DAILY GK UPDATES 11TH DECEMBER 2016

DAILY GK UPDATES 11TH DECEMBER 2016

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-UK Conference on Ease of Doing Business concluded: The India-UK Conference on Ease of Doing Business concluded in New Delhi on 10 December 2016.This conference on Ease of Doing Business would act as an opportunity to enhance the strategic bilateral partnership between the two nations to the next level.

2. 28th Edition of SIMCON 2016, chaired by I&BMinister, M. Venkaiah Naidu: The 28th State Information Ministers Conference (SIMCON), 2016, was organised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting from December 9 to December 10, 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

 

3. Rajendar Kumar Appointed New CBDT Member: Senior Indian Revenue Service officer Rajendra Kumar has been appointed as the new Member of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the policy making body for the Income Tax Department.The orders for appointment of Kumar, a 1980-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, was issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

4. Committee headed by Ratan P. Watal submitted its report to Finance Minster to boost Digital Payment: The committee formed by Finance Ministry to boost Digital Payment system in India that was headed by Shri. Ratan P. Watal submitted its report to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 09 December 2016.

 

5. Rajasthan High Court Struck SBCs 5% quota: The Rajasthan High Court on December 9, 2016, cancelled the Rajasthan Special Backward Classes (SBC) reservation Act 2015 that allowed for 5% quota to Gujjars and five other communities of the state. A division bench of justices M N Bhandari and J K Rankastruck down the notification of October 2015 saying that it was in violation with the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Viola Desmond first Canadian woman on banknote: A black civil rights leader who led a struggle against anti-black segregation and racism in Canada in the 1940s will be the first Canadian woman to figure on a banknote. 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Civil Engineer Iqbal Sayed becomes first Indian to medal at Mr Olympia: Mumbai's Iqbal Sayed, who works as a civil engineer with Reliance Infrastructure and Mumbai Metro, became the first Indian to win a medal at the Mr Olympia event, after securing a silver medal in the event. 

 

2. Virat Kohli Becomes First Indian Captain To Score Three Double Centuries: Virat Kohli became the first Indian to score three double hundreds in a year, playing against England on 11th December 2016.

DAILY GK UPDATES 10TH DECEMBER2016

DAILY GK UPDATES 10TH DECEMBER2016

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Human Rights Day: 10 December: Human Rights Day was established in 1948, and ever since that auspicious day it has stood as the first major stride forward in ensuring that the rights of every human across the globe are protected. 

 

2. India, Vietnam ink nuclear cooperation pact, three other agreements: India and Vietnam have signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is asserting that it will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

 

3. Kerala launches mobile apps to fight corruption: The Kerala government has launched two mobile applications which can be used to upload information regarding graft.

 

4. Onir’s documentary on Down syndrome wins international award: Indian filmmaker Onir'sdocumentary, 'Raising the Bar' has won the 'Award of Recognition' at the 'Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards'. 

5. 21st International Film Festival of Kerala begins: The 21st International Film Festival of Kerala began in Thiruvananthapuram on 09 December 2016.It opened with Navid Mahmoudi's directorial debut 'Raftan,' which narrates the story of a couple attempting to migrate from Iran to Europe. 

6. Channel DigiShala Launched to Educate Rural India about Cashless Transaction: Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Ravi Shankar Prasad, launched a TV channel named ‘DigiShala’ on December 9, 2016 to promote cashless transaction in rural areas. 

 

7. L&T bags contract to convert Sardar Patel Stadium to world’s biggest cricket stadium: Larsen & Turbo (L&T) has bagged a contract from the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) to make Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium of Gujarat the world’s biggest cricket stadium in terms of seating capacity.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent to step down:Muhtar Kent has announced that he will step down as the CEO of Coca-Cola in May 2017 and will be succeeded by company President and COO James Quincey. 

 

2. Japan launches Kounotori 6 cargo spaceship to ISS: Japan has successfully launched a rocket carrying the unmanned cargo spaceship Kounotori 6 to deliver supplies for astronauts living in the International Space Station (ISS).

DAILY GK UPDATES 9TH DECEMBER2016

DAILY GK UPDATES 9TH DECEMBER2016

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Haritha Keralam Mission launched by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan: Kerala chief minister PinarayiVijayan has launched Haritha Keralam Mission in Thiruvananthapuram on December 8. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched a website of National Rail Plan, 2030 (NRP-2030) on December 8, 2016 Rail Bhawan, New Delhi, to develop the Indian Railways in terms of service in travelling and freight across the country. 

 

2. India to set up center of excellence at Al-AzharUniversity, Egypt: In order to enhance cooperation in education sector between India and Egypt, Center has decided to set up a center of Excellence in Information Technology at the Al-Azhar University which is the oldest and most prestigious the University of Egypt.

3. Vistaar appoints ex-Sebi chief C B Bhave as non-executive Chairman: Vistaar Financial Services, an MSME-focused financing firm, today said it has appointed former Sebi chief C B Bhave as non-executive Chairman and Independent Director.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nana Akufo-Addo wins Ghana presidential election: Ghana's main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo has won the country's presidential election with an absolute majority.

 

2. Harry Potter tops Amazon's best-selling books of 2016: Amazon, which started as an online book retailer, has announced Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as the best-selling book of 2016.

 

3. US designate India as Major Defence Partner:India and the United States vowed to expand the bilateral defence cooperation. Outgoing American defence secretary Ashton Carter met his counterpart Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi for the record-breaking seventh time. 

