Daily GK Update 30th and 31st July 2017

1. International Tiger Day: 29 July

i. The 7th International Tiger Day is observed globally on 29 July. This year’s International Tiger Day would be celebrated with the slogan ‘Fresh Ecology For Tigers’ Protection’.

ii. The conference of the heads of 13 countries – where tigers are available – held at Saint Petersburg of Russia in 2010 took the decision to mark the world tiger day on July 29 every year. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Jim Corbett National Park, a famous National Park for tigers is situated Uttarakhand.
• Karnataka is the State in India with Maximum number of Tigers.

2. NPCI receives final nod from RBI to function as Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit

i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella organization for all retail payment systems has received a final nod from the Reserve Bank of India to function as the Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU) and operate the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).

ii. On August 31, 2016, 8 BBPS operating units, which received in-principle approval from RBI, took part in the pilot. Almost after a year of running the pilot, streamlining the technology and business processes, NPCI has now received final clearance from RBI. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• A. P. Hota is the MD & CEO of NPCI. 
• The Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an RBI conceptualized system driven by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

3. IOB goes live with Bharat Bill Payment system

i. Public sector Indian Overseas Bank has offered Bharat Bill Payment System, introduced by the National Payments Corporation of India, for its customers. BBPS is an integrated bill payment system that offers inter-operable online bill payments to customers.

ii. The services include online payments of electricity, telecommunication, DTH, water and gas bills, the Chennai headquartered bank said in a statement. Indian Overseas Bank is one of the three public sector banks (apart from Bank of Baroda and Union Bank of India) to get the approval from RBI for providing the service.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• R Subramaniakumar is the MD & CEO of IOB.
• IOB is headquartered in Chennai.
• A. P. Hota is the MD & CEO of NPCI.

4. RBI sets up Supervisory Colleges for six Scheduled Commercial Banks

i. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up Supervisory Colleges for six Scheduled Commercial Banks which have sizeable international presence: - State Bank of India, ICICI Bank Ltd., Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank Ltd. and Punjab National Bank.

ii. The objectives of the colleges are to enhance information exchange and cooperation among supervisors, to improve understanding of the risk profile of the banking group and thereby facilitate more effective supervision of internationally active banks. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The governor of RBI is Urjit R Patel.

5. Niti Aayog clears six proposals for high-tech public transport

i. Mass rapid transportation technologies such as hyperloop, metrino and pod taxis could soon be a reality in India after Niti Aayog cleared half-a-dozen proposals of the transport ministry exploring options to improve public transport.

ii. The think tank approved the proposals of the transport ministry with a condition that the ministry conducts trial run of all these technologies and puts in place safety measures before the starting commercially operation. Once these safety parameters are tried and tested and the pilot run is successful, some of them including metrino, could be up for running by next year’s end.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The Chairperson of NITI Ayog is Shri Narendra Modi.
• Vice Chairperson of NITI Ayog is Dr. Arvind Panagariya.
• The full form of NITI is National Institution for Transforming India.

6. Dr. Harshvardhan launches “Sagar Vani” - An Integrated Information Dissemination System 

i. Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Dr. Harshvardhan launched an app “Sagar Vani” on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.

ii. ‘Sagar Vani’ has been launched to disseminate ocean related information and alerts to the user community in a timely manner for their safety.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Ministry of Earth Sciences foundation day is celebrated on 27th July of every year.

7. Iran successfully launches satellite-carrying rocket into space

i. Iran successfully launched its most advanced satellite-carrying rocket called ‘Simorgh’ into space. The launch took place at the Imam Khomeini National Space Station in Semnan.

ii. The development marks a significant step forward for the Islamic Republic's young space program. It also raises alarm among the nation’s adversaries who fear that the same technology could be used to produce long-range missiles.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The rocket is capable of carrying a satellite weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds).
• Tehran is the Capital of Iran.
• Hassan Rouhani is the President of Iran.

8. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi declared as interim Pakistan Prime Minister

i. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League has selected Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to be the interim prime minister of Pakistan.

ii. Nawaz Sharif had recently resigned as Pakistan Prime Minister after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office. The court disqualified Sharif under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. He will remain on he post for 45 Days.

