Daily GK Updates – 25th May 2015
1. Mumbai Indians lift second IPL title with a 41-run win over Chennai Super Kings
i. Mumbai Indians (MI) on 24 May 2015 won the eight edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
ii. In the final match played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata they defeated CSK by 41 runs. CSK had won the toss in final summit had chosen bowl first.
iii. MI by batting first had set the target of 202 to their opponent team. However the CSK failed to reach the target score.
iv. This is the second IPL title triumph for MI after their maiden win in the season six in 2013. It should be noted that Chennai has now lost four finals of 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015 in six appearances and had won in 2011 and 2012 IPL seasons.
Man of the Match: Rohit Sharma.
Captains of the two teams Mumbai Indains: Rohit Sharma.
Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Looking at the Other highlights of IPL 2015:
Player of the Tournament: Andre Russell (KKR).
Orange Cap awarded to: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad).
Purple Cap awarded to: Dwayne Bravo (CSK).
Emerging Player of the Season: Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Daredevils).
Most Valuable Player: Andre Russell (KKR).
2. India and Singapore kick off joint naval exercise
i. India has dispatched four warships, which include an indigenously-built guided missile stealth frigate INS Satpura and anti – submarine corvette INS Kamrota to the Indian Ocean and South China sea for participating in SIMBEX – 15.
ii. SIMBEX – 15 is a bilateral naval exercise which will be conducted between the Indian and the Singaporean Navy from May 23rd to May 26th, 2015.
iii. SIMBEX – 15 started in 1999 in consonance with India’s, ‘Act East Policy’ and with the view of achieving maritime security and combatting terrorism among other things.
3. Manoj Mishra appointed as CMD of National Fertilizers Limited
i. Manoj Mishra was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of state-run National Fertilizers Limited (NFL). The post of NFL’s CMD fell vacant after the retirement of Neeru Abrol in February 2014.
ii. Mishra is currently serving as the Director (Finance) at State Trading Corporation (STC). Mishra is a cost accountant by qualification. He began his career from fertiliser company Kribhco and worked there for 23 years.
iii. NFL has five gas-based urea plants at Nangal & Bathinda in Punjab, Panipat in Haryana and two plants at Vijaipur in District Guna, Madhya Pradesh.
iv. The company has a total annual installed capacity of 35.68 lakh tonnes and is the second largest producer of urea in the country.
4. Uttar Pradesh government amended State Film Policy to woo tourism
i. Uttar Pradesh Government amended State Film Policy to woo tourism.
ii. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated the UP Film Bnadhus’s Website and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a film city.
iii. Also, UP Government under the amended policy has increased the subsidy given to the film maker to encourage film production in the state. Each film produced in UP is now entitled to a subsidy of 2 crore rupees.
iv. U.P. Film Policy booklet was also launched during the event, Akhilesh Yadav also presented a cheque of 2 crore rupees to Jaanisaar’s filmmaker Muzaffar Ali.
5. China sets up largest gold sector fund for nations along ancient Silk Road
i. China has set up a gold sector fund involving 65 countries along the ancient Silk Road. It has been set up in China’s northwest Xi’an city during ongoing forum on investment and trade.
ii. The fund will be led by Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) and is expected to raise 16.1 billion dollars in three phases. It should be noted that it is the largest fund set up by China in the gold sector.
iii. Around 60 countries which fall along the routes of 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) and Silk Road Economic Belt have invested in the fund.
iv. This fund will facilitate gold purchase for the central banks of member states to increase their holdings of the precious metal. It will be also invested in gold mining in countries along the Silk Road and also to increase exploration in countries such as Afghanistan and Kazakhstan
v. At present, China is the world’s largest gold producer and also a major importer and consumer of gold. But its share in international gold trade is very small and does not have a big say in gold pricing.
vi. By setting up this fund China is seeking to increase the influence of its domestic currency Renminbi (RMB) in the international gold pricing by opening the domestic gold market to international investors.
6. Russia enacts law banning undesirable NGOs
i. Russian government officially has enacted a law banning undesirable non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country. The law came into force after President Vladimir Putin signed the bill in this regard after it was passed by both houses of the Russian parliament.
ii. The newly enacted law allows government authorities to Prosecute foreign NGOs or firms designated as undesirable on national security grounds.
iii. Individuals working for such NGOs could face up to six years in prison or fines. Barr foreign NGOs employees from the country.
iv. Ban Russian citizens or groups that have involvement or are engaged with such undesirable foreign NGOs.
v. The definition of undesirable in this case can be considered as threat to Russia’s defence capabilities or constitutional foundations.
