Daily GK Update 15th September 2017

Important Dates

1. International Democracy Day being observed today

• The International Day of Democracy is being observed across the world on 15th September every year to raise awareness about the democratic system.
• This year's theme of democracy and conflict prevention focuses on the critical need to strengthen democratic institutions to promote peace and stability.

Note:

• In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolved to observe 15th September as the International Day of Democracy with the purpose of promoting and upholding the principles of democracy.

2. 15th September: Engineer’s Day

• Engineers’ Day is celebrated on 15th September every year in India commemorating the birthday of one of the greatest engineers in India, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya.
• Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was an Indian engineer, scholar, statesman and the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918.
• He is a recipient of the Indian’s highest honour, the Bharat Ratna (1955).

International Affairs

3. New plastic Jane Austen 10-pound note launched in Britain

• A new plastic 10 Pound note featuring renowned author ‘Jane Austen’ has gone into circulation in Britain.
• Austen is the first female writer to feature on a British banknote, replacing a paper 10 Pound note which featured a portrait of naturalist Charles Darwin.
• The new 'tenner' is the first British banknote with a tactile feature involving a series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner to help blind and partially sighted users.
• The move coincides with the 200th anniversary of the author's death.
• The new Jane Austen ten-pound note joins the Winston Churchill five-pound note in the first series of polymer Bank of England banknotes.

4. India & Pak begin high-level talks on Indus Waters Treaty

• Today, a high-level talk between India and Pakistan on technical issues of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has begun in Washington(USA).
• Under the IWT, India is permitted to construct hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers with certain restrictions.
• Pakistan opposed the construction of the Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants being built by India after the conclusion of secretary-level talks in August between the two countries on the IWT.

Note:

• The IWT was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan with the help of the World Bank, which is also a signatory.

5. India launches 'Operation Insaniyat' to help Bangladesh tackle Rohingya refugee crisis

• India has started ‘Operation Insaniyat’ to provided assistance to Bangladesh in response to the humanitarian crisis being faced on account of the large influx of Rohingya refugees into that country from Myanmar.
• Under it, relief material consisting of items including rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, biscuits and mosquito nets will be provided to the affected people.
• The relief material will be delivered in multiple consignments, and the first tranche will be brought to Chittagong by an Indian Air Force plane.

National Affairs

6. President Ram Nath Kovind launches nation-wide campaign Swacchata Hi Sewa

• Today, President Ram Nath Kovind has launched a nation-wide campaign Swacchata Hi Sewa from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
• He also administered nation-wide ‘Swachhta Hi Seva pledge’ initiating parallel action in all the two lakhs 50 thousand plus Gram Panchayats and cities in India.
• The objective of the campaign is to mobilize people and reinforce the public movement for sanitation to contribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a Clean India.
• Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, and Uttarakhand and nearly 200 districts around the country have become Open Defecation Free.
• The fortnight long campaign will conclude on Gandhi Jayanti (2nd of October).

7. NGT refuses to lift ban on 10-yr-old diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR

• National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to lift the ban on 10-year-old diesel vehicles in the Delhi-National Capital Region.
• The NGT has also dismissed the Centre's plea seeking modification of its ban order on diesel vehicles.
• According to the NGT, one diesel vehicle causes pollution equal to 24 petrol vehicles and 40 CNG vehicles.

Note:

• National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 (NGT) is an Act of the Parliament of India which enables creation of a special tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues.

8. Telangana govt. launches a comprehensive land survey for rectification of land records

• The Telangana govt. has launched a comprehensive land survey for rectification of land records in the state.
• The survey aimed at rectifying & updating the land records in all 10,733 revenues villages across the state and 1346 teams of officials will take part in the survey (till 2017).
• Teams of revenue and agricultural officers will stay in villages for 10 days, conduct gram sabhas and verify the land records in the presence of farmers.
• The rectified records will be displayed at village panchayat office and will also be digitized & uploaded online.

Note:

• The comprehensive land survey will ensure transparency in sale and purchase of land, registration, ownership rights and all other details pertaining to lands in the state.

9. HRD Minister announces Swacchata ranking of Higher Educational Institutions

• The union Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister ‘Prakash Javadekar’ unveiled the Swacchata ranking of Higher Educational Institutions and presented awards to the top rankers.
• Three thousand five hundred institutions participated in the Swachhata ranking out of which best 25 institutions were selected in four categories.
• Four crores eighty lakhs toilets have been built around the country including in educational institutions with separate facility for girl students.
• Under the mission, more than 2 lakh villages and more than 160 districts have been declared Open Defecation Free.

10. Karnataka becomes the first Indian state to approve e-vehicle policy

• Karnataka state cabinet approved the Karnataka Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy to encourage production of electric vehicles to reduce pollution, promote research & development (R&D) of electric mobility.
• Now, Karnataka has become the first Indian state to have an electric vehicle policy.
• The state expects to create employment for 55,000 people through the policy.

Sports

11. Davis Cup: India to starts its campaign against Canada today

• Today, India will open its campaign against Canada in the Davis Cup World Group Playoff tie.
• In the first singles match Ramkumar Ramanathan (154- ranked) is up against the debutant Bradley Schnur while Yuki Bhambri will play the second singles against Denis Shapovalov (51-ranked).
• Earlier, India lost in the last three years to Serbia in 2014, the Czech Republic in 2015 and Spain in 2016 in the Play-offs.
• Rohan Bopanna with Purav Raja for the doubles rubber, to be played tomorrow.
• The present champion of Davis Cup- 2016 is Argentina who beatCroatia to win the title for the first time.

Note:

• The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis, run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in a knock-out format.
• The most successful countries over the history of the tournament are the United States (32 times) and Australia (28 times).
• By 2016, 135 nations entered teams into the competition.

 ''Thought of the Day''

"“When you betray somebody else, you also betray yourself."