Daily GK Update 31st March, 2017

President inaugurated 'Namami Brahmaputra' festival in Assam

i. The biggest river festival of India, Namami Brahmaputra, begins in 21 districts of Assam.

ii. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the festival on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, which is considered country's only male river.

iii. The main purpose of the 5-day festival (31st March to 4th April) is to give a boost to the investment and tourism prospect in the state.

India signs First Loan Agreement with New Development Bank

i. The Loan Agreement for New Development Bank (NDB) financing of US$ 350 Million for Development and Upgradation of Major District Roads Project in Madhya Pradesh was signed between Government of India and the New Development Bank (NDB).

ii. This is the First Loan Agreement for NDB assisted project in India. The objective of the Project is upgradation of major district roads (Approx. 1,500 km) in Madhya Pradesh to improve connectivity of the interior areas of the state with the national and state highway networks. The project implementation is 5 years.

Mental Healthcare Bill passed in Parliament

i. Parliament passed the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, which provides healthcare and services to the people with mental illness and also decriminalizes suicide.

ii. The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in August 2016. The Mental Healthcare Bill secured approval in Lok Sabha too, recently. On the clauses decriminalizing suicide, the bill states that a person who attempts suicide should be presumed to have severe stress, and shall not be punished.

iii. Under the Mental Healthcare Bill, the punishment for flouting of provisions will attract up to six months in prison or Rs 10,000 fine or both.

RBI says payment systems to remain closed on April 1

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said all payment systems will remain closed on April 1, in a change from its earlier directive asking banks to remain open on the first day of the next fiscal beginning April.

ii. Electronic fund transfers using payment channels like RTGS (Real-time gross settlement) and NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) would remain closed on Saturday. However, debit card and credit card transactions would remain unaffected. 

Interest rates on small savings schemes cut by 0.1%

i. The returns on small savings schemes, including Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, will be lowered by 0.1 percent for the April-June quarter.

ii. Interest rates on all nine small savings schemes will be lower by 0.1%. Interest rates are reviewed quarterly.

iii. According to finance ministry notification, investments in the public provident fund (PPF) scheme will fetch lower annual rate of 7.9%, the same as a five-year National Savings Certificate.

Karnataka Bank, SBI Card launch co-branded credit card
i. Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank.

ii. Through this alliance, Karnataka Bank and SBI Card will launch two variants of the co-branded credit card named ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’ and ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’.

Sunaina Singh appointed as new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University

i. Sunaina Singh has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University. She was Vice Chancellor of Hyderabad-based EFL University. She has replaced George Yeo.

ii. The University has received a total of 160 applications for the position and six people were called for interviews and three names were then sent to the Visitor. Singh’s name was on top.

El Salvador becomes first country in the world to ban metals mining

i. El Salvador, Central America’s smallest nation, has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nationwide.

ii. The new law, supported by 70 lawmakers, bans all exploration, extraction, and processing of metals both in open pits and mines.

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson breaks Sunita Williams’ spacewalking record

i. American astronaut Peggy Whitson made history when she floated outside the International Space Station (ISS).

ii. She broke the record for the most spacewalks by a woman. Whitson at the age of 57, is making her eighth career spacewalk, surpassing the record of seven previously held by American Sunita Williams.
iii. Ms. Whitson earned a doctorate in biochemistry and served as the first female space station commander in 2008.

India's S V Sunil named player of the year for 2016 in Asian Hockey Awards

i. Indian forward player S V Sunil was named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016.

ii. Drag-flick specialist Harmanpreet Singh was chosen as the Promising Player of the Year in the continental body’s annual awards.

Sachin Tendulkar launches own mobile app
i. Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launched his Android and iOS app called '100MB'. The app has been developed by Pune-based technology firm JetSynthesys.
ii. The app allows users access to their personal social media account within the app and access to exclusive information and interaction with Tendulkar.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