7. Bank unions, IBA sign bipartite agreement
i. The Indian Banks’ Association signed the 10th bipartite agreement with five employee unions in Mumbai on Monday.
ii. The signatories included eight representatives on behalf of 43 member banks and 56 workmen representatives on behalf of five bank unions – AIBEA, NCBE, BEFI, NOBW and INBEF.
iii. With this, bankers will receive a 15 per cent hike in their salary slip component and would translate into an increase of Rs. 2,270 crore – the salary slip component of establishment expenses of public sector banks which are parties to this settlement for FY12.
iv. The new salary of pay would be constructed, after the merging dearness allowance corresponding to 4440 points and with a loading of about two per cent.
v. The bank unions had submitted a charter of demands to the IBA in October 2012 for revising the wages and service conditions of bankers requesting for negotiations. IBA had on its part raised issues related to improving the efficiency of bank operations.
8. Now, you can make ICICI Bank transactions using voice!
i. India’s largest private sector lender Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Bank has launched voice password facility for users.
ii. This service will facilitate its customers to make transactions using their voice rather than using traditional means of authentication like entering id and password.
iii. The voice recognition service authenticates customers based on their speech patterns and allows them to execute banking transactions through the bank’s call centre. Thus in this case of transaction customers voice will act as the password through the call centre.
iv. The technology solution behind ICICI bank’s voice password facility works on unique voice prints which comprise over 100 characteristics. It also includes voice modulation, accent speed and pronunciation which are impossible to imitate.
v. This voice print will be stored and matched whenever the customer calls from the registered mobile. Thus it will provide highest security potential to its customers.
vi. Over 33 million savings bank and credit card customers of ICICI bank will be able to use the service.
9. French film Dheepan honoured with Palme d’Or Award at 68th Cannes Film Festival
i. French film Dheepan has been awarded Palme d’Or Award at 68th Cannes Film Festival. The film is directed by Jacques Audiard.
ii. Dheepan story revolves around the trio of Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka’s who pretend to be a family in order to flee their war-torn country to France.
Other awards at 68th Cannes Film Festival
The Grand Prix: Son of Saul, directed by László Nemes.
Best director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien for The Assassin.
Screenplay: Michel Franco for Chronic.
Best actress: Emmanuelle Bercot in Mon Roi and Rooney Mara in Carol.
Best Actor: Vincent Lindon in The Measure of a Man.
Camera d’Or: La Tierra Y La Sombra, directed by César Augusto Acevedo.
Short Films Palme d Or: Waves ’98, directed by Ely Dagher.
The Jury Prize: The Lobster, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Click here To View More Cannes Film Festival Awards 2015
10 Facebook’s Internet.org attracts 8 lakh users in India
i. Social media giant Facebook has garnered 8 lakh users in India for its Internet.org initiative that has been in the thick of the net neutrality controversy.
ii. Facebook had partnered telecom major Reliance Communications to offer free access to over 30 websites without data charges to users in India.
iii. Internet.org service is available for Reliance customers in seven telecom circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
iv. The goal of Internet.org is to allow more people to experience the benefits of being online.
11. Renowned American mathematician and Nobel Laureate John Nash passes away
i. Renowned American mathematician and Nobel laureate John Nash passed away on 24 May 2015.
ii. He was 86 and died in a car crash along with his wife Alicia Nash. John Forbes Nash, Jr. was born on June 13, 1928 in West Virginia State of United States.
iii. He was renowned for works in game theory (mathematical study of decision-making), differential geometry and partial differential equations.
iv. His theories (especially Nash Equilibrium in game theory) are used in modern computing, economics, evolutionary biology, artificial intelligence, accounting, politics and military theory.
12. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Monaco Grand Prix of Formula One
i. Mercedes racing driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Monaco Grand Prix Formula 1 World Championship title by winning the final race held in Monaco.
ii. While Sebastian Vettel of Germany representing the Ferrari team stood at the second position, Rosberg’s team mate Lewis Hamiltion of UK was at the third positon.
iii. It is the tenth overall championship title for Rosberg and the second title in the 2015 season having won the Spanish Formula 1 World Championship on 10 May 2015.
iv. With the present victory, he has become the fourth driver to win three Monaco Grand Prix titles in a row. The others were Graham Hill, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
13. Indian boxers clinch 4 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze medals in Doha Boxing Tournament
i. Indian boxers have rounded off a brilliant run at the Doha International Tournament by winning four gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
ii. The silver medal was won by Gaurav Bidhuri in 52 kg category. While Mandeep Jangra and Vikas Krishan bagged bronze medals in 69kg and 75kg categories respectively.
Gold medal winners are
L Devendro Singh in 49 kg category by defeating Aldren Moreno of Philippines by 3:0.
Shiva Thapa in 56kg category by defeating HYM Abdelaal of Egypt by 2:1.
Manish Kaushik in 60 kg category by defeating Rabi Hamza of Morocco by 3:0.
Manoj Kumar in 64 kg category by defeating Magliquian Nicole of Philippines by 3:0.
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