General Studies & Current Affairs for Bank, SSC, CLAT, Civil Services and other Competitive Exams

1. National Science Day: 28 February i. National Science Day is celebrated all over India with great enthusiasm on 28th of February every y...

Daily GK Update 28 February 2017

1. National Science Day: 28 February

i. National Science Day is celebrated all over India with great enthusiasm on 28th of February every year in order to commemorate the invention of the Raman Effect in India by the Indian physicist, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on the same day in the year 1928.
ii. For his great success in the field of science in India, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was honored with the Nobel Prize in the Physics in the year 1930

2. India & Ukraine to strengthen bilateral cooperation through Cinema

i. Minister for Information & Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu and Member of the Parliament of Ukraine and Chairman of the National Council of Television Ukraine Mr. Iurii Artemenko have agreed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries through the medium of Cinema in New Delhi.
ii. The cooperation would be helpful to showcase films through the medium of Film Festivals and utilizing the Film Facilitation Office platform established by India.

3. Iran and Russia Agrees Road map to Jointly Produce Nuclear Fuel

i. Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI) stated that Russia and Iran have reached an agreement to jointly produce nuclear fuel.
ii. A preliminary agreement with Russia on the joint production of nuclear fuel was reached during the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the major world powers in 2015.

4. Government Issues Sovereign Gold Bonds 2016-17-Series IV

i. The Government of India launched the 7th tranche of the Sovereign Gold Bonds and it will be the last offering for 2016-17.
ii. The Sovereign Gold Bonds 2016-17–Series IV will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of Government of India. Applications for the bond has accepted from February 27, 2017 to March 03, 2017 and the Bonds will be issued on March 17, 2017.
iii. The Bonds will be sold through banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices, National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange.

5. Suresh Prabhu flags off first Antyodaya Express between Ernakulam, Howrah

i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the first Antyodaya Express a long distance, fully unreserved, superfast train service between Kochi's Ernakulam Junction and Howrah Junction through video conferencing from Rail Bhavan.
ii. The new clan of trains will have facilities like cushioned luggage racks which can serve as seats, potable drinking water dispenser, mobile charging points, modular toilets of reinforced plastic, toilet occupation indication display board, LED lights among others for comfortable long distance travel.The 22-coach train will cover a distance of 2,307 kilometers in 37 hours.

6. Haryana Launches Online Sex Ratio Monitoring System For Panipat

i. The Haryana government has set up an online system for Panipat to monitor the sex-ratio in the district as part of the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' programme.
ii. The system, called the sex ratio monitoring dashboard, will have the data of child sex-ratio collected from all villages by the Health and Women and Child Welfare Departments every month.
iii. The dashboard had been developed in association with National Informatics Centre (NIC) as a pilot project.The dashboard is also proving to be an effective tool for enhancing ground-level coordination between the Health and Women and Child Welfare Departments.

7. Apollo Munich and Dena Bank Enters Into Bancassurance Tie-Up

i. Standalone health insurer Apollo Munich Health Insurance expanding its footprint across the country with bancassurance tie-up with state-owned Dena Bank.
ii. Under the tie-up the bank will distribute customized Apollo Munich Health insurance and personal accident policies to the bank's 20 million customers nationwide.

8. SIDBI expert panel sanctions Rs 1,112 cr to funds for startups

i. An expert committee Venture Capital Investment Committee (VCIC) set up by SIDBI has sanctioned Rs 300 crore to fund managers who would invest in startups, taking the total sanctions so far this fiscal (2017) to over Rs 1,100 crore.
ii. During the fiscal year 2014-15 and 2015-16 sanctions were made to 11 funds (Rs 314 crores) and 16 funds (Rs 607 crores) respectively while the number during the current financial year (2017) has already crossed Rs 1,112 crores to 30 funds.

9. Paytm arm unveils online shopping portal Paytm Mall

i. Paytm E-Commerce, the online marketplace arm of One97 Communications Pvt. Ltd, launched Paytm Mall, a mobile app and online shopping portal.
ii.  Paytm Mall is the new avatar of Paytm’s three-year-old e-commerce business.
iii. Paytm Mall will allow customers to shop from 68 million products across categories such as fashion, electronics, consumer durables and home furnishings, from about 140,000 sellers.

10. Tata Communications partners with HPE for roll-out of LoRa network

i. Tata Communications is partnering with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to support the roll-out of the former's Internet of Things platform, the LoRa network.
ii. The company will also work with HPE to provide a range of domestic and cross-border IoT connectivity and management services, particularly for applications requiring elements of mobility, such as connected cars, fleet management and transportation services.

11. Kabir Bedi appointed honourary brand ambassador of Sightsavers

i. India’s most famous international actors Kabir Bedi was appointed as the honourary brand ambassador of Sightsavers India to prevent avoidable blindness by RN Mohanty, CEO of Sightsavers.

12. ZTE launches world’s first 5G IT baseband unit (BBU) in partnership with Intel

Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment company ZTE made an announcement that it has launched a next generation 5G IT baseband unit (BBU) partnered with Intel Corporation for this technology. The announcement was made at the  Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

13. Former Union Minister P Shiv Shankar Passes Away

i. Former Union Minister P. Shiv Shankar passed away after a prolonged illness.He was 89 ii. He contested the by-election to the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency in 1979 on the Indian National Congress party ticket.
iii. He became Law Minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet in 1980. From 1985 till 1993, he represented the Congress as Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat.

14. Kohli named captain of the year at ESPNcricinfo Awards

i. Indian international cricketer Virat Kohli has named as the ‘Captain of the Year‘ at the 10th annual ESPNcricinfo Awards.
ii. Kohli led India to nine wins out of 12 Tests in the year 2016.
iii. Stuart Broad bagged the Test Bowling performance of the year for his brilliant spell of 6/17 in the final Test against South Africa.

1. OSCAR AWARDS 2017 i.  The 89th Academy Awards ceremony (commonly referred as Oscar Awards) , presented by the Academy of Motion Picture ...

Daily GK Update 27th February, 2017

1. OSCAR AWARDS 2017

i.  The 89th Academy Awards ceremony (commonly referred as Oscar Awards) , presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to honor the best films of 2016, in 24 categories, held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California. 
ii. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, produced by Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd and Directed by Glenn Weiss. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosted the ceremony for the first time.

These are the winners of the 89th annual Academy Awards:

Best Director

Damien Chazelle for 'La La Land'

Best Adapted Screenplay

Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney for 'Moonlight'

Best Original Screenplay

Kenneth Lonergan for 'Manchester By The Sea'

Best Music Original Song

City of Stars' from 'La La Land' by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Best Music Original Score

Justin Hurwitz for 'La La Land'

Best Cinematography

Linus Sandgren for 'La La Land'

Best Live Action Short

'Sing' by Kristof Deak and Anna Udvardy

Best Documentary Short

'The White Helmets' by Orlando Von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Best Film Editing

John Gilbert for 'Hacksaw Ridge'

Best Visual Effects

Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R Jones and Dan Lemmon for 'The Jungle Book'

Best Production Design

David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco for 'La La Land'

Best Animated Feature

'Zootopia' by Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer

Best Animated Short

'Piper' by Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer

Best Foreign Language Film

'The Salesman' by Asghar Farhadi

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Viola Davis for 'Fences'

Best Sound Mixing

Kevin O'Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace for 'Hacksaw Ridge'

Best Sound Editing

Sylvian Bellemare for 'Arrival'

Best Documentary Feature

Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow for 'O J: Made In America'

Best Costume Design

Colleen Atwood for 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them'

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Emma Stone for 'La La Land'

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson for 'Suicide Squad'

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)

Mahershala Ali for 'Moonlight'

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Casey Affleck for 'Manchester by the Sea'

Best Picture

'Moonlight'

Source- The New York Times

2. Chandra Shekhar Azad's 86th Martyrdom Day observed: 27th February

i. Chandra Shekhar Azad's 86th Martyrdom Day observed on 27th February. 
ii. He was born on 23 July 1906, in Bhavra, Alirajpur. He died on 27 February 1931 at Allahabad. He lived for mere 24 years, but made a world of difference to India’s freedom struggle.

