DAILY GK UPDATE - 19th July

DAILY GK UPDATE - 19th July

1.    Switzerland tops innovation rankings for fourth year

i. Switzerland has claimed the top spot on the Global Innovation Index for the fourth-straight year while Sub-Saharan Africa "posted significant regional improvement".

ii. The annual rankings, which this year focused on the role people play in the innovation process, found that Switzerland and other top-ranked countries Britain, Sweden and Finland, had strong all-round support systems that led to "high levels of creativity".

iii. India has been the worst performer among BRICS nation in an annual index which measures innovation in various countries.

iv. While the other members of the grouping of large emerging economies all improved their rankings in the 2014 Global Innovation Index (GII) -- Russia by as many as 13 positions to reach 49th -- India slipped 10 places compared to last year, placing 76th.

v. The GII surveys 143 economies around the world, using 81 indicators – to gauge both their innovation capabilities and measurable results.

vi. Published annually since 2007, the GII is published by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization. This year's study was also researched by the Confederation of Indian Industry, du and Huawei, as well as of an Advisory Board of 14 international experts.

2.    ADB upgrades India's economic growth forecast to 6.3 per cent in 2015-16

i. Asian Development Bank, ADB, has upgraded India's economic growth forecast to 6.3 per cent in 2015-16 on hopes of speedy reform process.
ii. The multilateral funding agency, however, has retained its forecast as 5.5 per cent growth in India this year. In a release, it said expansion in the sub-region is expected to reach 5.4 per cent in 2014 and pick up to 6.1 per cent in 2015.

3.    Rio Tinto banks on Modi to revive India projects

i. Rio Tinto, the world’s largest merchant miner with more than two-third share of the globe’s iron ore business, and having a significant presence in other minerals and commodities, is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s business-friendly approach to help revive its stalled projects in India.

ii.“We – and I think the whole world – is impressed with the promise the Modi regime brings,” Rio Tinto CEO, Sam Walsh, said, adding,“the world – and India – is hoping that this will flow through into change''.

iii. He was speaking at an exclusive interaction with select media in Sydney, where he was a key speaker in the B20 Summmit which immediately preceded Saturday’s G20 finance ministers’meet.

Odisha project

Rio Tinto’s plan to mine iron ore in Odisha, for which it has a joint venture agreement with the Odisha Mining Corporation, has been in limbo for quite some timenow, with OMC reportedly not interested in pursuing that project.

4.    Clinton campaigns against killer diarrhoea in Jabrouli village

i. Former President of the United States of America Bill Clinton visited Jabrouli village, near Lucknow, on an awareness mission on diarrhoea.

ii. The awareness mission was organised by Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). According to CHAI, diarrhoea kills over 212,000 children under five every year, including 60,000 in the state of Uttar Pradesh alone. The same program has been implemented in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

5.    Delhi Dynamos goes Dutch ahead of Indian league

i.With the FIFA World Cup fever over last Sunday, India is gearing up for its own football league, the Indian Super League (ISL). Sameer Manchanda, owner of the Delhi franchise of ISL, Delhi Dynamos FC, is convinced that football has arrived in India and it’s just the right time to invest in the sport.

ii. On Thursday, DEN Soccer, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DEN Networks which owns the Delhi franchise, Delhi Dynamos FC, announced its tie up with Feyenoord, a Dutch professional football club from Rotterdam.

iii. Under this alliance, Feyenoord will assist Delhi Dynamos in overall development of its team, besides providing its international players and technical staff to the franchise. ISL’s first edition is slated for kick off in September.

6.    Dunga tipped to return as Brazil coach

i. Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning captain Dunga has emerged as a favourite to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari as coach of the Selecao.

ii. The 50-year-old is in talks with the country’s top football officials and could be named Brazil’s new head coach as soon as Tuesday, according to news portal Lancenet.

iii. It would be Dunga’s second spell in-charge of Brazil after guiding the team to 42 victories from 60 matches between 2006 and 2010.

iv. Dunga’sonly coaching position since 2010 was a 10-month stint in charge of Brazilian Serie A club Internacional last year.

7.    Germany’s football team captain Philipp Lahm announced retirement

i.Philipp Lahm, the captain of Germany’s football team announced his retirement from international game on 18 July 2014.

ii. He announced his retirement just five days after Germany led by him won its fourth football World Cup beating Argentina 1-0 in the final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

iii. The win on 13 July 2014 helped Lahm to be 20th World Cup winning captain.

iv.However, 30-year-old Bayern Munich defender, Lahm will continue to play for his club side, where he renewed his contract till 2018 before the World Cup. He started playing for club side at the age of 11