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Daily GK Updates - 14th Oct 2014

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 / No Comments

i. In Yemen, President Mansour Hadi has named country’s envoy to UN, Khaled Bahah as the next Prime Minister. He was among the three names proposed by the Houthi rebels to end the political standoff in the country.
ii. The rebel group has welcomed the move and said his appointment will help the country overcome the difficulties it is going through. He has earlier served as Yemen’s oil minister before being named as Yemen’s envoy to the United Nations.

2. PM announces interim assistance of Rs 1000 crore for AP

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for Andhra Pradesh to take up immediate relief work in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Cyclone 'Hudhud'.
ii. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the cyclone and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
Iii. The Prime Minister said the Meteorological Department had correctly forecast from October six itself the different aspects of the cyclone like its velocity, direction and time, leveraging the power of technology.

3. Global Hunger Index Report 2014 released: India Ranked at 55th Position

i. The 2014 Global Hunger Index (GHI) was released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.
ii. It revealed that two billion people were suffering from hidden hunger even though the levels of hunger in many developing countries decreased.
iii. The 2014 GHI was calculated for 120 developing countries and countries in transition, 55 of which have a serious or worse hunger situation.
iv. India improved its position in the Global Hunger Index in 2014 as it climbed to 55th position among 76 emerging economies from 63rd position in 2013. Though, it is still trailing behind countries like Thailand, China, Ghana, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

4. Ajay Jayaram won Dutch Open Grand Prix badminton tournament

i. Indian shuttler, Ajay Jayaram won the 50000 dollar Dutch Open Grand Prix badminton tournament on 12 October 2014.
ii. In the title clash played at the Topsportcentrum Almere in Netherlands, Jayaram defeated Indonesia’s Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 10-11, 11-6, 11-7, 1-11, 11-9.
iii. This was maiden GP title for Jayaram and with this win, he also became the first Indian to win badminton Grand Prix tournament under the new 11x5 scoring system.

5. Mary Kom voted as India's Most Valuable Player in Asian Games 2014

i. Olympic bronze medalist MC Mary Kom on 13 October 2014 was chosen as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of India’s Incheon Asian Games campaign at a felicitation of the medal winners by contingent sponsors, Samsung India.
ii. Kom, the first Indian woman boxer to win a gold medal in Asian Games was named as the MVP in a poll conducted by Samsung.
iii. After topping the list, the gold medalist in the 2014 Incheon Games in flyweight (-51kg) class, Mary Kom received 10 lakh rupees.

6. Lyricist Sameer honoured with Kishore Kumar Award for 2012-13

i. Noted lyricist Sameer was honoured with the National Kishore Kumar Award for 2012-13. He was awarded during a function at the legendary singer's birth place Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.
ii. The award was handed over to Sameer by Madhya Pradesh Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah.

7. JP Morgan cut India 2014-15 growth forecast to 5.1 percent from 5.3 percent

i. JP Morgan on 10 October 2014 cut its India GDP growth projection for 2014-15 to 5.1 percent from 5.3 percent.
ii. JP Morgan cited that the industrial output of India in August 2014 rose to 0.4 percent compared to the estimation it was very low.
iii. The Reserve Bank of India projects GDP to grow at around 5.5 percent in the current fiscal year ending March 2015.

Daily GK Updates - 11th Oct 2014

Saturday, October 11, 2014 / No Comments

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the 'Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana', an ambitious village development project under which each MP will take the responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019.
ii. He said on the basis of the model created by this experience, it is envisaged that two more villages would be developed by each MP by 2019 and that one village will be developed every year.
iii. "We are nearly 800 MPs. If before 2019 we develop three villages each, we reach nearly 2,500 villages. If in the light of this scheme, the states also create a similar scheme for MLAs, then 6-7000 more villages can be added," Modi said.
iv. The Prime Minister also said that if one village is developed in a block, it is also likely to have a "viral" effect and development would permeate other villages also. Speaking about the scheme, the PM said that there is flexibility and an MP is free to choose any village.
v. Mr. Modi , who is the MP from Varanasi, said that he will also select villages in his constituency for the SAGY scheme .

2. Third International Day of the Girl Child observed across the world

i. Third International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) was observed across the world on 11 October 2014. The theme was Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence.
ii. Third International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) was observed across the world on 11 October 2014. The theme was Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence.
iii. IDGC is intended to draw attention to the uncontested fact that everywhere in the world girls face some sort of discrimination.

About International Day of the Girl Child: The United Nations adopted a resolution in 2011 and designated 11 October as International Day of the Girl Child for promoting the rights of girls and addressing the unique challenges they face.

3. AP likely to get World Bank funds to promote Buddhist tourism circuit

i. The Andhra Pradesh Government has indicated that the World Bank may fund the development of the State’s Buddhist Circuit. The State has identified Tourism as one of its key focus areas in the service sector mission.
ii. According to a statement, the State Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said proposals to develop tourist circuits would be invited.
iii. At a meeting with Tourism officials at Secretariat today, the Chief Minister has directed officials to come up with suggestions to attract more international tourists by establishing more attractive destinations and promote religious, eco-tourism and beach tourism.
iv. Apart from developing heritage sites in Andhra Pradesh, the State is seeking to promote local arts and handicrafts such as Kondapalli toys, Etikoppaka items, Narsapuram laces among others.
v. Given the popularity of foods from Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister said the focus should be on the State’s festivals. It is also proposed to promote Kuchipudi dance on global and local platforms.

4. GGSS School of Hisar won the U-17 Girls title of 55th Subroto Cup Football tournament

i. Government Girls Senior Secondary (GGSS) School of Hisar, Haryana on 10 October 2014 won the Under-17 title of the 55th Subroto Cup football tournament.
ii. In the final held at Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi, it defeated Assam's Kiyang Kasiya Memorial Tribal School 3-0.
iii. With this win, GGSS School claimed the purse of 3.5 lakh rupees while the Kiyang Kasiya Memorial Tribal School claimed 2 lakh rupees.
iv. Haryana girls won the tournament on their very first debut and remained the only team not to have conceded a goal in the competition.
v. The coach of the GGSS School was Ashwini Kumar and the Best player of the tournament went to Renu of GGSS School who topped the goal chart with 12 goals.

5. Industrial production growth slows to 5-month low of 0.4% in August

i. Growth in the country's industrial production slowed to a five-month low of 0.4 per cent in August this year, mainly due contraction in manufacturing output and lower off-take of consumer goods. Factory output had also grown at 0.4 per cent in August last year.
ii. According to data released by the Central Statistics Office, today, manufacturing sector output contracted by 1.4 per cent in August this year.
iii. Overall consumer goods output contracted by 6.9 per cent in August, while consumer durables output shrank 15 per cent, and consumer non-durable output contracted 0.9 percent.

