Daily GK Update : 26th March 2016

1. Govt To Create 2.5Lakh Dalit Entrepreneurs Under Stand Up India

i. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the  Stand up India Start up India initiative in New Delhi in January. 

ii. The launch by the prime minister was done at the virtual exhibition and interaction with Startup entrepreneurs.

iii. At the inauguration of the 5th National Industrial & Trade Fair organised by Dalit Indian Chamber Commerce & Industry (DICCI) , Union Minister for MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) Kalraj Mishra has announced that, Under Stand-up India initiative, each of the 1.25 lakh bank branches would be encouraged to fund a SC/ST and woman entrepreneurs to create 2.5 lakh new entrepreneurs in the country.

iv. According to Mishra’s observation the availability of adequate credit was always been a major issue and his ministry has taken several initiatives to address the challenges .

v. The dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry has been encouraging and facilitating Dalit enterprise as a means of empowerment and has also ensured that the community contributes in the economy, and be the job givers, not job seekers.

2. ISRO Has Established GIRI Radar System In Andhra Pradesh

i. The Gadanki Ionospheric Radar Interferometer (GIRI) has been set up at the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL) near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh by The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 

ii. NARL is an autonomous research institute of the Department of Space.

iii. Gadanki Ionospheric Radar Interferometer System is a 30 MHz radar system that will be engaged in meteor and space weather research in a comprehensive way. 

iv. It consists of a rectangular antenna array of 160 two-element Yagi-antenna, arranged in a 20x8 matrix, 20 transmitter units, 6 digital receivers including data processing systems, a radar controller, and a host computer.

v. The main aim of GIRI is to carry out unattended observations towards studying the forcing from the sun like variation in solar flux, solar flare and magnetic storm on the ionospheric irregularities. 

3. Fourth unit of NTPC-Bihar govt owned 195-Mw plant synchronised

i. The 4th unit of 195-Mw Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station (MTPS) has been successfully synchronised with the national grid.

ii. The plant is owned by Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Ltd, a joint venture between NTPC and Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd, in which the two companies have 64.57% and 35.43% shares. 

iii. First unit of 110 Mw at MTPS started generation in November, 2013, while the second unit of 110 Mw started generation in November, 2014, after successful renovation and modernisation work carried out by BHEL. Both the units, each of 110 Mw, had stopped generation in 2003.

iv. The plant, which is being constructed at the existing site of an old power plant, would draw water from the river Burhi Gandak. 

v. It would get coal supply from a coal block of Central Coalfield Ltd located in Jharkhand.

4. Mizoram, JICA Sign Pact for Promoting Sustainable Agriculture

i. The Mizoram government and Japanese International Cooperative Agency (JICA) signed an agreement on Capacity Enhancement for Sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation Development.

ii. The Memorandum of Understanding(MoUs) was signed by top officials of Agriculture, Minor Irrigation, Horticulture and Soil and Water Conservation departments in the presence of state chief secretary Lalmalsawma. 

iii. The Mizoram government and Japanese International Cooperative Agency (JICA) signed an agreement on Capacity Enhancement for Sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation Development.

iv. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by top officials of Agriculture, Minor Irrigation, Horticulture and Soil and Water Conservation departments in the presence of state chief secretary Lalmalsawma.

5. BHEL commissioned 600 MW Jaipur Thermal Power Plant in Telangana

i. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), a Maharatna central public sector enterprise, has successfully commissioned a 600 Mw coal-based thermal power plantin Telangana. 

ii. The company has built 600 Mw rating sets which comprise of a four cylinder turbine, designed in-house. With the commissioning of the unit, Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) has successfully diversified into the power generation business.

iii. The heavy engineering major had earlier commissioned a 600 Mw thermal power plant at Kakatiya in the state in last December.

iv. The company commissioned 85 per cent of the coal-based power stations in Telangana amounting to 5,180 Mw.

v. The state government has recently placed orders with the company for executing around 6,000 Mw of thermal power projects in the state on engineering procurement construction basis.

6. Andhra govt set to inaugurate country's first lift irrigation project

i. Andhra government which is known for its innovations and use of technologies in various sectors has also become the first Indian state to implement lift irrigation. 

ii. Andhra Pradesh government is all set to inaugurate Pattiseema lift irrigation project, described as the first river linking project in country, connecting Godavari with Krishna in this lower riparian state, as it has been completed in a record time of one year.

iii. The first pump of this Rs 1,300-crore project was installed and switched on in September, 2015, about six months after the project contract was awarded to Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) on condition to complete the entire project in one year.

iv. The project was designed to lift 80 tmc (trillion metric cubic feet) of flood water in a span of 110 days during the flooding season between July and October from Godavari as was permitted by the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT) from the ongoing Polavaram Multi-purpose Irrigation Project.

