Daily GK Update - 26th June 2015

RBI extended deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes by 6 months

(i) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 25 June 2015 extended the date to exchange pre-2005 bank notes till 31 December 2015. 

(ii) RBI in an official statement said that the notes can be exchanged for their full value. It has also clarified that all such notes continue to remain legal tender. 

(iii) Soliciting cooperation from members of public in withdrawing these banknotes, it also urged them to deposit the old design notes in their bank accounts or exchange them at a bank branch convenient to them.

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Daily GK Update - 25th June 2015

Asha Bhosle named best Bollywood playback singer

(i) Veteran singer Asha Bhosle has been declared the greatest Bollywood playback artist of all times by the U.K. based Eastern Eye newspaper.

(ii) The 81-year-old singer beat off her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar in a first of its kind list that takes into account factors including number of songs, honours, international impact, versatility, fan base and popularity amongst fellow music industry professionals.

(iii) Whilst Lata Mangeshkar came second in the list of talented singers, Mohd Rafi came third and Kishore Kumar was fourth.

(iv) The full list of the greatest 20 Bollywood playback singers is published in Eastern Eye newspaper on June 26, 2015.

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Daily GK Update - 24th June 2015

Modi's next 'Mann Ki Baat' on June 28

(i) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation in the next series of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio on Sunday, June 28.

(ii) This is the ninth edition of the radio program in which he shares his thoughts with the citizens.

(iii) The Prime Minister has also invited citizens to share their thoughts and ideas for the programme on the Open Forum of MyGov.in.

(iv) Share thoughts and ideas for the programme on MyGov Open Forum, the Prime Minister said.

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Daily GK Update - 23rd June 2015

'Titanic' music composer James Horner dies

(i) Oscar winning music composer James Horner died at the age of 61 in a plane crash near Santa Barbara on Monday. 

(ii) Horner was piloting the small aircraft when it crashed into a remote area about 60 miles north of Santa Barbara, officials said.

(iii) His death was confirmed by Sylvia Patrycja, who is identified on Horner’s film music page as his assistant.

(iv) Horner earned 10 Oscar nominations in all, also being recognised for his work on two other Best Picture winners: Braveheart and A Beautiful Mind.

(v) Horner has three films coming out soon — Southpaw, the boxing drama that stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams and is due in theaters in July; Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Wolf Totem, out in September; and The 33, a drama based on the 2010 mining disaster in Chile that’s set for November.

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Daily GK Update - 18th June 2015

India can surpass 7.5% growth rate: Jaitley

(i) India’s 7.5 per cent economic growth rate is not its “best potential growth rate” and there is “restlessness” in the Narendra Modi-led government to boost economic growth and set higher GDP targets in the coming years, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

(ii) Predicting an 8 per cent growth this year, he said the government will set higher GDP growth targets in the future.

(iii) “I think our growth rate at the end of this year should certainly be around 8 per cent. (In) Future years, I am keeping my fingers crossed, our targets are going to be higher,” he said.

South Korean lawmakers approve new premier

(i) South Korea’s ruling party-controlled legislation on Thursday approved President Park Geun-hye’s choice for prime minster, ending a lengthy merry-go-round at the country’s No. 2 job caused by political wrangling and corruption scandals.

(ii) The National Assembly on Thursday approved the appointment of Hwang Kyo-ahn by a vote of 156-120. 

(iii) Lee Wan-koo in February had replaced Chung Hong-won who stepped down over the government’s criticised handling of a ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people last year. 

(iv) South Korea’s executive power is concentrated in the President, but the Prime Minister leads the country if the President becomes incapacitated.

Mary Kom to be chief guest for Yoga event in Dubai

(i) Indian Olympic medallist boxer M.C. Mary Kom will be the chief guest for the Yoga event, which is being organised by Indian Consulate in Dubai, on the occasion of first ever International Yoga day on June 21.

(ii) Five-time World Boxing Champion Mary Kom will join more than 15,000 United Arab Emirates participants and more than 100 nationalities during this event, to be held at Al Wasl Football Club, Dubai.

