syed Nayeemuddin. 
ii. With this, he became the 16th recipient of the prestigious award, which is bestowed upon a person for making a seminal contribution to the success of the club. He is also the only sportsperson awarded with the prestigious Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards for football.
iii. Syed Nayeemuddin is former football player and Indian football team coach. He had captained the Indian national football team which had won the bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games. He was appointed as the coach of India football team in 1997. Under his guidance, India had won South Asian Football Federation Cup. 

8. Justice DB Bhosale sworn-in as Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court

i. Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale has sworn-in as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. His oath of the office was administered by Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik. 
ii. The post had been vacant since May this year when Justice Bhosale's predecessor, Justice D Y Chandrachud, was elevated to the Supreme Court. 
iii. Prior to this appointment as Chief Justice of Allahabad HC, he was serving as acting chief justice of High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

9. Dilip Rath assumes additional charge as NDDB chairman

i. Dilip Rath took over as the chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), after the department of personnel and training (DoPT), Government of India gave him the additional charge of the post until the appointment of a regular incumbent. 
ii. The chairman’s post fell vacant last week after T Nandakumar resigned before his five-year term ended.
iii. Rath is currently the managing director of NDDB.

10. India to host Kabaddi World Cup in October

i. International Kabaddi Federation has announced the selection of India for hosting "The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup". 
ii. The World Cup is featuring 12 countries namely USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Iran, Poland, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Korea, Japan, Kenya, and India. The event is scheduled to be held in October 2016 but the dates for the event will be announced later.
iii. Kabaddi originated from India and is one of the most popular games of Asia. It became a part of Asian Games in the year 1990 while women Kabaddi was included in Asian Games during 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010. 

11. Patna Pirates wins 4th season of Pro Kabaddi League

i. The Patna Pirates have won the fourth edition of STAR Sports-ProKabaddi League by defeating Jaipur Pink Panthers in the final match played at Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad (Telangana). 
ii. With this Patna, the unit made history as they became the only team to lift the trophy twice in the tournament’s history of four editions. The Puneri Paltan was placed at the third place in this edition after they defeated Telugu Titans.
iii. In the women section, Storm Queens have won inaugural edition of the Women’s Challenge of Pro Kabaddi League. In the final match, they defeated Fire Birds by the 24-23 score.

12. Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 German Grand Prix title of Formula One

i. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has won the 2016 German Grand Prix title of Formula One. It was his fourth consecutive win in the 2016 season and overall fifth title of the 2016 season. 
ii. Earlier in 2016 season, he had won Monaco (May 2016), Canadian (June 2016), Austrian (July 2016), British (July 2016) and Hungarian (July 2016) Grand Prix. 
iii. Lewis Hamilton is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team. 

Gk Update 31 July 2016

1. PM Modi flags off 'Run for Rio'

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the Run for Rio event in New Delhi today to celebrate the Olympic mood in the country.
ii. The mass run was announced by the Sports Minister Vijay Goel at a press conference.
iii. Around 20,000 school children participated in the event, which commenced from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.

2. SEBI's first phase of new enterprise portal goes live

i. Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has initiated the first phase of its new enterprise portal to facilitate accurate and timely circulation of information to internal and external stakeholders.
ii. The portal, developed by IT firm Tech Mahindra, provides an e-platform to registered and prospective intermediaries to interact in a secure, transparent, and paperless manner with SEBI.

3. PM  Modi wishes Rio-bound athletes in 'Mann ki Baat'

i. PM Modi talked about various subjects such as health, environment, technology, Olympics games  while addressing 22nd edition of ‘MannKiBaat’ programme and appealed the country to encourage the Indian contingent for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
ii. Government hospitals and other facilities will provide free medical care to needy pregnant women in the country. On 9th day of every month pregnant woman will be checked and given free medical aid.
iii. He also emphasised the need to embrace new technology, saying that the "future is going to be technology driven". Further, Modi invited public suggestions for his August 15 Independence day speech.