Daily GK Update 29th July 2017

1. International Tiger Day: 29 July

i. The 7th International Tiger Day is observed globally on 29 July. This year’s International Tiger Day would be celebrated with the slogan ‘Fresh Ecology For Tigers’ Protection’.

ii. The conference of the heads of 13 countries – where tigers are available – held at Saint Petersburg of Russia in 2010 took the decision to mark the world tiger day on July 29 every year. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Jim Corbett National Park, a famous National Park for tigers is situated Uttarakhand.
• Karnataka is the State in India with Maximum number of Tigers.

2. NPCI receives final nod from RBI to function as Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit

i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella organization for all retail payment systems has received a final nod from the Reserve Bank of India to function as the Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU) and operate the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).

ii. On August 31, 2016, 8 BBPS operating units, which received in-principle approval from RBI, took part in the pilot. Almost after a year of running the pilot, streamlining the technology and business processes, NPCI has now received final clearance from RBI. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• A. P. Hota is the MD & CEO of NPCI. 
• The Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an RBI conceptualized system driven by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

3. IOB goes live with Bharat Bill Payment system

i. Public sector Indian Overseas Bank has offered Bharat Bill Payment System, introduced by the National Payments Corporation of India, for its customers. BBPS is an integrated bill payment system that offers inter-operable online bill payments to customers.

ii. The services include online payments of electricity, telecommunication, DTH, water and gas bills, the Chennai headquartered bank said in a statement. Indian Overseas Bank is one of the three public sector banks (apart from Bank of Baroda and Union Bank of India) to get the approval from RBI for providing the service.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• R Subramaniakumar is the MD & CEO of IOB.
• IOB is headquartered in Chennai.
• A. P. Hota is the MD & CEO of NPCI.

4. RBI sets up Supervisory Colleges for six Scheduled Commercial Banks

i. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up Supervisory Colleges for six Scheduled Commercial Banks which have sizeable international presence: - State Bank of India, ICICI Bank Ltd., Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank Ltd. and Punjab National Bank.

ii. The objectives of the colleges are to enhance information exchange and cooperation among supervisors, to improve understanding of the risk profile of the banking group and thereby facilitate more effective supervision of internationally active banks. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The governor of RBI is Urjit R Patel.

5. Niti Aayog clears six proposals for high-tech public transport

i. Mass rapid transportation technologies such as hyperloop, metrino and pod taxis could soon be a reality in India after Niti Aayog cleared half-a-dozen proposals of the transport ministry exploring options to improve public transport.

ii. The think tank approved the proposals of the transport ministry with a condition that the ministry conducts trial run of all these technologies and puts in place safety measures before the starting commercially operation. Once these safety parameters are tried and tested and the pilot run is successful, some of them including metrino, could be up for running by next year’s end.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The Chairperson of NITI Ayog is Shri Narendra Modi.
• Vice Chairperson of NITI Ayog is Dr. Arvind Panagariya.
• The full form of NITI is National Institution for Transforming India.

6. Dr. Harshvardhan launches “Sagar Vani” - An Integrated Information Dissemination System 

i. Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Dr. Harshvardhan launched an app “Sagar Vani” on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.

ii. ‘Sagar Vani’ has been launched to disseminate ocean related information and alerts to the user community in a timely manner for their safety.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Ministry of Earth Sciences foundation day is celebrated on 27th July of every year.

7. Iran successfully launches satellite-carrying rocket into space

i. Iran successfully launched its most advanced satellite-carrying rocket called ‘Simorgh’ into space. The launch took place at the Imam Khomeini National Space Station in Semnan.

ii. The development marks a significant step forward for the Islamic Republic's young space program. It also raises alarm among the nation’s adversaries who fear that the same technology could be used to produce long-range missiles.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The rocket is capable of carrying a satellite weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds).
• Tehran is the Capital of Iran.
• Hassan Rouhani is the President of Iran.

8. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi declared as interim Pakistan Prime Minister

i. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League has selected Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to be the interim prime minister of Pakistan.

ii. Nawaz Sharif had recently resigned as Pakistan Prime Minister after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office. The court disqualified Sharif under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. He will remain on he post for 45 Days.

Daily GK Update 28th July 2017

1. World Hepatitis Day: 28 July

i. World Hepatitis Day (WHD) takes places every year on 28 July and brings the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change.

ii. The Theme for World Hepatitis Day 2017 is 'Eliminate Hepatitis'.