3. India, Germany ratify Social Security Agreement

i. India and Germany have ratified the Social Security Agreement (SSA), which will come into force from 1st May 2017, to help promote more investment flows between the two countries.
ii. The SSA will also integrate the provisions of the 2008 social insurance pact that exempts detached workers of the two country from making social security contributions in both the countries.

4. Rajasthan Inaugurates Medical Project RAHAT for Prompt Treatment of Heart Disease

i. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje  inaugurated a medical project Rajasthan Heart Attack Treatment programme (RAHAT) at the Eternal Heart Care Center Hospital in Jaipur. 
ii. RAHAT programme aims to provide people in remote and rural areas with timely treatment during heart attacks. It has been launched by the private hospitals in the state.
iii. Under the programme, the patients facing heart attack would be provided with emergency ambulance service and telemedicine service through Eternal Heart Care Center Hospital.

5. Mumbai richest Indian city with total wealth of $820 bn

i. According to the New World Wealth report Mumbai, the financial capital of India has been named as the Richest Indian city with a total wealth of $ 820 billion. 
ii. Delhi  with a total wealth of $ 450 billion and Bengaluru with a total wealth of $ 320 billion in the second and third places, respectively.

6. SoftBank, Foxconn form joint venture to expand investments 

i. Japan's SoftBank Group Corp and Taiwan's Foxconn have agreed to form a joint venture, as the two large Asian technology companies expand their ties.
ii. The arrangement involves Foxconn buying a 54.5% stake in SoftBank Group Capital Apac Pte Ltd, a wholly owned SoftBank unit, for $600 million

7. UBI ties up with IRCTC to launch railway booking facility

i. Kolkata-based United Bank of India (UBI) has launched a railway ticket booking facility by having a direct tie-up with IRCTC. 
ii. With the introduction of this facility, UBI customers can now book railway tickets seamlessly through IRCTC website using the bank’s debit card.

8. TCS Ranked Among Top Three IT Services Brands Globally by Brand Finance

i. India’s largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been rated as one of the top three 'most-valuable brands' in the Information Technology (IT) service sector by Brand Finance, the leading global brand valuation firm. As IBM and Accenture are on the top two positions.
ii. However, the overall global position of the company dropped down by one spot to 25th from 2016 when it was 24th. TCS was also rated as Tata Sons highest brand strength of AA+ and generates 69% of the total revenue of the parent company.

9. World's first robot table tennis tutor sets Guinness record

i. The world's first robot table tennis tutor FORPHEUS in Japan has set a new Guinness World Record for its uncanny ability of being able to play the game better than most humans. 
ii. FORPHEUS (Future Omron Robotics Technology for Exploring Possibility of Harmonised Automation with Sinic Theoretics) has officially been given the Guinness title for its unique technological intelligence and educational capabilities.

10.Saina Nehwal to represent Olympic Committee in BWF

i. Star Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal was appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes' Commission (AC) in 2016, will represent the panel in the Badminton World Federation (BWF). 
ii. Saina would join the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Athletes' Commission as a representative. Currently, ranked world number 10 in BWF rankings.

11. John-John Dohmen, Naomi Van named best Hockey Players of 2016

i. FIH (International Hockey Federation) Hockey Stars Awards were conferred in Chandigarh. This was first time in the history of Hockey that the ceremony was held to honor best players, rising stars, goalkeepers, umpires and coaches.
ii. Belgium captain John-John Dohmen and Netherlands' Naomi Van were named as male and female International Hockey Federation's player of the year, 2016 awards respectively.
The other awardees are-

1. Hockey Stars 2016 Male goalkeeper of the year:  Ireland's David Harte

2. Hockey Stars 2016 Female goalkeeper of the year:  Great Britain's Maddie Hinch.

3. Male Rising Star of the year:  Belgium's Arthur Van Doren

4. Female Rising Star of the year:  Argentina's Maria Granatto

5. Coach of the year awards male:  Great Britain's Danny Kerry

6. Coach of the year awards female:  Great Britain's Karen Brown

7. Umpire of the year awards male:  Germany's Christian Blasch

8. Umpire of the year awards Female:  Belgium's Laurine Delforge

Source- The Indian Express

12. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Lucas Pouille to win 2017 Open 13

 i. Second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Frenchman Lucas Pouille to win the 2017 Open 13.
ii. The '2017 Open 13' is a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 24th edition of the Open 13, and part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2017 ATP World Tour, at the Palais des Sports in Marseille, France, from 20 February to 26 February 2017.

