0 GK Updates - 18 September

India signs pact with China to better trade ties, get $20bn
i. India on Thursday signed a 5-year trade and economic cooperation agreement with China with a view to improve the trade balance and obtain USD 20 billion Chinese investment into the country.
ii. The 'Five year Trade and Economic Development Plan' was signed by Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Chinese counterpart Gao Hucheng in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President Xi Jinping.
iii. The agreement lays down a medium term roadmap for promoting balanced and sustainable development of economic and trade relations between China and India, on the principle of equality and mutual benefit.
iv. Among other things, it seeks to reduce bilateral trade imbalance and strengthen investment cooperation to realise USD 20 billion investment from China in 5 years.

Le Yucheng appointed China's New Ambassador to India
i. Chinese President Xi Jinping appointed Le Yucheng as China's new Ambassador to India.
ii. Le Yucheng replaced Wei Wei who previously served as China's envoy to India.
iii.  Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to India, he served as the China's ambassador to Kazakhstan.

Leonardo DiCaprio appointed as UN Messenger of Peace
i. Academy Award-nominated actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has been designated the United Nations Messenger of Peace by UN chief Ban Ki-moon, with a special focus on climate change.
ii. The UN chief said that DiCaprio’s “first act” in his new role as Messenger of Peace will be to address the opening of the Climate Change Summit on September 23 in New York that has been convened by the Secretary General.
iii. DiCaprio, 39, said he is honoured to accept his new role of UN Messenger of Peace on Climate Change and to support the Secretary General “in his efforts to address one of the most important issues we face as a global community

Note: DiCaprio will join 11 other United Nations Messengers of Peace and one Goodwill Ambassador who advocate on behalf of the United Nations on a variety of priority issues for the Organisation.
ii. Messengers of Peace are individuals who possess widely recognised talents in the fields of art, film, literature, music and sports, helping to raise worldwide awareness of the Organisation’s ideals and activities.

Government launches electronic toll collection programme with brand name FASTag
i. The government launched an electronic toll collection (ETC) programme in the country under the brand name "FASTag".
ii. According to the Ministry of Road and Highways, ETC entails payment of highway tolls electronically without needing to halt the vehicle at the toll plazas.
iii. "The unique number of the RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag affixed on the wind shield of the vehicle will be read by the readers fitted in the dedicated 'ETC' lanes of plazas and appropriate amount as per the class of vehicle will be automatically deducted from the account of the user," the ministry said in a statement.

Note: The ministry has roped in ICICI bank and Axis bank for providing central clearing house (CCH) services and to distribute RFID based "FASTag" through their franchises at points of sales near the toll plazas.

International Economic Association appointed Kaushik Basu as President-Elect
i. The International Economic Association (IEA) appointed Kaushik Basu as president-elect of the association beginning September 2014. However, he will continue to serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of World Bank.
ii. This will be the second time that an Indian will be heading this association that produces a large number of research papers and books and organizes round tables on topics of contemporary interest. Amartya Sen became the first Indian to join IEA.

Kaushik Basu
• Kaushik Basu is Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of World Bank. He was appointed as Chief Economist at the World Bank on 5 September 2012.
• He is currently the fourth President of the Human Development and Capabilities Association which was founded by Amartya Sen and a member of the Board of Directors of the Exim Bank of India.

Adil Zainulbhai appointed as the Chairman of QCI
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed former McKinsey India Chairman Adil Zainulbhai as the Chairman of Quality Council of India (QCI).
ii. He will serve Quality Council of India for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge.
iii. He was the co-editor of Reimagining India that features 60 global businessmen, academicians, economists, authors and journalists.
iv. He serves on the boards of Reliance Industries, the American India Foundation, Saifee Hospital, Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (redeveloping Bhendi Bazaar in Mumbai), Network 18  , and the advisory board of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

About Quality Council of India (QCI)
Formed in 1997, QCI is represented by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM).

QCI is an autonomous body under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. QCI is a joint creation by Indian industry to operate the National Accreditation Structure for conformity assessment bodies and provide accreditation in the field of education, health and quality promotion.

1st Industrial Park under MoU signed between India and China to be set up in Vadodara
i. The first Industrial Park under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and China will be set up in Vadodara district.
ii. The Chinese are looking for two to three other locations also. According to sources land for industrial park will be purchased on one-to-one basis, but whenever genuine industry will face any problem, Government will be at help.
iii. Under this MoU, the products allowed in India as per Indian law including the pollution norms will only be allowed to be produced in India.

UAE signs 3 agreements with UNWFP for providing aid to Syrian refugees
i. United Arab Emirates has signed three agreements with the United Nations World Food Program, WFP, offering 31 million US dollars worth of humanitarian aid for the Syrian refugees.
ii. This assistance will benefit about 8 lakh, 80 thousand Syrians. UAE has committed around 60 million dollars at the International donor conference on Syria, held in Kuwait in January this year.
iii. The assistance will be used to provide urgent food aid to more than 6 lakh internally displaced people, including more than 3 lakh children and 1 lakh, 39 thousand women.

Naseeruddin Shah released his autobiography “And then One Day: A Memoir”
i. Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah released his autobiography And then One Day: A Memoir.
ii. And Then One Day is the poignant and inspiring memoir of the acclaimed Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah.

Summary of the Book
The autobiography depicts his extraordinary journey from a feudal village near Meerut, to Catholic schools in Nainital and Ajmer, and finally to stage and film fame in Mumbai.

Microsoft Corp buy Minecraft game maker Mojang
i. Microsoft Corp acquired the Swedish video game company Mojang for 2.5 billion US dollars. With this acquisition, Microsoft aims to lure young audience into its mobile world.
ii. Microsoft is primarily known for business software like Word and Outlook. But the acquisition of Mojang will help Microsoft expand its gaming division which also includes game franchises such as the Halo shooter game and Forza racing game.

Mojang
Mojang is a Stockholm-based developer of the wildly popular Minecraft video game. It is with the Minecraft that  Mojang brought in287 million US dollars revenue for the country in 2013.

