Daily GK Update - 2nd June 2015 1. RBI lowers repo rate to 7.25 per cent i. The Reserve Bank of India in its second bi-monthly policy announced on has reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 7.5 per cent to 7.25 per cent with immediate effect. ii. It has decided to keep the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL). iii. It has decided to continue to provide liquidity under overnight repos at 0.25 per cent of bankwise NDTL at the LAF repo rate and liquidity under 14-day term repos as well as longer-term repos of up to 0.75 per cent of NDTL of the banking system through auctions and continue with overnight/term variable rate repos and reverse repos to smooth liquidity. iv. the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.25 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate to 8.25 per cent. 2. Bangladesh Liberation War award for Vajpayee i. Bangladesh is set to honour former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for his outstanding support for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was a Lok Sabha member. ii. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also approved a proposal to honour the families of the members of Indian armed forces for sacrificing their lives for the cause of Bangladesh’s independence. iii. Bangladesh will hand over Vajpayee’s “Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to the country from June 6. 3. RBI lowers GDP growth forecast to 7.6% for FY16 i. The Reserve Bank of India has marked down the projection for output growth for 2015-16 from 7.8 per cent in April to 7.6 per cent. ii. The RBI stated that strong food policy and management would be important to help keep inflation and inflationary expectations contained over the near term. iii. Assuming reasonable food management, inflation is expected to be pulled down by base effects till August but to start rising thereafter to about 6.0 per cent by January 2016. 4. BIS App launched i. Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched a BIS App to register complaints against sub-standard quality of ISI marked products and Hallmark jewellery. ii. Operation of godowns under Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been made online to increase transparency in the functioning of the corporation. iii. Mr Paswan said government has decided to continue food grain allocation for other welfare schemes for the poor. Saying that food grains older than a year and a half are not kept in the godowns. 5. Ericsson partners Sterlite for smart city initiatives in India i. Under the agreement, Ericsson will collaborate with Sterlite to design a roadmap and deploy solutions. ii. The alliance will design, deploy, integrate and manage solutions in areas like communications, public safety, smart grid solutions and intelligent transport. iii. Sterlite is working closely with the Government to drive smart sustainable city initiatives and supports Digital India programme. iv. Solutions covered in the agreement include communications (Wi-Fi networks and fibre deployment), public safety (video situational awareness solutions and emergency response), intelligent transport (traffic management and fleet management) and smart grid solutions (smart grid communications and smart metering). 6. Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa sworn-in as Arunachal Pradesh Governor i. Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa was sworn-in as the 19th Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. ii. President Pranab Mukherjee had appointed him as Governor on May 12, 2015 after then Governor Lt General (Retired) Nirbhay Sharma was transferred to Mizoram. iii. Mr. Rajkhowa is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from 1968 batch. He is the former Chief Secretary of Assam and had retired from service in 2004. iv. Mr. Rajkhowa has authored a book, Central Vigilance Mechanism with special reference to P.S.E’s, and also had contributed by writing number of articles to leading newspapers.

7. Ravi Shastri to continue as Indian team director i. Former captain Ravi Shastri was on Tuesday retained as director of the Indian cricket team for the tour of Bangladesh starting June 10. ii. Shastri, who served as team director during the tour of Australia and the subsequent World Cup earlier this year, is a stop-gap arrangement for the short trip. iii. Mr. B. Arun, assistant coach (Bowling) and Mr. R. Sridhar, assistant coach (Fielding), will assist Mr. Shastri during the tour.

Daily GK Update - 3rd June 2015 1. USA Freedom Act Passes

i. The Senate passed the USA Freedom Act today by 67-32, marking the first time in over thirty years that both houses of Congress have approved a bill placing real restrictions and oversight on the National Security Agency’s surveillance powers.

ii. The Bill ends a system exposed by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. The spy agency collected and searched records of phone calls looking for terrorism leads but was not allowed to listen to their content.

iii. The new law would require companies such as Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, to collect and store telephone records the same way that they do now for billing purposes.

2. Snowden awarded freedom of expression prize in Norway

i. Former security contractor Edward Snowden won a Norwegian prize for freedom of expression.

ii. The Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression said the 31-year old fugitive had won the Bjornson Prize named after a Norwegian Nobel literature laureate "for his work protecting privacy and for shining a critical light on US surveillance of its citizens and others."

iii. The academy requested assurances from the Norwegian government that Snowden would not be extradited to the US if he travelled to Norway to receive the 100,000 kroner ($12,700, 11,500 euros) prize money.

iv. Snowden was awarded Sweden's Right Livelihood Award in 2014 but chose to accept it by video link rather than leaving his exile in Russia.

3. Sepp Blatter resigned

i. Outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter is now part of the corruption probe by US prosecutors.

ii. Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro nominated Diego Maradona for the job.

iii. Jordanian Prince Ali bin al Hussein will stand in new elections for the presidency of world football's governing body.

iv. FIFPro welcomes the decision of FIFA president Sepp Blatter to resign as this creates an overdue and unique opportunity to fundamentally reform the governance of football.

4. 2004 Nobel Chemistry winner Irwin Rose dies

i. Irwin Rose, a biochemist who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins the basis for developing new therapies for diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis has died. He was 88.

ii. Rose had a “formidable intellect and unwavering curiosity about fundamental biological and chemical processes that are the foundation for life.

iii. Rose, along with Israelis Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, won the Nobel for discovering how plant and animal cells marked old and damaged proteins with a “kiss of death” molecule the polypeptide ubiquitin.

iv. Rose was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 16, 1926, and spent much of his career as a researcher at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

5. Jaipur Metro starts operations

i. Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built metro systems in the country, was thrown open to public today.

ii. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje flagged off the inaugural train on 9.6 km long route from Mansarovar to Chandpole.

iii. Jaipur Metro commenced its regular commercial operations from all its 9 stations-- Mansarovar, New Aatish Market, Vivek Vihar, Shyam Nagar, Ram Nagar, Civil Lines, Railway Station, Sindhi Camp and Chandpole.

iv. To encourage people to travel in the metro, upto 15 per cent discount has been offered on smart cards, which can be recharged using Jaipur Metro website or Ticket Vending Machines installed at all stations.

6. Govt notifies FDI policy relaxations for NRIs

i. Non-repatriable investments by NRIs, OCIs and PIOs will be treated as domestic investments and will not be subject to foreign direct investment caps.

ii. It has been decided to amend the definition of NRIs as contained in the FDI policy and also to provide that for the purposes of FDI policy, investment by NRIs under Schedule 4 of FEMA regulations will be deemed to be domestic investment at par with the investment made by residents.

iii. The government has also notified increase in FIPB’s power to recommend foreign investment proposals of up to Rs 3,000 crore from the earlier Rs 2,000 crore.

7. US Defence Secretary Ashton B. Carter arrives in India

i. After delivering the keynote address at the crucial Shangri La dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter arrived in India.

ii. he will hold meetings with PM Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. During his visit.

iii. The two countries will be signing the Defence Framework Agreement (DFA) that will define the US-India defence cooperation over the next decade.

iv. During Carter’s ongoing visit, the two sides will assess the progress made in these pathfinder projects— next generation Raven Minis UAVs, roll-on roll-off kits for C-130s, mobile electric hybrid power source and Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble Increment.

Daily GK Update - 4th June 2015 1. India, Belarus agree on road map for stronger ties

i. India and Belarus decided to work together on defence and security issues as President Pranab Mukherjee met his Belarusian counterpart and agreed on a 17-point road map aimed at strengthening mutual trust and confidence.

ii. The President discussed a host of issues, including increasing trade ties, besides boosting co-operation in mining, education and heavy machinery with Mr. Lukashenko.

iii. Under the agreement, the two countries will enhance coordination in science and technology, energy sector, metals and mining, potash fertilizers, give boost to raw material in textile sector, extend cooperation by Belarus in modernisation of public electric transport system in India, agriculture and agro procession.

2. India Signs Legal Agreement with the World Bank for IBRD Loan of US$ 400 Million

i. The Loan and Project Agreements for World Bank (IBRD) assistance of US$ 400 million for Tamil Nadu Sustainable Urban Development Project were signed between the Government of India/ Government of Tamil Nadu and World Bank.

ii. The Loan Agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of Government of lndia and Mr. Onno Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank (lndia) on behalf of the World Bank.

iii. The objective of the project is to improve urban services in participating Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in a financially sustainable manner and to pilot improved urban management practices in selected cities.

iv. The total project size is US$ 600 million, out of which World Bank support is US$ 400 million.

3. India, US ink new defence framework accord

i. India and the US signed a new strategically important 10-year defence framework pact envisaging joint development and manufacture of defence equipment and technology including jet engines, aircraft carrier design and construction.

ii. Both sides also finalised two project agreements for hi-tech mobile power source and next generation protective suits for chemical and biological warfare.

iii. The framework also recognises the transformative nature of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

4. Ex-IB chief is Prime Minister’s special envoy on counter-terror

i. The government has appointed the former Intelligence Bureau Chief Asif Ibrahim to a key post in the Prime Minister’s office.

ii. Mr. Ibrahim, who retired in December 2014, will be the PM’s ‘Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism,’ with a charter to liaise with governments in West Asia, Af-Pak and South East Asia.

iii. As Director IB, Mr. Ibrahim started work on the government’s new counter radicalisation strategy in 2014, which was triggered by the Islamic State takeover of parts of Iraq and Syria.

5. SBI associate merger proposal irks employee's unions

i. Even as the State Bank of India management starts deliberating mergers of its associate banks with the parent, the employees' union is planning a series of bank strikes protesting against such a move.

ii. More than 50,000 employees did not work on Thursday at about 6,000 bank branches of five SBI group banks as All Associate Banks of SBI, the employees' union, called a strike.

iii. So far SBI has merged State Bank of Surastra and State bank of Indore in past few years. Plans are on the anvil to follow the same process with State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala.

6. Jayalalithaa announces aid for Cauvery delta farmers

i. Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday announced a financial aid of Rs 41 crore for farmers in the Cauvery delta region to improve the kuruvai cultivation (short-term cultivation).

ii. The 'kuruvai package' announced by the government includes financial assistance to farmers and free supply of micro nutrients.

iii. Farm machines will be leased out to farmers free of cost. Besides, three phase power would be provided for 12 hours per day for irrigation.

iv. The ground water level had gone up considerably due to good rain. As such, to encourage kuruvai cultivation, a package of assistance to the tune of Rs 40.97 crore will be extended to the farmers.

7. India jumps six places in FIFA rankings

i. India has jumped six places to 141st position in the latest rankings released by world football’s governing body FIFA.

ii. India was previously placed 147th in the rankings list. Iran (41) is the top-ranked Asian team in the list, followed by Japan (52) and South Korea (58).

iii. World Champions Germany continued to head the rankings. Belgium jumped to second place, a place above World Cup runners-up Argentina.

iv. Five-time world champions Brazil are fifth, a spot below Colombia. Brazil is followed by the Netherlands, Portugal (seventh), Uruguay (eighth), and France (ninth).

8. De Villiers crowned South African cricketer of the year

i. AB de Villiers won as many as five awards, including the South African Cricketer of the Year for a second consecutive time at a gala function, hosted by Cricket South Africa (CSA) in Johannesburg.

ii. The 27-year-old batsman was named the ODI Cricketer of the Year, Cricketers’ Cricketer of the Year, SA Fan’s Cricketer of the Year and also got the ‘So Good Award’ for scoring the fastest century in the history of ODI cricket against the West Indies in December 2014.

iii. Morne van Wyk won the T20 Cricketer of the Year, Dale Steyn received the Delivery of the Year and Rilee Rossouw was named the SA Newcomer of the Year.

Daily GK Update - 5th June 2015 1. Infy appoints Seshasayee as Chairman

i. Infosys Limited announced that the Company’s Board have approved the appointment of R. Seshasayee as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board with immediate effect.

ii. K.V. Kamath will be stepping down from his position as Chairman of the Board and as an Independent Director of the Company, consequent to his nomination as President of the BRICS New Development Bank.

iii. Mr. Seshasayee has been an Independent Director on the Company’s Board since January 2011 and is the chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Seshasayee’s other board positions include Non-Executive Vice Chairman of Ashok Leyland Ltd. and Chairman of IndusInd Bank Ltd.

2. Essel, Rajasthan government ink Rs 4k crore pact for solar parks

i. Essel Group formed a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with the Rajasthan government to set up solar parks in the state.

ii. The solar parks will be set up in Bikaner and Jaisalmer regions with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore.

iii. Solar Park Project in Rajasthan will be India's turnkey project in the renewable energy space which will aid the clean energy initiatives of the Government of Rajasthan.

3. Mahindra business city to be carbon-positive

i. A 'green' integrated business city pioneered by the Mahindra Group has drawn a road map of becoming climate positive in 10 years, a distinction which places India on the world map.

ii. Mahindra World City Jaipur (MWCJ), spread across 3,000 acres on the Delhi-Mumbai corridor, has become the first project in Asia — and sixth in the world — to commit to a carbon-positive road map as part of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

iii. projected to reduce 8 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in about 10 years to become climate-neutral.

4. Prince Harry knighted

i. Prince Harry was today knighted by his grandmother the Queen as a sign of her personal esteem.

ii. The fifth in line to the throne was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

iii. The Order was founded in April 1896 by Queen Victoria as a way of rewarding personal service to her, on her own initiative rather than by ministerial recommendation and remains entirely within the Sovereign's personal gift.

5. Snapdeal-Tata Housing sells house worth Rs. 1.1 cr

i. E-commerce firm Snapdeal and Tata Housing, which have partnered to sell homes online, have announced their largest transaction worth Rs. 1.1 crore hours after commencing the sale of premium and luxury apartments.

ii. Snapdeal is also exploring alliances for providing options such as site visit facilities and documentation services.

iii. Snapdeal real estate category has grown 400 per cent in the last six months and currently comprise a portfolio of residential projects from developers across India including Tata Value Homes, Tata Housing, DLF, Sobha Developers, Godrej Properties, Mantri Developers, and Purvankara.

Daily GK Update - 6th June 2015 1. India, Bangladesh make history with land swap

i. India and Bangladesh on Saturday sealed a historic agreement that will settle a 41-year-old land boundary dispute through exchange of territories, removing a major irritant in bilateral ties.

ii. The two sides exchanged documents regarding the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) that was passed unanimously by the Parliament last month in the presence of Mr. Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

iii. The exchange of documents paves way for the operationalisation of the 1974 India-Bangladesh LBA that provides for exchange of 161 enclaves between the two countries. A total 111 border enclaves will be transferred to Bangladesh in exchange for 51 that will become part of India.

iv. Under the agreement, India will have an advantage of 500 acres and 10,000 acres will go to Bangladesh.

2. Naidu performs bhoomi pooja for AP capital

i. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his wife Bhuvaneswari performed bhoomi pooja at around 8.49 a.m. for the new capital — Amaravati — at Mandadam village in Guntur district.

ii. Chief Minister's son and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers welfare committee convener Nara Lokesh; Union Ministers Nirmala Sitaraman and Sujana Chowdary were among those present for the ceremony.

iii. The ancient city of Amaravathi is being developed separately from the new capital zone as a heritage town with funds from the Centre.

3. RPower to invest $3 bn in Bangladesh power plant

i. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power on Saturday signed an agreement to invest $ 3 billion in setting up a mega power plant and a floating LNG import terminal in Bangladesh which faces acute power shortages.

ii. Reliance Power will set up a 2 million tonnes a year floating LNG import terminal as well as 3,000 megawatt power plant, according to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Sameer Gupta, Executive vice-president of Reliance Power.

iii. The company will invest in an integrated facility comprising of 3,000 MW of LNG based combined cycle power plant and LNG Terminal with a Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit (FSRU).

4. Govt picks new DRDO chief, scientific advisor to defence minister

i. The government Thursday appointed S Christopher, 59, as Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development-cum-Director Ge-neral, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

ii. G S Reddy, 51, has been appointed as scientific advisor to the Defence Minister.

iii. DRDO has been functioning without a full-time head since January 31, when Avinash Chander resigned.

5. South Korea Tests New Ballistic Missile

i. South Korea successfully test fired a ballistic missile capable of hitting targets anywhere in North Korea.

ii. The test demonstrated improved ballistic missile capability that can strike all parts of North Korea swiftly, and with precision, in the event of armed aggression or provocation.

iii. The Hyunmoo-2B is an upgraded version of the Hyunmoo-2A, both of which were developed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD).

6. Dravid for India Under-19 coach

i. BCCI has announced Rahul Dravid as the coach of India A team and Indian U 19 cricket team.

ii. Working with the under-19 and 'A' teams might be the perfect solution as Dravid can make a tangible contribution without placing too much demand on his time.

iii. Dravid had a short stint as mentor of the Indian team before the series in England last year and several players spoke highly of their interactions with the former India captain. Daily GK Update - 7th and 8th June 2015

1. K.V. Chowdary is new CVC; Vijai Sharma new CIC

i. Former Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, K.V. Chowdary, was on Monday, appointed as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner, while the senior-most Information Commissioner, Vijai Sharma, is the new Chief Information Commissioner.

ii. A selection panel headed by the Prime Minister, which includes leader of the principal opposition party, and senior cabinet ministers selects the CVC, CIC, vigilance commissioners and information commissioners.

iii. The Central Vigilance Commission is headed by a CVC and comprises two vigilance commissioners and today’s appointment constitutes the full Commission.

iv. In the CIC, there are vacancies of four Information Commissioners. The incumbents are Basant Seth, Yashovardhan Azad, Sharat Sabharwal, Manjula Prasher, M A Khan Yusufi and Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu.

2. Yes Bank reappoints Rana Kapoor as MD

i. Yes Bank’s shareholders have approved 12 resolutions which included the re-appointment of Rana Kapoor as MD & CEO of the bank with a majority vote of 99.97%, sans the vote of the Madhu Kapur family.

ii. In the bank’s annual general meeting on Saturday, the shareholders also approved through a special resolution the issuance of non-convertible debentures and bonds up to Rs 10,000 crore and also increased the borrowing limit of the bank to Rs 50,000 crore from Rs 30,000 crore currently.

iii. The bank got a majority vote to increase the combined foreign portfolio investors (FPI) and foreign institutional investors investment (FII) limits to 74% of the paid-up capital of the bank.

iv. Shareholders also re-appointed M R Srinivasan as non-executive non-independent director (previously the chairman of Yes Bank) with a majority vote. Also, Diwan Arun Nanda and Ajay Vohra have been appointed as independent directors.

3. Federal Bank slashes base rate by 25 bps to 9.95%

i. Federal Bank today cut the base rate, or the minimum lending rate, by 0.25 per cent to 9.95 per cent.

ii. The new rates will be effective from June 18, 2015.

iii. Soon after RBI's second bi-monthly policy review for 2015-16 on June 2, a number of banks, including largest public sector lender SBI, have cut the minimum lending rates.

iv. Among others, Allahabad Bank, Dena Bank, Punjab National Bank, Central Bank of India and Syndicate Bank have announced cut in base rates.

4. IOC to invest Rs 15,000 crore to raise Panipat refinery capacity

i. Indian Oil Corp, nation's largest oil firm, plans to invest about Rs 15,000 crore in raising capacity at its Panipat refinery in Haryana by 34% to 20.2 million tonnes (MT) by 2020.

ii. IOC owns and operates eight refineries and has only a few weeks back added ninth refinery at Paradip in Odisha.

iii. Its eight refineries have a cumulative refining capacity of 54.2 MT of crude oil and addition of 15 MT at Paradip refinery has helped it regain the top refiner slot in the country.

iv. Essar Oil is the only other private refiner having a 20 MT a year unit at Vadinar in Gujarat.

v. Panipat Refinery was commissioned in 1998 with a capacity of six MT per annum. The refining capacity was doubled to 12 MT in 2006 and then raised by a further three MT to 15 MT in 2010.

5. Deutsche Bank makes John Cryan CEO after co-CEOs Anshu Jain, Juergen Fitschen quit

i. Deutsche Bank appointed John Cryan as its new CEO on Sunday after co-chief executives Anshu Jain and Juergen Fitschen resigned following criticism from investors.

ii. John Cryan, 54, has been on the bank’s supervisory board since 2013 and was a former chief financial officer of UBS. He will replace Anshu Jain from July 1 and become the sole CEO when Juergen Fitschen steps down next year, the bank said.

iii. Making Anshu Jain directly responsible for cutting Deutsche Bank’s costs by 4.7 billion euros ($5.2 billion), selling its Postbank retail business and paring back its investment bank put huge pressure on the former trader.

6. SpiceJet signs deal to sell tickets to waitlisted railway travellers

i. IRCTC's public relations officer Sandip Dutta explained that the Railways have entered the tie-up with SpiceJet and Go Air. ii. It enables a train traveller whose ticket is wait-listed to cancel the train ticket and instead get on to a flight of either airline by paying some incremental fee.

iii. There are no fixed sectors to which the scheme applies, no fixed number of tickets either airline must make available to IRCTC and no fixed rates.

iv. This scheme only applies to tickets booked at least three days prior to the date of the journey, these train tickets can only be cancelled on a specific website and flight tickets are available only for the day of the train journey or a day prior to it.

v. SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh pointed out that this tie-up is promising for the airline and he expects "significant" passenger volumes to be generated through this scheme.

7. Stan Wawrinka stuns Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams wins French Open after beating Lucie Safarova in final

i. Williams emerged with a 20th grand slam title thanks to a 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2 victory over the Czech Lucie Safarova. ii. The American is now two short of Steffi Graf, the open era leader, and four off Margaret Court, the all-time leader

iii. Her win over Safarova was her fifth three-set victory of a tournament that was a struggle almost from day one.

iv. Stan Wawrinka played magnificently in a 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory at Roland Garros.

v. Wawrinka, 30, brought an end to Djokovic's 28-match winning streak as he claimed his second Grand Slam title.

vi. The victory makes him only the second Swiss to win at Roland Garros after Roger Federer, the man he beat in the quarter-finals.

8. Tintu Luka finally strikes gold as India finishes 3rd at Asian Athletics Championships

i. Tintu Luka bagged her maiden gold in a major international event by winning the women's 800m finals as India finished with five medals on the final day of competitions to sign off third in the 21st Asian Athletics Championships here today.

ii. India secured a medal haul of 4 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze in the championships to finish third behind China (15, 13, 13) and Qatar (7, 2, 1). Japan (4, 3, 11) and Bahrain (3, 3, 2) finished fourth and fifth respectively.

iii. This was India's best finish after 2007 in Amman, Jordan where the country was placed second.

National record holder Luka clocked her season's best timing of 2:01.53 to clinch the gold at Wuhan Sports Center.

iv. This was 26-year-old Luka's first individual title in a major international event after breaking into the scene in 2008-09 with a lot of promise under the tutelage of the legendary P T Usha.

Daily GK Update - 9th June 2015 1. NCR gets bigger; Jind, Karnal and Muzaffarnagar districts added i. The sprawl of the National Capital Region (NCR) just got bigger as the nod has been given for the inclusion of Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh and the Jind and Karnal districts of Haryana as part of the conurbation.

ii. Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu announced the decision for including the three districts in NCR after chairing a meeting today of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) here.

iii. Naidu said that a committee has been appointed to look into the demands for the inclusion of more areas in NCR.

iv. The Union minister said that before including any area, the view of the particular state government will also have to be taken.

v. Haryana Chief Minister Khattar said that with the inclusion of Jind and Karnal in NCR, 57 per cent of the state's area had become part of the entity.

2. India’s first State-of-the-Art Tier-I Oil Spill Response Centre inagurated by Gadkari

i. Tackling pollution and oil spills in and around Mumbai will now become much easier, as Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the India’s first of its kind State-of-the-Art Tier-I Oil Spill Response Centre for Mumbai & JNPT Harbour

ii. The OSRC which is equipped with State-of-the-Art equipment in operational readiness for combating Tier-I oil spill upto 700 tones, ensures adequate protection to the public health and welfare and to the marine environment.

iii. The facility which is funded by Participating Oil Companies (POCs) and MbPT has taken the responsibility of tendering and monitoring of Tier -I OSR facility.

iv. The area of operation includes the water limits of the Mumbai Port Trust MbPT, JNPT and ONGC’s facilities at Nhava and Uran.

v. The OSRC will be monitored on 24/7 basis and is also equipped with skilled and trained personnel and wireless communication facilities for immediately responding to any oil spill.

3. 7th International junior shotgun: Anantjeet wins skeet gold

i. Anantjeet Singh Naruka beat Lari Pesonen of Finland 12-11 in the skeet match for gold in the 7th International junior shotgun cup that concluded in Orimattila, Finland

ii. After having qualified at the bottom with a modest score of 110, following rounds of 21, 22, 21, 25 and 21, Anantjeet kept getting better, as he wriggled his way through to the gold medal match by winning a three-way tie in the shoot-off to challenge the Finn.

iii. Compatriot Angadvir Singh Bajwa, who had topped the qualification with 119 following a series of 23, 24, 24, 24 and 24, won the shoot-off for the bronze medal 6-5 against Matteo Chiti of Italy.

iv. Angadvir and the Italian had shot three each in losing the shoot-off for the gold medal match with Anantjeet who shot 4, after the three were tied on 13 in the semifinals.