7. Iran signs oil contract with France's Total

i. Iran signed a confidential oil agreement with France's Total to develope the South Azadegan oil field shared by Iran and Iraq, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh said.

ii. Iran reached an agreement with the Japanese Inpex a decade ago to develop the oil field, however, the Japanese company quit the project as a result of US sanctions against Iran's energy sector because of the disputed nuclear issue. 

iii. Iran and the world powers clinched a nuclear deal in July last year which enables the country to re-engage with the world's energy giants to develop its oil and gas fields.

8. Pakistan and Iran agree to boost cooperation on security, trade

i. Iran and Pakistan have mutually agreed to boost bilateral cooperation on regional security and trade. 

ii. Decision in this regard was taken by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during intensive talks in Islamabad. 

iii. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is on official state visit to Pakistan and is the first visit by an Iranian head of state in 14 years. 

iv. Both the countries have agreed to fight extremist and terrorist groups in their countries’ shared border. They also announced the opening of two new crossing points to encourage trade long hampered by sanctions. 

v. The opening will contribute to economic integration in the region and also promote tourism and people to people contacts. 

9. Garry Shandling The Comedian And Actor Has Passed Away

i. Garry Shandling, the famous comedian who was best known for his faux docudrama and the show " it's Garry Shandling's " has passed away due to an apparent heart attack. He was 66 year old. 

ii. Mr. Shandling became a hero to a generation of comedians for his self aware comedy and groundbreaking shows. 

iii. He performed standup comedy and became a regular guest host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

iv. Shandling was born in Chicago and grew up in Arizona. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, beginning as an advertising copywriter before getting a job writing for the sitcom Sanford and Son.

v. It’s Garry Shandling’s Show first graced American TV sets in 1986 with the eponymous protagonist portraying a high-strung comedian whose love life was on the rocks. The Larry Sanders Show debuted in 1992, earning the comedian cult status and numerous awards. 

10. Actor Peter Brown passes away

i. Peter Brown, who had starring roles in two television westerns in the 1950s and ’60s and later acted in soap operas, has died at the age of 80 due to Parkinson’s disease.

ii. Mr. Brown played Deputy Johnny McKay on “Lawman,” which was seen on ABC from 1958 until 1962. His character was the wide-eyed but tough sidekick of Marshal Dan Troop, played by John Russell, tasked with bringing order to Laramie, Wyo.

iii. He was born Pierre Lind de Lappe in New York City on Oct. 5, 1935, and his name was changed when his mother remarried. He moved with his family to the West Coast when he was young. 

iv. Mr. Brown’s last acting credit came in 2005 when he returned to the western genre in the movie “Hell to Pay,” but his family said he continued to make appearances at collectors’ shows and western festivals.

Daily GK Update : 25th March 2016

1. Pranab Mukherjee greets Greece on Independence Day

i. President Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the government and people of Greece on the eve of their Independence Day. 

ii. In a message to President Prokopis Pavlopoulos he said, "On behalf of the government, the people of India and on my own behalf, it is with great pleasure that I extend warm greetings and felicitations to Your Excellency and to the people of the Hellenic Republic (Greece) on the occasion of your Independence Day. 

iii. India and the Hellenic Republic enjoy excellent relations based on our common commitment to shared values and our cultural ties that go back into antiquity," Mukherjee said.

iv. Both India and Greece seek to consolidate and strengthen their cooperation and take it to a higher level. 

v. He added "I would also like to take this opportunity to convey my best wishes for Your Excellency's well-being and for the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the Hellenic Republic".

2. Arvind Kejriwal named among world’s 50 greatest leaders by Fortune

i. Arvind Kejriwal has been named among the world’s 50 greatest leaders by Fortune magazine with the Delhi Chief Minister being the sole Indian leader on the list topped by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

ii. Fortune’s third annual ‘World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’ list features men and women from across the globe from the fields of business, government, philanthropy and the arts who are “transforming the world and inspiring others to do the same.”

iii. 47-year-old Aam Aadmi Party chief is ranked 42nd on the list and is the sole leader from India.However, South Carolina’s Indian-American Governor Nikki Haley is also on the list at 17th while another Indian- American Resham Saujani is at the 20th spot.

iv. Fortune credits Kejriwal for his efforts to curb pollution in New Delhi through the scheme of allowing vehicles of odd and even numbers on alternate days on the city’s roads.

v. The list includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2), Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at (3), US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko (22), IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde (36), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-chair and CEO Melinda Gates and Susan Desmond-Hellmann (41), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (48) and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay (50).