2. BRICS nations sign memorandum to facilitate taxation cooperation

i. Tax authorities of the five BRICS countries have signed a landmark document to establish a mechanism for taxation cooperation. The BRICS Taxation Cooperation Memorandum, signed at the fifth meeting of BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities, is the bloc’s first document that elevates taxation cooperation to the institutional level.

ii. The authorities also agreed to cooperate on taxation information exchange, improve consultation procedures efficiency, boost taxation capacities and plan paths for coordination of taxation policies and tax collection.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – are home to 42 per cent of the world’s population.
• BRICS was established in 2006.

3. BSE inks cooperation pact with Egyptian Exchange

i. Leading bourse BSE joined hands with Egyptian Exchange (EGX) for cooperation in exchange of information across business areas.

ii. Through this MoU, a range of opportunities has been explored for the development of their businesses, products and markets to share knowledge and strengthen international connectivity.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Ashishkumar Chauhan is the present Managing Director and CEO of BSE.
• The currency of Egypt is Egyptian Pound.

4. Amazon's Jeff Bezos briefly overtakes Gates to become world’s richest 

i. Amazon’s share price propelled founder Jeff Bezos to the top of a list of the world’s richest individuals—for less than a day. Mr. Bezos, who is also chairman and chief executive of the Seattle-based company, was worth almost $91bn (£70bn) after Amazon’s share price rose more than 1 per cent in morning trading in New York.

ii. That put his fortune ahead of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates'. The latter has a net worth of around $90.7bn and has been at the top of Bloomberg’s rich list since 2013. But Mr Bezos slipped back into second place later in the day.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Mr. Bezos, who founded the company in 1994, owns around 17 per cent of Amazon’s shares.

5. Mumbai Metro launches India’s first mobile ticketing system

i. Mumbai Metro announced the launch of India's first Mobile Ticketing System 'OnGo' which will help commuters pass the AFC gates using their mobile phones.

ii. Commuters will be able to generate a QR Code through 'OnGo' service for current or future journeys upto a week in advance by clicking the mobile app wherein they would pay for their journey. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Mumbai Metro is a consortium formed by Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, MMRDA and Veolia Transport SA, France.
• Mrs. Ashwini Bhide is the present Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation.

6. National Centre for Seismology launches an App ‘India Quake’ 

i. Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Dr. Harshvardhan launched an app “India Quake”  for Earthquake Parameter Dissemination on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.

ii. The App will make information dissemination faster with no restrictions on the number of recipients. Any citizen can download this App and get the real time earthquake location information on his/her mobile.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Earthquake is measured by Seismograph.
• Ministry of Earth Sciences foundation day is celebrated on 27th July of every year.

7. Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif resigns over Panama Papers verdict

i. Nawaz Sharif has resigned as prime minister of Pakistan following a decision by the country's Supreme Court to disqualify him from office.

ii. The ruling came after a probe into his family's wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif's children to offshore companies.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the first prime minister of Pakistan.

8. PV Sindhu appointed Group-I officer in Andhra Pradesh

i. Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu has been appointed a Group-I officer in Andhra Pradesh. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu handed over the government order to the Rio Olympics silver winning shuttler.

ii. Chandrababu Naidu had promised a Group-I post to Sindhu when she won the silver medal in Olympics. Accordingly, she was appointed the deputy collector. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• PV Sindhu is the fifth Indian woman to clinch a medal in Olympics history after Karnam Malleswari, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and Sakshi Malik.

9. Axis Bank approves re-appointment of Shikha Sharma as CEO

i. Axis Bank has re-appointed Shikha Sharma as MD & CEO of Axis Bank for the three-year term from June 2018. Her current term was to end in June 2018.

ii. Axis Bank informed Bombay Stock Exchange that board of directors has approved the re-appointment.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The Headquarter of Axis bank is in Mumbai. 
• Axis Bank is one of the first new generation private sector banks to have begun operations in 1994.