4. Government extends Bank of Baroda interim chief Ranjan Dhawan's term for 3 months

i. The government has further extended the term of Bank of Baroda's (BoB) interim MD & CEO Ranjan Dhawan for three months while Bank of India will be headed by its Executive Director B P Sharma for the same duration.

ii. Dhawan, the senior-most Executive Director of BoB, was given this additional charge in February.

iii. The post of a full-time MD & CEO at BoB has been lying vacant since July 2014 when the then Chairman and Managing Director S S Mundra was appointed RBI Deputy Governor.

iv. Sharma's appointment comes into force from June 8, 2015, and will be till the appointment of a regular MD & CEO or further orders, whichever is earlier, it added.

5. R C Tayal appointed as new Director General of National Security Guard

i. Senior IPS officer R C Tayal has been appointed as the new chief of the elite counter-terror force National Security Guard (NSG).

ii. The 1980-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre officer is at present serving as the Special Director General in paramilitary CRPF and is heading its formation in Jammu and Kashmir.

iii. He is expected to serve as NSG DG till August next year when he is scheduled for superannuation.

iv. NSG was raised in 1984 as a federal contingency force with a specific aim to undertake counter-terror and counter-hijack operations and it was later tasked to protect high-risk VVIPs.

6. EPFO to invest 5% of funds in equity market

i. In a major policy shift, the Central Board of Trustees of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation has decided to park 5 per cent of its funds in the equity market.

ii. Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the decision was in line with the suggestions made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely that the EPFO invest up to 15 per cent of its funds in the equity market.

iii. In another major announcement, the Minister said the Central Board of Trustees of the Employees State Insurance Corporation, at its latest meeting, decided to invest funds available with it from the contribution of employees through portfolio managers on the lines of the EPFO.

iv. Employees’ interests would be the priority of the EPFO and care would be taken in the equity investments, the Labour Minister added.

7. Isro Bags Space Pioneer Award for Mangalyaan Mars Orbiter Mission

i. The country's low-cost Mangalyaan Mars orbiter mission which is in rendezvous with the Red Planet for an extended period has been presented with the Space Pioneer award for the year 2015 by

the US' National Space Society.

ii. Space Pioneer award for the year 2015 was presented to Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in the Science and Engineering category during the 34th Annual International Space Development Conference held at Toronto in Canada during May 20-24, 2015, Bengaluru-headquartered Isro said on its website.

iii. The Isro spacecraft was launched on its nine-month-long odyssey on a homegrown PSLV rocket from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on November 5, 2013 and had escaped the earth's gravitational field on December 1.

iv. The spacecraft is under 'solar conjunction' at Mars, which means the spacecraft, which is orbiting Mars, is behind the sun as viewed from the Earth.

8. RBI debt recast norms: Banks will be left holding the bag if no buyers for firms turn up

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted banks to take control of 51 percent of stake in a company that has failed to recover financial health even after a period of financial restructuring, typically due to management inefficiency or other factors.

ii. This provision, part of the strategic debt restructuring exercise (SDR), is aimed at ensuring promoters of defaulted companies have more ‘skin in the game’.

iii. The RBI’s move is part of a coordinated action plan with markets regulator, Securities and exchange board of India (Sebi), which in March had allowed banks to convert part or full debt of listed defaulter companies into equity.

iv. Both the RBI and Sebi have made the process easier for banks and become aggressive in taking control of defaulter companies.

v. For companies too, this will offer relief since they will be free from interest payments once the debt is converted into equity. However, such a relief might come at the cost of losing management control.

9. ICICI Bank Appoints MK Sharma As Non-Executive Chairman

i. ICICI Bank on Tuesday said that its board has approved the appointment of MK Sharma as non-executive chairman for a period of five years.

ii. Mr Sharma will replace KV Kamath who would shortly step down from the board consequent to his nomination as the first president of the BRICS New Development Bank.

iii. Mr Sharma was formerly the vice chairman of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL).

iv. e is an independent director of several companies and has been a member of government committees relating to corporate law and corporate governance, ICICI Bank said in a statement.

v. He is currently an independent director of two subsidiaries of the Bank, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company and ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company.

Daily GK Update - 10th June 2015 1. RBI issues draft norms on rupee-linked bonds overseas i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said that Indian corporates, eligible to raise external commercial borrowings (ECBs), are permitted to issue rupee- linked bonds overseas.

ii. Corporates which are, at present, permitted to access ECB, under the approval route, will require prior permission of the RBI to issue such bonds and those coming under the automatic route can do so without prior permission of the RBI.

iii. The RBI proposed that the subscription, coupon payments and redemption might be settled in foreign currency.

iv. It also stipulated the coupon on the bonds should not be more than 500 basis points above the sovereign yield of the Government of India security of corresponding maturity as per the FIMMDA yield curve prevailing on the date of issue.

2. Government to Give Rs 6,000 Crore Interest-Free Loans to Sugar Mills

i. The government has approved interest-free loans for cash-strapped sugar mills to help them pay nearly 30 per cent of the record Rs 21,000 crore they owe to cane farmers, many of whom are struggling with huge debts as the first country-wide drought in six years looms.

ii. Sugar cane prices, meanwhile, have jumped over the years due to the populist policies of state governments to raise minimum support prices for farmers.

iii. Mills in India, the world's biggest sugar producer after Brazil, have been lobbying the government for months seeking relief as prices of the sweetener have fallen below the cost of production due to ample supplies.

iv. The federal government earlier this year approved a subsidy to export raw sugar, although that failed to boost shipments amid a global glut.

3. Small traders' body CAIT to launch ecommerce platform

i. After fighting tooth and nail with online retailers, the apex body of small traders, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), has decided to launch its own ecommerce portal in the next three months.

ii. Named 'e-Lala', the proposed portal will provide a direct interface between sellers and consumers and there will be no third agency which will be involved in any transaction, thereby eliminating the commission component which the sellers need to pay.

iii. The proposal was recently discussed at the national governing council meeting of CAIT. The body has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of its national president BC Bhartia to implement the plan.

iv. It will be the first ecommerce portal in the country by the traders for the traders. It will be a location-based portal wherein traders from different cities will be registered under their respective category of items.

v. Consumers will have the option to buy either online or from the physical store of the chosen seller

4. Microsoft begins rebranding of Nokia Priority Stores

i. In order to increase its presence in emerging markets like India, Microsoft on Wednesday kick-started rebranding of Nokia Priority Stores as Microsoft Priority Resellers.

ii. India is the first country among Microsoft's global markets to roll out the new look for its retail outlets.

iii. This is perhaps one of the biggest rebranding exercises undertaken by a mobile manufacturer and we wanted India to lead the way being a priority market for us. For many consumers, the rebranded shops will be their first experience of Microsoft as a consumer hardware manufacturer.

iv. While existing Nokia stores would transform into Microsoft Priority Resellers, housing only Microsoft products, the multi-branded retail stores will be rechristened as Microsoft Mobile Resellers.

5. Kapil Mishra to Succeed Jitender Tomar as Delhi's Law Minister

i. Delhi Jal Board vice chairman Kapil Mishra will succeed Jitender Tomar as Delhi's law minister. A letter has been sent to the president in this regard.

ii. Mr Tomar had stepped down on Tuesday after being arrested over allegations that he had faked his law degree.

iii. Mr Mishra, the legislator from northeast Delhi's Karawal Nagar, was placed in the crucial Jal Board to help realise the Aam Aadmi Party's election promise of providing cheap water to Delhiites.

6. SEBI cracks down on 200 illicit fund-raising activities in 1 year

i. Stepping up action against illicit fund-raising in a big way, SEBI has cracked down on nearly 200 such activities in last one year relating to fraud against gullible investors and recovered Rs. 25 crore.

ii. SEBI has passed close to 200 orders in last one year against illegal fund-raising activities and barred individuals and companies from mobilising money from public.

iii. The Securities Laws Amendment Act, which was notified by the government in August 2014, empowers SEBI to pass orders for attachment of properties, arrest of defaulters and to access call data records.

iv. A majority of orders against deemed public issues were in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. The same for CIS activities are in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Daily GK Update - 11th June 2015 1. Union Cabinet gives nod to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement

i. Union Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement.

ii. The agreement which is similar to the SAARC Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) seeks to regulate the vehicular traffic of passenger, personal and cargo amongst BBIN countries.

The agreement will be signed on 15th June 2015 at the Transport Minister’s meeting in Thimpu, Bhutan.

iii. BBIN agreement aims to promote safe, environmentally sound and economical efficient road transport in the sub-region of BBIN. It also seeks to help each member country to create an institutional mechanism for regional integration.

iv. BBIN agreement will benefit member nations for mutual cross border movement of passenger and goods for overall economic development of the region.

For implementation of this agreement each signatory member will bear its own costs.

2. Senior scientist Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar appointed as Director of CSIR-IICT

i. Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar was appointed Director of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) a premier research institute of Union Government based in Hyderabad, Telangana.

ii. He was named appointed to the top post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is ex-officio Chairman of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) functioning under Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

iii. He has made significant contributions in diverse areas of organic chemistry with a special emphasis total synthesis of biologically active natural products, on chiral chemistry and pharmaceutical products.

iv. He also has developed technologies for synthesis of latest anti-tumor and abortive drug mesoprostol, anti-tuberculosis drug bedaquiline and drug for treatment of schizophrenia asenapine etc. Apart from above contributions, he also has more than 250 publications with 5,000 citations to his credit.

3. 26 African countries create TFTA: Cape Town to Cairo free-trade zone

i. African countries have signed a historic The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) that facilitates creation of Africa’s largest free-trade zone.

ii. This free-trade zone will cover 26 countries in an area from southernmost tip of African continent i.e. Cape Town (South Africa) to Cairo (Egypt) in the north.

iii. The pact was signed in Egypt will intent to ease the movement of goods across 26 member countries which represent more than half the continent’s GDP. TFTA pact combines existing three trade blocs among the African nations viz Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

iv. It will remove trade barriers on most goods, making them cheaper and stimulating $ 1 trillion worth of economic activity across the region of more than 600 million people.

4. Indian-Origin Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Presented With Pride of Community Award

i. Indian-origin US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been presented with the Pride of the Community Award by a prominent Hindu advocacy group.

ii. Receiving the award by the Hindu American Foundation at its 12th Annual Day reception at Capitol Hill, Mr Murthy said that he draws inspiration from the life of Swami Vivekananda.

iii. HAF also awarded Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion at St Olaf College, Dharma Seva award; Harpreet Singh Mokha of the Department of Justice, the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Pluralism; and Senator Mark Kirk and Rep Joe Crowley, HAF's Friend of the Community awards.

5. Stanford scientist Manu Prakash makes water based computer

i. Manu Prakash, who amazed the world last year by building a paper microscope, has now come up with a computer that works by moving water droplets. P

ii. rakash is an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and he has developed the water computer with the help of two of his students. He was born in Meerut, India.

iii. What Prakash did was devise a system in which tiny water droplets are trapped in a magnetic field. When the field is rotated or flipped, the droplets move in precise direction and distance. This became the basis of the computer clock, which is an essential component of any computer.

iv. Computer clocks are responsible for nearly every modern convenience. Smartphones, DVRs, airplanes, internet - without a clock, none of these could operate without frequent and serious complications.

6. Reliance Capital names Gopkumar as CEO of broking, distribution business

i. Reliance Capital, part of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, today said it has appointed B Gopkumar chief executive of its broking and distribution business.

ii. Gopkumar, who succeeds Vikrant Gugnani, has over 20 years of industry experience. He has handled various assignments across varied functions, including direct sales, priority banking, marketing, product development, broking and distribution.

iii. Reliance Capital's broking business -- Reliance Securities -- provides a varied customer base with access to equities, equity options, wealth management solutions and mutual funds.

9. CAD shrinks massively to 0.2 per cent in Q4

i. The country’s current account deficit (CAD) narrowed sharply to USD 1.3 billion, or 0.2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in the fourth quarter of the last financial year on a sequential basis mainly on account of a lower trade gap.

ii. The CAD shrank to 1.3 per cent of GDP for full financial year 2014-15.

iii. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, CAD narrowed sharply to USD 1.3 billion (0.2 per cent of GDP) in fourth quarter of financial year 2014-15 from USD 8.3 billion (1.6 per cent of GDP) in the third quarter

8. Forbes list: Dhoni only Indian among world's richest athletes

i. Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only Indian sportsman in Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid athletes in the world.

ii. Dhoni has been ranked 23rd on the Forbes list of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2015 dropping a notch from his ranking of 22 last year.

iii. Dhoni's total earnings stood at $31 million, including amount from salary/winnings at $4 million and endorsements worth $27 million.

iv. The earnings figures include salaries, prize money and bonuses paid out between June 2014 and June 2015.