3. Asia most exposed to disasters, Africa most vulnerable: Study

i. Countries and mega-cities across Asia are highly exposed to natural hazards ranging from cyclones to earthquakes, but people in sub-Saharan Africa are more vulnerable, according to a report.

ii. Nearly 1.4 billion people in South Asia — India, Bangladesh, Pakistan — face at least one major threat from nature, especially flooding, severe storms boosted by rising seas, and quakes.

iii.In the case of Bangladesh, 100% of its population is exposed, compared to 82% for India and 70% in Pakistan.

iv. China, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines are also among the nations with the largest numbers of people in harm’s way.

v. The United States, Mexico and Brazil round out the top ten.

4. Jaitley visiting Australia soon to woo investments

i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will fly to Australia on March 28 on a four-day visit to attract foreign investments in the infrastructure sector.

ii. The objectives of the finance minister's visit to Australia is to attract foreign investment in India, especially in the infrastructure sector among others.

iii. He will arrive in Sydney on March 29 and will address an interactive session of S.P. Jain School of Global Management followed by a meeting with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and unveiling of the state-run Union Bank of India's Sydney branch.

iv. On March 30, the finance minister will deliver the keynote address at 'Make in India' conference in Sydney, meet prominent chief executives of Australia, hold a bilateral meeting with Australian lawmaker and treasurer Scot Morrison and interact with the Indian community.

v. Jaitley will also have one-to-one meeting with chief executives of various Australian firms and visit the University of Melbourne to meet its vice chancellor Daniel Andrews.

5. Himachal, Mumbai to have electric buses

i. Department of heavy industry has granted in-principle approval to Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to introduce zero-emission retrofitted electric buses.

ii. It is a flagship scheme under FAME India (faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid & electric vehicles in India). 

iii. HRTC and MMRDA will roll out 25 electric buses each. Under FAME India, the department will fund up to 75 per cent cost of the buses.

iv. Himachal Pradesh would be the first state in India to introduce zero-emission electric buses. 

v. The chief minister also announced exemption from token tax, registration charges and value-added tax on all electric vehicles for five years to promote eco-friendly transport services in the state.

6. Tech Mahindra expands presence in France

i. The information technology services entity of Tech Mahindra has announced the launch of a development centre in Toulouse, France, to work on projects for existing partners and customers in the aerospace industry.

ii. There are significant investments planned in terms of people, infrastructure, recruitment and training, as a part of Tech Mahindra’s commitment to strengthening its presence in France.

iii. The company delighted to announce the inauguration of the new, expanded Delivery Centre in Toulouse, which marks a significant milestone for our organization. 

iv. The investment not only demonstrates our continued commitment to the region but also ensures that we are well positioned to fully support our partner's core activities with world class Engineering and IT services."

v. Tech Mahindra's local operation will have strategic importance by providing on-the-ground services to support this growing collaboration, increasing the size of the local team, and expanding recruitment in Toulouse and Midi Pyrenees' region.

7. Microsoft shuts Artificial Intelligence Robot – Tay

i. Microsoft, which launched artificial intelligence (AI)-powered bot on Twitter for a playful chat with people, only to silence it within 24 hours as users started sharing racist and offensive comments with the bot.

ii. Launched on Twitter as an experiment in “conversational understanding” and to engage people through “casual and playful conversation”, Tay was soon bombarded with racial comments and the innocent bot repeated those comments back with her commentary to users.

iii. Tay — an AI project built by the Microsoft Technology and Research and Bing teams — was coded with information which can tell users jokes or offer up a comment on a picture you send her.

iv. The bot is also designed to personalise her interactions with users. Microsoft has since deleted some of the most damaging tweets from nearly the 96,000 that Tay tweeted.

v. However, a website called Socialhax.com made screenshots of several of Tay’s comments before they were removed. Tay was seen referring to feminism as a “cult” and a “cancer”, as well as noting “gender equality feminism” and “i love feminism now.”

8. ITC acquires Technico Agri Sciences for Rs 121 crore

i. FMCG ITC Ltd said that it has completed the full acquisition of Technico Agri Sciences Ltd (TASL).

ii. The company owned by its direct subsidiary, Technico Pty Limited (TPL), Australia for a cash value of Rs 121 crore.

iii. As per a BSE filing by ITC The acquisition it is expected to “improve business and operational synergies”.

iv. The acquired company which is into production and sales of a registered category and field generated seed potatoes has been revenue positive for the past three fiscal years. 

v. In 2012-13, TASL's turnover stood at Rs 64.89 crore which climbed to Rs 73.94 crore in 2013-14 and further rocketed to Rs 105.54 crore in 2014-15. The value of the acquisition is the same as TASL's net worth.