10. Punjab National Bank ties up with Bajaj Allianz General for distribution

i. Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance have signed an agreement for the distribution of insurance products through the branches.
ii. Under this agreement, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance will offer personal lines of insurance products such as health, personal accident, home, motor and travel along with the commercial line of insurance products such as property, marine and engineering insurance, etc to the bank's customers.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• MD of  Punjab National Bank Sunill Mehta.
• The Headquarter of PNB is in New Delhi.

11. Ajay Singh wins bronze medal in Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships 

i. India’s Ajay Singh has won the bronze medal in Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships at Kathmandu, taking India’s tally to three. Ajay got third place in 77 kgs men’s junior category lifting 143 kgs in snatch and 172 kgs in clean and jerk.

ii. S. Nirpupama Devi had won bronze in 69 kgs women youth category. Konsam Ormila Devi had won gold in 44kg weight category on an opening day.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The Capital of Nepal is Kathmandu.
• The Currency of Nepal is Nepalese rupee.
• The Prime minister of Nepal is Sher Bahadur Deuba.

12. Indonesia to host AFC U-19 championship

i. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competition Committee officially awarded Indonesia the hosting of the AFC Under-19 Championship 2018.

ii. The AFC U-19 championship is scheduled to be held from October 18 to November 4 of 2018.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Headquarters of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta.

13. Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passes away

i. Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passed away recently. He was 44. Inder Kumar suffered a heart attack at his residence in Andheri’s Four Bungalows. He has worked in more than 20 films.

ii. He also shared the screen space with Salman Khan in Wanted and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge among others.

Daily GK Update 27th July 2017

1. PM Modi inaugurates APJ Abdul Kalam’s memorial in Rameswaram

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the former President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s memorial at Pei Karumbu in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu on the second death anniversary of the former President. Mr. Modi unveils a statue of Dr. Kalam and hoisted the National flag at the memorial.

ii. Mr. Modi will flag off Kalam Sandesh Vahini, an exhibition bus which will travel across the country and reach Rashtrapati Bhavan on 15th of October, which marks the birth anniversary of the former President.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.

2. Amidst internal Rifts, Nitish Kumar takes oath as Chief Minister for the 6th time

i. Less than a day after resigning as Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar took oath at 10 am today at Raj Bhawan in Patna as the head of the government that would include BJP and its allies. Prior to this, the party of Nitish Kumar, JD-(U) was supported by Mahagathbandhan allies with Lalu Yadav led RJD.

ii. Kumar met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi yesterday with NDA leaders and staked claim to form a new government with the support of 132 MLAs. He has been asked by the governor to prove his majority in the Assembly within two days of taking the oath. Nitish Kumar took oath as chief minister of Bihar. Sushil Kumar Modi took oath as deputy chief minister.

3. Madras High Court makes Vande Mataram mandatory in Schools, Govt. and Private Offices

i. The Madras High Court ruled that Vande Mataram should be sung in all schools and colleges across the state “at least once a week”, and in government and private offices “at least once a month”.

ii. Issuing the order, Justice M V Muralidharan stated, Considering the larger public interest and to instil a sense of patriotism in each and every citizen of the state, the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ shall be played and sung in all schools/ colleges/ universities and other educational institutions at least once a week (preferably on Monday or Friday).

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Vande Mataram is written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

4. Microsoft launches ‘Made for India’ Kaizala app

i. Technology giant Microsoft has officially launched ‘Kaizala’, a productivity app that has been designed to enhance the collaboration and communication experience for Indian enterprises.

ii. The ‘Made for India’ app is designed for large group communications and work management and works even on 2G networks. The product will make it possible for organizations to interact with people within the organization as well as outside like partners and vendors in a seamless manner.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• CEO of Microsoft Corporation is Satya Nadella.
• It is a USA Based Company.

5. Axis Bank acquires FreeCharge for Rs. 385 crore

i. Axis Bank announced the acquisition of Snapdeal-owned mobile payments provider Freecharge in an all-cash deal worth Rs385 crore. The deal is subject to regulatory approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the indicative time-frame to complete the acquisition is two months, the private sector lender said in an exchange filing.

ii. With this buyout, Axis Bank will get over 50 million customers of Freecharge along with its niche and patented technology and human resources. Founded in 2010 by Mumbai based entrepreneur Kunal Shah, FreeCharge started as a recharge deal coupons platform before turning into a full-scale mobile wallet.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Shikha Sharma is the MD and CEO of Axis Bank.
• The Headquarter of Axis bank is in Mumbai.
• Kunal Bahl, Co-Founder & CEO of Snapdeal, the parent company of Freecharge.