(iii) The sessions will be led by Indian yoga guru A.G. Mohan, who is also an author and co-founder of Svastha Yoga and Ayurveda in India.

India third in global doping report for 2013 by WADA

(i) India may be considered a sporting minnow but in terms of doping by its athletes, it has been ranked third behind Russia and Turkey in a World Anti-Doping Agency Report for 2013 with as many as 91 from the country testing positive for banned substances in that year.

(ii) According to the 2013 Anti-Doping Rule Violations Report released by the WADA on June 15. 

(iii) Russia has maximum number of dope offenders with 212 testing positive while the figures for Turkey and India were 155 and 91 respectively. Of the 91 Indians, 20 were women athletes.

(iv) "WADA is pleased to provide the most comprehensive set of doping statistics to-date. This new ADRV Report, when combined with the Annual Testing Figures Report, will be of value to the anti-doping community’s efforts to protect clean athletes in every country around the world,” WADA Director General David Howman said.

HDFC Bank launches 10-second personal loan disbursement scheme

(i) Country’s second-largest private sector lender, HDFC Bank on Thursday launched a 10-second paperless instant loan plan for its existing customers.

(ii) “HDFC Bank will now disburse personal loans to its customers in just 10 seconds. With this product, existing customers will have a pre-approved loan amount available to them 24x7,” the bank said in a statement.

(iii) The entire process of availing the loan is completely paperless, and users can simply log into their bank account via net-banking or mobile banking and avail of this loan at a click.

(iv) “It is like having a real cheque in one’s virtual wallet and is part of our mission of enabling customer delight by creating simple and speedy banking solutions that are available at a click.

WaterHealth to soon cover entire Bengaluru

(i) WaterHealth India, a leader in running decentralised water purification systems will cover the about 12 million population living in the limits of Brihat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, said WaterHealth International’s Chief Operating Officer Vikas Shah.

(ii) Currently, WaterHealth serves an estimated five million population across India, but were moving forward to achieving an audacious goal of serving 100 million consumers by the year 2020, he said, in reply to a question. 

(iii) He explained that similar agreements with large municipal bodies and other projects were in the pipeline and hence the confidence.

Officials launch ‘Krishi Abhiyan’ in Mandya

(i) Members of the Zilla Panchayat and officials of Mandya District Administration launched the State Government’s ambitious ‘Krishi Abhiyan’ programme, an extensive awareness campaign that will take agricultural experts to farmers’ fields, covering the entire district here on Thursday.

(ii) ZP vice-president Chandrakala, standing committee president Divyashree, Mandya Deputy Commissioner M.N. Ajay Nagabhushan, Joint Director of Agriculture Rajasulochana and others inaugurated the campaign outside the DC office.

(iii) During the programme the officials, scientists and agricultural experts would visit the different hoblis centres across the district to provide consultation to farmers.

(iv) The officials will also explain the importance of various issues including soil testing and the mechanised farming during the campaign.

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Daily GK Update - 17th June 2015

Architect Charles Correa passes away

(i) Charles Correa, one of India's greatest architects and urban planners, passed away after brief illness late on Tuesday night. He was 84.

(ii) Winner of several national and international awards, Correa was known for adapting his designs to local climates and building styles.

(iii) Correa designed landmarks like Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya Ahmedabad, the Handloom Pavilion in Delhi, Bharat Bhavan and Vidhan Bhavan in Madhya Pradesh, Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur, the Permanent Mission of India at the U.N., New York, Kala Academy in Goa.

(iv) He was the chief architect of Navi Mumbai, the satellite suburb of Mumbai.

(v) He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1972 and Padma Vibhushan in 2006. In 1984, he founded the Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) in Mumbai, dedicated to protecting the environment and improving urban communities.

Japan lowers voting age from 20 to 18

(i) Japan has lowered the voting age in the country from 20 to 18 years. 

(ii) The upper house of the Parliament passed the revised public office election law on Wednesday after it was approved by the lower house on June 4, Xinhua news agency reported. 

(iii) The revised law will be effective within one year.

(iv) Around 2.4 million people aged 18 and 19 will become eligible to vote. 

(v) According to analysts, lowering the voting age is necessary to raise the young generation’s involvement in politics and help them express their political views. Japan last lowered the voting age from 25 to 20 years in 1945.

Former Turkish President Suleyman Demirel dies

(i) Former Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, who was twice toppled by the military during seven stints at the head of government, died early on Wednesday, according to a hospital official and Turkish media. He was 90.

(ii) Known as ‘Baba’, or ‘Dad’, to his fans in Turkey’s farming heartland during his years in power, he served during a period of unstable coalitions in NATO-member Turkey that was brought to an end when the ruling AK Party founded by President Tayyip Erdogan came to power in 2002.

The Union government approved 16 FDI proposals

(i) The government on Wednesday approved 16 foreign investment proposals, including those of Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Star India Private Limited, amounting to Rs. 6,750.86 crore.

(ii) The proposals were cleared during the FIPB meeting held on May 28.

(iii) The government has approved Torrent Pharmaceuticals’ proposal for increasing FII investment from 13.09 per cent to 35 per cent.

Govt raises solar power target to 100,000 MW by 2022

(i) “Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for stepping up of India’s solar power capacity target under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) by five times, reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022, which will entail an investment of around Rs. 6 lakh crore.

(ii) According to the statement, the target will principally comprise of 40 GW (solar) rooftop and 60 GW through large and medium scale grid connected solar power projects.

(iii) With this ambitious target, India will become one of the world’s largest green energy producers, surpassing several developed countries.

AIBA constituted Ad-hoc committee chaired by Kishan Narsi for boxing in India

(i) The International Boxing Association (AIBA) on 16 June 2015 constituted a five-member ad-hoc committee to manage the process of finding a group to organise and run boxing in India. 

(ii) Kishan Narsi, an international referee who officiated in four Olympics was appointed as the Chairman of the committee. 

(iii) He has been the Vice-Chairman of Executive Committee of AIBA.

(iv) Other members of the committee include Jay Kowli, Manisha Malhotra and Injeti Srinivas. The fifth member of the committee will be appointed by AIBA on the recommendation of the ad hoc committee and would be a national coach.

Book titled Recasting India written by Hindol Sengupta released

(i) Recasting India: How Entrepreneurship is changing the World's Largest Democracy: Hindol Sengupta

(ii) The book Recasting India: How Entrepreneurship is changing the world's Largest Democracy written by Hindol Sengupta was in news in June 2015.

(iii) In the book the author explains emergence of new class of entrepreneurs in India, in recent times, especially from geographically and socially disadvantage spaces.

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Daily GK Update - 16 June 2015

Free Wi-Fi in Taj Mahal complex

(i) Tourists visiting the Taj Mahal will now be able to upload selfies or photographs clicked with their loved ones directly from the 17th century monument of love.

(ii) This became possible on Tuesday afternoon as Union Minister for Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad launched half-an-hour free Wi-Fi Interet facility in the Taj Mahal complex.

(iii) Anyone wishing to remain logged in for more than half-an-hour can do so by paying Rs.30 an hour.

(iv) BSNL has made special arrangements to introduce the facility with support from Quadgen, a Bengaluru-based company.

Salman Khan, Mahesh Babu, Dhanush set for box office battle

(i) Superstars Salman Khan, Mahesh Babu and Dhanush are set to battle it out at the box office when their films “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, “Srimanthudu” and “Maari” release on July 17 worldwide.

(ii) Salman’s “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, directed by Kabir Khan, has been confirmed to release on July 17 as it happens to be the Eid weekend.

(iii) Director Koratala Siva has also confirmed that Mahesh Babu’s “Srimanthudu” will release on the same day.

(iv) Meanwhile, the makers of Dhanush’s “Maari”, which is directed by Balaji Mohan, have also finalised July 17 as the release date.

India’s first transgender principal walks the ramp

(i) It was a rather emotional moment when India’s first transgender college principal sashayed down the ramp cuddling a visibly-happy street child in a unique fashion show here.

