Daily GK Update 26th February 2105

Railway Budget 2015

(i) Missed the presentation of this year's Railway Budget? Here's a quick recap of all major announcements made by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.

(ii) The key themes of the Budget were in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives - Swachch Bharat Mission, Make in India and Digital India.

1. The most-expected part about this year's Railway Budget - there is no increase in passsenger rail fares.
2. Rs.8.5 lakh crore will be invested in Railways in next 5 years.
3. 'Operation 5 mins', wherein passengers travellling unreserved can purchase a ticket in 5 minutes.
4. Bio toilets and airplane-type vaccum toilets in trains.
5. Surveillance cameras in select coaches and ladies compartments for women's safety without compromising on privacy.
6. Rail tickets can now be booked 120 days in advance.
7. Speed on nine railway corridors to go up to 200 km per hour.
8. Wi-Fi in more stations, mobile phone charging facilities in all train compartments.
9. Facility of online booking of wheelchair for senior citizens.
10. Satellite railway terminals in major cities.
11. Centrally managed Rail Display Network is expected to be introduced in over 2K stations over the next 2 years.
12. All india 24/7 helpline - 138 from March 2015 ; Toll free No.182 for security.
13. 917 road under-bridges and over-bridges to be constructed to replace 3,438 railway crossings; at a cost of Rs. 6,581 crore.
14. Four Railway Research Centres to start in four universities.
15. Details about new trains and increased frequency will be announced later in this session of Parliament after review.

Union Cabinet approved creation of two additional benches of the Authority for Advance Rulings

(i) Union Cabinet on 25 February 2015 approved the creation of two additional benches of the Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR).

(ii) Two additional benches of the AAR will be established in New Delhi and Mumbai.

(iii) For these two benches, there will be a creation of two posts of Vice-Chairmen in the Apex scale and four posts of Members (two posts of Revenue Members and two posts of Law Members) in the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG+).

(iv) Moreover, two posts of Secretary at the level of Commissioner of Income Tax or Joint Secretary will also be created.

(v) The cabinet also approved one time expenditure of 7.48 crore rupees for establishment of the two additional benches and additional annual recurring expenditure of 6.61 crore rupees for running these two additional benches.

(i) EU sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis have neither proved effective, nor met the expectations of those who imposed them, but brought huge losses, said Cyprus President Nikos Anastasiadis ahead of a visit to Moscow.

(ii) The sanctions have not only complicated the economic situation in many European countries, but brought no prospects of peace for the Ukrainian people, said Anastasiadis in an interview to TASS.

(iii) EU sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis have neither proved effective, nor met the expectations of those who imposed them, but brought huge losses, said Cyprus President Nikos Anastasiadis ahead of a visit to Moscow.

(iv) The sanctions have not only complicated the economic situation in many European countries, but brought no prospects of peace for the Ukrainian people, said Anastasiadis in an interview to TASS.

(v) The heads of other EU countries such as Greece, and Hungary have repeatedly said the sanctions primarily hurt the ones who impose them.

Government Approves NTPC's 15,000 MW Solar Power Projects

(i) The union cabinet on Wednesday approved state-run power producer NTPC Ltd's plans to set up 15,000 megawatt of grid-connected solar projects, which would be completed in three tranches.

(ii) The rapidly falling cost of solar power has ignited interest in its potential in Asia's third-largest economy, which relies on coal for three-fifths of its energy needs while solar supplies less than 1 per cent.

(iii) Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to make India one of the world's largest renewable energy markets, targeting 100,000 MW of output by 2022 from just 3,000 MW currently.

India bans Islamic State terror group

(i) Dreaded terror group IS and all its affiliate organisations responsible for a series of savage attacks and killings in Iraq and Syria, have been banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

(ii) Recruitment of youths to the outfit from India and their radicalisation is a matter of serious concern for the country, especially with regard to its likely impact on national security when such youth return to India, the Home Ministry said while banning the terrorist group.

(iii) The Islamic State/Islamic State of Iraq and Levant/ Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/Daish and all its manifestations have been declared as outlawed in India under UAPA, a notification issued by the Ministry said.

Iranian wins award for ‘giving voice to the voiceless’

(i) An Iranian journalist has received a human rights award in Geneva for creating a Facebook page inviting women in Iran to post pictures of themselves without their headscarves in defiance of rules requiring them to wear a hijab.

