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
Renowned Indologist David Shulman awarded Israel Prize
Renowned Indologist Professor David Shulman has been awarded the prestigious Israel Prize for his breakthrough studies in fields like religion and philosophy. Prof. Shulman introduced the field of India studies to Israeli academia and the general public, acting as a sort of ambassador for Indian civilisation in Israel. Professor Shulman of Hebrew University of Jerusalem had done breakthrough studies on the religion, literature, and culture of southern India. He is an internationally renowned expert in this field, and his work is enhanced by his command of a wide range of languages, including Sanskrit, Tamil, Telegu and Malayalam.
Quick Link – Israel Prize
Fallout 4 wins game of the year award
Bethesda’s Fallout 4 has won Game of the Year at the DICE Awards, the equivalent of the Oscars of gaming. The announcement was made at the Pete Holmes-hosted affair at The Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Although Bethesda took home the most awards, there was plenty of love for small-budget games as well. The Microsoft-exclusive Ori and the Blind Forest took home three awards for music, animation and art direction. Rocket League beat out heavy hitters like FIFA 2016 and NBA 2K16 to take home best sports game, and was also the winner of the Sprite award, which honors games with a low budget and big impact.
Quick Link – Fallout 4
APPOINTMENTS
Amit Mitra named chairman of GST committee of state FMs
West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra has been named the new chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST). He will succeed Kerala Finance Minister KM Mani who had to resign in November over corruption charges. Mitra, an economist who for long was Secretary General of industry association FICCI before joining politics in 2011 and becoming a minister in the TMC government in West Bengal, was elected at the meeting of state finance ministers that was also attended by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Quick Link – Amit Mitra
BANKING AND FINANCE
SBI opens ‘Japan Desk’ in New Delhi
Banking Giant State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a new initiative called ‘Japan Desk’, a first-of-its-kind initiative to facilitate Japanese corporates looking to invest in India with banking and advisory services. This SBI Japan Desk will serve as an one-point comprehensive and reliable information support source for India-bound investments of Japanese companies. Through the Japan Desk, SBI aims to be the window for inbound Japanese investments in India and vice-versa. The Japan Desk — to be based in New Delhi — will facilitate in the establishment of banking relationship with Japanese corporates and Japanese nationals, provide information on industries, sectors etc.
Quick Link – Japan Desk
World Bank to support Rajasthan on energy reforms
The World Bank has decided to lend support to the Rajasthan government on energy reforms. The decision was taken at a meeting between World Banks country director in India, Onno Ruhl and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The Rajasthan CM underlined the importance of ongoing projects on rural development, including the Jal Swablamban Abhiyan, and other new technologies in Agriculture, Skill Development and Tourism, and urged the WB official to provide support to these schemes too.
Quick Link – World bank – Rajasthan
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Playing It My Way enters Limca Book of records
Cricket Legend and Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography, Playing It My Way, has entered the Limca Book of Records in the category of best-selling books across both fiction and non-fiction categories with 1,50,289 copies sold on order subscriptions. The book has been published by Hachette India in the year 2014 with Boria Majumdar as the co-author of the book. The book’s orders, on day one, already saw it pulling ahead of both pre-order and lifetime sales of the world’s top adult hardbacks Dan Brown’s Inferno, Walter Issacson’s Steve Jobs and JK Rowling’s Casual Vacancy.
Quick Link – Playing It My Way
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Google Project Loon’s Internet balloon
Google’s balloon-powered high-speed internet service known as ‘Project Loon’ began its first tests in Sri Lanka. One of three balloons that will be used in the trials entered Sri Lankan airspace. It is said that Google’s team of engineers will arrive in Sri Lanka over the coming days to conduct feasibility testing and work around flight technicalities. In return for getting spectrum for the balloons, Sri Lankan government will have a 25% stake in Project Loon. Another 10% will be distributed among the local telecom operators.
Quick Link – Project Loon
World Bank pledges to give $150 Million to fight Zika Virus
A team led by an Indian-origin scientist in US has discovered a new kind of 2D semiconducting material for electronics that opens the door for much speedier computers and smartphones that consume a lot less power. The semiconductor, made of the elements tin and oxygen, or tin monoxide (SnO), is a layer of 2D material only one atom thick, allowing electrical charges to move through it much faster than conventional 3D materials such as silicon.
Quick Link – $150 Million to fight Zika Virus
US imposes more sanctions against North Korea
US President Barack Obama has signed legislation imposing new sanctions against North Korea in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests. The bill calls for imposing mandatory sanctions on anyone assisting Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs, cyber attacks and human rights abuses. The expanded sanctions are designed to deny North Korea the money it needs to develop miniaturized nuclear warheads and the long-range missiles needed to deliver them. The measure also authorizes $50 million over five years to transmit radio broadcasts into North Korea and support humanitarian assistance programs.
Quick Link – US Sanctions against North Korea
China to ban foreign firms from “online publishing”
China is to ban foreign firms from “online publishing” under new rules issued this week, as the country increasingly seeks to minimise Western influence. Chinese websites are already among the world’s most censored, with Beijing blocking many foreign Internet services with a system known as the “Great Firewall of China”.
Regulations posted on a government website, set to go into force next month, state that foreign firms “are not to engage in online publishing”. The regulations define online publishing as the provision over the Internet of books, maps, music, cartoons, computer games and “thoughtful text”, as well as other content.
Quick Link – Online Publishing China
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Indian origin scientist discovers fast Tin Monoxide conductor
A team led by an Indian-origin scientist in US has discovered a new kind of 2D semiconducting material for electronics that opens the door for much speedier computers and smartphones that consume a lot less power. The semiconductor, made of the elements tin and oxygen, or tin monoxide (SnO), is a layer of 2D material only one atom thick, allowing electrical charges to move through it much faster than conventional 3D materials such as silicon.
Quick Link – Tin Monoxide conductor
Skype launches group video calls on phones
Microsoft has officially rolled out its group video calling feature in Skype after a very long wait. The feature is not new though, as many smartphone users are familiar with such apps and websites that offer group video chat. The company has officially that they’re going to begin rolling out an update to Skype for iOS and Android that will support group video calling. They’ve also added a number of features, such as increasing the number of people that can be involved in the group call from five to 25 people. There’s also a flexible interface. The user can choose a grid or a focus view, which automatically focuses on the person that’s speaking.
Quick Link – Skype Group Calls
OBITUARY
Veteran vocalist Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan passes away
Veteran Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan passed away in Kolkata due to old age problems at the age of 107. Khan, the oldest performing musician, was awarded a Padma Bhushan in 2013. Born in a family of musicians of the Gwalior ‘gharana’, Rashid Khan received his initial training from his father Chhote Yusuf Khan and uncle Bade Yusuf Khan as also other elders from the family. Khan has written some 2,000 poems and used to write under the pseudonym of ‘Rasan Piya’.
Quick Link – Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan Passes away
Thank you 🙂 🙂 🙂
