Update your IQ with the GK Eduwrap Weekly Edition, loaded with GK updates & Current Affairs. Now confidently crack the IBPS, SSC’s Current Affairs Section !!
Click here to Download GK Eduwrap Weekly (29th August to 3rd September 2016) in PDF FormatNational – Across the India:
1. The Union Human Resource Ministry has formally launched Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad in Karnataka.
It was launched by Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the first phase of the 4 phases Saurastra Narmada Avataran Irrigation yojana (SAUNI) at Sanodara of Jamnagar district of Gujarat.
Under the project, nearly 10 dams and reservoirs of Rajkot, Jamnagar and Morbi will be filled up with the water of Narmada River.
3. Madhukar Gupta, former Home Secretary Committee on border protection has submitted its report to the Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Madhukar Gupta, former home secretary in April 2016, for strengthening border protection and addressing the issue of gaps and vulnerability in border fencing along Indo-Pakistan Border.
4. The Union Defence Ministry has sanctioned the construction of a National War Memorial and National War Museum in New Delhi.
The National War Memorial will honour the memory of all soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.
5. The 2016 BRICS Convention on Tourism has begun at UNESCO World heritage site Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh to promote intra-regional tourism.
The convention has been organised as a precursor to the BRICS Summit to be held in Goa in October 2016.
6. The Union Cabinet has approved the scheme for granting of Permanent Residency Status (PRS) to foreign investors.
The scheme is expected to encourage foreign investment in India and facilitate Make in India Programme.
7. The annual socio-religious Solung festival of Adi tribe has started in Arunachal Pradesh.
Solung is 5-day long agro-based festival is celebrated every year by the Adi tribe in the first week of September.
The Solung festival reflects the socio-religious features of the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
8. The Union Government has notified National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) for providing apprenticeship training to over 50 lakh youngsters in order to create more jobs.
9. The first BRICS film festival has begun at the Sirifort Auditorium Complex in New Delhi.
The film festival is the run up to the BRICS summit which is to be held in Goa in October 2016.
10. The Indian Army has set up Army Design Bureau (ADB) in an attempt to indigenize procurements and reduce import dependence.
It a part of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative that will integrate various stakeholders in its long-term requirements.
11. The Union Government has constituted four members’ expert committee to study silt in river Ganga in Bihar.
It will be headed by member of Ganga Flood Control commission A .K. Sinha.
12. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed penalties on 10 cement companies and their umbrella association – Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) for cartelization.
These companies are ACC, ACL, Binani, Century, India Cements, JK Cements, Lafarge, Ramco, UltraTech and Jaiprakash Associates.
International – Across the Globe:
1. The 2016 World Risk Index (WRI) has been released.
India has been ranked 77th among the 171 countries.
The index was released as part of the World Risk Report 2016 released by the United Nations University Institute for Environment (UNUIE) and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart in Germany.
Sports:
1. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg (Germany) has won the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix of Formula One.
It was Rosberg’s overall tenth championship title of F1 in his career and the sixth win in the 2016 season.
He had also won Australian Grand Prix, Bahrain Grand Prix, Chinese Grand Prix and Russian Grand Prix.
2. The bronze medal that Yogeshwar Dutt won in the 2012 London Olympics is set to be upgraded to silver.
The unexpected upgrade has been triggered by a positive dope test of the silver winner in the 60-kg freestyle event in London – Russia’s Besik Kudukhov
3. England blasted a world record one-day international total of 444 for three on the way to a series-clinching victory over Pakistan.
4. Former pacer Zaheer Khan has been made an honorary life member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
He became the 24th Indian cricketer to be bestowed the honour.
Awards & Recognition:
1. Eminent poet and novelist from Jammu Padma Sachdev chosen for the prestigious Saraswati Samman for the year 2015 for her autobiography “Chitt-Chete“ (in Dogri language).
The award was established by KK Birla Foundation in 1991 and Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the first recipient.
2. Two Indians TM Krishna and Bezwada Wilson have received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay prize for the year 2016. They were among six persons / organisations who received the prestigious award, often regarded as Asia’s Nobel Prize.
