Daily GK Update : 17th August 2017

By Vijay Kumar|Updated : August 17th, 2017

Sports

1. Real Madrid beats Barcelona to win 2017 Spanish Super Cup

  • 'Real Madrid' has won the 2017 Spanish Super Cup (10th title), beat their rivals Barcelona 2-0 at a joyous Santiago Bernabeu.
  • Real Madrid football club is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain founded on 6th March 1902 as Madrid Football Club.

Note:

  • The Spanish Super Cup is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

Important Dates

2. Parsi New Year, Navroz being celebrated today

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  • Today, the Parsi New Year, ‘Navroz’ is being celebrated across the world.
  • Parsis wear traditional clothes and visit fire temple also known as ‘Agiary’ and offer milk, flowers, fruits, sandalwood to the sacred fire.
  • The vibrant festival began 3,000 years back by the mighty emperor Jamshed, who introduced the new calendar in Persia.

Note:

  • The day is dedicated to clean and purify the mind and start a new year with love and peace.

National Affairs

3. 'Indira canteen scheme’ launched in Bengaluru

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  • Congress vice-president 'Rahul Gandhi' has launched the ‘Indira Canteen scheme' aimed at providing food at low cost to the urban poor.
  • The canteen is located at Kanakanapalya in Jayanagar (Bengaluru).
  • The canteens are loosely modelled on late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s ‘Amma Canteens’.

4. GeM and CII sign MoU to establish GeMSamvad

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  • The Government eMarketplace (GeM) SPV and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a GeM Industry forum “GeMSamvad”.
  • GeMSamvad will be a participative and collaborative approach with the industry for promoting Indian industry and entrepreneurship.
  • The purchases through GeM have been made mandatory by Union Finance Ministry by adding Rule No 149 in the General Financial Rules, 2017.

5. FASTags to be sold online and offline as toll plazas

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  • National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken two revolutionary steps in consultation with RBI and NPCI to facilitate the availability of FASTags for electronic toll collection.
  • FASTags will be sold online and offline sale through Common Services Centre (CSC) near toll plazas from 1st September 2017.
  • FASTag can also be purchased online from Issuer Banks websites / NHAI website / IHMCL website and will be delivered by courier at the door step of the purchaser.

6. Cabinet approves new metro rail policy for expanding metro network

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  • The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a new metro rail policy for expanding the metro network across various cities in the country.
  • The policy was prepared in consultation with states and is intended to end ad hoc arrangement for expansion of metro rail network in the country.
  • The New Metro Policy looks at reducing the Centre’s role in funding while making PPP mandatory for Metro projects.
  • At present, metro projects with a total length of more than 350 km are operational in eight cities (Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Gurugram).
  • Metro projects are also under way in Hyderabad, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Lucknow.

7. CCEA approves proposal of DIPAM for strategic disinvestment

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  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal of Department of Investment and public Asset Management (DIPAM) for the strategic disinvestment.
  • The department will set up an alternative mechanism comprising of the Finance Minister, Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Minister of Administrative Department to decide on the matters relating to terms and conditions of the sale from the stage of inviting of Express of Interests till inviting of financial bid.

8. Energy efficient bulbs and tube lights to be sold at petrol pumps across the country

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  • Energy Efficiency Services Limited has signed a MoU with oil marketing companies (Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited) for distribution of UJALA Energy Efficient Appliances through Petrol Pumps.
  • According to the Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, these oil marketing companies have over 53 thousand petrol pumps and the products will be available across the country in the next 6 months.
  • In the first phase, the distribution will commence from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Note:

  • The consumer can purchase Energy efficient LED bulb at Rs. 70, tube light at Rs. 220 and 5 star rated ceiling fans at Rs. 1200.
  • The Scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2015.

Banking & Finance

9. RBI makes Aadhar linkage mandatory for farmers to avail short-term crop loans in 2017-18

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  • Reserve Bank has made Aadhar linkage mandatory for farmers who wish to avail short-term crop loans in 2017-18.
  • RBI has also advised banks to make Aadhaar linkage compulsory to ensure hassle-free benefits to farmers under the Interest Subvention Scheme.
  • Farmers can avail of short-term crop loans of up to 3 lakh rupees at a subsidised interest rate of 7% that could go down to 4% on prompt repayment.
  • Banks will provide subvention benefit to small and marginal farmers with Kisan Credit Cards for a further period of up to 6 months post-harvest.

10. Govt revises up 2016-17 grain output to record 275.68 million tonnes

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  • The union government has revised the country's overall food grain production by 2.3 million tonnes to a record 275.68 million tonnes in 2016-17 crop year (ended in June).
  • According to Agriculture Ministry, record production has been achieved in rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses due to the good rainfall and various initiatives taken by the government.
  • The previous record of 265.04 million tonnes was achieved in 2013-14 crop year while the production had declined to 251.57 million tonnes in 2015-16.

Science & Defence

11. New tectonic plate discovered off the cost of Ecuador

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  • According to Rice University scientist, a microplate discovered off the west coast of Ecuador adds another piece to Earth’s tectonic puzzle.
  • The microplate, which they have named ‘Malpelo’ while analysing the junction of three other plates in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
  • The Malpelo Plate, named for an island and an underwater ridge it contains.

 "Thought of the Day"

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”

  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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Daily GK Update : 17th August 2017

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