March 17 – Current Affairs Quick Gyan

In Current Affairs 2017
March 17, 2016

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 software engineer wins UN Data Visualization Challenge

Indian software engineer has won the first prize in a UN competition aimed at engaging the public in sharing ideas about how to visualize the interlinkages between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Abdulqadir Rashik, entrepreneur and founder of India-based Miavy Systems, won the prize in the ‘United Nations #LinksSDGs Data Visualization Challenge.’
He was awarded the challenge’s top prize for his submission ‘Links to Sustainable Cities’, which is an interactive visualization that identifies and maps the links between SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and the other 16 Goals.
The global data science competition aimed to engage the public in sharing ideas about how to visualize the interlinkages between the SDGs, a set of 17 global goals and 169 targets adopted by the 193-member General Assembly last year that form the basis of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
LinksSDGs is the third challenge issued by Unite Ideas, a big data crowd sourcing platform developed by the Office of Information and Communications Technology.

Quick Link – UN Data Visualization Challenge

Sir Andrew Wiles: British professor awarded Abel Prize

Sir Andrew Wiles: British professor awarded Abel Prize for solving problem that baffled experts for three centuries. Sir Andrew’s discovery described as ‘an epochal moment for mathematics’.

A British mathematician has been awarded one of the discipline’s top prizes for solving a problem that baffled experts for three centuries.
Sir Andrew Wiles, 62, has been awarded the Abel Prize – and almost half a million pounds – by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters for his proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem.
Cambridge-born Sir Andrew made his breakthrough in 1994 while working at Princeton.
Formulated by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in 1637, the theorem states: There are no whole number solutions to the equation x^n + y^n = z^n when n is greater than 2.
He will pick up the award – described as the equivalent of a Nobel prize for maths – and six million Norwegian krone (£495,000) from Crown Prince Haakon in May, for an achievement that the academy described as “an epochal moment for mathematics”.
The academy said Sir Andrew was awarded the prize “for his stunning proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem by way of the modularity conjecture for semistable elliptic curves, opening a new era in number theory”.

Qiuck Link – Abel Prize

Four Indians in WEF Global Leaders List of 2016

Four Indians – Kanika Dewan, Dhivya Suryadevara, Shaurya Veer Himatsingka and Sheetal Amte-Karajgi – have made it to the list of over 121 young global leaders recognised by the World Economic Forum.

WEF recognised 121 scientists, government leaders, future business leaders, social activists and artists, aged under 40, as the Young Global Leaders Class of 2016.
According to WEF, these people are “shaking up policy, society and the world around them“.
Over half of the Young Global Leaders Class of 2016 are women and the majority are from emerging economies.
The individuals who represented India in the list include three women.
Kanika Dewan is the President of Bramco Group.
Dhivya Suryadevara is the CEO of GM Asset Management.
Sheetal Amte-Karajgi is the CEO of Maharogi Sewa Samiti.
Shaurya Veer Himatsingka is the Deputy Managing Director, India Carbon.

Quick Link – WEF Young Global Leaders

Carol named best LGBT film of all time by BFI

Todd Haynes’ atmospheric lesbian love story, Carol, has been named the best LGBT film of all time in a top 30 list that stretches to a Weimar-era pupil-teacher romance from 1931. Carol, which was released last year and stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, came top of a poll compiled to mark the 30th anniversary of the London lesbian and gay film festival, British Film Institute (BFI) Flare.

With contributions from 100 film experts including critics, writers, and programmers; the poll of the top 30 LGBT films encompasses 84 years of cinematic history, with a global reach which includes Thailand, Japan, and Sweden.
Just behind Carol was Andrew Haigh’s 2011 film, Weekend, followed by Wong Kar-wai’s 1997 Hong Kong romance, Happy Together, and at No 4, Ang Lee’s tearjerker Brokeback Mountain.
Carol got six Oscar nominations and nine Bafta nominations, although it came home empty-handed from both award ceremonies.

Quick Link – Carol Movie

Chameli Devi Jain award winners named

Priyanka Kakodkar and Raksha Kumar were named as joint winners of the 2015-16 Chameli Devi Jain award for women journalists.