Daily GK Update - 12th June 2015 1. Second border haat opens in Sipahijala district of Tripura

i. The second border haat (rural market) was opened for common people at Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district of Tripura bordering Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.

ii. The haat was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina by video-conferencing from Dhaka on June 6, 2015. This market is set up at the zero line of the international border with one part on the Indian side and the other in Bangladesh.

iii. Initially it will facilitate bilateral trade of 16 shortlisted locally produced goods. These goods include agricultural and horticultural crops, spices, minor forest products excluding timber, fish and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items.

iv. People residing within a distance of 5 km from along the border are entitled to do business at the haat which will take place once in a week initially. No local taxes would be levied on the goods sold in the haats and currencies of both the countries would prevail.

v. First border haat was inaugurated on Srinagar- Purba border area in January 2015 by Union Commerce and Industries Minister Nirmala along with her Bangladeshi counterpart Tofail ahmed.

2. Renewable energy targets quadruple globally in 10 years: IRENA

i. IRENA is an intergovernmental organization to promote adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It is a global hub for renewable energy cooperation and information exchange within its member nations.

ii. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has announced that in past one decade renewable energy targets have quadruple globally.

iii. It was mentioned IRENA Renewable Energy Target Setting report which was released by IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin on the side lines of IRENA’s 9th Council meeting in Dubai.

iv. As per report, 164 countries have adopted at least one type of renewable energy target compared to 43 countries in 2005. All nations are adopting renewable energy targets to meet multiple objectives including energy security, environmental sustainability and socio-economic benefits.

v. The majority of 150 countries have focused committed renewable energy targets on the electricity sector The numbers of countries setting renewable targets for the heating and cooling sector have increased to 47 from 2 countries in 2005.

3. RBI allows NRIs to subscribe chit funds

i. Reserve Bank of Indian has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to invest in chit fund to encourage flow of capital into the country. Decision in this regard was taken after RBI had revised the extant guidelines for subscription to the chit funds in consultation with the government.

ii. Henceforth, NRIs on non-repatriation basis will be allowed to invest in chit fund without any ceiling. However, the subscription to the chit funds by NRIs will be mandatorily brought in through normal banking channel, including through an account maintained with a bank in India.

iii. The state government may permit any chit fund to accept subscription from NRIs on non-repatriation basis. It will be permitted by the registrar of chits or an officer authorized by the state government in accordance with the provisions of the Chit Fund Act, 1982.

iv. Earlier in May 2000, RBI had barred NRIs from investing in a company or firms engaged in the business of chit fund. Apart from this decision, RBI also extended the scheme allowing airline companies to raise external commercial borrowings (ECB) for working capital as a permissible end-use under the approval route. Now, the ECB scheme will continue till March 31, 2016.

4. Legendary actor Sir Christopher Lee passes away

i. Legendary English actor, singer and writer Sir Christopher Lee passed away in London, United Kingdom. He was 93. The veteran actor was famously known as the master of horror for his famous villainy acting roles in numerous movies such as Dracula, The Wicker Man, James Bond, Lord of the Rings trilogy etc.

ii. Christopher Lee was born in London in 1922 Film career: His on screen acting career began in 1947 after he had the Rank Organisation where he was trained as an actor. His career spanned more than 7 decades. His famous acting roles include Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003), The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014), Count Dooku Star Wars trilogy (2002 and 2005) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).

iii. He also is known for his best performance portraying of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the biopic Jinnah (1998). Music career: Lee was also known for his singing ability. He had recorded various opera and musical pieces between 1986 and 1998.

iv. He also had recorded symphonic metal album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross in 2010 after he had worked with several metal bands since 2005. Awards and Honours: He was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity and was awarded the Bafta fellowship in 2011 and Spirit of Metal award (2010)

5. Union Government scraps import duties on AIDS drugs and test kits

i. Union Government has scrapped customs import duties for drugs and test kits used to treat Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

ii. In this regard Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has issued a notice that will remain in effect till March 2016. This decision will help to cut prices of AIDS drugs across the country and thus help directly in Government’s national program to fight the disease.

iii. It will also make import raw materials that are used to make antiretrovirals under the national program cheaper. This tax exemption will be applicable to certain first-line and second-line antiretroviral drugs which are used to treat adults and children.

iv. Apart from drugs certain diagnostic kits and equipment are also exempted from tax. In India more than 2.1 million HIV/AIDS patients are provided with daily antiretrovirals for free from state-run distribution centres which are operated by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

6. C.S Verma steps down as SAIL CMD

i. State-owned SAIL on Thursday said C. S. Verma had relinquished the charge as Chairman and Managing Director on completion of his tenure and Steel Secretary Rakesh Singh has assumed the charge till a regular incumbent is appointed.

ii. Mr. Verma was appointed CMD of the country’s largest steel producer for a 5-year term in June 2010 by the previous UPA government, and was eligible for an extension till he attained the superannuation age of 60 years in September 2019.

iii. The government’s not extending his tenure to the top job makes him the first ‘Maharatna’ PSU head to be denied an extension during the current NDA regime.

7. TCS, Infosys face US probe for H-1B visa violations

i. The US government has opened an investigation against two of the biggest Indian outsourcing companies for possible violations of H1-B visa rules, according to a media report.

ii. The Department of Labour has opened the investigation against Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys for possible violations of rules for visas for foreign technology workers under contracts they held with an electric utility Southern California Edison

iii. The power company had recently laid off more than 500 technology workers amid claims that many of those laid off were made to train their replacements who were immigrants on the temporary work visas brought in by the Indian firms

iv. The move by the Labour Department comes days after the NYT had reported that hundreds of employees at entertainment giant Walt Disney were laid off and replaced with Indians holding H1-B visas.

Daily GK Update - 13th June 2015 1. AP launches ‘Mee Bhoomi’ digital depository of land records

i. The Andhra Pradesh government has launched `Mee Bhoomi', a digital depository of land records.The portal, http://meebhoomi.ap.gov.in/, makes all land details along with Adangal/Pahani and 1-B details, available to the people.

ii. It also lists details of land owners, area, assessment, water source, soil type, nature of possession of the land, liabilities, tenancy, and crops grown. One can also view individual/ village adangal and 1B details on the website.

iii. Besides the survey number or pattadar number, it also gives the option of entering the Aadhaar card number to view land details. Users can also search for their field measurement book (F.M.B) on the website. The details of any transactions will also be updated on the website.

iv. With respect to grievances related to land, people can register a complaint at the closest Mee-Seva centre, which will process the same within 15 days.Making the portal mobile-friendly, the government has also launched an Android app.

2. RBI allows FII buying in Kaveri Seed

i. The stock of Kaveri Seed Company will see some buying interest on Monday, as the Reserve Bank of India on Friday said foreign portfolio investors could now invest up to 49 per cent of the company’s equity base.

ii. The RBI decision follows foreign investor shareholding falling below the revised threshold limit. According to exchange data, at the end of March 2015, FIIs held 22.26 per cent stake in the seed major.

3. Dick Costolo resigned as CEO of Twitter Inc

i. Dick Costolo on 11 June 2015 resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter Inc after serving the company for five years. Costolo will demit the office of CEO on 1 July 2015.

ii. Twitter co-founder and Square Inc's CEO Jack Dorsey will take over as the Interim CEO of the company on 1 July 2015 and will stay until a replacement is found.

iii. Costolo joined the company in 2009 as its Chief Operating Officer. In 2013, he helped the company to go public and recently he struggled to attract new users to the service.

4. 50-lakh penalty on Future Generali

i. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has imposed a penalty of 50 lakh on Future Generali Life Insurance Company.

ii. The regulator, which had examined 34 charges on a variety of aspects related to business, said the company had violated many norms, including not settling ‘huge’ number of claims in respect of the group insurance schemes, continuation of corporate agency even after expiry of licence, use of unlicensed entities for procuring business and distribution of gift vouchers procured from Big Bazar, one of the group companies.

iii. It has been asked to pay the penalty within 15 days, according to an order issued by IRDAI Chairman TS Vijayan.

5. Wes Hall inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

i. Former West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the lunch break on the opening day of the Sabina Park Test between West Indies and Australia.

ii. He became the fourth cricketer to receive the honour this year after Betty Wilson, Anil Kumble and Martin Crowe.Hall, 77, received his commemorative cap from fellow Hall of Famer Courtney Walsh, and is now the 18th cricketer from the Caribbean to be bestowed with the award.

iii. Hall, who played 48 Tests for West Indies between 1958 and 1969, said he was "privileged" and "honoured" to receive the award which put him in the company of the "many greats of the game"

6. China launches freight train service connecting Europe

i. China today launched a freight train service between its northeastern city of Harbin and Europe, opening a new trade route to Europe covering a distance of nearly 10,000 kms.

ii. The train left Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, carrying 49 containers of domestic goods such as electronic products and auto parts worth US$ three million from northeast and north China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

7. In Haryana village, contest of selfies with daughter to save girl child

i. Haryana's Bibipur village, which wants The Women's World' added to its name, has now come out

with a unique idea to continue its efforts to create gender-neutral atmosphere in the state.

ii. The village panchyat has decided to organize a best selfie with daughters' contest to honour the winning family with a trophy, certificate and Rs 2,100 as cash prize.

iii. The panchayat has invited parents to send their selfies to the village sarpanch on WhatsApp by June 17 while the winner family would be announced after two days.

iv. Village sarpnach Sunil Jaglan said they that had already received more than 120 entries in past four days after they announced the contest.

8. Utility bills valid proof of address to open account: RBI

i. Bills for postpaid mobile service, piped gas and water supply can now be submitted as proof of address for opening account with banks or other financial institutions, the Reserve Bank said today.

ii. Utility bill which is not more than two months old of any service provider (electricity, telephone, postpaid mobile phone, piped gas, water bill) for the limited purpose of proof of address are deemed to be Officially Valid Documents (OVDs) under 'simplified measures.

Daily GK Update - 14th June 2015 RBI issued final guidelines for 6-year and 13-year Interest Rate Futures

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the final guidelines for the 6-year and 13-year cash settled Interest Rate Futures (IRF) on government securities with residual maturity of 4-8 years and 11-15 years respectively under the Interest Rate Futures (Reserve Bank) (Amendment) Directions, 2015. For this purpose, RBI amended the Interest Rate Futures (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2013 dated 5 December 2013. ii. For the 6-year cash settled IRF contracts, the underlying shall be a coupon bearing government security of face value of 100 rupees and the residual maturity of 6-year IRF is between 4 and 8 years on the expiry of futures contract.

iii. For the 13-year cash settled IRF contracts, the underlying can be a coupon bearing government security of face value of 100 rupees and residual maturity will be between 11 and 15 years on the expiry of futures contract.

iv. Moreover, the RBI also expanded the residual maturity for the existing 10-year cash settled IRF from 9-11 years to 8-11 years to provide market participants a greater choice and flexibility to hedge their interest rate risk across different tenors.

US becomes world's largest oil producer, says BP Report

i. As per recently released report by British Petroleum (BP) Energy Company, United States (US) became the world’s largest oil producer in 2014 surpassing Saudi Arabia.

ii. Production: US had produced 11.6 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) i.e. 15.9% more oil in 2014. While, Saudi Arabia was placed second position as it had produced 11.5 million bpd in 2014. Russia was placed at third position with 10.8 million bpd oil production.

iii. Natural Gas Production: US also has surpassed Russia as the world’s largest producer of natural gas.

iv. Consumption: China had remained the world’s largest growth market for energy in 2014

v. Facts related to India: India’s oil production gad declined by 1.3% at 895,000 bpd, while the consumption had increased by 3% to 3.8 million bpd. India has shown 7.1% rise in energy consumption.

Government sacks Dr. Bimal Roy, Director of Indian Statistical Institute

i. Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has sacked Dr Bimal K Roy as the Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). He was removed from the office on charges of indiscipline one-and-a-half months before the end of his term.

ii. Professor Sanghmitra Bandyopadhayay now will replace Dr Bimal K Roy as the Director of ISI. With this appointment she has become the first woman to lead the institute.

iii. Roy who is a renowned cryptologist was appointed Director of ISI in August 2010. In April 2015, he was conferred with India’s fourth highest civilian honour Padma Shri for his contribution in the discipline of literature and education. VK Singh inaugurates first India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu University, China i. Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V K Singh inaugurated first India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming, China. ii. This is first Indian government institution related Indian spiritual art form i.e. Yoga in China inaugurated ahead of the first UN Yoga Day to be observed on June 21. iii. The Yoga College was established in lines with the MoU for establishing the Yoga College signed during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China in May 2015. iv. This college seeks to provide certification courses in the Indian spiritual art with them Indian teachers who are going to help in curriculum development and training.

