Current Affairs 23rd January 2018: Daily GK Update

National News

1. India-ASEAN Business & Investment Conference Held in New Delhi

i. India-ASEAN business and investment conference held in New Delhi ahead of the landmark commemorative summit meeting on the 25th of January. In the conference, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu stresses enhanced connectivity via land to strengthen trade ties.

ii. Silver jubilee of India-ASEAN partnership is being celebrated in New Delhi on the 25th January with an unprecedented summit meet.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• ASEAN Secretariat- Jakarta, Indonesia.
• The Secretary-General of ASEAN 2018 -2022 is H.E. Lim Jock Hoi.

2. Andhra Pradesh-Zurich Sign Sister State Agreement

i. The Andhra Pradesh Government and the Canton of Zurich signed a letter of intent, to promote mutual prosperity and development.

ii. This will bring the State of Andhra Pradesh and Canton of Zurich closer and ensure that a framework is created, which supports the exchange between both the parties.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• Andhra Pradesh Governor- ESL Narasimhan.
• Zurich is the capital of Canton of Zurich

3. AYUSH Minister Lays Foundation Stone for Homeopathy Research Institute in Jaipur

i. The Minister of State (IC), for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik laid the foundation stone for Central Research Institute (CRI) in Jaipur, Rajasthan. This will be the third CRI under the aegis of Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH).

ii. In his address during the stone laying ceremony, Sh. Naik stated that Ministry of AYUSH is determined towards a focused infrastructural push to Homoeopathy and other systems of AYUSH.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• AYUSH- Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
• The Ministry of AYUSH was formed on 9th November 2014.

Banking/Business/Economy News

4. India, 5th Most Attractive Market for Investments: PwC Survey

i. India has emerged as the fifth most attractive market for investments and the optimism over global economic growth is at a record level, as per the survey of CEOs by global consultancy PwC.

ii. The US remains the top spot for global investment. Around 46% of global CEOs consider the US as one of the three most important countries for growth, followed by China (33%) and Germany (20%) at second and third places, respectively.

5. ONGC Acquires 51.11% Stake in HPCL

i. The Public Sector exploration giant Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has got the consent for acquiring controlling stake in fellow PSU Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL). The transaction will be for Rs36,915 crore.

ii. According to a statement issued by ONGC, it has entered into a share purchase agreement with the President of India for acquiring the shares of HPCL (representing 51.11% of HPCL).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• Chairman & Managing Director of ONGC- Shashi Shanker, Headquarters- Uttarakhand.
• Chairman and Managing Director HPCL- M.K.Surana, Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra.

6. India to Grow at 7.4% in 2018: IMF

i. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India is projected to grow at 7.4% in 2018 as against China’s 6.8%, making it the fastest growing country among the emerging economies. 

ii. In 2017, India’s growth rate dropped to 6.7%. In its latest World Economic Outlook update released in Davos, Switzerland on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the IMF has projected a 7.8% growth rate for India in 2019. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• Managing Director of IMF- Christine Lagarde, Headquarters in- Washington DC, USA.

Appointments

7. FICCI Appoints Dilip Chenoy as Director General

i. Industry Chamber Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has appointed Dilip Chenoy as its Director General.

ii. He was awarded the Game Changer Award in 2015 and the Rashtriya Media Ratan Award in 2013.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• Sanjaya Baru is the Secretary General of FICCI.
• FICCI was established in 1927.

Awards

8. Shah Rukh Khan Honoured with Crystal Award at World Economic Forum

i. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was honoured with the 24th Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

ii. According to the WEF, Shah Rukh Khan received Award for "his leadership in championing children's and women's rights in India". Shahrukh received the award alongside Elton John and Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett.

Sports

9. West Indies to Host 2018 Women’s World T20

i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced, the 2018 edition of the Women’s World T20 will be hosted by West Indies in November 2018.

ii. The three venues were selected by Cricket West Indies through a bidding process and have been ratified by the ICC.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• ICC Chief Executive- David Richardson, Headquarters- Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

10. Shuttler Siddharth Singh Wins Swedish Open Junior Badminton Title

i. Young Indian shuttler Siddharth Pratap Singh secured his maiden international title, bagging the Swedish Open Junior International Series with a straight-game victory over Denmark’s Mads Christophersen in the finals in Uppsala in Sweden.

ii. Playing his first career final, Siddharth defeated Christophersen in a 33-minute match to claim the men’s singles title.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• Sweden Capital- Stockholm, Currency- Swedish krona.

Obituaries

11. Hugh Masekela, 'Father of South African Jazz' Passes Away

i. Trumpeter, composer and singer Hugh Masekela, affectionately known as the 'father of South African jazz', has died after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.

ii. He opened the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Concert and performed at the event's opening ceremony in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium.