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 & HONOURS
UNICEF presented David Beckham with Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership Award
Football Player David Beckham has been conferred with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership Award at the sixth biennial UNICEF Ball in Los Angeles. Sir Elton John and David Furnish presented the award to Beckham at the black-tie gala event, honouring him for his tireless work to save and improve the lives of children around the world. The 40-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid winger received the award for his work in helping children through his Seven Foundation.
Quick Link-UNICEF
Subhashini Vasanth honoured with Neerja Bhanot Award
The Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust will be conferring the Neerja Bhanot award on Subhashini Vasanth of Bengaluru in Chandigarh. The award will be presented by Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, who is playing the lead role in biopic “Neerja”. The trust said that “This is the 24th year of the annual award which comprises Rs 1,50,000, a citation and a trophy.”
Quick Link-Neerja Bhanot Award
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Sikkim Becomes India’s First Fully Organic State
Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic state by converting around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land into sustainable cultivation. In Sikkim around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land was gradually converted to certified organic land by implementing organic practices and principles as per guidelines laid down in National Programme for Organic Production. It was 12 years ago in 2003 when the Pawan Chamling-led government decided to make Sikkim an organic farming state through a declaration in the legislative assembly.
Quick Link – Sikkim
Aadhaar not mandatory for DBT scheme, clarifies RBI
RBI in its statement said the use of Aadhaar cards and seeding of bank accounts with those numbers are purely voluntary and not mandatory on the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme. In view of the Supreme Court’s interim orders dated August 11, 2015 and October 15, 2015. In July 2013, RBI had asked banks to take steps to complete account opening and seeding Aadhaar numbers in all DBT districts.
Quick Link – Aadhar
Now, generate your rent receipts online to claim HRA benefits
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has changed the languages and also redefined many of its terms to Cleartax.in, the online tax filing platform has launched an auto rent receipt generator for its users. It is a free-to-use product that automates the generation of rental receipts and assists individuals in submitting their House Rent Allowance (HRA) proofs to their employers. Now, there is no need to run around to get tax receipts to claim the HRA benefits anymore. One can generate them online now.
Quick Link – HRA benefits
Indian diaspora population largest in the world at 16 million: UN
India has the largest diaspora population in the world, at 16 million, the United Nations has said in its newly released survey on migration trends. The survey, which looked at people residing in a country other than their that of their birth, also revealed that 244 million people were living as international migrants in 2015, a 41% increase from 2000. Of the 244 million, 20 million are refugees.
Quick Link – India
Indian Army to conduct multi-national military exercise in March
Indian Army is set to conduct one of the largest multi-national military exercises for the first time which will see participation of 18 ASEAN Plus countries. The week-long exercise code named as Ex-Force Eighteen will be held in Pune beginning from March 2. The Field Training Exercise or FTX will see participation of over 360 personnel.
Quick Link –Indian Army
Government targets road safety audit of 3,000 km of highways in 2016
The government on January 14 said it will conduct road safety audit of 3,000 km of central and state highways this year, to avoid increasing accidents. India accounts for 5 lakh road accidents annually in which 1.5 lakh people die and another 3 lakh are crippled for life. The loss due to this is equivalent to 3 per cent of the GDP of the country.
According Road Secretary Sanjay Mitra when he was speaking at a seminar jointly organised by Road Ministry and International Road Federation (IRF) as part of the ongoing National Road Safety Week.
Quick Link – Government
FIPB clears 5 FDI proposals worth Rs 6,050 cr, Cadila gets nod
The Government has approved five Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposals worth Rs.6,050.10 crore, including ones from pharmaceutical companies Cadila Healthcare and Recipharm. The approvals are based on the recommendations of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) at its meeting last month. The biggest proposal to get the nod was from Cadila amounting to Rs.5,000 crore. The company was given approval for the transfer of its 99.90 per cent shares currently held by an NRI to Wellness Technology and Media Private Ltd, UK.