Government launches Migrant Resource Centre in Chennai i. Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) was set up in Chennai by the Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) and Tamil Nadu state government. ii. The MRC will provide migrants and overseas Indian workers with information, advice, counseling and guidance on all aspects of overseas employment. iii. Following are support functions of MRCs

• Dissemination of information on safe and legal migration. • Dissemination of information regarding status of recruiting agents along with other service providers. • Registration and response to complaints and grievances within the redressal forum of MOIA. • To offer counseling support in form of walk in or telephone and email support.

iv. Note: It is the fourth such MRC in India set up by MOIA. The first MRC was established in 2008 in Kochi, Kerala by MOIA. Later, fully functional MRCs in Hyderabad (Telengana & Andhra Pradesh), Gurgaon (Haryana) were established.

14th June: World Blood Donor Day

i. World Blood Donor Day is being observed across the world on 14 June to raise the public awareness about the need for safe blood donation.

ii. The theme of this year’s campaign is Thank you for saving my life. This year’s campaign encourages donors all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.

iii. Objective

To spread awareness about the need for safe and secure blood supplies.

Provide an opportunity to draw public attention to the importance of blood donation for saving lives.

Recommendations of Bibek Debroy Committee on restructuring of Indian Railways

i. The committee has suggested measures for restructuring the Railway Board and its departments so that policy making is separated from day-to-day operations.

ii. Recommendations of Bibek Debroy committee

• Establishment of an independent regulator Railway Regulatory Authority of India (RRAI) with a separate budget and to be independent of the Ministry.

• RRAI will decide on tariffs to revamp the cash-strapped railways. • Railway Budget should be phased out with gross budgetary support to Indian Railways. • No privatisation of Indian Railway but allowed participation of private sector in the railway projects. • State governments should be asked to entirely fund the Government Railway Police (GRP). • The recommended changes should be implemented only by Union Railways ministry in the first five

years including the resolution of the social cost issue.

iii. Background: Union government had constituted the high-level committee in September 2014 to restructure the Railways and suggest ways for resource mobilisation. It was seven-member panel headed by eminent economist and NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy. The other 6 members are former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, Gusharan Das, Ravi Narain, Partha Mukhopadhyay, Rajendra Kashyap, Ajay Tyagi and Ajay Narayan Jha.

Daily GK Update - 16th June 2015 1. Union Government launched Augmented Reality Application named Sakaar

i. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh on 15 June 2015 launched an Augmented Reality (AR) application named Sakaar to highlight the achievements of the Department of Space. ii. The application has been developed by Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU) of ISRO for Android devices.

iii. Sakaar consists of 3D models of MOM, RISAT, rockets (PSLV, GSLV Mk-III); videos of INSAT 3D-predicting cyclones, GSLV D5/Cryo, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) orbit insertion, launch video of MOM, 360 degree animated view of MOM; Anaglyph of Mars surface.

iv. Augmentation is in real time and the information is overlaid on the live view of the device’s camera. Essentially, AR requires three elements:

• Android device with back camera • AR application • AR Markers.

2. PM Narendra Modi launched book titled Education of Muslims by Professor JS Rajput

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 June 2015 launched a book titled Education of Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education – Indian Context edited by Professor JS Rajput.

ii. The book is aimed at informing and educating policy-makers, scholars and readers about role of Islam in pursuit of education and knowledge.

iii. The book contains 16 articles written by various scholars and historians including JS Rajput on wide ranging issues related to understanding of Islam religion, role of Islam and its educational institutions (madrasas) in dissemination of knowledge and educational status of Muslim children in India among others.

iv. JS Rajput is an accomplished educationist and historian. He is a former director of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and Chairman, National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

3. UN elected Denmark's Mogens Lykketoft to head General Assembly

i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 15 June 2015 elected Denmark's Mogens Lykketoft as its President for its upcoming 70th session in September 2015.

ii. He will have tenure of one year and succeeds Uganda's Sam Kutesa to preside over the 193-member body.

iii. Lykketoft presently is the speaker of Danish Parliament since 2011 and is a member of the Social Democrats party.

iv. Earlier from 1993 to 2001, Lykketoft served Denmark as its Foreign and Finance Ministers.

4. LIC Nomura Mutual Fund CEO Nilesh Sathe appointed member, life at IRDAI

i. The government has appointed Nilesh Sathe, Chief Executive Officer of LIC Nomura Mutual Fund Asset Management Company, as the member-life of insurance regulator IRDAI.

ii. The post was lying vacant since the retirement of S Roy Chowdhury in February 2014.

iii. Sathe will be joining the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on July 1 and have a four-year long tenure at the Hyderabad-headquartered insurance sector watchdog.

iv. Sathe held various positions in LIC, which include Executive Director (marketing) and Senior Divisional Manager in Mumbai.

5. Indian Railways names Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express

i. Indian Railways has named Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express with an immediate effect.

ii. In this regard the train No 19031/19032 Ahmedabad-Haridwar-Ahmedabad famously known as Haridwar Mail has been christened as Yoga Express.

iii. This decision was taken by Indian Railways before celebration of first ‘International Yoga Day’ on 21st June which will be observed as global event.

6. Sunil Chhetri becomes first Indian to score 50 international goals

i. Prolific striker Sunil Chhetri on Tuesday became the first Indian footballer to score 50 international goals during his team's 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Guam.

ii. Chhetri's feat, though, came in a losing cause, as India suffered their second successive defeat in the preliminary joint qualification second round.

iii. Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia stays at the second spot with 42 goals in 107 matches while IM Vijayan has 40 goals from 79 games. This meanwhile, was Chhetri's 87th match.

iv. For the record, it was Chhetri who scored India's all the goals in the team's four joint preliminary round 2018 World Cup qualifying games so far.

Daily GK Update - 17th June 2015 1. Govt okays 16 FDI proposals worth Rs. 6,751 cr.

i. The government on Wednesday approved 16 foreign investment proposals, including those of Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Star India Private Limited, amounting to Rs. 6,750.86 crore.

ii. The proposals were cleared during the FIPB meeting held on May 28

iii. Broadcaster Star India Private Limited has been given approval for further issuance and transfer of shares to its foreign collaborator and acquisition of another Indian company engaged in broadcasting sector on a slump sale basis.

iv. Syngene International has been allowed to raise foreign investment to 44 per cent from 10 per cent by initial public offering of equity shares to FIIs, FPIs and NRIs.

2. Book titled Modi - Incredible emergence of a star in Chinese language written by Tarun Vijay

i. A book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled Modi –Incredible emergence of a star written in Chinese language by Tarun Vijay

ii. The book was published in July 2014 by Sichuan University’s South Asia Study Centre.

iii. The book is a biography based on the life and economic vision of Narendra Modi.

3. ASCI launches mobile app to curb misleading advertisements

i. In a bid to address misleading advertisements, the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) launched its consumer complaint mobile application – ASCIonline, to provide consumer complaint services on a mobile app besides providing the facility online.

ii. Talking about the initiative, Narendra Ambwani, ASCI chairman said, “One of the goals of ASCI is to provide convenient access for lodging complaint and hence this launch of mobile app."

iii. Lodge complaints by simply providing advertisement details and objection. Users can also attach the files like image or video or YouTube link of that advertisement.

iv. Status of complaints and complaint tracking also made simple and user-friendly.

4. Archana Ramasundaram out of CBI, appointed Director of NCRB

i. Senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram has been moved out of the CBI and appointed as Director, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

ii. Ramasundaram, a 1980 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was appointed as Additional Director in CBI in February last year amid controversy.She was not assigned any work on the direction of the Supreme Court, which is hearing a writ petition against her appointment.

iii. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved lateral shift of Ramasundaram from the post of Additional Director, CBI to hold Director General or equivalent level post at the Centre.

iv. Ramasundaram's appointment last year had generated quite a controversy as the CBI locked horns with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Home Ministry over the choice.

5. Charles Correa, face of contemporary architecture in India passes away

i. India’s greatest contemporary architect Charles Correa passed away in Mumbai following a brief illness. He was 84.

ii. He was Chief Architect for Navi Mumbai along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta from 1970–75.

iii. He also had served as first Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanization and was appointed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.He is founder of Mumbai’s Urban Design Research Institute (established in 1984) dedicated to protect the environment and improve lives of urban communities.

iv. He had been awarded the Padma Shri (1972), Padma Vibhushan (2006) by Government of India. He was also awarded Royal Gold Medal for Architecture (1984) by the Royal Institute of British Architects, 7th Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1998), Praemium Imperiale of Japan.

6. Election Commission suspends recognition of PA Sangma-led National People’s Party

i. Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended recognition of the PA Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) which was a recognized state party in Meghalaya.

ii. The recognition of NPP was suspended under para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 after the party failed to file the election expenditure statement incurred in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

iii. At present NPP has one Lok Sabha member- PA Sangma from Tura constituency from Meghalaya. It also has 4 members in Rajasthan Legislative assembly and 2 in Meghalaya Legislative assembly.

7. BSNL to set up 40,000 wi-fi hot spots India

i. State owned telecommunications giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced to set up 40,000 Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) hot spots across the country.

ii. This project will come in lines with new digital architecture which is part of Union Government’s flagship Digital India Programme. The 40,000 wi-fi hot spots project will be entailed with an investment of about 6,000 crore rupees. The project is likely to be completed by 2018.

iii. It was announced by Union Minister of Communications & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad after launching the Wi-Fi facility at Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

iv. BSNL has installed the Wi-Fi facility at the premises of Taj Mahal as part of the Union Government’s plan to provide free internet services at major tourist places across country.

Daily GK Update - 18th June 2015 1. Union Cabinet gives nod to introduction of Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015

i. Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved introduction of Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 in coming session of Parliament.

ii. The Bureau will perform its functions through a Governing Council consisting of President and other members.

iii. Mandatory certification regime: Empower government to bring mandatory certification regime for articles, processes or services which it considers necessary.

iv. Simplified conformity assessment schemes: In order to allow ease of doing business, the bill allows multiple types of simplified assessment schemes. It includes Self Declaration of Conformity (SDOC) against any standard which will give multiple simplified options to manufacturers.

v. Mandatory hallmarking: provisions related to compulsory hallmarking of precious metal articles. Strengthening penal provisions: It will help for better and effective compliance of law and enable compounding of offences for violations.

2. Odisha State Co-op Bank launches Bank on Wheels

i. Intervening directly the Odisha State Co-operative Bank is going to launch the ‘Bank on Wheels’ to help farmers get loans on their doorstep. Twenty vans with ATM facility will move around 20 remote and tribal pockets in Keonjhar, Koraput, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts for the purpose.

ii. The Centre has provided Rs 6 crore, at the rate of Rs 30 lakh for each vehicle, to agriculture department for the scheme under Rashtriya Krishi Bikas Yojana.

iii. Anyone can withdraw money from the mobile ATMs though the scheme is meant for farmers

3. Union Cabinet approves Solar Power capacity target to 1 lakh MW under JNNSM by 2022

i. Union Cabinet approved increasing India’s solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) to 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) by 2022.

ii. 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) target principally will comprise of 40,000 MW from Rooftop and 60,000 MW through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects.

iii. After meeting this ambitious target, India will become one of the largest Green Energy producers in the world by surpassing several developed countries.

iv. These projects will help in generation of additional 2000 MW capacity of Grid-connected solar power projects and create employment of about 12,000 people in rural and urban areas. It will also help to reduce about 3.41 Million Tonnes (MT) of carbon emissions into the open environment every year.

4. Union Government decided to increase number of work days under MGNREGA in drought hit areas

i. The Union Government on 17 June 2015 decided to increase the number of workdays under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from 100 days to 150 days in drought-affected areas of the country.

ii. The decision to increase the wage days in drought-affected areas was taken as Government is expecting an increase in demand for wage-based employment due to drought affecting regular agricultural activities in some places.

iii. Earlier in February 2014, previous government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the number of workdays under MNREGA was increased from 100 days to 150 days for tribal areas who have received land rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

5. CEA-led committee to suggest GST rates, report likely in two months

i. A committee headed by the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) will recommend the possible rates of Goods & Services Tax (GST), slated to be introduced from April 1 next year.

ii. The setting up of two committees to facilitate implementation of the new indirect tax regime. The other will be a Steering Committee under the co-chairmanship of the Additional Secretary in the Revenue Department and Member Secretary, Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers.

iii. The CEA-led committee will recommend possible tax rates under GST that would be consistent with the present level of revenue collection of the Centre and States.

iv. While making recommendations, this Committee would take into account expected levels of growth of economy, different levels of compliance and broadening of tax base under GST. The Committee would also analyse the sector-wise and State-wise impact of GST on the economy.

6. ‘Op DOGA’ to secure Yoga Day event

i. Foolproof security arrangements made at the venue of the International Yoga Day event on Rajpath this weekend have been dubbed ‘Operation DOGA’ – a combination of the words, dog and Yoga - in line with the magnitude of the deployment of security dogs for the purpose.

ii. As the venue around India Gate-Rajpath will be visited by close to 40,000 people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi this Sunday, its peripheries and core areas have already been handed over for security checks to an undisclosed number of canine troops.

iii. The ITBP, nominated as the national ‘centre for excellence’ for sniffer and police dogs training, has put on job a special breed of Belgian Shepherd, ‘Malinois’, who gained prominence across the world after they reportedly participated in the strike of the U.S. Navy SEAL commandos on Al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden.

