Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |

Dear Aspirants,

The General Awareness Section of Banking Exams covers numerous sections in it like Banking Awareness, Static GK, and Current Affairs. But the most important thing that you might have noticed is that both the Banking Awareness and Static Awareness questions asked in the General Awareness Section are based on Current Affairs only. The questions on Static and Banking Awareness are related to the countries, events or anything that has been in news for a while. Here is the Daily GK Update to get you acquainted with the top events that made the headlines today!!

Current-Affairs-4th-January-2019-2018-Daily-GK-Update

National News

1. Parliament Passes Right Of Children To Free And Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018

Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |_3.1

i. The Indian Parliament passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018 that seeks to do away with the no-detention policy in schools. The legislation is significant as it brings accountability in the elementary education system.

ii. The Bill seeks to amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act to abolish the “no-detention” policy in schools. Under the current provisions of the Act, no student can be detained up to class VIII.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2018:

Minister of Human Resource Development: Prakash Javadekar.

2. Parliament Passes National Council For Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018

Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |_4.1

i. The Indian Parliament passed the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018, following the approval of the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha had already passed the Bill. The Bill seeks to amend the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993.

ii. The bill aims to grant retrospective recognition to Central and State institutions which had conducted teacher education courses without approval by the Council. This will ensure that the future of about 17 thousand students having degrees from such institutions is secured.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS Clerk Mains Exam:

Prakash Javadeker is the present HRD Minister of India.

International News

3. Trump Signs Asia Reassurance Initiative Act Into Law

Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |_5.1

i. U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA), which passed the U.S. Senate earlier in December. According to the White House, the act establishes a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.

ii. Specifically, the ARIA will authorize $1.5 billion in spending for a range of U.S. programs in East and Southeast Asia and develop a long-term strategic vision and a comprehensive, multifaceted, and principled United States policy for the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes.

4. Arunima Sinha Becomes World’s 1st Female Amputee To Scale Antarctica’s Highest Peak

Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |_6.1

i. Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to have conquered Mt Everest, created yet another record as she became world’s first woman amputee to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica.

ii. Apart from Mount Everest, the 30-year-old has climbed the highest peaks of five continents and plans to do so in all seven.

Banking/Economy News

5. HDFC MF Surpasses ICICI Prudential MF to Become Largest AMC in India

Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |_7.1

i. HDFC Mutual Fund has pipped ICICI Prudential MF to become the country’s largest asset management company after a gap of over two years.

ii. As of December-end, HDFC MF manages assets to the tune of Rs 3.35 lakh crore, while those of ICICI Prudential MF stood at Rs 3.08 lakh crore, as per the latest data available with Association of Mutual funds in India (Amfi).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS Clerk Mains Exam:

Mr. Milind Barve is the Managing Director of HDFC MF.
It headquarters in Mumbai.

6. Syndicate Bank And SBI Life Insurance Signed Bancassurance Pact

Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |_8.1

i. Syndicate Bank and SBI Life Insurance signed a bancassurance pact aiming to offer a comprehensive financial planning solution to its customers. The pact was signed between Syndicate Bank MD & CEO, Mrutyunjay Mahapatra and MD and CEO of SBI Life, Sanjeev Nautiyal.
ii. Through the pact, Syndicate Bank will provide penetration in the market with its 3,000 branches and SBI Life’s diverse range of protection, wealth creation and savings insurance products will be brought to the table to the customers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2018:

Syndicate Bank Headquarters: Manipal, Karnataka, Tagline: Faithful and Friendly.

7. SEBI Allows Custodial Services In Commodity Market

Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |_9.1

i. Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed custodial services in the commodity derivatives market. The move is aimed at enabling the participation of institutional investors such as mutual funds and portfolio managers in the commodity derivatives market.
ii. Under the new framework, existing custodians will be permitted to add commodities as an asset class and provide physical delivery of both the securities and commodities.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS Clerk Mains Exam:

SEBI- Securities and Exchange Board of India.
SEBI Chairman- Ajay Tyagi, Headquarters- Mumbai.

Obituaries

8. Veteran Bengali Writer Dibyendu Palit Passes Away

Current Affairs 4th January 2019: Daily GK Update |_10.1

i. Renowned Bengali writer and Sahitya Akademi awardee Dibyendu Palit passes away due to age-related ailments. He was 79-year-old.
ii. Palit was conferred the Sahitya Akademi for his novel ‘Anubhab’ in 1998. He was awarded the ‘Bankim Purashkar’ for ‘Dheu’ in 1990 and ‘Ananda Purashkar’ in 1984 for ‘Sahojoddha’.