4. Gold bond scheme sees record Rs. 919cr in 4th tranche

i. The government's collections under the Sovereign Gold Bond scheme realised through the fourth tranche reached around Rs. 919 crore, the highest achieved yet.
ii. With issue price fixed at Rs. 3,119 per gram, the amount was mobilised through over 1.95 lakh applications representing around 2.95 tonnes of gold.
iii. The SGB scheme was launched as an alternative to keeping physical gold.

5. Centre to organise ‘Make in India’ conference in Bhubaneswar

i. Centre has decided to organise a Make in India conference in Bhubaneswar in December this year.
ii. The conference would be organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to attract investment in the state as well as the country.
iii. The Odisha government has requested the ministry to hold the conference in the first week of December.

6. Yahoo researchers built a powerful new online abuse detector

i. Yahoo researchers have developed a new online abuse detecting algorithm.
ii. Most current abuse filters use a combination of blacklisted terms or expressions to catch hate speech online, but the new method applies machine learning as well.
iii. The system, with a reported 90% accuracy, can recognize an offensive string of words, even when individual words are inoffensive on their own.

7. Bihar lifts ban on toddy (palm wine) sale, consumption

i. Bihar government has lifted the ban on the sale and consumption of toddy (palm wine) in the state.
ii.In April after Bihar imposed a total liquor ban in the state, it also banned the sale of ‘toddy’. But the decision to banned toddy was not lauded by Lalu Prasad and his party Rashtriya Janata Dal.

8. Kerala Tourism bags six National Tourism awards

i. Kerala Tourism has bagged six National Tourism awards for 2014-15 in the marketing category for states. It received two more awards, including the one for its Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative in Wayanad.
ii. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan presented the awards to Principal Secretary Venu V and Director U V Jose in the presence of Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma at a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
iii. Kerala Tourism received three out of the six awards for states in the Tourism Promotion and Publishing category, including the one for ‘Most Innovative use of Information Technology’ – social media/mobile app. The Wayanad initiative, which has transformed the hilly district’s economy through intensive participation of the local people, was selected for the award in the ‘Responsible Tourism’ category.

9. AAAI confers Lifetime Achievement Award on adman Srinivasan Swamy

i. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) announced the recipient of this year’s AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award as Srinivasan K Swamy popularly known as Sundar Swamy.
ii. This Award is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for his/her outstanding contribution to the Advertising Industry. This award was instituted in 1988 by AAAI and so far 23 persons have been bestowed with it earlier.

10. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child book launched

i. The book based on the script of the play 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' launched today globally. This is JK Rowling’s eighth Harry Potter story written along with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany.
ii. Thorne scripted the two-part play based on the original story, which begins 19 years after 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', which was published in 2007.

11. WHO to remove transgenders from its mental disorders list

i. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is considering changing the way it classifies transgender identity.
ii. It came following calls from researchers and advocates to remove it from the WHO's list of mental disorders.
iii. The study was led by the National Institute of Psychiatry in Mexico.

12. Oracle to Buy NetSuite for $9.3 Billion

i. Business software maker Oracle has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire NetSuite, the very first cloud company. The transaction is valued at $9.3 billion .
ii. The deal would help Oracle gain market share in the fast-growing cloud computing business.
iii. Oracle Database (commonly referred to as Oracle RDBMS or simply as Oracle) is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation.

13. Skydiver Luke Aikins Sets Record For Highest Jump Without Parachute

i. Skydiver Luke Aikins, 42, became the first to jump from a height of 25,000 feet without a parachute, landing in a net in southern California.
ii. He has completed the jump in Simi Valley, west of Los Angeles.
iii. He had made his first tandem jump when he was 12.

Gk update 30 July 2016

1. CM Chandrababu Naidu launches 'Mission Harita Andhra Pradesh' 

i. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has launched 'Mission Harita Andhra Pradesh'.
ii. With the theme 'green cover for a happy living', by planting saplings at Sunkollu village under Nuzividu mandal in Krishna district.
iii. The objective of the mission is to increase the green cover in the state to 50 % by the year 2029.

