Daily GK Update 15th February, 2017

Daily GK Update 15th February, 2017

PSLV-C37 carrying CARTOSAT-2 series earth observation satellite lifts off from Sriharikota: ISRO

i. PSLV-C37 carrying CARTOSAT-2 series earth observation satellite and 103 nano satellites has lifted off from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

ii. PSLV-C37 successfully placed in orbit India’s CARTOSAT-2 series satellite and two other satellites.India successfully launched record 104 satellites, including CARTOSAT-2 series weather observation satellite, in a single mission onboard PSLV-C37 rocket.

Haryana govt imposes curbs on liquor consumption

i. Haryana government has notified that no person will be allowed to consume liquor at a place which is not licensed or authorized under the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 except his dwelling unit. 

ii. Giving this information, Excise and Taxation Minister, Capt. Abhimanyu stated at Chandigarh that the consumption of liquor in a vehicle running or parked, along the road or in a park/garden/market or a river side etc. shall be an offence. 

Harsh Vardhan to inaugurate International Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining, Fuel Industries

i. Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan will inaugurate the International Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel Industries in New Delhi .

ii. The three day conference will cover areas like Innovative ming technology for sustainable development and advances in mine design mine planning recent advancement in drilling and blasting. The conference, organized by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry will take place at Vigyan Bhawan.

International Coin Fair Begins in Thiruvananthapuram

i. The International Coin Fair was inaugurated at Kanakakunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala by the Kerala state Minister for Tourism, Cooperation and Devaswoms Kadakampally Surendran.

ii. The three day exhibiton 13-15 February, 2017 has been organized by the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC).The exhibition has been organized to showcase more than 2,500 coins from around 500 regions including those from the time of empires and princely states.It would also feature the collection of Justin Gilbert Lopez who holds a Guinness world record for the largest coin collection of nearly 310 countries.

Centre Allocates Rs. 500 crore to India Post Payments Bank for FY18

i. Government has allocated an amount of Rs 500 crore to India Post Payments Bank for the financial year 2017-18 to help it in setting up 650 branches across country by September 2017.

ii. As per Output-Outcome Framework for Schemes 2017-18 for the Department of Posts released that out of the allocated amount, Rs. 125 crore has been allocated as capital infusion into corporate entity for India Post Payments Bank” and Rs 375 crore as grant in aid to India Post Payments Bank (IPPB).

ii. Besides, Rs 110.83 crore has been allocated for establishing e-commerce, parcel booking, international business centres, Rs 73.5 crore for estates management, Rs 32 crore for mail operations and Rs 17.7 crore for equipments and IT infrastructure in rural post offices.Apart from this, government has allocated Rs 3.8 crore for setting up 246 offices and 200 outlets for providing better access to communication and financial services.

Nomura Projects India’s GDP at 5.7 % in January-March quarter, 2017

i. According to the global financial services major Nomura, the GDP growth of India is estimated to remain low at 5.7% in the January-March quarter due to the effect of demonetization of high value currency.

ii. Nomura expects the economic growth to slow from 7.3% GDP growth in the July-September 2016 to 6% in the October-December 2016 quarter and further to 5.7% in the first quarter of 2017 ending March 2017. However, the growth is also expected to recover after the first quarter of 2017 due to remonetization and wealth redistribution.

UNESCOs Nature Fest held in Himachal Pradesh

i. France based UNESCO organised the two-day Nature Fest at the World Heritage Site Great Himalayan National Park (GNHP) at Sairopa in Kullu district in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

ii. The festival was organised in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and would be attended by prominent conservationists.A media workshop held on the sidelines and Discussion on nature conservation to discuss various aspects of environmental journalism.

Catholic Syrian Bank’s ‘name and shame’ campaign starts paying dividends

i. The ‘name and shame campaign’ initiated by Catholic Syrian Bank Employees and Retirees against wilful defaulters in Kerala seems to have started paying dividends.

ii. Of the 30 defaulters identified by the bank with dues of more than Rs50 lakh each, 10 borrowers have already approached the bank with settlement proposals, following dharnas organised at 20 locations in the State.

iii. According to EJ Kurien, DGM in charge of Asset Recovery, the bank has already received firm assurance for payments worth Rs25 crore from defaulters.The bank is now looking at getting these accounts closed before March. 

iv. However, non-availability of adequate cash with the borrowers post demonetisation is posing a challenge, he stated.The benefit derived from the campaign is that the bank has succeeded in sending a strong message to defaulters not to avoid loan repayments.

IDFC Asset Management Company launches Open-Ended Fixed Income Fund

i. IDFC Asset Management Company launched an open-ended fixed income fund  named Credit Opportunities Fund in Mumbai which is expected to raise the revenue of the company in the range of Rs 300 crore-500 crore within the NFO period itself.

ii. A new fund offer (NFO) is the first time subscription offer for a new scheme launched by the asset management companies (AMCs). 

iii. A new fund offer is launched in the market to raise capital from the public in order to buy securities like shares, govt. bonds etc. from the market.The Credit Opportunities Fund will open for subscription on February 14, 2017 and close on February 27, 2017. 

iv. It will reopen for continuous sale and repurchase from March 6, 2017.The new fund scheme aims to optimise the higher risk associated with the credit fund category.

World Bank Group to conduct training programmes for NBFCs

i. International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, has teamed up with Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) to conduct training programmes for Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs).

ii. The training programmes will be on 'movable asset financing' and 'commercial credit reporting'. For this purpose, two engagement letters have been signed between IFC and FIDC, a representative body for NBFCs, especially those engaged in asset financing.

iii. Such programmes are expected to enhance the awareness, expertise and professionalism of NBFCs, especially the large number of small and medium sized NBFCs catering to the credit needs in rural and semi-urban areas.

iv. These training programmes would be conducted at various centres across the country under the guidance of leading consultants from the World Bank Group.

Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey appointed new President of ICAI

i. Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey was elected as the new President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for the year 2017-18.The 40-member Central Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) also elected Naveen N D Gupta as the Vice-President for the year 2017-18.

ii. Prior to this, Vikamsey served as vice-president and has been the member of ICAI since 1985 while Gupta was Chartered Accountant of ICAI for more than 20 years. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) was established under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 passed by the Parliament of India with the objective of regulating accountancy profession in India.The council has 32 elected members and eight are nominated by the Central government

Tehmina Janjua Appointed First Women Foreign Secretary of Pakistan

i. Pakistani Career diplomat Tehmina Janjua was appointed as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.She is the first women to be appointed on the post and will serve as the 29th Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. 

ii. Tehmina Janjua will replace outgoing foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and assume office in the first week of March 2017.Presently, she was serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to  Tehmina Janjua Athe United Nations in Geneva since October 2015.

Veteran Journalist T V Parasuram Passed Away

i. Former correspondent of the Press Trust of India,  T V Parasuram passed away. He was 93.

ii. Parasuram has won a Harvard Niemen Fellowship in journalism. He had served as the correspondent for The Indian Express for two decades.

iii. He has authored two books -‘ A Medal for Kashmir’, and ‘Jewish Heritage in India‘

Winning Legendary Jazz Singer Al Jarreau Dies at 76 

i. Legendary American jazz singer Al Jarreau passed away in Los Angeles. He was 76.

ii. Al Jarreau was nicknamed as 'Acrobat of Scat'  for his unique singing style and was best known for his 1981 album 'Breakin’ Away and singing the theme song to the popular 1980’s TV show Moonlighting.

Australia’s Adam Voges Announces Retirement from International Cricket

i. Australian cricketer Adam Voges has decided to retire from all formats of international cricket after playing his last match as captain of the team Prime Minister’s XI against Sri Lanka in Canberra.

ii. Voges has played only 20 Tests for Australia after debuting at the age of 35 in 2015 and became the oldest debut centurion when he scored an unbeaten 130 against West Indies in Dominica.

Jehan Daruvala wins New Zealand GP, finishes fifth in Toyota series

i. Jehan Daruvala became the first ever Indian to claim the New Zealand Grand Prix at Jehan Daruvalathe Chris Amon Circuit in Manfeild, New Zealand.

ii. With this win, Jehan, a Force India F1 team racing driver, scored 781 points in the Toyota Racing Series having 15-race held in January-February and was placed in fifth position.

iii. Australia’s Thomas Randle became the first Australian to win the Toyota Racing Series with 855 points followed by Brazilian Pedro Piquet (850 pts) at second and Dutch driver Richard Verschoor (843) at third.