Daily GK Updates - 27th Sept 2014

Friday, October 10, 2014 / No Comments

i. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was on Saturday convicted under prevention of corruption act by a special court in Bangalore. She has been given a jail term of 4 years by the bangalore special court and slapped a fine of 100 crores.
ii. Special Judge John Michael D'Cunha convicted the 66-year-old AIADMK Chief in a case of owning assets to the tune Rs 66,65 crores disproportionate to her known sources of income during 1991-96 when she was chief minister for the first time.
iii. Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala Natarajan, her niece Ilavarasi and her nephew and the chief minister's disowned foster son Sudhakaran were also convicted.
iv. The verdict was delivered at a makeshift court in the Parappana Agrahara prison complex in the presence of Jayalalithaa and the other accused.
v. Jayalalithaa, 66, will now lose MLA's post and has to step down as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, while she stands disqualified from public office for next 6 years.

2. Justice Handyala Dattu to be sworn-in as new CJI

i. Justice Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu will be sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of India tomorrow.
ii. He will succeed Chief Justice R M Lodha who is retiring today. Justice Dattu will be administered oath of office by the President Mr Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
iii. He will have a tenure of 14 months as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Dattu, who is the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after Chief Justice Lodha has been heading the bench monitoring investigations into the 2G spectrum scam.
iv. Justice Dattu joined the Supreme Court as a judge in December 2008. Born on December 13, 1950, he began his practice as an advocate in Bangalore in 1975 and dealt with all type of cases including civil, criminal, tax and Constitutional matters.

3. K.V. Kamath-led panel to examine financial architecture for MSME sector

i. The Finance Ministry has appointed a 15-member committee under the Chairmanship of ICICI Bank Chairman K V Kamath to examine the financial architecture for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
ii. The committee will, among other things, come up with concrete suggestions to improve the share of institutional finance to MSME from the low levels seen currently.
iii. Besides looking at innovative financial products for MSMEs, the committee will suggest measures to increase the flow of equity support to MSMEs by targeting incubator-based funds, angel/ seed funds, impact funds and venture capital/ private equity funds.
iv. It will also look at regional disparities in credit flow to MSMEs.
v. The Department of Financial Services move to set up this committee comes two-and-a-half months after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced in his maiden Budget speech that a committee will be set up to examine the financial architecture for the MSME sector.

4. BCCI extends tenure of Ravi Shastri as team India director till 2015 WC

i. The working committee of the BCCI today retained former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri as the Director of the Indian cricket team till the ICC World Cup next year.
ii. The Committee also decided to hold its Annual General Meeting in Chennai on November 20.
iii. The working committee also decided to continue with the services of coach Duncan Fletcher till the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in February-March next year.
iv. The Indian support staff trio of Sanjay Bangar, Bharath Arun and R Sridhar were also rewarded with contracts till the end of the World Cup.

5. SBI signed 500 million dollar Line of Credit with Korea Eximbank

i. State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender announced that it has signed a Line of Credit (LoC) of 500 million dollar with Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank).
ii. The LoC will be utilised to provide finance to SBI’s clients in India and neighbouring countries that have business relationships either by way of equity participation or regular trade with Korean companies globally, as well as joint ventures or subsidiaries of Korean companies.
iii. SBI’s regional head (East Asia), C Venkat Nageswar and Korea Eximbank’s member of Board of Directors, Young Whan Sul signed the agreement at Seoul. The entire process was facilitated by SBI’s subsidiary, SBI Capital Markets and the signing of the pact for LoC is being seen as a step towards further strengthening of Korea-India strategic partnership.

6. Pakistan test fired short range nuclear capable missile Hatf IX

i. Pakistan on 26 September 2014 test fired the Hatf IX -short range surface-to-surface missile. The nuclear capable missile also called as Nasr was tested with successive launches of four missiles from a Multi Tube Launcher with Salvo Mode.
ii. It is a nuclear capable ballistic missile with a maximum range of 60 kilometers can cover western parts of India. With in-flight manoeuvre capability Hatf IX is a quick response system with shoot and scoot capability.

7. Sri Lanka wins backing of 22 nations against UN rights probe

i. Sri Lanka has won the backing of 22 nations in its battle against the UN's war crimes probe into the country's human rights record during its brutal civil war.
ii. A government statement said the countries in a joint statement had termed the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution passed last March as an intrusive mandate and unwarranted in the context of Sri Lanka's own local investigation.
iii. The like minded group chaired by Egypt included Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan,Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
iv. This support was in addition to the concerns raised by India as Sri Lanka's all important giant neighbour had questioned the methodology of the investigation.
v. This is in view of Sri Lanka's decision not to cooperate with the investigation.
vi. India backed the US-sponsored 2012 and 2013 UNHRC resolutions which pinned Colombo to a credible process of reconciliation with the Tamil minority.
vii. However, India much to the delight of Sri Lanka abstained at the crucial vote last March which mandated an international investigation.

8. 10 scientists get Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize

i. Ten scientists were on Friday felicitated with prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for their outstanding contributions to field of science and technology.
ii. P S Ahuja, Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) awarded the scientists for their notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in the field of biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and Physics.
iii. Roop Mallik and Pratap Raychaudhuri, both scientists from Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), were awarded for their contribution in the field of Biological and Physical science respectively.
iv. Sadiqali Abbas Rangwala from Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru was given the award for Physical Science.
v. Anurag Agrawal of New Delhi-based Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) was awarded for his contribution in the field of Medical Science.
vi. S Venkata Mohan from Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad and Soumen Chakrabarti from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai were given the award in the field of Engineering science while Kaushal Kumar Verma from Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru was awarded for his work in Mathematical Sciences.

9. Asian Games: Indian men's team wins compound archery gold

i. Creating a landmark in the history of Indian sports, India beat hosts and World champions South Korea in the men's compound archery team final at the Gyeyang Asiad Archery Field on Saturday for the country's second gold of 17th Asian Games.
ii. Indian team of Rajat Chauhan, Sandeep Kumar and Abhishek Verma, came all guns blazing and beat the hosts 227-225 for the gold medal -- country's first from archery in the 17th Asiad.
iii. India won their first medal from the discipline earlier in the day as the women's compound team beat Iran to win bronze.

10. Asiad: Men’s team gets historic Squash gold

i. Indian Men's Squash team scripts history as they won the first ever Gold medal in the Asiad.
ii. They defeated Malayasain Team 2-Nil to fetch the gold. This was fourth medal from squash in this Asian Games.
Earlier, today Indian Women's team settled for a silver after loosing to Malaysia Nil-2. Squash has given 1 Gold 2 Silver and a bronze.
iii. In the morning, Archery bagged Gold their first ever yellow metal. In the Men's Compound team event, the trio of Abhishek Verma, Sandeep Kumar and Rajat Chauhan defeated champions South Korea, 227-225.
iv. Shooter Jitu Rai had won the first Gold on the opening day. Earlier today, in the Women's section, the team of Trisha Deb, Purvasha Shende and Jyothi Vennam defeated Iran, 224-217 to win a Bronze.