9. RuPay to launch credit cards in Sept

i. RuPay the domestic card payment service provider will be venturing into the credit card space this September after increasing its market share to 38 per cent in the debit card segment.

ii. The NPCI plans to issue 100,000 such cards in the first year of its launch. 

iii. It will initially focus on two variants of a credit card — Regular and Platinum — and gradually extend its portfolio to offer co-branded cards.

iv. RuPay is a brand owned and developed by NPCI (from 2012) to compete against global payment schemes of the likes of Visa and MasterCard. NPCI was promoted by 10 Indian banks. 

v. From 2017, the target is to issue 500,000 to a million such credit cards every year. The market size of credit cards is presently 22.75 million users and the average value of spending a year is about Rs 2.5 lakh crore.

10. Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ties Up With NBHC For Collateral Management & Warehousing

i. Private sector Bank Lakshmi Vilas has tied up with National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC) for collateral management and warehousing services.

ii. The primary objective of these services will allow industry traders and farmers in financing their capital requirements at all stages of supply chain, ranging from pre-harvesting to the marketing and export stages.

iii. This would allow the bank to provide financial flexibility to farmers, minimizing the seasonal price fluctuations and distress sales during crop harvest season. 

iv. NBHC services to the needs of the members of the commodities future exchange for strong commodities and delivery through designated warehouses.

11. Hero Cycles Acquires 60% In Sri Lanka's BSH Ventures

i. Hero Cycles, the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer by volume has acquired 60 % stake in one of Sri Lanka's leading bicycle manufactures BSH Ventures. 

ii. It is third major acquisition within six months. 

iii. The acquisition comes to strength its global presence and to spruce up its manufacturing proficiency to feed a rapidly rising global demand.

iv. This comes within months of the company’s significant acquisitions in UK-based Avocet Sports and Firefox Bikes. But Hero Cycles has not disclosed its investments in the deals involved. 

v. presently Hero Cycles has been aggressively driving growth by clocking a robust 11% growth in the Indian market. It will further invest in ramping up the plant capacity in Sri Lanka to half a million units per year with clear plans laid out to fuel the domestic as well as ever-growing global demand. 

12. Paytm hires Alibaba’s former executive as President

i. Paytm, India’s mobile payment and commerce platform has appointed ex-head of Alibaba Group Holding’s wholesale business, Bhushan Patil as the company’s new President.

ii. Bhushan Patil joins Paytm as President after serving 5.5 years at the Chinese company, where he was handling operations of Alibaba.com. 

iii. He will now focus on building Paytm’s cross border commerce.

iv. At the largest B2B marketplace, Bhushan was instrumental at leading new initiatives for Global Markets business development across SME linked associations, Banks and Government trade organizations, local trade services and e-companies.

v. Paytm’s Indian business is growing increasingly as it is aiming to sell USD two billion worth of products in 2016 with a growth of five lakh from 1.7 lakh currently.

Daily GK Update : 24th March 2016

1. World Tuberculosis Day: 24 march

i. World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year. This time the Theme is "Unite to End TB".

ii. It is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly one-and-a-half million people each year, mostly in developing countries.

iii. It commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. 

iv. At the time of Koch's announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. 

v. Koch's discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB.

2. Union Cabinet Has Approved Rs. 9000 Crore for Swachh Bharat Mission

i. The government of India has approved a $1.5 billion (approximate Rs 9,000 crore) to support Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in rural areas. 

ii. This offer has been made by The World Bank. The approval also provides for a mechanism of incentivisation through World Bank credit. States’ performance will also be gauged through performance indicators.

iii. Apart from the above The GOI has also approved a revised cost of Rs 4,021 crore for the 720 Mw Mangadechhu Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan. 

iv. The project will provide surplus power to India. For this project the bilateral agreement was signed in April 2010 with an estimation Rs 2,896 crore. 

v. In this project the GOI is funding 30% and 70% has been taken as loan on which 10% annual interest to be paid back in 30 equal six month instalements.

3. AROGYA Fair To Be Commence From March 26 In Goa

i. The 4 days National AROGYA fair is going to be started from 26 March in Goa. 

ii. The fair will be organised by AYUSH Ministry and Confederation of Indian Industry. 

iii. This year fair is being organised with the objective of promoting and popularising Indian Medicine Systems to the general public and update industry of the latest developments in the sector. 

iv. The fair will also promote and propagate the Indian Medicine systems namely Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homeopathy. 

v. The 4 days fair are expected to cover free medical check-ups, distribution of medicines and technical sessions. The ministry is expecting approximate 15,000 to 20,000 people to attend the event.

