Daily GK Update 27th June 2017

1. PM Modi leaves for Netherland in his last leg of his 3 nation visit

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for the Netherland in his last leg of the three-nation visit after completing his two-day US tour. The Prime Minister will reach Amsterdam where he will hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Mr. Mark Rutte.

ii. Both countries are celebrating 70 years of the establishment of Indo-Dutch diplomatic relations this year. Mr.
iii. Two Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs), one each on water management and cultural exchange, will also be exchanged in the presence of both Prime Ministers.

Important Takeaways from above News-

• The Capital of The Netherlands is Amsterdam. 
• The PM of Netherland is Mr. Mark Rutte. 

2. Dangal becomes 1st Indian movie to earn Rs2,000 cr worldwide: Forbes

i. The Aamir Khan starrer Dangal has become the first Indian movie to earn Rs2,000 crore worldwide. Recently, Dangal also created the record of being the fifth highest-grossing non-English film ever.

ii. Based on the life of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, the sports drama film is also the highest grossing Indian film in China. According to a report by Forbes, on its 53rd day of release in China, Dangal made Rs 2.5 crore ($390,000) at the China box office taking its worldwide total to Rs 2000 crore.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Nitesh Tiwari is the Director of Dangal.

3. US designates Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin as global terrorist

i. The USA designated Pakistan-based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a specially designated global terrorist.
ii. The move by the US state department came before the first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump at the White House.

4. World Bank clears $250-million loan to train India's job seekers

i. The World Bank has cleared a USD 250-million loan for making Indian youth more employable through reskilling, in a move that is seen to aid the Skill India Mission.

ii. The multi-lateral lender is keen to support the Indian government in its efforts to better equip the young workforce with employable skills. Under the program, adults in 15-59 years of age, underemployed or unemployed, will get the skill training.

Static Takeaways from Above News-

• The Washington-headquartered World Bank.
• It was Founded in 1944.
• Jim Yong Kim is the President of The World Bank.

5. SpiceJet is world’s top airline stock in 2017 with 124% gain

i. Two and a half years after SpiceJet Ltd was forced to ground its entire fleet on its inability to pay a mere $2.2 million in fuel bills, the budget airline has become the world’s best-performing airline stock—with $26 billion in plane orders to boot.

ii. The company’s co-founder and chairman, Ajay Singh, has played the white knight, injecting capital, cutting loss-making routes and aggressively adding capacity in one of the world’s fastest growing markets. SpiceJet shares are the best performers on a Bloomberg Intelligence index of airline stocks this year.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• CEO of SpiceJet is Mr. Ajay Singh.
• It Headquarters in Gurugram.

6. Govt clears proposal for setting up new airport in Greater Noida

i. The Government has cleared the proposal for setting up a new airport in Jewar in Greater Noida. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju stated that in-principle approval for a greenfield airport at Jewar has been granted to cater to the growing flying requirements of National Capital Region.

ii. Acc. to the Aviation Minister, the Noida International Airport will cater to 30 to 50 million passengers per year over the next 10 to 15 years.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The Union Minister of Civil Aviation is Mr. Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju.

7. J-K Governor N N Vohra appointed as president of IIC

i. Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has been appointed the president of the India International Centre (IIC) - one of the premier cultural institutions in the country.

ii. The appointment was made after eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee quit the presidential post.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

• IIC was founded in 1958 and its head office is in New Delhi.
• In 1959, it was registered under the Societies Registration Act (XXI) of 1860.

8. K. Kasturirangan to head panel on National Education Policy

i. Ex-ISRO Chief and Padma Vibhushan awardee Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan has been appointed the Chairman of the committee to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy.

ii. The Chairperson apart, the committee has eight members. The National Policy on Education was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Prakash Javadekar is the Union HRD Minister.

9. Srinivas Gokulnath becomes 1st Indian to finish solo Race Across America

i. Srinivas Gokulnath from Maharashtra created history by becoming the first Indian to complete the 4,941-km Race Across America (RAAM) in the solo category. Considered to be the toughest cycle race in the world, he cycled for 11 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes.
ii. In a feat that marks the Indian arrival on the endurance cycling scene globally, another Maharashtrian, Dr. Amit Samarth followed Gokulnath at the finish line at Annapolis on American east coast.
iii. Among the nine men who finished, Gokulnath stood 7th while Samarth was right on his heels at number 8. The race was won by Christoph Strasser.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Srinivas Gokulnath is Nashik’s army doctor.
• Srinivas Gokulnath holds a national record of cycling 4,000km from Leh to Kanyakumari in 16 days in 2014.

10. Lupin founder & Chairman Dr. Desh Bandhu Gupta passes away

i. Desh Bandhu Gupta, Founder and Chairman of Pharma major Lupin, passed away recently in Mumbai. He was 79.

ii. Under the leadership of Dr. Gupta, the company grew from being a domestic Indian pharmaceutical company to a global pharmaceutical major. It is now the 4th largest generics pharmaceutical player by market capitalization in the world.