Note: i. Mojang was co-founded in 2009 by Markus Persson who developed the hit Minecraft game.  Markus Persson previously worked at Sweden's King Digital Entertainment Plc who made the Candy Crush Saga game.
ii. Introduced in 2009, "Minecraft" has sold more than 50 million copies for PCs, smartphones and videogame consoles like Microsoft's Xbox. Through licensing deals, the game has also inspired top-selling guide books for Scholastic Corp., toys from Lego A/S and a coming feature film from Warner Bros.

Cognizant acquired healthcare software company TriZetto
i. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp acquired healthcare IT services provider TriZetto Corp for 2.7 billion US dollars. The acquisition is aimed at boosting the healthcare business of Cognizant.
ii. Cognizant acquired TriZetto from London-based private equity firm Apax Partners LLP. Apax Partners acquired TriZetto in 2008 and was exploring a sale of the company.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp provides services such as claims processing, billing and call center operations to insurers, hospitals. It also provides state-run healthcare exchange set up under President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare.

Goa became permanent venue for IFFI
i. Goa became a permanent venue for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
ii. To make Goa a permanent venue for IFFI, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka and Chief Secretary of Goa State B. Vijayan.
iii. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

India slips to 158 in FIFA rankings
i. India slipped eights places to be ranked 158th in the latest FIFA rankings headed by World Champions Germany.
ii. Both Pakistan and Bangladesh saw a slide of 11 rankings to be placed 175th and 181st in the list while Sri Lanka jumped two spots to be placed 176th.
iii. Belgium stayed put at No.5 and Brazil climbed one spot to No 6 with Uruguay and Spain following the suit at Nos 7 and 8.
iv. France and Switzerland, which lost to England in a European Championship qualifier, traded places to complete the top 10.
v. Costa Rica is ahead of Mexico and the United States, with the three CONCACAF nations grouped from Nos 15-17. England climbed two spots to be at No 18.

World's first water-based nuclear battery developed
i. Researchers at the University of Missouri have created a long-lasting and more efficient nuclear battery that could be used as a source of reliable energy in automobiles and space flight.
ii. The battery uses a radioactive isotope called strontium-90 that boosts electro-chemical energy in a water-based solution.
iii. A nano-structured titanium dioxide electrode (the common element found in sunscreens and UV blockers) with a platinum coating collects and effectively converts energy into electrons.
iv. "Betavoltaics, a battery technology that generates power from radiation, has been studied as an energy source since the 1950s," said Jae W. Kwon, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and nuclear engineering.

Ex-Assam DGP Shankar Baruah commit suicide
i. Former Director General of Police of Assam, Sanker Baruah committed suicide, he shot himself down with his .32 licensed-revolver at his Uzan Bazar residence in Guwahati.
ii. His suicide came after CBI raided his residence during the course of investigation of multi-crore Saradha chit fund case.  CBI raided his house on 28 August 2014.
iii. Sanker Baruah was a 1974 batch IPS officer and became DGP of Assam on 31 July 2009. He served the state as the head of Assam police till January 2012.

Published By:
Banking Quiz
on 12:02

Read More -->

0 GK Updates - 17 September

India, China sign 3 MoUs including setting up Industrial Park in Gujarat
i. India and China have signed three MoUs including setting up Industrial Park in Gujarat. All the three MoUs have been signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
ii. The agreements include
1. Sister city pact between Guangzhou in China and Ahmedabad
2. setting up of an industrial park in Gujarat
3. The third is between the governments of Gujarat and a Chinese province.
iii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held formal talks at Hotel Hayat in Ahmedabad. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Chinese President Xi Jinping and first lady of China at the Hotel.
iv. Keen to boost its trade ties with India, the Chinese side has already indicated that it will pledge to invest billions of dollars in India’s railway, manufacturing and infrastructure projects during the Xi’s visit, the third by any Chinese President to India.

L.K. Advani becomes chairman of Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee
i. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan appointed BJP veteran L.K. Advani as the chairman of the prestigious Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha.
ii. Manikrao Gavit of Congress was heading the Committee in the last Lok Sabha.
iii. The 86-year-old Advani is a member of the Committee on Public Undertakings headed by Shanta Kumar (BJP) and Committee on Information Technology headed by young BJP MP Anurag Thakur.
iv. Another BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi is heading the Committee on Estimates. Party senior Maj Gen B C Khanduri is heading the Committee on Defence.

Lalitha Kumaramangalam appointed NCW chairperson
i. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has appointed BJP national executive member Lalitha Kumaramangalam as the new chief of the National Commission for Women (NCW).
ii. Ms. Kumaramanglam is an alumnus of St. Stephen's College and has Delhi and has an MBA from Madras University. She runs Prakriti, an NGO and contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2009.

India may become fifth largest exporter by 2030: HSBC report
i. India is likely to be the world’s fastest-growing exporter from 2014 to 2030, and has the potential to move from the 14th largest exporter of goods by value to be the world’s fifth largest exporter.
ii. The HSBC Trade Forecast Report says, India has the potential to become an export hub for autos and it is well-placed to further develop its textile industry.
iii. The report also says, India will continue to be the largest trading partner of United Arab Emirates in the years to come. The report says, UAE is likely to remain top export destination for India till 2030, and China is forecast to emerge as the second largest export market, displacing the US by 2030.
iv. India has been the largest trading partner of UAE over the past several years. Bilateral trade between the two countries was worth $75 billion in 2012-13.

World Bank approves $105 million grant for Ebola-hit countries
i. The World Bank approved a 105 million US dollars grant yesterday to bolster the fight to contain the deadly Ebola virus epidemic raging in west Africa.
ii. The funding is part of a 200 million US dollars World Bank pledge approved in early August to help Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
iii. Liberia, the country with the highest number of Ebola infections, will receive 52 million dollars, with Sierra Leone getting 28 million dollars and Guinea 25 million dollars.
iv. The World Bank said the funding was aimed at helping people cope with the economic impact of the crisis, and strengthening public health systems to guard against future disease outbreaks.

Chinese President launches construction of $1.4 billion Colombo Port City
i. Chinese President Xi Jinping today launched the construction of the 1.4 billion dollar Colombo Port City.
ii. This is the largest foreign-funded investment in Sri Lanka that will reclaim 233 hectares of sea and extend the Colombo city.
iii. The construction of the Phase 1 was given a green signal by Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a ceremony at the site this morning.

