Daily GK Update 30th April

Ganga Cleanliness Pledge Day to be observed on May 2

i. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) will observe 'Ganga Cleanliness Pledge Day' on 02nd May 2017 at various places in the river's basin states to spread awareness and ensure public participation in the program.
ii. The events will be organized in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Hardoi, Bithoor and Vidhur Kuti; Uttarakhand's Srinagar and Devprayag; Patna and Bhagalpur in Bihar; Sahibganj (Jharkhand) and Kolkata (West Bengal).

India to give Rs 35 cr to Bangladesh under 'Muktijodha scholarship' scheme

i. India will give Rs 35 crore to children of freedom fighters in Bangladesh in the next five years under the new 'Muktijodha scholarship' scheme. 
ii. India initiated the Muktijodha Scholarship Scheme in 2006 for descendants of the 1971 Freedom Fighters. Until now, more than 10,000 scholarships worth Tk150 million have been disbursed.

Former minister Ashwani Kumar to get Japan Imperial Decoration

i. Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar has been selected by Japan for this year's Spring Imperial Decorations, for his contribution to the strengthening of bilateral ties and promotion of friendship between the two countries.
ii. The Presentation Ceremony for the Investiture of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun will be held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on May 9.

International Labour Day: 01st May

i. International Labour Day, also known as International Worker's Day or May Day is observed on 01st of May every year to promote and encourage the international labour associations.
ii. The day marks the victory of workers' movement for eight hours of work. It also aims to pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.
iii. In India, Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya will chair International Labour Day function in New Delhi.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip on visit to India

i. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was given the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. The visiting dignitary will hold delegation level talks with PM Modi.
ii. A number of agreements will be signed in several areas after the talks. The Turkish President is accompanied by senior cabinet ministers and a 150-member business delegation that will take part in a meeting of the India-Turkey Business Forum.

Kerala's Aymanam Becomes Country's First Digitised Panchayat ward

i. Aymanam ward in the Kerala district on became India’s first digitalised panchayat ward. Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar inaugurated the website of the first digitalised panchayat ward number 15 of Aymanam gram panchayat.
ii. The minister launched the website www.digitalaymanam.com at the function.

Maharashtra CM inaugurated state's 1st automatic weather station

i. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated the State’s first automatic weather station at Dongargaon in Vidarbha region.
ii. With the installation of this station information from the stations would help farmers plan and manage the sowing process better.
ii. In the first phase, information will be shared using SMS, and in the second, all gram panchayats will get half-hourly information on weather conditions.

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2017 (RERA) comes into effect from today (01st May 2017)

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2017 (RERA) has come into force today, aimed to protect the interests of homebuyers across the country and bring transparency.
Here are some key features of the Act-

• It aims to protect the interests of homebuyers across the country and bring transparency.
• The real estate developers will not be allowed to take advances and booking amounts from customers in yet to be launched projects till they are registered with RERA.
• According to the current guidelines, developers have to register their under-construction projects along with all the relevant details with RERA by July 31.
• In case a customer makes three consecutive defaults in payments, the developer will have to give three weeks’ notice to the customer, and if no response is received, the developer can cancel the agreement.
• So far around 13 states and Union Territories (UTs) have reportedly notified their rules. These include Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Delhi.

Google introduces 'Solve for India' campaign

i. Google has announced the new "Solve for India" initiative, especially for tier-2 cities such as Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Indore, Nagpur, Nashik, Madurai, Kanpur, and Chennai.
ii. This program will aim to support entrepreneurs and developers of the country. Entrepreneurs will now have the opportunity to learn directly from Google engineers. Some of the areas will include agri-tech, healthcare, transportation, education, sanitation and more.

Yusra Mardini appointed UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

i. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has appointed Syrian refugee and Olympic athlete Yusra Mardini as a Goodwill Ambassador.
ii. Ms. Mardini, who has settled in Germany, participated in the first ever Olympic refugee team at the Rio de Janeiro games in 2016.

iii. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.

Russian Grand Prix 2017: Valtteri Bottas wins his first F1 race

i. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) claimed his first Formula One victory, taking the flag at the Russian Grand Prix after a tense final few laps as he was chased down by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.
ii. In the race, Sebastian Vettel finished in second and Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton stood fourth.