Daily GK Updates - 9th Oct 2014

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i. Patrick Modiano of France, who has made a lifelong study of the Nazi occupation and its effect on his country, was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday.

ii. The Swedish Academy gave the 8 million kronor (USD 1.1 million) prize to Modiano "for the art of memory with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered the life-world of the occupation."

iii. Modiano, 69, whose novel "Missing Person" won the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 1978 was born in a west Paris suburb two months after World War II ended in Europe in July 1945.

iv. His father was of Jewish Italian origins and met his Belgian actress mother during the occupation of Paris.

v. He has published more than 40 works in French, some of which have been translated into English, including "Ring of Roads: A Novel," ''Villa Triste," ''A Trace of Malice," and "Honeymoon."

vi. He has also written children's books and film scripts and made the 1974 feature movie "Lacombe, Lucien" with director Louis Malle.

vii. He was a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000.

viii. Literature was the fourth of this year's Nobel prizes. The prize is named after Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, and has been awarded since 1901 for achievements in science, literature and peace in accordance with his will.

2. Finance Ministry allocates Rs 520 crore to NABARD

i. The Union Finance Ministry has allocated 520 crore rupees to NABARD to create warehousing infrastructure for agricultural commodities in West Bengal.

ii. Giving this information in Kolkata, the Chief General Manager of NABARD, Smt. T.S.Raji Gain said that after West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh has got 500 crore rupees for the said purpose.

3. Railways' Revenue earnings up by over 12 per cent

i. Railways revenue earnings have gone up by over 12 per cent during first six months of this fiscal.

ii. The total approximate earnings during the period were about Rs. 73,404 crore compared to Rs. 65,526 crore during the same period last year.

iii. The total earnings from goods during the period were about Rs. 48,772 crore as against Rs. 44,162 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 10.44 per cent.

iv. However, the total approximate number of passengers booked during this period were around 4253 million compared to 4255 million during the same period last year, showing a decrease of 0.06 per cent.

4. Bandhan Bank appoints FIS Intl to develop core banking tool

i. The upcoming Bandhan Bank has appointed FIS International, one of the largest banking and payments technology solutions provider globally, to develop its core banking software solutions.

ii. According to a release issued by FIS, the global major will help Bandhan by providing and managing a fully integrated banking and payments platform through a totally outsourced delivery model.

iii. This will include the core banking, channel solutions, treasury, trade finance, and an entire suite of payments services that includes debit card management and inter back connectivity.

iv. Bandhan, the country’s largest micro-finance institution, was granted an “in-principle” banking licence by the Reserve Bank of India earlier this year.

v. Bandhan is expected to start banking operations by September 2015 with about 600 branches and operations across 27 states.

5. Union MNRE signed MoU for setting up first-ever Offshore Wind Power Project in India

i. Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 1 October 2014 for setting up a Joint Venture Company to undertake the first-ever Offshore Wind Power Project in India along the Gujarat coast.

ii. he offshore wind power project along the Gujarat coast will be of about 100 MW capacity.

iii. Subsidy to be provided for setting up of evacuation and transmission infrastructure including financial support for carrying out studies such as wind resource assessment, Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), oceanographic survey and Bathymetric studies.

6. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg arrived in New Delhi, to meet PM tomorrow

i. ounder of social site Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg arrived in New Delhi on a two day visit from 9 October to 10 October 2014.

ii. His aim behind the visit is to take help of India in connecting people of the world.

iii. During his visit, one of his big engagements is his meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi as a person is a supporter of social media as he thinks that it is a mean to reach out to people.

iv. In terms of users, India is the second-largest market of social network outside the US but one that generates little revenue.

v. Zuckerberg said that even in developed countries, about 25 percent women are not connected with social media as compared to men. Whereas, in context of India about 69 percent people are not connected with the social network and as they don’t know that they can connect with the world through internet.

7. Ocean Health Index for the year 2014 released

i. Ocean Health Index (OHI) 2014 was released by the National Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UC Santa Barbara, California, US on 30 September 2014. The Index, third in the series, was released in partnership with Conservation International.

ii. As per the OHI 2014, the overall health score of the Oceans of the world stands at 67 out of 100.

iii. The third annual OHI for the first time includes scores for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean plus the 15 other ocean regions beyond national jurisdiction (high seas areas)
.

8. India overthrow from No. 1 spot in ICC ODI ranking

i. India’s thrashing at the hands of the visiting West Indies team in the first ODI at Kochi, has dethroned it from the top tanking in the ODI format of the ICC. South Africa replaces India at the top with 113 points.

ii. India and Australia are at second and third places respectively. However, Australia has a chance to climb up in the ranking if it wins the remaining ODIs against Pakistan. The Kangaroos play Pakistan in Dubai tomorrow.

9. German Ambassador lauds PM; extends support to Ganga mission

i. German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner on Thursday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ambitious 'Clean India campaign' and Ganga rejuvenation plan while extending his country's full support to the missions.

ii. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ganga rejuvenation priority is an excellent example that India is thinking big. Clean Ganga Fund is a brilliant idea," Steiner said at the inauguration of three-day trade exhibition IFAT India 2014, organised by trade show company Messe Munchen's IFAT India.

iii. The German Ambassador said his country is standing ready to support India's mission towards clean Ganga, adding that a German scoping mission has already started working in this regard this week.

iv. Major clean-up efforts of all stakeholders in Germany generated technical know-how and decades-old experience. We would like to share these with India, together with state-of-the-art solutions developed by German companies. We also want to help to raise public awareness," he said.

10. India likely to have 600 million broadband users by 2020: Ericsson

i. The mobile broadband subscriber base in India could grow to 600 million by 2020 from around 100 million now with 20 per cent of them using 4G, according to a white paper released here by Ericsson.

ii. The report says the share of data in the overall revenue of telecom operators will rise from 10-12 per cent in 2013 to 35-40 per cent in 2020, forcing operators to make substantial investment to improve infrastructure.

iii. “Mobile broadband will be the platform on which the ‘Digital India’ vision can be delivered. For this, we will need the release of additional spectrum in the relevant bands. This will contribute to affordability of services, and harmonization of spectrum will allow a lower-cost device ecosystem to evolve.

iv. On the occasion, Ericsson announced the Indian launch of two new products to optimise indoor coverage — the Radio Dot System and the RBS6402 picocell — thereby, completing its Small Cell Portfolio for the Indian market.

11. Veteran journalist M V Kamath passes away, PM condoles death

i. Veteran journalist M V Kamath died at his native place Manipal in Karnataka on Thursday after a brief illness.

ii. He was 93 and was admitted to hospital for the past few days.

iii. Kamath, former chairman of Prasar Bharti and recipient of Padma Bhushan, was born in Udupi on 7th September 1921.

12. ISRO's PSLV-C26 to be launched on Oct 16

i. The launch of ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C26, is now scheduled for October 16 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

ii. The launch window of the mission opens at 01:32 hours Indian Standard Time (IST) and lasts till 01:47 hours IST. The lift-off is scheduled at the opening of the launch window at 01:32 hours IST.
iii. PSLV-C26 will carry the 1,425 kg Indian Navigation Satellite IRNSS-1C.

iv. IRNSS-1C, the third satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, has already been integrated with PSLV-C26 and the final phase of checks is progressing.

