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!!!
APPOINTMENTS
Salman Khan named as Indian contingent’s Goodwill Ambassador for 2016 Rio Olympics
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been named Indian Contingent’s goodwill ambassador for the 2016 Rio Olympics. This is the first time that a Bollywood superstar will be a goodwill ambassador for the national squad for as big an event like the Summer Olympics. The association between Salman Khan and the Indian Olympic Association was facilitated by IOA’s official marketing agency IOS Sports & Entertainment.
Salman, who in Bollywood movies show him as an icon of strength and power, has been seen at Pro-Kabaddi league matches. In July last year, Salman was seen at the match between U Mumba and Puneri Paltan. The Bollywood star has also been linked to the Indian Super League football team FC Pune City.
The 2016 Olympics will be held at the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro from August 5-21.
Quick Link – Salman Khan as Ambassador for 2016 Rio Olympics
Bhupendra Kainthola appointed FTII Director
Bhupendra Kainthola, an Indian Information Service (IIS) officer of 1989 batch, has been appointed as the new Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). This appointment process, which commenced in February 2015, took over a year to finish. Since DJ Narain, former institute director, completed his term in July 2015, the post was being occupied by a part-timer, Prashant Pathrabe, a director with the Press Information Bureau for last nine months.
Kainthola, who holds a Masters in International Relations from the University of Mumbai, is presently serving as Director (News Room) with DD News since January 2015 and has been responsible for ‘management of news operations and output’. Previously, he has worked with PIB, Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP), Directorate of Film Festival (as Director, National Film Awards and Indian Panorama) and Lok Sabha Television.
Quick Link – Bhupendra Kainthola as FTII Director
President nominated 6 eminent personalities to Rajya Sabha
President Pranab Mukherjee nominated of six eminent personalities from different fields to Rajya Sabha following a recommendation of the Union government. President has a provision to nominate 12 members in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) on the recommendation of Union Cabinet as per Article 80 of the Constitution of India. The names of the nominated members who are drawn from fields such as literature, science, sports, art and social service on the advice of the government. The rationale behind the principle of the nomination is to facilitate the representation of eminent professionals and experts who cannot face direct elections.
Quick Link – Personalities to Rajya Sabha
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Mahindra became first Indian company to join EP100 campaign
Automobile giant Mahindra & Mahindra has become the first Indian company to join a global energy campaign led by an international non-profit group that will work with the world’s most influential businesses in setting commitments to double their energy productivity. By signing up to ‘EP100‘ campaign led by ‘The Climate Group‘, the world’s largest manufacturer of tractors has committed to doubling their energy productivity by 2030, a core requirement for any business signing on to the campaign.
Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra will be among the dignitaries, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, French President François Hollande, President of the General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft and UN Messenger of Peace Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio, who will deliver remarks at the opening of the signing ceremony.
Quick Link – EP100
Tata Trusts signs pact with Odisha for Malaria elimination
Tata Trusts has signed a pact with the Odisha government to achieve elimination of Malaria from the state by 2030. As per the MoU, Tata Trusts will be taking mass screenings twice a year in 557 villages in five selected blocks including Bissamcuttack and Muniguda blocks of Rayagada district, Lanjigarh, Thuamulrampur blocks of Kalahandi district and Kotgarh block of Kandhamal district in southern Odisha.
The Centre has committed to eliminate malaria from the country by 2030. If the partnership between Odisha government and Trusts can demonstrate reduction in mortality in Odisha, it will bring down overall prevalence of malaria and incidence in the country. The vision of the partnership is to reduce malaria deaths by 50 per cent in five years and incidence by 40 per cent.
Quick Link – Tata Trusts
GOI notifies new rules to revamp SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has notified new rules to give effect amended Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was amended by Parliament in 2016.
The amendments made stronger provisions for the protection of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from atrocities against them.
Quick Link – SC/ST Act
India’s first online interactive heritage portal Sahapedia launched
The Government of India has launched country’s first online interactive heritage portal named Sahapedia in New Delhi. The web portal is a collaborative knowledge resource on the arts, culture and heritage of India.
- Sahapedia is a not-for-profit society headed by former TCS chairman S. Ramadorai, who currently helms the National Skill Development Agency.
- The major objective of the portal is to inform, educate and act on subjects such as knowledge traditions, visual and material arts, performing arts, literature and languages.
- Making full use of modern design and technology, ‘Sahapedia’ will enable the user to experience the subcontinent’s culture from ancient times till date in a comprehensive manner.
Quick Link – Sahapedia
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Solar Impulse lands in California after Pacific crossing
The solar-powered aeroplane Solar Impulse has landed in Silicon Valley, California, after a three-day flight over the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii. High winds delayed the landing at Moffett Airfield, Mountain View, as pilot Bertrand Piccard flew in a holding pattern off the coast.