Six awardees are:
- Bezwada Wilson (India)
- Thodur Madabusi Krishna (India)
- Conchita Carpio Morales (Philippines)
- Dompet Dhuafa (Indonesia)
- Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (Japan)
- Vientiane Rescue (Laos)
3. Martial arts expert and actor Jackie Chan will receive a lifetime achievement, Oscar.
The announcement was made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Chan made his movie debut at the age of 8.
Appointments & Resignations:
1. Indian multi-national conglomerate Larsen & Toubro’s group named S N Subrahmanyan as the Managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of India’s largest infrastructure engineering company from October first.
The appointment of Subrahmanyan had then come with the then chief executive and managing director KV Venkataramanan retiring.
2. Mukesh Mehta was appointed as the President of India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA).
He is also a Director on the Board of IBJA.
3. Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group of companies, has appointed private equity firm Bain Capital’s Managing Director Amit Chandra as non-executive director.
The appointments increases the total number of the company’s board members to nine.
4. Central Reserve Police Force India (CRPF) has decided to appoint Olympic silver medallist Pusarla Venkata Sindhu as its brand ambassador and bestow the honorary rank of Commandant.
Border Security Force (BSF) had appointed cricketer Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador.
5. Noted filmmaker, Aishwaryaa Dhanush was appointed United Nations Women’s Advocate for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in India.
She will help raise awareness of UN Women’s core message of gender equality and women’s empowerment across India.
6. Former Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla has been appointed as the new Chancellor of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University.
He is currently serving as the Chairman of TERI since February 2016.
7. Deep Kumar Upadhyay was re-appointed as Nepal’s ambassador to India.
He was serving as Nepal’s ambassador to India since April 2015, was suddenly recalled by the erstwhile K.P. Sharma Oli-led government in May.
8. Punit Goenka, Managing Director, Zee Entertainment Enterprises has been elected as the President of The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF).
Economics & Banking GK:
1. Private sector lender Yes bank has launched its own digital wallet Yes Pay for Android and iOS mobile platforms.
The wallet application can be accessed through social media accounts of Facebook.
2. The RBI, in its Annual Report, has projected India’s growth rate at 7.6% in 2016- 17, up from 7.2% last year.
The Reserve Bank of India is India’s central banking institution, which controls the monetary policy of the Indian rupee.
3. NABARD has sanctioned a loan of Rs 204.67 crore under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for rural infrastructure in Haryana.
4. Public sector bank, Canara Bank has launched a Unified Payment Interface (UPI) app named “empower”.
The mobile app works on NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) platform and enables bank customers pay and collect using this single app, the bank said.
5. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for simplification and liberalisation of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Policy, 2016 in various sectors announced in June 2016.
The radical amendments to FDI policy are meant to liberalise and simplify the FDI policy so as to provide ease of doing business in the country.
6. India has been placed at the 35th rank in the World Bank’s 2016 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) among 160 countries.
It was released by World Bank in its report titled ‘Connecting to Complete 2016’.
7. DCB Bank has launched ‘mVisa’.
It’s a mobile-based payment solution that will make payments at retail outlets much easier.
8. RBI has made it mandatory for banks to allow customers to register their mobile numbers through any ATM.
Banks have also been told not to insist that customers visit only their home branch to get their mobile numbers registered and to have this facility for customers across branches.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):
1. India and Myanmar signed four MoU to enhance cooperation and bilateral relations between the two countries.MoU on cooperation in the construction of 69 Bridges.
The agreements signed are:
- MoU on cooperation in the construction of 69 Bridges.
- MoU on cooperation in the construction / up gradation of the Kalewa – Yagyi Road Section.
- MoU on cooperation in the Field of Renewable Energy.
- MoU on cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine.
2. The Union Government has signed a MoU with Amar Chitra Katha to publish and distribute the comic book on Swachh Bharat Mission.
The MoU was signed between Amar Chitra Katha and the Union Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) to focus on Swachh Bharat Mission.
3. The Gujarat government has inked a tripartite MoU with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
Under these MoUs, 11 small airports and airstrips will be developed under the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) to boost regional air connectivity in the State.