13. India among top 5 financial contributors to Ebola response

i. India is among the top five contributors to the UN Ebola response with a contribution of U.S. $ 12.5 million, according to a fact sheet released by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry here.

ii. The U.S. with U.S. $ 113.8 million tops the list to the UN Ebola response. It is followed by the European Union ($ 55.5 million), Canada ($ 31.9 million), Netherlands ($ 21 million) and India with $12.5 million.

iii. The world’s largest outbreak of Ebola has killed 3,865 people out of 8,033 infected so far this year, according to the WHO’s latest count.

Daily GK Updates - 10th Oct 2014

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1. Malala, Kailash Satyarthi win Nobel Peace Prize 2014

i. Kailash Satyarthi, the child rights activist from India, and Malala Yousufzai, the activist for girls education in Pakistan, were announced as the joint winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday.

ii. It is an important point for a Hindu and a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education and extremism", said the Committee in a press release.

iii. Satyarthi, who runs NGO Bachpan Bachao Aandolan (Save Childhood Movement), has maintained the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and headed various forms of peaceful protests, “focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain,” the Nobel committee said.

iv. At the age of just 17, Malala is the youngest recipient of the prize.

v. The teenager was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen in October 2012 for campaigning for girls' education. She now lives in Birmingham in the UK

vi. The Nobel committee praised the pair's "struggle against the suppression of children and young people".

vii. Reacting to the news, Mr Satyarthi told: "It's a great honour for all the Indians, it's an honour for all those children who have been still living in slavery despite of all the advancement in technology, market and economy."And I dedicate this award to all those children in the world."

viii. This year there were 278 nominees for the prize, more than any other year till now. The major contenders for the prize this year were Pope Francis, the first non-European Pope in modern times; Denis Mukwege, a Congolese leader who worked with rape victims; and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

2. India’s first national policy on mental health launched

i. The union health ministry on Friday launched the country’s first ever mental health policy to provide access to good quality treatment to mentally ill people with the focus on those living in poverty.

ii. The policy, launched by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, is backed up by the “Mental Health Action Plan 365” which spells out the specific roles to be played by the Centre, the state governments, local bodies and civil society organisations.

iii. The new mental health policy’s objective is to provide universal access to mental health care by enhancing understanding of mental health and strengthening leadership in the mental health sector at all levels.

iv. The World Health Organization has predicted that about 20 percent of India’s population would suffer from some form of mental illness by 2020.

v. The country has only about 3,500 psychiatrists. Therefore, the government is confronted with the problem of lowering this gap significantly over the next decade,” he added.

3. Anoop Jain wins prestigious global citizen award

i. A young Indian has won a prestigious global citizen award and USD 100,000 cash prize for his work to build community sanitation facilities, an area that aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to ending open defecation, organisers of the award said.

ii. Anoop Jain was named recipient of the 2014 Waislitz Global Citizen Award for his "exemplified values of a Global Citizen" through his work in founding Humanure Power (HP) in Bihar in 2011 that builds community sanitation facilities in rural India.

iii. The award carries a USD 100,000 cash prize in recognition to the winner's work in making the "world a better place."

iv. The announcement of the award co-incided with Modi's recent visit here when he addressed thousands of people at the Global Citizen Festival last week in Central Park.

v. The organisation said Jain's work through Humanure Power aligns with Modi's commitment to put a toilet in every household and school in India by 2019 - a commitment he reiterated in his remarks on stage at the citizen festival.

4. Book titled A Man and a Motorcycle, How Hamid Karzai Came to Power: written by Bette Dam

i. A book titled A Man and A Motorcycle, How Hamid Karzai Came to Power written by Bette Dam was launched in September 2014. Bette Dam is a Dutch journalist based in Afghanistan.

ii. The book reveals about the life of former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and his journey towards the highest office of the land and the situation in Afghanistan.

iii. In the book, Dam writes that Karzai was under a lot of pressure from the west as well as key domestic players; however, he was more in touch with the internal figures than the west.

5. Cipla Medpro signed collaboration pact with Teva for selling drugs in South Africa

i. Cipla Medpro on 9 October 2014 announced that it has inked a collaboration pact with Teva Pharmaceuticals of Israel for sales and distribution of the latter's drugs in South Africa.

ii. Medpro Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Cipla Medpro and Teva Pharmaceuticals pty of Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries signed a sales and distribution agreement. The collaboration is a subject to the approval by the Competition Commission of South Africa.

6. Leela Samson resigned as Sangeet Natak Akademi chairperson

i. Leela Samson resigned as the Chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi on 30 September 2014. Her resignation has been accepted by Union Ministry of Culture.

ii. 62-year-old Samson submitted her resignation as the Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi a year before her term ends.

iii. Samson, an eminent Bharatnatyam dancer was appointed as the chairperson of the Akademi in August 2010 for a period of five years by the Union government.

About Leela Samson

• At present, Samson is also a chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) since 2011 and was also director of Kalakshetra from 2005 onwards.

• In 1995, Leela Samson formed Spanda, a dance group to review the traditional vocabulary of Bharatanatyam

• Sanchari and The Flowering Tree are two documentary films made on her works

7. Cyclonic storm Hudhud

i. Hudhud is in news because is expected to cross north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Odisha coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur.

ii. Cyclonic storm named Hudhud is the deep depression over north Andaman Sea crossed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is expected to reach east cost of India.

iii. Hudhud name derives from the Hoopoe bird, a colorful bird found across Afro-Eurasia suggested by Oman.

iv. The Wind speed range of Hudhud is expected to be 130-140 kmph and may reach up to 155 kmph.

8. UN owe India $110 mn for peacekeeping operations

i. The United Nations owes India USD 110 million, the second highest outstanding payment to any country, for costs relating to peacekeeping operations and troops, a top UN official said.

ii. India, one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions, owed the money for troops/formed police, contingent-owned equipment and consumables letters of assist, deaths and disability.

iii. Apart from India, Ethiopia was owed the largest amount at USD 137 million, Pakistan at USD 109 million and Bangladesh at USD 108 million.

9. Guj govt to promote Vadodara as state's cultural capital

i. Gujarat government has set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to promote Vadodara as the state's cultural capital and encourage tourism in the city.

ii. The SPV, known as Vadodara International Art and Culture Festival Authority, is headed by state Tourism and Finance Minister Saurabh Patel.

iii. After promoting Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad as business destinations through Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit since 2003, the state government has decided to promote Vadodara as its cultural capital," Patel told mediapersons on Thursday.

iv. The state government is the first in the country to create such an authority for promoting tourism in Vadodara, which has the potential of becoming cultural capital of India, he claimed.

v. Vadodara is famous for several palaces, world heritage sites like Champaner, Pavagadh hills among others, he said.

vi. The upcoming world's tallest Statue of Unity, to be built in the memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near Sardar Sarovar dam, about 100 kms from Vadodara, will add to the tourist circuit of Vadodara, he said.

Daily GK Updates: 28th Sept 2014

Thursday, October 9, 2014 / No Comments

Welcome to ourindiajobs.com. Daily GK Updates will helps you to crack your online bank exams. Success comes from confidence. Go ahead with confidence, win the race and achieve your target. All the best for test.

1. Justice H.L. Dattu sworn-in as 42nd Chief Justice of India

i. Justice Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu was today sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of India. He was administered oath of office by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

ii. Justice Dattu succeeds Chief Justice R M Lodha who retired yesterday. He is the 42nd Chief Justice of India and will have a tenure of 14 months as Chief Justice of Supreme Court.

iii. Vice President M. Hamid Ansari, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Venkaiah Naidu and senior BJP leader L K Advani are among those present during the swearing-in ceremony.

iv. Born on December 3, 1950, Justice Dattu began his practice as an advocate in Bangalore in 1975 and dealt with all type of cases including civil, criminal, tax and Constitutional matters.

2. Nation remembers Bhagat Singh on his 107th birth anniversary

i. Thankful nation is remembering Shaeed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh today on his 107th birth anniversary. It was on this day the great martyr of freedom movement was born at Khatkar Kalan village of then Jalandhar district of Punjab. Today Youth and Sports Club at various villages of Punjab took oath to work for de-addiction among the youth.

ii. Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life on March 23, 1931 for the freedom of the nation and his sacrifice influenced youth of the country at that time to work for the national movement.

iii. He is respected as an ideal by many present day youth organisation while they take pledge to work for the betterment of the society.

3. PM want World to adopt an Int'l Yoga Day

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while discussing matters of regional and bilateral cooperation with top leaders of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal wanted world leaders their full support to suggest to the UN to celebrate International Yoga Day once a year.

ii. Prime Minister during his 35-minute speech at the UN General Assembly had urged world leaders to adopt an International Yoga Day.

iii. PM Modi also reiterated his commitment to make SAARC a strong regional block. Before his UN speech, Modi met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and discussed issues like imminent reforms in the UNSC and the need to involve countries contributing peace troops in the decision-making process of the multilateral institution.

4. Modi invites New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to visit India

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to visit India with a trade mission.

ii. Modi extended the invitation to Christie when the latter called on him at the New York Palace hotel, where the Prime Minister is staying for attending the annual session of the UN General Assembly.

iii. Christie, a popular Republican politician and a 2016 presidential election aspirant, has accepted the invitation to visit India with a trade delegation sometime next year, said Andy Shenoy, director on the Board of United Nations Development Corporation who played a major role in coordinating this important meeting.

5. Number of asylum seekers in developed countries up by 24 %: UNHCR

i. UN High Commissioner for Refugees has said that the number of people seeking refugee status in developed nations has gone up by 24 percent in the first half of 2014. UNHCR’s new asylum trends report reveals that it is mainly driven by the wars in Syria and Iraq as well as conflict and instability in countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea.

ii. The report based on data received from 44 governments in Europe, North America and parts of the Asia-Pacific, says more than 3,30,700 people asked for refugee status in these countries between January and June this year.

iii. The report has warned that more than seven lakh claims for refugees status may be made in the remaining half of 2014 reaching its highest level in 20 year

6. Swachh Bharat Mission to be launched on Oct 2

i. The Swachh Bharat Mission will be launched on 2nd of next month. The Mission aims at fulfilling the dream of clean India of Mahatma Gandhi by his 150th birth anniversary in 2019.

ii. As part of Swachh Bharat campaingn various departments have initiated cleanliness drive. Yesterday Rashtrapati Bhawan, Prime Minister's Office and other Ministries initiated special cleanliness drive in their premises ahead of launch of the Mission.

7. ONGC Videsh signs agreement with Petroleos Mexicanos

i. ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has signed an agreement with Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) for cooperation in the Latin American nation.

ii. The MoU was signed by Anil Bhandari, Director (Exploration), OVL and Gustavo Hernandez Garcia, Director General, Pemex Exploracion Y Produccion at Cancun, Mexico on the sidelines of World National Oil Companies Congress— Americas.

iii. “Under the MOU, the two companies plan to discuss future cooperation and collaboration in the upstream sector in Mexico. The MOU also envisages cooperation in the fields of technology, human resources, research and development,” OVL said in a statement.

Note: Mexico is the largest crude oil producing country in Latin America. It has excellent potential for both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon. As a result of recent energy reforms in the country, the oil and gas sector is being opened for participation by foreign firms.

8. Delhi Metro ranked 2nd among 18 international metro systems

i. Delhi Metro has been ranked second among 18 international Metro systems in terms of overall customer satisfaction in an online customer survey.

ii. According to a DMRC official, in the survey conducted among the commuters of those Metro systems by Global Metro Benchmarking Groups NOVA and CoMET, Delhi Metro along with London DLR and Bangkok were the best three performers in the Net Promoters Score (NPS) category.

iii. Under this category the survey analysed the likelihood of customers recommending the service to others on the basis of their satisfaction.

iv. More than 41,000 respondents gave their feedback worldwide in this survey conducted online through the websites and social media links of 18 major Metros of the world from April 28th to May 25th earlier this year.

v. The Metro systems that participated in this survey apart from Delhi Metro were Hong Kong MTR, London Underground, Metro De Madrid, Paris RATP, Metro De Sandiago, Singapore SMRT, Barcelona TMB, Brussels STIB, Bangkok BMCL, London DLR, Istanbul Ulasim, Kualalumpur Rapid PL, Metropolitano De Lisboa, Montreal STM, Newcastle Nexus, Metro Rio and Toronto TTC. The NPS is calculated by the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors (P-D = NPS).

9. President’s rule imposed in Maharashtra

i. President’s rule was imposed on Sunday in poll-bound Maharashtra after Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan resigned following the break-up of 15-year-old Congress-NCP alliance in the state.

ii. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation for imposition of central rule in Maharashtra, a day after the Union Cabinet recommended clamping of President’s rule in the state, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

10. Yogeshwar Dutt wins gold in the men's 65 kg freestyle wrestling at the Asian Games.

i. Yogeshwar Dutt ended India’s 28-year-old wait for a wrestling gold medal in the Asian Games by emerging champion in the men’s freestyle 65kg category at the Dowon Gymnasium in Incheon Sunday.

ii. The Indian, an Olympic bronze medallist, put on a stupendous show in winning 3-0 against Zalimkhan Yusupov of Tajikistan in the title clash.