4. Indian Coast Guard Vessel Arnvesh Commissioned

i. The Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV), ICGS Arnvesh, of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was commissioned in Visakhapatnam. 

ii. The vessel was commissioned by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Vice-Admiral HCS Bisht.

iii. The ship is primarily intended to undertake surveillance at sea, coastal patrol, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy operations.

iv. Arnvesh is equipped with the most-advanced navigational and communication sensors and equipment, including night vision capabilities, and is fitted with 40/60 Bofors gun onboard as main armament.

v. Arnvesh is the 16th vessel among the 20 vessels in this category being constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited. The ship is built by the Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

5. Bajaj Finance enters life care financing segment

i. Shares of Bajaj Finance went up by nearly 4 per cent today as the company is entering the Rs 20,000-crore life care segment.

ii. Bajaj Finance is entering the Rs 20,000-crore life care segment.

iii. Under this segment it will finance expenses for stem cells storage units, cosmetics-based hair treatment, dental and eye care, IVF & maternity care, laproscopic cure for a dozen ailments, and elective medical/paramedical care for many other issues.

iv. The Pune-based company, which claims to be the first to enter this segment in the country, expects to net around Rs 1,000 crore in sales over the next five years from this business hoping to an encore of the massive demand for such segmental funding in the Western markets where life care segment is a booming business.

6. Justice Permod Kohli Appointed As Chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal

i. Retired Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court Justice Permod Kohli has been appointed as the Chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal(CAT). 

ii. His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

iii. Justice Kohli will have tenure of five years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post or till attaining the age of 68 years, whichever is earlier.

iv. Mr. Kohli born in 1951 in the town of Rajouri, Jammu and Kasmir. He joined Bar at Jammu in 1972. Mr. Kohli became Advocate General of Jammu & Kashmir in December 1990. He is an expert in Constitutional, Civil and Taxation cases. He remained Legal Advisor to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Sri Mata Vaishno Devi University till elevation. 

v. He as Judge has provided services to the High Courts of Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Punjab & Haryana. Prior to this appointment in 2011 Mr. Kohli was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.

7. South Indian Bank gets ISO 9001:2008 certification

i. The South Indian Bank has announced that its personnel department has achieved the ISO 9001:2008 certification. 

ii. It is a very remarkable achievement for the bank as only very few personnel departments have won this certification in the industry. 

iii. The announcement has been made by the MD & CEO of South Indian Bank Mr. V G Mathew. 

iv. The ISO certification signifies a global benchmark in customer satisfaction, reduction in defect levels and product quality. 

v. The standard recognizes all the services required by the customer, it can be product services, hardare or software etc.

8. Nepal becomes Shanghai dialogue partner

i. After a long wait, Nepal has officially become a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation with the signing of a memorandum.

ii. Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and SCO Secretary-General Rashid K Alimov inked the memorandum amid a special ceremony held at the SCO Secretariat in Beijing.

iii. The programme was witnessed by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and other senior ministers, who are on an official visit to China. iv. Nepal had applied for dialogue partner of the SCO in 2007 and in 2015. 

v. The 15th SCO Summit held in July last year in Ufa, Russia, decided to grant Nepal the dialogue partner status.

9. India and France sign MoU for construction of six nuclear reactors at Jaitapur

i. India and France have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for construction of six nuclear reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, two months after the two countries decided to conclude the techno-commercial negotiations for the project by the year end.

ii. The pact was inked at the end of the two-day visit of a high-level delegation of Electricite de France (EDF) — French public utility to Mumbai for holding discussions with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) on the construction of the plants.

iii. French Ambassador to India Francois Richier, who was present on the occasion, reiterated his country’s commitment to working seamlessly with India through a collaborative approach to enable both sides to contribute collectively to the development of nuclear energy in India in the most economical manner.

iv. The Jaitapur nuclear power project is proposing a nuclear power plant of 9900 MW.

v. It consists of 6 European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) of 1650 MW each.

10. Kadhaprasangam Maestro And Actor VD Rajappan Passed Away 

i. Kadhaprasangam maestro and actor VD Rajappan has passed away at a private hospital in Kottayam. He was 70. 

ii. He was Kerala's popular 'Kadhaprasangam' (story telling) artiste and Malayalam film actor mainly known for his comic roles. 

iii. Rajappan had acted in more than 50 Malayalam movies. 

iv. He was the centre of attraction at festival grounds in Kerala at the peak of his career in 1970s and 80s. 

v. He acted in many movies including 'Kakka', 'Kusruthikkattu', 'Kattupothu', 'Kuyilinethedi' and 'Engane Nee Marakkum.' His last movie was 'Ok Chacko Cochin Mumbai'. He went on to have a successful tint as a comedian in cinema and was very popular among the masses.

11. Football legend Johan Cryuff passes away

i. Johan Cruyff aka Flying Dutchman, the legendary Dutch football striker and coach has died of lung cancer at the age of 68. 

ii. As a player, Cruyff was the embodiment of Dutch “total football”, a fluid style of play focused on ball possession and rapid passing, and involving all members of the team in both attack and defence.

iii. He emerged as one of the world’s greats in the early 1970s when he helped Ajax Amsterdam win three European Cups in a row from 1971-73.

iv. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1971, 1973 and 1974.Johan Cryuff. He joined Barcelona for a then-world record transfer fee of $2.0 million.

v. He was also a key player in the great Netherlands team that reached the 1974 World Cup final. Cruyff had been a heavy smoker, and had had heart surgery in 1991. His death comes less than six months after he announced that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

12. Australia’s Shane Watson To Retire From Internationals After World Twenty20

i. Veteran Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has announced today that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing World Twenty20 tournament in India. He is 34 year old. 

ii. He shared his decision to call it quits with teammates in Mohali, where Australia take on Pakistan in a World T20 group match on Friday," Cricket Australia said. Mr. 

iii. Watson had retired from Test cricket at the end of last year's Ashes tour of England.  

iv. Mr. Shane Watson made his debut in year 2002 as an opening batsman and a reliable pacer. 

v. He also took 168 ODI wickets and holds the Australian record for the highest ODI score, an unbeaten 185 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2011. 

Daily GK Update : 23rd March 2016

1. India and Bangladesh PMs launch two bilateral projects

i. Primer Ministers of India and Bangladesh commissioned international gateway of internet service in Agartala and supply of 100 MW power to Bangladesh from Tripura. 

ii. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar also graced the cross border occasion connected through video conference.

iii. Both Prime Ministers were accompanied by their external affairs ministers, power and telecommunication ministers in their PMOs  when two bilateral projects launched.

iv. Agartala has become third station connected to submarine cable for internet bandwidth after Chennai and Mumbai while the state also landed in international power map by starting supply of electricity from Suryamaninagar grid to the grid in Commilla of southeast Bangladesh.

v. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in their speeches termed the commissioning of 10 GBPS bandwidth import and 100 MW electricity from south Tripura’s 726 MW Palatana gas based project a historic one and a day to celebrate friendly relations between two neighbors.

2. India to host 8th BRICS Summit in October in Goa

i. India will host the eighth annual Summit of BRICS from October 15-16 in Goa in its capacity as chair of the influential bloc comprising five countries with 42 per cent of the world population and combined GDP of over $16 trillion.

ii. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made the announcement today during a function where she also unveiled a logo and a website of the Summit. 

iii. India assumed chairmanship of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India- China-South Africa) from Russia on February 15 and it will last till December 31. 

iv. As per the The External Affairs Minister of India's core-theme during BRICS chairmanship will be building responsive, inclusive and collective solutions for the grouping. 

v. The logo for the Summit is a lotus having colors from all the five member countries and a traditional 'namaste' in the center.

3. Core banking facility available at 25K post offices by April

i. The Department of Posts will offer core banking solutions (CBS) to its customers at 25,000 post offices by April, against 20,494 CBS-enabled branches.

ii. CBS-enabled post offices allow customers to access their postal savings from any of the branches where the facility is available.

Postal department’s digitization is integral to Digital India.

iii. The core banking linkage of post offices is bigger than that of State Bank of India, which has 16,333 CBS-enabled branches.

iv. Implementation of CBS is part of the government’s plan for IT Modernisation Project of the Department of Posts, which aims to bring in various IT solutions with the required IT infrastructure to the post offices.

v. In September 2015, the postal department received an in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India to set up a payments bank within 18 months.