(ii) Masih Alinejad (38) launched Stealthy Freedoms of Iranian Women last year, attracting more than half a million likes on Facebook in a matter of weeks. 

(iii) Thousands of women took off their veils in public and sent in their photos to be published.

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Daily GK Update 25th February 2015

Oscar Awards 2015

(i) 87th Academy Award, popularly called Oscar Awards, was conferred on 22 February

2015. The award ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

(ii) The Oscar Awards for the year 2015 were presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 24 categories.

(iii) The awards were produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Actor Neil Patrick Harris hosted the ceremony for the first time.

(iv) The list of winners of 87th Academy Awards

Best Picture: Birdman

Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Birdman

Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything

Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice

Best Supporting Actor: JK Simmons for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Achievement in Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Foreign Language Film: Ida directed by Pawel Pawlikowski

Best Live Action Short Film: The Phone Call

Best Documentary Short Subject: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Original Screenplay: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo for Birdman

Achievement in Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, Thomas Curley for Whiplash

Achievement in Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray Bub Asman for American Sniper

Achievement in Visual Effects: Ian Hunter, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley and Paul Franklin for Interstellar

Best Animated Short Film: Feast directed by Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed

Best Animated Movie: Big Hero Six 6

Achievement in Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Achievement in Cinematograph: Emannuel Lubezki for Birdman

Achievement in Film Editing: Tom Cross for Whipalsh

Best Documentary Feature: Citizen Four directed by Laura Poitras

Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for Glory

Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game

Maria Golovnina, Reuters bureau chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, found dead

(i) She was found collapsed and unconscious in the bureau and was rushed to hospital, but medical teams were unable to save her.

(ii) However, the cause of Golovnina's death could not be determined immediately and the authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain the facts of the case.

(iii) She had joined Reuters in Tokyo in 2001 and subsequently worked in London, Singapore and Seoul as part of the graduate trainee program. She was posted to Russia from 2002 to 2005. 

(iv) She became Chief Correspondent in Central Asia in 2005.

Moody's said, GDP growth to 6.9%

(i) Moody's said the revision in GDP growth to 6.9 percent for FY14, up from the earlier estimate of 5 percent, do not change ratios for government finances, private external leverage and bank asset quality. 

(ii) Policies to address fiscal and supply side constraints will determine whether India's current growth momentum and macro-economic balance can be maintained over the coming years," it added. 

(iii) With the revised base year, the economy is projected to clock 7.4 percent growth in current fiscal ending March 31.

(iv) Fiscal and structural reform policies will determine the extent to which accelerating growth will buttress the sovereign credit profile," Moody's said.

R.K. Pachauri steps down as IPCC chair

(i) After facing allegations of sexual harassment, Dr Rajendra K Pachauri has stepped down as Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with effect from Tuesday. 

(ii) The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) also announced that Dr Pachauri, who is its director general, has proceeded on leave for the time being.

(iii) A spokesperson for Dr Pachauri issued a statement that he has informed the IPCC that he has resigned from his position effective today. 

(iv) Dr. Pachauri is also a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change. He was elected to the first of two terms as Chair of the IPCC in April 2002 and had been scheduled to complete his second term in October.

Badal wants Punjab to be included in ‘Digital India’ programme

(i) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to include the state in the country’s flagship ’Digital India’ programme.

(ii) Mr. Badal on Wednesday urged the Prime Minister to fund the state government’s ambitious programme for establishing 2,174 Unified Citizen Service Delivery Centres at a cost of nearly Rs. 550 crore under integrated approach towards e-Governance, according to an official statement.

(iii) The Digital India programme includes projects that aim to ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically and people get benefit of the latest information and communication technology.

Centre asks Madhya Pradesh Governor to resign

(i) A day after registration of an FIR against him in a recruitment scam, the Centre has asked Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav to quit from the post.

(ii) The Home Ministry has conveyed its decision in this regard to the Governor as he has been named in the case, official sources said, adding that his position has become untenable in view of the FIR.

(iii) A report has been sought from the State government and Governor’s office on the entire matter,” they said.

Govt. hopeful that GST will be passed in Budget session

(i) Government on Tuesday said it was hopeful that the much-de

layed Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill will be passed during the ongoing Budget Session.

(ii) Government had introduced the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2014 in Lok Sabha in December last year to facilitate introduction of the new indirect tax regime in the country. Replying to questions in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said the government proposes to take up the bill for consideration and passage in the current session.

(iii) Hopefully, we will do it in the Budget Session,” he said. GST is expected to improve generation of the revenue of the States.

Iran launches naval drill in strategic Hormuz Strait

(i) Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Wednesday started a naval drill in the strategic waterway of Hormuz Strait.

(ii) Codenamed “Great Prophet 9”, the military exercise was broadcast live on the state-run IRIB TV with the participation of high-ranking Iranian political and military officials, Xinhua reported.

(iii) The IRGC’s missile bases onshore were shown launching massive strikes against the positions of the mock enemy and its naval bases.

Arrest warrant issued against Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia

(i) A Bangladesh court issued an arrest warrant on Wednesday for ex-Prime Minister Khaelda Zia in two graft cases after she failed to appear in court for the fourth time.

(ii) Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadder issued the decision in a makeshift court in the nation’s capital, Dhaka, after he refused a bail plea by the defence, which sought more time, saying Ms. Zia was sick and concerned over her security because of ongoing political unrest.

(iii) It was not clear immediately whether Ms. Zia will soon be arrested. The court order will go to a police station where the cases were registered.

Ravi Chaudhary appointed as Executive Director for Regions and Centre Operations at FAA

(i) Indian-American Ravi Chaudhary was on 24 February 2015 appointed as Executive

Director for Regions and Centre Operations at Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

(ii) Under this key position, Chaudhary will oversee aviation operations in nine different regions.

(iii) Chaudhary will be responsible for executing a 288 million US dollars operating budget of FAA and will lead over 2100 Federal Employees in nine nationwide regions. 

(iv) He will also be responsible for providing Department of Transportation and FAA-wide services in the areas of operations, safety, policy, corporate outreach, emergency readiness, facilities management, besides centralised support for the National Aerospace System.

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Daily GK Update 20th February 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Soil Health Card Scheme

(i) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 February 2015 launched the nationwide Soil Health

Card Scheme in Suratgarh town of Sriganganagar district, Rajasthan. 

(ii) The nationwide scheme will help farmers to scientifically analyse the soil of farms in the country. 

(iii) The scheme aims at helping farmers in improving productivity by appropriate use of nutrients or fertilisers. 

(iv) Under the plan, 14 crore Soil Health Cards will be issued to farmer of the country in a span of 3 years. 

(v) Around 3 crore farmers will be covered under the project in financial year 2014-15.

Vistara launches maiden flight service to Goa

(i) Tata’s full service passenger carrier Vistara Friday launched its maiden flight between New Delhi and Goa and said that it will expand its fleet to six aircraft by April.

(ii) The airline had earlier announced the launch of new services to Goa and Hyderabad from February 20 and March 1, respectively.

(iii) The company, which initially started operations with 68 flights weekly in January, is expected to operate 164 flights a week by March.

(iv) The joint venture (JV) airline between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines started commercial operations from January 9.

Labour trafficking suit: Indian workers awarded $14.1 million

(i) A federal court has awarded $14.1 million to five Indian workers who were brought to the U.S. as guest workers but then subjected to squalid conditions in isolated, guarded labour camps and denied immigration benefits that they were allegedly promised n return for paying recruiters between $10,000 and $20,000 in fees.

(ii) When the workers arrived in the U.S., they, however, discovered that the recruiters’ promise of green cards were false, and that they would have to live in the cramped quarters of “man camps” adjacent to the shipyard, with no option to switch to other jobs or return home to heaving debt.

(iii) Signal International said in a statement that it “strongly disagrees” with Wednesday’s verdict and is considering an appeal. It had said last month that it was confident the evidence would demonstrate “this case involves paid workers who could leave their job at any time, were well paid and free to come and go as they pleased.”

Amartya Sen to leave Nalanda post

(i) Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Thursday withdrew his candidature for a second term as Chancellor of Nalanda University in Bihar, since the Narendra Modi government had not given its approval to his nomination.

(ii) It is hard for me not to conclude that the government wants me to cease being the Chancellor of Nalanda University after this July,” Dr. Sen said.

(iii) Dr. Sen said academic governance in the country remained “deeply vulnerable to the opinions of the ruling government,” where it chose to make political use of special provisions in a university’s statute.

