Recent General Knowledge Questions and Answers

 

1. Which country hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics?

   • Answer: France (Paris).

2. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024?

   • Answer: The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations World Food Programme.

3. Which company became the first to launch a commercial quantum computer in 2024?

   • Answer: IBM.

4. Who won the 2024 FIFA World Cup?

   • Answer: Argentina.

5. Which country is the largest producer of electric vehicles in 2024?

   • Answer: China.

6. What is the latest Mars rover mission called?

   • Answer: Perseverance Rover.

7. Which country achieved the highest GDP growth rate in 2024?

   • Answer: India.

8. Who is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?

   • Answer: Rishi Sunak.

9. Which major tech company faced a significant data breach in early 2024?

   • Answer: Microsoft.

10. What is the name of the new variant of COVID-19 that emerged in 2024?

    • Answer: Omicron XE.

11. Which film won the Best Picture Oscar at the 2024 Academy Awards?

    • Answer: "The Fabelmans."

12. Which country became the first to legalize cryptocurrency as legal tender in 2024?

    • Answer: El Salvador.

13. Who is the new Secretary-General of the United Nations in 2024?

    • Answer: António Guterres.

14. Which technology company launched the latest version of its smartphone with a foldable screen in 2024?

    • Answer: Samsung.

15. Who is the author of the best-selling book "The Future of AI" released in 2024?

    • Answer: Dr. Amit Patel.

16. Which Asian country saw significant anti-government protests in early 2024?

    • Answer: Myanmar.

17. Which major city was hit by a significant earthquake in 2024?

    • Answer: Istanbul, Turkey.

18. What major international trade agreement was signed in 2024?

    • Answer: The Global Trade Pact.

19. Who won the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament?

    • Answer: Mumbai Indians.

20. Which country launched the first manned mission to the Moon in 2024?

    • Answer: China.

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10 Fascinating General Knowledge Facts That Will Surprise You

 Introduction:

Welcome to my blog! Today, I’m excited to share with you a collection of general knowledge facts that are sure to pique your curiosity. From quirky natural phenomena to historical tidbits, these facts are not only fun but also remind us how amazing and diverse our world really is.

1. Honey Never Spoils:
Archaeologists have discovered pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old—and still perfectly edible! Honey’s natural composition gives it an almost eternal shelf life.

2. Octopuses Have Three Hearts:
These fascinating sea creatures have not one, not two, but three hearts. Two pump blood to the gills, while the third circulates it throughout the rest of the body.

3. Bananas Are Berries (But Strawberries Aren’t):
Botanically speaking, bananas qualify as berries, while strawberries do not. It’s a fun reminder that our everyday foods can have surprising scientific classifications.

4. The Eiffel Tower Grows in Summer:
Due to the expansion of iron in the heat, the Eiffel Tower can be up to 15 centimeters taller during the summer months than in winter.

5. Turtles and Their Unusual Breathing:
Some turtles have the unique ability to absorb oxygen through their cloacal bursae—a process sometimes humorously referred to as “breathing through their butts.”

6. The World’s Shortest War:
The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 is considered the shortest war in history, lasting only 38 minutes before Zanzibar surrendered.

7. A Day on Venus is Longer Than Its Year:
Venus rotates very slowly. In fact, a single day on Venus (one full rotation on its axis) takes longer than it does for the planet to orbit the Sun!

8. Cleopatra’s Timeline:
Did you know Cleopatra lived closer in time to the Moon landing in 1969 than to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza? History can be truly mind-bending.

9. More Stars Than Sand:
Astronomers estimate that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of Earth—a humbling thought about the vastness of our cosmos.

10. Lightning is Extremely Hot:
A bolt of lightning can heat the surrounding air to temperatures five times hotter than the surface of the Sun, even if only for a split second!

Conclusion:
I hope these fascinating facts have sparked your curiosity and reminded you just how incredible our world is. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to share it with friends and subscribe for more intriguing content. Stay curious and keep exploring!

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General Knowledge Quiz on Union Budget INDIA 2025

 

1. Who presented the Union Budget 2025?

1. a) Piyush Goyal
2. b) Nirmala Sitharaman
3. c) Arun Jaitley
4. d) Rajnath Singh

2. What is the total expenditure allocated in the Union Budget 2025?

1. a) ₹45 lakh crore
2. b) ₹50.65 lakh crore
3. c) ₹55 lakh crore
4. d) ₹60 lakh crore

3. What is the estimated fiscal deficit for the Union Budget 2025?

1        a) 3.5% of GDP

2        b) 4.0% of GDP

3        c) 4.4% of GDP

4        d) 5.0% of GDP

 

4. Which sector received significant funding for infrastructure development in the Union Budget 2025?

1.      a) Education

2.      b) Health

3.      c) Railways and highways

4   d) Defense

5. What key initiative aims to improve agricultural productivity in the Union Budget 2025?

1. a) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
2. b) National Mission on High Yielding Seeds
3. c) Soil Health Card Scheme
4. d) Digital India Initiative

6. What major tax reform was introduced in the Union Budget 2025 regarding income tax slabs?

1. a) Increased tax rates for higher income groups
2. b) Zero income tax for annual incomes up to ₹12 lakh under the new tax regime
3. c) Introduction of a wealth tax
4. d) Higher exemptions for senior citizens

7. Which board was established to promote Makhana cultivation in Bihar as part of the budget initiatives?

1. a) Agricultural Development Board
2. b) Makhana Board
3. c) Bihar Crop Improvement Board
4. d) Fisheries and Aquaculture Board

8. How much funding was allocated for the Urban Challenge Fund in the Union Budget 2025?

1. a) ₹50,000 crore
2. b) ₹75,000 crore
3. c) ₹1 lakh crore
4. d) ₹1.5 lakh crore

9. What is one of the four engines of development highlighted in the Union Budget 2025?

1. a) Large Corporations
2. b) Startups
3. c) MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises)
4. d) Foreign Investments

10. What initiative was announced to support first-time women entrepreneurs in the Union Budget 2025?

1. a) Interest-free loans up to ₹1 crore  
2. b) Term loans of up to ₹2 crore  
3. c) Grants for women-led startups  
4. d) Tax rebates for women entrepreneurs  

Answers

1. b) Nirmala Sitharaman
2. b) ₹50.65 lakh crore
3. c) 4.4% of GDP
4. c) Railways and highways
5. b) National Mission on High Yielding Seeds
6. b) Zero income tax for annual incomes up to ₹12 lakh under the new tax regime
7. b) Makhana Board
8. c) ₹1 lakh crore
9. c) MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises)
10. b) Term loans of up to ₹2 crore

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Daily GK Update 11th April, 2017

PM Modi launched special digital exhibition marking 100 years Champaran Satyagraha

i. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi finally inaugurated an exhibition titled “Swachhagraha – Bapu Ko Karyanjali – Ek Abhiyan, Ek Pradarshani” in the New Delhi to mark the 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s first experiment of Satyagraha in Champaran.
 ii. He also launched an ‘Online Interactive Quiz’ at the event which is being organized by the National Archives of India. 

Centre releases nearly Rs. 23,443 crore to States under MGNREGS

i. Ministry of Rural Development has released nearly Rs. 23,443 crore to the States as the first tranche for this Financial Year, under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). 
ii. The Government is laying considerable emphasis on Water Conservation and Water Management works under MGNREGS.  

 Survey General of India Completes 250 Years

i. The Survey General of India (SOI) completes 250 years.
ii. The government launched 'Nakshe mapping portal' a dedicated website allowing the access to the public to download 3,000 maps prepared by the Survey of India (SOI) but made Aadhaar mandatory for the purpose. 
iii. Harsh Vardhan, minister of science and technology, stated that the motto behind making Aadhaar mandatory for using this service was to make it available only to Indians.

President of India inaugurated first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017

i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017 on April 7, 2017, in New Delhi. 
ii. The slogan of the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit was 'Unite for a Healthy Mind’. In the Summit special emphasis was given to people suffering from the problem of Depression.

Shri Rajnath Singh chairs 11th Inter-State Council Standing Committee
i. The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh chaired the 11th Standing Committee meeting of the Inter-State Council in New Delhi. 
ii. The Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Defence Shri Arun Jaitley and various states Chief Minister attended the meeting for examining in detail various recommendations of Punchhi Commission. 
iii. The commission recommended that the person who is slated to be a Governor should not have participated in active politics at even local level for at least a couple of years before his appointment.  

