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
- Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood win top honour at CMA Awards
Chris Stapleton bagged two top trophies — male vocalist and music video of the year for “Fire Away” — while Carrie Underwood won the female vocalist honour at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards. The video of “Fire Away” has been directed by Tim Mattia. Humble and Kind” bagged the song of the year award, while album of the year trophy was given to Eric Church for his work Mr Misunderstood.
Quick Link- Chris Stapleton
- Indian researcher awarded by German Education Ministry
Shamik Chowdhury, a 29- year-old PhD student in environmental engineering from the National University of Singapore was among 25 scholars awarded for their innovative green ideas by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. His research focus is: Green synthesis of 2D grapheme nano sheets (thinnest two-dimensional material) and their self-assembly into advanced 3D macrostructures for sustainable urban development.
Quick Link- Shamik Chowdhury
- PM Modi felicitates Deepa Malik with Rs 4 cr cash reward
Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated Rio Paralympics medal winner Deepa Malik with a cash award of Rs 4 crore. Malik, who hails from Haryana, was the first Indian woman athlete to win a medal at the Paralympics in Rio. She won a silver medal in the women’s shot put event with a throw of 4.61m at the Paralympics.
Quick Link- Deepa Malik
INDIAN AFFAIRS
- Benami Transaction Amendment Act to curb black Money comes into effect
The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, designed to curb black money and passed by parliament in August, came into effect. An amendment of the 1988 Benami Transactions Act, the new law provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment and fine for those indulging in such transactions, whereas the earlier law provided for up to three years of imprisonment or fine or both.
Quick Link- BTAA
- Kerala to launch ‘tea museum’ next month
The country’s first “tea museum” was inaugurated at Munnar in the high ranges of Kerala’s Idukki district. The museum gives a glimpse of the tea plantation and its growth over 100 years in this once verdant hilly district of Kerala. The Acting MD of Tata Tea P Signaporia formally inaugurated the museum
Quick Link- Tea museum
- MoU signed for enabling online submission of applications under PMAY
The government allowed online applications for affordable homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) from November 3, with an aim to ease the process and boost the number of applications. In MoU signed on Wednesday between Amrit Abhijat, joint secretary, ministry of housing & urban poverty alleviation (HUPA) and Dinesh Tyagi, CEO, Common Services Centre e-Governance Services India Limited, ministry of electronics and information technology, about 60,000 common services centres (CSCs) located in urban areas will enable online submission of applications at Rs 25 per application.
Quick Link- PMAY
- PM Narendra Modi launches ‘Saur Sujala Yojana’ in Chhattisgarh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Saur Sujala Yojana” in Chhattisgarh that would provide solar powered irrigation pumps to farmers at a subsidized price. Chhattisgarh would be the first state to implement the scheme. Under the scheme, solar powered irrigation pumps of 3HP and 5HP capacity worth Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh respectively would be distributed to the farmers by March 31, 2019. The beneficiaries would get the pumps at the subsidised price.
Quick Link- Saur Sujala Yojana
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- NHPC commissions 50 MW wind power project in Rajasthan
NHPC, India’s largest hydropower generation company, announced that it has commissioned its 50 Megawatt (MW) wind power project (WPP) in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The project achieved synchronization with the national grid in the month of October. NHPC has signed a power purchase agreement with Inox windand Rajasthan government to set up 25 turbines of 2 MW for the project.
Quick Link- NHPC
- TRAI sets 512 kbps as minimum broadband speed in India
India’s Telecom regulatory authority, TRAI, has made it compulsory for all the Broadband providers to at least ensure a minimum speed of 512Kbps after users exhaust their initial data quota. The mandate also asks the service providers both fixed and wired to clearly notify the users about the throttled speed instead of masking it with the unlimited internet shenanigans.
Quick Link- TRAI
BANKING AND FINANCE
- SBI cuts home loan rates to lowest in 6 years
In news that will bring huge cheer to many borrowers, State Bank of India (SBI), has cut its home loan rate to the lowest level in six years. The country’s largest public sector lender has cut its home loan rate to 9.1%. The rate cut comes as part of a festive scheme by SBI. Under the new scheme, home loans for women, or loans with women as co-borrowers, will be available for 20bps above the benchmark rate.
Quick Link- SBI
- RBI allows banks to issue masala bonds
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed banks to issue rupee denominated bonds, or masala bonds, in the overseas market to shore up their capital base as well as for financing infrastructure and affordable housing. To strengthen their capital base, banks can raise perpetual debt instruments, which can be considered for calculating a bank’s additional tier 1 capital, or debt capital instrument that can go into calculating a bank’s tier-2 capital.
Quick Link- Masala bonds
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
- Australia, Indonesia consider joint patrols in South China sea
Australia is considering joint military patrols with Indonesia in the contested waters of the South China Sea amid growing concerns in the west that a Chinese diplomatic offensive in Southeast Asia is upending the region’s balance of power. Julie Bishop, Australia’s foreign minister confirmed that Canberra was exploring options with Jakarta aimed at increasing maritime co-operation, including co-ordinated activities in the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea.
Quick Link- South China sea
FOREIGN RELATIONS
- TCS signs MoU with University of New South Wales
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest IT Services provider said that University of New South Wales (UNSW) Australia and TCS have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue technology research collaboration. The agreement will enable the University and TCS to work together in areas of common interest such as machine learning, virtual reality, robotics, data analytics and cloud computing.
Quick Link- TCS
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
- Zensar to acquire UK based design agency foolproof
Zensar Technologies, an RPG Company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Foolproof Ltd. along with its two wholly-owned subsidiary companies in UK and one wholly-owned subsidiary Company in Singapore for an undisclosed sum. Foolproof is one of Europe’s leading experience design agencies, headquartered in London with other offices in Norwich and Singapore.
Quick Link- Zensar
SPORTS
- India beat Malaysia 2-0 in Women’s Asian Champions Trophy
Indian eves continued their impressive performance by registering an emphatic 2-0 victory over Malaysia in their third pool match of the 4th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy . With this win, India remained at the top of the pool table with seven points above Korea, China, Japan and Malaysia respectively.
Quick Link- Asian Champions Trophy