Ukraine approves historic EU pact; Grants autonomy to rebel regions
i. Ukraine's Parliament has ratified a landmark European Union pact that decisively steers the former Soviet state towards the West and away from Russian influence.
ii. The legislation grants greater autonomy to the separatist regions in the east of the country, as well as amnesty for most of those involved in recent fighting with government forces.
iii. The new laws, which were proposed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, are aimed at ending a five month separatist rebellion, which to date has claimed an estimated 3,000 lives and paralyzed Ukraine politically and economically.
iv. Poroshenko told lawmakers that the ratification of the association agreement in a simultaneous vote with the European Parliament in Strasbourg was a first step towards membership of the European Union.
v. A total of 355 lawmakers voted in favour of the ratification of the pact, which had been rejected by former pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych in November.
vi. Ukraine and the EU had agreed last week to delay until 2016 the implementation of a free trade deal that forms part of the pact, in what was seen as a concession to Russia.

$63.3-million ADB loan for North Karnataka
i. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided $63.3-million loan for improving urban services and strengthening municipal and project management capacity in North Karnataka towns.
ii. The Centre today signed an agreement with ADB for improving urban services. The agreement is for the fourth project under the overall facility of $270 million for the North Karnataka urban sector investment programme.
iii. The fourth and last tranche of loan under this programme will help upgrade infrastructure, including expansion of the potable water systems to provide round-the-clock water supply with private sector participation in 12 towns.

MIT tops world Univ rankings; no Indian varsity in top 200
i. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has emerged as the leading varsity in the world with no Indian institution featuring in the top 200, according to a global university ranking released on Tuesday.
ii. The top-placed Indian institution, the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), is 222nd in the world, followed by IIT-Delhi at 235th, IIT-Kanpur at 300th, IIT-Madras at 322nd and IIT-Kharagpur at 324th position in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings .
iii. The number of Indian institutions in the rankings has grown to 12 from 11.
iv. The other Indian educational institutions that were given a rank lower than 400 on the list of over 700 top universities are -- University of Delhi, IIT-Roorkee, IIT-Guwahati, University of Mumbai, University of Kolkata, Banaras Hindu University, University of Pune.
v. A total of 31 countries are represented in the top 200 in which the US is the dominant nation, with 51 institutions, ahead of the UK (29), Germany (13), the Netherlands (11), Canada (10), Japan (10) and Australia (8).

Note: i. The QS World University Rankings, regarded as the most rigorous of its type, place Imperial and Cambridge as second equal, behind only the MIT which topped the rankings for a third year in a row.
ii. Harvard dropped from second to fourth overall. It was followed by Oxford and University College London in joint fifth place, with Stanford, Caltech, Princeton and Yale of the US filling out the rest of the top 10.
iii. Kings College London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Manchester universities are all in the top 30, capping the best performance by British institutions in the 10 years the QS rankings have been published.

IndiGo inks $2.6 bn aircraft finance deal with ICBC
i. IndiGo has signed a $2.6 billion deal with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) for the lender to finance more than 30 new aircraft, the carrier said in a statement on Wednesday.
ii. The announcement comes on the day Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in India, where the two countries are expected to sign trade and investment deals worth billions of dollars.
iii. Under the memorandum of understanding, ICBC will provide IndiGo with financing for the planes through either a sale and leaseback, financial lease or commercial lending deal, IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh said in the statement.
iv. Privately owned IndiGo said it will use the deal to add Airbus A320 planes to its fleet.
v. IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Enterprises, is planning on listing on the Mumbai stock exchange next year.

Boxer Manoj wins court battle against govt, to get Arjuna
i. Forced to take the legal route after being denied the honour initially, Indian boxer Manoj Kumar will be bestowed the Arjuna Award as the Sports Ministry has finally accepted his nomination.
ii. Manoj, a 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, told  that he was informed of the Ministry’s decision this morning.
iii. The ministry, represented by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, had admitted in the court that Manoj was initially not considered for the award by the committee as they mistakenly believed that he was involved in a doping case.

Note: i.  The controversial recommendation of boxer Jai Bhagwan for the Arjuna Awards had led to Manoj approaching the Sports Ministry officials, who, he said, had assured him that his name would be added to a list of 15 athletes in a review meeting.
ii. But after being snubbed for a second time in the review meeting, Manoj took the legal route and filed a case in the Delhi High Court.

Mumbai Indians fail to qualify for Champions League T-20
i. Mumbai Indians have failed to qualify to the Champions League Twenty-20 tournament, an annual competition played between the top domestic teams from major cricketing nations.
ii. In the final qualifying match at Raipur last night, Mumbai lost to the New Zealand's Northern Knights by 6 wickets.
iii. This year's winners Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings Eleven Punjab and Chennai Super Kings will represent from the IPL in the group stage which begins today. Kolkata will take on Chennai in the opening Group-A match in Hyderabad at 8 this evening

East Bengal bags Calcutta Football League title
i. Continuing their reign, East Bengal bagged a sixth successive and a record 36th overall Calcutta Football League Premier Division title with a clinical 2-1 win over Tollygunge Agragami here on Tuesday.
ii. Their star recruit Ranti Martins (36th minute) headed home the decisive goal after Prolhad Roy’s 27th minute strike was nullified by Tollygunge’s Bello Rassaq within a space of six minute with a rising header.

Published By:
Banking Quiz
on 11:51

Read More -->

0 GK Updates - 16 September

International Day for preservation of Ozone Layer observed today
i. The International Day for the preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed on 16 September 2014. The day marks the commemoration of the date of signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 on substances that deplete the Ozone layer.
ii. The theme for 2014 is Ozone Layer Protection: The Mission Goes On.
iii. On the occasion of the day, countries were invited by UN to devote a Day to promote activities in accordance with the objectives of the Protocol and its amendments.

About Ozone Layer
The ozone layer is fragile shield of gas that protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun. The layer helps in preserving life on the planet. It protects human health and ecosystems by limiting the harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching to earth.

G-20 Labour and Employment Ministerial meet held in Melbourne
i. The G-20 Labour and Employment Ministerial meet was held at Melbourne, Australia on 10 September 2014 to 11 September 2014.
ii. The meet was called to put forward recommendations to G20 Leaders. During the meet, discussions were held on how to increase job growth across the G20 to help address disadvantage, improve productivity and drive growth.
iii. At the completion of the meeting, the ministers released a Declaration outlining their commitments to address the labour, employment and social challenges faced, nationally and globally.
iv. The International Labour Organization, International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank prepared a series of reports to inform the ministers’ discussions and declaration.
v. G20 members will finalise their Employment Plans and contributions to the Growth Strategies ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane. The summit is scheduled to be held in November 2014.