(ii) Manabi made headlines recently for taking charge of the Krishnagar Women’s College in Nadia district, becoming India’s first transgender to do so.

(iii) Projecting dynamism, Bandopadhyay made heads turn at the fashion show for street children where celebrities walked with the underprivileged on Saturday night.

(iv) Clutching the girl child, her expressions reflected the pain and anguish for the kids, who do not have a chance to enjoy their childhood.

Russia to add 40 ballistic missiles to nuclear arsenal

(i) Russia will add more than 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal this year, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

(ii) "More than 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles able to overcome even the most technically advanced anti-missile defence systems will be added to the make-up of the nuclear arsenal this year," he told a military and arms fair.

HCL Infosystem, Dell sign strategic partnership

(i) PC maker Dell and IT services and distribution company HCL Infosystems on Tuesday announced a strategic distribution partnership.

(ii) Under the new partnership, HCL Infosystems will leverage its pan-India network of partners to distribute Dell’s entire hardware and software products, both the companies’ said in a press release.

(iii) The new partnership will help to widen the reach of Dell’s products especially in smaller town and cities across the country. 

(iv) The partnership also involves comprehensive Go-to-Market initiatives and activities, added the release.

ISRO to test re-usable satellite launch vehicle in September

(i) In a major technology demonstration ultimately aimed at cutting down the cost of satellite launches to one-tenth the present rates, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will flight test an indigenously developed re-usable satellite launch vehicle for the first time this September.

(ii) “The launch vehicle will be landing for the first time in the ocean and the ultimate attempt is to make it land at an airstrip at Sriharikota,” ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said at a press conference on Monday.

(iii) Minister of State for Department of Space Jitendra Singh said 11 satellites were launched in the last one year and by next year the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System would be operationalised. 

(iv) It will be only the third such system in the world.

(v) Mr. Singh launched an Android-based application ‘Sakaar’, an “augmented reality application” intended to give a real world environment to visualise ISRO projects. 

(vi) It provides in real time, three-dimensional models of Mars Missions, various satellites, launch vehicles and other projects of ISRO.

New Regional Manager at KVGB

(i) 57-year-old Shripati Hegde has been appointed as new Regional Manager of Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) of the Belagavi region.

(ii) He is a native of Uttar Kannada district with a rich banking experience of 31 years. 

(iii) He joined the bank at Vijayapura in 1984 as Officer and has worked in various capacities, such as Branch Manager, Area Manager and Chief Manager since then. 

(iv) He was Chief Manager Accounts and Investment of the Bank before assuming charge of his new office.

(v) The KVGB has nine regional offices where Belagavi region has 85 branches under its jurisdiction with a total business of Rs. 2,400 crore, according to a release issued by Public Relations Officer of the bank Ullas Gunaga here on Tuesday.

One Rank One Pension likely ahead of Bihar polls

(i) The long-pending ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP) scheme for ex-servicemen is likely to be rolled out ahead of the Assembly polls in Bihar later this year, top government sources indicated on Tuesday.

(ii) The government is working out the modalities for OROP and the announcement will be made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they said.

(iii) “It (OROP) is being worked out. We will need to have a separate category so that it cannot be legally challenged later on and nor do others stake claim. 

(iv) This would be separate from other government pensions,” sources said.

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Daily GK Update - !4th and 15th June 2015

Inflation in negative zone for seventh month

(i) Easing prices of fuel, food items and manufactured goods kept inflation in the negative zone for the seventh consecutive month in May, although prices fell at a slower rate of (-)2.36 per cent as against the previous month.

(ii) The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation was (-)2.65 per cent in April. It has been in the negative zone since November 2014. Inflation in May last year was 6.18 per cent.

(iii) The lower inflation comes amid a forecast of deficient monsoon this year.

(iv) Retail inflation in May, as measured on Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 5.01 per cent, marginally up from the previous month.

(v) Reserve Bank has cut the key interest rate (repo rate) by 0.75 per cent in 2015, and the government has asked banks to reduce their lending rates.