7. Beno Zephine becomes first 100% blind officer in IFS

i. The 25-year-old from Chennai was informed by the external affairs ministry on Friday that she has been inducted into the Indian Foreign Service, the first 100 per cent visually-challenged person to gain entry into the 69-year-old service.

ii. Former diplomats have hailed the decision to allow 100 per cent visually challenged people into the service.

iii. She was working as a probationary officer for state bank of India.

Daily GK Update - 20th and 21st June 2015 1. India sets two Guinness world records on International Yoga Day

i. India has set two Guinness world records (GWR) in Rajpath yoga event held on the eve of first International Yoga Day led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

ii. First record is the largest number of participants- 35,985 people had participated in largest yoga demonstration at a single venue i.e. Rajpath yoga event.

iii. Second is the most number of nationalities at a single event– People of 84 nationalities performed yoga at one place.

iv. The awards were received by Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik from representatives of Guinness World Records.

v. In this event all participants of all ages had performed various yoga exercises on the entire two-km stretch from Rafi Marg crossing near Vijay Chowk to India Gate. This mass yoga event has broken previous world record on mass yoga exercise which was set by 29,973 students from 362 schools on November 19, 2005 led by Vivekananda Kendra at Jiwaji University Gwalior.

2. Vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam selected for ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award 2015

i. One of the foremost south Indian classical vocalists, Sanjay Subrahmanyam has been selected for the ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award 2015. It will be bestowed upon him when he will preside over the 89th annual conference of the Academy which will be held between December 15, 2015 and January 1, 2016.

ii. With this, he is seventh artistes to be conferred with the award before completing 50 years of age. Others are Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Musiri Subramania Iyer, G.N. Balasubramaniam, Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer, M.L. Vasanthakumari and M. Balamuralikrishna

iii. Sangita Kalanidhi is a prestigious award bestowed annually upon an expert of Carnatic Music by the Madras Music Academy. The award’s name has been derived from Sanskrit which means treasure of Music and art in English. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.

3. International Yoga Day: Stamps, coins and commerce

i. The government of India has released stamp s and coins of the denomination of Rs.10 and Rs.100 on International Yoga Day (IYD) on June 21.

ii.The Department of Posts is bringing out stamp and the finance ministry coins.

iii. Also, on IYD, the Discovery Channel has telecasted a short film 'The Story of Yoga' to take viewers through a journey of rediscovering the Indian ancient practice.

4. HAL delivers ‘Orbiter Craft Module Structure’ of Chandrayaan-2 to ISRO

i. HAL has delivered ‘Orbiter Craft Module Structure’ of Chandrayaan-2 to ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC).

ii. The Orbiter Craft Module structure is a 3 tonne category bus structure made out of a central composite cylinder, shear webs and deck panels

iii. The Chandrayaan-2 mission is aimed at placing an Orbiter around the moon and sending a Lander and Rover to the surface of the moon. It will be launched by a Geo-Stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MKII).

iv. HAL has partnered and supported ISRO throughout its journey by providing hardware for satellites, SLV, ASLV, PSLV, GSLVMKII and GSLV MKIII (LVM3).

5. National vendor development programme in Bengaluru

i. Peenya Industrial Assocation (PIA) will hold PIA: Expo 2015 - National Vendor Development Programme at Bengaluru from June 25-27.

ii. Peenya Industrial Complex is one of the biggest industrial complexes housing about 8,500 MSMEs and spread over an area of 45 sq. km. It is surrounded by a dozen peripheral industrial estates, employing about 8.5 lakh people, out of which about four lakh are women employees.

iii. This year’s PIA Expo:2015 is being held held at Dr Prabhakar Kore Convention Center, Yeshwanthpur, Bengaluru.

6. Overnight Liquid Transaction facility on NSE’s Web-based Mutual Fund platform began functioning

i. National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 22 June 2015 operationalised the Overnight Liquid Transaction facility on its web-based Mutual Fund Service System (MFSS) platform. The platform was launched on 19 June 2015.

ii. The facility allows the participants to place purchase and redemption orders simultaneously in liquid schemes. This facility will only be available on MFSS Web based platform and in Physical mode only.

iii. Earlier in May 2015, a similar product was introduced by Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) which has so far seen daily transactions of worth 400-500 crore rupees.

7. Federer Wins Weber Title for Eighth Time

i. Roger Federer showed he was ready for Wimbledon by defeating Andreas Seppi of Italy, 7-6 (1), 6-4, on Sunday in Halle, Germany, to claim his record-setting eighth Gerry Weber Open title.

ii. It was Federer’s fourth title of the season, after wins at Brisbane, Dubai and Istanbul, and a timely boost for Wimbledon eight days before the tournament begins.

iii. Andy Murray claimed his 34th career title and third title of the season with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over unseeded Kevin Anderson in the final of the grass-court Queen’s Club tournament in London. Murray joined John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt as four-time winners of the event.

8. Nico Rossberg of Mercedes wins Austrian Grand Prix of F1

i. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg from Germany has won the Austrian Grand Prix Formula One (F1) World Championship title. It is Rosberg’s eleventh overall championship title and the third win in the 2015 season.

ii. First was the Spanish Formula 1 World Championship title won on May 10, 2015 and second was Monaco Grand Prix on May 24, 2015. Nico Rosberg had also won the Austrian Grand Prix of 2014 season which was maiden win for Mercedes on this track.

iii. Lewis Hamiltion (Mercedes) from United Kingdom was placed at the second position. Felipe Massa (Williams) from Brazil was placed at the third position. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) from Germany stood at the fourth position.

9. Former Indian women hockey captain Shashi Bala passes away

i. Former Indian women hockey team captain Shashi Bala passed away on 21 June 2015. Shashi was killed in a car accident along with her son in Kahma village of Punjab. ii. She was a former hockey player and had made international debut in 1987.

iii. She had captained Indian hockey team for women in Women Hockey World Cup Qualifier held in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1997. She was also team member of the Indian hockey team for women in 1998 World Cup played at Netherlands.

Daily GK Update - 23rd June 2015 1. Maharashtra topped the list of States and UTs in IPR filing in 2013-14: IBEF report

i. India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) in the third week of June 2015 released a report on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) filing in India during 2013-14.

ii. While Maharashtra topped the list of states and Union Territories (UTs), Bengaluru was the top city in IPR filing.

iii. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumakuru and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) figured in the top 10 scientific bodies and institutions with 32, 24 and 12 filings respectively.

iv. India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), is a trust established by the Department of Commerce, Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

2. SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and Foxconn formed a JV named SBG Cleantech Ltd

i. Japan headquartered telecommunications and Internet major SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group on 22 June 2015 formed a Joint Venture (JV) named SBG Cleantech Limited. This JV is aimed at promoting the adoption of clean and safe energy in India.

ii. SBG Cleantech will be a harbinger of solar and wind energy. The venture will invest in developing renewable energy plants across India. SBG Cleantech will be committed to contribute to Union Government's mission of 24x7 power for all and achieving 100GW solar and 60GW wind target by 2022.

iii. SBG Cleantech will have Manoj Kohli, a Bharti Enterprises Limited veteran, as its executive chairman and Raman Nanda will be the Chief Executive Officer of the company. The company will be headquartered in Delhi.

3. Rajasthan topped the list of States commissioning grid connected Solar Power projects

i. Rajasthan topped the list of states commissioning grid connected solar power projects in the country with an installed capacity of 1147 megawatt. The list was released by the Union ministry of New and Renewable Energy on 4 June 2015.

ii. Gujarat, which remained the undisputed leader in solar energy generation till 2014, came second with an installed capacity of 1000MW.

iii. The state has also signed MoUs with power developers like SunEdison, Adani Enterprises, Reliance Power and Azure Power that will generate 14000 MW solar power. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is already in the process of commissioning 680 MW in the state.

4. Sister Nirmala Joshi, successor of Mother Teresa passes away

i. Sister Nirmala Joshi, former Superior General of Missionaries of Charity passed away in Kolkata after brief illness at the age of 81.

ii. She had taken over as Superior General in March 1997 after the death of Mother Teresa.

iii. Sister Nirmala was elected as Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity six months before Mother Teresa’s death (September 5, 1997).

iv. She was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award in 2009 for her services to the nation.

5. Kerala Government declares June 22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’ i. Kerala Government has declared June 22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’ in a bid to protect the endangered species which is also known as Indian darter. The formal announcement was made by State minister for forest Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan at a function organised by Snake Bird Foundation in Thiruvananthapuram.

ii. It is water bird which is also known as Indian darter (Anhinga melanogaster). It has large slender long-necked water bird and is mostly black with silver wing markings.

iii. As per IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Snake Bird is classified as Near Threatened species. Threat: Its population is moderately declining owing anthropogenic reasons like pollution, drainage, hunting and the collection of eggs and nestlings.

iv. It inhabits in shallow inland wetlands including rivers, lakes, swamps and reservoirs. In case of India there are over 1500 snake birds in which majority are found in Kerala. These species usually nests atop tall trees near wetlands.

6. Maharashtra declares Blue Mormon as ‘State butterfly’

i. Maharashtra has officially declared Blue Mormon species as State butterfly as part of state symbols. Decision in this regard was taken in State Wildlife Board meeting presided by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.

ii. With this, Maharashtra became the first State in the country to have a State butterfly.

iii. Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) is the second largest butterfly species in terms of size, after the southern birdwing (Troides minos).

iv. Blue Mormon has black, velvet wings with bright blue spots. The lower ends of its wings are black. Its body has some red spots on one side. Distribution: It is only found (endemic to) in Sri Lanka, Western Ghats of Maharashtra, South India and coastal belts of the country.

Daily GK Update - 24th June 2015 1. India emerges as third largest FDI source for United Kingdom

i. India has emerged as the third largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) source for United Kingdom (UK) in 2014-15.

ii. It was revealed in recently released report Inward Investment Report 2014-15 of UK Trade and Industry (UKTI). This FDI source was based in terms of number of projects i.e. source of inward investment.

iii. US has remained the largest source of inward investment for UK with a total of 564 projects in 2014-15 and was followed by France (124 projects) and India (122 projects).

iv. During the year 2014-15, the FDI from India increased by 65 per cent and has resulted in creation of 7,730 jobs as well as protection of 1,620 jobs in UK. Sector wise Indian companies had invested in healthcare, agriculture-technology, food and drink.

2. SEBI simplifies IPO norms

i. To help investors and companies in IPOs, SEBI today halved the listing time to six days from the date of the public offer and also allowed a larger number of firms to tap the “fast—track” route for raising funds.

ii. Currently, the companies are required to list their shares on the stock exchanges within 12 days of the last date of the IPO (Initial Public Offer) process, thus keeping the funds locked in for a longer period of time.

iii. The shorter time period, which would come into effect from January 1, 2016, would also help reduce the costs associated with the public offering, SEBI Chairman U K Sinha said after a meeting of the regulator’s board.

3. India ranked 143rd in Global Peace Index, wasted $340 billion due to violence

i. The research firm based in Australia has ranked India as the 143rd out of the 162 nations listed in the Global Peace Index.

ii. The economic impact of containing and dealing with the consequences of India’s levels of violence was estimated to cost the national economy $341.7 billion in 2014.

iii. The peace index also indicated that since the last eight years India has fallen 6% in the ranking due to the “deteriorations in indicators measuring deaths from external conflict, political terror and perceptions of criminality.”

4. Five banks to lead NTPC’s debut masala bond offering

i. Barclays, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and SBI Capital Markets are being tipped to lead NTPC’s debut issuance of offshore rupee-linked bonds.

ii. The five lenders also led NTPC’s US dollar offering last November, when it raised $500 million through a 10-year Reg S-only bond priced to yield 205bp over Treasuries.

iii. NTPC, the country’s largest power company, is among a handful of Indian companies waiting to raise funds through this new market once the Reserve Bank of India finalises guidelines on such issues.

iv.The offshore notes, also called masala bonds, will be issued under India’s external commercial borrowing guidelines.

5. EPFO makes UAN mandatory for all employers under its purview

i)Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has notified an order to make Universal Account Number (UAN) mandatory for all its employers. It will be mandatory for all employers covered under the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.

ii)The UAN facility was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2014. It is portable throughout the lifetime of an employee and removes the need for employees to apply for PF transfer claims while changing jobs

iii) EPFO is a statutory body of Union Government under the aegis of Ministry of Labour and Employment.its headquarter Headquarters New Delhi.