25 February 2017 ------------------------------- Current Affairs 1. India, ADB ink $375 mn loan pact for industrial corridor i. India an...

Daily GK Updates 25 th February 2017

25 February 2017
-------------------------------
Current Affairs

1. India, ADB ink $375 mn loan pact for industrial corridor

i. India and ADB have signed USD 375 million pact for loans and grants to develop 800 km Visakhapatnam—Chennai Industrial Corridor, which is the first phase of a planned 2,500-km East Coast Economic Corridor. 
ii. ADB had approved USD 631 million in loans and grants for the industrial corridor, last September, 2016. It approved loans comprising a USD 500 million multitranche facility to build key infrastructure in the four main centers along the corridor — Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Amaravati, and Yerpedu—Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh.

2. India clears Rs 17,000-crore mega missile deal with Israel

i. A Rs 17,000 crore deal has been cleared by the government for jointly developing with Israel a medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) for the Indian army.
ii. The project will be implemented by the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israeli Aircraft Industry (IAI). The MR-SAM, a land-based version of the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) for the navy, will have a strike range of up 70 km. The deal envisages 40 firing units and around 200 missiles.

3. India, Bangladesh ink MoU for development of Sylhet city 

i. India and Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sustainable development of Sylhet city with financial aid from India. Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Sylhet City Corporation CEO Enamul Habib signed the tripartite agreement in Sylhet, a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh.
ii. Under the MoU, three projects are considered i.e construction of a five-storeyed Kindergarten & High School Building, a six-storeyed Cleaner Colony Building and Development of Dhupa Dighipar area -will be implemented with Taka 24.28 crore.

4. Rajasthan 2nd largest crude oil producer in country

i. Rajasthan has become the second largest crude oil producer in the country after the offshore field Bombay High.
 ii. Mr. Kalyan Singh, Governor of Rajasthan stated that oilfields in the state were producing nearly 90 lakh tones oil annually, which is 24% of the total domestic crude oil production.

5. AYUSH Minister to inaugurate the World Integrated Medicine Forum on Regulation of Homeopathic Medicine

i. The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the World Integrated Medicine Forum on Regulation of Homeopathic Medicinal Products- National and Global strategies in New Delhi.
ii. The two day event that concluded was organized by Ministry of AYUSH and Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH).
iii. The first-of-its-kind forum is expected to increase the perception of the international world towards India as a key player in the progress of the homeopathy drug industry.

6. Dena Bank rolls out RFID-enabled cards to serve valued clients better

i. Dena Bank has introduced Radio Frequency Identification Card (RFID) enabled banking cards whereby a branch manager can identify a valued client entering a branch with the card. 
ii. Once the client enters the branch, complete information about customers will pop up on the manager’s desktop.

7. Gorb, Ola form tie up

i. Food technology company Gorb has partnered with cab aggregator Ola to offer food to consumers at discounted rates in Mumbai. 
ii. As per the deal, Ola riders will receive a code via SMS and mail every time they book a cab, which can be availed on the Gorb app or website to order food.
iii. The offer, valid till April 30, 2017 will provide a discount of Rs. 100 on a minimum order value of Rs. 200. Launched in 2016, Gorb is a food-tech startup with a tagline ‘Jaisa Mood Waisa Food’.

8. FDI inflow zooms 18% to USD 46 billion in 2016: DIPP

i. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India grew 18% during 2016 to touch $46 billion, data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The country attracted FDI of $39.32 billion in 2015.
ii. The main sectors which attracted the highest foreign inflows include services, telecom, trading, computer hardware and software and automobile.

9. Government ropes in Shilpa Shetty as Swachh Bharat brand ambassador

i. The government has roped in actress Shilpa Shetty as a brand ambassador for the Indian government's cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission.
ii. She will feature in TV and radio campaigns aimed at discouraging people from littering on roads.