Rafael Nadal Clinches his 10th Barcelona Open Title

i. Rafael Nadal won a record-extending 10th Barcelona Open title by defeating Dominic Thiem of Austria. He collected his second claycourt title in a row.
ii. Nadal, who won the Monte Carlo Masters for a 10th time last week, romped to the title without dropping a set on the newly renamed Rafa Nadal court at the Real Tennis Club in Barcelona.

Pankaj Advani wins silver at Asian Snooker Championship

i. India's top cueist Pankaj Advani lost to China's Lv Haotian in the summit clash of Asian Snooker Championship held in Doha, Qatar.
ii. This is the first silver Advani has won this season, the rest all gold medals at the National Championships of Billiards, 6-red Snooker and 15-red Snooker, as well as the Asian Billiards Championship.

Joshna Chinappa becomes first Indian to win Asian Squash title

i. Joshna Chinappa scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch the Asian Squash title with a thrilling win over compatriot Dipika Pallikal Karthik in the women's final.
ii. The event was organized in Chennai.
iii. In the men's final, top-seeded Max Lee of Hong Kong kept his tryst with glory, winning his maiden title beating India's Saurav Ghosal.

Sufi legend Begum Yaman passes away at 52

i. Famous Sufi singer and daughter of legendary Sitar Maestro (late) Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan, Begum Yaman K. Khan has passed away after multiple organ failures.
ii. She was 52 years old.
iii. She was the recipient of ‘Hasrat Amir Khusrao Award’ by Urdu Press Club International.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-

• Ganga Cleanliness Pledge Day to be observed on May 2, 2017
• Uma Bharti is present Union Water Resources Minister
• NMCG stands for  National Mission for Clean Ganga 
• India to give Rs 35 crore to Bangladesh
• India to give Rs 35 crore to Bangladesh under 'Muktijodha scholarship' scheme.
• Muktijodha Scholarship Scheme in 2006 for descendants of the 1971 Freedom Fighters. 
• Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh. 
• Taka is the currency of Bangladesh.
• Sheikh Hasina Wazed is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
• Md. Abdul Hamid is President of Bangladesh.
• Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar has been selected by Japan for this year's Spring Imperial Decorations.
• Shinzo Abe is the Prime Minister of Japan.
• Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
• International Labour Day is celebrated globally on 01st May
• It is celebrated to promote and encourage the international labor associations across the world
• Labour and Employment Minister of India is Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya
• Turkey's President Recep Tayyip is on visit to India
• The Capital of Turkey is Ankara
• Currency of Turkey is Turkish lira
• Kerala's Aymanam has become Country's First Digitised Panchayat ward
• Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment is Krishan Pal Gurjar
• He has launched the website www.digitalaymanam.com
• CM of Kerala is Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan and its governor is Mr. P Sathasivam
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated the State’s first automatic weather station at Dongargaon in Vidarbha region
• The move will help farmers plan and manage the sowing process better
• Google introduced 'Solve for India' campaign
• The initiative is aimed to support entrepreneurs and developers
• The campaign is for Tier-2 cities
• CEO of Google is Mr. Sundar Pichai and is headquartered in California, USA
• Alphabet Inc. is the parent organization of Google.
• UNHCR has appointed Syrian Yusra Mardini as a Goodwill Ambassador
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is the full form of UNHCR
• UNHCR was created in 1950
• Filippo Grandi is the 11th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• UNHCR is Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Valtteri Bottas wins Russian Grand Prix 2017
• It was his first F1 win
• Sebastian Vettel finished in second in the event
• Valtteri Bottas is from Finland
• Rafael Nadal Clinched his 10th Barcelona Open Title
• He defeated Dominic Thiem of Austria
• Rafael Nadal is from Spain.
• Pankaj Advani wins silver at Asian Snooker Championship
• He was defeated by China's Lv Haotian
• Asian Snooker Championship held in Doha, Qatar
• Joshna Chinappa becomes first Indian to win Asian Squash title
• She defeated Dipika Pallikal Karthik
• Max Lee won in men's category by defeating Saurav Ghoshal.
• The event was held in Chennai, India.
• Sufi legend Begum Yaman passed away at 52
• She was the recipient of ‘Hasrat Amir Khusrao Award’.

Daily GK Update 29th April, 2017

Govt launches Test & Treat policy for HIV patients

i. Union Health Minister JP Nadda has launched the Test and Treat policy for providing treatment to patients suffering from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Launching the policy at a function in New Delhi, Mr. Nadda stated, under it, the government will provide Anti- Retroviral Therapy (ART) treatment to the patients free of cost. It is a centrally sponsored scheme and people suffering from HIV will benefit from it. Under the scheme, a person detected HIV positive will be provided ART treatment. 