Both Priyanka and Raksha have chosen to focus on areas that demand greater attention.
According to the statement, Kakodkar’s reports focused on the acute farming crisis in Maharashtra have been of such high quality that her paper, The Times of India, front-paged more than 50 of them in the year gone by.
Raksha Kumar, an independent journalist, has in 2015, focused on the perilous aspects of the central government’s proposal to amend the Land Acquisition Act, the Forest Rights Act and the Coal Act.

Quick Link – Chameli Devi Jain Award

PM Modi among TIME’s 30 Influential People on Internet

According to the TIME Magazine’s report, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the most influential people on the Internet.

The magazine cited Modi’s unconventional announcement on Twitter of his visit to Pakistan last year while naming him among ‘The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet’ for the second year in a row in this year’s unranked list.
The list includes US presidential hopeful Donald Trump, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her husband Kayne West, author J K Rowling, former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Quick Link – TIME’s Top 30 Influential People on Internet

APPOINTMENTS

‘Being a girl is not a crime’: Ashley Judd appointed UN Goodwill Ambassador

Ashley Judd was appointed by the United Nations as their latest Goodwill Ambassador.

The 47-year-old held a press conference at the UN in New York to make the announcement along withUNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin.
Ashley beamed with pride during the presser where she vowed to help empower women the world over.
The press release went on to state: ‘Ms. Judd, who is strongly committed to social justice, believes that the sexual and reproductive health of girls and women is at the heart of poverty eradication and sustainable development.’
She is also a passionate advocate of the right of every girl and boy to enter adulthood safely and empowered, and for ending all forms of gender-based violence everywhere.

Quick Link – Ashley Judd

Michelle Yeoh appointed UNDP goodwill ambassador

Award-winning action heroine Michelle Yeoh has been appointed as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador. The UNDP works to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality.

The actress will focus on raising awareness and mobilising support for the recently-launched Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Yeoh, having personally experienced the deadly earthquake that struck Nepal on April 2015 while she was visiting the country, said she intends to leverage her influence as an actress and advocate shining a spotlight on disaster recovery efforts in Nepal and beyond.
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark welcomed Yeoh to the global UNDP family.
Yeoh is internationally acclaimed for her roles in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and in Ang Lee’s multiple Academy Award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Quick Link – Michelle Yeoh

AirAsia India appoints Amar Abrol as new CEO

Ending months of speculations, Amar Abrol will replace Mittu Chandilya as its CEO of AirAsia India with effect from next month.

Chandilya would continue with the airline until the end of April to ensure a smooth transition of the CEO role.
Abrol, who has over 20 years of experience, was most recently the CEO of Tune Money, a startup that aims to deliver low-cost financial products in South East Asia.
Chandilya has led AirAsia India from June 1, 2013 and under his leadership, the airline has established a fleet of six aircraft, covering 12 routes and carrying over 1.8 million passengers.

Quick Link – Amar Abrol

Fazle Kabir appointed as Governor of Bangladesh’s Central Bank

The government of Bangladesh has appointed former finance secretary and Sonali Bank chairman Fazle Kabir as governor of the central bank for four years.

Atiur Rahman, Bangladesh’s former central bank chief resigned after hackers stole over USD 100 million from the nation’s foreign reserves.
During his tenure, Rahman, a development economist, launched a series of populist policies to take bank services to the doorstep of millions of rural people in Bangladesh.
Apart from this, the Bangladeshi government also appointed two new directors to the Bangladesh Bank board.

Quick Link – Fazle Kabir

Ritu Beri becomes advisor for Khadi promotion

Ace fashion designer Ritu Beri has been appointed as the advisor for Khadi promotion. The Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises is implementing several schemes for the holistic development and promotion of khadi.

These include strengthening of infrastructure of existing weak Khadi Institutions and assistance for marketing infrastructure provides for renovation of khadi sales outlets.
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament.
In April 1957, it took over the work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.

Quick Link – Ritu Beri

BANKING & FINANCE

IDBI starts India’s first G-Sec facility via ATMs

IDBI Bank has launched a first-of-its kind “G-Sec investment facility through ATM for retail investors.” The facility will provide easy access to retail investors to invest in Government Securities, the public sector bank said in a statement. Retail customers of the bank can register, one time, for this facility and invest in G-Sec through ATMs.