President of India presented Indira Gandhi Rajbhasa Awards
i. The President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 14 September 2014 presented Indira Gandhi Rajbhasa awards on the occasion of National Hindi Divas at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
ii. Indira Gandhi Rajbhasa awards also known as Indira Gandhi Official Language Awards are celebrated every year on 14 September.
iii. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) CMD Madhusudan was one of the awardees who was honoured with the prestigious Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Shield for the Best Hindi Implementation in the organisation.

Indira Gandhi Official Language Awards Scheme
Indira Gandhi Official Language Awards scheme was instituted by the Rajbhasha Vibhag or Department of Official Language under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The award recognizes the excellent contribution of Ministries, Departments and Nationalized Banks in promoting the Official Language Hindi.

India's export growth slips to 2.35 % at 26.95 billion dollars in Aug
i. India's export growth slipped to 2.35 percent at 26.95 billion dollars in August, pushing up trade deficit to 10.83 billion dollars.
ii. Gold imports jumped to 2.03 billion dollars in August compared to 738.7 million dollars in the same month last year.
iii. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry's data, overall imports grew 2.08 percent to 37.79 billion dollars.

Meghalaya's Edward Mawthoh bags bronze at World Championships
i. Meghalaya's Edward Mawthoh has bagged a bronze medal at the World Kickboxing Championships 2014 held in Italy.
ii. Mawthoh competed in the 48kg category of the Under-16 full contact sports, which was held from September 6 to 14 at Rimini.
iii. Meghalaya Association of Kickboxing Organisations (MAKO) secretary Larry P Warjri said, Mawthoh was one of the six cadets sent from the state to compete in the world stage.

USA won FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014
i. USA on 14 September 2014 won FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 by defeating Serbia. The World Cup was held at Madrid, Spain.
ii. The United States became the third country to win consecutive world titles and extended its winning streak in international play to 63 games.
iii. The win margin of 33 points through nine games with total score of 129-92 made the team of USA world Leader.
iv. With this, the American team became the first national team to win by more than 20 points in any previous FIBA championship event.

Educationist Kireet Joshi died
i. Educationist Kireet Joshi died on 14 September 2014. He was 83. He was a former education adviser to the Union government in 1976.
ii. Joshi played an important role in developing and spreading the message of Integral education both in India and abroad.

Boxing India earned Official Recognition from AIBA
i. AIBA Executive Committee Bureau on 15 September 2014 formally recognised Boxing India as the provisional AIBA National Federation to represent the sport of boxing in India.
ii. The recognition of Boxing India was confirmed through an official letter of the President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Dr Ching-Kuo Wu to the President of Boxing India Sandeep Jajodia.
iii. After AIBA Executive Committee unanimous approval of the Provisional Membership, Boxing India waits final ratification by the 2014 AIBA Congress, which will be held in Jeju Islands, Korea in November 2014

Hero MotoCorp signs up for Greenfield plant in AP; to invest Rs. 1,600 cr
i. Hero MotoCorp Limited has entered into an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Government for setting up a greenfield two-wheeler manufacturing plant in Chittoor district. The company has been allotted 600 acres located adjacent to Sri City multi-use project.
ii. Hero is expected to invest about Rs. 1,600 crore on the project which will have a capacity to produce up to 1.8 million units in a phased manner. Ancillary units will invest another Rs. 1,500 crore close to the plant, which will employ about 3,000 people.
iii. The memorandum of understanding was signed between the representatives of Hero MotoCorp and the State Government in the presence of State Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

NTPC to invest Rs 7,000 cr in large solar parks in AP
i. NTPC Limited, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited are set to enter into separate agreements with Andhra Pradesh for setting up of large solar power generation parks of about 1000 MW each.
ii. NTPC is set to enter into an agreement with the State for its long pending 4000 MW thermal power project proposed at Pudimadaka, located close to Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh. The project has been pending for years as there was no fuel linkage, which is key to implementing the project.

Ambani tops India Rich List again, Adani makes it to big league
i. Mukesh Ambani held on to his position as the richest man in India with a fortune of ₹1.65 lakh crore, up 37 per cent from last year.
ii. Ambani tops the list of 230 individuals for the third year running. Reliance last year sought approval for a ₹78,000-crore expansion to its existing refinery business. He also bought out one of the largest media houses, Network 18, for ₹4,200 crore.
iii. Dilip Shangvi of Sun Pharmaceuticals shot into the second position, overtaking LN Mittal for the first time, after seeing his wealth grow 43 per cent to ₹1.29 lakh crore.
iv. This year Sun Pharmaceuticals acquired Japanese-owned Ranbaxy, making Sun the largest drug maker in India and the fifth largest in the world. The deal values Ranbaxy at 2.2 times its revenue of ₹10,800 crore.

Published By:
Banking Quiz
on 11:47

Read More -->

0 GK Updates - 15 September

India, Vietnam ink 7 pacts; call for 'freedom' of navigation
i. India and Vietnam on Monday inked seven pacts, including one to enhance cooperation in the strategic oil sector, as they called for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, a remark which could irk China which has been claiming territorial sovereignty over the high seas.
ii. The agreements were signed during the second day of the four-day state visit of President Pranab Mukherjee who held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Truong Tan Sang in Hanoi on Monday.
iii. Both the countries decided to "strengthen and deepen bilateral cooperation on the basis of the strategic partnership with focus on political, defence and security cooperation, economic cooperation, science and technology, culture and people-to-people links, technical cooperation and multilateral and regional cooperation."
iv. In a subtle message to China, the two countries, who established strategic ties in 2007, asserted that the freedom of navigation in the disputed waters of the South China Sea should not be impeded and called all the parties concerned to exercise restraint in this context.
v. The two sides urged for "collective commitment of the concerned parties to abide by and implement the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and to work towards the adoption of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on the basis of consensus.
vi. "They called for cooperation in ensuring security of sea-lanes, maritime security, combating piracy and conducting search and rescue operations," it said.