11. Asian games: Khushbir scripts history, wins silver in 20km race walk

i. Khushbir Kaur today became the first Indian woman to win a medal in race walking in the Asian Games as she clinched silver in 20km event on the second day of the athletics competition here.

ii. The 21-year-old from Amritsar clocked 1:33:07 to finish behind Lu Xiuzhi of China, who won the gold in 1:31:06, at the Marathon Course here.

iii. The Indian, who holds the national record of 1:31:40, was consistently third till the 18km mark before going up a position in the final two kilometres, thanks largely to the slowing down of second-placed Chinese Nie Jingjing, who eventually finished fourth.

iv. The bronze medal went to local favourite Jeon Yeongeun, who also clocked a personal best of 1:33:18.

v. This is the biggest triumph of Khushbir’s nascent career after the bronze medal she won at this year’s Asian Walking Championships bronze in Japan. She was the first Indian woman to achieve such a feat

12. Indian pair of Sania-Prarthana settles for bronze

i. Indian pair of Sania Mirza and Prarthana Thombare settled for a bronze after losing their women’s doubles semifinal to Chinese Taipei’s Chin Wei Chan and Su Wei Hsiehin in the Asian Games, in Incheon on Sunday.

ii. The fifth seeded Indian combo put up a brave fight before going down 6-7 (1-7), 6-2, 10-4 to the Chinese Taipei duo, seeded second, at the Yeorumul Tennis Courts.

iii. Sania and Prarthana took the courts and toiled hard for an hour and 35 minutes but at the end failed to make it to the finals.

Daily GK Updates: 30th Sept 2014

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i. For the fourth time in a row, RBI kept key interest rates unchanged today maintaining that it will not cut them unless inflation moderates to anticipated levels, disappointing borrowers and the industry in this festive season.

ii. Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan hoped that inflation will moderate to acceptable level of 6 per cent by January 2016 and maintained that the GDP growth in the current fiscal will be 5.5 per cent, same as projected earlier.

iii. RBI relaxed the 'know your customer' norms by allowing self-certification of documents needed for opening bank accounts.

iv. The short-term lending rate (repo) rate will remain at 8 per cent, and the cash reserve requirement of banks at 4 per cent. The statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) has also been retained at 22 per cent.

v. RBI has reduced the liquidity provided under the export credit refinance (ECR) facility from 32 per cent of eligible export credit outstanding to 15 per cent with effect from October 10.

vi. It has decided to continued providing liquidity under overnight repo at 0.25 per cent at the LAF repo rate and liquidity under 7-day and 14-day term repos of up to 0.75 per cent through auctions

Current Rates are as follows:

1. Repo Rate – 8%
2. Reverse Repo Rate – 7%
3. SLR – 22%
4. CRR – 4%
5. Bank Rate – 9%
6. MSF – 9%

2. RBI relaxes KYC norms for opening bank accounts

i. The Reserve Bank of India, RBI, today relaxed Know Your Customer, KYC norms by allowing self-certification of documents for opening bank accounts.
ii. RBI has asked banks to allow self-certified copy of the document by mail, or post for opening an account. Banks have also been asked not to seek fresh documents, if a KYC compliant customer desires to open another account in the bank.
iii. The RBI added that if the customers are unable to comply within a reasonable period of time, partial freezing may be introduced for KYC non-compliant customers.
iv. This means that only credits would be allowed in such accounts, but debits would not be allowed. The account holder would have the option to close the account and take back the money in the account.

3. AP Government signed MoU with Google India for Digital AP project

i. The Andhra Pradesh (AP) Government on 29 September 2014 signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with Google India for Digital AP project.
ii. Under the memorandum, Google India will work with the AP government to get women and small and medium businesses online and help them gain from the internet economy. It will launch a series of initiatives to transform the State into digital AP in a record time.

4. ONGC to contribute Rs. 20.75 cr for upkeep of Taj Mahal

i. Hydrocarbon behemoth Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) will contribute Rs. 20.75 crore for the beautification and cleanliness of the Taj Mahal.

ii. A tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) for this was signed at the Red Fort in New Delhi on Monday between ONGC, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Union Ministry of Tourism.

iii. ONGC has launched a ‘Swachchha Smarak, Swachchha Bharat’ campaign to clean up memorials and heritage places. It also participated in a cleanliness drive at the Red Fort, an official said here on Tuesday.

5. Muthuraman Vice Chairman of Tata Steel retired

i. B Muthuraman, Vice-Chairman of Tata Steel retired from the Board of the company on 26 September 2014 after attaining the age of 70. He retired as per the company’s retirement policy.

ii. B Muthuraman who was also a chairman of Tata International Ltd, the global trading and distribution arm of the Tata group was replaced by former Union Home Secretary GK Pillai. Pillai was appointed for the post on 26 September 2014.

6. Bhagat Singh’s last surviving sister Bibi Prakash Kaur died

i. Bibi Prakash Kaur, the last surviving real sister of martyr Bhagat Singh died on 28 September 2014 in Canada. She was 94.

ii. She was paralysed and bed ridden since 2008. Coincidently, she passed away on the 107th birth anniversary of the martyr Bhagat Singh which falls on 28 September every year.’

iii. Bibi Prakash Kaur was born in 1921 and was only 12 years old when Bhagat Singh was hanged to death by British rulers on 23 March 1931.

iv. Prakash Kaur was settled in Canada since 1980 and was residing there with her elder son Rupinder Singh Malhi.

7. Auto Portal Cardekho acquired Gaadi.com for 11 million US dollar

i. Auto Portal Cardekho on 29 September 2014 acquired Gaadi.com. Cardekho is expected to have paid 11 million US dollar for Gaadi.com.

ii. However, both the companies will continue to run independently and operate as separate businesses in order to drive focus, especially in the pre-owned car business.

iii. The combined Cardekho and Gaadi entity is expected to become the largest online auto classifieds play by revenue and traffic.

8. Vikas Gowda settles for silver in discus throw

i. Vikas Gowda lost out to his old nemesis and defending champion Ehsan Hadadi of Iran once again as he settled for a silver in men’s discus throw event in the Asian Games in Incheon on Tuesday.

ii. Gowda, who recently won the gold in Glasgow Commonwealth Games, came up with a best effort of 62.58m which he did in his second attempt to fetch the silver at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium.

iii. Hadadi, who was struggling for form this season but a pre-Games favourite, outperformed Gowda with a best throw of 65.11m to clinch the gold and run away with his hat trick of titles. He has also won gold in 2006 and 2010 Asian Games.

9. Asian Games: Mary Kom enters women’s flyweight boxing finals

i. M.C. Mary Kom secured a berth in the gold medal bout of the women’s flyweight (48-51kg) after a convincing win in the semi-final of the 17th Asian Games on Tuesday.

ii. The 31-year-old Indian beat Vietnam’s Le Thi Bang by 3—0 decision to enter the final.

10. Former International cricket umpire Mohammad Ghouse died

i. Former International cricket umpire Mohammad Ghouse died on 29 September 2014 following a brief illness. He was 83.

ii. Mohammad Ghouse made his debut as an umpire in a Ranji Trophy match in 1968-69 and went on to officiate over its 18 seasons.

iii. His first Test as an official was in 1975-76 in the match between India and New Zealand.