This facility is unique and first of its kind initiative of the Bank to provide easy access to retail investors to invest in Government Securities.
This furthers the Bank’s contribution to promote and popularize retail participation in Government Securities in line with the Government of India and RBI’s efforts towards broad basing and expanding retail holding of Government Securities in the country.
The process of transacting in G-Sec through the ATM is very simple, convenient, transparent and cost-effective.
The facility of investing in G-Sec through ATM is an extension of Bank’s Samriddhi G-Sec Portal to enable retail investors to transact in Government Securities.
The retail customers of the Bank can register, one time, for this facility and invest in G-Sec through any of the Bank’s ATMs.

Quick Link – IDBI Bank G-SEC

INDIAN AFFAIRS

PM Modi to inaugurate World Sufi Forum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the World Sufi Forum in New Delhi where more than 200 Indian and international delegates, including Sufi Shuyukh, spiritual leaders, scholars, academicians and masters of Sufism, are participating.

The four-day event is being organized by All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), the apex body of Sufi Dargahs in India.
The meeting is expected to debate on how Sufi teaching can prevent global terrorism. The conclave will also debate on how to guide the Muslim community away from sectarian division.
The organizers also said the debate on role of women in Islam will also conducted in the international conference.

The Sufi Conference is expected to come out with a declaration against extremism and Wahabism in the last day of the event to be convened in the Ramlila Maidan.

Quick Link – World Sufi Forum

Pawan Hans, IRCTC join to boost chopper tourism

Seeking to promote helicopter -tourism, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and Pawan Hans have joined hands under an agreement that would allow flyers to book tickets through IRCTC website.

The agreement envisages both sides to jointly identify areas of cooperation and draw up detailed projects to promote ‘heli tourism’ in the country and enable selling of online tickets for regular and chartered helicopter services and joy rides.
The two sides will also facilitate marketing or cross-selling of products and services through both physical outlets and websites, thus improving the range of services to their own customers.
Both will also undertake opening and managing of various catering and hospitality outlets and budget hotels through their joint strength, at Pawan Hans (PH) properties and non-PH locations.

Quick Link – Pawan Hans & IRCTC

PSUs to invest over Rs 10 K Crore in mining sector

Public sector units (PSUs) such as Nalco and Hindustan Copper Ltd have proposed to invest more than Rs 10,000 crore in the mining sector.

As per data provided by Minister of State for Steel and Mines Vishnu Deo Sai in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, aluminium maker Nalco, Hindustan Copper Ltd and Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL) have proposed an investment of Rs 10,037.50 crore in the mining sector.
It includes Nalco’s investment in Pottangi bauxite mines and Utkal D&E coal blocks in Odisha and Hindustan Copper’s in copper mines in Jharkhand and Rajasthan.
In a separate query on illegal mining, the minister informed the House that a total of 533 FIRs have been filed between 2012-13 and 2015-16 (till January) regarding illegal mining in the company.
Besides, a total of 635 complaints have been lodged in 2012-13 and the first 10 months of the current fiscal.

Quick Link – Mining Sector Investment

India ranks 118 out of 156 on UN’s World Happiness Index

According to the United Nations’ World Happiness Index 2016, India ranks 118th out of 156 countries on a global list of the world’s happiest nations.

India was at 111 on the happiness list in 2013 & 117 in 2015.
Denmark takes the top spot as the happiest country in the world, displacing Switzerland, according to The World Happiness Report 2016, published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the United Nations.
Rwanda, Benin, Afghanistan, Togo, Syria and Burundi were the least happy countries this year.
The report takes into account GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support and freedom to make life choices as indicators of happiness.
Switzerland was ranked second on the list, followed by Iceland (3), Norway (4) and Finland (5).

The report was released ahead of UN World Happiness Day, which is observed on March 20. For the first time, it emphasises a special role for the

Quick Link – World Happiness Index

Punjab notifies swine flu under Epidemic Disease Act

The Punjab government notified swine flu (H1N1) under the Epidemic Disease Act. The notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department said all hospitals (government as well as private) will have to inform the Department of Health about a case of ILI (Influenza like Illness) having chronic diseases.

All hospitals will have to keep a suspected as well as confirmed case of swine flu in isolation in order to contain the spread of the disease. All hospitals will have to inform the Health department in case a suspected or confirmed case of swine flu is reported, Health and Family Welfare department.
The treatment of swine flu is provided free of cost to all the patients as recommended by the Government.
All private and Government hospitals will have to abide to this notification.
The committee observed that patients of swine flu who were having other chronic diseases had high mortality rate as compared to patients not having chronic diseases.

Quick Link – Epidemic Disease Act

India to become third largest aviation market by 2020 : Indian Aviation Report

The FICCI-KPMG India Aviation Report said the country is well on its way to become the third largest aviation market by 2020.

With 81 million trips, India’s domestic aviation market grew at over 20.3% during Janurary-December 2015, the highest ever growth rate recorded in the world.
According to the report, the Indian civil aviation industry has exhibited tremendous resilience to the global economic slowdown and ranks ninth in the global civil aviation market.
This is largely attributed to the growing economy, increased competition among airlines, especially among low cost carriers, modern airports, greater use of technology, foreign direct investment and increased emphasis on regional connectivity.
The report observed that the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP 2016), which is likely to be out by next month, would provide a significant fillip to the industry.
The report suggests that aspects such as increasing disposal incomes, fall in prices of aircraft turbine fuel (ATF), increase in tourism, visa reforms, etc have placed India in a unique position. This brings the country closer to achieving its vision of becoming the largest aviation market by 2030.

Quick Link – Aviation Market

Bodh Gaya to host Buddhist Conclave from March 29

Bodh Gaya will host a Buddhist Conclave during March 29-31, 2016. The conclave will be organised by the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), and the target will be to develop the Buddhist Circuit in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India, and Nepal, with foreign investment in the segment.

Major issues discussed will include,

International connectivity to Gaya
Necessary upgradation of Gaya International Airport
Improved road and railway connectivity
Issuance of visas and facilitation from arrival to departure
Beautification of the area
Improvement of accommodation facilities
Training of local guides in different languages.

Quick Link – Buddhist Conclave

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Obama Chooses Merrick Garland for Supreme Court

President Obama nominated Merrick B. Garland to be the nation’s 113th Supreme Court justice. The Supreme Court vacancy follows the death of Antonin Scalia last month.

Judge Garland, 63, is viewed as a moderate and has won praise from senior Republican figures.
The appointment has to be ratified by the Senate, but its Republican majority has vowed to block a vote on any Supreme Court nominee from Mr Obama.
Republicans have called on the president to leave the nomination to his successor, who will be elected in November.
The death of Justice Scalia, a staunch conservative, left the nine-member Supreme Court evenly divided between conservatives and liberals.

President Obama said Mr Garland – chief judge of the Washington appeals court and a former prosecutor – enjoyed respect from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Quick Link – Merrick Garland

China to build tsunami alert centre in South China Sea

China is building a tsunami alert centre in South China Sea and the facility in the disputed region has been approved by the UN.

It has begun operations and has already issued tsunami alerts to the international community, including neighbouring countries in the South China Sea.
The project has received United Nations approval.
This is the latest announcement on facilities China is constructing in the disputed South China Sea.
China defends facilities in the South China Sea like a light house saying that it will benefit all the countries in the region while critics say it is an attempt by Beijing to solidify its presence in disputed islands and reefs with permanent structures.
Officials of South China’s Hainan Province also announced that the province is building piers and restoring the ecological environment on the the Paracel islands which China calls as Xisha Islands.

Quick Link – Tsunami Alert Center

US imposes new sanctions on North Korea

The Obama administration has tightened the US trade embargo on North Korea, explicitly placing sanctions on the Pyongyang government, its ruling party and broad sectors of the country’s economy. The US action is expected to significantly increase pressure on China to cut its business dealings with the nuclear-armed state.

Chinese companies could also be targeted in the crackdown.
China is by far the North Korean government’s largest business partner and invests in many of the economic sectors.
The U.S. said revenue, particularly from North Korea’s mining industry, is invested by Pyongyang back into programs to develop weapons of mass destruction.
The Treasury also sanctioned 17 North Korean government officials and organizations, and placed travel warnings on 20 North Korean shipping vessels.

Quick Link – Sanctions on North Korea

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Indian oil firms sign $4.2 Billion deals with Rosneft

Russian energy giant Rosneft OJSC has agreed to sell substantial stakes in two Siberian oil and gas fields to state-run Indian oil companies, advancing India’s efforts to safeguard its energy security through the acquisition of overseas assets. The deals, signed during a visit to India by Rosneft’s president and chairman Igor Ivanovich Sechin, are together worth an estimated $4.2 billion.

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd, Oil India Ltd and a unit of Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd signed an agreement to purchase a 29.9% stake in Tass-Yuryakh oilfield from Rosneft.
The Indian consortium also signed an agreement with Rosneft for buying a 23.9% stake in the Vankor oilfield, worth just over $2 billion.
ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), signed a separate agreement to buy an additional 11% stake in the Vankor field.
OVL will pay $925 million for the additional stake, taking its holding in the asset to 26%. In September, OVL acquired 15% of Vankor for $1.26 billion.
A fourth deal signed will allow Oil India, Indian Oil and Bharat PetroResources Ltd, the Bharat Petroleum subsidiary, to make more acquisitions in the Vankor cluster.

Quick Link – Rosneft OJSC

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Tomato waste may prove fuel of the future

A team of scientists from Washington has found that rotten or damaged tomatoes could soon be rescued from the bin and used to generate electricity. The team’s pilot project involves a biological-based fuel cell that uses tomato waste left over from harvests in Florida.

Researcher Namita Shrestha from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology said, “We have found that spoiled and damaged tomatoes left over from harvest can be a particularly powerful source of energy when used in a biological or microbial electrochemical cell. The process also helps purify the tomato-contaminated solid waste and associated waste water.”

Quick Link – Tomato Fuel

Anti-Diabetic Drug ‘Ayush-82’ to be commercialised

The National Research Development Corporation(NRDC) of the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology signed a License Agreement with Kudos Laboratories India for commercialization of Ayush-82, an ayurvedic formulation for prevention and management of Diabetes.

It has been developed by Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), New Delhi, an apex organization for research in Ayurveda under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy).
Now Kudos Laboratories India could commercialize this product under their trade name with due acknowledgement to CCRAS, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.

Quick Link – Diabetes Drug

Aston Martin and Red Bull team up to build supercar

Formula One outfit Red Bull and British luxury carmaker Aston Martin have announced a technology partnership to build an Aston Martin-branded supercar.

Red Bull’s chief designer Adrian Newey will work with Aston Martin’s design boss Marek Reichman on the car, dubbed Project AM-RB-001.
As part of the tie-up, Red Bull’s RB12 cars will carry the Aston Martin wings logo throughout the 2016 Formula One season starting at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Officially, Aston Martin’s CEO Andy Palmer says the car, now code named Project AM-RB 001 (a mashup of the company names), will be “about spectacular beauty, aerodynamic efficiency, advanced technology and getting around a race track in a fast but elegant way.”

Quick Link – Aston Martin Supercar

ENVIRONMENT

Delhi will join 10th Earth Hour on March 19

As part of efforts to spread the message of energy conservation, Delhiites will join a billion people in over 6,000 cities across the globe to observe the Earth Hour this Saturday by switching off electrical appliances between 8.30 PM and 9.30 PM.

Power distribution companies (discoms) in the city are gearing up for 10th edition of the event by sending text messages on mobile phones and memos to individual households, Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs), business houses and communities urging them to switch off all lights for an hour to conserve energy.
As the Earth Hour coincides with the India-Pakistan match in ongoing T20 World Cup, BSES urged Delhiites to cheer for India while observing the Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is an annual international event created by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature/World Wildlife Fund) that urges households and business establishments across the world to turn off their non-essential lights and electrical appliances for an hour at the appointed time to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change.

Quick Link – Earth Hour

OBITUARY

Frank Sinatra Jr. Dead at 72

Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of legendary singer Frank Sinatra and an artist himself, has died. He was 72.

Though his father may have discouraged his son from going into the music business due to its challenges, Sinatra Jr. followed in the footsteps of his famous father as well as worked by his side.
Gifted with a voice similar to his father’s, Sinatra Jr. began performing at clubs as a teen.
When he was 19, he was kidnapped and held for ransom, though he was released a few days later and the kidnappers were caught and convicted.
He later became his dad’s music director and at the age of 44 began serving as his father’s conductor. His debut album, 1965’s Young Love for Sale, was understandably influenced by his father and was also released on Reprise, which was also his father’s longtime label home.

Quick Link – Frank Sintara

Thank You 🙂 🙂 🙂