6. Subhash Chandra Garg appointed as India’s Alternate Governor on the Board of Governors of ADB

i. Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has been appointed as Indias Alternate Governor on the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Finance Ministry announced recently.

ii. Garg has been appointed in place of former DEA Secretary Shaktikanta Das. The appointment came into effect from July 12.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The President of ADB is Takehiko Nakao.
• ADB is headquartered in Manila, in the Philippines.

7. Uttarakhand records second highest tiger count in India

i. The count of tigers in Uttarakhand shot up to 242 with an increase of 63 big cats in the year 2017. The news was announced by Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.

ii. In addition, 11 cubs were also found in the two tiger reserves, the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, in the state. Uttarakhand is the second state in terms of tiger count behind Karnataka, which has 400 big cats.
iii. According to the latest statistics, at least 208 tigers have been identified in Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, up from last year's 163. Also, six cubs were identified there.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India.
• It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Bengal tiger.

8. Cabinet approves revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given approval for revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) Scheme with a view to achieve its intended objectives.

ii. Two sets of changes have been made in the scheme: 

1. Specific changes have been made in the attributes of the scheme to make it more attractive, mobilize finances as per the target and reduce the economic strains caused by imports of gold and reduce the Current Account Deficit (CAD). 

2. Flexibility has been given to Ministry of Finance to design and introduce variants of SGBs with different interest rates and risk protection/pay-offs that would offer investment alternatives to different category of investors. Ministry of Finance (the issuer) has been delegated this power to amend/add to the features of the Scheme with the approval of the Finance Minister to reduce the time lag between finalizing the attributes of a particular tranche and its notification.

iii. Following specific changes in the scheme have been approved:

a. The investment limit per fiscal year has been increased to 4 kg for individuals, 4 Kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and 20 Kg for Trusts and similar entities notified by the Government from time to time. 

b. The ceiling will be counted on Financial year basis and will include the SGBs purchased during the trading in the secondary market. 

c. The ceiling on investment will not include the holdings as collateral by Banks and Financial institutions. 

d. SGBs will be available 'on tap’. Based on the consultation with NSE, BSE, Banks, and Department of Post, features of the product to emulate 'On Tap' sale would be finalized by Ministry of Finance.

9. Dharam Singh, former Karnataka CM passes away

i. N. Dharam Singh, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, passed away following a heart attack. He was 80. He was the 17th Chief Minister of the state. He headed the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government from May 2004 to February 2006.

ii. Dharam Singh represented the Karnataka Legislative Assembly seven times without a defeat and was a member of the Lok Sabha from Bidar constituency once (2009).

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Siddaramaiah is the present CM of Karnataka.
• The Governor of Karnataka is Vajubhai Vala.

Daily GK Update 26th July 2017

1. Nation celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas: 26 July

i. The country celebrated the 18th Anniversary of ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’. On the occasion, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and three Chiefs of Services laid floral tribute at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate.

ii. Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26 July, commemorates India’s emphatic victory against Pakistan and honors the war heroes.
iii. On this day in 1999, the Indian Army successfully took control of posts at a treacherous high altitude and glaciated terrain across the Himalayas in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, after fighting for 60 days.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Four Param Vir Chakras, nine Maha Vir Chakras, 53 Vir Chakras and other medals had been awarded to felicitate the Kargil War heroes.
• More than 500 soldiers from Indian Armed Forces sacrificed their lives during the war.

2. Union Home Minister chairs first meeting of Islands Development Agency (IDA)

i. The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired the first meeting of the newly constituted Islands Development Agency (IDA).

ii. The Union Home Minister presented the vision for developing India’s maritime economy while preserving the natural eco-system and addressing the security concerns.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The IDA was set up on 1st June 2017.

