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!!!
APPOINTMENTS
Indian American Harmeet Kaur Dhillon elected to key Republican position
An Indian American Sikh woman from California has been elected to a key position in the Republican party at the national level. Chandigarh-born Harmeet Kaur Dhillon was elected as the newest national committee woman of the Republican National Committee by thousand plus votes in attendance at the California Republican Party convention. She was earlier the vice chairman of the California GOP. She was the first woman elected to this position of vice chair of the California Republican Party.
Quick Link – Republican party
BANKING AND FINANCE
IMF retains India growth forecast at 7.5 pc
The International Monetary Fund has retained its growth forecast for India this year at 7.5 per cent, largely driven by private consumption even as weak exports and sluggish credit growth weigh on the economy. India’s growth momentum is expected to be underpinned by private consumption, which has benefited from lower energy prices and higher real incomes.
In its latest Regional Economic Outlook for Asia and the Pacific, IMF said weak exports and sluggish credit growth (stemming from weaknesses in corporate sector and public sector banks’ balance sheets) will weigh on the economy. India remains on a strong recovery path, with GDP growth reaching 7.3 per cent in 2015, the Fund said adding that “India’s growth is projected to strengthen to 7.5 per cent in 2016 and 2017.”
Quick Link – IMF
India rated 9th in FDI Confidence Index
India has secured ninth position in the 2016 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index. The ranking has been released by a global management consulting firm named AT Kearney. The firm has underlined that the country is “finally” embarking on a growth path that will see it “unlock its full potential”. India jumped two places to rank number 9 in this year’s AT Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index.
India has emerged as the fastest growing economy in the world, surpassing China as well as Brazil, Russia and South Africa, the other members of BRICS. The Index of a London-based consulting firm is a forward-looking analysis of how political, economic, and regulatory changes will likely affect FDI inflows into countries in the coming years. The Index is constructed using primary data from a proprietary survey administered to senior executives of the world’s leading corporations.
Quick Link – FDI
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Supreme Court banned all diesel cabs in NCR-Delhi from May 1
The Supreme Court of India has decided against extending the deadline for phasing out diesel cabs in National Capital Region (NCR). It ordered the diesel cabs to go off the roads from 1 May 2016. The earlier deadline for phasing out diesel cabs was 1 April 2016, but it was extended for a month. The earlier extension was given so that private cab aggregators could switch to compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles by 1 May 2016.
However, the Supreme Court allowed Delhi Police and Delhi Jal Board to buy and register the new diesel-run vehicles of 2000 cc engine capacity and above for transportation of undertrial prisoners, arms and ammunition and supply of water. It had stopped sale of diesel SUVs and luxury cars with more than 2000 cc engine capacity in the national capital in 2015.
Quick Link – NCR
SC appointed RM Lodha-panel to reform Medical Council of India
After fixing the country’s cricket board, former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha gets the responsibility to reform the Medical Council of India (MCI), which the Supreme Court described as unprofessional. The top court appointed a three-member panel headed by Lodha to oversee how the regulator of medical profession and education in India functions. Besides Lodha, the panel has former CAG Vinod Rai and Dr SK Sareen.
Lodha headed a three-member panel appointed by the top court to look into the 2013 betting scandal in the Indian Premier league (IPL) and the functioning of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). IPL teams Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were kicked out for two seasons on his panel’s recommendations. It also suggested changes in the world’s richest cricket board to improve transparency and weed out corruption.
Quick Link – MCI
Railways ink MoU with Haryana and Punjab to plant trees
The Union Ministry of Railways and Forest Department of Haryana & Punjab have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for plantation of trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary. The MoU paves way for planting around 5 lakh trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary prior to Monsoon Season.
Forest department of respective states will provide expertise in afforestation as well as in maintenance and disposal of trees. The afforestation will help in protecting railway land from illegal encroachment. Tree plantation will be done without declaring such land as protected forest, thus it will be no hindrance to railway works and developmental projects.