• The 5-day long Festival 'Namami Brahmaputra' begins in Assam
• Inaugurated by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee
• Prime Minister of Bhutan is Mr. Tshering Tobgay
• Brahmaputra River is country's only male river
• India signs First Loan Agreement of US$ 350 Million with New Development Bank for the first time
• The project implementation duration is 5 years
• The Government of Madhya Pradesh and MPRDC are the implementing agencies
• Judiciary capital of Madhya Pradesh is Jabalpur
• New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China
• BRICS countries are members of NDB
• Parliament passed the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016
• punishment for flouting of provisions will attract up to six months in prison or Rs 10,000 fine or both
• The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in August 2016 and now passed in Lok Sabha too.
• All payment systems will remain closed on April 1
• Electronic fund transfers using payment channels like RTGS and NEFT would remain closed on Saturday
• India signs First Loan Agreement of US$ 350 Million with New Development Bank for the first time
• The project implementation duration is 5 years
• The Government of Madhya Pradesh and MPRDC are the implementing agencies
• Judiciary capital of Madhya Pradesh is Jabalpur
• New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China
• BRICS countries are members of NDB.
• Sunaina Singh appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University
• She has replaced George Yeo
• Nalanda University is located in Nalanda District of Bihar
• It was established in 2014.
• El Salvador has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining
• El Salvador is Central America’s smallest nation
• Capital and largest city of El Salvador is San Salvador
• Salvador Sánchez Cerén is the president of El Salvador
• NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson breaks Sunita Williams’ spacewalking record
• She is making her eighth career spacewalk
• She was the first female space station commander in 2008
• S V Sunil named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016
• Harmanpreet Singh was named as the Promising Player of the Year
• Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank named ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’ and ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’
• Polali Jayarama Bhat is CEO of Karnataka Bank and its Headquarter is in Mangalore
• Vijay Jasuja is CEO of SBI Card and its Headquarter is in Gurgaon.

Daily GK Update 30th March, 2017

Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal joined UDAY
i. Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh have joined the Centre’s power distribution company debt relief scheme, Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY). With this, 26 states have joined the scheme.
ii. The government estimates that Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura will gain net benefits of approximately Rs 4,178 crore, Rs 309 crore and Rs 810 crore respectively. 

Union Government launches Online Film Certification System

i. Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu launched the online film certification system, 'e-cinepramaan' with an aim to censor corruption and promote clean cinema.

ii. The new system of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will make the entire process of certification transparent and efficient. The payments made during the process by the producers will go to Bharat Kosh portal.

Chenani-Nashri Tunnel: The longest road tunnel in South Asia
i. In the Historic move, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will formally open the longest road tunnel of South Asia- Chenani-Nashri Tunnel on 2nd April 2017.

Click here to read more

Govt signs deal for Hydrocarbon project in Neduvasal

i.  The Government of India signed a contract for the Discovered Small Fields (DSF) Bid 2016 with GEM Laboratories for extracting Hydrocarbons at Neduvasal, in Tamil Nadu.

ii. The contract was one of the many signed for 31 areas under the DSF Bid Round 2016.

India, Nepal renew fuel supply pact

i. India and Nepal have renewed the fuel supply agreement between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) for another five years.

ii. Supplies to Nepal from India have been meeting the petroleum product requirements since 1974. Both countries are working together for the construction of petroleum product Motihari-Amlekhgunj Pipeline.

Third meeting of G-20 framework working group held at Varanasi

i. The 3rd G-20 Framework Working Group (FWG) Meeting under the G-20 German Presidency was held in Varanasi on 28th and 29th of March, 2017.

ii. The first two G-20 FWG meetings under the G-20 German Presidency have already been held at Berlin in Dec 16 and at Riyadh in Feb 17. Since the inception of the FWG in 2009, this is the fourth occasion that India is hosting this meeting.

iii. Previously, India had hosted the G-20 FWG Meetings in Rajasthan (2012), in Goa (2014) and in Kerala (2015) under different presidencies.

NASA, ISRO jointly working on project NISAR

i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly working on the development of Dual Frequency (L and S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite named as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)

ii. The L-band SAR is being developed by JPL/NASA, while ISRO is developing S-band SAR.

World Environmental Education Congress 2017

i. The 9th World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) will be held in Vancouver, Canada between September 9-15 2017. The theme will be 'Weaving new connections'.

ii. The International Organizing Committee is the WEEC Permanent Secretariat, based in Italy. The congress is an international meeting point for everyone working with education for environment and sustainable future or who has an interest in the field.