India's 1st book village to come up in Maharashtra

i. A village in Maharashtra famous for its strawberries is soon going offer more - rare Marathi books and magazines. From May 4, Bhilar will become India’s first ‘book village’ where tourists and locals can come and read books, magazines, newspapers stacked at 25 premises. Near the popular the British-era hill station of Mahabaleshwar, Bhilar already attracts a large number of tourists, who come to taste the locally produced strawberries.

ii. Bhilar, which has a population of about 10,000, and nearby areas produce around 100 tons of strawberry every year, earning them Rs 50 crore. And 90% of the village’s population is involved in strawberry farming.

Kerala organizes first ever transgender athletic meet

i. Kerala has organized the country's first transgender one-day athletic meet at Thiruvananthapuram in which 132 participants from 12 districts participated. Kerala Sports Minister A. C. Moideen has inaugurated the event at the Central Stadium. Member of Parliament A Sampath and Member Legislative Assembly V S Sivakumar were also present during the inaugural function.

ii. The non-playing members of the transgender community along with participants joined in the march past. One hundred thirty-two participants from 12 districts participated in the meet. There was no participant from Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts. Six events were held in the competition- 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters running; 100x 4 relay race, high jump and shot put.

Indian Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik wins gold medal in Moscow competition

i. Internationally renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik from Odisha won the jury prize gold medal at the 10th Moscow Sand art Championship.

ii. The competition was held between 22nd and 28th April at Kolomenskoye, Moscow in Russia. The theme for the competition was "The world around us". Pattnaik was the Indian representative in the competition, where twenty-five sculptors from different countries participated.

Jehan Daruvala becomes 1st Indian to take pole in FIA F3 European Championship

i. Jehan Daruvala, in his rookie season at the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, is already making waves. The 18-year-old product of Force India Academy, became the first Indian to take pole in the F3 European series, securing the top spot on the starting grid for Race 1 of the second round of the championship in Monza, Italy. However, he was unable to translate that into a race victory, and finished the hard-fought race in second place, behind his Carlin Racing teammate Lando Norris of the UK.

ii. Daruvala took pole during the qualifying session for Race 1 at the famed Monza Grand Prix circuit in thrilling fashion. The Carlin Racing driver was on his hot lap when curtains fell on the qualifying session with British racer Callum Illot (Prema Powerteam) in the lead.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-

• Union Health Minister JP Nadda has launched the Test and Treat policy.
• HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
• JP Nadda is present Union Health Minister of India.
• India's 1st book village to come up in Maharashtra.
• Bhilar, Maharashtra will become India’s first ‘book village’.
• Devendra Fadnavis is present Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
• Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao is present Governor of Maharashtra.
• Kerala has organized the country's first transgender one-day athletic meet at Thiruvananthapuram.
• Pinarayi Vijayan is present Chief Minister of Kerala.
• The chief organizer of the event was Pavel Menikov.
• The Indian ambassador to Russia is Pankaj Saran.
• Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the jury prize gold medal at the 10th Moscow Sand art Championship.
• Sudarsan Pattnaik is from Odisha.
• Jehan Daruvala becomes 1st Indian to take pole in FIA F3 European Championship.
• Jehan Daruvala is an Indian racing driver.

Daily GK Update 28th April, 2017

India and Cyprus sign 4 agreements

i. India and Cyprus have signed four agreements after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
ii. The areas in which the MoUs have been exchanged are Air Services, Agriculture, Merchant Shipping and Culture Education.

Bhubaneswar becomes 1st Indian city to win Pierre L’enfant Awards-2017

i. Odisha’s capital city, Bhubaneswar has become, the first Indian city that has won Pierre L’enfant Planning Excellence and Achievement Awards-2017.
ii. This award is instituted by the American Planning Association. Smart City Bhubaneswar received this award for good and advanced town planning and engaging its residents in the planning process. 

AIIMS becomes India's first public hospital for eye tumors

i. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is India's first public hospital to start plaque brachytherapy facility for the treatment of eye tumors.
ii. The facility is a form of local radiation delivered to the eye through a radioactive device which is attached to the eye for a temporary period of time. The move will benefit children suffering from retinoblastoma, which is a form of eye cancer, and adults suffering from ocular melanoma.