Piccard and fellow Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg have been taking turns flying the plane on an around-the-world trip since taking off from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in March 2015. It made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China, Japan and Hawaii. The trans-Pacific leg was the riskiest part of the plane’s global travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.
Quick Link – Solar Impulse
China, Pakistan ink agreement to launch satellite to monitor CPEC projects
China and Pakistan have signed an agreement for the launch of a special satellite to monitor the development of the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. Pakistan and China are working closely and wholeheartedly to implement the CPEC projects in the speediest manner. In this regard, both countries have decided for development and launch of the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) System and launch a satellite in June 2018. The first phase of multibillion dollars CPEC framework will be completed by 2018. The production of 10,000MW under this important initiative will also help overcome the energy crisis by 2018.
Quick Link – CPEC
World Book and Copyright Day – April 23
World Book and Copyright Day is a yearly event on April 23rd, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to promote reading, publishing and copyright. In the United Kingdom, the day is recognized on the first Thursday in March. World Book Day was celebrated for the first time on 23 April 1995.
23 April is a symbolic date for world literature. It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.
To celebrate the love for reading and publishing, book institutions around the world organised seminars and book gifting programmes.
Quick Link – World Book and Copyright Day
India ratified Trade Facilitation Agreement of WTO
India has formally ratified the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) trade facilitation agreement, which aims at easing customs procedures to boost commerce. Commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the move would supplement India’s ongoing reforms to bring in simplification and enhanced transparency in cross-border trade in goods. India’s WTO ambassador Anjali Prasad has handed over the instrument of acceptance to WTO director-general Roberto Azevêdo.
- India is the 76th WTO member to accept the TFA, which will enter into force once two-thirds of WTO 162 members formally accepted the Agreement.
- The TFA was agreed upon at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali in 2013.
- The agreement aims at expediting the movement and clearance of goods, including goods in transit and establishing effective cooperation between customs and other authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues.
Quick Link – India ratified WTO
India, France launch $1 Trillion Potential Solar Programme
India and France have launched a programme with $1 trillion potential to help developing countries harness fully their solar resources for a clean energy. Power Minister Piyush Goyal and French Environment Minister Segolene Royal announced that the solar finance programme that aims to lower the cost of finance and facilitate the flow of more than $1 trillion investment to members of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Ministers and Representatives from over 25 countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Namibia, Uganda, Nigeria, Peru, Djibouti, Surinam, Zambia, Bolivia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Mali, India, USA and France participated in the ISA event.
Quick Link – ISA
ENVIRONMENT
India signed Paris climate agreement along with other 174 nations at UN
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has signed the historic Paris climate agreement along with other 174 nations at a high-level ceremony hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York. The agreement will mark as a significant step that brings developing and developed nations together to combat global warming by working to cut down greenhouse gas emissions.
The agreement will officially come into force when 55 countries — representing 55 percent of global emissions — have signed and ratified the deal. Both the United States and China, which are responsible jointly for 40 percent of global emissions, have said they intend to ratify the deal nationally during 2016.
Quick Link – Paris climate agreement
SPORTS
London Marathon: Jemima Sumgong & Eliud Kipchoge win elite races
Jemima Sumgong recovered from a fall to win the women’s London Marathon as fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge retained the men’s title in the second-fastest time in history. Sumgong, 31, banged her head when tripped by Ethiopian Aselefech Mergia as they approached a water station. She rejoined the leading group before taking her first London title in two hours 22 minutes 58 seconds. Kipchoge, 31, won in 2:03:04, only seven seconds outside the world record. His time has been bettered only by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto, who ran 2:02:57 in 2014 in Berlin, which is acknowledged as a quicker course.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men’s wheelchair race ahead of Britain’s Paralympic champion David Weir in third, while American Tatyana McFadden won the women’s race for a fourth consecutive year. The 36th London Marathon saw an estimated 39,698 runners line up for the 26.2-mile course.
Quick Link – London Marathon
OBITUARY
Papa Wemba: Congo music star dies after collapsing on stage
The influential Congolese musician Papa Wemba has died aged 66 after collapsing during a concert. The musician, whose real name was Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, rose to fame in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa during the 1970s with the band Zaiko Langa Langa, whose guitar-based fusion of Latin and African dance styles inspired a generation of African musicians.
With a new band, Viva La Musica, Wemba moved to Paris in the 1980s and helped popularize Congolese music beyond Africa. He toured in the 1990s with British rock star Peter Gabriel and appears on his “Secret World Live” album.
Quick Link – Papa Wemba Passes away
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