CCI approves Kotak Mahindra Bank’s purchase of ING Vysya

(i) India’s antitrust regulator has approved Kotak Mahindra Bank’s record $2.4 billion purchase of ING Vysya, it said in an order published on Friday. 

(ii) Kotak had announced its plan to buy ING Vysaya in November 2014, in what analysts predicted was the beginning of a long-awaited consolidation in a crowded banking sector.

(iii) The deal is the first major bank takeover since top privately held lender ICICI Bank bought Bank of Rajasthan more than four years ago.

Prime Minister presented Krishi Karman Awards 2013-14 to State Government functionaries

(i) The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 February 2015 presented Krishi Karman Awards 2013-14 to State Government functionaries. 

(ii) The awards were presented during the launch of the Soil Health Card scheme nationwide at Suratgarh, Rajasthan.

(iii) The Prime Minister presented the Krishi Karman Awards to State Government functionaries led by Chief Ministers of States and progressive farmers belonging to the states of Punjab, Odisha, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Gujarat. 

(v) The Commendation Awards were also presented to the State Government functionaries led by Agriculture Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Karnataka. 

Nitish Kumar to be sworn in as CM on February 22

(i) Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar was on Friday invited by governor Keshari Nath

Tripathi to form the government in Bihar after Jitan Ram Manjhi quit as chief minister.

(ii) Nitish and his team of ministers will be sworn in on February 22, Raj Bhavan officials said.

(iii) Earlier, Nitish promised good governance once he takes over as chief minister and apologised for his decision to quit last year after his party's rout in the Lok Sabha elections.

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Daily GK Update 19th February 2015

Aero India: Red Bull stunt planes collide in mid-air, pilots safe

(i) Two Red Bull stunt aircraft Thursday collided in mid-air while performing at the Aero India defence expo here but the pilots, who were unharmed, managed to land safely, eyewitnesses said.

(ii) The aircraft were part of a three-plane formation and collided while attempting an inverted loop. 

(iii) The wingtips of both aircraft were damaged.

(iv) However, the pilots of both planes managed to land safely.

Punjab Launches Toll Free Anti-Corruption Helpline Number

(i) To keep a check on corruption Punjab Vigilance Bureau today launched a toll free helpline number and website where people can register complaints against irregularities in government offices.

(ii) The toll free number 1800-1800-1000 and website - www.vigilancebureaupunjab.org - have been made functional as a complaint panel, a spokesperson of Vigilance Bureau said in Chandigarh.

(iii) He said, complaints against government employees would be taken on priority and officials found indulging in corrupt practices and misusing official powers will be dealt with seriously.

Snapdeal Buys Exclusively, Expands Luxury Segment Presence

(i) Expanding its presence in the high-end fashion segment, online marketplace Snapdeal has acquired luxury fashion portal Exclusively.com for an undisclosed amount.

(ii) With this acquisition, the city-based firm that gets a little over $1 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) from its fashion business expects this figure to touch $2 billion by the end of the current calendar year.

(iii) According to industry insiders, Snapdeal's total GMV -- total value of goods sold -- is around $2 billion at present and fashion business accounts for over 60 per cent of the total volume.

Gold imports set to rise as RBI eases curbs ahead of Budget

(i) Gold imports to top consumer India are set to jump in coming months after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) eased gold import curbs, ahead of an expected cut in import duty in next week's budget. 

(ii) The Reserve Bank of India said on Wednesday banks would again be allowed to import gold on a "consignment basis", under which they act as intermediaries and don't pay for the stock until a buyer has been found, which is usually quickly.

(iii) Nambiath said imports could average 80 tonnes a month, boosted by the RBI move and expectations of a duty cut.

Barry Knowles appointed as head of Youth Development Programme of Bharat FC

(i) Pune-based I-League football club Bharat FC in the third week of February 2015 appointed English football coach Barry Knowles as head of its youth development programme. 

(ii) The appointment of Barry Knowles is part of Bharat FC efforts to build its own training facility at Manjri and to build squads in the under -9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 age groups. 

(iii) Another unique aspect of this youth setup will be that the academy will give preference to young aspirants from Pune.

(iv) 55-year-old English coach Barry Knowles is a former professional footballer and have more than 300 appearances to his credit for different distinguished clubs in England. 

(v) He played as a full-back before retiring from professional football at the age of 33. 

EPFO sets up online helpdesk to trace inoperative accounts

(i) In order to help its members trace inoperative PF accounts, which have a balance of Rs 27,000 crore, for final settlement or transfer the money into their latest accounts, retirement fund body EPFO has set up an online helpdesk.

(ii) Using this online helpdesk, the holders of the inoperative accounts can trace out their accounts and go in for either settlement or transfer of PF to their present accounts, an official said.

(iii) The decision to set up helpdesk follows instruction given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the ‘Shrameva Jayate’ programme regarding the settlement of inoperative accounts having Rs 27,000 crores as balance.

(iv) EPFO expects that introduction of the portable Universal Account Number for PF is expected to greatly facilitate the above initiative as UAN would enable consolidation of multiple previous PF account numbers with the present one.

Former Minister Kalandi Behera Passes away

(i) He was undergoing a treatment for the last few days and the death was caused by multi-organ failure, BJD leaders said.

(ii) A five-time legislator, Behera worked as minister holding several important portfolios in late Biju Patnaik-led ministry and also during Naveen Patnaik’s government.

(iii) He was first elected to the Assembly as a Janata Party candidate from Salepur constituency in 1977. 

(iv) He won from the same seat as a Janata Dal candidate in 1990.

(v) A multi-faceted personality, he had written several books and took a keen interest in social, cultural and sports activities.

100 Indian women plan dive to record books in Australia

(i) Skydiver Shital Mahajan is not one to sit on her laurels. After over 600 jumps, 14 national and five international records and a Padmashri, she is now heading for Australia in April to set two world records. 

(ii) But unlike her solo attempts, this time she has company — 99 Indian women.

(iii) They will attempt to set the world record for the “most tandem skydiving jumps performed in one day by a group of 100 Indian women.

(iv) Since we planned to attempt the records in Australia, we thought why not combine it with some sightseeing, and hence a seven-day trip,” Shital told reporters here on Wednesday.

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Daily GK Update 18th February 2015

Javed Usmani sworn in as CIC of Uttar Pradesh

(i) A day after he took voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service, Javed Usmani was sworn in as the Chief Information Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh.

(ii) The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Ram Naik at a simple function in Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. 

(iii) Vidhan Sabha Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Cabinet Ministers, including Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mohammad Azam Khan, Ahmed Hasan and Ambika Chaudhary were present.

(iv) Mr. Usmani was U.P. Board of Revenue chairman in his capacity as the senior-most IAS officer (he is of the 1978 batch) in the State before he retired from service on Monday for taking up the new post.

Bollywood Actor Ashraful Haque passed away

(i) Bollywood actor Ashraful Haque passed away on 17 February 2015 at a private hospital in Andheri East, Mumbai after suffering from Myelodysplastic Syndrome. 

(ii) He was 46. Haque is survived by his wife and a son.

(iii) Ashraful Haque was famously known for his roles in the movies Delhi Belly and Fukrey. 

(iv) The actor performed more than 30 Indian plays and acted in over approximately 30 films apart from his Telly Serials and Ad films.

(v) He acted in movies like Company, Jungle, Calcutta Mail, Deewaar, Black Friday, Delhi Belly, Paan Singh tomar, Fukrey, etc. Haque graduated in Dramatics with specialization in Acting from National School of Drama, New Delhi in 1997. 

3 Indians in the shortlisted 100 applicants for the one-way trip to Mars

(i) Three Indian, two women and one man were among the shortlisted 100 applicants who were chosen for one-way trip to Mars under Mars One mission in the third week of February 2015. 

(ii) These Indians are Ritika Singh, Shradha Prasad and Taranjeet Singh Bhatia.

(iii) These 100 applicants (fifty men and fifty women) were selected from a pool of 202586 candidates who were looking for a one-way trip to Mars in 2024. 

(iv) The 100 selected candidates are from the US (39), Europe (31), Asia (16), Africa (7) and Oceania (7).

Aero India 2015

(i) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the 10th 'Aero India' show here making a strong pitch to end India's dependence on defence imports.

(ii) The Prime Minister said the country needs to increase its defence preparedness and modernize its forces due to security challenges that were well known.

(iii) "The country should aim to manufacture 70 per cent of military hardware domestically in next five years and remove the tag of being number one importer of defence equipment," the PM said.