4. LG Electronics Inc. has tied-up with Amazon.com Inc. on smart-home services.
This tie-up will help to enable the services of Amazon such as the Alexa virtual assistant on some of the electronics maker’s devices.
Science & Technology:
1. ISRO for the first time has successfully conducted the Scramjet (or Supersonic Combusting ramjet) engine test.
The test was conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta in Andhra Pradesh and has successfully has met all the intended parameters.
The scramjet engine works on the Air-breathing Propulsion System.
2. NASA’s solar-powered Juno spacecraft has successfully executed its first flyby of Jupiter, our solar system’s most massive planet.
During its first flyby, Juno passed just 4,200 kilometres above the planet’s clouds.
3. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced that Unified Payments Interface (UPI) application has become operational.
The application will allow customers to make easier real-time payments via digital means using smartphones.
4. Automobile manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) has introduced DiGiSENSE, a cloud based technology solution to track vehicle information in real time.
Now, Mahindra has become the first OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in India to integrate its product line-up onto a cloud-based technology platform.
5. E-commerce portal Amazon.in has announced the launch of a dedicated online Telugu book store with a wide-range of over 10,000 Telugu titles.
Readers can get Telugu translations of English bestsellers in the store.
Currently, Amazon caters to Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Gujarati and Bengali languages
6. Ananth Kumar, the Union minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs launched a mobile App developed by NPPA.
The app shows the MRP fixed by NPPA for various scheduled drugs on the real time basis.
7. Indian Railways has launched an insurance scheme for passengers travelling on e-ticket.
The insurance cover will be up to 10 lakh rupees.
It offers travellers or nominees a compensation of 10 lakh Rupees in the event of death or total disability, 7.5 lakh Rupees for partial disability.
8. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the first time has successfully sequenced DNA in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Important Dates:
1. National Sports Day in India is celebrated on August 29 to mark hockey legend Dhyan Chand’s birthday.
Dhyan Chand, considered as the greatest player in hockey, played a key role in India’s three consecutive Olympic triumphs in 1928, 1932 and 1936.
Notably, the government gives away awards such as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards on this day.
Death:
1. Eminent painter, writer and art historian Dinanath Pathy passed away following a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Bhubaneshar. He was 74.
He was a former secretary of Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and Bhubaneswar and is regarded as the pioneer of the art movement in Odisha.
2. Veteran Congress leader and former Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mohammad Shafi Qureshi has passed away in Delhi. He was 87 years old.
He also served as the Deputy Union Minister of Railways and got elected for Lok Sabha twice from Islamabad Parliamentary Constituency.
3. Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov had died aged 78 after suffering a stroke.
He saw himself as the protector of his Central Asian nation against the threat of militant Islam.
4. Australia’s oldest surviving Test cricketer, Len Maddocks, has passed away aged 90.
He being a batsman and wicket-keeper, played seven Tests for Australia between 1954 and 1956, and managed the Australian cricket team on its 1977 tour of England.
Important Abbreviations Used in the Article
| Abbreviation | Full Form |
| SAUNI | Saurastra Narmada Avataran Irrigation yojana |
| NAPS | National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme |
| PRS | Permanent Residency Status |
| CCI | Competition Commission of India |
| WRI | World Risk Index |
| UNUIE | United Nations University Institute for Environment |
| CRPF | Central Reserve Police Force India |
| TERI | The Energy and Resources Institute |
| IBF | Indian Broadcasting Foundation |
| LPI | Logistics Performance Index |
| M&M | Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd |
| UPI | Unified Payments Interface |
| NPCI | National Payments Corporation of India |
GK Eduwrap will help you keeping aware about all the major happenings of the country and the world and update your current affairs/general knowledge.
This will help you in preparing for all the competitive exams like IBPS, SSC, RRB etc.
Follow us on Facebook and YouTube. Also, comment your views there.
Image Courtesy: Google Images
This post first appeared on IBPS PO 2015 Exam Syllabus & Question Paper Patter, please read the originial post: here