6. Union Government launches Bhuvan Ganga Mobile App to aid Clean Ganga Mission

i)Union Government has launched Bhuvan Ganga Mobile Application and Web Portal to aid flagship mission to Clean Ganga.

ii) The app and webportal was launched by Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti in New Delhi.

iii)Bhuvan Ganga application: It will facilitate public to upload pictures of pollution sources of the Ganga River for further action by the authorities concerned. It will also serve platform for people to monitor pollution in river Ganga and enable decision makers to prioritize interventions.

iv) Bhuvan Ganga Portal: It is deployed as part of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) Bhuvan’s geoportal with all geospatial layers related to Ganga River. It will be used as a tool to support decision making and planning for the Clean Ganga Mission.

7. Steffi Graf appointed Kerala's brand ambassador for Ayurveda

i)Tennis legend Steffi Graf was on Wednesday appointed the Ayurveda brand ambassador of Kerala.

ii) The Kerala tourism department was given sanction to sign an agreement with Graf to become Ayurveda brand ambassador as part of the department's 'Visit Kerala Scheme', Chandy said.

iii) The tourism department had already held discussions and reached an agreement with the German former World number one tennis player, who had bagged 22 Grand slam single titles.

iv) Kerala's Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care which is famous for its holistic effect on body and mind, attracts a large number of people from the country and abroad every year.

Daily GK Update - 25th June 2015 1. PM Narendra Modi launches Smart Cities Mission, says Centre committed to urban India

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled three mega flagship schemes aimed at developing cities and towns as "new engines for growth".

ii. The three projects -- 100 smart cities, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Housing for All - will ring in a new urban era, which will entail an investment of over Rs 3 lakh crore in the next five years.

iii. The Smart City project seeks to enhance quality of life in 100 selected cities with 24 hour water and power supply, world class transportation system, better education and recreational facilities, e-governance and environment-friendly atmosphere, among others. The Smart City project will be based on PPP model, Naidu said.

iv. AMRUT seeks to ensure basic infrastructure for 500 cities with a population of above one lakh. Ensuring water supply to each household, sewer connections, sanitation and solid waste management, provision for roads and public transportation beside implementation of reforms in urban governance would be the focus under the scheme.

2. 11 Indian companies in Forbes Asia's 'Best Under A Billion' list

i) As many as 11 Indian companies including Avanti Feeds LtdBSE 0.37 % and Borosil Glass WorksBSE 0.11 % are ranked among top 200 Asia Pacific corporations in Forbes Asia's 'Best Under A Billion' list.

ii) The list covers public companies with annual revenue of $5 million to $1 billion, Forbes said, adding that they should also have positive net income and should be publicly traded for at least a year.

iii) Companies from mainland China & Hong Kong (84) as well as Taiwan (36) dominated this year's list accounting for 60 per cent of the top 200 publicly-traded companies in the Asia Pacific region.

iv) With 11 companies, India was ranked fourth on the list after South Korea which has 17 firms in the coveted list.

3. State Bank of India appoints Anshula Kant as CFO

i) State Bank of India (SBI) on Thursday announced the appointment of Anshula Kant as its chief financial officer (CFO). Kant has been designated as the deputy managing director and CFO of the bank, SBI said in a filing on BSE.

ii) She joined SBI as a probationary officer in 1983 worked under various departments of the bank. Prior to her appointment, P.K. Gupta was the CFO.Gupta moved to SBI Capital as chief executive officer.

iii) Kant has been designated as the deputy managing director and CFO of State Bank of India.

4. India leads FDI in South Asia with 34 billion investment in 2014

i)ndia leads regional inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in South Asia accounting for $34 billion investment during 2014 and the upward trend is likely to continue this year also, according to a UN report which placed China as the world's largest FDI recipient.

ii) "FDI inflows to the country (India) surged by 22% to about $34 billion" improving its position to 9th top host country for FDI in 2014, over its rank of 15th in 2013, the UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2015 says.

iii) India is likely to maintain an upward trend in 2015 as economy recovery gains ground.

5. Union Cabinet gives nod to rename SECI as Renewable Energy Corporation of India

i) Union Cabinet has given nod to rename Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) as the Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI).

ii) Apart from this decision, Union Cabinet also gave approval to SECI to convert into Section 3 Company by applying to the Registrar of Companies (ROC) from a Section 8 Company under the Companies Act, 2013. This decision will help SECI or renamed entity RECI.

iii) SECI is a not-for-profit company under Section-25 of the Companies Act 1956. it was Established in 2011 as a facilitation and implementation institution dedicated to Solar Energy sector. Operates under: the aegis of Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy,its Objective is to develop Solar Technologies and ensuring inclusive solar power development throughout India.

6. Zaheer Abbas appointed as ICC President

i) Former Pakistan cricket team captain Zaheer Abbas has been selected the new President of International Cricket Council (ICC) for one year term.

ii) He will be 13th President of ICC and succeeds Mustafa Kamal of Bangladesh who had resigned from the post of ICC President in April 2015.

iii) Decision in this regard was taken during the ICC Annual Conference week in Barbados. Zaheer Abbas was a right-handed batsman. He had played 78 Tests and 62 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in his 22-year long illustrious career spanning from 1969 to 1985. He had scored 5,062 runs in Test career and 2,572 runs in ODI career. He also had represented Pakistan in three World Cups in 1975, 1979 and 1983. He also captained Pakistan in 14 Tests and 13 ODIs matches. In his career, he had scored 108 centuries.

iv) He was the only Asian batsman to score 100 first-class centuries and was also first batsman to score three consecutive centuries in ODIs.

7. Axis Bank launches debit card with enhanced security features

i) Axis BankBSE -0.11 % has launched a debit card equipped with improved security features, aimed at attracting more customers towards cashless transactions, which would also help bringing down the bank's operational cost.

ii) The card christened as Secure+ offers three key features, which come at a cost of Rs 300 a year."This product should become the primary debit card for the bank to offer.

iii) While you can deactivate or re-activate card with the touch of a button on Axis Bank mobile app, you can also block Axis Bank or other bank cards kept in a wallet, which is lost.

iv) Customers can now block all the cards in her/his wallet with a single phone call. You can either intimate Axis Bank about other card details in advance or can do the same after your wallet is lost.The card also offers fraud protection subject to a maximum limit of Rs 75,000.

8. Inderjeet Singh, Jinson Johnson won gold at Asian Athletics Grand Prix

i) Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India on 23 June 2015 bagged gold at the first leg of the Asian Athletics Grand Prix in Bangkok, Thailand.

ii) Inderjit won the gold in Shot Put by throwing 19.83 meters while Johnson won the gold in 800 meter event with a time of 1:48.52.

iii) This was Inderjeet's second gold in an international event in June 2015, having won the shot put event at the Asian Championships in Wuhan, China on 3 June 2015.In the first leg, India won a total of eight medals which included 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 Bronze medals.

9. R Ashwin breaks into top 10 of ODI bowlers’ rankings

i) Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has jumped two places to the 10th position in the ICC bowler’s rankings issued today.

ii) Ashwin, who bagged six wickets in the three ODIs against Bangladesh, was India’s leading wicket-taker in the just-concluded three-match series against Bangladesh and is also the only Indian to feature in the top-10 list.

iii) Bengal medium-pacer Mohammed Shami, who missed the series, which was India’s first bilateral loss to Bangaldesh (1-2), due to injury is the only other Indian bowler in the top-20 list at the 12th position.

iv) In the batting chart, Virat Kohli tops the Indian player’s list at the fourth position as opener Shikhar Dhawan, who was the leading run-getter in the series with an accumulated score of 158, dropped a place to seventh.

v)Dhawan still stays well clear of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who occupies the eight spot in the table led by South Africa’s AB de Villiers.

vi)Suresh Raina has also improved his ranking by two places to 18th.

Daily GK Update - 26th June 2015 1. RBI extends deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes till December 2015

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the date to exchange pre-2005 bank notes till December 31, 2015 for third time.

ii. RBI had set the last date for public to exchange these notes as June 30, 2015. RBI has urged people to deposit the old design notes in the bank accounts or exchange them at a bank branch.

iii. pre-2005 notes have fewer security features as compared to 2005 and post-2005 currency notes. It will also remove fake currency notes in circulation which were being pumped in Indian economy were copies of pre-2005 notes.

iv. The spillover effect of the RBI’s decision will be to flush out black money. Money has value only as long as it is a medium of exchange and store of value.

v. A disincentive for cash hoarders – With the RBI’s announcement, currency hoarders will be left with no option but to liquidate their unaccounted holdings by spending or exchanging them.

2. Exim Bank lends $268 million to Tanzania to extend water pipeline

i. Export-Import (Exim) Bank has extended a line of credit of $268.35 million to Tanzania for financing extension of Lake Victoria pipeline.

ii. With this agreement, Exim Bank has now in place 198 LOCs, covering 63 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, Oceania and the CIS, with credit commitments of over $12.10 billion, available for financing exports from India.

iii. Till date, the bank has sanctioned an aggregate amount of $2.33 billion for 19 projects valued $3.75 billion under the BC-NEIA.

3. India, US ink pacts to enhance cooperation in health sector

i. India and United States have signed a series of agreements on health in order to enhance cooperation in health sector. The multiple areas covered under such agreement include cancer research, medical infrastructure development and application of new diagnostic technologies.

ii. MoU on cancer research, control, prevention and management: To develop collaborative research projects on population-based cancer control and implementation science.

iii. MoU on collaboration in Environmental, occupational Health and Injury Prevention and Control: Further enhance cooperation in the fields of environmental and occupational health along with injury prevention and control research.

iv. Set up mechanism of antimicrobial resistance which also include the applications of systems biology.

4. Ericsson appoints Paolo Colella as new head of region India

i. Ericsson has announced the appointment of Paolo Colella as new Head of Region India. In this new role, Paolo will also take a seat on Ericsson’s Global Leadership Team, reporting to the Chairman of Region India and Senior Vice President Asia-Pacific, Mats H Olsson.

ii. Chris has successfully managed Ericsson’s operations in India during his two year stint in the country and enabled the India operations to grow into the largest employee base for Ericsson in the world.

iii. Paolo Colella, who assumes his new role effective September 1, 2015, has been responsible for Ericsson’s Consulting and Systems Integration practice globally for around six years.

5. Union Government exempts educational institutions from prior green nod

i. Union Government has exempted builders from obtaining prior green nod for construction of Universities, School, College and Hostel facilities.

ii. In this regard Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a circular to exempt green nod for educational institutions provided they should follow sustainable environment practises of construction.

iii. Besides, educational institutes MoEFCC has exempted builders from obtaining prior green nod for construction of industrial sheds. It also exempts godowns and buildings which are connected with production related and other associated activities of the unit in the same premise.

iv. in this circular MoEFCC had clarified that prior environment clearance is mandatorily required for construction of Medical Universities and institutes having hospital facilities.

6. Mobile tower set up at 16,000 feet in Ladakh

i. State-run BSNL, with the Army's assistance, today operationalised a mobile tower at an altitude of 16,000 feet in Eastern Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

ii. The mobile tower at Chongtash has been established with assistance from the Indian Army's Trishul Signallers in terms of transportation, setting up and rearward connectivity.

7. NCR to have a second airport; Aviation ministry makes Jewar as first choice

i. The civil aviation ministry on Thursday took an in-principle decision to have a second airport in the National Capital Region (NCR). Among the probable sites for the airport, the ministry zeroed in on Jewar, keeping in view the fact that availability of land is a big problem.

ii. On the UP government’s choice of having an airport in Firozabad, the minister said the purpose of a second airport near Delhi would be defeated if an airport comes up in Firozabad.

iii. With the population of NCR (National Capital Region) 8 crore, covering Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh, using only one airport, there is an urgent need for a second airport.

8. Satnam Singh Bhamara: All about India's first NBA player

i. Satnam Singh Bhamara, the first Indian-born player to be drafted in the NBA League, was introduced to basketball by his father, who is a farmer.

ii. Picked by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2015 NBA Draft, Singh has made history. But, there's a long way to go.

iii. Born in Ballo Ke, a village in Punjab where there are no basketball courts and no cable television, he started playing the game at an early age. At the age of 12, he was sent to the government-funded Ludhiana Basketball Academy, where he spent two years away from home studying and training and honing his basketball skills.

iv. In 2010, at age 14, Singh was one of 29 Indian athletes in three sports who moved to the United States to get trained at the renowned IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, as part of a new scholarship programme to promote, develop, and manage sports and entertainment in India.

Daily GK Update - 27th June 2015 1. BRICS bank to be operational by end of 2015: South Africa

i. The emerging market BRICS nations will have their own development bank by the end of the year.

ii. "The New Development Bank is expected to be operational by end of 2015," the South African finance ministry said in a statement that announced the nomination of South African banker Leslie Maasdorp as vice president of the bank and parliamentary ratification of two treaties concerning the lender.

iii. The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - which represent 40 per cent of the world's population and a quarter of its economic output, decided in 2013 to create their own development bank to step up lending for the infrastructure projects needed to close the gap with the industrialised world.

