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
Rahul Thakkar won Scientific and Technical Achievement Award 2016
Rahul Thakkar, along with Richard Chuang has been chosen for Scientific and Technical achievement Award 2016 given by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The duo has been picked for “groundbreaking design” of the DreamWorks Animation Media Review System. Rahul Thakkar was born in United Kingdom and was raised in India. Currently, Rahul Thakkar is serving as the Vice-President at Brivo Systems. He is a computer engineer graduate from Mumbai University. Rahul Thakkar holds a Master’s degree in computer science from Utah State University. He has an experience of 20 years in product design and research.
Quick Link – Rahul Thakkar Won STA Award
Adele’s Hello enters Guinness Book of World Records
Adele, the singer-songwriter’s music track ‘Hello’ has achieved a ten-digit viewcount on YouTube. By achieving that feat in just 88 days, it has entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest video to one billion YouTube hits. ‘Hello’ arrived on YouTube in October 2015. It immediately became a viral hit thanks to its status as Adele’s first music video in three years, and millions of views soon followed. In just two days, it scored more than 50 million views, breaking out to the fastest start of any music video in YouTube history. Other artists have since exceeded Adele’s digital pace; specifically, David Bowie’s music videos achieved more than 50 million views on the day his death was announced.
Quick Link – Adele’s World record
APPOINTMENTS
Bachchan & Chopra – brand ambassadors for Incredible India campaign
Actors Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra will replace Aamir Khan as new ambassadors of the Incredible India campaign to market the country to tourists abroad. Bollywood veteran Mr Bachchan, 73, the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism, had been picked for the position some time ago. His name was reportedly suggested by the Prime Minister’s office. He was recruited directly by the government, unlike actor Aamir Khan, who was removed days after suggesting that India is experiencing growing religious intolerance.
Quick Link – Bachchan & Chopra – Brand ambassador IIC
BANKING AND FINANCE
FreeCharge Partners MasterCard, Yes Bank to Launch Virtual Card
Mobile wallet player FreeCharge has launched its new virtual card ‘FreeCharge Go’, in partnership with Yes Bank and powered by MasterCard. The integration is now live, and enables universal payments of its app online and offline through a prepaid virtual card, which can be activated in a few seconds. This launch enables FreeCharge’s customers to use the money in their digital wallets on any merchant site that accepts cards, and helps the company compete with its rival Paytm (run by One97 Communications Ltd), which also launched prepaid cards in partnership with ICICI Bank Ltd in December.
Quick Link – FreeCharge Go
India signs agreement with World Bank for US$ 250 million
The Financing Agreement for World Bank (IDA) assistance of US$ 250 million for Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project was signed between Government of India and the World Bank on January 20, 2016 at New Delhi. The Financing Agreement was signed by Mr. Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Onno Ruhl, Country Director in India, on behalf of the World Bank.
Quick Link – India-World bank for $250 million
INDIAN AFFAIRS
India Post opens exclusive counters for eBay sellers
India Post has opened exclusive counters at the business post centres in Gurgaon and Faridabad for eBay India sellers. The counter for eBay sellers at Gurgaon and Faridabad business post center will be exclusive for them to send their products through speed post, registered post or any other service they wish to opt for in both the cities. eBay sellers can dispatch both domestic and international parcels from eBay’s special counter at Phase-V, UdyogVihar in Gurgaon and NIT Faridabad Post Office.
Quick Link – eBay sellers
Ratan Tata invests in baby care platform FirstCry
Ratan Tata has invested in baby care eCommerce platform FirstCry, continuing the slew of investments he has made in various startups globally. FirstCry is omni-channel player with presence across desktop, mobile and offline routes offering baby and maternity products in India. It started operations in 2010 and has over 2 million customers. It has over 150 FirstCry branded franchisee offline stores across 100 cities in the country.
Quick Link – Tata invests in baby care
Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya celebrated their Foundation days
Three northeastern states of Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya have organised numerous programmes and events to celebrate their Foundation Days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people of Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya on their statehood days. Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy released a publication highlighting Tripura’s achievements in various fields since 1972. Cultural functions, seminars would be held across the state till January 23.
Quick Link – NE States-Foundation days
FDI flows into India nearly doubled in 2015
According to the annual report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Foreign Direct Investment flows into India nearly doubled in 2015. Global FDI flows “unexpectedly” increased significantly by 36%. Global FDI unexpectedly increased significantly to $1.7 trillion and this is closer to the pre-crisis level and it is the highest since the global financial and economic crisis. Developing economies, as a whole, saw their FDI reaching a new high of $741 billion — 5% higher than 2014.
Quick Link – FDI flows into India
Sex ratio down, literacy rate of women up
In the past 10 years, the sex ratio has significantly decreased in nine out of 11 states of India, whereas women’s literacy has gone up in each of those states, according to the first phase of the latest national family health survey, known as NFHS-4. The 11 states surveyed in the first phase were also surveyed in the last NFHS of 2005-06. These are Goa, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Bihar, and West Bengal.
Quick Link – Sex ratio down
Endangered olive ridley turtles found dead on India coast
Hundreds of endangered Olive Ridley turtles, besides a bottlenose dolphin, were found dead on Puri beach in Odisha. The turtles were lying scattered stretching from Digabarini and Chakratirtha Road on the Puri beach. Forest department officials say the turtles may have been hit by trawlers fishing along the Puri beach in Orissa. Local fishermen often flout the ban on fishing along the coast, disturbing the natural nesting space of turtles, they say. Olive ridley is one of the five species of marine turtles to mate and nest on India’s shores. The turtles come in “large numbers to Gahirmatha, mouth of rivers Devi and Rushikulya in Orissa coast, for annual nesting.
Quick Link – Endangered olive ridley turtles
Cabinet approves India’s stand on food security at WTO
The Cabinet has cleared ex-post facto the stand taken by India on food security at the last meeting of the World Trade Organisation held in Nairobi. Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the approach adopted by India at Nairobi WTO meeting. The outcomes of the Conference, referred to ‘Nairobi Package’ include ministerial Decisions on agriculture, cotton. The Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference concluded in Nairobi in December 2015. India wants a permanent solution on the issue of public stock holding for its food security programme.
Quick Link – Food security at WTO
USD 250 Mn worth Flood Recovery Project signed with World Bank
The Financing Agreement for World Bank (IDA) assistance of US$ 250 million for Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery Project has been signed between Government of India and the World Bank. The Financing Agreement was signed by Mr. Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Onno Ruhl, Country Director in India, on behalf of the World Bank.
Quick Link – Flood Recovery Project
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Isis has destroyed Iraq’s oldest Christian monastery
Satellite images confirm that the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been destroyed by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). St Elijah’s stood on a hill near the northern city of Mosul for 1,400 years. But analysts said the images, obtained by the Associated Press, suggested it had been demolished in late 2014, soon after IS seized the city. A Catholic priest from Mosul warned that its Christian history was “being barbarically levelled”.
Quick Link – Iraq’s Christian monastery destroyed
Singapore the second most ‘up-and-coming’ country globally
In a global survey of more than 16,000 people, Singapore was named the second most “up-and-coming” economy among 60 countries, after top-ranked India and ahead of China in third. This was one of the findings of the 2016 Best Countries rankings, produced by the US News & World Report in collaboration with brand strategy firm BAV Consulting and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Quick Link – Singapore-2nd most up and coming
World Economic Forum meeting begins
The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting has started in Davos, Switzerland with participation of political leaders and business persons from around the world. The Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters remains the foremost creative force for engaging the world’s top leaders in collaborative activities focused on shaping the global, regional and industry agendas. The agenda also includes the outlook of the global economy and measures to fight terrorism.
Quick Link – World Economic Forum
Brazil Zika outbreak: More babies born with birth defects
New figures from Brazil show a further rise in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads to mothers infected with the Zika virus. There have been 3,893 cases of microcephaly since October, when the authorities first noticed a surge, up from 3,500 in last week’s report. Zika is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya.
Quick Link – Brazil Zika outbreak
FOREIGN RELATIONS
MoU signed with Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been apprised of the MoU between Department of Space/Indian Space Research Organization (DOS/ISRO) and Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) on cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
Quick Link – MoU with KISR
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Titan launches JUXT smartwatch
World’s fifth largest watchmaker Titan Company Ltd, of the Tata Group has unveiled JUXT, a smartwatch in partnership with global technology giant HP Inc. The company said the watch is aimed at providing connectivity while staying true to the essence of classic watchmaking. The smartwatch is priced between Rs.15,995 and Rs.19,995 and is available in three variants — titanium, stainless steel and rose gold across select World of Titan, Helios and large format stores. The timepiece features a subtle honeycomb dial, 3D indices and a leather strap. This watch can be paired with smart phones having either Android 4.4 or iOS 8.1 and above operating system.
Quick Link – Juxt Smartwatch
TranServ launches India’s first social digital wallet Udio
Digital payment startup TranServ has entered the mobile wallet segment with Udio. Known as the first Social Mobile Wallet, Udio waants to create a highly social, community-driven P2P digital transactions platform via its secure and seamless payment structureUdio is different from other mobile wallets such as Paytm, Oxigen or Citrus in a way that while other mobile wallet players depend upon cashbacks and discounts to drive consumer adoption, TranServ’s Udio wallet brings the user experience.The wallet users can engage with each other through social transactions such as splitting bills, sending/requesting money, and group payments.
Quick Link – Social digital wallet Udio
‘Ninth planet’ may exist in solar system: US scientists
The US scientists have announced that a previously unknown giant planet may have been discovered lurking in the outer reaches of our solar system. Nicknamed Planet Nine, the object has a mass about 10 times that of Earth and follows a bizarre, highly elongated orbit in the distant solar system. It would take this new planet between 10,000 and 20,000 years to make just one full orbit around the Sun. The report was published in the Astronomical Journal. Researchers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown say have not yet observed the object directly. Rather, they found it through mathematical modeling and computer simulations.
Quick Link – Ninth planet exist
SPORTS
ICC, MRF Tyres announce four-year partnership
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and MRF Tyres has announced a four-year deal which confirms the tyre maker as a Global Partner for ICC events from 2016. The announcement was made at the MRF Tyres headquarters in Chennai at a function attended by ICC Chief Executive, David Richardson, MRF Tyres s Chairman and Managing Director, K M Mammen, former India captain and MRF brand ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar, and other officials.
Quick Link – ICC-MRF 4 Years tie
OBITUARY
Noted dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai dies
Legendary Bharatnatyam dancer, Mrinalini Sarabhai, has died from complications related to old age. She was 97. “My mother Mrinalini Sarabhai has just left for her eternal dance,” her daughter and noted classical dancer Mallika Sarabhai said in a Facebook post. Sarabhai was born in the southern Indian state of Kerala and was educated in Switzerland and Kolkata, where she began her training as a dancer. After training in dance, including a stint at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she returned to India and began her career as a dancer.
Quick Link – Mrinalini Sarabhai passes away
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