Current Affairs 24th January 2018: Daily GK Update

National News

1. Rapid Reporting System for SAG Launched on National Girl Child Day

i. Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Mr Rakesh Srivastava launched the Phase -1 i.e. the beneficiary module of the Rapid Reporting System (RSS) for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) on the occasion of National Girl Child Day (24th January). 

ii. It is a web-based online monitoring for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls in New Delhi. The URL for the portal is 'sag-rrs.nic.in.' Presently, MWCD is implementing the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) in selected 508 districts across the country.

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

• SAG aims at empowering out of school adolescent girls of 11 to 14 years by improving their nutritional and health status, upgrading their skills.
• Minister of Women and Child Development- Maneka Gandhi.

2. India to Host 16th International Energy Forum Meet

i. The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial meeting will be held in New Delhi in April 2018. 
ii. According to the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, the meeting will be hosted by Government of India in New Delhi and co-hosted by the Government of China and South Korea.

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

• India had last hosted the IEF ministerial conference in 1996.

3. GoI, Uttarakhand, and World Bank Sign $120 million Loan Agreement for Water Supply in Uttarakhand

i. The Government of India, the Government of Uttarakhand and the World Bank Board signed a $120 million Loan Agreement which will help increase access to improved water supply services in peri-urban areas in the State of Uttarakhand.

ii. The $120 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and has a 5-year grace period.

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

• Jim Yong Kim is the 12th President of the World Bank Group.
• World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC, USA.

4. Uttar Pradesh Diwas- 24 January

i. Uttar Pradesh Diwas is observed on 24th of January. The Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu was the chief guest of the event (named Lucknow Utsav) organized in Lucknow.

ii. The objectives of the Uttar Pradesh Utsav is to present and promote the rich cultural heritage, literary, artistic and craftsmanship.

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

• Uttar Pradesh CM- Yogi Adityanath, Governor- Ram Naik.

5. 7th Asia Steel International Conference to be Held in Bhubaneswar

i. The 7th Asia Steel International Conference will be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha in February 2018. The announcement was made by Tata Steel, in association with the Indian Institute of Metals.

ii. This major conference is held every three years and provides a platform for the exchange of knowledge on various aspects of the global steel industry.

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

• The last Asia Steel conference was held in 2015 at Yokohama, Japan.

International News

6. World Economic Forum Summit in Switzerland Concludes

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home after concluding his visit to Davos, Switzerland. During the visit, the Prime Minister delivered a keynote address at the plenary session of the 48th annual meeting of World Economic Forum.
ii. He became the first Indian prime minister in two decades to join the world’s top business leaders in the Swiss resort town of Davos.

iii. Mr Modi outlined climate change, terrorism and protectionism as three global threats. He also met his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau. The Prime Minister also held a meeting with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. At the end, Mr Modi interacted with top global CEOs at the International Business Council event.

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

• Capital of Switzerland- Bern, Currency- Swiss franc.
• The founder and Chairman of WEF- Klaus Schwab.

Banking/Business/Economy News

7. . IOB, NHB Tie up for Rural Housing Push

i. Indian Overseas Bank has signed an MoU with National Housing Bank for the Rural Housing Interest Subsidy Scheme (RHISS) of the Ministry of Rural Development. The aim of the RHISS is to provide subsidy for housing loans taken by those living in rural areas for construction and modifications of their dwelling units.

ii. The interest subsidy under the scheme is 3% for a loan amount of Rs2 lakh for 20-year tenure.  Indian Overseas Bank has become one of the first public sector banks to implement the scheme.

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

• MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank- R Subramaniakumar, Headquarters- Chennai.
• MD and CEO of the National Housing Bank- Sriram Kalyanaraman, Headquarters- New Delhi.

8. . RIL Becomes India’s 1st Firm to Cross Rs6-lakh crore Market Capitalization

i. Reliance Industries (RIL) become the first Indian company to cross the Rs6-lakh crore mark in market capitalisation as its shares touched a 52-week high of Rs974.5.

ii. RIL is owned 40% by its chairman Mukesh Ambani, making him the richest Indian with the personal wealth of $40.7 billion and the 20th richest globally, according to Bloomberg’s billionaire index.

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

• HDFC Bank is the first lender to cross Rs5-lakh crore mark in market capitalisation.

9. . NIIF Makes its 1st Investment, Partnered with DP World

i. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has made its First investment. NIIF has partnered with DP World to create an investment platform for ports, terminals, transportation and logistics businesses in India.
ii. The first close of the NIIF Master Fund took place in October 2017 with contributions from a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and four Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), viz., HDFC Group, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Life and Axis Bank.

Appointments

10. S Somanath Takes Charge as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre's Director

i. ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) director S Somanath has taken charge as the new director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). It is ISRO's lead centre for launch vehicles.

ii. He has replaced K Sivan who has joined ISRO as Chairman. 

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

• VSSC had a small beginning in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on the south-west coast of India, in 1962.

Sports

11. Lifter Rakhi Halder Creates New National Record

i. Lifter Rakhi Halder created a new national record in clean and jerk to a gold medal in the 63kg women’s category in the 33rd Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships, in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
ii. Rakhi lifted 128kgs in the clean and jerk for a total of 230kgs to create a new national record, bettering Karnam Malleswari’s feat (127kg) created in Athens in 1999.

Obituaries

12. Ursula K. Le Guin, Best-Selling Science Fiction author Passes Away

i. Ursula K. Le Guin, the award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer who explored feminist themes and was best known for her Earthsea books, has passed away at the age of 88.

ii. Le Guin won an honorary National Book Award in 2014. Le Guin’s first novel was Roncannon’s World in 1966. Her book, 'The Left Hand of Darkness' won the Hugo and Nebula awards top science fiction prizes.