DAILY GK 20 MARCH 2019

DAILY GK 20 MARCH

1. SINGAPORE, PARIS AND HONG KONG SHARED TOP SPOT: WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES SURVEY

✔The annual Economist Intelligence Unit survey listed Singapore, Paris and Hong Kong as the world’s most expensive cities. In the 30 year long history it is for the first time the three cities are sharing the top spot.

✔Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland ranked 4th and 5th respectively while Osaka in Japan ranked 6th position.

✔Bengaluru, Chennai and New Delhi ranked 5th, 7th and 8th position respectively among the top ten cheapest cities. Caracas in Venezuela topped the cheapest cities in the world list.

2. 4TH ROUND OF FTA TALKS BETWEEN INDIA AND PERU HELD IN LIMA

✔4th Round of Free Trade Agreement talks between India and Peru concluded in Lima. The FTA agreement is aimed to enhance the two-way commerce between India and Peru.

✔The Bilateral trade between India and Peru has been increased from 1.77 billion dollars in 2016-17 to 3.13 billion dollars in 2017-18 and Lima ranked third among export destination for India in Latin America and Caribbean region.

3. KAZAKHSTAN RENAMES ITS CAPITAL ASTANA AS NURSULTAN AFTER EX-PRESIDENT

✔Kazakhstan has renamed its capital as Nursultan from its previous name Astana in order to recognize its outgoing leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has served nearly 30 years as president of Kazakhstan.

✔The name was changed after Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sworn in as president of Kazakhstan. The new president will serve till April 2020.

4. LEELADHAR JAGUDI WILL BE HONOURED WITH THE VYAS SAMMAN 2018

✔Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagudi honoured with Vyas Samman 2018 for his collection of poems “Jitne Log Utne Prem” published in 2013. He also authored several poetry anthologies.

✔Leeladhar was born in Dhangal village of Uttarakhand. He received Padma Shri in 2004 and Sahitya Akademi Award, Akashvani National Award and Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman as well.

5. AMERICAN PROFESSOR KAREN UHLENBECK HAS BECOME THE FIRST WOMAN TO WIN THE PRESTIGIOUS MATH AWARD: ABEL PRIZE

✔Mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck became the first woman to be conferred with 6 million Norwegian kroner ($700,000) Abel Prize, which is regarded as Nobel prize of mathematics.

✔She was recognized for her work in the field of gauge theory and geometric analysis gave an extensive impact in mathematics as well as in physics.

6. EX-SUPREME COURT JUDGE JUSTICE PC GHOSE NAMED AS INDIA’S FIRST LOKPAL

✔66-year old Former Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose appointed as the country’s first Lokpal or the anti-corruption ombudsman, by President Ram Nath Kovind.

✔He is serving as a member of the National Human Rights Commission since June 29, 2017. Former Chief Justices Dilip B. Bhosale, Pradip Kumar Mohanty, and Abhilasha Kumari and current Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court Ajay Kumar Tripathi have been appointed as judicial members under the Lokpal.

7. MUMBAI SOCIAL WORKER GAURI SAWANT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS FIRST TRANSGENDER ELECTION AMBASSADOR

✔38-year-old transgender activist Shree Gauri Sawant from Mumbai has been appointed as first transgender election ambassador by The Election Commission of India.

✔There was no separate classification of transgenders as voters till 2014 but after that transgenders were first enrolled as voters along with males and females. The highest enrolment of transgenders (324) is in Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency.

8. WORLD SPARROW DAY OBSERVED ON MARCH 20

✔The World Sparrow Day is observed annually on 20th March to spread awareness about the house sparrow as well as to educated people about the threat to their population.

✔The Theme for this year’s World Sparrow Day is “I love sparrows”.

9. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS – 20 MARCH

✔March 20th of every year the ‘International Happiness Day’ is celebrated worldwide.

✔Theme of International Day of Happiness 2019 is ‘Happier Together’.