BSNL to launch free roaming today

(i) State-run BSNL will launch free roaming, starting today, which will allow all its mobile customers across the country to receive incoming calls at no cost.

(ii) “Now BSNL mobile customers will not need to carry multiple SIMs and handsets during roaming. 

(iii) They are free to talk as long as they want without worrying of any charges during incoming calls.

(iv) “In fact, it is like a dream of ‘One Nation One Number’ coming true,” BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava said in a statement.

(v) One June 2, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had announced that the telco would be launching free roaming scheme from June 15.

Vedanta to buy out minority shareholders in Cairn India

(i) India's largest private miner Vedanta Ltd. has offered to buy out minority shareholders in cash-rich oil and gas unit Cairn India, a move that will streamline debt-burdened parent Vedanta Resources’ operating structure.

(ii) Shareholders in Cairn India, India’s top private oil producer, will get one share in Vedanta Ltd. for every held, the companies said in a joint statement after their boards approved the transaction on Sunday. 

(iii) They will also get one redeemable preference share in Vedanta Limited.

SC cancels All India Pre-Medical Test

(i) Over 6.3 lakh students will have to take fresh test as the Supreme Court on Monday scrapped the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) 2015 and ordered re-conduct of the examination within four weeks.

(ii) A vacation bench of justices R K Agrawal and Amitava Roy directed the institutions involved in conduct of the examination to render assistance to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in this endeavour within the stipulated period decided by it.

(iii) CBSE was to declare the results of AIPMT, taken by over six lakh students, on June 5.

The court had said, “The bigger issue is that the sanctity of the examination is under suspicion. 

(iv) We want to be doubly sure that there is no alternative but to order re-conduct of the exam,” adding that it did not want to take a decision “in haste”.

Tatkal booking timings changes from today

(i) The timings for booking Tatkal tickets in AC and non-AC classes will change from June 15 as the Railways has staggered the schedule to reduce the load on the ticketing site and booking windows.

(ii) Currently, the booking under Tatkal scheme opens at 10 am on the previous day of journey from train originating station.

(iii) “It has been decided that from June 15, timings for booking of Tatkal tickets will be staggered for AC and non-AC classes to 10 am onwards and 11 am onwards respectively,” said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Baffled Bolt wins 200 in sluggish time

(i) A baffled Usain Bolt ran his worst turn ever as he barely won the 200 metres at the Adidas Grand Prix meet in a sluggish 20.29 seconds on a warm, windy day at Randall's Island on Saturday.

(ii) Bolt was running into a stiff headwind of 2.8 metres per second that surely affected his time, but the six-time Olympic gold medal winner was bewildered by his sub-standard turn.

(iii) His time was more than a full second slower than his world record of 19.19.

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Daily GK Update - 12 June 2015

Twitter’s Dick Costolo to step down as CEO

(i) Twitter Inc CEO Dick Costolo abruptly announced he was stepping down on Thursday amid increasing scrutiny of the company's slow user growth and inability to attract advertisers at the same rate as its competitors.

(ii) Mr. Costolo will be replaced by co-founder Jack Dorsey on an interim basis. According to a source familiar with the matter, it was Mr. Costolo's decision to leave, and Mr. Costolo said he brought it up with the board last year as it began talking about succession planning.

(iii) Mr. Costolo said on a conference call that Twitter will consider both internal and external candidates for its next CEO and that it has the "strongest management team (it's) ever had," which influenced his decision to step down. 

(iv) In a statement earlier he said he was "tremendously proud" of his six years at Twitter.

TN, Adani Group sign agreement on 200-MW solar plant in Ramanathapuram

(i) The Adani Group has signed a power purchase agreement with the Tamil Nadu government to set up a 200-MW solar power plant in Ramanathapuram at an investment of nearly Rs.1,400 crore, according to TANGEDCO officials.

(ii) The group is also in discussion with the State government to set up a 1,000-MW solar plant in the State.

