Daily Current Affairs Updates– 23rd July 2016:
Daily Current affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this.
LokSabha passes Bill to establish new NIT in Andhra Pradesh:
· The LokSabha passed the National Institute of Technology, Science, Education and Research (Amendment) (NITSER) Bill, 2016.
· The bill seeks to establish a new National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Andhra Pradesh as an institute of national importance under the NITSER Act, 2007 with an effect from August 2015.
IAF, Navy and Coast Guard launch massive search operation for missing AN-32:
· An AN-32 aircraft of the IAF, with 29 personnel on board, including four officers, went missing over Bay of Bengal+ on its way from near Chennai to Port Blair raising concerns over its fate.
· A massive search and rescue operation has been launched by IAF, Navy and Coast Guard, deploying one submarine, eight aircraft and 13 ships for tracking the upgraded plane which made the last radio contact at 8.46am, 16 minutes after take off from Tambaram air base.
Farmers planting pulses in big way; area up 39% so far:
· Farmers are sowing pulses in a big way as area under the crop has increased by over 39% to 90.17 lakh hectares so far in the 2016-17 kharifseason with Karnataka on top.
· Pulses acreage has increased by 87% in Karnataka to 14.09 lakh hectare, from 7.53 lakh hectare when compared to the year-ago period, according to the data released by the Agriculture Ministry.
· There has been 30-35% jump in pulses area even in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Startup India States’ Conference to be held on July 23:
· Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) organised a day-long conference on Startup India on July 23 in Delhi.
· To discuss policies and progress made on the Startup India initiative
· The conference will be presided over by commerce minister NirmalaSitharaman.
Odisha to organize investors’ meet in Bengaluru:
· To attract investment in IT, electronics and biotechnology sector, the state government has decided to organize an investors’ meet in Bengaluru on August 26 in line with the Centre’s Make in India week held in Mumbai in February.
· Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to attend the investors meet where the state government has invited industry leaders like Tata group chairman Cyrus Mistry, Wipro chairman AzimPremji, KiranMazumdar Shaw of Biocon to interact on investment opportunities in Odisha.
Solar power tree developed for generation of electricity:
· The Ministry of Science and Technology has come up with a ‘Solar Power Tree’, an innovative way to generate electricity using solar power in a limited space.
· Developed by the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur, a laboratory of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Solar Power Tree model is actually designed like a tree with branches made of steel to hold the photovoltaic panel.
IRCTC to Introduce Passenger Insurance, Unreserved Ticketing:
· Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation said it is launching a host of initiatives, including passenger insurance and unreserved ticketing.
· Insurance will cost less than Rs. 2 per trip for a sum insured of Rs. 10 lakh
· IRCTC will also improve its Android app to make refund process simpler
· It is also planning to launch its own e-wallet in a renewed form.
India first to contribute to UN trust fund:
· The United Nations Department of Field Support has announced that India has become the first country to contribute to a trust fund set up in support of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers.
· The $100,000 contribution comes after the UN Secretariat requested voluntary contributions to the trust fund while establishing it in March.
A Film festival on Mother Teresa in India and abroad:
· The Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF), a film festival focusing on Mother Teresa's life and teachings is going to be held at over 100 locations in India and around 50 other countries.
· The festival will be kicked off from Kolkata on August 26 after which it will travel all over the world for the next six months. It will be organized by the World Catholic Association for Communication.
· The objective is to spread the message of Mother Teresa before the world. The festival would also feature a film on the Nobel laureate and inspired by her life. Mr. Sunil Lucas will be the festival director.
Feeding of Elephants festival held in Kerala:
· The Aanayoottu festival was held at the NjangattiriBhagavathi Temple in Palakkad district of Kerala.
· Elephants are fed specially-medicated food during the festival, which is held across various parts of the state.
· The ritual is considered an offering to please Lord Ganesha. A six-minute video shows the Aanayoottu festivities held at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in the Thrissur district.
India to become Daimler's mobility strategy hub:
· Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz announced plans to multiply the engineering workforce at its Bengaluru research facility.
· The facility, which currently has Daimler's second-biggest team of dedicated software professionals, will become the strategy hub for testing.
· Daimler's plans for becoming a mobility services company following recent trends in the automotive industry
INTERNATIONAL:
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos beats Warren Buffett as world’s third richest:
· Jeff Bezos just snuck past Warren Buffett to become the third-richest person on Earth.