4. 21 states to implement National Food Security Act by April 1

i. The National Food Security Act (NFSA) will be implemented in 10 more states from April 1 this year, taking the total number of states implementing NFSA to 21, Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan.

ii. only 11 states had implemented the National Food Security Act and that too they had not implemented totally. 

iii. The number of states has increased from 11 to 21, including Gujarat, which will implement it by April 1, 2016," Paswan told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting organised here with Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials of Gujarat

iv. As many as 3,83,44,000 beneficiaries have been identified in Gujarat to whom a total 21 lakh tonne food grains will be distributed annually under the programme.  

v. According to Paswan  Gujarat has prepared the allocation list before hand for a possible rise in the number of beneficiaries, as the current calculation of beneficiaries is based on the 2011 census. Gujarat has a storage capacity for 6.89 lakh food grains which will be sufficient to hold food for 3-4 months 

5. HL Dattu appointed to International Human Rights body

i. Justice HL Dattu, chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, India emerged as the unanimous choice to be appointed as a member of the International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs (ICC) Bureau in Geneva.

ii. Justice Dattu with his vast experience and legal expertise is expected to contribute richly to the approach of the ICC on the human rights issues being faced by the international community.

iii. His presence on the ICC Bureau will help in not only strengthening the ICC but also enhance the role of NHRIs in the United Nations mechanisms. 

iv. He will also be working towards the creation of new NHRIs in the countries, which have not set up such bodies.

6. India's Agasthyamala Listed Among 20 World Biosphere Reserves

i. India's "unique" Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats is among 20 new sites added by the UN's top cultural body UNESCO to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves. 

ii. The International Co-ordinating Council added the new sites during a two-day meeting on Saturday in Lima, capital of Peru, bringing the total number of biosphere reserves to 669 sites in 120 countries, including 16 transboundary sites. 

iii. The newly adopted sites include 18 national site and one transboundary site shared between Spain and Portugal. 

iv. The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR) was established in 2001 and is spread across the two states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 

v. Biosphere reserves are places for learning about sustainable development aiming to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with the sustainable use of natural resources. New reserves are designated each year by the International Co-ordinating Council of the UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, which brings together elected representatives of 34 UNESCO Member States. 

7. India's Defence Lab Develops Thermal imaging Radar To Look Through Walls

i. In what can prove to be a great aid for the Indian forces in dealing with hostage situations, India's premier government R&D body DRDO has developed a radar that can look through a wall.

ii. The Through Barrier Imaging Radar, named 'Divyachakshu' (divine eye), has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) based in Bangalore and is going through development trials now.

iii. It can look though walls of 20-30 cm thickness made of any material, by using thermal imaging.

iv. "The radar can produce images from the other side of the barrier up to a distance of 20 metres. 

v. It catches the thermal signatures and movements in a room can be clearly seen," a scientist working on the project told IANS on condition of anonymity.

8. Cabinet approves National Capital Goods Policy

i. The Union Cabinet has approved the national capital goods policy. 

ii. The government believes implementation of the capital goods policy is critical and needed to give a boost to the sector and the ‘Make in India‘ initiative.

iii. The government had unveiled the National Capital Goods Policy in February. This is the first time such a policy has been framed for the sector.

iv. The Cabinet has also green flagged the doubling of two rail lines in Bihar and Jharkhand and approved incentives for rural housing.

v. In particular, the policy will make sure the country utilizes the capital goods that already exist and cut down on imports, he says. To give a rough idea, the capacity utilization for the industry as a whole, he says, would be between 45 percent and 70 percent, adding, Thermax operated at a capacity level of 50 percent-60 percent.

9. Ashok Leyland To Partner With US Firm To Develop Defence Systems

i. Hinduja Group’s Ashok Leyland Defence Systems Ltd (ALDS) has tied up with US-based defence contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. to develop combat vehicles for the Indian Army.

ii. The base platforms of Lockheed combat vehicles will be used to develop light specialist and light armoured multipurpose vehicles for the Indian Army. 

iii. Ashok Leyland would serve as the prime contractor and provide “cost effective” manufacturing hub for global  requirements of the vehicles. As a licensed manufacturer of CVNG, the association with Lockheed Martin opens up a huge opportunity  towards exports of vehicle platform as a Made in India product.

10. Cabinet approves Udaan scheme till 2019-20

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for extension of time period of the “Special Industry Initiative for J&K” (SII J&K) Udaan scheme till 2019-20. 

ii. Initially, the time period of Udaan was up to 2015-16.

iii. Udaan provides exposure to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to the best of corporate India and corporate India to the rich talent pool available in the State. So far, 67 leading corporates have partnered with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under Udaan with a commitment to train youth from the state covering Organized Retail, Banking, Financial Services, IT, ITES, Infrastructure, Hospitality etc.

iv. More than 19,000 candidates have been selected, more than 15,000 have joined training, out of them, 8700 candidates have completed training and 6,838 have been offered jobs.

v. It is expected that the target of the scheme, to train and enhance employability of 40,000 graduates, post graduates and three year engineering diploma holders, will be achieved by 2019-20.

