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

GOI announced the National Bravery Awards 2015

GOI announced the National Bravery Awards 2015. Overall, twenty five children (3 girls and 22 boys) were selected for the National Bravery Awards 2015. The Award Winners has been selected by a committee comprised of representatives from various Ministries and Departments, NGOs as well as Office Bearers of Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW). These children will receive National Bravery Awards 2015 from the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on January 24, 2016. Afterwards, these children will participate in the Republic Day parade of India (on January 26, 2016).

Quick Link – National Bravery Awards 2015

APPOINTMENTS

Tata Motors Appoints Guenter Butschek as CEO & MD

Homegrown auto major Tata Motors has announced appointment of ex-Airbus COO Guenter Butschek as its Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, two years after the death of its former MD Karl Slym. Butschek will lead all operations of Tata Motors in India and in international markets, including South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa. Jaguar Land Rover would continue to be managed by its Chief Executive Officer and Director, Ralf Speth, who is also on the Board of Tata Motors.

Quick Link – Guenter Butschek as CEO & MD for TATA

BANKING AND FINANCE

IMF retains India’s economic growth forecast

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has kept India’s growth projection unchanged at 7.3 per cent in the current fiscal and 7.5 per cent in the next, even as it cut world economic outlook to 3.4 per cent for 2016. The update released expects Indian economy to be the fastest among major economies. The IMF has pegged the current year’s growth at 7.3%, same as last year. The global economy is now forecast to grow 3.4% in 2016 and 3.6% in 2017, a reduction in 0.2 percentage point for both the years from the October forecast.

Quick Link – IMF retains in forecast

INDIAN AFFAIRS

“Most Film Friendly State/UT”, a new award

The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced to institute a new award category under the National Film Awards titled – The Most Film Friendly State/UT.  This award will be conferred for the first time at the 63rd National Film Awards to be held on May 3, this year. The award will be conferred by President Pranab Mukherjee. Information and Broadcasting Secretary Arora announced this while delivering his address at the inaugural function for the Public screening of Indian Panorama. The objective of setting up the office was to provide single window clearance to film makers and promote India as a Filming Destination.

Quick Link – State/UT, new award

Jayalalithaa launches ‘Amma Call Centre’ for grievance redressal

Tamil Nadu Chief J Jayalalithaa on January 19 launched a round-the-clock Amma call centre for ensuring fast response to grievances, aimed at quick delivery of government services. The ‘Amma Call Centre’, which will work all through the year, was launched by the Chief Minister here through video-conferencing. Jayalalithaa is fondly addressed as ‘Amma’ (mother) by her supporters and her government is already running many initiatives named after her, including the hugely popular ‘Amma Canteens’ which provide subsidised food, and ‘Amma Mineral Water’, among others.

Quick Link – Amma Call Centre

Bombay Stock Exchange launches algorithm trading test

BSE Ltd has launched a new service for algorithm trading test environment in partnership with Symphony Fintech Solutions Pvt Ltd. The service will enable all market participants to test their trading algorithms in equity, equity derivatives and currency derivatives segments free of cost. The members will be able to test their trading strategies with live market data feed during market hours and historical market data. Algorithm trading uses mathematical models and software codes to make transaction decisions on exchanges and execute them at high speed.

Quick Link – Algorithm Trading Test

Ministry of Shipping initiates Project Green Ports

The Ministry of Shipping has started ‘Project Green Ports’ which will help in making the Major Ports across India cleaner and greener. ‘Project Green Ports’ will have two verticals – one is ‘Green Ports Initiatives’ related to environmental issues and second is ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’.

Quick Link – Green Ports

Delhi government launches DVAT BILL app to boost tax collection

In order to boost Delhi government’s tax collection and bring in transparency, deputy chief minister Manish Siodia has launched ‘DVAT BILL’ app and said that people can play an important role in governance through this mobile application. The software has been developed by Delhi government’s Trade and Taxes department. Through this app, people can become a “VAT Inspectors.”

Quick Link – DVAT BILL app for tax

To fight China’s Andaman and Nicobar forays, India deploys submarine hunters

With Chinese nuclear and conventional submarine hunters regularly popping up in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), India now begun to deploy its latest long-range maritime patrol aircraft as well as spy drones at its forward military base in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to defence ministry two of the country’s most potent submarine hunters/killers, the naval Poseidon-8I aircraft, are just about to complete their first-ever two-week deployment to the strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. Navy and IAF are also deploying their (Israeli) Searcher-II unmanned aerial vehicles to the islands on a temporary basis.

Quick Link – Andaman & Nicobar forays in India deploys hunters

Flipkart invests in parenting social network Tinystep

Tinystep, India’s first parenting social network has raised seed capital from Flipkart. The money will be used to develop the product, enhance user experience and strengthen the team. The funding will also be utilized to further accelerate the company’s already impressive growth and its user engagement. Launched in September 2015, Tinystep allows users – parents – to interact on a platform where they can ask, share and connect with other parents. The startup claims to have over 10,000 parents on its platform.

Quick Link – Flipkart in social network

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

YouTube returns to Pakistan

After over three years of being told to ‘Surf Safely’, Internet users in the country were able to access the popular video-sharing website, YouTube, following orders from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) that the website be unblocked. However, digital rights groups and other stakeholders, who had originally opposed the blocking of the website, still have concerns over the deal – struck between the government and Google – which may empower the former to censor content on the website.