· The Amazon.com founder’s net worth was $65.1 billion on Thursday, topping Buffett by $32 million on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Madeira int'l airport to be named after Ronaldo:
· The international airport in Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo's hometown, Madeira, is set to be renamed after the footballer.
· The announcement, made in recognition of Ronaldo’s achievements and contributions to football, was made by Miguel Albuquerque, President of the regional government.
· Ronaldo led the national team to its maiden European Championship title in July.
Russian adventurer FedorKonyukhov breaks world hot air balloon record:
· Russian adventurer, FedorKonyukhov, has broken the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the Earth in a hot air balloon in just over 11 days.
· Konyukhov, 64, who set off from Western Australia's Avon Valley on July 12, has gone past the point he needed to fly over to break the record. He is expected to land in Wheatbelt later this afternoon.
· Konyukhov has broken the 14-year-old record set by American adventurer Steve Fossett.
· Fossett is the only other person to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, which he completed in 13-and-a-half days.
Tomorrowland 2016 begins in Belgium:
· One of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world, Tomorrowland entered its first day on Friday in the Belgian city of Boom.
· The line-up for the three-day festival this year includes artists Deadmau5, Tiësto and The Chainsmokers.
· Visitors can set up their tents in the festival's camping ground 'DreamVille', which includes various facilities such as a marketplace and a bakery.
APPOINTMENTS:
CaratLane names two senior employees as co-founders:
· Online jewellery firm CaratLane has made two of its senior employees co-founders of the business.
· AvnishAnand, Senior Vice-President — Product and Category Management, and G.Gurukeerthi, Senior Vice-President, Technology and Fulfilment, will be co-founders of the business along with CEO and Founder MithunSacheti.
Ganesh Singh appointed Head of Joint Parliamentary Committee for Land Acquisition Bill:
· BJP LokSabha member Ganesh Singh was appointed the new Chairperson of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Land Acquisition Bill.
· Singh replaced S SAhluwalia, who became Minister of the State for Parliamentary Affairs in reshuffle of the council of ministers on 5 July 2016.
· After the appointment, Singh will have to move a resolution in the LokSabha seeking the seventh extension of the term of the panel.
Corp Bank launches ‘Green PIN’ facility:
· Corporation Bank has launched a new facility called ‘Green PIN’.
· This is an online module for generation of Personal Identification Number (PIN) for credit card holders. The facility enables credit card users to generate PIN online. PIN is compulsory for all point-of-sale (POS) terminal transactions at a merchant establishment.
· SK Roy, Chairman of LIC of India, launched the facility.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Indian students win 3 golds at Int'l Physics Olympiad:
· All the five Indian students who participated in the International Physics Olympiad 2016, held in Switzerland's Zurich city last week, have won medals — three golds and two silvers.
· The students have been felicitated at the HomiBhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. A total of 398 students from 84 countries had taken part in the Olympiad.
Milk-seller is Chattisgarh’s 1st woman Olympian:
· RenukaYadav, a former milk seller from Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh, has become the state’s first female Olympian, after being selected in the women’s hockey team.
· The 22-year-old midfielder, whose parents worked as domestic helps, started playing hockey when she was 12.
· Notably, the Indian women’s hockey team will be competing at the Olympics after 36 years.
Kerala Tourism wins Gold at PATA Awards:
· Kerala Tourism won two Gold Gongs at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Awards.
· Kerala Tourism bagged the award in recognition of its trend setting marketing initiatives, which have given a boost to the state's profile as a must-visit destination.
· The awards were in the categories of Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media and E-Newsletter, which were grabbed by the successful Visit Kerala television commercial campaign and the popular Kerala Tourism E-Newsletter, respectively.
· The awards will be presented at the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon and Presentation on 9 September 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
· In 2015, Kerala Tourism was also awarded PATA Gold in the Heritage and Culture category for Muziris Heritage Project.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Apple named the world's favourite company:
· Apple has regained the status as the world's favourite company on FutureBrand's annual 'Global Top 100 Companies' list after losing it to Google last year.
· Microsoft and Samsung were ranked second and third respectively.
· The list also includes Facebook, Amazon, Nike and Intel. Interestingly, Google's holding company Alphabet ranks 21st on the list.
L’Oreal agrees to acquire IT Cosmetics for $1.2B:
· French cosmetics firm L’Oreal has agreed to acquire US-based IT Cosmetics for $1.2 billion, its largest acquisition in eight years,a statement released on Friday read.