10. Former CM T R Zeliang appointed Finance Advisor to Nagaland government

i. Former Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang was appointed as Finance Advisor to the state government in the rank of a cabinet minister. 
ii. Zeliang, appointed by the Governor P B Acharya, will receive the pay and allowances and all other facilities admissible to a cabinet minister.

11. Motherson Sumi’s Vivek Sehgal bags EY’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award
i. Vivek Chaand Sehgal of Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd (MSSL) has been awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 award by assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services firm Ernest Young (EY). Sehgal will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Monte Carlo from June 7 to 11, 2017.
ii. Infosys Co-founder Nandan Nilekani was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) — the Aadhaar initiative.

12. ISSF World Cup: Pooja Ghatkar clinches bronze

i. In International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), Indian shooter Pooja Ghatkar secured India’s first medal in New Delhi. She finished third in the 10 meter Air Rifle event. Ghatkar clinched bronze with a score of 228.8 in the final round. 
ii. China’s Mengyao Shi secured gold with a score of 252.1 - setting a new world record in the event.
iii. The silver went to China’s Lijie Dong for a score of 248.9.

A,B,C,D,E,F,G are 7 family members belonging to 3 generations. Two married couples one each of first and second generations. They travel...

High Level #Puzzle No 1 for #SBI_PO_2017


A,B,C,D,E,F,G are 7 family members belonging to 3 generations. Two married couples one each of first and second generations. They travel is 3 cars - P,Q,R. No car has more than 3 members and has atleast one female in each car.  C,who is granddaughter , doesnot travel with her grandfather and grandmother.  B travels with his father E in car Q. F travels with her granddaughter D in car P. A travels with her daughter in car R. Who travels in cars P,Q,R and how are they related?
SHARE YOUR ANSWERS

23 February 2017 ------------------------------- 1. Cabinet approvals: 23 February 2017 i. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Austral...

Daily GK Update 23rd February, 2017

23 February 2017
-------------------------------

1. Cabinet approvals: 23 February 2017

i. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Australia for promotion and development of cooperation in civil aviation security.
ii. Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Greece
iii. Cabinet approves signing of an Agreement between India and Poland on cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
India's GDP projected to slow to 6.6% due to demonetization Strains: IMF
i. India's growth is projected to slow to 6.6% in 2016-17 fiscal due to the strains that have emerged in the economy as a result of temporary disruptions caused by demonetization.
ii. The post November 8, 2016 cash shortages and payment disruptions caused by the currency exchange initiative have undermined consumption and business activity, posing a new challenge to sustaining the growth momentum. India's economy grew at 7.6% in 2015-16.

2. Govt doubles maternity leave for women workers in industries

i. The government has allowed women working in industries to take six months maternity leave pre-empting parliamentary approval on the maternity benefit amendment bill that is pending in the Lok Sabha.
ii. Through an executive order the labour and employment ministry has doubled maternity leave to six months from three for industrial women workers. However the benefit will be restricted to women who make a monthly contribution to the employees’ state insurance corpus from their salaries. This means about 2.9 million women working across various industries will get the benefit.

3. National Biodiversity Congress 2017 held in Kerala

i. Third National Biodiversity Congress (NBC) 2017 held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. To identify practical evidence based case studies at regional level to support the plan of action.
ii. Biodiversity is the lifeline of a nation and to retain pulses is the responsibility of every individual and society with the support of science and technology and through sustainable development CM Pinarayi Vijayan stated.
iii. Theme of National Biodiversity Congress 2017 is “Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development”.

4. GVA growth to decline by 70 bps to 6.2% in Q3: ICRA

i. The economy based on the gross value added (GVA) is set to slip to 6.2% in the December quarter from 6.9 percent a year ago, and GDP growth will decline to 6.5% from 7.2%, stated by domestic rating agency information and credit rating agency (ICRA).
ii. The slippages will be driven by the slowdown in growth of the industry and services, offsetting the healthy agricultural expansion during the period, the agency added.

5. Bharti Airtel to acquire Telenor India

i. The country's largest telecom services provider, Bharti Airtel (Airtel) has officially announced that it will acquire Telenor India. Although both the companies did not disclose the deal size, internal sources from the companies said it ranges between Rs. 6,500 crore and Rs. 7,000 crore.
ii. According to Telenor, the transaction will not trigger any impairment. As part of the agreement, Airtel will acquire Telenor India’s running operations in seven circles  Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Assam.