(iii) “The agreement to set up a 200-MW plant was signed a couple of days back and the investment in the project will be about Rs. 6.5 crore–Rs. 7 crore per MW,” the official said.

(iv) The company is likely to stagger the investment and commission the 1,000-MW plant in phases. Officials at Adani Group were not available for comment.

C.S Verma steps down as SAIL CMD

(i) State-owned SAIL on Thursday said C. S. Verma had relinquished the charge as Chairman and Managing Director on completion of his tenure and Steel Secretary Rakesh Singh has assumed the charge till a regular incumbent is appointed.

(ii) Mr. Verma was appointed CMD of the country’s largest steel producer for a 5-year term in June 2010 by the previous UPA government, and was eligible for an extension till he attained the superannuation age of 60 years in September 2019.

(iii) The government’s not extending his tenure to the top job makes him the first ‘Maharatna’ PSU head to be denied an extension during the current NDA regime.

Britain to award medals to over 3,000 Ebola fighters

(i) Britain has created a new medal to recognise the bravery and hard work of people who have helped to tackle Ebola in West Africa, Downing Street announced on Thursday.

(ii) The medal is set to be awarded to over 3,000 people who travelled from Britain to work in high risk areas to stop the spread of the disease. 

(iii) This is the first time a medal has been created specifically to recognise those who have tackled a humanitarian crisis, Xinhua quoted Downing Street as saying in a statement.

(iv) The medal has been designed by veteran engraver and artist John Bergdahl, whose design was chosen following a competition run by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee.

RBI permits NRIs to subscribe to chit funds

(i) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to permit non-resident Indians (NRIs) to subscribe to the chit funds without limit on a non-repatriation basis.

(ii) The subscription to chit funds, however, should come through the normal banking channel, including through an account maintained with a bank in India, the apex bank said.

(iii) The RBI has also added a rider saying that the Registrar of Chits or an officer authorised by the State Government in accordance with the provisions of the Chit Fund Act in consultation with the State Government concerned should permit any chit fund to accept subscription from NRIs on non-repatriation basis.

Anurag Tewari new DC of Bidar district

(i) The State government posted Anurag Tewari as the new Deputy Commissioner of Bidar district.

(ii) The 2007 batch IAS officer is an electrical engineer from Lucknow University. 

(iii) He has served as Assistant Commissioner of Madhugiri, Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu and Deputy Secretary (Finance) in Bengaluru earlier.

(iv) He replaces P.C. Jaffer, who has been posted as special project director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Bengaluru. 

(v) Dr Jaffer was responsible for several development programmes in the educationally-backward

Flipkart hires executive Ravi Garikipati

(i) Flipkart, India’s largest online retailer has appointed Ravi Garikipati, a top executive at information technology company [24]7 Inc., for a newly created role as ‘entrepreneur in residence.’ 

(ii) The position is of when an organisation brings an accomplished executive to work on a new project or start a new firm and is willing to back him financially.

(iii) Garikipati will work closely with Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal and Mukesh Bansal, head of Flipkart’s e-commerce platform on new business projects. His first assignment will be to help Flipkart scale up their new ads initiative.

Iconic Rock Garden creator Nek Chand dead

(i) Nek Chand, creator of the iconic Rock Garden who has amazed people for decades with his unique sculptures made from waste, died on Friday at a hospital here following cardiac arrest.

(ii) The 90-year-old architectural autodidact had been ailing and was admitted to a private hospital here for the past few days. 

(iii) He was shifted to PGIMER on Thursday evening where he died shortly past midnight after suffering cardiac arrest, officials said.

(iv) The Chandigarh Union Territory administration had declared a holiday in its offices on Friday.

(v) “We have declared a holiday in view of Nek Chandji’s demise. His body will be kept in the Rock Garden tomorrow(Saturday) to enable people to pay their last respects.

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Daily GK Update - 5th June 2015

Wal-Mart names new board chairman, keeps job in family

(i) Wal-Mart says board Chairman Rob Walton will step down and be succeeded by Vice Chairman Greg Penner, who is Walton’s son-in-law.

(ii) The company says the change will take effect at the end of its annual meeting Friday.

