Today's GK

PRABHAT  KUMAR

√ Who has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to the Republic of Kazakhstan?-Prabhat Kumar, the IFS officer of 1991 batch, presently, he is Ambassador of India to Colombia.

√ Microsoft has tied up with which Indian state to use its AI-based MINE platform to screen children for eye problems?--TELANGANA.  The Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare (MINE) is an artificial intelligence platform to reduce avoidable blindness. With this tied up, Telangana has become the first Indian state to deploy artificial intelligence for eyecare screening.

√ Which country to host the 15th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of BIMSTEC countries? NEPAL. Foreign Ministers of BIMSTEC countries will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal from August 10-11, 2017. From India, the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India.

BN SHRIKRISHNA

√ Which committee has recently submitted report on institutionalization of arbitration mechanism in India? BN Srikrishna committee. The committee has recommended for setting up an Autonomous Body, Arbitration Promotion Council of India (APCI) having representatives from all stakeholders for grading arbitral institutions in India. The APCI may recognize professional institutes providing for accreditation of arbitrators. The APCI may hold training workshops and interact with law firms and law schools to train advocates with interest in arbitration and with a goal to create a specialist arbitration bar comprising of advocates dedicated to the field. 

RAJIV KUMAR

√ Who has will be the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog? Rajiv Kumar.  He will succeed Arvind Panagariya, who will leave the government think tank on August 31, 2017.

√ India has recently signed how much amount of loan pact with AIIB for Gujarat road project? $329 million.

√ India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility has set up in which city? Hyderabad on August 4, 2017.

√ The Union Government on 4 August 2017 made Aadhaar mandatory for registration of deaths so as to provide an effective method to prevent identity fraud. Mandatory Aadhaar registration for death will come into effect from which date? – 1 October 2017.

 

√ Union Government divested 5.5% of its stake in which public sector entity through the offer for sale (OFS) route on 2 and 3 August 2017? – Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL)

 

√  US stock exchange Dow Jones during August 2017 crossed which mark for the first time ever? – 22,000 points.

 

√  According to the information disclosed by the union government on 4 August 2017 it has set up a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) comprising 22 scrips including ONGC, IOC, SBI and Axis Bank. It is the second ETF from the government after CPSE ETF. What is the name given to this ETF? – Bharat-22. Bharat-22 is the name of the new exchange-traded fund (ETF) established by the Union Government that comprises of 22 blue-chip public sector units, state-owned banks and some holdings in SUUTI. It has a diversified portfolio of six sectors, including energy, FMCG, finance, basic material and industrial and utilities.

√ Which country is poised to be the first country in the Gulf region to grant permanent residency to some of the foreigners as a landmark legislation was approved by this country’s Parliament on 2 August 2017? – Qatar.