Malvika Sinha appointed RBI Executive Director
i. The Reserve Bank has appointed Malvika Sinha as Executive Director following the appointment of B P Kanungo as Deputy Governor.
ii. As Executive Director, she will look after foreign exchange department, department of government and bank accounts and internal debt management wing, RBI stated in a release.

Manappuram Finance to launch co-branded prepaid card with YES Bank

i. Kerala-based NBFC Manappuram Finance will launch its own co-branded prepaid card in the tie-up with YES Bank to promote digital financial transactions. 
ii. The 'Manappuram YES Bank Prepaid Money Card' can be pre-loaded up to a maximum amount of Rs. 50,000 and then be used to withdraw money from all ATMs. As the card works on the popular MasterCard and RuPay networks, it can also be used for online transactions and at merchant establishments with PoS terminals.

Fino Paytech inks deal with ICICI group companies

i. Fino Paytech, which just received the Reserve Bank of India's licence to launch a payments bank, has inked a deal with ICICI group companies to distribute insurance products and tied up with Exide Life insurance to sell products via its distribution channel. ii. Fino Payments Bank will sell life and general insurance products of ICICI Prudential and ICICI Lombard. 

 Ajit Kumar Srivastava, Shabri Bhattasali named new CBDT members

i. Senior bureaucrats Ajit Kumar Srivastava and Shabri Bhattasali were appointed members of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex policy making body of the Income Tax department. 
ii. The CBDT functions under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963. CBDT has introduced the Electronic PAN (e-PAN) card for individuals and for 19,704 newly incorporated companies as it tied up with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).

Mukta Dutta Tomar appointed India's Ambassador to Germany

i. Mukta Dutta Tomar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Federal Republic of Germany. 
ii. She is presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. Earlier, Gurjit Singh was holding this post till in March 2017.


Atu Zumvu becomes first Naga cop to receive ‘Shaurya Chakra’ award

i. For the first time since Nagaland officially gained recognition as a state, a state Police Officer Atu Zumvu has been awarded one of the nations' military honour, ‘Shaurya Chakra' award at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 
ii. Nagaland attained statehood in 1963 and since then this is the first time a police officer from the state has been honored with this award.

 Former Supreme Court judge Shiva Kirti Singh to head TDSAT 

i. The government has appointed retired Supreme Court judge Shiva Kirti Singh as the next chairman of the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) after replacing of  Justice Aftab Alam who was retired in June 2016.
ii.  The appointment is for a period of three years from the date of assumption of office.

Kristin Davis appointed UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
i. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced the appointment of internationally acclaimed actress and philanthropist Kristin Davis as its Goodwill Ambassador. 
ii. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassadors are celebrity representatives of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) who use their talent and fame to advocate for refugees.

Carme Chacon, Spain's first female defence minister, dies

i. Carme Chacon, the first female defense minister of Spain and a prominent socialist party leader, has died aged 46. 
ii. Before taking charge of the defense ministry, she had previously been the minister of housing and a national lawmaker.



Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

•  Supreme Court judge Shiva Kirti Singh  appointed as next chairman of TDSAT
• Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal is full form of TDSAT.
• Atu Zumvu becomes first Naga cop to receive ‘Shaurya Chakra’ award
• Nagaland attained statehood in 1963
• Shurhozelie Liezietsu is the newly appointed Chief Minister of Nagaland
• Mukta Dutta Tomar appointed India's Ambassador to Germany
• She has replaced Gurjit Singh
• Smt. Sushma Swaraj is the Union External Affairs Minister of India
• Rs. 23,443 crores released for MGNREGS for Mission Water Conservation
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is the full form of  MGNREGS.
• Minister of Rural Development is Narendra Singh Tomar.
• Narendra Modi inaugurated a 'special digital exhibition' on the Champaran Satyagraha on 10th April 2017 in New Delhi
• The exhibition will be titled as “Swachhagraha – Bapu Ko Karyanjali – Ek Abhiyan, Ek Pradarshani”
• Champaran Satyagraha was started in Champaran district of Bihar in 1917.
• Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017
• The slogan of the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit was 'Unite for a Healthy Mind’
• World Health Day is celebrated globally on 7th of April
• The Theme of 2017 World Health Day is  'Depression: Let's Talk'
• Carme Chacon the first female defense minister of Spain dies at 46
• Madrid is Capital of Spain and its currency is Euro
• Mariano Rajoy is the Prime Minister of Spain.
• Fino Paytech signed pact with ICICI group companies
• Fino Paytech, just received the Reserve Bank of India's licence to launch a payments bank
• Headquarter of ICICI bank is in Mumbai
• CEO of ICICI bank is Chanda Kochhar
• Ajit Kumar Srivastava and Shabri Bhattasali were appointed as new CBDT members
• Central Board of Direct Taxes is the full form of CBDT
• CBDT has introduced the Electronic PAN (e-PAN) card in collaboration with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Survey General of India (SOI) completed 250 years
• The government launched 'Nakshe mapping portal' allowing the public the access to download 3,000 maps
• Shri Harsh Vardhan is the Cabinet minister of science and technology
• Manappuram Finance tied up with Yes Bank
• Head office of Manappuram Finance in Thrissur, Kerala
• Headquarter of Yes Bank in Mumbai
• NBFC full form is Non-Banking Financial Companies.

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Daily GK Update 9-10th April, 2017

World Homeopathy Day: International Convention Organised in New Delhi

i. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the National Convention on World Homeopathy Day on 10 April 2017 at New Delhi. 
ii. The event was organized to commemorate the 262nd birth anniversary of the founder of Homeopathy, Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, who was a great scholar, linguist and acclaimed scientist. 
iii. The theme of the convention is "Enhancing Quality Research in Homeopathy through scientific evidence and rich clinical experiences".

26 projects worth Rs2100 cr approved for Namami Gange project

i. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved 26 projects worth Rs 2,154.28 crore under the Centre’s ‘Namami Gange’ programme, aiming to reduce the river’s pollution load. 
ii. As part of the projects, the NMCG will set up sewage treatment plants (STPs) and develop sewage network in four Ganga basin states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi. 
iii. It will create sewage treatment capacity of 188 million litres daily (MLD), setting up 13 new STPs in the states. The NMCG will rehabilitate three existing STPs of 596 MLD-capacity in Delhi, Haridwar (Uttarakhand) and Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh). 

India, Russia team up to promote innovation and R&D

i. India has signed a joint declaration with Russia to promote innovation and the R&D ecosystem between the two countries. 
ii. 'The declaration was signed between the Department of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation on the sidelines of the Global R&D Summit 2017. 
iii. With this collaboration, there will be an effort to promote innovation and technology entrepreneurship through the development of long-term cooperation, co-innovation and direct contacts between Russian and Indian innovation clusters.

India, Australia sign 6 pacts

i. India and Australia inked six pacts including one aimed at boosting counter terrorism cooperation after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull. 
ii. The two leaders held comprehensive discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. The two sides inked a pact to boost counter-terrorism cooperation which was signed between the Ministry of Home Affairs and its counterpart Australian ministry.

Deendayal Rasoi Yojna launched in Madhya Pradesh

i. Madhya Pradesh government kick-started its ambitious ‘Deendayal Rasoi Yojana’ under which subsidised meals will be available at Rs 5 per plate to people, especially the economically disadvantaged sections of society.
ii.  The initiative is on the lines of state run Amma Canteens, started by the former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, which served subsidised food at low prices. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the scheme at Gwalior. In the first phase, the scheme would be inaugurated in 49 districts.

Rajnath Singh launches Akshay Kumar’s portal ‘Bharat Ke Veer’

i. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the website and app named 'Bharat Ke Veer', to facilitate the monetary contribution to the kin of soldier personnel killed in action. 
ii. The Home Minister launched the website on the occasion of the 'Shaurya Diwas', which was organized to facilitate the CRPF with bravery awards and medals. This website is technically supported by National Informatics Centre (NIC) and powered by State Bank of India.
iii. The amount so donated will be credited to the account of ‘Next of Kin’ of those Central Armed Police Force/Central Para Military Force soldiers. Actor Akshay Kumar was the Guest of Honour during the function. 

