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 HONOURS
President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Infosys Prize 2015
President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Infosys Prize 2015 on six winners in New Delhi. The awards were received by Prof Umesh Waghmare, Prof Jonardon Ganeri, Dr Amit Sharma, Prof Mahan Mj, Prof G Ravindra Kumar and Dr Srinath Raghavan. The prestigious prize, established in 2009, is given in six categories. The six categories are – Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences.
Quick Link – Infosys Prize 2015
Taylor Swift wins Album of The Year for 1989
Taylor Swift has taken home the 2016 award for Album of The Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards for her 2014 album 1989. Album of The Year is the most prestigious award in the music industry, and it’s Taylor’s second Album of the Year win (she first won in 2010 for Fearless.) Swift, who also opened the night’s award ceremony with a performance of the 1989 track “Out of the Woods” accepted the award. Swift pointed out in her speech that she is the first woman to win album of the year twice.
Quick Link – Taylor Swift
BANKING AND FINANCE
PNB declared United Breweries a wilful defaulter
UB Group holding company United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd said that Punjab National Bank has declared the company as a “willful defaulter”. On 13 November 2015, State Bank of India (SBI) had declared United Breweries and Mallya as wilful defaulters, though the company had filed a writ petition against the same in the Delhi high court. The willful defaulter tag in connection with the loan taken by the company for the now grounded airline Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. Kingfisher Airlines’ operating licence was suspended in October 2012 by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, following a strike by the airline’s employees. Overall exposure of lenders is Rs.6,360 crore, which increases to about Rs.7,000 crore, adding unapplied interest.
Quick Link – PNB declared wilful defaulter
INDIAN AFFAIRS
India asks Vodafone to pay taxes or face seizure
India said it may seize Vodafone Group Plc’s assets in the country if the company doesn’t pay a disputed Rs.14,200 crore tax bill that’s still undergoing international arbitration proceedings. Vodafone has disputed the tax bill levied by Indian authorities over its 2007 purchase of the India business of Hutchison. The telecom giant bought a majority stake in the mobile company from Li Ka Shing Holdings through a subsidiary based in the Netherlands. The $11.2 billion transaction was routed through Cayman Islands, and Vodafone said it did not owe the Indian government any taxes for the deal since it was conducted offshore.
Quick Link – Vodafone Group Plc’s assets
PF interest rate hiked to 8.8% for 2015-16
The government of India has increased the PF interest rate to 8.8 per cent for the ongoing financial year ended March 2016 from 8.75 per cent earlier. EPFO has been paying 8.75 per cent interest rate for the last two fiscals to its 5 crore organised sector subscribers. A final decision on the hike in PF rates was taken at a meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) in Chennai. The CBT includes representatives from the government, employers and employees.
Quick Link – PF 8.75 to 8.8%
India test fires Prithvi II missile in Odisha
India has successfully test fired its indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile from Chandipur off the Odisha coast. The medium range missile is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines. As part of a user trial, the missile with a strike range of 350 km, the surface-to-surface Prithvi-II test was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range.
Quick Link – Prithvi-II
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Diamond worth $20 million discovered in Africa
An Australian company unearthed a massive 404-carat diamond in Angola valued at as much as $14 million. It is the biggest diamond ever found in Angola. Lucapa chairman Miles Kennedy said it was a huge achievement. The company claimed the diamond was the largest found on record in the southern African nation as well as the biggest diamond found by an Australian miner. Angola is the fourth largest diamond-producing nation by value.
Quick Link – Diamond worth $20 million
Pakistan province passes Hindu marriage Bill
The Sindh Assembly of Pakistan has passed the Hindu Marriage Bill 2015, thus becoming the first province in the country to allow the minority community to register their marriages. Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro moved the bill, which will apply to entire Sindh province, which has a sizeable population of Hindus. During the discussion on the bill, he said it was the first time since the creation of Pakistan that such a bill was being passed.
Quick Link – Pakistan passed Hindu Marriage Bill 2015
FOREIGN RELATIONS
India and Sweden signs MoU on Technical Cooperation in Rail
Indian Railways has joined hands with Sweden for technical cooperation in rail sector to run goods trains in cold conditions. Besides railways also aims to acquire Swedish expertise to run semi-high speed train on existing tracks. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Railways and the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation of Sweden on technical cooperation in rail sector. MoU envisages upgradation of technology to preserve commodities during adverse weather in freight operation.
Quick Link – India and Sweden with Technical Cooperation in Rail
OBITUARY
Noted music director Rajamani passes away
Popular southern composer Rajamani has passed away at the age of 60 due to sudden cardiac arrest. Born into a family of Carnatic musicians, Rajamani’s first tryst with music happened when he accompanied his father B.A. Chidambaranath on a devotional album “Gangayar Pirakkunnu”. He was just 13 years old. Besides learning Carnatic music, Rajamani also dabbled in Western and Hindustani music. His first independent venture was 1983 Tamil film “Gramathu Kiligal”, followed by “Kalloori Kanavugal” in the same year.
Quick Link – Rajamani passes away
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