11. Akhilesh Ranjan committee submits recommendations on Taxation of e-commerce

i. A committee was constituted by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to examine the business models for e-commerce, identify the direct tax issues in relation to e-commerce transactions and provide suggestions.

ii. This committee was headed by Akhilesh Ranjan, Joint Secretary (CBDT) and it includes officers of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, representatives from the industry, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and tax experts. 

iii. According to this report, Equalization Levy may be imposed on payments to non-residents for specified services by a separate chapter in the Finance Act, 2016 Akhilesh Ranjan committee submits recommendations on Taxation of e-commerce.

iv. The rate of Equalization Levy may be between 6 to 8 percent of the gross sum received.

v. Any income arising from a transaction on which Equalization Levy has been paid should be exempted from income-tax, by necessary amendment in Section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961. The implementation and impact of Equalization Levy may be monitored on a regular basis.

12. Ali Mohamed Shein is a new President of Zanzibar

i. The electoral authority of Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, the ZEC, announced incumbent President Ali Mohamed Shein had won his re-election bid, after polls boycotted by the main opposition party.

ii. Shein from the ruling CCM party easily won after the main opposition party, the Civic United Front or CUF, boycotted the election, protesting the ZEC’s decision to nullify the results of last October’s general election in which the opposition apparently won both the presidency and the house of representatives.

iii. International observers, including the European Union and other international bodies, made clear their stand by condemning not only the election re-run, but also the nullification of the October election results.

iv. International observers also did not also go to Zanzibar to observe polls, except for African Union representatives. Since the multiparty system was re-introduced in the country in 1992, with the first multiparty general election in 1995, there has been no easy election for Zanzibar’s ruling CCM.

v. In some four consecutive presidential elections, Hamad claimed to be the winner, but was unrecognized as such by electoral authorities. In 2010, the election in Zanzibar went smoothly following constitutional amendments which led to a government of national unity between the ruling CCM and the main opposition CUF, with Hamad appointed first vice president to Shain.

13. Ex-Intel CEO Andy Grove dies

i. former Intel Corp. chief executive Andy Grove, the  whose youth under Nazi occupation and escape from the Iron Curtain inspired an “only the paranoid survive” management philosophy that saved the chip maker from financial ruin in the 1980s, died. He was 79.

ii. Grove was Intel's very first hire and played an instrumental role in taking the company from a scrappy startup to the most powerful chipmaker in the world. 

iii. His leadership at Intel spans over 30 years, being named the company's President in 1979 and CEO in 1987. 

iv. Andy Grove was one of the giants of the technology world. 

v. He loved our country and epitomized America at its best. 

14. I&B Minister gives away 5th National Photography Awards

i. I&B Minister Arun jaitley gives away 5th National Photography Awards. Addressing the event Union Minister Jaitley said our impression of personalities and historical events are based on visuals and a good photograph has an indefinite life.

ii. The Minister lauded the professional work of Shri Bhawan Singh who was given the Life Time Achievement Award for this year, recalling his excellence in capturing the visual journey of India from late 70s.

iii. The Life Time Achievement award was presented to Shri Bhawan Singh for his illustrious career and contributions to the field of Photography. Shri Bhawan Singh has worked in the Indian news industry for over five decades and is one of the senior photo journalist in the country. His career which started in a newspaper has been built mostly around magazines. He worked as Magazine Photo Editor with India Today magazine. He is a recipient of the World Press Photo Award.

iv. The total number of awards in the various categories were thirteen.

v. The various categories included Professional Photographer of the Year, Special Mention Award (Professional), Amateur Photographer of the Year, Special Mention Award (Amateur).

15. Gurmeet Singh becomes 1st Indian to win Asian 20km Race Walk Championships

i. Gurmeet Singh created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to clinch a gold medal in the Asian 20km Race Walk Championships as he won the men's event with his season's best effort.

ii. Gurmeet Singh created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to clinch a gold medal in the Asian 20km Race Walk Championships as he won the men's event with his season's best effort.

iii. Gurmeet clocked 1 hour 20 minutes and 29 seconds. He beat Japan's Isamu Fujisawa (1:20:49) in a close fight in the last 5km. Kazakhstan's Georgiy Sheiko won the bronze medal in 1:21:52.Gurmeet clocked 1 hour 20 minutes and 29 seconds. 

iv. He beat Japan's Isamu Fujisawa (1:20:49) in a close fight in the last 5km. Kazakhstan's Georgiy Sheiko won the bronze medal in 1:21:52.

v. By winning the Asian title Gurmeet has made a strong case for himself for selection in the Rio Olympic Games. Nine Indians have so far bettered the Games qualifying standard in men's 20km race walk and only three will make it to the final in Rio.