5th India-Myanmar Joint Trade Committee meet held in Nay Pyi Taw

(i) The 5th India-Myanmar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting was held in Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar on 17 February 2015. 

(ii) India’s Minister of State for Commerce & Industry (Independent Charge) Nirmala Sitharaman co-chaired the meet with Myanmar’s Union Minister of Commerce U Win Myint.

(iii) During the meeting, the two nations committed towards strengthening mutually beneficial relationship especially in field of promoting two-ways investment, infrastructure development particularly to promote border trade, connectivity, agriculture, energy, skill and entrepreneurial development, pharmaceutical and people-to-people contacts.

U.P. Budget session begins today

(i) The Budget session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly begins on Wednesday with Governor Ram Naik’s address to the joint sitting of both the Houses.

(ii) The session comes close on the heels of the ongoing war of words between the Samajwadi Party Government and Raj Bhavan over issues ranging from law and order and education.

(iii) The rift between Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mohammad Azam Khan and Mr Naik has been a contributory factor.

China proposes triangular partnership with India, Sri Lanka

(i) Steering clear of a perception of China-India rivalry, Beijing has proposed at triangular partnership with India and Sri Lanka, ahead of a month-end visit to Beijing of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

(ii) China’s new strategic construct of inclusive ties with India and Sri Lanka follows its advocacy of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR), where India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan are visualized as partner countries in South Asia. 

(iii) While India is connected to the MSR through the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor, China sees Sri Lanka as an important point of trans-shipment in the global trade network. 

(iv) The Pakistani port of Gwadar, which is to be connected to Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Province, is also one of the nodes of the MSR.

U.S.-based news portal Mashable to foray into Indian market

(i) U.S.-headquartered news portal Mashable on Wednesday announced its foray into the Indian market in partnership with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s JV firm India.com.

(ii) Mashable, which termed India as one of its top five global markets, said its Indian arm would have an editorial team based in the country for localised content.

(iii) Commenting on its India foray, Mashable Founder and CEO Pete Cashmore said: “As Mashable continues to grow in parallel with the expansion of digital, entering India was an obvious next step.”

(iv) Web portal India.com is a joint-venture between Penske Media Corporation (PMC) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

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Daily GK Update 17 February 2015

Wholesale price index slips into negative zone

(i) Riding high on the fall in fuel prices, the wholesale price index (WPI) dipped to – 0.39 per cent in January. 

(ii) A fall in inflation has been recorded for the eighth consecutive month. Inflation was at 0.1 per cent in December.

(iii) The WPI plunged into the negative zone as the slide in fuel prices more than offset the increase in food prices, which continued to be high.

(iv) Negative WPI inflation reflects falling cost of production in the economy. It could eventually be reflected in consumer prices. Consumer price inflation hit 5.11 per cent in January, according to official data released last week.

(v) It captures inflation closest to producers and has a broader coverage of manufactured products. It does not capture price inflation in services.

‘Smart cities must be eco-friendly’

(i) The smart cities initiative gets under way in India, U.N. Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael Bloomberg has cautioned that global financial institutions are increasingly coming under pressure not to assist any development activity that does not adequately address environment and climate change concerns.

(ii) During a meeting with Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Mr. Bloomberg, who has agreed to assist the Ministry in organising a ‘City Challenge’ competition for assessing cities and towns for inclusion in the smart cities development programme, emphasised that smart cities should be environment friendly.

(iii) Mr. Bloomberg pointed out that carbon emissions in New York had been reduced by 19 per cent and life expectancy increased by three years in the past few years.

Nokia India signs 3 year contract with HCL Infosystems

(i) Nokia India, a subsidiary of Microsoft Mobile Oy, has signed a three-year sales contract with HCL Infosystems to sell its mobile phones.

(ii) “NISPL (Nokia India Sales Private Ltd), subsidiary of Microsoft Mobile OY, and HCL Infosystems Ltd have signed a contract that will enhance the footprint of Microsoft Mobile devices across the organised trade and general trade channels and rural India,” HCL Infosystems said in a statement in the Bombay Stock Exchange.

(iii) HCL Infosystems has a network of over 1,00,000 retail outlets, 800 direct distributors and 12,400 channel partners across 15,000 towns and 664 districts in India.