Quick Link – Youtube in Pakistan

WhatsApp is now Free and Ads-free

WhatsApp is dropping its subscription fees to access the popular messaging service. WhatsApp introduced the fees a few years ago, forcing new users to pay an annual 99 cents subscription after the first year. WhatsApp has always been free to download and use for the first year. In fact, original users of the app, who joined WhatsApp when it started out six years back, were given a free lifetime service. But in recent years, the company introduced a subscription fee of 0.99 cents after the first free year.

Quick Link – Ads-Free in Whatsapp

France declares economic emergency

French President Francois Hollande has declared what he called “a state of economic emergency” and says it’s time to redefine France’s economic and social model. The first measures he proposed are relatively modest, and he said they would not “put into question” the 35-hour workweek. He did not seek to assume any new emergency powers. The measures included a loosening of some worker-friendly measures to encourage companies to hire, and new training for half a million workers.

Quick Link – France in economic emergency

Yasutaro Koide, world’s oldest man, dies at 112

The world’s oldest man has died at the age of 112 in the Japanese city of Nagoya. Yasutaro Koide, who was born on 13 March 1903, was officially named the oldest man by Guinness World Records in August this year. At the time he was quoted as saying his secret to long life was not smoking or drinking, not to overdo things and to “live with joy”.

Quick Link – World’s oldest man dies

China’s economic growth slowest in 25 years

China’s economy grew by 6.9% in 2015, compared with 7.3% a year earlier, marking its slowest growth in a quarter of a century. China’s growth, seen as a driver of the global economy, is a major concern for investors around the world. The news comes as the International Monetary Fund said it expected China’s economy to grow by 6.3% this year and 6% in 2017. Beijing had set an official growth target of “about 7%”. The growth rate is a far cry from China’s spectacular expansion in recent decades, but it broadly matches the government’s 7% target.

Quick Link – China’s economic slow in recent years

FOREIGN RELATIONS

India, Israel to intensify counter terrorism coordination

Stating that India and Israel face challenges of terrorism, the two countries on January 19 agreed to intensify coordination to deal with the menace. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met top Israeli leadership and discussed a wide-range of bilateral and regional issues. Swaraj, who is on her first visit to West Asia as the External Affairs Minister, called on President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top leaders.

Quick Link – India-Israel intensify in terrorism coordination

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

48-hour countdown for IRNSS-1E launch progressing smoothly: ISRO

Indian space agency ISRO is all set to make its first rocket launch of the year and the fifth satellite of India Regional Navigation Satellite System IRNSS-1E, on board PSLV-C31 rocket from Sriharikota on January 20. According to ISRO, the 48-hour countdown for the launch scheduled at 9.31 AM from the second launch pad began on January 18 at the spaceport of Sriharikota, about 100 km and was progressing “smoothly”.

Quick Link – IRNSS-1E launched – ISRO

SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing

An unmanned SpaceX Falcon rocket exploded on landing after successfully delivering an ocean monitoring satellite to orbit. The cause of the problem was that one of the rocket’s legs collapsed as it tried to land on a floating ocean barge. The rocket company had managed a historic first controlled return of an orbital stage last month. This footage of the landing was posted online by SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk.

Quick Link – Falcon explodes on landing

SPORTS

Life time ban imposed on IPL player Ajit Chandila by BCCI

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has imposed a life time ban on Haryana off-spinner bowler Ajit Chandila considering his involvement in the IPL spot-fixing scandal 2013. On the other hand, BCCI also decided to hand a five-year suspension on Mumbai batsman Hiken Shah for making a corrupt approach to a fellow player.

Quick Link – Ajit Chandila ban by BCCI

England’s Snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan won Dafabet Master title 2016

Ronnie O’Sullivan eased to win the Dafabet Masters title 2016. He defeated Barry Hawkins on January 17 in the final at London’s Alexandra Palace. This is to note that Dafabet Master title 2016 is the sixth Master title won by Ronnie O’Sullivan. At the same time by winning his sixth Master title Ronnie O’Sullivan has equaled the World record of winning maximum Masters title which was previously made by Stephen Hendry. He also made the record of winning with biggest winning margin (10 – 1) in a Masters final. Before Ronnie O’Sullivan, Steve Davis made this record by defeating Mike Hallett with 9–0 in 1988.

Quick Link – Ronnie wons Dafabet Master title

Chris Gayle equals fastest 50 in Twenty20 history

West Indian opener Chris Gayle went out with a bang in the Big Bash League, smashing the equal-fastest 50 in Twenty20 history. The burly Jamaican equalled Yuvraj Singh’s 50 off 12 deliveries for India against England at the 2007 T20 World Cup in Durban. Gayle needed a six to reach the record and it was not a problem against the Adelaide Strikers in Australia’s Big Bash League. He slogged four successive sixes in the first over as the Renegades were set a target of 171.

Quick Link – Gayle’s 50 in Twenty20 

OBITUARY

Music band Eagles’ guitarist Glenn Frey passed away

Glenn Frey, Eagles guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, passed away on January 18. He was 67. Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia. An American rocker whose band dominated charts throughout the 1970s with hits such as ‘Hotel California’.

Quick Link – Glenn Frey Passed away

Renowned Kannada filmmaker and lyricist Geethapriya passes away

Famous Sandalwood film-maker and lyricist Geethapriya, who straddled Kannada cinema in late 1960s and 1970s, has died at the age of 84 due to throat cancer. Geethapriya directed about 40 Kannada movies and penned more than 250 songs. He also directed a Hindi film and two Tulu films. Born on June 15, 1932, Lakshman Rao Mohite began his career in Kannada movies in mid 1960s. He earned the nickname Geethapriya (meaning Song lover), notwithstanding the fact that Marathi was his mother tongue.