Mumbai Boy Kush Bhagat Awarded CM Title by World Chess Federation

i. Mumbai based Kush Bhagat has been awarded the Candidate Master (CM) title by the World Chess Federation body, FIDE on February 14, 2017 for his outstanding performance in Western Asian Youth Chess championship 2016 at UAE. 

ii. Kush, a second grade student from Hill Spring International School has presented tremendous performances in the past 6 months

Daily GK Update 14th February, 2017

 Daily GK Update 14th February, 2017

11th International Aero India 2017 to begin at Yelahanka in Bengaluru

i. The 11th International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition - Aero India 2017 will begin at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
ii. The five-day biennial event is being organized by Defence Exhibition Organisation (DEO). Nearly 270 Indian and 279 foreign companies will take part in the expo. 
iii. Surya Kiran Aerobatics team of the Indian Air Force will display 500th public show since its formation in 1996. Aircraft from different parts of the world and India could be seen at the base, waiting to enthral the crowds.
iv. Fighter aircraft manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, SAAB, Dassault Aviation, BAE and others are setting up stalls where they will showcase their products. 72 aircraft will participate in airshow.

I-T dept issues refunds of Rs 1.42 cr this fiscal; 41.5% higher than last year, 2016

i. The income tax department has issued refunds of 1.42 lakh crore rupees so far this fiscal. It is 41.5 per cent higher than last year, 2016. 
ii. The centralised processing centre of the tax department has already processed over 4.19 crore income tax returns and issued over 1.62 crore refunds during the current financial year. 
iii. Finance Ministry in a release stated that, 92% of the refunds issued are below 50 thousand rupees, due to the high priority given to expeditious issue of refunds to small taxpayers. It stated that, only 2% of refunds less than 50 thousand rupees remain to be issued. The Ministry said that 92% of all I-T returns were processed within 60 days. 

Thailand seeks India’s partnership in pharma, bio-tech

i. Thailand is seeking India’s cooperation in a number of sectors, such as aerospace, automation, medical devices, pharmaceutical, bio-technology and IT/ITes, as it strives to transform into a value-based economy.
ii. The Thailand Board of Investment, which has invited 2,500 investors from across countries to its mega seminar Opportunity Thailand 2017 this week, is especially interested in investments from India, an official from the thai government has stated.
iii. The India-Thailand Free Trade Agreement being considered by the two countries could play a big role in boosting trade and investments.

India’s first floating elementary school inaugurated on Manipur’s Loktak Lake

i. India’s first floating elementary school particularly for drop outs has been inaugurated on Loktak lake at Langolsabi Leikai of Champu Khangpok floating village in Manipur on the occasion of World Wetlands Day on February 2, 2017.
ii. The school named as Loktak Elementary Floating School has been opened under an  floating elementary schoolinitiative of All Loktak Lake Fishermen’s Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) with the support of NGO, People’s Resources Development Association (PRDA) under a programme of Action Aid India.

Bill Passed in Karnataka Assembly to allow ‘Kambala’

i. The Karnataka assembly unanimously passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017 to legalize the conduct of 'Kambala' and bullock cart races in Karnataka.
ii. The Bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, (Central Act 59 of 1960) and exempt the two sports from the ambit of the Act keeping in mind their traditional nature and also to protect native breeds of buffaloes.
iii. The bill states that the traditional sports events of 'Kambala' and 'Bulls race or Bullock cart race' plays significant role in preserving and promoting traditions and culture among the people in the state.

Be friends with condom: AHF on International Condoms Day

i. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) celebrated its annual International Condoms Day on 13 February 2017 in a unique style to raise awareness about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
ii. The event themed 'Always in Fashion' gave it a sartorial prominence and promoted the idea that condoms were not some alien rubber, but crucial for safety during sex.A 40-feet inflatable condom-shaped balloon was also installed at Central Park in Connaught Place, on which public was encouraged to sign and endorse condom use

National Career Services (NCS) and Jeevan Praman Facility for EPFO Pensioners Launched in Hyderabad Post Office

i. The Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya launched the National Career Service (NCS) for youths and Jeevan Praman facility to EPFO pensioners through Post Offices at DakSadan in Hyderabad.
ii. The Post Offices will serve as an Employment Registration Centres for Unemployed rural youth on behalf of the 'National Career Service' Portal where youths can register themselves for employment in 1,55,000 post offices established across the country for over 3000 occupations offered under 52 sectors in NCS

MEA & Gateway House Co-Hosts 2nd Gateway of India Geoeconomic Dialogue 

i. The Ministry of External Affairs and Gateway House are co-hosting the Second Gateway of India Geoeconomic Dialogue from February 13-14, 2017 in Mumbai.
ii. The theme of the conference is 'Where Geopolitics meets Business'.This is India’s premier geo-economics conference with the focus on building synergies between business and foreign policy

Sachin Tendulkar adopts another village for transformation

i. After transforming the lives of villagers in Puttamraju Kandriga in Andhra Pradesh, Indian cricket icon and Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar is now set to adopt Donja in Osmanabad (Maharashtra) under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna.
ii. Tendulkar has sanctioned over Rs 4 crore from his MPLAD fund for development of Donja.