The bank, which will be headquartered in Shanghai, is expected to have up to $100 billion in capital.

iv. The inaugural meeting of the board of governors of the New Development Bank will be held in the Russian city of Ufa on July 7 to confirm the appointment of the management of the lender.

2. India ranked best for investment

i. A ranking of destinations for attractiveness to foreign investors has placed India at the top among 110 countries. China has secured the 65th position and the U.S. is at the 50th. In the 2014 index, India was at the sixth position and Hong Kong was number one.

ii. The ranking is based on an index for baseline profitability that assumes that three factors affect the ultimate success of a foreign investment: how much the value of an asset grows; the preservation of that value while the asset is owned; and the ease of repatriation of proceeds from selling the asset.

iv. The index combines measures for each of these factors into a summary statistic that conveys a country’s basic attractiveness for investment.

3. Govt to infuse additional Rs 11,500 cr in PSU banks in FY16

i. Government is likely to infuse additional USD 1.8 billion (about Rs 11,500 crore) in public sector banks this fiscal over and above USD 1.2 billion earmarked in the Budget, Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said on Friday.

ii. The government has earmarked Rs 7,940 crore in the Budget for recapitalisation of PSU banks for the current fiscal.

iii. The government has already started assessment of capital requirement of public sector banks. It has already received presentation of 14 public sector banks.

iv. According to an estimate, public sector banks would need an additional capital of Rs 2.40 lakh crore by 2018 to meet the Basel III capital adequacy norms.

4. Mboweni heads for Brics bank

i. Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene announced on Friday that former Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni has been appointed as the non-executive director to the board the Brics New Development Bank (NDB).

ii. He added that Cabinet had endorsed the nomination of Leslie Maasdorp for vice-president of the NDB. Maasdorp recently parted ways with AdvTech where he was chief executive. He was previously the president of Merrill Lynch for southern Africa.

iii. The management of the NDBs will be appointed at the board of governors inaugural meeting on July 7‚ Nene said. The NDB is expected to be up and running by the end of the year.

5. Link Intime launches apps to give investors real-time info

i. To give real-time information, securities registry service provider Link Intime India Pvt Ltd has launched two unique mobile applications, one for investors and the other for client companies.

ii. The bLink app provides the latest information across all client companies serviced by Link Intime to investors. The app will provide information about IPO allotments, details of shareholder meetings, dividends declared and book closure period, undelivered articles, failure of credits of dividend/ interests, and failure of credit of shares/ bonds into investors’ accounts, among others.

iii. An investor can add up to 10 DP accounts under one login. The InSta Link app, for authorised corporate clients of Link Intime, gives an overview of the latest available holdings of shareholders of the company under various categories and changes thereof in the immediate past seven days.

6. HDFC Securities mobile trading app available in 11 languages

i. HDFC Securities, a subsidiary of HDFC BankBSE -0.23 % has launched its mobile trading app in 11 different regional languages.

ii. Language arriers or lack of research and advice should not be reasons for not investing in the future. Apart from English the app will be available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Oriya.

iii. HDFC Securities has had a call centre running which services customers in eight different languages. The mobile apps in multiple languages along with call centres will give lot of comfort to investors.

7. ICC amends rules in a bid to restore balance in ODIs

i. In a bid to restore the balance between bat and ball, the ICC today decided to scrap the batting Powerplays and allow five fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the last ten overs of an innings in one-dayers.

ii. The rule changes will come into effect for series starting on or after July 5, the ICC said in a media release issued today.

iii. The ICC Board during its Annual Conference here adopted these recommendations which were made by the ICC’s cricket committee headed by the former India captain Anil Kumble in Mumbai this May.

iv. The ICC Board also reviewed and adopted the Integrity Working Party’s recommendations to allow a greater role for a central Anti-Corruption Unit and pave the way for greater coordination of preventative and investigative activity around the world with a unified vision to ‘keep cricket clean’.

Daily GK Update - 28th and 29th June 2015 1. China-led AIIB development bank holds signing ceremony

i. China has hosted the signing ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a new international financial institution set to rival the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

ii. Delegates from 50 countries signed articles that determine each member's share and the bank's initial capital.

iii. The AIIB, which was created in October by 21 countries, led by China, will fund Asian energy, transport and infrastructure projects.

iv. The AIIB will begin with authorised capital of $50bn (£31.8bn), eventually to be raised to $100bn. China will hold a 30.34% stake making it the largest shareholder of the bank, Reuters quotes China's Finance Ministry as saying.

2. J Jayalalithaa launches first phase of Chennai Metro

i. First phase of Chennai Metro service was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after she flagged off inaugural train.

ii. The first phase of Metro service covers the 10-km overhead (elevated) stretch. It connects Alandur in south Chennai to Koyabedu in the north.

iii. The metro service will bear capacity of 1276 passengers with four coaches. It will cover seven stations in the stretch. They are Koyambedu, Arumbakkam, Vadapalani, Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, Ashok Nagar, Ekkattuthangal.

iv. The Corridor 2 or second phase of this metro connecting Chennai Central and St. Thomas Mount is will be ready by end 2015. The whole project is implemented by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). It was approved by then Congress-led UPA government in 2009.

3. India, Thailand sign multiple agreements including double taxation avoidance treaty

i. India and Thailand on Monday signed a number of important agreements, including the double taxation avoidance treaty, and exchanged instruments of ratification on the extradition treaty inked in 2013, which provides for the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders.

ii. The tax treaty provides for the framework to avoid double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes so as to promote bilateral economic cooperation.

iii. On the last day of her three-day visit, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj co-chaired the 7th meeting of the India-Thailand Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation.

iv. The extradition treaty signed between the two countries in 2013 provides for the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders, including those involved in terrorism, transnational crimes, economic offences etc.

4. President conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar

i. President Pranab Mukharjee on 26 June 2015 conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar, Chairman of Sakal Media Group (SMG) at Balgandharva Auditorium in Pune.

ii. Pawar is the 27th recipient of the Punyabhushan award and his name was selected for the award by a committee led by scientist Raghunath Mashelkar. Besides, President also felicitated five veteran freedom fighters in the function.

iii. The Punyabhushan (Pride of Pune) award constituted by Tridal, Pune is annually announced by the Punyabhushan Foundation on 23 March with a view to commemorate the memory of Indian revolutionary martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.

iv. It is awarded to an eminent personality from the field of art, music, culture, science, industry, social service, or sports in the city of Pune Maharashtra, India. The award carries a memento and cash prize of 1 lakh rupees.

5. Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji written by Abdul Kalam

i. Book titled Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji authored by former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari was released on 15 June 2015.

ii. In Transcendence, the authors Dr Kalam and Arun Tiwari have mapped a journey of self-realization reflected in the eyes of Pramukh Swamiji, painting a delightful fusion of spirituality, science and leadership.

iii. His candid vignettes (literature) from life on the centre stage of Indian technology and societal missions, Indian politics and world affairs are interwoven with revelations of a profound connection with Swamiji.

iv. Pramukh Swamiji Maharaj, one of the most inspiring spiritual figures of modern times and the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, is the inheritor of a legacy of Gunatit gurus hearkening to the early nineteenth century. Pramukh Swamiji became a friend of the eleventh president of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

6. Bajaj Allianz launches weather-based crop insurance

i. Private insurer Bajaj Allianz has launched a weather-based crop insurance scheme for orange crops in Nagpur, Hingoli and Washim districts of Maharashtra.

ii. The index-based insurance policy will cover losses incurred by orange fruit-growing farmers due to deviation in weather conditions and has been approved by Central and the State government, a company release issued here said.

iii. The company has also launched a campaign to create awareness about the scheme in three districts.

iv. The losses would be assessed on the basis of pre-defined and government-approved term sheets and actual weather data received from an approved automatic weather station installed in each block of these districts.

7. Topalov wins title

i. A quick but frustrating draw for Viswanathan Anand proved enough for Veselin Topalov to claim the Norway Chess 2015 title in Stavanger, Norway, on Thursday.

ii. All the expectations of a thrilling battle for the title between the two leading players of the elite field came to naught once Topalov managed a safe position arising out of the Queen’s Gambit Declined.

iii. But in the biggest surprise result of the competition, Jon Ludvig Hammer upstaged World champion Magnus Carlsen in the battle between two home players.

8. Jwala Gutta, Ashwni Ponappa win women’s doubles title of Canada Open Badminton tournament

i. Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the women’s doubles title of the Canada Open Badminton tournament.

ii. In the finals match played at Calgary, Canada they defeated Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek in straight games of 21-19, 21-16. It is their first title of this season.

iii. Michelle Li of Canada won the women’s single title, by defeating Kaori Imabeppu of Japan by 21-17 25-23 score in the final match.

Daily GK Update - 30th June 2015 1. Indian Railways, Indian Army among world’s biggest employers: WEF Study

i. Two Indian organizations, India Army and Indian Railways are among the world’s biggest employers. It was revealed in a research published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Both organisations employ around 2.7 million people together.

ii. Indian Railways was placed at 8th position with 1.4 million staff, while Indian Army was placed at 9th position with 1.3 million employees in the list of world’s biggest employers.

iii. US department of Defense: It is the world’s biggest employer with over 3.2 million employees.

iv. People’s Liberation Army (PLA): Chinese military is 2nd biggest employer with 2.3 million employees. 2. Bharti Airtel becomes 3rd largest mobile operator in world

i. Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel has become the world’s third largest mobile operator with 303 million subscriber.

ii. With operations in 20 countries, Bharti Airtel, which is present in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Africa, has “become the third largest mobile operator in the world in terms of subscribers”, the company said in a statement.

iii. Quoting latest data published by World Cellular Information Service (WCIS), it said Airtel has over 303 million mobile subscribers across its operations and has moved up one position in the global rankings.

iv. China Mobile, according to WCIS, is the top mobile operator in the world with 626.27 million subscribers. Vodafone Group of UK ranks second with 403.08 million subscribers. 3. IDFC appoints former CAG Vinod Rai as independent director

i. Infrastructure financing firm IDFC today appointed former Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as independent director.

ii. The appointment has been made with immediate effect.

iii. Rai also worked as Financial Services Secretary. He was director on several boards including the State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, and Life Insurance Corporation of India.

4. Afghan prez Ghani nominates first female judge to Supreme Court

i. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani nominated a female judge to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in an unprecedented move that has angered some Islamic conservatives.

ii. Anisa Rasouli, the head of the Afghan Women Judges Association and a former juvenile court judge, was the only female nominated to the nine-member bench after the announcement was delayed due to opposition by a group of Islamic conservatives earlier this month.

iii. President Ghani's wife Rula stepped into the limelight during the presidential election last year and has been actively campaigning for women's rights since then. 5. Nadia district in West Bengal wins UN Public Service Award 2015

i. Nadia district in West Bengal has won the United Nations Public Service Award 2015 in the category of improving delivery of public services for or eliminating open defecation in the district.

ii. The award was presented by the acting Secretary General of the UN Lenni Montiel to District Magistrate of Nadia and Sabhapati of Nadia Zilla Parishad in Medellin, Colombia.

iii. It was a collaborative effort with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Bank along with state government and local governments.

iv. The programme was initiated in 2013. In one-and-half-years, toilets were built in 5 lakh households and over 200 cluster toilets in public places.

6. HDFC Bank launches '30-min auto', '15-min 2-wheeler' loans

i. Country's second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank on Monday launched '30-min auto' and '15-min 2-wheeler' loan schemes, for which customers have to provide only their biometric details.

ii. The 30-minute auto loan is available for HDFC Bank customers, as well as others. With this technology-enabled solution, loans for two-wheelers can also be approved within 15 minutes

iii. Any person willing to avail a loan can walk into an auto dealership or any other touch points of the bank and provide the Aadhaar card number and fingerprint, it said.

7. Rahul Agarwal is Lenovo India MD

i. Technology major Lenovo on Monday said it has appointed Rahul Agarwal as the Managing Director of its India operations with immediate effect.

ii. Agarwal succeeds Amar Babu, who will now take on a regional mandate as Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific and Chairman, Lenovo India.

iii. Rahul Agarwal takes charge at a time when Lenovo is gearing up for its next phase of growth, diversifying beyond PCs into the smart connected devices while maintaining a strong PC focus

8. Adelaide Oval to host cricket's first ever day-night Test

i. Australia and New Zealand will play cricket's first day-night Test in Adelaide from late November.

ii. The Test, running November 27-December 1, will feature pink balls that Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland believes will hold up to Test match play.

iii. The Test is one of six at home for the Australians - three each against New Zealand and West Indies - from November 5 until January 7.