Kerala to host Global Agro meet in November
i. Government of Kerala will host a Global Agro meet and an exhibition on hi-tech agriculture and food processing at Kochi on 6th and 7th of November.
ii. Addressing a road show in New Delhi today, Agriculture Minister of Kerala K P Mohanan said, this will be one of the biggest events to showcase value-added agriculture and food processing products and technologies and will help equip farmers with the latest developments in the farming and agriculture sector.
iii. Mr Mohnan said that value-added agriculture and food processing are regarded as sun-rise sector of Kerala economy because of their large potential for economic growth.
iv. The Minister said that Kerala has huge potential for investment in horticulture, floriculture, dairy and other activities and global agro meet is an effort by the state to identify business opportunities, partnerships and sharing best practices.
v. The event will be held along with BIOFACH INDIA 2014 which offers the organic food industry the world over to look for investments in Kerala. Eight countries including Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Vietnam will be participating in the event.

Mashelkar to chair expert panel on Modi's 'Swachh Bharat'
i. Scientist Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, former director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, has been named the chair of an expert panel to recommend best technologies for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Swachh Bharat" national sanitation campaign.
ii. The 19-member expert committee has been asked to examine best technologies on sanitation and water so that they can be scaled up on a sustainable basis in various states -- with affordability, sustainability, scalability and quality as the main criteria.
iii. The terms of reference include achieving Prime Minister Modi's "Swachh Bharat" goals by 2019, with an emphasis on areas like potable water and sanitation, while also examining the environmental impact of each technology compared with its uses, officials said.

Note: i. Mashelkar, who said his appointment in the committee was a special privilege, presently overseas the Global Research Alliance -- a network of publicly funded institutes from the Asia-Pacific, South Africa, Europe and the US with over 60,000 scientists.
ii. He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1991, Padma Bhushan in 2000 and Padma Vibhushan earlier this year.

KK Paul sworn in as Manipur Governor
i. Manipur Chief Justice Laxmi Kant Mahapatra administered the oath of office and secrecy to Paul during a function at Raj Bhavan, which was attended by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, his cabinet colleagues and high civil and police officials.
ii. Raj Bhavan sources said Paul “will act as Governor of Manipur till the new appointment was made.” The outgoing Governor V K Duggal was given a warm send-off by the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues yesterday, sources added.

Clean Goa Beautiful Goa' campaign launched
i. Goa Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar today launched ‘clean Goa Beautiful Goa” campaign on Miramar Beach Panaji. Goa Tourism has taken up the task of cleaning the beaches through manual means to have clean and hygienic beaches which will help improve tourism potential in the state.
ii. Dustbins will be placed at every 100 meters interval; garbage will be collected from all beaches where it will be segregated into different parts such as bio degradable and non bio-degradable.

India welcomes renegotiation of Tata Housing project in Maldives
i. India has welcomed the successful renegotiation of the stalled Tata Housing development project in Maldives.
ii. Issuing a statement in Male last evening, Indian High Commission said, the revival of the project will send the right signal and encourage more such investments from Indian businesses into Maldives.
iii. The statement informed that Maldives has given a commitment to transfer back the two sites which were taken back and provide other timely clearances to the company.
iv. The initial agreement was signed in May 2010 by Mohamed Nasheed’s government but work on the project was later halted after the fall of his government.

Doordarshan celebrates 55 years of existence
i. Public service broadcaster Doordarshan is celebrating its 55 years today. Doordarshan made a modest beginning in India on 15th September 1959, when the first experimental centre at Delhi with a small transmitter was inaugurated by the then President Rajendra Prasad.
ii. Doordarshan is available on television, online and through mobile services throughout India, as well as overseas. Doordarshan is serving as a major source of information, education and entertainment for years.
iii. Initially the coverage range was small which increased widely after May, 1975. The era of 80s was dedicated to Doordarshan with serials like Buniyaad, Dekh, mythological dramas like Ramayan and Mahabharat, Chitrahaar, Karamchand, Jungle Book and Rangoli hooking millions to their TV sets.
iv. Surabhi was a hit show of early 90s. Amid the arrival of over hundred private channels, Doordarshan still stands apart with its qualitative content and programmes of public interest.

Union Government announced to fund Swachh Vidyalaya campaign
i. Union Human Resource Development Ministry on 11 September 2014 announced to fund Swachh Vidyalaya campaign.
ii. Funding of the campaign will be through Swachh Bharat Kosh that the Union Government has announced to set up to fund the Swachh Bharat Campaign.
iii. Also, HRD Ministry would initiate the process of drafting a new cohesive education policy for the successful implementation of the campaign. The policy will be drafted after conducting nationwide consultations from January 2015.
iv. Earlier, Swach Vidyalya Campaign was anchored by Union Human Resource Development Ministry as a part of Swachh Bharat Campaign. The campaign aims to ensure the provision of toilets in all government schools by 15 August 2015.

August WPI Inflation shrinks to five-year low of 3.74%
i. Declining prices of vegetable and other food articles pulled down wholesale inflation sharply to 3.74 per cent in August to a nearly five-year low.
ii. According to the data released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, inflation was at 5.19 per cent in July and 6.99 per cent in August 2013. Inflation in the food segment witnessed a significant decline to 5.15 per cent in August as against 8.43 per cent in the previous month.
iii. The August WPI inflation is the lowest since October 2009 when it stood at 1.8 per cent. Vegetable prices contracted 4.88 per cent, the third continuous month of decline.

Comic legend Joan Rivers dies at 81
i. Comedienne and TV host Joan Rivers, best known for her lacerating wit, has died, her daughter said.
ii. Rivers, 81, had been on life support in Mount Sinai Hospital since having a cardiac arrest in New York last week.
iii. In a statement, her daughter Melissa said she died surrounded by family and friends, and she thanked hospital staff for their "amazing care", reported by a news channel.
iv. Rivers stopped breathing during a procedure on her vocal cords at an outpatient clinic last Thursday.

And Then One Day: Naseeruddin Shah's autobiography
i. Naseeruddin Shah's memoir "And Then One Day" is a candid recount of almost four decades of his life and the actor is happy that it is being appreciated though he says it may ruffle a few feathers in the film industry.
ii. One of the most formidable actors in Hindi cinema, Shah started writing about his life in 2002 but was not sure about its quality so he kept postponing it.
iii. When asked why he was hesitant to release the book, he said he was not sure that anyone would be interested in reading his life story.

Turing biopic wins Toronto film festival audience prize
i. A biographical picture of British code breaker and war hero Alan Turing, featuring an Oscar-bait performance by Benedict Cumber batch, won the Toronto film festival audience prize for best picture on Sunday.
ii. Turing was a brilliant Cambridge mathematician and pioneer of computer sciences who broke Nazi codes for the British military during the Second World War, helping to shorten the war.
iii. He ended his life in sadness, committing suicide in 1954 at the age of 41, two years after being convicted of the then crime of homosexuality.
iv. Turing was awarded a posthumous pardon by Queen Elizabeth II in December, 2013 following a long campaign by supporters.
v. Cumberbatch has been generating Oscar buzz for his portrayal of the computer sciences pioneer in Norwegian director Morten Tyldum's "The Imitation Game," about Turing's work at code and cypher centre Bletchley Park.

Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere to receive honours at NY Film Fest
i. The New York Film Festival will honour actors Ethan Hawke and Richard Gere this year.
ii. The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced that the actors would be guest of honours at the fest's "An Evening With..." series on two different dates.
iii. Hawke's tribute will take place on September 30, during which he will participate in an "intimate dinner and a conversation between the guests and NYFF Director Kent Jones" at the Stanley H Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center.
iv. Gere will receive the same honour on October 8.
v. Hawke directed the documentary 'Seymour: An Introduction' which focuses on the life of piano prodigy Seymour Bernstein.
vi. Gere starred in Oren Moverman's 'Time Out of Mind' as a homeless man estranged from his daughter.

Sabine Lisicki wins Hong Kong Open
i. Sabine Lisicki won her first WTA title in three years by defeating Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Hong Kong Open on Sunday.
ii. No. 36-ranked Pliskova squandered a 5-1 lead in the match after she twice broke the top-seeded German in the first set before losing the next six games.
iii. Lisicki fired five aces in the second set and twice broke her Czech opponent's serve, in the fourth and eight games, to clinch the final in just under 90 minutes.
iv. Lisicki won her last WTA title in Dallas in 2011. It was also her third victory against Pliskova this year after victories at Wimbledon and at the Madrid Open.

Yuki goes down tamely, India lose play-off tie
i. India’s agonising wait to return to the World Group continued as the hosts lost 2-3 to Serbia in the rain-hit playoff tie after Yuki Bhambri surrendered tamely in the decisive fifth rubber against Filip Karjinovic in Bangalore on Monday.
ii. Krajinovic turned out to be a hero for the Serbians with his 6-3 6-4 6-4 win as the 2010 champions reclaimed their place in the World Group.
iii. The result means that India will now again fight it out in Asia/Oceania zone in the 2015 season. The last time India had made it to the World Group was in 2011, interestingly losing to Serbia in the first round

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Chennai for ‘I’ audio launch
i. Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday arrived amidst tight security at the Chennai airport to attend the audio launch of Vikram-starrer “I”.
ii. The audio launch is expected to take place on Monday evening at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, where the star of the “Terminator” film series will share the dais with Tamil movie superstar Rajinikanth.
iii. A.R. Rahman will perform all the songs from the album live and will be supported by dancers, who will perform wearing the actual costumes and make-up from the film,” the source added.

H S Prannoy clinches Indonesian masters title
i. Young Indian shuttler H S Prannoy clinched the maiden title of his career after winning the Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold, following his straight-game victory over local favourite Firman Abdul Kholik in the finals played at Palembang, Indonesia today.
ii. In a 43-minute battle, fifth seed Prannoy, who finished runners-up at the Vietnam Grand Prix in Hochiminh City last week, got the better of qualifier Firman 21-11, 22-20 in the men's singles competition.

Published By:
Banking Quiz
on 11:43

Read More -->

0 GK Updates - 13 September

SC ruled 3 percent quota for disabled persons in all government jobs
i. The Supreme Court ruled 3 percent quota for disabled persons in all government jobs.
ii. A bench headed by Chief Justice R M Lodha said that the disabled people have not got their due in the last 19 years. Despite the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act was passed in 1995. The bench also comprised Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton F Nariman.
iii. On the other hand, government contended that reservation cannot be given in case of promotion to Group A and Group B officers category as it is not a case of appointment. Further, it claimed that the Persons With Disabilities Act provides for three per cent quota for the differently-abled people

WHO honoured Bangladesh and Timor-Leste for Excellence in Public Health
i. The World Health Organisation (WHO) honoured Bangladesh and Timor-Leste with South East Asia Regional Award for Excellence in Public Health.
ii. The newly instituted awards were presented to Saima Hossain of Bangladesh and National Malaria Control Programme of Timor-Leste in Dhaka on 10 September 2014.
iii. Saima Hossain was conferred the Award in the individual category for leadership in advancing the cause of Autism in South East Asia and worldwide.
iv. She is a chairperson of National Advisory Committee on Neuro development and Autism in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of Bangladesh.
v. The National Malaria Control Programme of Timor-Leste was conferred the Award in the region category for its aggressive anti-malaria effort which has drastically reduced malaria cases in Timor-Leste.

Raya Power to set up 50 MW solar park in Andhra Pradesh
i. Rays Power Experts announced to set up 50 mw Solar Power Generation Park in Andhra Pradesh. The total cost of the project is 300 crore ruppes and it will be completed by January 2015.
ii. The project includes the complete infrastructure designing of the project, its technical and engineering ground work, installation and commissioning.

About Rays Power Experts
Rays Power Experts is a third largest company in solar power executed in India. It was started in 2009 and since 2011, it is catering the nationwide demand for clean, sustainable energy. It has built its presence pan India with solar parks across 6 states.

Chitresh Tatha is the youngest sailor at the Asian Games 2014
i. Chitresh Tatha, 12, is the youngest sailor to represent India at the 2014 Asian Games . He sails in the Optimist Dinghy category.
ii. The 17th edition Asian Games will be held in Incheon, South Korea from 19 September to 4 October 2014.