GNFC township becomes India’s first cashless Township

i. India’s first cashless township “Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals (GNFC) township”was inaugurated by Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. 
ii. Nearly 10,000 residents in GNFC have embraced various digital mode of payments instead of cash.In the township, residents are making cashless payments at shopping centres, schools, colleges, hospital, stadium, laundry and even at tea stalls.

Government to launch Indradhanush 2.0 for Recapitalization of PSBs

i. Union Government has decided to launch ‘Indradhanush 2.0’ for recapitalisation of public sector lenders so that the banks remain solvent and fully comply with the global capital adequacy norms namely Basel-III.
ii. The Indradhanush 2.0 programme will be finalised by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after completion of Asset Quality Review (AQR) being undertaken and is likely to be completed by end of March 2017.Asset Quality Review is being undertaken to recognize the top defaulting accounts as Non-Performing Assets (NPA) and make adequate provisions for them as they have negative impact on banks and their stocks.
iii. Post AQR, revised programme of capitalisation will be also issued as part of ‘Indradhanush 2.0.Earlier in 2015, under Indradhanush roadmap, the government had announced to infuse Rs 70,000 crore for recapitalization in state-run banks over four years while the banks had to raise a further Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the markets to meet their capital requirement in line with global risk norms known as Basel-III.

INS Sarvekshak Becomes India’s First Ship to be Installed with Solar Power System

i. Indian Navy’s survey class vessel INS Sarvekshak has become the first ship in India to be fitted with solar power system on board.
ii. The ship has been equipped with 18 sheets of solar panel of 300 Watt which is capable of generating 5.4 kW power.

Reliance Defence Signs Master Ship Repair Agreement with US Navy

i. The Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd (RDEL) has signed a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with US Navy  to perform repair and alteration services for US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels.The Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) controlled RDEL will perform complex repair and alternation services for the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels operating in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.
ii. The Reliance Shipyard was qualified by US Navy as an approved contractor to perform complex repair for the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels in January 2017.Reliance Shipyard at Pipavav, Gujarat is the first shipyard in India to have received MSRA Certification to undertake servicing and repairing works for the vessels of Seventh Fleet.

L&T and MBDA Missile Systems Forms JV to Develop Missiles in India

i. Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T), an Engineering and construction major has entered into a Joint Venture with European defence major MBDA Missile Systems.
ii. The main aim of the JV is development of missiles in India under the Make in India initiative while procuring the missile systems from abroad.As per the agreement, L&T will own 51 percent stake in the JV named L&T MBDA Missile Systems while the rest 49% the European partner.L&T is targeting an annual turnover of Rs 10,000 crore from the JV by 2021.

Ruchi Soya ties up with Patanjali

i. India's leading agri and FMCG company Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd has signed an agreement with Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved Ltd for physical refining and packaging of edible oils. 
ii. The agreement is valid initially for three years. As per the agreement, Ruchi Soya Industries would process the crude oil provided by Patanjali Ayurved and pack the refined oil as per their specifications.

New bird species found in Nepal

i. A Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush has been spotted in the high mountainous region of Nepal by Friends of Nature (FoN) reasearchers and then confirmed by the bird experts Carol Inskipp and Hem Sagar Baral.
ii. Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush is considered an autumn passage migrant bird species in Pakistan and India.With this the total number of avian species in the Himalayan country to 866. 

Longest elevated cycle path in the world opens in China

i. The world’s longest elevated cycle path has been opened in Xiamen, China which can handle about 2,023 cyclists with a speed limit of 15 miles per hour.
ii. The path is five miles long and 16 feet wide having 11 entrances and connects to 11 bus stops and two underground rail stations.
iii. The architecture firm responsible is Copenhagen-based firm Dissing + Weitling, known for the creation of the Danish Bicycle Snake cycle route.

