Daily GK Update 11th February, 2017

Daily GK Update 11th February, 2017

Govt clears single exam for engineering and architecture across India from 2018

i. Admission to all engineering colleges in the country will be done through a single entrance examination from next year (2018), the government stated doing away with multiple tests conducted by central agencies, state governments and private institutions. ii. A single test for engineering, as well as architecture courses, will be on lines of the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a single, all-India test for entry to medical and dental colleges launched in 2016.

iii. However, students seeking admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will have to clear the JEE-Advanced after taking the engineering entrance exam.The human resource development ministry cleared a proposal by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the country’s top body which frames rules and regulations for engineering and technical institutes.

By June, 2017 govt aims to link 5.58 lakh ration shops with Aadhaar

i. The government stated that it would make 5.58 lakh ration shops Aadhaar-enabled by June 30, 2017 adding that it would not force it on the people and request those who chose to stay out, to come and join the platform. 

ii. This follows a Food Ministry notification making Aadhaar mandatory for food subsidies from February 8, and asking those not enrolled to do so by June 30, 2017.

Ananth Kumar Inaugurates Orientation Programme for Launching of 1000 PMBJKs

i. The Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananthkumar inaugurated the Orientation Programme for the district heads of National Yuva Cooperative Society (NYCS) in New Delhi to launch the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) in the country.

ii. The workshop was organized based upon the MoU signed earlier between Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) and NYCS for establishing 1000 PMBJKs in the country. 

iii. The basic details regarding the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) were laid down during the workshop for the effectiveness of the scheme.

Andhra Pradesh Government constitutes 33 member committee for Sagarmala Project

i. A 33 member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the speedy implementation of the Sagarmala Project in Andhra Pradesh.

ii. Sagarmala project aims to improve the state’s  coastline and inland waterways.The committee will be responsible for overseeing the entire project and will bring together all the concerned departments and review their work on a daily basis for timely completion of the project. A nodal officer has also been appointed from every department who would represent the department.

Piyush Goyal Launches TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application for Transparency in Statutory Clearances for Mining Operations 

i. The Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the TAMRA (Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource Augmentation) portal and Mobile Application in New Delhi.

ii. TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application aims to enhance the transparency and  Piyush Goyalaccountability in the mining sector as a part of the Ease of Doing Business.

iii. The initiative will speed up mining activity in India and enable all the stakeholders to track the status of the statutory clearances associated with mining blocks for getting mines to reach till operationalization for the same.

World’s first Braille Atlas for visually impaired persons Launched by NATMO in New Delhi

i. The Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan released the world’s first comprehensive Braille atlas for nearly 50 lakh visually challenged people in New Delhi, India.

ii. This is for the first time that such atlas has been prepared for physically challenged with such minute details. The Braille Atlas has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) under Department of Science & Technology.

 iii. The Braille atlas has 20 maps on different themes like physical, socio-economic, river system, crops pattern, natural vegetation, cultural, metropolitan areas, roads and railways, soil types and crops.

Industrial production contracts 0.4% in December, 2016 following demonetization

Industrial output fell 0.4% in the month of December, 2016 from a year 2015, driven down by a contraction in consumer and capital goods production. It fell 0.4% in December, 2016 as per the data release by the government.

Task force set up to check tax evasion by deviant shell firms

i. In the latest move to curb tax evasion, the government has set up a task force to monitor actions of deviant shell companies. 

ii. The setting up of the task force, under the co-chairmanship of revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia and corporate affairs secretary Tapan Ray, followed a meeting held in Prime Minister’s Office to review the functioning of shell companies to prevent their misuse for money laundering and tax-evasion, especially post-demonetisation.

GMR Hyderabad Airport bags CAPA award

i. GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Chairman’s Order of Merit for its focus on environmental sustainability and becoming the first airport in Asia Pacific to become carbon neutral.

ii. Airports Council International (ACI) has certified Hyderabad International Airport with Level 3+ Neutrality under its Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

Govt. appoints IAS officer Ajay Tyagi as SEBI chief for 5 years

i. Senior Finance Ministry official Ajay Tyagi has appointed as chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).  He will succeed U K Sinha, whose extended tenure ends on 01st March 2017. 

ii. Tyagi, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, is at present Additional Secretary (Investment) in the Department of Economic Affairs and handles capital market, among others.

iii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Tyagi's appointment for a period not exceeding five years or till the age of  65 years.

India Proposes Global Services Accord Pact to WTO Chief Azevedo

i. India presented the proposed Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS) Agreement to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo and India Inc. in an event organized by Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi. 

ii. The global pact proposed by India to boost services trade at the WTO-level aims to ease norms including those relating to movement of foreign skilled workers and professionals across borders for short-term work.

China releases theme for BRICS Summit 2017

i. 2017 BRICS association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to be held in Xiamen, China in September 2017.

ii. The summit will be held under the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future,” state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

iii.It will also feature five key priorities such as deepening cooperation, strengthening global governance, carrying out people-to-people exchanges, making institutional improvements and building broader partnerships.

iv. The BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

UNO ropes in Satinder Sartaaj for campaign against trafficking

i. Folk singer from Punjab Satinder Sartaaj has been selected for the awareness project against human trafficking 'Blue Heart Campaign' by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

ii. The 34-year-old artist has collaborated with other celebrated Indian musicians like AR Rahman and Sonu Nigam in this drive to spread awareness about the illegal practice through 'Music to Inspire' album.

Nokia to acquire Finnish telecom software company Comptel for $371 million

i. Finland multinational communications and information technology company Nokia announced to buy telecoms software firm Comptel for 347 million euros ($371 million). 

ii. The aim of the acquisition to help phone carriers manage their networks as mobile andmore and more rely on software to improve their networks.

Sudarsan Pattnaik creates Guinness World Record by creating 48.8 feet tall sand castle

i. Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a Guinness World Record by creating a 48.8 feet tall sand castle at Puri beach in Odisha. 

ii. The record-breaking sculpture was built with a message of world peace, and featured sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi, Gautama Buddha and Nelson Mandela. 

iii. Patnaik achieved the rare feat in four days. The previous record holder, an American, had completed his art of 45.10 feet in seven days.

MRI pioneer and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield passes away at 83

i. UK physicist and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield  has died. He was 83. Peter led a team of experts who revolutionised science and worked on MRI scans. 

ii. He had won the Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine for developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 2003.

Sports Ministry Launches Mission XI Million in New Delhi

i. The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goyal launched the Mission XI Million, the biggest school sport outreach programme, in New Delhi in the presence of President of AIFF Shri Praful Patel.

ii. The programme has been launched with an aim to make football a sport of choice in India and encourage children to play the football games on regular basis.

I&B Team win inter-ministry Hockey tournament 2016-17

i. The inter-ministry Hockey tournament 2016 - 17 was held at Central Secretariat Ground Vinay Marg, New Delhi. The final match played between I & B Ministry and Ministry of Health. I&B Team won the final match by three goals to Nil. 

ii. All the Ministry teams participated in the race for the cup. M.L. Sharma, Chandan Singh, Kuldeep Singh were the scrorer.

iii. Most entertaining player Chandan Singh was declared Player of the match.