Quick Link –FIPB
SBI enters wealth management space; opens branch for start-ups
State Bank of India has became the first public sector lender to launch wealth management service, a space dominated by private and foreign players, to cater to fast-growing affluent segment of the country.
The bank also inaugurated a dedicated branch for start-ups which will provide advisory services to the budding entrepreneurs. The wealth management offering – ‘SBI Exclusif’ and the start-up branch – ‘SBI InCube’ were rolled out in Bengaluru.
Quick link- SBI
GOI and WB sign agreement for Neeranchal National Watershed Project
The Government of India has signed a loan agreement with World Bank for the Neeranchal National Watershed Project. The project to be implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development over a six-year period (2016-21) will support the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana in hydrology and water management, agricultural production systems, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation. The Neeranchal project was approved by the cabinet in October 2015 with a total budget outlay of Rs.2142 crore with the Government share of Rs.1071 crore and the rest 50% by the World Bank
Quick Link- WB
Kerala becomes 1st state in country to achieve 100% primary education
Kerala has become the first state in the country to achieve total primary education. Through its literacy programme Athulyam, which was carried out in two phases after being launched in March 2013, the state aimed at educating those who had been unable to complete their primary education up to fourth standard. The programme was meant to provide primary school education to people aged between 15 and 50. In June 2015, 2.6 lakh people took the fourth standard equivalency exam and 2.2 lakh qualified. Examinations were held in 6,613 centres and the qualifying score was set at 30/75 in English and 20/50 in other subjects.
Quick Link- Kerela
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
State Bank of India opens first branch in South Korea
India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has opened its first branch in South Korea. The Seoul branch is expected to play an important role in strengthening economic partnership between the two nations, the bank’s Managing Director B Sriram said in a statement. With over 135 branches across many geographies, SBI has the largest presence in foreign markets among domestic banks. The branch will offer a range of services to corporates in trade finance, bilateral and syndicated loans and corporate deposits etc, apart from retail banking.
Quick Link – State Bank of India
Aadhaar ID saving Indian govt about $1 billion per annum: World Bank
The World Bank has said that India’s Aadhaar ID will save the government $1 billion annually by curbing corruption. India’s Aadhaar digital identification system has already reached close to one billion people enabling many of the poor to access services more easily and making it possible for government to deliver welfare services more easily. India is close to registering its entire 1.25 billion population usingAadhaar ID, the World Bank said.
Quick Link – Aadhaar ID
WHO declares world’s worst ever Ebola outbreak over
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the Ebola epidemic that has ravaged west Africa for two years was over after Liberia, the last affected country, received the all-clear. One of the most feared diseases in the world, Ebola killed more than 11,000 people across west Africa after it surfaced in southern Guinea in December 2013. At its peak, the tropical haemorrhagic virus devastated Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, scything lives and dealing a hammer blow to weak economies and fragile health systems.
Quick Link – Ebola
SPORT
World Record by Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis Pair
India’s Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis today broke a 22-year-old world record by winning their 29th women’s doubles match in a row en route to their entry into the women’s doubles final of the WTA Sydney International. The World No 1 pair came from behind to beat the pair of Romanian Raluca Olaru and Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 4-6 6-3 10-8 in a closely-fought semi-final.
Quick Link- Sania Mirza
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Nepal proposes 4-member EPG to review agreements with India
Ahead of Nepalese Prime Minister K P Oli’s maiden visit to India next month, the government has proposed formation of a four-member Eminent Persons’ Group or EPG to review the existing bilateral agreements with India including the strategic Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950.
Quick Link –Nepal
OBITUARY
Harry Potter’s ‘Snape’, Alan Rickman, dies of cancer
Alan Rickman, one of the best-loved and most warmly admired British actors of the past 30 years, has died in London aged 69. According to Rickman’s family, the actor had died after a battle with cancer on January 13. Trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Rickman was often cast as the bad guy; with his rich, languid voice he could invest evil with wicked, irresistible relish. It is not yet known what type of cancer the star suffered from, or how long he was secretly battling the illness.
Quick Link – Snape
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