6. Karnataka Bank bags 2 awards

i. Karnataka Bank has bagged two ‘IBA-Banking Technology’ awards. The bank was the winner in ‘Best financial inclusion initiatives (small bank)’ category, and was runner-up in ‘Best use of digital and channels technology (small bank)’ category.
ii. IBA-Banking Technology award recognises and rewards individuals, professionals and banks who have recorded noteworthy technology and business benefits in 2016.

7. Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd launches instant microloan facility

i. Hyderabad based non-banking finance company Microfinance institution Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd launched an instant loan approval at a village near Bassi in Jaipur district, Rajasthan.
ii. The objective of this initiative to help rural areas embrace cashless transactions. The loan amount will be  deposited directly to the loanees bank account.The loan facility based on a three-step verification process of Aadhar-based eKYC, credit bureau authentication and e-Sign and non collateral loans up to Rs 60,000 for one year to rural women.
iii. It will be rolled out by June 2017 in all microfinance company's nationwide network with several being in Rajasthan, Bihar and Delhi.

8. Nasscom signs MoU with ITAC Japan

i. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the IoT Acceleration Consortium (ITAC) Japan.
ii. To collaborate to address digital technology shifts and accelerate IoT (Internet of Things) adoption at a global level across the industry.

9. AAI, IATA launch e-billing solution SKYREV360 for airport operators

i. The state run Airports Authority of India, along with International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched its e-billing solution for airport operators and air navigation services providers across the world.
ii. The e-billing solution, SKYREV360 developed by in-house experts the electronic billing solution for data, e-invoicing and collection of tariff from the airlines is being used by the AAI for several years now.

10. N Chandrasekaran elected chairman of Indian Hotels

i. N Chandrasekaran has been elected as the Chairman of its board of directors. N Chandrasekaran has been elected as the Chairman of the board of directors of the company with effect from February 22, 2017 vide a written resolution of the Board.
ii. He was initially appointed as a Member of the board on January 27, 2017 Chandrasekaran had taken over as Chairman of Tata Sons on February 21, becoming the first non Parsi Chairman of the USD 103 billion Tata Group after heading its crown jewel TCS for years.

11. FreeCharge CEO Govind Rajan Quits

i. The chief executive officer of Jasper Infotech-owned digital payments platform FreeCharge, Govind Rajan has submitted his resigned.
ii. Snapdeal’s chief strategy and investment officer, Jason Kothari will oversee the business operations of FreeCharge.

12. Suresh Prabhu unveils Antyodaya Express for common man

i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled Antyodaya Express for common man Equipped with cushioned seats, aluminium composite panels, and LED lights, the Antyodaya Express, a new fully unreserved train for the common man with specially designed colourful coaches.
ii. The first Antyodaya Express will be launched between Mumbai and Tatanagar, and the second will be between Ernakulam and Howrah shortly

13. 7 new Earth-like exoplanets discovered, NASA announced

i. Astronomers of NASA have discovered seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a star called TRAPPIST-1. Three of them are in the habitable zone  the happy place where liquid water can exist on the surface of rocky planets, as it’s not too hot or cold.
ii. The space agency calls the discovery of the fascinating solar system record-breaking. The three planets in the habitable zone, also known as the Goldilocks Zone, are called TRAPPIST-1e, f, and g. Exoplanet “e” is about the same size as Earth and even gets around the same amount of star light as we do.

14. WTO's trade facilitation agreement comes into effect

i. The WTO's trade facilitation agreement, which seeks to ease customs norms, came into effect from with its two-thirds members ratifying the pact. The TFA, which has been ratified by India, will give a boost to the global trade, which has been impacted due to slowdown in the world economy.
ii. According to experts, the agreement comes at a time when India's efforts to improve exports are gaining momentum.The 164-member World Trade Organisation (WTO) in a statement stated that a major milestone for the global trading system was reached as the first multilateral deal concluded in the 21-year history of the multi-lateral trade body entered into force.

15. Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin dead at 64

i. Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin has died in New York City. He was 64.
ii. Churkin has been Russia’s envoy at the United Nations for a little over a decade and was considered Moscow’s great champion at the UN.

17. Mithali, Harmanpreet in top-10 of ICC rankings

i. India’s one day captain Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur were placed 2nd and 10th in the ICC batswomen’s rankings released after the World Cup qualifier that ended recently.
ii. Meg Lanning of Australia leads the charts with 804 points while Raj with 733 points is second in the list. Harmanpreet, known for her towering sixes has 574 points.

18. India to host 2019 Combined World Cup for shooting

i. The National Rifle Association of India(NRAI) announced that India will be hosting the Combined World Cup for shooting in 2019 during the meeting held in New Delhi.
ii. Combined World Cup will a qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It will comprises all the three categories shotgun, rifle and pistol.

19. Adidas Ties Up With FIFA U-17 World Cup For Mission XI Million

German Sportswear giant Adidas announced its ties up with FIFA U-17 World Cup Local Organizing Committee for the Mission XI Million programme.

22 February 2017 ------------------------------- 1. Health Ministry launches ‘Saathiya Kits’ to improve adolescent health i. Union Heal...

#Daily_GK_Update 22nd February, 2017

22 February 2017
-------------------------------

1. Health Ministry launches ‘Saathiya Kits’ to improve adolescent health

i. Union Health Secretary C.K. Mishra has launched “Saathiya Resource Kits” that will provide information on adolescent related issues such as puberty and mental health, among others.
ii. The resource kit comprises of an Activity Book, Bhranti-Kranti Game, a Question-Answer  Saathiya KitsBook and a Peer Educator Diary.
iii. Mishra also launched the mobile app ‘Saathiya Salah‘ for adolescents. The initiative, launched as part of the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) program.

2. Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Greece

i. Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Greece.
ii. The Agreement has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries bringing it in tune with the developments in the civil aviation sector.
iii. It will provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security.

3. No info on number of accounts with large deposits post Nov 8, 2016

i. The RBI is not aware of the number of bank accounts in which more than Rs 2.5 lakh in the scrapped currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 were deposited between November 8 and December 30, 2016 under the Right to Information Act.
ii. The RBI also did not have the number of accounts in co-operative banks in which more than Rs 2.5 lakh were deposited in the scrapped notes during the period.

4. Delhi to get India's first heliport

i. The first heliport in India will be inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in North Delhi on (28 February 2017).
ii. The heliport, built by state-owned Pawan Hans, consists of a terminal building, nine parking bays and four hangars with a parking capacity of 16 helicopters. It was built at an investment of ?100 crore

5. Government launches ‘Cyber Swachhta Kendra’ to protect citizens

i. At a time when cyber attacks are increasing Union Minister of Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Cyber Swachhta Kendra in New Delhi  for Botnet cleaning and Malware analysis as a part of digital India initiative.
ii. He also launched two mobile apps. Mkavach to protect smart phones and tablets from hackers. Samvid to protect Desktops from suspicious applications from running.

6. India & China to hold their 1st Strategic Dialogue

i. India and China will hold their first Strategic Dialogue in Beijing. The two sides are expected to discuss all issues of mutual concern and interest including friction points.
ii. External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup stated that two countries will discuss all issues of mutual interest in bilateral, regional and international domain.

7. Gujarat Assembly passes Aadhaar Bill, 2017

i. The Gujarat Assembly passed Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2017 to empower the state government to use Aadhaar number as the sole identifier for the delivery of various subsidies and benefits in an effective and targeted manner.
ii. This bill will help the government create a credible system to authenticate the identity of actual beneficiaries. The assembly also passes two other bills which includes the Gujarat Panchayats (Amendment) Bill and the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development (Amendment) Bill.

8. Arunachal CM Pema Khandu inaugurates Composite Regional Centre in Itanagar

i. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the presence of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Composite Regional Centre at Itanagar Banquet Hall, Arunachal Pradesh.
ii. To create resources and infrastructure required for developing services for persons with disabilities with an outlay of Rs.20 Crore. The centre is established under the National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities (NILD), Kolkata.