Mahindra & Mahindra to launch electric car in Europe in August

(i) Homegrown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra to launch its electric car in Europe in August as it looks to tap rising demand for eco-friendly vehicles in the continent.

(ii) “The way electric vehicle technology is growing in Europe, we expect it to play an important role there. 

(iii) We are also looking at the opportunity to launch our electric vehicle there and expect to do so in next six months,” Mahindra & Mahindra Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Pravin Shah told PTI.

(iv) M&M had launched its small electric car e2o in India in 2013 and last year launched it in Bhutan. The company also sells the electric car in Nepal.

‘Humshakals’ leads nominations list at Golden Kela Awards

(i) Multi-starrer ‘Humshakals’, which was critically-panned, leads at the 7th Annual Golden Kela Awards nominations, with five nods including worst film, worst actor for Saif Ali Khan and worst director for Sajid Khan.

(ii) Golden Kela Awards is an Indian version of Golden Raspberry Awards and honours the worst in Bollywood.

(iii) ‘Humshakals’ is also nominated in the category of ‘most atrocious lyrics’ and for ‘Baawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke’ award.

(iv) These awards will be announced at a ceremony on March 14.

SBI to soon take call on Adani's $1 billion loan for Australian mining project 

(i) State Bank of IndiaBSE -0.08 % is in the process of completing the due diligence for the controversial $1 billion (Rs 6,200 crore) loan to Adani Group for its Australian mining project and take a final call on it soon. 

(ii) "The appraisal process is on. We have not yet taken a final call on the disbursement," sources close to the development said. 

(iii) In November last year, SBI had signed a pact with Adani Group on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia. 

(iv) The final decision on the Adani issue would be taken by the executive committee after due deliberations. 

Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour: Vani Kapoor eyes her third title

(i) After a dominating victory at the Tollygunge Club, Vani Kapoor will look to keep the momentum going in the 5th Leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour.

(ii) Vani currently leads the Hero Order of Merit with total earnings of Rs.4, 64,000 in four appearances and will start as firm favourite at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club.

(iii) Delhi youngster Vani Kapoor is expected to face tough competition from Hero Motocorp sponsored Shamila Nicollet and Kolkota golfer Neha Tripathi. 

(iv) Bengaluru’s Sharmila showed signs of her return to form with a second place finish in the last leg and is expected to press for victory this time. 

(v) Neha is placed third in the Hero Order of Merit with earnings of Rs. 2,38,000 and will try to close the gap at the top of the table.

Faisal Siddiqui appointed as South Asia President of HTC

(i) Faisal Siddiqui was on 16 February 2015 appointed as South Asia President of High-Tech Computer Corporation (HTC), Taiwanese smartphone maker. He succeeded Jack Yang, who left the company citing personal reasons.

(ii) With this, Siddiqui will lead the company in the region which includes India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other emerging markets in Asia.

(iii) Currently, Faisal Siddiqui is Vice President and Head of HTC India. Siddiqui will continue to retain this position along with the new one.

Cyclist Alberto Contador of Spain announced to retire from Cycling after 2016 season

(i) Alberto Contador, the two-time Tour de France winner, on 16 February 2015 announced that he will retire from professional cycling after the 2016 season. 

(ii) He announced his plan to retire at the presentation of the junior and under 23 Fundación Alberto Contador (Alberto Contador Foundation) at the Hotel Princess Eboli in his hometown of Pinto, Spain.

(iii) The 32-year-old Contador of Spain has won six Grand Tours in all during his career. 

(iv) He won the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009, the Giro d’Italia in 2008 and the Vuelta a Espana in 2008, 2012 and 2014.  

Punit Renjen appointed as CEO of Deloitte’s Global Operations

(i) Punit Renjen was on 16 February 2015 appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited's Global Operations with effect from 1 June 2015.

(ii) Renjen will succeed Barry Salzberg. Currently, he is serving as Deloitte group's US business Chairman and CEO.

(iii) With this appointment, Renjen will be the first Indian-origin person to head a Big-Four audit firm. 

(iv) The other three firms in Big-Four group are PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and KPMG.

(v) Renjen has rich and wide experience of 27 years with Deloitte and has held a number of leadership positions, including chairman and CEO of Deloitte Consulting LLP.

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Daily GK Update 16th February 2015

Modi, Sirisena hold joint press conference

(i) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday

held talks during which they discussed bilateral civil nuclear cooperation among other key strategic issues.

(ii) The two signed agreements including one on civil nuclear cooperation.

(iii) "We are pleased to be Sri Lanka's largest trading partner, I express my support for balanced trade in both directions. We will further improve air and sea connectivity between Sri Lanka and India, " Modi said in a joint press conference.

(iv) "The bilateral agreement on civil nuclear cooperation is another demonstration of our mutual trust," he further added.

(v) PM Modi also said he discussed the fishermen issue with Sirisena and hoped for a solution soon.

Commentary: Ireland beats West Indies by 4 wickets

(i) Ireland stunned West Indies by 4 wickets in their opening match of the cricket World Cup at Saxton Oval on Monday.

(ii) Chasing 305 for a win, the William Porterfield-led side rode on gutsy fifties from Paul Stirling (92), Ed Joyce (84) and Niall O’Brien (79 not out) to achieve its target in 45.5 overs.

(iii) Earlier, left-arm spinner George Dockrell took three wickets as Ireland briefly lived up to its reputation as a giant-killer before West Indies stormed back to reach 304-7 in their Cricket World Cup Pool B match on Monday.

Indian sets record for marathon yoga

(i) A 29-year-old Indian yoga teacher in Hong Kong set a Guinness World Record on Sunday for performing yoga for 40 hours non-stop; he demonstrated more than 1,500 ‘asanas’.

(ii) Yogaraj C.P., a yoga instructor based here, broke the record for the ‘Longest Yoga Marathon (Male)’ by performing continuously for three days, starting on Friday and ending this afternoon. 

(iii) He did multiple twists and turns at his Tsim Sha Tsui studio, which was open to public for the duration of the challenge.

(iv) External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin congratulated Yogaraj on Twitter, while the Indian Consulate posted its congratulatory message on Facebook.

Autopsy shows New York Times writer David Carr died of lung cancer

(i) Autopsy results show New York Times media columnist David Carr died of complications from metastatic lung cancer.

(ii) Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner’s office, says the autopsy shows heart disease was a contributing cause of death.

(iii) Carr collapsed at the newspaper’s headquarters and died on Thursday. He was 58.

(iv) Carr’s 2008 memoir “The Night of the Gun” traces his rise from cocaine addict to single dad raising twin girls to sobered-up media columnist for the Times.

German eurosceptics win seats in Hamburg elections

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(ii) Germany’s eurosceptic Alternative für Deutschland has taken a big step towards establishing itself as a national political force by winning seats in elections in Hamburg, its first in a west German regional assembly following its recent successes in the east.

(iii) The outcome of Sunday’s poll will put pressure on chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU, which suffered its worst-ever Hamburg result, and raise questions about the ruling party’s strategy on key AfD issues, notably immigration.

Dr. Tessy Thomas, Geeta Varadan jointly named for Nayudamma Award 2014

(i) Women scientists Dr. Tessy Thomas and Geeta Varadan on 15 February 2015 were jointly named for Dr. Y Nayudamma Memorial Award 2014. 

(ii) They have been chosen for the award for their outstanding performance in the field of science and technology.

(iii) Ramon Magsaysay award recipient Prof. Shanta Sinha will present the award to Dr. Tessy Thomas and Geeta Varadan at a special function to be held at Tenali in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh on 1 March 2015.

(iv) This is the first time in the history of the trust that two eminent women scientists are being concurrently honoured.  

(v) The recipients will deliver the 23rd Dr. Y Nayudamma Memorial Lectures on the themes Make in India-Defence Needs and Initiatives and Remote Sensing Technology for National Needs respectively.

NCP leader RR Patil passes away at 58

(i) Raosaheb Ramrao Patil (58), former deputy chief minister and home minister of Maharashtra died at a city hospital on Monday in Mumbai after battling cancer for three months.

(ii) Patil’s political career spanning over 25 years has been marked by both milestones and controversies which he always handled confidently. Patil was suffering from oral cancer.

(iii) “The doctors and hospital team tried really hard to stabilise him but since last two days his condition worsened. 

(iv) His organs started failing one after another and he could not be revived. 

(v) Few days back his condition was improving and he was responding well to the treatment,” said NCP leader and Patil’s close aide Chhagan Bhujbal.

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