Frank Walter Steinmeier Elected New President of Germany

i. Germany’s former Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been elected as the new President of Germany.The 61-year old won by 931 votes out of 1,239 valid votes cast by the members of the Federal Assembly.
ii. He is due to take office as the 12th Federal President of Germany on 19 March 2017.Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democratic party will succeed incumbent President Joachim Gauck who will step down on March 18, 2017 at the age of 77.

US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigns over his contacts with Russia

In the United States, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has resigned over his contacts with Russia. Mr Flynn is alleged to have discussed US sanctions with the Russian Ambassador before President Donald Trump took office.

Maiden ITTF World Tour event in India to kick of in New Delhi

i. The first ever ITTF World Tour event in India will begin at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi. The 1.5 lakh US dollar India Open also happens to be the biggest ever ITTF event in terms of prize money. 
ii. But despite the rewards on offer, a majority of the top international table tennis stars have given the competition a miss. Overall, 80 players have confirmed their participation, 52 in the men's section and 28 in the women's section.

Dutch Women Germaine De Randamie crowned first UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion

i. Netherland native Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm (7-3) to claim the UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion at the UFC 208 in Brooklyn, New York .
ii. The featherweight division was newly introduced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2016.

Joe Root Becomes New Test Captain of England 

i. The England and Wales Cricket Board named Joe Root as England’s Test captain who will take over Alastair Cook.
ii. Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named as the vice-captain.Alastair Cook resigned on February 6, 2017 after captaining England for four and a half years in 59 Tests.

Daily GK Update 13th February, 2017

 Daily GK Update 13th February, 2017

PM Narendra Modi extends greetings on World Radio Day 2017

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings on the World Radio Day on 13 February 2017. Terming radio as “a wonderful way to interact, learn & communicate”, the PM stated.  The theme for the 2017 edition of World Radio Day is 'Radio is You'.

 ii. World Radio Day is observed every year on February 13 to celebrate radio as a forum for entertainment and information, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people. 

iii. In 2011, the Unesco General Conference had proclaimed February 13 as World Radio Day, the day United Nations Radio was established in 1946. Radio is the most prevalent mass medium, with the ability to reach up to 95 percent of the world’s population.

National Women’s Parliament begins in Andhra Pradesh

i. The three-day National Women’s Parliament, being organised by Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly with the theme of ‘Empowering Women - Strengthening Democracy’, began  in the state capital region Amaravati. 

ii. The vision of NWP is to enable and encourage social, political and economic empowerment of women in all strata of the society.

iii. One of the objectives of NWP is to generate new ideas, concepts, theories and ideologies for women empowerment.An ‘International Woman Icon of the World’ award and 12 best young achievers awards for women in different fields will be presented at the NWP.

MRPL launches skill development centre

i. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) launched a skill development centre (Kaushal Vikas Kendra) in Mangaluru. Speaking at the alunch programme, H Kumar, Managing Director of MRPL stated that the centre will train 60 youths in areas such as ‘industrial electrician’ and ‘CNC operator-turning’.

ii. He also stated that all expenses, including food, lodging, tutorial expenses, will be borne by MRPL Kaushal Vikas Kendra. MRPL has got the approval to launch a start-up fund of ₹10 crore, which will be used to support the new ventures and start-ups. 

iii. At another function, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP from Dakshina Kannada, launched the smoke-free village campaign of MRPL. As a part of oil and gas conservation month, MRPL has identified villages under four panchayats in its surroundings to make them smoke-free.

iv. Under this campaign, families in the below poverty level category are identified and given free LPG kits and gas stoves. MRPL will bear the cost of the gas kit and the gas stove provided to these beneficiaries. In the first phase, the company distributed free LPG kits to nearly 200 families from Soorinje and Chelaru village panchayats.

Second edition of International Spice Conference Begins at Thiruvanantapuram

i. The second edition of the International Spice Conference began at Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala from February 12, 2017.

ii. The three days conference has been hosted by All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) in association with the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The conference was inaugurated by the Nestle India Limited Chairman and Managing director Suresh Narayanan. 

iii. The theme of the conference is '21st Century Spic Industry-Disrupt or be Disrupted' the main aim of the event is to deliberate on effective strategies and innovative technologies to improve the livelihood of spice farmers, address spice industry challenges, food safety concern, demand supply disparity and foster sustainable growth.

