GK Updates - 26-27 Jan | Banking Quiz

1.PAN allotment process to undergo change from 3 February 2014
i. PAN (Permanent Account Number) allotment process will undergo a change from 3 February 2014.
ii. The official release mentioned that an applicant of PAN will have to submit self-attested copies of Proof of Identity (POI), Proof of Address (POA) and Date of Birth (DOB) documents. The applicant will also have to produce the original documents for verification at the counter of PAN facilitation centres.
iii. The notification also said that the POI, POA and DOB documents attached with the application PAN form will be verified with their original documents at the time of application submission. It also said that the original documents will not be retained by the PAN Facilitation centre and will be returned back to the applicant as soon as it is verified.

2.Expelled AAP leader Binny sits on hunger strike
i. Expelled AAP leader Binod Kumar Binny on Monday sat on dharna at Jantar Mantar against the Ruling AAP led government for not fulfilling its promises made to people in its election manifesto.
ii. Expelled AAP leader Binod Kumar Binny earlier met the Lt. Governor over his three points.
iii. On reports that Binny might join Bhartiya Janta Party, Binny clarified that he will remain associated with the Aam Admi Party.
iv. Binny has also said that according to reports, two to three MLA's will also leave the party and join him and due to this fear, the party has expelled him.
v. Meanwhile, the expelled MLA has called the decision unfortunate and claimed that the ruling party in Delhi has misled the people and is escaping from the promises it has made to the people.

3. Wawrinka stuns injured Nadal to win Aussie Open
i. Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka claimed his first Grand Slam title in dramatic fashion on Sunday when he upset injury-troubled world number one Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.
ii. The eighth seed roared through the first two sets and overcame the distraction of a back injury to Nadal, and then the loss of the third set, to take it 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in two hours 21 minutes.
iii. Nadal, who was chasing his 14th major title, looked as if might pull out with the back injury but he fought back to take the third set and force the match into a fourth set.
iv. It was a stunning win for Wawrinka, who had not beaten Nadal in their previous 12 matches as he rallied to win the fourth set and take the championship.

4.Sania - Tecau lose in Australian Open mixed doubles
i. India's Sania Mirza and her Romanian partner Horia Tecau failed to clinch the Australian open mixed doubles title as they lost to French-Canadian combination of Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor in straight sets in the summit clash in Melbourne on Sunday.
ii. Sania, who was gunning for her third mixed doubles Grand Slam title and second in Australian Open, and Tecau lost 3-6 2-6 against the French-Canadian duo in a 58-minute contest at the Rod Laver Arena.
iii. The French-Canadian pair were clearly the better side in all departments of the game.
iv. Sania had earlier won the Australian mixed doubles title with Mahesh Bhupathi in 2009.

5.Sania wins Syed Modi International
i. India ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has snapped her 15 months title drought, clinching the Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold badminton crown with a straight-game victory over compatriot P V Sindhu in the women's singles competition in Lucknow on Sunday.
ii. The London Olympics bronze medallist staved off the challenge from Sindhu 21-14 21-17 in the women's singles summit clash, which lasted 40 minutes at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium in Lucknow.
iii. The two-time champion was tested by her younger colleague but Saina kept her nerve to eventually break a 15-month title drought after appearing in her 22nd final of her international career.
iv. Saina had been battling a poor form and injury issues for more than a year now, which saw her slip to world number nine this week from ranked second.
v. This win has helped her earn 7000 points and will also allow her to climb the ranking ladder.

6.Macklemore, Ryan Lewis win 2014 Best New Artist Grammy
i. Rapper duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took home the first of the major awards at the 56th Grammys beating the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Kanye West and Drake.
ii. Macklemore, 30, and Lewis, 25, both from Seattle, won best new artist, following their phenomenal success with hits like 'Same Love', 'Can't Hold Us' and 'Thrift Shop' on Sunday night at LA's Staples Center.
iii. They also bagged awards for best rap album, best rap performance and best rap song for 'Thrift Shop'.
iv. Grammys 2014 kicked off with a scintillating performance by Beyonce and Jay Z.

7.Posthumous Ashok Chakra to Andhra’s anti-Naxal unit cop
i. A Sub-Inspector of the Andhra Pradesh’s counter-Maoist force was posthumously awarded Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award of the country, as India celebrated its 65th Republic Day on Sunday.
ii. Sub-Inspector K Prasad Babu was honoured for an anti-Naxal operation during which he had led an assault unit of Greyhounds (anti-Naxal force of Andhra Pradesh) near Andhra-Chhattisgarh border on April 16 last year.
iii. The award was received by Babu’s father from President Pranab Mukherjee before the commencement of the Republic Day Parade.
iv. Babu played a key role in killing nine Maoists and injuring several others.

8.MS Dhoni became first captain to play in four tied ODIs
i. MS Dhoni on 25 January 2014 became the first captain to be involved in four tied One Day International matches.
ii. Indian cricket team captain achieved this feat in Auckland, while playing third ODI match against New Zealand.
The last three tied matches Dhoni has played are
• ICC World Cup 2011 match in Bangalore against England
• ODI match played on 11 September 2011 at Lords against England
• ODI match played in February 2012 at Adelaide against Sri Lanka

9.Ela Gandhi honoured with Amadelkufa in South Africa
i. Ela Gandhi, the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi was honoured with Amadelkufa in South Africa on 26 January 2014. She was honoured for her lifetime contribution to the freedom struggle of South Africa. Amdelkufa in Zulu language means Sacrifice.
ii. She formed the trio of Indian-origin South Africans along with Sunny Singh and Mac Maharaj. These three played an active role in the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). The Umkhonto we Sizwe was the armed struggle wing of the African National Congress.

10.Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors died after falling from hotel building in Bangkok
i. Karl Slym, the managing director of Tata Motors died on 26 January 2014 after falling from a hotel building in Bangkok.
ii. He was in Bangkok to attend a board meeting of the Tata Motors Thailand Limited.
iii. Slym, the British-born executive ran all the operations of Tata Motors except of the Jaguar Land Rover in the UK.
iv. Before joining Tata group, he served as the executive vice-president of SGMW Motors, China, which is a joint venture of General Motors.
v. Before, SFMW, from 2007 to 11, he was the President and managing director as well as a board member of the General Motors in India.
vi. He started his career by serving at Toyota in UK.

11.India eye win in 4th ODI to keep series alive against NZ
i. Having snatched a thrilling tie from the jaws of defeat in the last game, India would look to build on their new-found momentum and aim for their first win of the tour in order to keep the contest alive when they take on New Zealand in the fourth ODI, in Hamilton on Tuesday.
ii. The series stands at 2-0 in favour of New Zealand after India lost the first two ODIs in Napier (by 24 runs) and Hamilton (by 15 runs), while the third ODI at Auckland finished in a scintillating last-ball tie on Saturday.
iii. Even though India cannot win the series anymore, the visitors at least can level the rubber and keep their world number one ranking intact, but for that to happen they need need to win Tuesday's match at Seddon Park as well as the fifth ODI at Wellington.