Daily GK Updates - 24th MARCH 2015

Daily GK Updates - 24th MARCH 2015

1. Section 66 A of IT Act unconstitutional, Supreme Court rules

i. The Supreme Court struck down Section 66 A of the Information and Technology Act, which allows police to arrest people for posting 'offensive content' on the internet.

ii. The bench said the public's right to know is directly affected by Section 66 A and the Section clearly affects the right to freedom of speech and expression enshrined under the Constitution of India.

iii. A bench of justices J. Chelameswar and R.F. Nariman had on 26 February reserved its judgement on one of the most controversial issues regarding the freedom of expression that the court has had to deal with in recent times. 

iv. The government said it did not want to curtail the freedom of speech and expression but contended that the cyber space could not be allowed to remain unregulated.

2. Shashi Kapoor gets Dadasaheb Phalke Award

i. Charming Shashi Kapoor, whose nuanced acts in memorable films like “Deewar”, “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, “Trishul” and “Kabhi Kabhie” captivated Hindi film buffs, will be conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2014.

ii. The veteran actor-producer, 77, is the 46th winner of the honour, conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.

iii. In 1978, Shashi set up his production house Film Valas, which produced critically acclaimed films such as “Junoon” (1978), “Kalyug” (1981), “36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981), “Vijeta” (1982) and “Utsav” (1984).

3. India to grow at 7.8 per cent in 2015-16 :ADB

i. The Asian Development Bank projected India's growth rate to surpass China and improve to 7.8 per cent in next fiscal and further to 8.2 per cent in 2016-17. 

ii. The Asian Development Outlook, an annual publication of the ADB said, India's growth and investor confidence will improve on the back of government's structural reform agenda and improved external demand. 

iii. It forecast that India's growth will improve from 7.4 per cent in current fiscal to 7.8 per cent in 2015-16 and further to 8.2 per cent in 2016-17.

4. World Tuberculosis Day observed

i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee gave message to the nation on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, which is observed every year on March 24.

ii. In India National Tuberculosis Control Programme has been able to test 86 million persons, treat 19 million patients and save 3.4 million lives since its inception in 1993. 

iii. TB is a major health problem which afflicts mainly the young and working population of our country. 

IV. It is unfortunate that in India even today one person dies every two minutes due to this menacing disease. 

5. 62nd National film Awards 2014-15 announced - 

i. The awards will be given by President Pranab Mukherjee on 3rd of May in New Delhi

ii. The awardees are - 

Category	Winner
Best Actor	Sanchari Vijay (Nanu Avanalla Avalu)
Best Actress	kangana ranaut (Queen)
Best Director	Srijith Mukerjee (Chotushkone)
Entertainment Film	Mary Kom
Environment Film	Ottal (Malayalam)
Music Director	Vishal Bhardwaj
Singer ( Male)	Sukvinder Singh
Singer (Female )	Utara Unnikrishnan

6. Mangalyaan mission extended by six months

i. The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Mars Orbiter Mission was extended for another six months to further explore the Red Planet and its atmosphere.

ii. “As the 1,340 kg Mars Orbiter has sufficient fuel (37 kg) to last longer than it was intended earlier.

iii. The historic mission has completed six months of orbiting the Red Planet. India also became the first country to have entered the Mars Sphere of Influence in its maiden attempt.

7. South Africans choked again as Kiwis advance to maiden final with 4-wicket win

i. South Africa-born Grant Elliott`s brilliant 84 not out, capped with a stunning six off the penultimate ball, saw New Zealand to a four-wicket win over the Proteas in a cliffhanger World Cup semi-final at Auckland`s Eden Park.

ii. NewZealand faced a revised target of 298 under the Duckworth/Lewis method after South Africa made 281 for five in 43 overs.

iii. South Africa, struggling to throw off their unwanted "choker" tag, have now failed to win all four World Cup semi-finals they have contested.

iv. Newzealand will now play with the winner of the second semi final between India and Australia.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/03/daily-gk-updates-24th-march-2015.html#ixzz3VMi0EBBG

THE ECONOMIC TIMES Tue, Mar 24, 2015 | 06:10 PM IST Daily Newsletter

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Daily GK Update - 22nd & 23rd March 2015

1. Nation observes Martyrs Day

i. March 23 is marked as the Martyr's Day to honour the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev who were hanged to death on this very day in 1931.

ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after his arrival in Amritsar headed straight for Hussainiwala by a helicopter where he paid his respects to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

iii. It was in Hussainiwala that the three martyrs were unceremoniously cremated by the British after their hanging in Lahore on March 23, 1931.

2. World Water Day 2015 observed with the theme Water and Sustainable Development

i. World Water Day (WWD) 2015 was globally observed on 22 March 2015 with the theme Water and Sustainable Development. 

ii. The theme for the WWD 2015 talks about how water links to all areas we need to consider creating the future we want.

iii. WWD is celebrated every year to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues. It’s a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future.

iv. Facts about the water crisis

• Roughly 75% of all industrial water withdrawals are used for energy production.
• There are 658 million people living without access to water in Africa.
• By 2035, the global energy demand is projected to grow by more than one-third.
• Diarrhoea caused by inadequate drinking water, sanitation and hand hygiene kills an estimated 842,000 people every year globally, which is 2,300 people per day.

3. SEBI bars three companies from mobilising public money

i. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has barred three companies from raising funds from the public, with immediate effect.

ii. SEBI said these companies collectively garnered over Rs. 29 crore from close to 12,000 investors through issuance of securities and prima facie violated various provisions of the Companies Act.

iii. The firms — Everlight Realcon Infrastructure Ltd, Tresty Securities Ltd and Real Vision International Ltd —— issued securities to over 50 persons each, which under the rules made it a public issue.

4. Infosys, Accenture in last lap for Rs 900-crore deal 

i. Infosys and Accenture have entered the final lap to clinch a Rs 900-crore ($150 million) IT outsourcing contract from Australia-based financial services provider Macquarie Group. 

ii. Macquarie provides banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services. 

iii. It employs more than 13,900 people in 28 countries. 

iv. HCL, Cognizant and Genpact-Headstrong are some of Macquarie's incumbent IT service providers. 

5. Singapore founding father Lee Kuan Yew dead

i. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister and architect of the tiny Southeast Asian city-state's rapid rise from British tropical outpost to global trade and financial centre, rested in peace.He was aged 91.

ii.  Mr. Lee co-founded the People's Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since 1959 and led the newly born country when it was separated from Malaysia in 1965.

iii. He stepped down as prime minister in 1990, handing power to Goh Chok Tong, but remained influential as senior minister in Goh's cabinet.

6. Rajendra Singh, named as the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate

i. The Waterman of India Rajendra Singh was named as the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate.

ii. He was acknowledged for for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve the living conditions for those most in need. 

iii. Mr Singh, born 1959, lives and works in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The results of his work are without equal: in close cooperation with local residents, he and his organization have revived several rivers, brought water and life back to a thousand villages, and given hope to countless people.

7. India becomes 3rd biggest steel producer overtakes US

i. India has become the third-largest steel producer in the world by overtaking United States (US) in first two months of year 2015. 

ii. It was revealed in the Data compiled by World Steel Association (WSA).

iii. India’s production in first two months i.e. January- February of 2015 was 14.56 million tonnes (MT). 

iv. China tops in steel production and accounts for nearly half of the global steel production. During this period China has produced 65 MT steel.v. Japan is the second-largest steel producer and has reported a total production of 17.4 MT.