 Amazon makes entry in UAE by acquiring Souq.com

i. Amazon, the USA based e-commerce giant made its entry in UAE by acquiring Souq.com, the Middle East’s largest online retailer.

ii. This agreement brings Amazon into a fast-growing market as it expands into a wide range of services. Souq.com, based in Dubai is the largest e-commerce platform in the Arab world offering more than 400,000 products such as consumer electronics, fashion products, and household goods.

 ALTBalaji ties up with MobiKwik

i. ALTBalaji, the digital platform of Balalji Telefilms Ltd, has announced a partnership with mobile wallet major MobiKwik.

ii. The Over-the-top (OTT) entertainment platform ALTBalaji will offer 250 hours of original content and subscribers can now avail themselves of 25 per cent cashback while paying for the service using MobiKwik wallet.

Indian Army Releases Book on Rashtriya Rifles
i. General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) in New Delhi, released the book ‘Home of the Brave’ on the history of Indian Army’s Counter Insurgency Force, the Rashtriya Rifles (RR).
ii. The book is authored by Mr. Nitin A Gokhale, Defence & Security Analyst and Brig S K Chatterji (Retired).

Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

• Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh have joined UDAY scheme
• First state to join UDAY scheme was Andhra Pradesh
• Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna is the full form of UDAY
• UDAY was launched in November 2015
• Union govt launched online film certification system 'e-cinepramaan'
• M Venkaiah Naidu is Information & Broadcasting Minister
• CBFC full form is  Central Board of Film Certification 
• Govt of India signed contract for extracting Hydrocarbons at Neduvasal, Tamil Nadu
• Edappadi K. Palaniswami is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
• C.Vidyasagar Rao is the governor of Tamil Nadu.
• India and Nepal have renewed the supply agreement  of fuel for another five years
• Prime Minister of Nepal is  Pushpa Kamal Dahal
• India is supplying fuel to Nepal to meet the petroleum product requirements since 1974
• The currency of Nepal is Nepalese Rupee and capital is Kathmandu.
• The 3rd G-20 FWG Meeting under the G-20 German Presidency was held in Varanasi
• The G-20 is the group of 19 countries and European Union (EU) deliberating on global economic issues
• The headquarter of G-20 developing nation is in Cancún, Mexico.
• NASA and ISRO are jointly working on project NISAR
• ISRO  full form is Indian Space Research Organization
• ISRO chairman is Kiran Kumar and its headquarter is in Bengaluru, India
• Full form of NASA is National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Full form of NISAR is  NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar
• WEEC full form is World Environment Education Congress
• 9th WEEC will be held in Vancouver, Canada
• The Theme of WEEC 2017 is 'Weaving new connections'
• Amazon acquired Souq.com
• CEO of Amazon is Jeff Bezos
• Amazon headquarter is in the United States of America
• Souq.com headquarter is in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates
• CEO of Souq.com is Ronaldo Mouchawar
• MobiKwik partnered with ALTBalaji
• MobiKwik head office is in Gurgaon, India
• CEO of MobiKwik is Bipin Preet Singh
• ALTBalaji is the digital platform of Balaji Telefilms Ltd.

Daily GK Update 29th March, 2017

AAI, DRDO and Govt. of Jharkhand Signed a Tripartite MoU

i. The Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Government of Jharkhand signed an MoU for the development of the Deoghar Airport in Deoghar district of Jharkhand.
ii. The existing Deoghar Airport will be developed for operations of A-320 and C-130 Aircraft. The time frame given to develop and operationalize the Deoghar Airport is two years.

1st time India becomes Net Exporter of Electricity

i. As per Central Electricity Authority, the Designated Authority of Government of India for Cross Border Trade of Electricity, 1st time India has turned around from a net importer of electricity to Net Exporter of electricity.
ii. During the current year 2016-17 (April 2016 to February 2017), India has exported around 5,798 Million Units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar which is 213 Million units more than the import of around 5,585 Million units from Bhutan.

SBI launches 'Unnati' credit card

i. SBI Card launched a unique credit card ‘SBI Card Unnati’ targeted at all SBI customers, including Jan Dhan account-holders across the country.
ii. As per the statement of SBI Card CEO, Vijay Jasuja, any SBI customer with a balance of at least Rs 25,000 in his/her savings account with the bank would be eligible for the Unnati credit card without the need for any credit score or credit history.