(iii) Walton, son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, has been chairman since 1992. The company says the 70-year-old will continue to serve as a director.

(iv) Penner, 45, joined Wal-Mart as a management trainee and held a number of positions including senior vice president of finance and strategy. Rob Walton noted on stage at the meeting that Penner is married to his daughter.

SBI to e-auction distressed properties on June 12

(i) Country’s largest lender State Bank of India on Friday said it will be selling its distressed assets through an online auction on June 12.

(ii) This is the second e-auction which the bank will be conducting in this year after its maiden attempt in March.

(iii) SBI, in a public notice on Friday, said it will be conducting a mega e-auction of distressed residential and commercial properties on June 12.

(iv) At the auction, the bank will try to sell offices, shops, apartments and factory buildings located in about 40 cities.

(v) Last month, SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya had said that the bank would continue to hold such e-auctions every quarter.

K.V. Kamath steps down, Infy appoints Seshasayee as Chairman

(i) Infosys Limited on Friday announced that the Company’s Board have approved the appointment of R. Seshasayee as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board with immediate effect.

(ii) A release from the Company added that K.V. Kamath will be stepping down from his position as Chairman of the Board and as an Independent Director of the Company, consequent to his nomination as President of the BRICS New Development Bank.

Coal India offers Rs 15 cr for green transport at Rajarhat

(i) Country’s largest mining company Coal India Limited (CIL) has extended a financial assistance of Rs 15 crore towards greener transport options for Rajarhat New Town in West Bengal.

(ii) Coal India offered the funds to West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) for purchase of three electric buses and an electric car on World Environment Day, the company said in a statement on Friday.

D-Link to invest Rs.350 crore in Telangana

(i) Taiwanese multinational firm D-Link, a leader in networking and connectivity products, plans to invest Rs.350 crore on setting up new facilities and expanding its operations in Hyderabad.

(ii) Apart from setting up a global research and development centre as well as a network of training centres and expanding its offices in Hyderabad, D-Link will work with Telangana government to enhance public internet access. On Friday, it entered into an MoU with the government.

‘World Environment Day’ celebrated in Bidar

(i) Various schools and organisations organised 'World Environment Day' in Bidar on Friday.

(ii) Students of the Gnyana Sudha Vidyalaya participated in a 'Green Run' from the old RTO office to their school campus in Shiva Nagar. 

(iii) They held placards and raised slogans calling people to protect the environment. Later, they planted saplings in the school campus. 

(iv) Poornima G., school committee president, and others were present.

(v) Naveen Public school organised Vana Mahotsava. Shivayya Swamy, member, Indian Animal Welfare Board, planted a sapling and appealed to students to plant trees and care for them.

Read more »

Daily GK Update - 4th and 3rd June 2015

Maggi banned in Uttarakhand

(i) Uttarakhand has joined other states by banning instant snack brand Maggi, after tests on the product showed presence of Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a synthetic taste enhancer.

(ii) An order was issued on Thursday towards banning the sale of the product for 90 days, an official at the Food Safety Department R S Rawat said.

(iii) “We had sent 54 samples for a test to Food Testing Laboratory in Rudrapur [in Udham Singh Nagar district]. 

(iv) One sample from Pauri showed presence of MSG after which it was decided that Maggi should be banned for sale across the State,” he said.

U.S. passes NSA surveillance reform

(i) It was a historic moment for civil liberty advocates as much as it was for libertarians of the American right when the U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed on a vote of 67-32, and President Barack Obama signed into law, the first reform in a decade limiting the sweeping powers of the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance on millions of citizens’ telephone conversations.

(ii) The USAFA represents the first major reform to the NSA’s mass surveillance of global communications that has been effected since whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the full extent of the spying programmes to the world in 2013, even though many called for further reform pointing out that spying on foreigners was untouched by this bill.

India, Belarus agree on road map for stronger ties

(i) India and Belarus on Wednesday decided to work together on defence and security issues as President Pranab Mukherjee met his Belarusian counterpart and agreed on a 17-point road map aimed at strengthening mutual trust and confidence.