8. 1st Counter-Terrorism Conference 2015 held in Jaipur

i.  The 1st Counter-Terrorism Conference 2015 was held in Jaipur for three days from 19 March 2015 to 21 March 2015. 

ii. It was organised by India Foundation in association with the Sardar Patel University of Police Security and Criminal Justice, Jodhpur at Jaipur in Rajasthan.

iii. The central theme of the Conference is Integrated Approach to Counter-Terrorism

9. Indian Wells Tennis championship

i. Simona Halep beat Jelena Jankovic 2-6 7-5 6-4 in an enthralling BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells.

ii. World number one Novak Djokovic recovered from a second-set battle to beat Roger Federer 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 in the BNP Paribas Open final.

iii.  Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza have completed a dream first tournament together, beating Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-4 to win the BNP Paribas Open women's doubles title.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/03/daily-gk-update-22nd-23rd-march-2015.html#ixzz3VHHfLUjm

Daily GK Update - 21st March 2015

Daily GK Update - 21st March 2015

1. Union Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana

i. The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) to provide skills training to youth across the country.

ii. Decision in this regard was taken in the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

iii. The PMKVY Scheme will be implemented by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

iv. The target for skilling under the scheme will be associated with Union Government’s flagship programmes such as Make in India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and National Solar Mission.

2. 33% Cops in Delhi, Union Territories to be women: Government 

i. The Union Cabinet has cleared 33 per cent reservation for woman in the lower levels of police units of the seven Union Territories (UTs), including Delhi. 

ii. The move aims at increasing representation of women in police and to make the force gender sensitive.

iii. This reservation for women will be applicable in each category (SC/ST/OBC and others) through direct recruitment in non-gazetted posts — from constables to sub-inspectors.

3. International Day of Forests observed

i. International Day of Forests was observed on 21 March 2015 with the theme "Forests and Climate Change." 

ii. The theme highlights forest-based solutions to address climate change mitigation and adaptation, and more broadly forests and sustainable development.

iii. The day provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests. The day is also used to communicate the vital role forests play in poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and food security.

4. Amitabh Bachchan roped in as Brand Ambassador for Campaign against Hepatitis B

i. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is roped in as the brand ambassador for Union Government’s campaign against Hepatitis B, a critical public problem in India. 

ii. Bachchan was roped in as the brand ambassador for India’s fight against Hepatitis B after his successful stint as UNICEF’s goodwill brand ambassador of pulse polio campaign in India.

iii. The campaign against Hepatitis B will be launched in April 2015. The campaign is a part of the Union Government’s ambitious child immunization programme named Mission Indradhanush, against seven vaccine-preventable diseases. 

5. Pakistani cricketers Misbah-ul-Haq, Shaid Afridi retired from ODI cricket

i. Pakistani cricketers, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shaid Afridi retired from the One Day International (ODI) format of cricket. 

ii. They retired after the World Cup quarter-final match against Australia played at Adelaide, Australia. In the quarter-final, they lost to Australia by six-wickets. 

iii. Though Misbah will continue to play in the Test matches but Afridi will feature only in T20 format of the cricket.

6. World Sparrow Day observed

i. The World Sparrow Day was observed globally on 20 March 2015 with the theme "I Love Sparrows". The theme has been inspired by the hope that more and more of us will celebrate the relationship between People and Sparrows.

ii. The day is designated to raise awareness of the house sparrow and other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations.

7. Cricket World Cup: Martin Guptill double ton powers New Zealand to massive win over West Indies

i. New Zealand opener Martin Guptill sent the ball soaring and the records tumbling by striking a cricket World Cup record of 237 not out to set up his team's crushing 143-run victory over West Indies in the last quarter-final.

ii. Guptill became the first New Zealander to score consecutive World Cup centuries, bettered his own national record of 189 not out then overtook Chris Gayle's World Cup record of 215 set against Zimbabwe at the current tournament. His innings took 163 balls and included 24 boundaries and 11 sixes.

iii. The Match made Guptill the first New Zealander to score centuries in consecutive World Cup innings after having made 105 against Bangladesh.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/03/daily-gk-update-21st-march-2015.html#ixzz3V2J77N5Y