DAILY GK UPDATES 16TH AUGUST 2016

DAILY GK UPDATES 16TH AUGUST 2016

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bihar Assembly unanimously passes GST bill: The Bihar state assembly has unanimously passed the crucial Goods and Services Tax Bill (GST Bill). With this, it has become the first non-Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state to ratify the GST, last week; Assam became the first state to ratify the Bill.

 

2. Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa announces hike in pension to freedom fighters: Amil Nadu Jayalalithaahas announced Rs 1,000 increase in the freedom fighters pension from Rs 11,000. The announcement came during her address after unfurling national flag at Fort St. George on the occasion of Independence Day.

 

3. Odia becomes Official Language in Odisha from today: Odia language will be used as the official language in all government offices in Odisha from today onwards.

4. India extends $ 1 million grant to Zimbabwe: India has provided One million US Dollars grant to Zimbabwe in the wake of El Nino induced drought disaster. 

5. Nuclear suppliers’ insurance policy unveiled:New India Assurance Co and India nuclear insurance pool (INIP) will issue the policy and administer the claims on behalf of the pool. 

 

6. L&T bags contract to convert Nagpur into integrated smart city: Larsen & Toubro has been identified as Implementation Partner to convert Nagpur, into the country's first large-scale integrated Smart City as per a Letter of Intent that was handed over in the auspicious presence of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis

7. Tata AutoComp to acquire TitanX: Tata AutoComp Systems, the Tata Group-owned auto-component conglomerate, will acquire TitanX, a leading global engine cooling supplier. It is currently owned by EQT Opportunity and Fourier transform.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Singapore ranked 6th in Global Innovation Index:India climbed 15 spots, from 81 last year, to 66 in the Global Innovation Index (GII) and maintained the top spot in the Central and South Asia regions, according to the rankings released by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

2. China successfully launches world’s first quantum satellite: China today successfully launched the world's first quantum satellite which boasts of establishing hack-proof communications between space and the ground as it is equipped with security features to prevent wiretapping and intercepts.

 

3. Minda forms JV with Chinese firm for auto components: Auto component maker Spark Mindagroup flagship firm, Minda Corporation Ltd has formed a joint venture (JV) with China's Shandong Beiqi HaiHua Automobile Parts Co (SBHAP). 

4. China begins operating bullet trains at 350 kmphspeed: China on Monday began operating its indigenously designed bullet trains which can clock 350 kmph speed.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Usain Bolt wins gold in men's 100 meters in Rio Olympics: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has won gold in the 100-metre final in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

AWARDS:

2. CLRI scientist bags A P J Abdul Kalam award.

 

OBITUARIES:

3. First Speaker of Delhi Assembly Charti Lal Goelpasses away: Charti Lal Goel, the first speaker of the Delhi Assembly has passed away today after prolonged illness. Charti Lal, 89, breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.