Karnataka Bank’s PoS installations reach 10,000-mark

i. The total tally of PoS (point-of-sale) installations of Karnataka Bank Ltd has reached 10,000. The bank has been offering PoS services since 2011.
ii. This service enabled the merchant establishments to accept card payments and boost their business. The bank is also providing ‘PoS Manager’, an android mobile app to help merchants.

Paytm, The first e-commerce company to become ASCI member

i. The country’s fast-growing e-commerce industry Paytm is all set to become a member of the self-regulatory voluntary organization Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) from April, 2017.
ii. The move is significant because advertising violations by e-commerce companies, which are big spenders on television, print and digital media, have been on the rise in recent years.
iii. The Alibaba-backed Paytm has also set up a new company named Paytm Financial Services, which will sell financial products like insurance and mutual funds to its planned payments bank account holders.

IRDAI imposed penalty on ICICI Pru Life
i. The Insurance Regulatory and Development authority of India (IRDAI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 20 lakh on ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company on various charges.
ii. The charges include free look cancellations not being in line with regulations and delay in processing surrenders/partial withdrawals.

 INLCU L51 commissioned into India Navy

i. Indian Navy inducts surveillance ship INLCU L51, the first of the eight ships of the Landing Craft Utility MK IV Class, was commissioned into the India Navy in Port Blair.
ii. The commissioning of the ship adds a feather to the glorious chapter in the nation’s ‘Make in India’ initiatives and indigenisation efforts in the field of warship design and construction.

NTPC commissions 55 MW solar project at Bhadla
i. State-run power producer NTPC has commissioned 55 Mega Watt (MW) of Bhadla Solar Power Project in Rajasthan.
ii. With this, the installed capacity of Bhadla Solar Power project has become 260 MW and that of NTPC's solar power projects has become 620 MW.


Sima Kamil becomes first woman to lead a major Pakistani bank

i. United Bank Limited (UBL) has appointed Sima Kamil as the new president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the bank.
ii. She will take charge on June 1, 2017 by replacing outgoing CEO Wajahat Hussain. She is the first woman to head a major commercial bank in Pakistan.


UN appoints David Beasley to head World Food Programme

i. United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres has appointed former South Carolina Governor David Beasley to head the Rome-based World Food Programme (WFP).
ii. Beasley will run the affairs of the world’s largest humanitarian organization, serving more than 90 million beneficiaries in 80 countries.
iii. He has replaced Etharin Cousin, who has been the WFP executive director since 2012.

Anil Ambani inducted into the Atlantic Council
i. Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has been inducted into the international advisory board of global think-tank the Atlantic Council.
ii. The Atlantic Council headquartered in Washington, DC. The Atlantic Council chaired by Jon Huntsman Jr.



Bhubaneswar to host men’s hockey World League Final 2017

i. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed Bhubaneswar as the venue for two of its major events the Men’s Hockey World League Final in December 2017 and the men’s World Cup in 2018.
ii. The Kalinga Stadium in the Odisha capital was confirmed as host after the state government signed a deal with FIH to sponsor the two events.

R Ashwin receives Sir Garfield Sobers trophy

i.India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin received Garfield Sobers Trophy for being named the ICC Cricketer of the Year as well as the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.
ii. With this Ashwin has become the third Indian and the 12th player overall to win the award after Rahul Dravid in 2004 and Sachin Tendulkar in 2010.


Important takeaways from above G.K. update are as follows:

