DAILY GK 18 MAY 2019

DAILY GK 18 MAY 2019

1. 11th India Iran Joint Consular Committee Meeting  

✔The 11th India Iran Joint Consular Committee Meeting held in New Delhi

✔The purpose of this meeting is to review the status of ongoing cooperation in consular and visa related issues and also to discuss the strategy to further expand people to people contacts and to promote friendly exchanges between India and Iran.

✔Both countries have discussed some important issues between India and Iran:

• Early conclusion of Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance on civil and commercial matters.
• To extend longer duration of e-Visa for each other nationals on reciprocity.
• Visa facilitation for greater people to people contacts etc.

2. The highest graphite reserves of India are found in Arunachal Pradesh: GSI

✔According to Geological Survey of India, the highest graphite reserves of India, that is, around 35% of India’s total Graphite reserves are found in Arunachal Pradesh.

✔The data was presented during GSI’s annual interactive meeting with the Department of Geology and Mining & Industries, Government of Arunachal Pradesh in Itanagar.

✔Arunachal Pradesh could now be developed as the leading producer of graphite in India to meet the nations’ future needs, since currently, India imports the majority of Graphite from other nations.

3. Taiwan becomes the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage

✔Taiwan’s parliament legalised same-sex marriage, as lawmakers passed a bill permitting same-sex couples to form ‘exclusive permanent unions‘ which would let them apply for a ‘marriage registration’ with government agencies.

✔The vote took place on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, observed on 17th May.

✔The only places in the broader Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws are Australia and New Zealand.

4. CTBTO has offered India an ‘Observer’ status and an access to IMS data

✔The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation has offered India an ‘Observer‘ status and an access to International Monitoring System data.

✔CTBT is a global treaty that runs IMS which constantly monitors the Earth for nuclear explosions and shares evaluative findings with its member states. CTBTO’s headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.

✔India wants CTBT to have a clause on complete nuclear disarmament and didn’t yet sign the treaty as CTBT favours 5 nuclear weapon states, namely, China, US, Russia, France and UK.

5. The 26th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise were held in Singapore

✔INS Kolkata and INS Shakti, the 2 warships of the Indian Navy participated in a 3-day Asia Pacific naval and maritime event titled the International Maritime Defence Exhibition Asia (IMDEX Asia-2019) held in Changi Exhibition Centre, Singapore.

✔After IMDEX, Indian Naval ships together with an Indian Navy surveillance aircraft P8I have participated in the 26th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX).

6. Global Drug Survey 2019

✔Indians are seeking help more than any other countries to reduce their alcohol intake.

✔Indians are reported drunk on an average of 41 times in the last 1 year which is well behind countries like UK, US, Canada, Australia and Denmark which have an average of 33 times in the last 1 year.

✔Portugal leading the country while India ranked in 16^th place.

7. The Government of Saudi Arabia approves permanent residency to certain expatriates to attract long-term investments

✔For the first time, the Cabinet of Saudi Arabia approved to give permanent residency to certain expatriates by allowing them to own real estates. They are eligible to reside with their families without a Saudi sponsor (Kafeel). This new system is named as the “Privileged Iqama”.

✔This is aimed to attract the long term investments in order to boost domestic spending.

✔The newly adopted scheme will boost the growth in private sector and increase the employment opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

8. SIDBI’s pilot scheme for fintech NBFCs to give financial assistance up to Rs. 10 crore to boost digital lending

✔Small Industries Development Bank of India has launched a pilot scheme for fintech Non-Banking Financing Companies to give financial assistance up to Rs. 10 crore in order to boost digital lending.

✔SIDBI has set the credit exposure limit to a new fintech NBFC to 30% of the Net-Owned Fund(NOF) of the new fintech NBFC, with the maximum capital of Rs. 10 crores.

✔These are digital loan companies. RBI has prescribed certain parameters for Fintech NBFCs in order to be eligible for funding assistance. This includes 15% Capital Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio, Non-Performing Assets should be less than or equal to 4%, Minimum Net Owned Fund of Rs. 20 crore and Minimum asset size should be of Rs. 50 crore and the company must hold at least 2 audited annual reports, positive net worth and leverage ratio must be within 5:1.

9. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank appointed Nitin Chugh as MD and CEO

✔Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has appointed Nitin Chugh as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for a period of 3 years from December 1, 2019. The current MD and CEO Samit Ghosh.

10. Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Vigraha’ decommissioned at Vishakhapatnam

✔Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Vigraha’ decommissioned at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is a frontline offshore patrol served for 29 years from 1990 to 2019. It was the seventh offshore patrol vessel built by the Mazagaon Dock Limited, Mumbai.

✔It has participated in major coast guard operations which involves search and rescue, anti-poaching, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, repatriation and joint exercises etc.

11. Former Indian cricketers Sourav Ganguly and Sanjay Manjrekar inducted in ICC commentary panel for World Cup 2019

✔Former Indian cricketers Sourav Ganguly and Sanjay Manjrekar are inducted into the International Cricket Council’s commentary panel for World Cup 2019 to be held in England and Wales.

12. Asian Football Confederation to have first-ever female referee team to take charge of men’s AFC cup

✔For the first time in history, Asian Football Confederation announced its first-ever female referee team to officiate Men’s Continental Club Cup match.

✔The team consists of 3 Japanese referees namely, Yoshimi Yamashita and assistants Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi.