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 HONORS
Indian wins gold at World Sand Art Championship
Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won gold medal on in people’s choice prize at world championship festival of sand sculpting Russe, 2016 in Bulgaria for his sand sculpture – “Drugs kill Sports”. After recently bagging a gold medal in Moscow for creating a beautiful sand sculpture on Peace and Nonviolence, Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik and his skills have done the nation proud, yet again.
With a total 10 artists participating in the championship, Pattnaik received the highest number of public votes and was awarded the gold medal for his sand art that was 2 metre high.
Quick Link – World Sand Art Championship
APPOINTMENTS
Navin Agarwal appointed DG of National Anti-Doping Agency
Senior IPS officer Navin Agarwal has been appointed as the chief of National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), working for dope-free sports. Agarwal is a 1986 batch IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved Agarwal’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer/Director General of NADA. He has been appointed to the post for five years. Agarwal is presently working in his cadre state–J-K.
Quick Link – Navin Agarwal as DG
BANKING AND FINANCE
HDFC ERGO acquires L&T General Insurance
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co. Ltd, the non-life insurance joint venture between HDFC Ltd and ERGO International of Germany, said that it will acquire L&T General Insurance Co. Ltd in an all-cash deal worth Rs.551 crore. Promoter Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) will exit the general insurance business via the deal.
Quick Link – HDFC acquires L&T
ATM-based validation of tax returns activated
The Income Tax department has launched an ATM-based validation system for filing e-ITRs by taxpayers as part of its measure to enhance the paperless regime of filing the annual IT returns. The Electronic Verification Code (EVC) can be generated by pre-validating the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) provided by the bank where a taxpayer has an account. The new facility is available on the official e-filing portal of the department- http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/ and will work by using the One Time Password (OTP) verification system as activated by the department last year by using the Aadhaar number.
Quick Link – ATM-based validation system
INDIAN AFFAIRS
ADB, govt sign deal for $200M loan to Jharkhand
The government of India has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the latter to loan $200 million to upgrade 176 km of state roads in Jharkhand. The total cost of the project, due to be completed by December 2019, is $306.25 million. The Jharkhand state government will finance the remaining amount.
Quick Link – ADB deal for $200M
India Post releases Amazon India stamp
India Post has released a Rs.5 stamp to mark the third anniversary of Amazon India’s services in the country. Called My Stamp, it shows a delivery boy with a carton labelled Amazon. Amazon India, which launched its services in India in June 2013, serves customers in over 19,000 pin codes through a network of 155,000 post offices.
Quick Link – Amazon India stamp
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
China to ignore UN ruling on South China Sea
China said that it will ignore the decision of an international arbitration panel in the Philippines’ lawsuit against Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea. The Philippines has filed a case in the United Nations under the UN Convention on Law of the Sea, questioning China’s territorial claim in the South China Sea. An arbitration panel is expected to rule on the case soon. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled last year that it has jurisdiction over the case despite China’s rejection.
Quick Link – China to ignore UN ruling
FOREIGN RELATIONS
PM Modi awarded Afghan’s highest civilian honour
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with Afghanistan’s highest civilian honour, the Amir Amanullah Khan Award. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani conferred the award on Narendra Modi after the two leaders jointly inaugurated the Afghan-India Friendship Dam, earlier known as Salma Dam, on river Chist-e-Sharif in western Herat neighbouring Iran , will irrigate 75,000 hectares of land and generate 42 MW of power.
Quick Link – Afghan’s highest civilian honour
Govt in talks with Bangladesh over strategic port
After bagging the strategically important Chabahar Port in Iran, the government is looking eastwards and is in discussions with Bangladesh to develop a similar facility in Payra. India Ports Global, the joint venture between state-run JNPT and Kandla Port for overseas ports, is interested in the expressions of interest which have been invited for construction of Payra port in Bangladesh.
Quick Link – Bangladesh over strategic port
ENVIRONMENT
NASA satellite finds 39 unreported sources of air pollution
Scientists at NASA’s Environment and Climate Change Canada and researchers at University of Maryland, College Park and Dalhousie University discovered 39 unreported “major” sources of toxic air pollution. Using the space agency’s satellite imaging, the group located the man-made sources where toxic sulfur dioxide is being emitted. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a contributor to acid rain and is regulated on the ground by the EPA. However, to properly police the emissions, the government agency has to know the location of the pollutants.
Asia’s first Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme launched
Haryana Government has launched Asia’s first ‘Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme’ at the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore. It was launched by state Chief Minister Manohar Lal by releasing 2 captive bred Himalayan Griffons vultures in the pre-release aviaries close to the breeding centre at Pinjore.
The vultures were released as part of the soft release or reintroduction programme, in a pre-release aviary where they would have an unobstructive view of the surrounding. This would help them in getting used to the habitat in which they would be released in the wild in future. These birds have been wing-tagged and were leg-ringed for identification.
Quick Link – Gyps Vulture Reintroduction
Goa mulls tourism ban at beach to save turtles
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has called for a complete ban on tourism activity at Galjibag beach in South Goa to protect the turtle nesting spots there. The GCZMA in its recommendations said that tourism activity including erection of shacks should be banned at Galjibag beach, which is one of the prime shorelines of the state. The authority has also proposed that fishing should be banned on this beach to protect Olive Ridley Turtles who arrive here to lay eggs. The directives are part of management plan for the protection of turtle nesting sites which was drawn following a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order.
Quick Link – GCZMA
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Jubilant gets USFDA nod for epilepsy injection
Drug firm Jubilant Life Sciences has received final approval from the US health regulator for generic Levetiracetam injection, used for treatment of epilepsy, in the American market. The company has received abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) final approval for Levetiracetam injection USP, 500 mg/5 mL (100 mg/mL) from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
Quick Link – USFDA nod
SPORTS
Garbine Muguruza beats Serena Williams to win French Open
Garbine Muguruza defeated Serena Williams to claim her maiden grand slam title with a 7-5 6-4 win over the world number one and defending champion in the French Open final. The 22-year-old fourth seed, who lost to Williams in last year’s Wimbledon final, became the first Spaniard to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1998.
Quick Link – Garbine Muguruza beats Serena Williams
Discus thrower Seema Punia qualifies for 2016 Rio Olympics
Asian Games discus throw gold medal winner Seema Punia has been qualified for the Rio Olympics with a 62.62 m effort at the Pat Young’s Throwers Classic 2016 at Salinas (California) in the United States. The 32-year-old crossed the Rio Games qualification standard of 61.00m at the Hartnell College Throwers Complex with her season’s best effort of 62.62m.
Quick Link – Seema Punia in Rio Olympics
OBITUARY
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 74
Muhammad Ali, the silver-tongued boxer and civil rights champion who famously proclaimed himself “The Greatest” and then spent a lifetime living up to the billing, is dead. Ali died at a Phoenix-area hospital, where he had spent the past few days being treated for respiratory complications. Ali’s funeral will take place in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. After a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. Ali had suffered for three decades from Parkinson’s, a progressive neurological condition that slowly robbed him of both his verbal grace and his physical dexterity.
Quick Link – Muhammad Ali dies
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