3. BRICS Youth Forum opens in Beijing

i. The 2017 BRICS Youth Forum opened in Beijing, China to discuss the development of the youth in the countries of the grouping. The theme of three-day forum is 'Enhance BRICS Partnership, Promote Youth Development'.

ii. It gathered 50 youth representatives working as civil servants, scholars, entrepreneurs, artists and journalists from the BRICS countries. The five BRICS countries first came up with the idea of establishing a dialogue mechanism for BRICS youth in 2014 during a meeting between BRICS leaders in South Africa.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• BRICS was established in 2006.
• In the past three years, the forum has had achievements in various fields, such as youth policies and employment through dialogue.

4. SIDBI starts merchant banking operations to help MSMEs tap market

i. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has started full-fledged merchant banking operations to benefit the expanding number of growth-oriented micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), especially those with a strong technology and innovation quotient.

ii. The initiative is aimed at enhancing the access of MSMEs to the capital markets, including the SME Trading Platform and Institutional Trading Platform.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Kshatrapati Shivaji is the Chairman and Managing Director of SIDBI.
• The Head Office of SIDBI is in Lucknow.

5. Aurionpro launches a Bank in a Box to reduce branch expansion cost for banks

i. Aurionpro Solutions a global leader in digital innovation, enterprise security and banking solutions, announced its Branch-in-a-Box product, the Virtual Teller Machine (VTM) a fully integrated self-service kiosk for automating 90% of banking transactions at the branch level. 

ii. The VTM helps in migrating routine transactions like eKYC, account opening, passbook and statement printing, video assistance, bill payment, cash and cheques (single and bunched) deposit, cheque account summary, cash withdrawal, personalised instant card issuance, activation and replacement from the branch to the teller machines.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Mr. Samir Shah is the CEO of Aurionpro.

6. Standard Chartered Bank unveils forex card

i. Standard Chartered Bank has launched a Multi-currency Forex Card for overseas travelers. The card will allow customers the convenience of loading up to 20 widely used currencies on one card with an online reload facility during overseas travel.

ii. The card will offer travelers protection against the frequent currency fluctuations by locking in the currency exchange rate they availed during the time of loading the card, and not pay different rates every time they use the card.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank is Jose Vinals.
• Headquarter of Standard Chartered Bank is in  London, England.

7. Reliance Defence launches first two naval patrol vessels Shachi and Shruti

i. Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (RDEL) announced the launch of its first two Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels (NOPVs) at their shipyard in Pipavav, Gujarat.

ii. The two NOPVs, 'Shachi' and 'Shruti' are among five ships being constructed by RDEL under the P-21 project of the Indian Navy.  It is the first private shipyard in India to obtain defence production licence and sign a contract for defence ships in 2011.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Anil Ambani is the Non-Executive Chairman of RDEL.

8. Yatra acquires Air Travel Bureau to expand corporate travel business

i. Yatra Online Inc, India’s second-largest online travel operator, has acquired corporate travel services provider Air Travel Bureau (ATB).

ii. ATB is India’s ‘largest corporate travel services provider’ with gross bookings of Rs 1,500 crore and a client base of 400 companies in the country.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• CEO of Yatra.com is  Dhruv Shringi.

9. Google CEO Sundar Pichai joins Alphabet Board of Directors

i. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been appointed to the board of directors of Alphabet, the search giant’s parent company.

ii. Alphabet is the second most valuable U.S. company behind Apple. Alphabet shares have risen by more than 50% since Pichai, following a steady rise through Google’s managerial ranks.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• CEO of California-based US multinational conglomerate Alphabet is Larry Page. 

10. Janalakshmi Financial Services appoints Ajay Kanwal as CEO

i. Gearing up for the launch of their small finance bank, Janalakshmi Financial Services (JFS), the largest microfinance company, has announced the appointment of its new CEO Ajay Kanwal.

ii. Kanwal, a veteran banker having 27 years of experience in both consumer and commercial banking sector, will take charge of office from August 1.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Janalakshmi Financial Services, set up in Bengaluru in 2008.
• V. S. Radhakrishnan, the current CEO, will take over as Vice-Chairman.

11. India to host maiden men's World Boxing Championship in 2021

i. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has announced that India will host their first Men’s World Championship in 2021. The announcement was made after a two-day executive committee meeting that was held in Moscow.

ii. The AIBA Men’s World Championships 2019 will be held in Russia city of Sochi. The 2018 Women’s World Championships will also be held in New Delhi.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Headquarters of AIBA is in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• President of AIBA Dr. Wu Ching-kuo.