SBI celebrated 150 years of its operations in Sri Lanka
i. State Bank of India, SBI, celebrated 150 years of its operations in Sri Lanka at a glittering ceremony Friday evening. Addressing a gathering in Colombo, SBI Managing Director Krishna Kumar reaffirmed the bank's commitment to partner in Sri Lanka’s efforts in developing its economy.
ii. Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Chief thanked SBI for believing in Sri Lanka and investing money and skill in development of the country.

Peru to sign free trade pact with India
i. Latin American nation Peru has plans to sign a free trade agreement with New Delhi to ship more of minerals and metals it produces.
ii. “Peru got permission to sell gold to India in 2011. We began exporting in 2012 and shipped out 106 million ounces. Last year, we exported 270 million ounces. This year, it will be even higher,” said Javier Paulinich, Ambassador of Peru to India. He is in Pune in connection with the 11th India International Gold Convention – 2014.

Note: Peru is the sixth largest gold producer, mining 5 million ounces every year. Peru is also the second largest producer of silver and the third biggest producer of copper, tin, zinc and lead.

Food inflation remains flat at 9.4 %
i. Retail inflation moderated slightly to 7.8 per cent in August from 7.96 per cent in July on the softening of the prices of vegetables and fuels. Food inflation finally showed signs of coming under control, remaining flat at 9.4 per cent.
ii. However, it remained higher than the June level of 7.97 per cent, according to official data released here on Friday.
iii. The rate of price rise in vegetables climbed down to 15.15 per cent in August against 16.88 per cent in July. Inflation in cereals moderated marginally from 7.5 per cent to 7.4 per cent. The rate of inflation for the category ‘fuel and light’ declined somewhat to 4.15 per cent from 4.47 per cent.

Published By:
Banking Quiz
on 11:37

Read More -->

0 GK Updates - 12 September

EU slaps new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine crisis
i. The European Union on 12 September 2014 imposed new economic sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. The restrictions include financing for some Russian state-owned companies and asset freezes on leading Russian politicians.
ii. Sanctions included asset freezes and travel bans on Igor Lebedev, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, other deputy speakers of the Russian lower house of parliament, and a number of leaders of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
iii. Sanction was also put on Sergei Chemezov. He is chairman of Rostec, a leading defence and industrial group that includes arms supplier Rosoboronexport and a firm that is planning to build energy plants in Crimea.
iv. Through this move, the EU wants to put pressure on Russia over the annexation of Crimea. Earlier, the restrictions were put on Russia in March 2014 by EU and United States.
v. The EU and the United States have been stepping up pressure on Moscow after its annexation of Crimea. West sees the annexation by Russia as an effort to further destabilise Ukraine by backing pro-Russian separatists in the east with troops and arms.

Rohan Bopanna to receive Davis Cup Commitment Award
i. Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna will be awarded the Davis Cup Commitment Award in Bangalore on Saturday on the sidelines of the ongoing World Group play-off tie against Serbia, it was announced by International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Thursday.
ii. The ITF through its national associations, will present Davis Cup Commitment Awards during this weekend’s 2014 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group and zone group ties.
iii. Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna will be awarded the Davis Cup Commitment Award in Bangalore on Saturday on the sidelines of the ongoing World Group play-off tie against Serbia, it was announced by International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Thursday.
iv. The ITF through its national associations, will present Davis Cup Commitment Awards during this weekend’s 2014 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group and zone group ties.
v. Besides Bopanna, former Grand Slam tennis champions Lleyton Hewitt of Australia and Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil will also be presented the award after their respective games.

Narendra Ambwani elected ASCI Chairman
i. Narendra Ambwani, Director, Agro Tech Foods Ltd, has been elected as Chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
ii. He has been a member of the board of governors for seven years and provided active support to self-regulation in the advertising market.
iii. Benoy Roy Chawdhuri was elected as Vice-Chairman, while Shashidhar Sinha was appointed Honorary Treasurer.
iv. During 2013-14, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) met 41 times and considered complaints against 1,937 advertisements.

Chitresh Tatha is the youngest sailor at the Asian Games 2014
i. Chitresh Tatha, 12, is the youngest sailor to represent India at the 2014 Asian Games . He sails in the Optimist Dinghy category.
ii. The 17th edition Asian Games will be held in Incheon, South Korea from 19 September to 4 October 2014.

About Chitresh Tatha
i. Tatha is a student of Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram (Kilpauk)
ii. He is a sailor who has travelled widely across the world namely Ireland, France, UK, Malaysia, Turkey, the Netherland, Bahrain and Malta

Govt launches RVC service for smooth transportation of perishable goods
i. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today launched Reefer Vehicle Call-In Centre (RVC) for smooth transportation of perishable goods.
ii. The RVC will facilitate a database of bottlenecks experienced in transportation on the national highways.
iii. Launching the unique call-in- centre in New Delhi, the Minister said, the cold chain sector including fruits, vegetables, dairy products, poultry and pharmaceuticals are critically dependent on it.


ADB to provide $150-m loan for building transmission lines in Rajasthan
i. The Asian Development Bank has agreed to give $150-million loan to the Government of India to help build transmission lines for renewable energy in Rajasthan.
ii. The Government of India and ADB have signed two loan agreements. The loans form the first tranche of the $500-million Rajasthan Renewable Energy Transmission ‎Investment Program approved by ADB in 2013.
iii. The loans will be used to finance high-voltage transmission lines and sub-stations to be built by Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd (RRVPNL).

Union Cabinet approves sale of shares in ONGC, Coal India, NHPC
i. The CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) headed by Prime Minister, approved the sale of shares in Coal India, ONGC and NHPC to garner a combined Rs 43,000 crore.
ii. At current market prices, the sale of shares in state-owned CIL, ONGC and NHPC could bring over Rs 23,000 crore, Rs 18,000 crore and Rs 2,800 crore respectively, assisting the government meet its disinvestment target of Rs 43,425 crore for this fiscal.
iii. CCEA cleared 10% stake dilution in CIL (Coal India Limited), 5% in ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited) and 11.36% in NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation) via the Offer For Sale (OFS) route.

Freedom Fighter and Journalist Jitendra Chandra Paul died
i. Freedom fighter and veteran journalist Jitendra Chandra Paul died on 11 September 2014 at B.R. Ambedkar Medical College in Agartala, Tripura. He was 101.
ii.  Paul participated in India’s freedom struggle and was imprisoned for many years during British Raj.
iii. Jitendra Chandra Paul brought out Tripura’s first Bengali daily Jagaran in 1954.