9. CCEA approves investment proposal for generation component of Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project in Nepal

i. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved investment proposal for generation component of Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project in Nepal by SJVN Limited.
ii. Power Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the decision demonstrates government's commitment to promote clean and green energy in India and the sub continent.

10. MoU signed for welfare of Handicraft Artisans belonging to Scheduled Castes

i. Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment have come together to step up interventions for the economic development of an estimated 12 lakh scheduled caste artisans. 
ii. An MoU was signed between Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles and National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) with the objective of working together to improve the earnings of artisans across the country, belonging to Scheduled Castes categories.

11. Jammu & Kashmir to observe 2017 as Year of Apple

i. J & K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has declared 2017 as ‘Year of Apple’ to promote the famed Kashmiri apples in domestic and foreign markets.
ii. She also launched the High Density Apple Plantation Scheme in Srinagar to provide 50% subsidy.

12. SIDBI, Vijaya Bank combine to provide concessional loans to micro, small units

i. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vijaya Bank for providing concessional finance to micro and small enterprises (MSEs).
ii. The MoU aims at promoting and strengthening units in the MSE segment through concessional funding  that is at the marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) of Vijaya Bank under refinance from SIDBI.

13. Telangana Govt signs MoU with NABARD for Rs 874 crore loan

i. The Telangana Government led by K. Chandrashekar Rao signed an  Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NABARD for a loan of Rs 874 crore .
ii. This loan will be used for Horticulture Development Corporation to cover 3.15 lakh acres under Micro Irrigation scheme for 2016-17 and 2017-18.

14. Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel commissioned in Goa

i. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu commissioned the fourth ship of Indian Coast Guard named ‘Shaunak’, in the series of six offshore patrol vessels (OPV) in Vasco, located in South Goa.
ii. 'Shaunak' has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd that can carry one twin engine light helicopter and five high speed boats.

15. Azerbaijan Prez names wife as country’s First Vice President

i. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyev as the First Vice President of the country.
ii. The position was created after a constitutional referendum in September, 2016.
iii. According to Azerbaijan's constitution, the First Vice President takes over the country's presidency if the president is unable to perform the duties.

16. Dish TV partners with ICICI Bank for digital payments

i. Direct-to-home operator Dish TV joined hands with India’s largest private sector lender ICICI bank for digital payments.
ii. It will enable customers to do recharge through unified payment interface (UPI) transactions.

17. CII signs MoU with Singapore trade and business agencies

i. For the first time, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed a Technology Partnership MoU with two Singapore agencies International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) to promote expertise in expanding businesses.
ii. It will help build platforms to forge partnerships that connect our small enterprises and startups

18. Justice Sapre appointed chairman of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal

i. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre has been appointed the chairman of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT).
ii. He was nominated for the post by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar. The post fell vacant following the resignation of Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan.

19. For the first time in the world, Microsoft to deploy Azure Stack in Andhra Pradesh

i. The chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella singed an MoU during an event called ‘Microsoft Future Decoded’ in Mumbai.
ii. Under the MoU, Microsoft Azure Stack for the first time in the world will be used to migrate live applications currently hosted in Hyderabad State Data Centre (SDC) to Vizag data centre.

20. An international zip line connects Spain and Portugal

i. A zip line connecting Spain and Portugal, is known to be the first cross-border zip line in the world.
ii. The 720-metre-long zip line joins the two countries, allowing people to reach Portugal within a minute.
iii. On reaching Portugal, the participants gain one hour because of the time zone change.

21. Dustin Johnson dominates Genesis Open to overtake world No. 1

i. American professional golfer Dustin Hunter Johnson  has claimed No 1 Position in  Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career.
ii. This feat comes after he ended up with a world-class performance by winning Genesis Open 2017 at Riviera.

22. Haryana CM, confer Bhim Award to 42 sportspersons

i. The Haryana government gave away the Bhim awards to 42 sports persons of the state, spotting them for their outstanding performance at the national and international fronts between the years 2013 and 2017.
ii. The awards were given by the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki at a function held at Haryana Raj Bhawan.
iii. A total prize money of Rs 2.10 crore was distributed among the 42 sports persons and the awardees would be presented Bhim award.