(ii) The President, who arrived here on Tuesday night on a two-day visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the majestic Palace of Independence by Belarusian President A.G. Lukashenko.

(iii) The road map will enhance high-level and Ministerial contact, optimise the structure of trade, increase trade turnover, create favourable conditions for enhanced direct investment and promote practical cooperation between financial institutions.

‘Improving connectivity between India and Bangladesh for progress’

(i) Improving connectivity between India and Bangladesh can add to the dynamism of economic and social progress in both the countries as well as their eastern and south-astern neighbours, according to a report released by multidisciplinary think tank Observer Research Foundation here on Tuesday.

(ii) Released just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh on June 5, the report — ‘India-Bangladesh connectivity: Possibilities and challenges’ — recommends steps that both the countries can take in four aspects of connectivity — rail and road, waterways, energy sector connectivity and border management. The year-long project is part of a broader three-series project which seeks to examine India’s links with Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.

Snapdeal collaborates with gojavas to launch ‘90 mins reverse pick-up’

(i) Snapdeal, an online marketplace and gojavas, a supply-chain company, today announced the launch of an industry first service for customers - ‘90 minutes reverse pick-ups’.

(ii) With this, Snapdeal customers wishing to return/replace their online orders will be reached within 90 minutes of intimation. The facility, which is currently live in 15 cities, will enable hassle-free returns as well as refunds.

(iii) Elaborating on the new service ‘go-90’, Mohib Rub, Head, Last Mile Operations, gojavas, said, “This strategic partnership with Snapdeal has acted as a huge catalyst in fast-tracking go-to market for innovations gojavas was pursuing on its own earlier. 

(iv) Both the teams are looking to expand this service to all the 300 cities within our network in the next 3-5 months.”

Trucks carrying food grains meant for 'Anna Bhagya' seized

(i) A group of youths prevented the smuggling of food grains, meant for ‘Anna Bhagya’ and handing over the lorry to police in Nadivi village under Sirigeri Police station limits on Thursday.

(ii) The lorry, loaded with total 189 bags - 165 bags of wheat weighing 45 kg each and 24 bags of rice weighing 50 kg each – was heading towards Gangavati in Koppal district.

(iii) On getting the information, Sirigeri police, led by Lokesh, Circle Inspector and PSI Hassan, rushed to the spot and seized the lorry. 

(iv) Driver of the lorry escaped while the cleaner, Basavaraj, was taken into custody.

2004 Nobel Chemistry winner Irwin Rose dies

(i) Irwin Rose, a biochemist who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins the basis for developing new therapies for diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis has died. He was 88.

(ii) Rose died in his sleep early on Tuesday in Deerfield, Massachusetts, said spokeswoman Janet Wilson of the University of California, Irvine, where Rose had been a researcher.

(iii) Rose had a “formidable intellect and unwavering curiosity about fundamental biological and chemical processes that are the foundation for life,” UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a university statement.

India jumps six places in FIFA rankings

(i) India has jumped six places to 141st position in the latest rankings released by world football’s governing body FIFA on Thursday.

(ii) India was previously placed 147th in the rankings list. Iran (41) is the top-ranked Asian team in the list, followed by Japan (52) and South Korea (58).

(iii) World Champions Germany continued to head the rankings. Belgium jumped to second place, a place above World Cup runners-up Argentina.

(iv) Five-time world champions Brazil are fifth, a spot below Colombia. Brazil is followed by the Netherlands, Portugal (seventh), Uruguay (eighth), and France (ninth).

Glitz, glamour to mingle with business at IIFA 2015

(i) A heavy dose of Bollywood glamour and performances will enthral fans at the 2015 edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) from Friday as it returns to Malaysia for a second time.

(ii) Held every year on a foreign location, the event will also organise FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum to promote trade and tourism between the two countries.

(iii) This year, the young brigade of Bollywood is registering its presence in full force be it the performances by Sonakshi Sinha, Shraddha Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra or the event’s hosts Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor.

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