Quick Link – Haryana & Punjab
Mines And Minerals Bill Passed By Parliament
The Rajya Sabha has approved an enabling legislation to make it easier for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of steel and cement companies reeling in the aftermath of the collapse in global commodity prices. Since Lok Sabha has already approved the proposed law, The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, is just one step away from becoming a law—it now only requires the President’s signature. Once the Bill is signed into law, there will be no bar on the transfer of mining leases.
As per the Amendment, the companies acquiring the cement units will now have raw material security as they can access limestone mines belonging to the acquisition targets.
Quick Link – Development and Regulation
Parliament panel set to recommend Mallya’s expulsion
The Ethics Committee of Parliament is set to recommend the expulsion of Independent MP and liquor baron Vijay Mallya even after his tendering resignation from the membership of the Upper House. The panel was unanimous in its decision that Mallya, facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, should no longer remain a member of the Upper House and found his reply to its notice unsatisfactory. A motion has to be introduced in the House and approved by it for termination of the membership of any MP.
Mallya had already faxed his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari a day before Ethics Committee had to take a decision on recommending his expulsion, an issue, which was unanimously in the panel’s last meeting on April 25. In his resignation letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, he said he did not want his “name and reputation to be further dragged in the mud“.
Quick Link – Mallya’s expulsion
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
World Press Freedom Day – May 3
World Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3 every year by UN. World Press Freedom Day aims to raise awareness of press freedom. UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger.
Quick Link – World Press Freedom Day
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Astronomers discovered 3 Earth like planets using TRAPPIST telescope
Astronomers have discovered three planets orbiting the habitable zone of an ultra-cool dwarf star just 40 light-years from Earth. The discovery is the first evidence supporting the hypothesis that these very low-mass and low-temperature stars should have Earth-sized or smaller planets orbiting them.
The planets, which are the size of Venus and Earth, are currently the best places to look for life outside our solar system, said the team of researchers led by astronomer Michaël Gillon, from the University of Liege in Belgium.
Quick Link – TRAPPIST
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Google acquires start-up by Indian-origin bizman
Google has acquired a business technology start-up founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur as part of its plans to scale training offerings for Google Apps to its customers and customers’ users. Varun Malhotra is the founder and CEO of Toronto-based Synergyse, which was launched in 2013 with an aim to teach users how to use Google Apps.
Google did not disclose the financial details of the deal. Google Apps Operations Senior Director Peter Scocimara said in a blog post yesterday that Google and its thousands of Google Apps customers have been “excited” about Synergyse.
Quick Link – Indian-origin bizman
SPORTS
Leicester City crowned English Premier League Champion
Leicester City have won the English Premier League title after closest rivals Tottenham Hotspur blew a two-goal lead to draw at last season’s winners Chelsea. Leicester started the campaign as 5,000-1 outsiders for the title after almost being relegated last season. But they have lost just three league games in what has been described as a “fairytale” and the “most unlikely triumph in the history of team sport”. Closest challengers Spurs, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and last year’s champions Chelsea, have all failed to match the Foxes’ consistency across the season.
Former Leicester, Everton and England striker Gary Lineker described his hometown team’s achievement as “the biggest sporting shock of my lifetime”.
Quick Link – Leicester City
OBITUARY
Former Cricketer Sunil Gudge & Minister Romesh Sharma passed away
Maharashtra leg-spinner Sunil Gudge passed away at his residence in Pune following a heart attack. Born in Pune on December 31, 1959, the leg-spinner and handy lower order batsman played 55 first class matches during his decade-and-a-half career. Gudge, an integral part of the strong Maharashtra team of the 1980s led by Raju Balelar, Milind Gunjal and Surendra Bhave, took 110 wickets with 5 for 46 as his best from among five wickets in an innings hauls.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Minister and senior Congress leader Romesh Sharma has passed away after a prolonged illness. He was 65. Ex-Congress Minister from Nowshera Constituency Sharma passed away while undergoing a treatment at a hospital in New Delhi.
Quick Link – Sunil Gudge & Romesh Sharma passed away
Thank you 🙂 🙂 🙂