2. Centre sanctions nearly Rs. 620 crore to UP as drought assistance

i. Centre has sanctioned nearly Rs. 620 crore to Uttar Pradesh as assistance for the recent drought situation in the state.
ii. It also approved almost 80 crores for Rajasthan which was affected by hailstorm and 15 crores to Manipur affected by earthquake.
iii. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting in New Delhi chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

3. Indian-American girl becomes the youngest delegate at DNC

i. An 18-year-old Indian-American girl has become the youngest delegate at the Democratic National Convention which has nominated Hillary Clinton as the party's presidential candidate.
ii. Sruthi Palaniappan from Cedar Rapids and a student of Harvard University is a strong supporter of Clinton, the first woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major political party.
iii. Sruthi Palaniapan is a student of the prestigious Harvard University and an ardent supporter of Hilary Clinton, to make her as the first ever woman president of the United States.

4. Cochin Chamber launching Aadhaar-based e-certificate of origin

i. The Cochin Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI) is launching an Aadhaar based e-Certificate of Origin service.  
ii. A certificate of origin, a critical document in the course of export, is issued to exporters by the Chamber of Commerce to avail duty benefits under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) or prove from where the goods originated.
iii. Chambers of Commerce in countries like Australia, Belgium, UK & U.S already provide online certificates of origin to speed up the application, issuance process and provide a more secure documentation environment. It also saves time, costs and increases transparency. 

5. Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale sworn in as new CJ of Allahabad HC

i. Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale was sworn in as the new chief justice of Allahabad High Court. The oath of office was administered by governor Ram Naik in Allahabad.
ii. Chief Justice Bhosale was serving as acting chief justice of high court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
iii. Born in Mumbai in 1956, Justice Bhosale was first appointed as judge of Bombay high court in 2001, and later in 2012, he was transferred to Karnataka high court.

6. Gujarat names J N Singh as new Chief Secretary

i. The Gujarat government has appointed Dr. Jagdip Narayan Singh, a Gujarat-cadre IAS of 1983 batch as Chief Secretary of the State.
ii. Singh replaces 1981-batch IAS Ganga Ram Aloria on his retirement from the service, a government notification stated.
iii. Singh, who currently holds multiple charges in the Gujarat Government including Additional Chief Secretary at Finance Department and the Managing Director of state energy major, GSPC Group and its Group companies will take charge as the Chief Secretary on July 31.

7. Suresh Prabhu lays foundation stone for new Railway Station at Imphal

i. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu laid foundation stone for construction of a new Railway Station at Imphal.
ii. Mr. Prabhu also assured that the proposal from Manipur Government to extend the rail link from Imphal to the border town Moreh of the state will be looked into. 
vi. The 11.5 km longest railway tunnel is one of the 46 tunnels covering a total distance of 54.5 km in between the Tupul-Imphal section in the on-going 111 km Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal Manipur railway project. 

8. Joint Indo-Thailand Military Exercise ‘Maitree’ culminates

i. The Indo-Thailand Military Exercise "Maitree" has been concluded  at Krabi, Thailand. 
ii. The aim of the joint exercise was to train contingents of both the armies on conduct of counter-terrorist operations in an urban environment. The exercise included combined training, familiarization with weapons & equipment used by both the countries. It also included processes of analysing groupings, drills and tactics while operating in counter terrorism environment

9. HP govt signs MoU with NTPC and NHPC

i. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed today in New Delhi between Himachal Pradesh government, NTPC and NHPC for setting up Hydro Engineering College in the State. 
ii. This is first of its kind joint venture in the Country. 
iii. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Health Minister Sh. J.P. Nadda, Union Minister of State (Power) Sh. Piyush Goyal and HP Transport and Technical Education Minister Sh. G.S. Bali.

10. Rajjat Barjatya, MD & CEO of Rajshri Productions, passes away

i. MD and CEO of Rajshri Media, Rajjat Barjatya has passed away in Mumbai after losing a battle to cancer.
ii. He was the cousin of film maker of  Sooraj Barjatya. 
iii. Rajjat Barjatya hailed from a filmy background and the roots of her family were embedded in the entertainment industry since 1947.

11. IWF bans Russian team from Rio Olympics

i. International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has formally suspended an 8-member Russian team from next month's Rio Olympics due to doping offences. 
ii. Last month, IWF Executive Board had decided to suspend for a year national federations that produced three or more doping violations in re-tests from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games - made possible by improved detection techniques.