Daily GK Updates : 1St Oct 2014

Wednesday, October 8, 2014 / No Comments

i. India and the US have established an inter-agency Contact Group on the civil nuclear deal to sort out outstanding liability and technical issues to fast-track its full implementation.

ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama while taking note of the delay reaffirmed their commitment to implement fully the US-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement that would facilitate installation of American-origin nuclear reactors in India.

iii. From the Indian side, the inter-agency Contact Group will have representatives from Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of External Affairs and Finance Ministry.

iv. After summit talks with Obama, Modi said both sides are serious about resolving at the earliest issues blocking the implementation of the civil nuclear deal.

2. Come soon before it's too late, PM tells US businesses

i. Asserting that India is on the move to becoming a country with a business-friendly environment, PM Narendra Modi has exhorted top US coporates to establish and expand their base in India before it is too late.

ii. "Together we will reach new heights of development and growth," Modi said at the event organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC).

iii. "Take the benefit of the fast paced development and changes in the Indian economy," Modi said in his address on Tuesday to American businesses urging them to take advantage of India's growing economy to foster mutual prosperity.

iv. Among those present at the meeting were World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, and several top corporate leaders from both the US and India, including Mukesh Ambani.

v. USIBC chairman, Ajay Banga, who is also MasterCard CEO, said India under Modi is experiencing a new chapter of growth.

3. India, US agree to cooperate on future explorations of Mars

i. India and the US have agreed to cooperate on future explorations of Mars planet, which America said will yield tangible benefits to both the countries and the world at large.

ii. The agreement in this regard was signed by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and K Radhakrishnan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO in Toronto yesterday on the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress.

4. US to help India develop three smart cities

i. In a boost to India’s 100 smart city programme, the US will help India in developing three such cities apart from joining hands with civil society and authorities to provide clean water and sewage facilities in 500 cities in the country.

ii. The three cities are Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam.

iii. This announcement was made after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama

iv. The Indian government plans to develop 100 smart cities and in this regard an allocation of Rs. 7,060 crore was proposed in the Union Budget.

5. Rajiv – appointed New Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).

i. President Pranab Mukherjee on 30 September 2014 authorised Vigilance Commissioner Rajiv to act as chief of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) until the appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner. His appointment came with effect from 29 September 2014.

ii. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is headed by a Central Vigilance Commissioner and has two Vigilance Commissioners.

iii. The vacancy for the post of Central Vigilance Commissioner had occurred after Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar completed his tenure on 28 September 2014. Pradeep Kumar took oath as the chief of the Central Vigilance Commission on 14 July 2011.

Note: The other Vigilance Commissioner JM Garg completed his tenure on 7 September 2014 following which Rajiv was left as the lone Vigilance Commissioner in CVC.

ii. According to the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, in the event of any vacancy in the office of the Central Vigilance Commissioner by reason of death, resignation or otherwise, the President may authorise one of the Vigilance Commissioners to act as the Central Vigilance Commissioner until the appointment of a new incumbent.

6. Magnificent Mary gives India first boxing gold at 17th Asiad

i. M C Mary Kom became the first Indian woman boxer to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games after she came from behind to beat Kazakhstan's Zhaina Shekerbekova in the flyweight (51KG) summit clash at Incheon on Wednesday.

ii. Mary Kom defeated Shekerbekova 2-0 in a evenly-contested battle in which the Kazakh had the initial advantage.

iii. This is India's seventh gold at Incheon, South Korea.

7. Google social network site–Orkut closed

i. Google closed the social networking site Orkut permanently on 30 September 2014. Google announced the decision to shut down Orkut in June 2014.

ii. Old users of Orkut will be able to take backup of their pictures and posts till September 2016 and users can export their profile data, community posts and photos using Google Takeout. But no one will be able to create new IDs on Orkut account.

iii. Decision of shutting down Orkut was taken as its competitor social networking sites namely Facebook and Twitter were much popular than orkut. Now, Google has moved to a new platform - the Google Plus.

Note: Orkut started in 2004 was named after its creator, Orkut Buyukkokten, a Google employee.

8. Afghanistan signed Bilateral Security Agreement with the US

i. Afghanistan signed Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US with an aim to allow some US troops to remain in the country till 2015.

ii. National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Mohammad Hanif Atmar and US Ambassador James Cunningham signed BSA at the presidential palace of Afghanistan in Kabul.

9. Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train to cost Rs 65,000 crore

i. Railways minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda has said that the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project will cost around Rs 65,000 crore.

ii. Project will be taken up under the Public-Private partnership.Mr Gauda said that the existing track will be strengthened to increase the current speed of trains to 160 kilo meter per hour.

10. Geete rules out resignation, says Sena still part of NDA

i. Anant Geete, Shiv Sena's lone member in the Union Cabinet, has said he will not resign as Heavy Industries Minister after his party decided to continue in NDA despite parting ways with BJP for Maharashtra polls.

ii. BJP earlier snapped ties with its oldest partner Shiv Sena after failure of talks on seat-sharing in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, ending a 25-year-old ideological alliance that had survived various vicissitudes.

iii. Geete said he had spoken to party chief Uddhav Thackeray on the issue. "I have spoken to Uddhav Thackeray. There is no question of resigning. We are a part of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance).

11. Krishak Express and Lucknow-Barauni express collided near Gorakhpur station

i. Barauni bound Lucknow – Barauni express on 30 September 2014 collided with the coaches of Lucknow bound Maduadih-Lucknow Krishak Express near Gorakhpur station at Nandnagar railway crossing.

ii. The collision led to derailment of four coaches of Krishak express in which at least 12 passengers have been killed and 44 others were injured.

12. Union Commerce Ministry cancelled approvals of nine SEZs

i. The Union Commerce Ministry on 29 September 2014 cancelled approvals of nine special economic zones (SEZs), including that of Hindalco Industries, Essar and Adani.

ii. The other developers whose SEZs were cancelled include Chennai Business Park, Integrated Warehousing Kandla Project Development and Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation.

iii. As per SEZ rules 2005, formal approval is valid for a period of three years, by which time at least one unit has to commence production and the zone becomes operational from the date of commencement of such production.

13. Mahatma Gandhi's book “My Experiments with Truth” now in Kashmiri, Punjabi

i. Largest selling book of Mahatma Gandhi “My Experiments with Truth” will now be available in Kashmiri and Punjabi language from today.

ii. The Kashmiri and Punjabi translation of the famous autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi has been published by Ahmedabad based publication House- Navjeevan Trust- also founded by Mahatma Gandhi. The book will now be available in 17 Indian languages apart from English and Hindi.

iii. After growing demand from Kashmiris to print Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography in their language, the book is being translated by three scholars. The best translation, which retains the heart of Gandhi's teachings, has been selected for printing.

14. Core Sector grows 5.8 % in August

i. Eight core industries grew by 5.8 per cent in August this year as against 4.7 per cent in the same month last year led by healthy growth in coal, cement and electricity sectors.

ii. According to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry, coal sector grew by 13.4 per cent, cement by 10.3 percent and electricity by 12.6 per cent in August.