North India to get DNA bank for wildlife

i. North India is all set to get its first Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) bank for wildlife in Bareilly.
ii.  It will help in research and also in bringing down poaching. At present, the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) in Hyderabad is the only such facility in the country.


Venkaiah Naidu launches 352 housing projects in 53 cities
i. Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M Venkaiah Naidu launched 352 projects in 53 cities in 17 States across the country with an investment of Rs 38,003-cr to build 2,03,851 affordable houses. 
ii. These housing projects would be implemented by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) across the country in the first major private investment in affordable housing. 

 RBI allows banks to invest in REITs & InvITs
i. The Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to invest in Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), a move that will help revive the cash-starved infrastructure sector. 
ii. Banks are allowed to invest in equity-linked mutual funds, venture capital funds (VCFs) and equities to the extent of 20% of their Net Owned Fund (NOF). 

Smita Sandhane appointed MD of Saraswat Bank

i. Saraswat Bank, the largest lender in the co-operative space, has appointed Smita Sandhane as its Managing Director (MD) with effect from 01st April 2017. 
ii. She is the first woman chief of India's largest urban co-operative bank. Prior to her elevation, Sandhane was the Joint Managing Director of the bank. She has been with the bank since 1982. Sandhane has taken over from S.K. Banerji, who retired from the services of the bank on March 31, 2017.

Central Bank of India customer wins Rs 1 cr under Modi's cashless scheme
i. A transaction of Rs 1,590 has bagged a Central Bank of India customer a lucky bounty of Rs 1 crore under the Modi government's promotional scheme to popularise digital payments. 
ii. In the consumer section, the first mega prize of Rs 1 crore went to a customer of Central Bank of India, while the second prize of Rs 50 lakh went to a Bank of Baroda customer. A customer of Punjab National Bank is the winner of third prize of Rs 25 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Lucky Grahak Yojana.

British-Indian educationist named ‘Asian Businesswoman of the Year'

i. Indian-origin Asha Khemka was named 'Asian Businesswoman of the Year' at an event in Birmingham, England. 
ii. Khemka was also honoured with one of the UK’s top civilian awards Dame, the female equivalent of knighthood in 2014 and has since won several accolades for her work in education in Nottingham.  

Samsung India’s R&D unit tops chart of IT patent applicants

i. Samsung R&D Institute India filed the maximum number of patent applications in the IT sector in 2015-16, followed by home-grown TCS and Wipro according to Indian Patent Office survey. 
ii. In the scientific and research and development organizations category, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has topped the chart.  Indian Patent Office comes under the Commerce and Industry Ministry.

 Flipkart Buys eBay India

i. India's largest e-commerce player Flipkart buys eBay's India business, and closing a $1.4 billion fund-raising round from Tencent, eBay and Microsoft. 
ii. In exchange for an equity stake in Flipkart, eBay has agreed to make a $500 million cash investment in and sell its eBay.in business to Flipkart. 

12th Indo-Mongolian Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant held in Vairengte 
i. The 12th edition Indo-Mongolian Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2017 has begun at Vairengte in Mizoram. 
ii. Vairengte houses Indian Army’s elite Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School. The first joint Nomadic Elephant was held in 2004 and since then it is annually held. It seeks to promote military associations between India and Mongolia. 

 ISRO And Agriculture Ministry Team Up To Geo-Tag Agricultural Assets

i. The Agriculture Ministry joined hands with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a wing of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to geo-tag agricultural assets for their real-time monitoring and effective utilization.
ii.The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) of the Agriculture Ministry and NRSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard. 

Hamilton beats Vettel to win his fifth Chinese Grand Prix

i. Mercedes' British Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton defeated Ferrari's four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel to lift his fifth title at the Chinese Grand Prix.




Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

• Smita Sandhane has appointed as MD of Saraswat Bank.
• Smita Sandhane is the first woman chief of Saraswat Bank.
• Sandhane has taken over from S.K. Banerji.
• The Saraswat Bank is the largest Co-operative Bank in the country.
• Saraswat Bank inception in 1918.
• Saraswat Bank is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra
• NMCG has approved 26 projects worth Rs 2,154.28 crore under the Centre’s ‘Namami Gange’ programme.
• This amount will be spent in the states of UP, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) was registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• National Ganga Council under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
• Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. 
• Uma Bharti is the cabinet minister for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation.
• Lewis Hamilton has won his fifth title at the Chinese Grand Prix.
• Lewis Hamilton is British formula One racer.
• Hamilton beat Vettel by 0.186 seconds for his second pole in two races.
• India and Russia signed a joint collaboration to promote innovation
• PM of Russia is Dmitry Medvedev and President is Vladimir Putin
• Currency of Russia is Russian ruble and Capital is Moscow
• India and Russia are the member countries of BRICS.
• Samsung R&D Institute of India has topped the chart of IT patent applicants
• TCS and Wipro are at the second and third position
• Samsung Headquarter is in Seoul, South Korea.
• Full form of AYUSH is The Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
• World Homeopathy Day is observed on 10 April 2017
• Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH is Shripad Yesso Naik
• The theme of the convention is "Enhancing Quality Research in Homeopathy through scientific evidence and rich clinical experiences".
• Rajnath Singh launched Akshay Kumar’s portal ‘Bharat Ke Veer’
• Akshay Kumar was recently awarded as the Best Actor for Rustam in 64th National Awards
• 'Bharat Ke Veer' portal is a facility for the monetary contribution to the kin of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel killed in action.
• Venkaiah Naidu launches 352 housing projects in 53 cities
• Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation is M Venkaiah Naidu
• For the first time, a major private investment in affordable housing is done by CREDAI
• Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India is the full form of CREDAI.
• Asha Khemka was named 'Asian Businesswoman of the Year'
• 'Asian Businesswoman of the Year' event was held in Birmingham, England
• Asha Khemka was honoured for her efforts in the field of education and skills at the Asian Business Awards ceremony.
• RBI has allowed banks to invest in REITs & InvITs
• Real Estate Investment Trust is the full form of REITs
• Infrastructure Investment Trusts is the full form InvITs
• BP Kanungo has been recently appointed as the new Deputy Governor of RBI.
• First DNA Bank for Wild Animals in North India to Be Set Up in Bareilly
• DNA full form is Deoxyribonucleic acid
• MP govt started Rs 5 thali under ‘Deendayal Rasoi Yojana’
• CM of Madhya Pradesh is Shivraj Singh Chouhan and governor of MP is Om Prakash Kohli as additional charge
• In the first phase, the scheme would be inaugurated in 49 districts.
• Flipkart buys eBay India 
• CEO of Flipkart is Kalyan Krishnamurthy
• Flipkart headoffice is in Bengaluru

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Daily GK Update : 3rd April 2017

Sports

1. P.V. Sindhu lifts India Open badminton title 2017

• The Rio Olympic silver-medallist Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu (21-year) has defeated top seed Carolina Marin (Spain) in straight sets 21-19, 21-16 at the India Open badminton championship 2017 at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in New Delhi.
• Sindhu had last defeated Marin in the BWF Super Series in Dubai last year.
• Earlier, Sindhu entered into the final after beaten Saina Nehwal (India).
• Carolina Marin defeated the Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) in the other semifinals.

Note:

• Pusarla Venkata Sindhu has become the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

2. Roger Federer wins Miami Open 2017

• Swiss professional tennis player Roger Federer has won Miami open 2017, defeating Rafael Nadal (Spain) in the final 6–3, 6–4 at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, United States.
• It is Federer's 26th Masters 1000 singles title of his career and the 91 singles title overall.

Note:

• The 2017 Miami Open is a professional men and women's tennis tournament being played on outdoor hard courts.
• It was the 32nd edition of the Miami Open and of the Premier Mandatory category on the 2017 WTA Tour.

3. Paes wins the first title of the season in Challenger tournament

• Indian professional tennis player Leander Paes & Canadian Adil Shamasdin has won the first title of the season Leon Challenger Tour tennis tournament's men's doubles trophy after a straight-set win in Mexico.
• They defeated Luca Margaroli (Switzerland) and Caro Zampieri (Brazil) 6-1, 6-4 in the title clash.
• With this win, Paes clinched his 20th ATP Challenger title.