Government Approves Setting Rs. 6,831 crore Electronics Development Fund 

i. The centre has approved setting up the Electronic Development Fund Tele communication Ministerwith a total corpus of Rs. 6,831 crore to support entrepreneurship and innovation in electronics and IT.

ii. The Minister of Law and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad approved a seed capital of Rs 681 crore on the basis of which more venture capital will be raised.The Electronic Development Fund will help to contribute to various other funds under it forthose who invest the money in companies for creation of intellectual property rights in the field of electronics and IT.

FSSAI sets up panel to finalise laws on food fortification

i. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set up a 11 member scientific panel to frame final regulations on fortification of foods and prepare strategies to address malnutrition problem.

ii. Fortification means deliberately adding or increasing the content of essential micro nutrients in food items to improve quality.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already issued the draft guidelines on fortification for five food items including salt, milk, wheat flour, rice and edible oil to boost production and consumption of fortified foods.

Sandeep Jajodia appointed Assocham president

i. Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd. CMD Sandeep Jajodia has been appointed the new president of industry chamber Assocham. Balkrishan Goenka, Chairman, Welspun Group and Kiran Kumar Grandhi, vice-chairman of GMR Infrastructure Ltd, have taken over as senior vice-president and vice-president respectively. 

ii. Assocham will continue to play a transformational role both nationally and globally and the chamber will empower Indian enterprises by focusing on the most critical and relevant issues in a highly impact-oriented manner stated Jajodia who took over from Sunil Kanoria former President of ASSOCHAM

Narinder Chauhan appointed as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Philippines

i. Former IFS officer Narinder Chauhan  has been appointed as the next Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of the Philippines .

ii. Currently Narinder is working as the Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Serbia.

Diego Maradona Gets Ambassador Role at FIFA.

i. The FIFA governing body has named Argentina’s former soccer player Diego Maradona as the new Ambassador of the FIFA .The 56 year old will have major role in FIFA’s activities to promote the game across the globe and will also be be involved in relevant development projects. 

ii. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association is the international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer. President is Gianni Infantino and Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland

Yo-Yo Ma and his ensemble win Best World Music Grammy

i. Cello virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma won a Grammy with his Silk Road Ensemble for Sing Me Home, an exploration of the musical connections across Eurasia.

ii. The French-born Chinese American cellist had previously won an impressive 17 Grammys, but his latest is his first for Best World Music Album.

iii. Ma set up The Silk Road Ensemble to bring together musicians from the historic route that connected the Middle East and Asia, in hopes both of finding artistic commonalities and furthering the cause of intercultural understanding.

BAFTA 2017: La La Land takes 5 trophies, Dev Patel wins for Lion

i. Director Damien Chazelle’s musical 'La La Land' continued its award dominance by taking five trophies, including the best film and best actress for Emma Stone, at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards , which also recognised British-Indian star Dev Patel in the best supporting actor category for 'Lion'.

ii. 'La La Land', which also won Chazelle a best director Bafta, is expected to sustain its momentum at the Oscars on February 26 where it has scored a record 14 nominations.

Eminent journalist and Laughter Persona Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi Dies 

i. The eminent thinker, writer and journalist Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi passed away. 

ii. The Hindi Kavi Pt. Dharmsheel Chaturvedi was considered ‘Swayam Mein Benaras’ means ‘Banaras in Himslef’ in elite circle.

Jiro Taniguchi, a Japanese manga legend Dies at 69

i. Jiro Taniguchi, a Japanese manga writer died in Tokyo on February 11, 2017. He was 69.

Taniguchi began his career as an assistant to the artist Kyota Ishikawa.

ii. His own first piece of manga was published in the year 1970 named 'A Desiccated Summer'.

 iii. Taniguchi first shot to fame in Japan at the end of the 1980s with the first volume of 'The Times of Botchan'

Ravichandran Ashwin Becomes Fastest Bowler To Claim 250 Wickets

i. Indian off-spin specialist Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest cricketer to take 250 wickets in Test matches. 

ii. He achieved this feat in his 45th test match against Bangladesh on 12 February 2017, when he dismissed captain of Bangladesh team Mushfiqur Rahim at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad.

iii. Ashwin surpassed Australian fast bowler Dennis Keith Lillee, who played 48 matches to reach the milestone of 250 Test wicket.

NBA & Take Two to Launch NBA 2K E-League

i. The National Basketball Association (NBA), an American professional basketball league is creating a brand new e-sports league called NBA 2K e-League in partnership with Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the developers of the popular NBA 2K video games.

ii. This is the first time that a professional sports organization will operate an e-sports league. The competitive gaming league will be launched in 2018.