1.Ravichandran Ashwin received Garfield Sobers Trophy

2.R Ashwin is the third Indian to receive this Trophy. Rahul Dravid was first (2004) and Sachin Tendulkar was second (2010)
3. Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy is a cricket trophy awarded annually by the ICC to its chosen world player of the year
4.The trophy is handcrafted by leading international crystal manufacturer Swarovski
5.The trophy is named after former West Indies cricket captain Sir Garfield Sobers.
6.South Carolina Governor David Beasley will head the Rome-based World Food Programme.
7.He has replaced Etharin Cousin who has been WFP Executive Director since 2012
8.Secretary-General of United Nations is Antonio Guterres
9.IRDAI headquarter is in Hyderabad, Telangana
10.IRDAI was established  in 2002
11.T S Vijayan is the chairman of IRDAI
12.Karnataka bank headquarter is in Mangalore, Karnataka
13.The bank was founded in 1924
14.Karnataka bank CEO is Polali Jayarama Bhat.
15.The bank is providing ‘PoS Manager’ mobile app to help merchants.
16.Indian Navy inducts INLCU L51
17.Chief of Naval staff (CNS) is Sunil Lanba the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Navy.
18.Paytm is the first e-commerce company to become ASCI member
19.Paytm is a 100% subsidiary of One97 Communications
20.Paytm has set up a new company named Paytm Financial Services
22.Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the founder and CEO of Paytm.
23.India becomes Net Exporter of Electricity for the 1st time
24.India has exported to Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan
25.AAI, DRDO and Govt. of Jharkhand Signed a Tripartite MoU for the development of the Deoghar Airport in Jharkhand
26.Minister of State for Civil Aviation is Sh. Jayant Sinha
27.Chief  Minister of Jharkhand is Sh. Raghubar Das.
28.Bhubaneswar to host  Men’s Hockey World League Final, 2017 and men’s World Cup in 2018
29.FIH headquarter is in Switzerland and its President is Narendra Batra
30.SBI launched 'Unnati' credit card for SBI customers
31.Chairman of SBI is Mrs, Arundhati Bhattacharya and is headquartered in Mumbai
32.Headquarter of SBI Card is in Gurugram and its  CEO is Vijay Jasuja
33.Piyush Goyal is Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines.
34.Sima Kamil appointed as new president and CEO of United Bank Limited
35.UBL headquarter is in Karachi, Pakistan
36.UBL bank was founded in 1959.

Daily GK Update 28th March, 2017

Union Petroleum Ministry launches MoPNG e Seva

i. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched MoP&NG e-Seva. 

ii. It is a dedicated grievances redressal platform on Social Media for all queries and grievances relating to Oil and Gas Sector. 

ESIC launched Mobile Clinic Services in AP and Telangana

i. The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) launched Mobile Clinic Services for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 

ii. Union minister of state for labour and employment Bandaru Dattatreya, launched the ESIC Mobile Clinic Services by flagging off 'Jan Suraksha Ambulances'. 

iii. It is for the first time in the country that the ESIC Mobile Clinic Services are launched in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Odisha becomes first state to bring banking to remote rural areas through SHG

i. Odisha became the first state in the country to carry financial inclusion and extend banking services to unbanked areas through Self Help Groups (SHGs).

ii. The state government signed an agreement with State Bank of India in this regard. The system would be of great help to people in rural areas under social security schemes.

KVB bags ‘best small bank’ award

i. Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has been adjudged the ‘Best Small Bank for 2016’. 

ii. This is the eighth award won by KVB in the current fiscal.

Vijaya Bank inks MoU with Piaggio Vehicles

i. Vijaya Bank entered into an MoU with Piaggio Vehicles for providing financial support for the purchase of vehicles under Small Road Transport Operators (SRTO) scheme in Bengaluru. 

ii. Vijaya Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kishore Sansi flagged off the first batch of vehicles under the MoU in the presence of Piaggio Vehicles Vice-President Praveen Nagpal.

Syndicate Bank opens 40 ‘Ananya’ branches

i. Syndicate Bank digitally inaugurated 40 ‘Ananya’ transformed branches. Project Ananya is a two-year large-scale transformation project undertaken by the bank to provide customers with ‘best in class’ services while improving and modernizing the whole bank.

ii. The aim is to enhance customer experience, improve sales focus, and improve digital transactions through a dedicated digit zone. The bank also launched its first MSME hub in Bengaluru.

Bharat Dynamics, L&T sign up for torpedo export

i. Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), a defence public sector undertaking, signed an MoU with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for export of torpedoes.

ii. The torpedoes are designed and developed at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhaptnam and manufactured by BDL. 

ICICI Bank partners with Truecaller

i. ICICI Bank announced a partnership with mobile app firm Truecaller for a new UPI-based mobile payment service.The new feature called as Truecaller Pay, and it will allow users of the app to instantly create a UPI ID, send money to any UPI ID or a mobile number registered with the BHIM app.

ii. It will also enable users to recharge their mobile number from within the Truecaller app itself.

Truecaller partners with Google

i. Leading communication app Truecaller has tied up with Google to integrate the tech giant's video calling app Duo within the Truecaller app.

ii. According to the agreement, Truecaller integration with Google Duo will be available in the  Android and iOS as a permission-based service, where users will be able to opt-in and out at any time.