Note:

• Leander Adrian Paes is considered to be one of the best doubles and mixed doubles players of all time, having achieved a career Grand Slam in each discipline.

Important Dates

4. 2nd April: World Autism Awareness Day

• The ‘World Autism Awareness Day’ has been observed across the world on 2nd April every year to raise awareness about people with autism throughout the world.
• The 2017 theme for the day is "Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination".
• World Autism Day is also one of only four official health-specific UN Days.

Note:

• Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them.

International Affairs

5. Myanmar becomes the seventh member of SASEC

• Myanmar has become the 7th member of South Asia sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• It was officially made member at the SASEC Finance Ministers’ meeting held in New Delhi and chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Banking & Finance 

6. Five State Banks & Bharatiya Mahila Bank merge with SBI

• The five associates banks (State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore) and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank became part of the State Bank of India.
• Now, SBI catapulting the country's largest lender to among the top 50 banks in the world.
• The total customer base of the bank has reached 37 crores with a branch network of around 24,000 and nearly 59,000 ATMs across the country.
• The merged entity will have a deposit base of more than 26 lakh crore rupees and advance levels of 50 lakh crore rupees.

7. Tax evasion over Rs. 5-crore will be non-bailable offense under new GST regime

• A tax evasion of over five crore rupees under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime would be non-bailable offense.
• The union government has set a target date of 1st of July for roll-out of the GST, which will subsume central excise, service tax, VAT, and other local levies.
• Cognizable offense means a serious category of offenses in respect of which a police officer has the authority to make an arrest without a warrant and to start an investigation with or without the permission of a court.
• The Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST) Act have empowered the officers from Police, Railways, Customs, village officers, and any other government officers to assist CGST and SGST officers under the GST regime.

Note:

• The Central GST (CGST) Act provides that if the offenses relating to taxable goods and/or services where the amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or the amount of refund wrongly taken exceeds 5 crore rupees, shall be cognizable and non-bailable.

National & International Appointment

8. Indira Banerjee appointed as new Chief Justice of Madras High Court

• Justice ‘Indira Banerjee’ has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
• She succeeded 'Sanjay Kishan Kaushal'.
• Justice Banerjee was appointed as permanent judge of the Calcutta High Court on 5th February, 2002 and was transferred to Delhi High Court on 8th August, 2016.
• She has become the second woman to head the Madras High Court.

National Affairs

9. PM Narendra Modi opens India’s longest ‘Chenani-Nashri’ tunnel

• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated 9.28 km long India’s longest highway tunnel ‘Chenani-Nashri’ in Jammu & Kashmir.
• This road tunnel will cut the distance between the two state capitals Jammu and Srinagar to around 250 km from the current 350 km and reduce the travel time by approximately two hours.
• He also announced to invest around 7000 crore in highways projects in Jammu and Kashmir in the next two years.
• A ring road will be built around Jammu at a cost of Rs 2100 crore and another one around Srinagar at a cost of Rs 2200 crore.

10. Govt. sanctions Rs. 98 crore for development of tourism sector in Assam

• The Union Tourism minister ‘Mahesh Sarma’ has sanctioned Rs. 98 crore for the development of the tourism sector in Assam.
• The minister has announced another two crore rupees for the festival and take a step for the development of 12 religious places of Assam including the ‘Kamakhya’.

11. Govt. launched two mobile apps ‘echallan’ & ‘mParivahan‘

 

• The union government has launched two mobile apps ‘echallan’ and ‘mParivahan’ to provide access to various services and information to enable citizens to report any traffic violation.
• 'eChallan' is an integrated enforcement solution to manage traffic violations through a mobile app.
• 'mParivahan' is an empowering app for the citizen which provides access to various services, information, and utilities related to the transport sector.

12. 19th commonwealth forestry conference to begin in Uttarakhand

 

• Today, 19th Commonwealth Forestry Conference (CFC) 2017 has been inaugurated by the Uttarakhand Governor, K.K. Paul at Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• The 5-day conference is being organized on the theme ‘Forests for Prosperity and Posterity’.
• The international conference is being organized in association with the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Commonwealth Forestry Association of UK.

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