Haryana's Ballabhgarh renamed as Balramgarh

i. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the renaming of Ballabgarh town in Faridabad as Balramgarh.
ii. Situated around 30 km from Delhi on National Highway-2, Ballabgarh is a town and a tehsil (sub-division).
iii. The princely State was founded by Balram Singh in 1739. 

ISRO Develops "Solar Calculator" Android App

i. An android App 'Solar Calculator' for the computation of solar energy potential has been developed by Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad at the behest of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt. of India.
ii. It is a very useful tool for installation of PV solar panels for tapping solar energy.
ii. The App provides monthly/yearly solar potential (in kWh/m2) and minimum/maximum temperature at any location. 

Indian cultural center in Egypt holds seminar to deepen ties

i. Indian cultural center in Egypt, serving as India's window to reach out to Egyptians, has organized a seminar aimed at maintaining and strengthening bilateral relations.
ii. Organized by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the seminar titled as 'Cultural Festivals - Bridge between India and Egypt' was part MACIC's monthly seminar series involving youth, academicians, culture lovers, civil society to discuss the issue of bilateral interest.

T Krishnakumar is Coca-Cola India’s new chief

i. Beverage major Coca-Cola Company announced key leadership changes for its India & South West Asia business and Hindustan Coca-Cola Bottling (HCCB) operations.
ii. T Krishnakumar has been appointed as the president of India and South West Asia Business Unit. He has replaced Venkatesh Kini.

India wins 6 medals in 2nd leg of Asian Grand Prix Atheletics Meet

i. India won six medals in the second leg of the Asian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in Jiaxing, China. This included the gold medal bagged by Neena Varakil in women’s long jump.
ii. World junior record holder javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra took the silver. Neeraj also qualified for the IAAF World Championships to be held in London in August, 2017.

Oscar-Winning Director Jonathan Demme passes away

i. American Director Jonathan Demme, the Oscar-winning director behind classics like The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, died in New York.
ii. He was 73 years old. The cause was esophageal cancer and complications from heart disease.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-

• India and Cyprus have signed four agreements
• President of Cyprus is Mr. Nicos Anastasiades
• The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia and its currency is Euro.
• Bhubaneswar becomes 1st Indian city to win Pierre L’enfant Awards-2017
• The award is instituted by the American Planning Association
• Shri Naveen Patnaik is the Chief Minister of Odisha
• AIIMS becomes India's first public hospital for eye tumors
• This move will benefit children suffering from retinoblastoma
• Haryana's Ballabhgarh is renamed as Balramgarh
• The State was founded by Balram Singh in 1739
• Manohar Lal Khattar is Chief Minister of Haryana
• Kaptan Singh Solanki is the Governor of Haryana
• Indian cultural center in Egypt holds seminar to deepen ties
• The title of seminar was 'Cultural Festivals - Bridge between India and Egypt'
• The capital of Egypt is Cairo and PM is Sherif Ismail.
• T Krishnakumar appointed as Coca-Cola India’s new chief
• He has replaced Venkatesh Kini.
• Headquarter of Coca-Cola company is in Georgia, United States.
• India won six medals in the second leg of the Asian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in Jiaxing, China
• Gold medal was bagged by Neena Varakil in women’s long jump
• Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra took the silver
• He also qualified for the IAAF World Championships.
• Oscar-Winning Director Jonathan Demme Dies at 73
• The Silence of the Lambs, released in 1991 was his most famous work

Daily GK Update 27th April, 2017

India to host 18th World Road Meeting

i. India is set to host the 18th World Road Meeting (WRM 2017) on November 13, 2017 according to the International Road Federation (IRF).
ii. The WRM is the biggest global platform for road engineers, safety and transport experts and companies engaged in road safety products.
iii. The theme of this year's edition is 'Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth'. The WRM is held every four years.

e-SOT and e-PRAN card launched for Atal Pension Yojana subscribers

i. With a view to digitally empower the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) subscribers and improve the quality of service, the facility of online viewing of the statement of the transaction (e-SOT) and also the e- Permanent Retirement Account Number (e-PRAN card) have been launched.
ii. More than 45 lacs APY subscribers will be benefitted with this initiative.

