DAILY GK 29 JUNE 2024

 DAILY GK 29 JUNE 2024 

1.         ICICI BANK MARKET CAP SURPASSES $100 BILLION

·           ICICI Bank’s market capitalization crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time.

·           It became the 6th Indian company to achieve this milestone.

·           ICICI is the second-largest bank in India by market capitalization, after HDFC Bank.

·           Currently, Reliance Industries is leading the list with a market capitalisation of $236 billion, followed by TCS with a market value of $166 billion.

·           ICICI Bank joins Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel. Infosys also reached a $100 billion market capitalization in January 2022 but has not maintained that level.

 

2.         "ONE WEEK ONE THEME" CAMPAIGN TO SHOWCASE INDIA'S SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS

·           Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, holding multiple significant portfolios, launched the "One Week One Theme" (OWOT) campaign.

·           This initiative highlights India's recent accomplishments across various scientific and technological domains.

·           The OWOT initiative under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) aims to make innovation inclusive for all.

 


3.         SATELLITE-BASED TOLL COLLECTION INITIATIVE ON INDIAN NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

·           The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways aims to implement satellite-based toll collection across all national highways in India in the coming years.

·           By December 2024 , the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) framework will be operational on 5,000 kilometres of national highways.

 

4.         RAILTEL RECEIVES ET GOVERNMENT PSU LEADERSHIP & EXCELLENCE AWARD 2024

·           RailTel was honoured with the ET Government PSU Leadership & Excellence Award 2024 in the 'Leadership in Digital Transformation' category.

·           The award ceremony took place during the 5th ET Govt National PSU Summit 2024, where Dr. Jitendra Singh presented the prestigious accolade.

·           RailTel was recognized for successfully implementing the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) across 709 healthcare facilities of Indian Railways.

 

5.         GRSE LTD. RECEIVES SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE CHAMPION AWARD

·           Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. was honoured with the "Sustainable Governance Champion Award" at the Outlook Planet Sustainability Summit & Awards 2024.

·           The award recognizes GRSE's proactive efforts in embedding sustainability into its core operations, fostering innovation, and promoting environmental stewardship, particularly within the maritime and defence sectors.

 

6.         UNDER-17 ASIAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

·           India concluded their campaign at the Under-17 Asian Wrestling Championships in Amman, Jordan, with an impressive tally of 11 medals: four gold, two silver, and five bronze.

·           Gold Medalists: Dipanshi (46 kg), Muskan (53 kg), Rajnita (61 kg), and Mansi Lather (69 kg)

·           Silver Medalist: Raja Bala displayed determination in the 40 kg category, earning a silver despite fierce competition.

 

7.         OLYMPIC DEBUT IN DRESSAGE  FOR INDIA

·           Anush Agarwalla, an Asian Games medallist, has been chosen by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) to represent the nation in the dressage event at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

·           This decision marks a historic moment for India, as it signifies the country's inaugural entry into the Olympic dressage competition.

 

8.         FRANK DUCKWORTH, CO-INVENTOR OF THE DLS METHOD, PASSED AWAY

·           English statistician and one of the inventors of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, Frank Duckworth passed away at the age of 84.

·           The Duckworth-Lewis method, devised by Duckworth and fellow statistician Tony Lewis, was introduced to determine results in rain-affected cricket matches.

·           The method was first used in international cricket in 1997 and was formally adopted by the ICC as the standard method for setting revised targets in truncated games in 2001.

 

9.         SBI SECURES ₹10,000 CRORE THROUGH 15-YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE BONDS AT 7.36% INTEREST RATE

·           The State Bank of India (SBI) has raised Rs 10,000 crore through 15-year infrastructure bonds to fund projects in sectors like power, roads etc.

·           The coupon rate for bonds is 7.36%.

·           With the current issuance, the total outstanding Long-Term Bonds issued by the country’s largest bank is at Rs 49,718 crore.

 

10.      COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE

·           Sanjana Thakur has been named the overall winner of the 2024 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

·           The prize, valued at £5,000 (approx. $8,664.38 Cdn), recognises the best piece of unpublished short fiction from the Commonwealth's 56 member states.

·           Thakur’s story, Aishwarya Rai, initially won the Asia category before being selected as the overall winner.

·           The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually.

·           It selects the best short fiction from five regional winners: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, and Pacific.

 

11.      MOST VALUABLE INDIAN BRANDS: REPORT

·           Tata Group and Infosys have topped Brand Finance's annual report on the most valuable Indian brands for 15 consecutive years.

·           Its brand value increased by 9% over 2023, reaching $28.6 billion, nearing the $30-billion benchmark for the first time.

·           Tata Group: Maintained the top position with a brand value of $28.6 billion, reflecting a 9% growth.

·           Infosys: Retained the second spot with a brand value of $14.2 billion, also showing a 9% growth.

·           HDFC Group: Climbed to the third spot due to its merger with HDFC Ltd., with a brand value surge of 38%.