Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Quick Gyan (QG) Section of D2G. QG is just a glimpse of what happened today all over the world.

Only For Serious Candidates : We strongly recommend you to read the Current Affairs in detail. For your convenience, we have provided quick links under the updates. Make use of it.

Always Keep Yourself Updated!!!

AWARDS AND HONORS

Mother Teresa conferred with Founders Award posthumously in UK

Mother Teresa has been posthumously conferred with the UK’s prestigious Founders Award this year which is given to recognise and reward exemplary achievements of people within the global Asian community.

• Teresa, who will be made a saint on September 4, founded the Missionaries of Charity and spent 45 years serving the poor, the sick, the orphaned, and the dying on the streets of Kolkata.
• She died at the age of 87 in Kolkata in 1997.
• The Founders Award at the 6th Asian Awards takes place in the UK to recognise and reward exemplary achievement within the global Asian community across 14 categories that include business, philanthropy, entertainment, culture and sport.
• The Asian awards was launched in 2010 by Paul Sagoo, entrepreneur and founder of the Lemon group.

Quick Link – UK’s prestigious Founders Award

Khadija Ismayilova selected for 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative journalist from Azerbaijan, has been chosen to receive the 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

• An independent international jury of media professionals recommended Ms Ismayilova in recognition of her outstanding contribution to press freedom in difficult circumstances.
• Ms Ismayilova, a freelance journalist and contributor to the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe, was detained in December 2014, and, in September 2015, was sentenced to seven and a half years’ imprisonment on charges relating to abuse of power and tax evasion.
• The Prize will be awarded during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, hosted by Finland this year.

Quick Link – 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano

BANKING AND FINANCE

Bharti Airtel get payments bank licence from RBI

Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd (AMSL), a unit of Bharti Airtel Ltd, said it secured a payments bank licence. Payments banks will offer basic savings, deposit, payment and remittance services to people without access to the formal banking system. Bharti Airtel will set up the payments bank in partnership with Kotak Mahindra Bank, which holds 19.9% stake in AMSL.

AMSL was incorporated in April 2010. It is in the business of providing the service of semi-closed prepaid instrument and offers services under the ‘Airtel Money’ brand name. Total revenue of AMSL in 2014-15 was Rs.121.4 crore, up from Rs.42.6 crore in the previous financial year, according to disclosures made by Kotak Mahindra in February when the purchase of stake in AMSL was concluded.

Quick Link – Bharti Airtel

APPOINTMENTS

Kohli becomes brand ambassador of Futsal league

Virat Kohli has joined the recently-announced Premier Futsal football league as its brand ambassador. Premier Futsal was launched amid much fanfare last week and Kohli, who has been the face of Indian Cricket over the last few years, will now lend his name to Futsal, the newer, shorter 5-a-side variant of soccer. His announcement as brand ambassador follows the unveiling of soccer legend Luis Figo as Premier Futsal’s president last week, marking another major coup for the league as it heads into its inaugural season.

Premier Futsal is set to take place in India from July 15th to July 24th with each game split into two halves of 20 minutes each. Over 50 International Futsalers, from four Continents and 21 countries are expected to participate.

Quick Link – Kohli as brand ambassador Futsal league

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Sajibu Cheiraoba festival celebrated in Manipur

The traditional festival of Sajibu Cheiraoba was celebrated in Manipur to mark the beginning of a new year with cultural gusto and religious fervor. The festival is mainly observed on the first lunar day of the lunar month Sajibu (March/April) by the Meiteis community, a majority ethnic group of Manipur. On this day, people arrange a joint family feast in which traditional cuisines are offered to local deities at the entrance gates of the houses.

After meals, people start climb the Cheiraoching located in Chingmeirong or tops of nearby hills in the afternoon to offer prayers. As per belief they think that it would elevate them to greater heights in their worldly life.

Quick Link – Sajibu Cheiraoba

Rajasthan becomes the first state to pass land title Bill

Rajasthan has become the first state to pass land title bill. State Assembly passed the Rajasthan Urban Land (Certification of Titles) Bills 2016. It means the state residents living in urban areas, which are governed by the municipalities or state development authorities, can seek a certificate of ownership of their lands by paying a nominal fee to the state government.

The state government will set up an authority which will be headed by an Indian Administrative Service Officer. It will seek all the documents from the landowners, and will verify it against records held by the state. The authority will first issue a provisional certificate, for which the state will not stand guarantee. If there are no objections or dispute arises, the authority will issue a certificate and a map to the owner with state guarantee.

This Bill will give a clear title to the owner and will reduce litigations in the courts. This is seen as one of the key steps towards land reforms.

The IIT-Kharagpur has won an award the by the Indian government for being the top academic institute for patents in 2016.

• IIT-Kharagpur director Partha Pratim Chakraborty said they have received a letter from the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry saying the institute has been awarded the prize for ‘Top Academic Institute for Patents 2016′.
• The award will be given on April 26 in Delhi by Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman at a function jointly organised for the celebration of World Intellectual Property Day by the Indian Intellectual Property office.
• The Indian Intellectual property office confers national intellectual property awards on outstanding innovators, organisations and companies in the fields of patents, designs, trademarks, and geographical indications on the occasion of World IP Day every year.

Quick Link – National IP Award

Govt approves India’s first pod taxi project in Gurgaon

The Union Government has given nod for setting up India’s first personal rapid transit (PRT) network for Gurgaon, Haryana.

