DAILY GK UPDATE - 30th April !

1.    World Bank: India became third-largest economy in 2011 from 10th in 2005

i. India emerged as the world�s third-largest economy in 2011 from being the 10th largest in 2005, moving ahead of Japan, while the US remained the largest economy closely followed by China, latest figures have revealed.

ii. �The economies of Japan and the UK became smaller relative to the US, while Germany increased slightly and France and Italy remained the same,� according to data released today by the International Comparison Program (ICP), hosted by the Development Data Group at the World Bank Group.

iii. The relative rankings of the three Asian economies � China, India, and Indonesia � to the US doubled, while Brazil, Mexico and Russia increased by one-third or more,� the report said.

iv. The world produced goods and services worth over $90 trillion in 2011 and that almost half of the total output came from low and middle-income countries, it said.

v. �China and India make up two-thirds of the Asia and the Pacific economy, excluding Japan and South Korea, which are part of the OECD comparison. Russia accounts for more than 70 per cent of the CIS, and Brazil for 56 per cent of Latin America. South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria account for about half of the African economy,� said the report.

vi. At 27 per cent, China now has the largest share of the world�s expenditure for investment (gross fixed capital formation) followed by the US at 13 per cent.

vii. India, Japan and Indonesia follow with 7 per cent, 4 per cent, and 3 per cent, respectively,� the report said.

2.    Switzerland, Norway are world's most expensive economies

i. Switzerland and Norway are the world's most expensive economies, followed by Bermuda, Australia and Denmark, according to a new ranking by the World Bank.

ii. The economies with the lowest prices are Egypt, Pakistan, Myanmar, Ethiopia and Laos, according to a review of economic data which seeks to compensate for exchange rate effects and measure spending power across countries.

iii. The United States, the world's largest economy, was in relatively affordable 25th place, lower than most other high-income countries.

iv. The richest countries, or those with the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita on a purchasing power parity basis, were Qatar, Macao, Luxembourg, Kuwait, and Brunei.

v. Eight countries, including Malawi, Mozambique and Liberia, had GDP per capita of less than $1,000

3.    Bank officers' body to mark May 1 as 'Demands Day'

i. The All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), a national body of banking sector officers, has decided to mark May 1, which is internationally observed as Labour Day, as Demands Day this year.

ii. Specific to the body's demand is the implementation of regulated working hours and five-day-a-week working schedule for the Indian banking industry.

iii. In a statement, the AIBOC said,"The five-day working week will not have any impact on the customer service or any inconvenience to the general public in the midst of technology advancement and enhanced digital delivery of banking services."

iv. The body added that the RBI as well as many of the central/state government offices also work only for five days a week.

v. AIBOC said it had already represented the matter to the Indian Banks Association, Mumbai, and urged the government to consider its demands.

4.    Doyen of Bengali theatre Khaled Chowdhury dies at 95

i. Noted theatre personality Khaled Chowdhury died in Kolkata this morning after a prolonged illness .

ii. He was 95 . Khaled Chowdhury was known for brilliant stage craft in Bengali theatre.

iii. His drawings and paintings are also lauded by different circles . Khaled Chowdhury received Padma Bhushan, Kalidas, Siromoni and Sangeet Natak awards for his outstanding contribution in the field of theatre.

5.    Dilip Shanghvi named among Asia�s richest self-made billionaires

i. Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries� Dilip Shanghvi has been named in the list of Asia�s top ten wealthiest self-made billionaires, topped by Hong Kong business tycoon Li Ka-Shing, according to Wealth-X.

ii. Shanghvi, ranked seventh, is the only Indian on the list with a net worth of $13.5 billion, while Li Ka-Shing topped the chart with a fortune of $29.4 billion, ultra high net worth (UHNW) intelligence and prospecting firm Wealth-X said.

iii. Shanghvi founded Sun Pharmaceuticals in 1983 with five psychiatry products and a marketing team of just two persons.

iv. He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company and the Shantilal Shanghvi Foundation.

6.    RCB to offer fans free Wi-Fi connectivity during all home IPL games

i.  Fans of Royal Challengers Bangalore will be provided with free Wi-Fi internet connectivity during all the home IPL games of the team at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

ii.RCB will be providing free Wi-Fi connectivity for all fans at Chinnaswamy Stadium on all days when the home team is playing in Bangalore,� said a media release from RCB.

iii. �RCB becomes the first IPL team and the first cricket team in the world to offer free Wi-Fi connectivity for fans at a stadium using a customized network of specially laid fibre-optic cables.

7.    Sharath Gayakwad won 2 Bronze, 1 silver at IDM Berlin 2014

i. Paralympic swimmer Sharath Gayakwad won two Bronze and one Silver at the IDM Berlin 2014.

ii. He won Bronze Medals in the 200m Individual Medley (2:44.06 seconds) and the 100m Butterfly (1:09.67 seconds) and won the Silver Medal in the 100m Breaststroke.

iii. Niels Korfitz Mortensen of Denmark won the Gold Medal and Oliver Hynd of Britain won the Silver Medal respectively in the 100m Butterfly, S8 category.

About Sharath Gayakwad
GayaKwad was born in Bangalore in 1991. He is the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the Paralympics and competed in the Summer Paralympics 2012 held in London.