15. Sarita Devi refuses Asiad medal

i. Indian boxer L Sarita Devi on October 1, 2014 stunned officials and spectators by refusing to accept the bronze medal, which is now in the custody of organizers

ii. Sarita had lost her semi-final bout in controversial circumstances and had to be content with the bronze medal in the women's light weight (57-60kg) event of the 17th Asian Games on September 30. India later lodged an official protest with the Amateur International Boxing Association's technical jury team. But the protest was rejected.

iii. The 32-year-old Indian lost 0-3 in an unanimous decision to South Korea's Jina Park at the Seonhak Gymnasium. Sarita lost on points against Park in a bout where she was the dominant boxer.

16. Indian economy to grow at 5.5 percent in current fiscal, estimates ESCAP

i. United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,ESCAP has estimated that the Indian economy will grow at 5.5 percent in the current fiscal.

ii. The report forecast that the Asia -Pacific developing economies will grow at 5.8 percent this year

17. Mark Zuckerberg to visit India later this month

i. After Sheryl Sandberg, it’s now the turn of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to visit India, the second biggest market for the social networking giant, later this month.

ii. Mr. Zuckerberg, who will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be in India to address the first Internet.org summit taking place on October 9-10 in New Delhi.

iii. The young billionaire is expected to meet members of other key ministries as well.

iv. Mr. Zuckerberg is the third high profile CEO of a US-based corporation, after Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Micrsoft’s Satya Nadella, to visit India in last few days.

18. Tintu Luka claims 800m silver in Asiad

i. Indian sprinter Tintu Luka clocked her season’s best to clinch a silver medal in the 800m women’s race of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon on Wednesday.

ii. Luka clocked 1:59.19s to better the bronze medal she had won in this event in the previous edition of the Games in Guangzhou.

iii. The gold was won by Kazakhstan’s Mukasheva Margarita, who broke the two-decade-old Games record of 1:59.85s with a timing of 1:59.02s.

iv. China’s Zhao Jing settled for the bronze medal after finishing the race in 1:59.48s, which also happened to be her personal best.

19. Microsoft unveils Windows 10 Operating System

i. Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced its 'Windows 10' Operating System to replace the largely unpopular Windows 8, skipping a number to mark a leap toward unifying the way people work on tablets, phones and traditional computers.

ii. Microsoft is restoring some of the more traditional ways of doing things and promises that Windows 10 will be familiar for users regardless of which version of Windows they are now using.

iii. For instance, the start menu in Windows 10 will appear similar to what’s found in Windows 7.

20. Japan's "bullet train" turns 50

i. It was 50 years ago 1964, that Japan first introduced the world to the bullet train, also known as Shinkansen. The country's high-speed rail network helped transport Japan to the top tier of world economies.

Daily Gk Updates - 2-3 rd Oct 2014

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i. The festival of Vijaya Dashmi is being celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety throughout the country today. The festival marks the victory of good over evil.

ii. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have greeted the nation on this occasion. In the national capital the traditional Ramlila will come to an end with the burning of effigies of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the functions to be held in Subhash Maidan and Ramlila Maidan.

2. Rajasthan becomes first state to start olive refinery

i. Rajasthan today started the country’s first olive refinery and expressed hope that it would be able to fulfil the country’s demand of olive oil in coming years.

ii. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated the refinery set up with a cost of Rs. 3.75 crore in Lunkaransar area in the district and said it was an achievement for Rajasthan to become the first state in the country to set up such refinery.

iii. The olive oil produced in the refinery will be marked under the brand name of ‘Raj Olive Oil’ and will be available in markets after some time.

3. Australian fighter jets to join military action against Islamic States militants in Iraq

i. The Australian Cabinet has given its approval for fighter jets to join the US-led military action against Islamic State militants targets in Iraq. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said IS was a death cult that had declared war on the world and must be stopped.

ii. The US and Arab allies have been bombing IS targets in Syria and Iraq for the past fortnight. European countries have been attacking only Iraqi sites.

iii. The UN says the militant Islamists have committed a staggering array of human rights abuses.

4. Former News of the World editor Ian Edmondson admits to phone hacking

i. A former news editor at Rupert Murdoch’s now-defunct tabloid News of the World on Friday admitted to hacking phones of celebrities such as Jude Law and Paul McCartney while at the newspaper, becoming the eighth person to be convicted in connection with the case.

ii. Ian Edmondson, 45, is likely to receive a custodial sentence after pleading guilty at the Old Bailey court in London.

iii. Edmondson illegally intercepted the voicemails of two Home Secretaries, ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and actors Jude Law and Sienna Miller.

5. Asian Games: India placed eighth with total haul of 57 medals

i. India have brought the curtains down on their campaign in the 17th Asian Games, maintaining their domination of kabaddi with two gold medals.

ii. On the penultimate day of competitions at Incheon on day, India rose a rung to eighth in the overall medal standings.

iii. The women's kabaddi team won their title-match against Iran quite comfortably by a 31-21 margin, to maintain their supremacy for the second edition running, having clinched gold when the event made its debut four years ago in Guangzhou.

iv. For the men's kabaddi team, it was not a cakewalk. They literally overcame a scare from Iran before notching up a 27-25 win in a thrilling final. It was their seventh successive gold medal in the event.

v. Hammer thrower Manju Bala's medal was upgraded from bronze to silver after a Chinese competitor who finished ahead of her was caught for doping.

vi. With two gold medals coming on Friday, India were placed eighth on the table with a total haul of 57 medals - 11 gold,10 silver and 36 bronze.

6. India Men’s Kabaddi Team bag seventh successive gold in Asian Games,

i. Six-time defending champions India retain the seventh gold medal in Asian Games after they narrowly edge past the determined Iranian side in this rematch of 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

ii. The Indian side got off to the worst possible start of the tournament in Incheon but came back roaring to win the gold medal in the 17th edition of Asian Games.

iii. India beat Iran by 27-25 in this mouth-watering title clash. Earlier, it was the women’s team that made India proud by also wining the gold medal in their match also against Iranian side.

7. Women's kabaddi team bags gold at Asiad

i. The Indian women's kabaddi team notched up its second successive gold medal at the Asian Games, beating Iran 31-21 in the summit clash on Friday.

ii. India thus maintained their supremacy in women's kabaddi, which made its Asiad debut in the previous edition in Guangzhou.

8. Indian women clinch gold in 4x400m relay at Asian Games 2014

i. India continued their stranglehold in women's 4x400m relay event in the Asian Games as its quartet ran a brilliant race to win the gold for the fourth time on the trot in Games record time in the 17th edition in Incheon on Thursday.

ii. The quartet of Priyanka Panwar, Tintu Luka, Mandeep Kaur and M.R. Poovamma won an easy race in 3:28.68 to improve upon the earlier Games record of 3:29.02 which was also in the name of the gold-winning Indian team in 2010.

iii. This was the second gold for India from athletics after Seema Punia bagged the yellow metal in women's discus throw.

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