Bihar government recognised transgender as third gender
i. The Bihar government recognised eunuch and transgender as third gender. The cabinet accepted to declare eunuch and transgender as backward class annexure II category which will provide them quota benefit for availing or getting government jobs.
ii. Eunuchs and transgender from upper castes will be treated as OBC annexure II and get reservation benefits whereas transgender from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes will remain in the same castes.
iii. The Supreme Court delivered the judgement in April 2014 recognising hijras or transgender as third gender and asked the Union Government to treat transgender as socially and economically backward.
iv. The court in its judgement said that the transgender should be allowed admission to educational institutions and given employment on the basis that they belonged to the third gender category. They should be considered as OBCs.

Union Ministry of Science & Technology announces “KIRAN” scheme for Women Scientists
i. The Union Ministry of Science & Technology also announced KIRAN (Knowledge, Involvement, Research, Advancement through Nurturing) for women scientists – A unique advertising scheme to bring about, as far as possible, gender equality in the field of science and technology.

Objectives:-
i. To increase the number of women researchers in India.
ii. Provide Research grants particularly to those female researchers and technologists who had to take a break in career owing to household reasons.
iii. Bring about, as far as achievable, gender parity in the field of science and technology.

Published By:
Banking Quiz
on 11:34

Read More -->

0 GK Updates - 11 September

Subhash Chandra Garg appointed as World Bank ED
i. Senior IAS officer Subhash Chandra Garg was today appointed as Executive Director (ED) in World Bank.
ii. Garg, a 1983-batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, will have a tenure of three years from the date of assuming charge of the post, said an order issued by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).
iii. The Executive Directors are responsible for the conduct of the general operations of the World Bank and exercise all the powers delegated to them by the Boards of Governors. They also select a President who serves as Chairman of the Boards.
iv. They are responsible for International Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s loans, guarantees and policies that impact the World Bank’s general operations among others.
v. The ACC had last month approved the proposal for extension of tenure of M N Prasad, a 1972 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre (retired), as Executive Director, World Bank till October 31.

Govt sets up panel to review environment laws
i. The Government has constituted a high-level committee to review various environment laws in order to bring them in line with current requirements.
ii. The four-member panel, headed by former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian, has been asked to review five key green laws concerning protection and conservation of environment, forest, wildlife, water and air among others.
iii. The committee has been set up in the backdrop of government taking serious measures to fasten the environment clearance process for achieving economic growth without compromising green issues.
iv. "Based on experience gained in the implementation of aforesaid Acts, it has been decided to constitute a high-level committee to review these Acts and suggest appropriate amendments to bring them in line with their objectives," said a Ministry order.

Cabinet approves over Rs 5,000 crore Telecom Development Plan for NE
i. The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for implementing a comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for the North-Eastern Region. The proposal entails an estimated cost of over Rs 5,336 crore.
ii. The project will increase the reliability of district and state headquarters connectivity by providing alternative optical fiber connectivity.
iii. It will also ensure that notwithstanding any problem in one route, the voice and data transfer through other route will keep the district and state headquarters connected.
iv. This project is aimed to cover the remote villages in the region as also to keep seamless connectivity on national highways in the area.

Gates Foundation pledges $50 million to fight Ebola epidemic
i. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged 50 million US dollars to support emergency efforts to contain West Africa's Ebola epidemic, which has already killed almost 2,300 people in the worst outbreak of the virus in history.
ii. The US based philanthropic foundation said it would release funds immediately to UN agencies and international organisations to help them buy supplies and scale up the emergency response in affected countries.

Meghalaya Governor to take additional charge of Manipur, Mizoram
i. President Pranab Mukherjee today accepted the resignation of Vinod Kumar Duggal, as the Governor of Manipur and Mizoram.
ii. A Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said, Meghalaya Governor Dr. Krishan Kant Paul has been asked to discharge the the functions of the Governor of Manipur and Mizoram, in addition to his own duties.

Guj FSL to tie-up with US-based firm for ballistic testing
i. Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory, which provides services to various companies for testing of armour panels and bullet-proof jackets, is likely to soon tie-up with a US-based firm to share best practices in the field of ballistic testing.
ii. The Gandhinagar-based FSL has it own ballistic testing centre where it tests products for Indian Army and now it is also providing this service to private defence companies and is also in touch with other companies to test their products.
iii. "We, here in Gujarat FSL, have conducted tests for US-headquartered company DuPont for their products like Kevlar and Tensylon which are being used as ballistic-proof jackets and ballistic-panels used in armoured vehicles," FSL's deputy director H P Sanghvi said.
iv. Upbeat by the experience with the FSL, DuPont is eyeing better ties with the local lab in the form of an 'agreement'.
v. Elaborating further, the official said, "DuPont made Kevlar brand fibre is extensively used by military and police organisations across the world for making bullet resistant jackets and helmets."
vi. "DuPont has recently introduced Ultra High Modulus Polyethylene brand TensylonT for hard armour panels," he added.

India, B'desh sign MoU on traditional medicine
i. Bangladesh and India have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation in the fields of traditional medicine like Ayurveda and Unani, as World Health Organisation decided to lay an extra focus on the issue as an "important part of healthcare" in the region.
ii. The two countries inked the deal in Dhaka late Tuesday on the sidelines of the WHO's South-East Asia regional conference where the traditional medicine was one of the major issues of discussion of the 11 health ministers, experts and officials.
iii. Bangladesh's health officials said under the deal the two sides agreed to exchange all kinds of traditional medicines alongside the experts and physicians for conducting training.
iv. They said recognised institutions of both the countries would provide scholarships to each other in addition to setting up an 'academic chair'.

India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Agni-I missile
i. India today successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Agni-I missile from Wheeler Island off Odisha coast.
ii. The single-stage, solid-fueled missile was launched at 11.11 this morning from launch pad complex number - 4 as part of a user trial by the Strategic Force Command of the Indian Army.
iii. The ballistic missile has a striking range of 700 to 1250 km. It can carry a one-tonne nuclear warhead.
iv. Agni-I was developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) missile technologists.

Published By:
Banking Quiz
on 10:54

Read More -->