· The all-cash deal will reportedly add over 300 skin-care and makeup products to L'Oreal's lineup.
14 PSU banks post losses in last financial year:
· Fourteen public sector banks out of 27 posted losses in the last financial year.
· The main reason for their losses was Asset Quality Review initiated by the Reserve Bank of India.
· As a result, the banks had to suddenly make provisions for accounts categorized as non-performing assets under the exercise.
Government says DBT scheme saves Rs 21K cr in LPG subsidy in 2 years
· The government has clarified that savings resulting from Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG scheme PAHAL is estimated to be Rs 21,261 crore since the launch of the scheme in 2014-15.
HDFC Ltd looks to raise Rs 2,000 crore via NCDs:
· HDFC Ltd will issue non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on a private placement basis to raise Rs 2,000 crore.
· The secured, redeemable NCDs to be issued on July 27, will carry a coupon rate of 8.15 per cent per annum.
NCD (Non-convertible debentures):
ü These are unsecured bonds that cannot be converted to company equity or stock. Nonconvertible debentures usually have higher interest rates than convertible debentures.
Government asks RBI to provide low interest-rate loans to EXIM Bank:
· RBI has received a proposal from the Commerce and Industry Ministry to use a part of forex reserves to give long-term loans at low-interest rates to the Export Import Bank of India.
ü EXIM Bank CEO ShriYaduvendraMathur
ü EXIM Bank HQ Mumbai
Walmart is world's biggest private employer:
· With nearly 2.3 million employees in 68 countries, Walmart is the biggest private employer in the world.
· The second largest company in terms of number of employees is McDonald's.
· Notably, Walmart has bagged the top spot in recently released Fortune Global 500 List for the third consecutive time
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Facebook's Aquila Internet drone completes first test flight:
· Facebook Inc announced the successful completion of test flight of a solar-powered drone named Aquila.
· The social media giant believes that Aquila will help to extend Internet connectivity to every corner of the planet.
· The company ultimately hopes to have a fleet of Aquilas that can fly for at least three months at a time at 60000 feet and communicate with each other to deliver internet access.
ViratKohli becomes first Indian captain to score double century outside India:
· India test team captain ViratKohli became the first Indian captain to score a double century outside India.
· Kohli scored 200 runs against West Indies on day two of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in North Sound.
· With his double century, Kohli entered the list of visiting captains with highest scores in West Indies. The list includes name like Sir Leonard Hutton, Steve Waugh, Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting.
Harrison breaks 28-year-old world hurdles record:
· American hurdler, Kendra Harrison broke the 28-year-old world record in the 100-metre hurdles after clocking 12.20 seconds at the London Anniversary Games.
· Interestingly, the 23-year-old American has failed to qualify for the upcoming Rio Olympics.
· Harrison now holds six of the seven fastest times this year and two of the four fastest ever in 100 metres hurdles.
Usain Bolt wins 200m sprint ahead of Olympics:
· Ahead of the upcoming Rio Olympics, Jamaican sprinter and six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt won the 200-metre sprint at the Anniversary Games in London's Olympic Stadium.
· He clocked 19.89 seconds, 0.15 seconds ahead of the second-placed sprinter.
· Notably, Bolt had pulled out of the 100 metres final in Jamaica's Olympic trials earlier this month with a hamstring strain.
Sony Pictures Networks bags broadcast right of International Champions:
· Sony Pictures Networks India has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights to telecast the 2016 edition of the International Champions Cup (football) in India.
· The matches this year will be held across North America, Europe, Australia, and China, and will see 17 of the top clubs from across the world participating in the highly anticipated season opening tournament.
· The International Champions Cup will begin from July 22 and will run through August 13, 2016, and will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony Espn and Sony Espn HD channels.
· The tournament will also be streamed live on the SonyLiv app.
Indian artist SH Raza passes away aged 94:
· Modern Indian artist Syed HaiderRaza passed away aged 94 today following prolonged illness.
· An internationally acclaimed painter, he was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1981 and was elected a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Academy in 1983.
· He had also been conferred with France's highest civilian honour, the Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur (Legion of Honour), in 2015.
DD News correspondent Sanjiv Thomas passes away:
· Eminent Journalist and Doordarshan News Correspondent in Hyderabad, Sanjiv Thomas is no more. He was 59.
· He quite his carrier as Research Associate in the ISRO, Ahmedabad in 1985 to join Doordarshan Hyderabad Kendra initially as a Research Officer.
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