Centre Takes 10 New Swachh Iconic Places under Swachh Bharat Mission Phase II

i. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission, was held recently at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, in Jammu & Kashmir.
ii. On this occasion, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar announced 10 new Iconic places to be taken under the Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative. These ten new iconic places which are to be brought to a higher standard of swachhta and visitors’ amenities are-

1. Gangotri

2. Yamunotri

3. Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain

4. Char Minar, Hyderabad

5. Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi, Goa

6. Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi in Ernakulam

7. Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola

8. Baijnath Dham, Devghar

9. Gaya Tirth in Bihar and
10. Somnath temple in Gujarat.

India successfully test-fires Agni-III ballistic missile

i. India successfully carried out a fresh user trial of 3,000-kilometer range Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.
ii. The Strategic Forces Command with logistics support from Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the test from launch pad No. 4 of the Integrated Test Range.

Nita Ambani made member of IOC’s Olympic Channel Commission

i. India’s first woman International Olympic Committee member Nita Ambani has made it to two important commissions of the global sports governing body, including the prestigious Olympic channel.
ii. Besides the Olympic Channel, Ms. Ambani has also been made a member of Olympic education Commission as IOC announced the composition of 26 commissions for 2017.
iii. Ms. Ambani has replaced International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven. She will serve the position till she turns 70.

NASA launches super balloon from New Zealand

i. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched its football-stadium-sized, heavy-lift Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) from Wanaka, New Zealand.
ii. The mission is designed to run 100 or more days floating at 110,000 feet (33.5 km) about the globe in the southern hemisphere's mid-latitude band.The balloon is designed by NASA to detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles from beyond the galaxy as they penetrate the earth's atmosphere.

Srishti Kaur crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017

i. Srishti Kaur was crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017 after beating 25 contestants from around the world at the annual beauty pageant.
ii. The event was held in Managua, the capital of Central American country Nicaragua. She also won the prize for best national costume.
iii. Samantha Pierre from Canada and Ary Trava from Mexico were the runners-up in the event. The pageant is organized by the Miss Universe organization for teens aged 15 to 19. It takes place once in a year.

YES BANK awarded Golden Peacock Award 2017

i. India’s fifth largest private sector Bank, the YES BANK has won the prestigious ‘Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award 2017’ (in Financial sector Banking).
ii. It received the prize for its innovative mobile technology product, SIMsePAY at the Dubai Global Convention 2017.

Veteran Actor Vinod Khanna passes away at 70

i. Veteran actor Vinod Khanna passed away in Mumbai. He was an active politician, and Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Punjab.
ii. The actor debuted in 1968 with 'Man Ka Meet'. He received the Filmfare award in the best supporting actor category for Haath Ki Safaai (1974), and in 1999 he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-

• India will host the 18th World Road Meeting on November 13, 2017
• K.K. Kapila is the chairman of International Road Federation
• The theme of 2017 edition is 'Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth'
• The WRM is held every four years.
• e-SOT and e-PRAN card launched for Atal Pension Yojana subscribers
• Statement of the transaction is the full form of SOT
• Permanent Retirement Account Number is the full form of PRAN
• Atal Pension Yojana (APY) was launched by the PM Modi on 09th May 2015.
• The 2nd quarterly review meeting on the Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) was held recently at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir
• 10 new Iconic places to be taken under the Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative announced.
• India successfully test-fires Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island from Odisha Coast
• It was developed with the support of DRDO
• It was inducted into the armed forces in June 2011
• Nita Ambani made member of IOC’s Olympic Channel Commission
• She will serve the position till she turns 70.
• She has replaced International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven
• NASA launched  heavy-lift Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) from Wanaka, New Zealand
• The balloon is designed by NASA to detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles
• Acting Administrator of NASA is Robert M. Lightfoot Jr.
• NASA was established in 1958 and is Headquartered in Washington D.C., USA.
• Srishti Kaur crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017
• She is from Noida
• Samantha Pierre from Canada and Ary Trava from Mexico were the runners-up
• This event takes place annually
• The event was held in Managua, the capital of Central American country Nicaragua.
• YES BANK has won the ‘Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award 2017’
• Mr. Rana Kapoor is the Founder, Managing Director & CEO of Yes Bank
• Yes Bank is Headquartered in Mumbai
• It received the prize for its innovative mobile technology product, SIMsePAY.
• Veteran Actor Vinod Khanna passes away
• He was Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Punjab
• Awarded Filmfare award in the best supporting actor category for Haath Ki Safaai.