Daily GK Update 21st June 2017

1. International Day of Yoga: 21 June

i. The International Day of Yoga is celebrated across the world on 21 June. It aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

ii. The theme for the 2017 celebration, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, is 'Yoga for Health.'

Important Takeaways-

• The first International Day of Yoga was observed all over the world on 21 June 2015 in New Delhi.

2. Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute becomes first recipient of PM’s yoga award

i. Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune has been selected as the first recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for outstanding contribution to promotion and development of Yoga. The Institute has worked to spread Yoga, internationally, over a period of four decades.

ii. The institution of the award was announced by the Prime Minister on the occasion of the Second International Day of Yoga at Chandigarh in 2016.

Important Takeaways-

• The institute was established on January 19, 1975.
• The Institute is dedicated to Smt. Ramamani Iyengar, the wife of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar. 

3. Punjab Announced Free Education For Girls From Nursery To PhD

i. The Punjab Government has announced free education for girls in government schools and colleges from Nursery to Ph.D. This is the major step towards women empowerment by Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh.

ii. Reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies has already been increased by the government from 33 per cent to 50 per cent. The CM also announced free Wi-FI for 13,000 primary schools and all 48 government colleges.

Important Takeaways-

• Shri. VP Singh Badnore is the governor of Punjab. 
• Takhni-Rehmapur Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Punjab.

4. Meghalaya Govt signs two MoUs with SBI for digital transaction

i. Meghalaya government has signed two MoUs with the State Bank of India as a part of an initiative towards migrating government transactions to digital mode. With the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax(GST), these MoUs are expected to give dealers and other citizens the desired platform for conducting financial transactions with the state government on a digital platform.

ii. The state government will now escalate its transactions for the collection of tax and non-tax revenue through the online system - Government Receipt Accounting System (GRAS) covering all departments in a phased manner. This facility will be available through the gateway provided by SBI ePay under the MoU.

Static Takeaways-

• Mukul Sangma is the present CM of Meghalaya.
• Banwarilal Purohit is the Governor of Meghalaya.

5. Hike Messenger partners with YES Bank to launch in-app Wallet

i. Hike Messenger launched the new version of the app with a completely new interface and the addition of a mobile wallet, in partnership with YES Bank.
ii. With Unified Payments Interface support enabled in Hike 5.0, users can now do free and instant bank-to-bank transfers with their friends.

The feature works even if your friends aren't on Hike. For those who don’t actively use a bank account, Hike still allows them to send and receive money with your friends through the Wallet.

Banking Takeaways-

• Kavin Bharti Mittal is the founder and CEO of Hike Messenger.
• Mr. Rana Kapoor is the Managing Director & CEO of YES Bank.
• The Bank was founded in 2004.
• Yes Bank is Headquartered in Mumbai.

6. Ayurveda specialist Rajesh Kotecha appointed special secretary in Ayush ministry

i. Ayurveda physician ‘Vaidya’ Rajesh Kotecha has been appointed as special secretary in Ayush Ministry. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Kotecha’s appointment for three years on a contract basis, according to an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

ii. Vaidya (meaning physician) Kotecha is the chief consultant of Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic, Jaipur. 

Important Takeaways-

• Shripad Yasso Naik is the Minister of AYUSH.

7. Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman appointed Crown Prince

i. Saudi Arabia's King Salman has appointed his son, Mohammed bin Salman, as heir, in a major reshuffle. A royal decree removed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a 57-year-old nephew of the king, as next-in-line to the throne and replaced him with Mohammed bin Salman, 31, who was previously the deputy crown prince.

ii. The newly-announced crown prince was also named deputy prime minister and maintained his post as defense minister.

Important Takeaways-

• Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia.

8. In historic first, UNICEF appoints Syrian refugee Muzoon Almellehan as Goodwill Ambassador

i. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced, on the World Refugee Day (20 June), the appointment of Muzoon Almellehan, a 19-year-old education activist, and Syrian refugee, as its newest – and youngest – Goodwill Ambassador.

ii. The appointment makes Muzoon the first person with official refugee status to become an Ambassador for UNICEF. Muzoon, who received support from UNICEF while living in Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, follows in the footsteps of the late Audrey Hepburn, a Goodwill Ambassador who was also supported by UNICEF as a child.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• UNICEF Headquarters in New York City, USA.
• It was founded in 1946.
• Anthony Lake became the sixth Executive Director of the UNICEF.

9. India re-nominates Justice Dalveer Bhandari for another term as ICJ judge

i. Justice Dalveer Bhandari has been nominated by India as its candidate for another nine-year term as judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the UN.

ii. Bhandari, 69, was elected in April 2012 during simultaneous balloting in both the General Assembly and the Security Council to a seat on the International Court of Justice, which is also known as the World Court. The ICJ elections will be held in November and if elected, he will serve a term of nine years.

Important Takeaways-

• The ICJ was established in 1945.
• The ICJ headquarters in the Hague, Netherlands.

10. Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

i. Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick has resigned from his position as chief executive of the $68bn ride-hailing app following a tumultuous six months of scandal.

ii. Kalanick reportedly took the hard decision after a group of major Uber investors demanded his immediate resignation.

11. India and Portugal sign a historical agreement to promote Cooperation in the Field of Archives

i. A Protocol of Cooperation was signed between the National Archives of India and the Minister of Culture of the Portuguese Republic in the field of archives in Lisbon, Portugal.

ii. As a first step under this agreement, the Torre do Tombo (National Archives of Portugal) handed over to the National Archives of India digital copies of 62 volumes of the collection known as ‘Moncoes do Reino’ (Monsoon correspondence). 

Important Takeaways-

• Mr. Raghvendra Singh is the Secretary to the Government of India and Director General of the National Archives of India.
• Nandini Singla is the Ambassador of India to Portugal.

12. IDBI Federal Life partners with SunTec for GST rollout

i. IDBI Federal Life Insurance today said it has partnered with SunTec, which will help facilitate in computing and invoicing of debit tax and credit tax that will be GST compliant. 

ii. Under the agreement, for the debit tax mandate, SunTec will help in analysing data from various sources for computation and invoicing purposes.

13. Annabel Mehta awarded with the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

i. Sachin Tendulkar's mother-in-law and social activist Annabel Mehta, a British national, has been awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her work and service to the underprivileged.

ii. The award will be presented to her at Buckingham Palace in London later this year.  Annabel has been recognized and honored for over 40 years of service to underprivileged communities in India. Much of this has been through her leading role within the NGO, Apnalaya, of which she has been President since 2013.

Important Takeaways-

• The Order of the British Empire was created in 1917 by King George V.

14. Anil Kumble resigns as Head Coach of Indian Cricket team

i. Anil Kumble, the former Indian Captain, resigned from the post of Head Coach of the Indian Cricket team. His resignation came before the limited-overs tour of the West Indies team.

ii. During this trip to the Caribbean, the team management will be supervised by M V Sridhar, the general manager of cricket operations. The batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar will continue in their roles.