• As per the reports, the groundwork to roll the country’s first Metrino Pod project is being laid by the National Highways Authority of India.
• The final approval of the project by the government was recently announced by Public Works (Building and Roads) Minister, Rao Narbir Singh.
• The financing for this ‘completely private project’ will be made by the private company that sets up the personal rapid transit in the region.
• This pilot project will cover a stretch of 13 kilometres from the Gurgaon-Delhi border to Badshapur Mod on Sohna Road with a total of 16 stations. For this, a budget of Rs 850 crore has been estimated.

Quick Link – PRT

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

WTO cuts 2016 global trade forecast to 2.8%

The World Trade Organization has revised its 2016 global trade forecast downward by more than one percentage point, warning that a slowdown in China and broad market volatility continued to threaten growth. In September, the WTO estimated that global trade would rise by 3.9 per cent this year, but lowered that projection to 2.8 per cent, in an updated forecast.

The WTO listed “a sharper-than-expected slowing in China (and) worsening financial market volatility” as factors that could further suppress global trade this year. The organisation predicted that global trade would tick upwards by 3.6 per cent in 2017, on the back of increased demand for imported goods in Asia.

Quick Link – WTO 2016

World Bank launches ambitious Climate Change Action Plan

The World Bank has unveiled an ambitious climate action plan that will help developing countries add 30 gigawatts of renewable energy, bring early warning systems to a hundred million people and develop climate-smart agriculture investment plans for at least 40 nations.

• The target for achieving this is 2020, officials said as they released details of the Climate Change Action Plan, which comes just two weeks before world leaders officially sign the landmark Paris Agreement in New York.
• To maximise impact, the World Bank Action Plan is focused on helping countries shape national policies and leverage private sector investment.
• International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, aims to expand its climate investments from the current $2.2 billion a year to a goal of $3.5 billion a year, and leverage an additional $13 billion a year in private sector financing by 2020.
• Apart from its own financing, the World Bank also intends to mobilise $25 billion in commercial financing for clean energy over the next five years.

Quick Link – Climate Change Action Plan

Pakistan successfully test-fires anti-ship Zarb missile

Pakistan Navy has successfully test-fired shore-based anti-ship missile ‘Zarb‘, bolstering its defence mechanism. The missile was launched from a coastal site and successfully hit the surface target in the Arabian Sea. Naval chief Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah said the launch of new missile system was part of Pakistan Navy’s continuous effort to enhance its capabilities. He termed the successful test as hallmark of Pakistan Navy’s preparedness.

Zarb missile was formally inducted into Pakistan’s Navy defence system soon after its successful launch. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zakaullah termed the missile’s successful test as an addition into PN’s strategic power against the enemy and said that Pakistan Navy will continue its efforts to modernise itself to meet defence and security challenges of present day maritime world.

Quick Link – Zarb

FOREIGN RELATIONS

North East-ASEAN Business Summit kicks off in Imphal

The first-ever North East-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit kicked off in Imphal, Manipur with the focus on road connectivity, trade and tourism. The two day summit has been organized by Manipur Commerce and Industries Department (MCID) in collaboration with the Union Ministries of External Affairs and Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), Indian Chamber of Commerce(ICC) and Indian Chamber of Service Industries(ICSI).

The Summit aims at attracting investment from both domestic and foreign firms to the North-Eastern states to increase productivity and generate employment in the region.

Quick Link – North East-ASEAN

India, Maldives sign six agreements in different sectors

India and Maldives have signed six agreements in different sectors including avoidance of double taxation, conservation and restoration of ancient mosque, tourism and defence.

• The agreements were signed after comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
• The two sides inked a pact for avoidance of double taxation of income derived from International Air Transport.
• The agreement seeks to avoid double taxation of income derived from international air transport.
• Both sides signed an agreement for the exchange of information with respect to taxes.

Quick Link – India and Maldives signed six agreements

SPORTS

Lee Chong Wei wins 2016 Malaysian Open title of Badminton

Malaysia’s badminton star Lee Chong Wei won his 11th Malaysian Open title, a much-needed boost for his pursuit of a still-elusive Olympic gold medal.

• Lee cruised to victory with a flurry of devastating smashes against world number one Chen Long from China, beating him 21-13, 21-8 in a match that lasted 42 minutes.
• The world number four shuttler was in fine form for the Malaysian competition after suffering early exits in the All England Championships and India Open in March.
• Chen called Lee a role model for young Malaysian shuttlers and said he was happy to have qualified for the final.

Quick Link – Malaysian Open title

OBITUARY

Vetran Journalist Yogendra Bali Passes Away

Veteran journalist and author Yogendra Bali died after a brief illness. He was 86 and is survived by wife Vijay and daughters Kalika and Purva. The last rites are to be performed at the Lodhi Road electric crematorium here at 7 p.m.
In his long career, Bali served The Times of India as its roving correspondent till retirement.

• He was also associated with a number of newspapers and publications: The Tribune, Current Weekly, Probe, Sunday Mail, The Day After, Asia Defence News International and Mastana Jogi.
• Bali was a member of the general council of the Lalit Kala Akademi and a member of its committees on Art Education, Publications, the Triennele and International Exhibitions.
• The books authored by him include ‘The Communal Bogey‘ with foreword by late prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, ‘Chandra Shekhar: A Political Biography,’ ‘Pawan Chamling: Daring To Be Different,’ and ‘Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji and Freedom Movement of India‘.

Quick Link – Yogendra Bali Passes Away

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