Indian-American Vanita Gupta appointed president of ‘Leadership Conference’

i. Indian-American Vanita Gupta has been appointed as president and CEO of ‘The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’, becoming the first woman to head the prestigious organization. 

ii. She will replace Wade Henderson who is stepping down after more than two decades. She will begin her new role on June 1, 2017.

Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha gets Sikh Jewel Award

i. Indian-origin British Director Gurinder Chadha has been honored with the Sikh Jewel Award for 2017 for her immense contribution to British cinema. 

ii. Chadha, whose films include Bhaji on the Beach, Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice, received the award from UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. The event was organized by the British Sikh Association.

CCI imposes reduced penalty of Rs591 crore on Coal India for fuel supply pacts

i. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a reduced penalty of Rs 591 crore on Coal India Ltd for fuel supply pacts. 

ii. CCI asked Coal India to modify the Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) and also ensure that uniformity between old and new power producers as well as between private and state power producers.

Minoru Kato appointed as new HMSI CEO

i. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has appointed Minoru Kato as a new President and Chief Executive Office of the company effective from April 1, 2017. 

ii. He will be replacing Keita Muramatsu, the current President & CEO who spear-headed Honda’s Indian two-wheeler operations for the last six years. 

Eminent Jurist TR Andhyarujina Passes Away

i. Senior Advocate and eminent jurist Tehmtan R. Andhyarujina passed away. He was the Solicitor General of India from 1996 to 1998. 

Satwik-Chirag pair wins Vietnam Challenger

i. Promising Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched the $20,000 Vietnam Open International challenger badminton doubles title after defeating Thai pair of Trawut Potieng and Nanthakam Yordphaisong in a final in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Important Takeaways from above G.K. update are as follows

• BDL and L&T signed an MoU for export of torpedoes
• Torpedoes are cigar-shaped self-propelled underwater missile designed to be fired from a ship or submarine
• Bharat Dynamics Ltd headquarter is in Hyderabad
• BDL was founded in 1970
• KVB bank has bagged the ‘best small bank’award 2016
• KVB headquarter is in Karur, Tamil Nadu
• KVB bank founded in 1916
• KVB bank slogan is 'smart way to bank'
• Union Petroleum Ministry launches MoPNG e-Seva
• Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas is Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
• MoPNG dedicated grievances redressal platform on Social Media for all queries and grievances
• Odisha becomes the first state to bring banking to remote rural areas through SHG
• Self-Help Group (SHG) is a small voluntary association of poor people, preferably from the same socio-economic background
• Chief Minister of Odisha is Shri Naveen Patnaik
• Governor of Odisha is Shri S. C. Jamir
• Syndicate bank has digitally inaugurated 40 ‘Ananya’ transformed branches
• Headquartered in Karnataka, it was founded in 1925
• Syndicate bank CEO is Arun Shrivastava
• Slogan of Syndicate bank is 'Faithful Friendly'
• Vijaya bank entered into an MoU with Piaggio Vehicles
• Vijaya bank headquarter is in Bengaluru
• Vijaya bank was founded in 1931 by A.B. Shetty
• Vijaya bank CEO is Kishore Kumar Sansi.
• Senior Advocate and eminent jurist Tehmtan R. Andhyarujina passed away
• He authored 'The Kesavananda Bharati Case: The untold story of struggle for supremacy by Supreme Court and Parliament'
• ESIC launched Mobile Clinic Services for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
• Union minister of state for labour and employment is Bandaru Dattatreya
• ESIC day is observed on 24th February of every year
• Vanita Gupta has been appointed as president and CEO of ‘The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’
• She has replaced Wade Henderson
• She will begin her new role on June 1, 2017.
• Indian-origin British Director Gurinder Chadha has been honored with the Sikh Jewel Award for 2017
• Michael Fallon is UK Defence Secretary
• Y K Sinha is The High Commissioner of India to the UK
• ICICI bank partnered with mobile app firm Truecaller
• CEO of ICICI bank is Chanda Kochhar
• ICICI bank headquarter is in Mumbai
• ICICI bank was founded in 1994
• Truecaller has tied up with Google
• Google headquarter is in U.S.A.
• CEO of Google is Sundar Pichai
• Parent Company of google is Alphabet Inc.
• Google was founded in 1998.