DAILY GK UPDATES 29TH FEBRUARY 2016

DAILY GK UPDATES 29TH FEBRUARY 2016

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Major highlights/announcement of the Union Budget 2016-17: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitleypresented his 3rd Union Budget today. Highlights of which are as follows: 

-Forex reserves are at highest level of $350 billion.

-2016: Current account deficit seen at 1.4% of GDP.

-GDP growth has accelerated to 7.6%. CPI inflation has come down to 5.4%.

-FY 2016-17 will have the additional burden of implementing the VII pay commission and the defence OROP.

-New schemes for BPL families for gas connections. 

-Statutory backing for Aadhaar platform to ensure delivery of benefits.

 

2. Dinesh Sharma appointed as Chairman of Governing Council of the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).

 

3. Punjab imposed ban on sale of Army Uniforms in the state: Any person who wants to buy the uniform would have to submit a self-attested copy of his identity card and phone number with the shopkeeper.

 

4. Ajay Shankar Committee recommendations on Prior Permission and Regulatory Mechanisms: The committee recommended that there is a need for a standing institutional mechanism within government for an independent Regulatory Impact Assessment on an on-going basis of the existing regulatory requirements and proposed new ones across the entire range of economic values.  

 

5. Alok Kumar Verma took charge as Delhi Police Commissioner.

 

6. London listed Vedanta Resources Inc. wins country’s first gold mine auction in Chhattisgarh.

 

7. Vice Admiral HCS Bisht assumes charge of Eastern Naval Command.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Oscar Awards 2016 conferred; film Mad Mux: Fury Road won maximum awards: Chris Rock hosted the 88th Academy Awards and Bollywood Actress Priyanka Chopra made her debut on the Oscars red carpet and presented the award. Best picture: Spotlight, Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritufor The Revenant, Best Actor: Leonardo di Caprio for The Revenant, Best Actress: Brie Larson for Room, etc.

 

2. Hashim Thaci elected as the President of Kosovo: The capital of Kosovo is Pristina.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Rozle Prezelj elected Chairman of IAAF Athletes’ Commission.

 

2. Cricbuzz signs Virender Sehwag as its expert for ICC World T20.

 

AWARDS:

3. Asif Kapadia wins best documentary Oscar for ‘Amy’.

DAILY GK UPDATES 28TH FEBRUARY 2016

DAILY GK UPDATES 28TH FEBRUARY 2016

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kerala Tourism’s Muziris Heritage Project inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee: He inaugurated the Kerala Tourism’s Muziris Heritage Project (MHP) at Trissur in Kerala. The project is India’s largest heritage conservation project and Kerala Government’s first green project.

 

2. Naveen Patnaik has been elected as BJD President for the 7th Consecutive term.

 

3. President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee to be the chief guest at the 40th anniversary celebrations of Indian Civil Accounts Service on March 1, 2016.

 

4. ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Programme to be launched: It will be launched to link states and districts in an annual programme that connects people through exchanges in areas of language, trade, culture, travel and tourism.

 

5. National Science Day observed on 28th February 2016 with theme ‘Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation’.

 

6. 100 crore each allocated for celebrating Birth Centenary of Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay and 350thBirth Anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.

 

7. President Pranab Mukherjee declared Kerala as first digital state on 27th February 2016.

 

8. Former CAG Vinod Rai appointed chairman of newly constituted Banks Board Bureau (BBB).

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Italy approved Gay Civil Union’s Bill: The text maintains provisions including the right to a residence permit for foreign partners and to take a same-sex partner’s name. However, it removed the provision that would have allowed gay adoption and other clauses.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Stan Wawrinka beats Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus to win Dubai Tennis Championships title.

 

 

AWARDS:

2. Resul Pookutty became first Asian to win Golden Reel Award for Best Sound for documentary India’s Daughter at the 63rd Golden Reel Award.

 

OBITUARIES:

3. B K Garudachar, India’s oldest first-class cricketer died at the age of 99 in Bangalore.

 

4. Former Maharashtra Minister Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammed Usman died at the age of 90.

 

5. Famous Tamil comedy actor Kumarimuthu died at the age of 77 in Chennai.