4: Pakistan Lifts Undeclared Ban on Import of Ginned Cotton from India: Earlier from November 23, The Department of Plant Protection (DPP) of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research had banned the cotton imports from India through Wagahand Karachi port as the shipments did not fulfil phyto- sanitary conditions.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:​

1. IDFC Bank appoints Veena Mankar as Non-Executive Chairperson: The board of directors of IDFC Bank has approved the appointment of VeenaMankar as Non-Executive Chairperson, with effect from December 9, 2016, up to July 26, 2018. 

2. Two Banks of Abu Dhabi to merge as the Biggest Bank in Gulf Nation: Stockholders of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank on December 7, 2016, approved to merge into the biggest bank of all Gulf Countries with an asset of $ 178 billion.

 

SPORTS:

3. PR Sreejesh Appointed as Goalkeeping Mentor of Indian Junior Hockey Team: Captain of the senior National Men’s Hockey Team and one of the finest hockey goal-PR Sreejeshkeeper in the world, PR Sreejesh has been roped in as the Goalkeeping Mentor of the India Under-21 Hockey Team from December 8, 2016.

 

4. 18-year-old Mumbaikar Jehan Daruvala signs for Formula 3: Young Indian racer Jehan Daruvala has been signed by Formula 3's top team Carlin for the 2017 FIA F3 European Championship. 

 

 

OBITUARIES:

5. Former NASA astronaut and Democratic US Senator from Ohio, John Glenn, has passed away at the age of 95.

DAILY GK UPDATES 5TH DECEMBER 2016

DAILY GK UPDATES 5TH DECEMBER 2016

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Website to educate women on their legal rights launched: Tasmania-based Women's Legal Service in collaboration with TRS Law Offices (India) has launched a website (www.Girlsgottaknow.In) for women in the country to educate them about their legal rights.

 

2. MSS limit raised to Rs 6 lakh crore to manage liquidity: In order to mop up extra liquidity from the system in view of demonetisation, government and the Reserve Bank on 03rd December sharply raised the Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS) ceiling to Rs 6 lakh crore from Rs 30,000 crore.

 

3. Flipkart’s Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal named Asians of the Year: Flipkart founders Sachin Bansaland Binny Bansal have been jointly named "Asian of the Year 2016" by Singapore-based newspaper The Straits Times. The "Asian of the Year 2016" award recognises entrepreneurs operating at the frontiers of technology's interface with business.

 

4. KPMG and Microsoft partner to help grow India’s digital transformation: KPMG in India and Microsoft India have established a strategic IoTAdvisory partnership. This will enable them to combine their advanced technologies, industry insights, and creative thinking to accelerate the digital transformation of large and mid-market Indian enterprises.

 

5. Airtel appoints Sunil Taldar as CEO, Director of Digital TV arm: Telecom operator Bharti Airtelannounced top level changes by appointing Sunil Taldar as CEO & Director of its DTH arm AirtelDigital TV and moving incumbent Shashi Arora as MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank.

 

 

6. Amazon launched global startup program ‘Launchpad’ in India: E-commerce major Amazon has launched its global startup program 'Launchpad' in India, an online portal featuring over 400 products from different startups including 25 Indian startups. The program will also help Indian startups to sell their products overseas. First started in 2015, Amazon Launchpad is now available in seven regions.

 

7. India’s internet population to touch 600 million by 2020: Study: Driven by increased 4G and 3G penetration, India's internet population is likely to increase from current 343 million users to 600 million by 2020, according to a study by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) and Deloitte. India is the world's second largest mobile phone market with over a billion mobile phone connections. Among these, 240 million mobile connections belong to smartphones.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Volunteer Day: 5 December: The International Volunteer Day (IVD) is observed across the world on 5 December every year. This year theme is “Global Applause – give volunteers a hand". This year's theme recognises the volunteers worldwide and their efforts in making peace and sustainable development a reality.

 

2. World Soil Day: 5 December: The World Soil Day 2016 is observed on 5 December annually. The theme for this year is “Soils and pulses, a symbiosis for life”. The theme for the 2016 WSD focuses on the positive contributions of pulses to soil properties, such as fixing the atmosphere nitrogen and improving its biodiversity, fertility and structure.

 

3. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn becomes Thailand’s new king: Thailand named its crown prince Maha Vajiralongkorn as its new king on 1 December 2016, 50 days after the passing of King BhumibolAdulyadei.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Praful Patel appointed as All India Football Federation President.

 

2. Mukesh Kumar makes history in Golf Asia Tour: Indian Golfer Mukesh Kumar became the oldest golfer to win an Asian Tour title on December 4, 2016 at Delhi Golf Club (DGC) after winning the Panasonic Open India.

 

AWARDS:

3. Star Screen Awards 2016: The 23rd edition of the annual film awards show, Star Screen Awards, was held at Mumbai on 4th December 2016. The main attraction of the awards show was Salman Khan and Shah RukhKhan hosting the event. Shoojit Sircar's critically-acclaimed Pink bagged as many as four awards, including for the Best Film, at the 23rd Star Screen Awards 2016.

OBITUARIES:

4. Former International hockey umpire PhulelSingh Sujlana passed away: The jovial Sujlana, who was also secretary of the Mumbai Hockey Association Limited (MHAL) for four years from 2000-2004 after being its vice president from 1997, donned quite a few hats in hockey, officiating first at the international level as an umpire at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok.