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!!!
BANKING AND FINANCE
India likely to grow at 7.9% in 2016-17 : CRISIL
According to Crisil Research, Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.9 per cent in the fiscal starting April, lower than earlier forecast of 8.1 per cent. Crisil noted that the economy’s modest recovery has been shaped by good luck on crude oil and commodities, and a supportive policy environment. While this is expected to continue, India cannot afford to be third-time unlucky with rains.
Quick Link – India at 7.9 % in 2016-17
INDIAN AFFAIRS
JP Nadda launches the National Framework for Elimination of Malaria
JP Nadda, the Health Minister has launched the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030, which outlines India’s strategy for elimination of the disease by 2030. The Minister stated that the NFME document clearly defines goals, objectives, strategies, targets and timelines and will serve as a roadmap for advocating and planning malaria elimination in the country in a phased manner.
Quick Link – JP Nadda launches NFME
Coca Cola stops manufacturing in 3 Indian Plants
Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd, the largest bottler of Coca-Cola India, has stopped production at its bottling plant at Kaladera near Jaipur (Rajasthan), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Brynihat (Meghalaya). Hindustan Coca-Cola is part of the company’s Bottling Investments Group (BIG) that packages, sells and distributes non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink beverages.
Quick Link – Cola stops manufacturing in 3 Indian Plants
India ranked second last in US Chamber IP Index
The US Chamber of Commerce has released its 4th annual International IP Index -Infinite Possibilities- which measured the IP environment in India alongside 37 other economies. The Chamber has placed India at number 37 out of the 38 countries analysed with regard to international best practices, with only Venezuela scoring lower. The index, produced by the Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC), found that India’s score was largely unchanged while blaming that the patent protection in India remains outside of international best practices. Indian law does not provide adequate enforcement mechanisms to effectively combat online piracy.
Quick Link – India at number 37 in IP index
Facebook shuts down Free Basics in India
After TRAI’s decision on discriminatory pricing, Facebook has announced that it has scrapped its controversial Free Basics initiative from India. Recently TRAI issued regulations in favour of net neutrality ruling against differential pricing and also said that a per day penalty of Rs 50,000 will be levied for discriminatory tariffs charged by service providers, subject to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh. Facebook had met with severe criticism for its programme, which aimed at providing basic Internet access to people in partnership with telecom operators. Facebook had met a backlash in India from “net neutrality” advocates, who say that because Free Basics only allows access to selected websites it violates the principle that the entire Internet should be available to everyone on equal terms.
Quick Link – F b shuts free basics in India
India’s gold demand up by 2.5% in 2015 : WGC
According to the World Gold Council’s (WGC) Gold Demand Trends report, India remained cautious on gold buying in 2015 as demand remained nearly flat at 848.9 tonnes compared to the previous year. The demand in 2014 was 828.5 tonnes. In 2015, gold demand was valued at Rs 2,02,910 crore as against Rs 2,05,750 crore in 2014. Demand for gold has once again proven resilient in the face of a range of challenges, underlining the role of gold as an essential component of households’ savings and reinforcing the need to bring gold into the financial infrastructure.
Quick Link – Gold demand by 2.5%
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Russia proposes Syria Truce by March
World powers pressed Russia to stop bombing around Aleppo in support of a Syrian government offensive to recapture the city. Secretary of State John Kerry is pushing for a ceasefire and more aid access to Aleppo, where rebel-held areas are being cut off and the United Nations has warned a new humanitarian disaster could be on the way. Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said the government expected a tough but relatively short battle to return the city to state control. Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Russian air strikes were being undertaken in a “transparent manner” and some Security Council members had “crossed the line” by politically exploiting humanitarian issues.
Quick Link – Russia proposes Syria
Obama administration proposes $860 million in aid for Pakistan
The Obama administration has proposed $860 million in aid for Pakistan, including $265 million for military hardware, which it said would help the country fight terrorists, secure nuclear weapons and improve ties with India. While there was no mention of Pakistan in President Barack Obama’s budgetary proposals, Secretary of State John Kerry in his proposals said the budget includes $859.8 million towards sustaining ties with Pakistan and making progress to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat violent extremist groups“.
Quick Link – Obama administration has proposed $860 million in aid for Pakistan
YouTube launches its first original movies and series
YouTube has launched its first original movies and series’ exclusively for YouTube Red subscribers. In an aim to compete with the likes of Amazon and Netflix, YouTube has decided to play the subscription game, and give its paying subscribers a selection of content just for them. The first videos are now live, and have been developed in conjunction with some of the company’s best stars; Lilly Singh, Rooster Teeth, PewDiePie and AwesomenessTV.
Quick Link – YouTube has launched its first original movies
NATO and EU sign agreement on Cyber Defence Cooperation
NATO and the European Union have signed an agreement to improve cooperation in cyber defence. The technical agreement, signed at NATO headquarters, establishes a framework for emergency response teams from NATO and the EU to exchange information and share best practices. Since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, NATO and the EU, which have 22 member countries in common, have accelerated cooperation in a number of defense-related fields.
Quick Link – NATO and EU sign agreement
FOREIGN RELATIONS
UAE to store crude oil in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) will store crude oil in India’s 1.5 million tonnes-Mangalore strategic petroleum reserve using it as a wholesale storage capacity. India, which is 79 per cent dependent on imports to meet its crude oil needs, is building underground storage facilities at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka to store about 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil to guard against global price shocks and supply disruptions.
Quick Link – UAE to store crude oil
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Three IT enabled Applications for railways launched
The Minister said the handheld terminals launched in Northern Railways will enable TTEs to update an entire train’s passenger list and highlight vacant berths which can be sent back to HHT application servers, the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) terminals and indianrail.gov website to be viewed. The unreserved ticketing mobile application ‘UTSONMOBILE’ was launched in South Central Railway. The APP was developed with the help of Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). The application was earlier launched in select sectors of South, Western, Northern, Eastern and Central Railways.
Quick Link – Three IT enabled -CRIS
OBITUARY
Siachen Survivor Hanamanthappa passes away
Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, who was battling for his life at the Army’s Research & Referral hospital in New Delhi, has passed away. He was admitted at the hospital on February 9th morning and was on ventilator since. His condition steadily deteriorated due to multiple organ failure. The soldier of 19 Madras Regiment was rescued alive on Monday night (February 8th) after being buried under 35 feet of snow for six days. He was flown to Delhi in an Air Force aircraft. The avalanche had buried their camp on February 3.
Quick Link – Hanamanthappa passes away
Aurobindo Mukherjee & Kailash Yadav are no more
Veteran film director Aurobindo Mukherjee passed away at the age of 97. Mukherjee was ailing from geriatric problems for some time. Mukherjee was the maker of cult Bengali classics like ‘Agniswar’, ‘Mouchak’ and ‘Nishipadma’ — all starring matinee idol Uttam Kumar — in the early 70s. Mukherjee had also discovered a young Jaya Bhaduri — who would later become famous as a Bollywood actress and marry superstar Amitabh Bachchan — in ‘Dhanyee Meye’ in 1971.
Uttar Pradesh minister Kailash Yadav passed away at Medanta hospital in Gurgaon after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. The minister of state for panchayati raj, he was a three-term legislator from Jangipur in Ghazipur. Kailash Yadav was also a minister in the Mulayam Singh Yadav cabinet between 2003-2007 and was very close to the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief.
Quick Link – Aurobindo Mukherjee & Kailash Yadav are no more
Thank you 🙂 🙂 🙂
