Daily GK Updates - 27th July, 2015

DAILY GK UPDATES - 27TH JULY, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

I. Union Government approves Rs 1000 crores for India-Bangladesh rail link: The Government of India approved a hefty sum of Rs 1000 crores for the 15-km India-Bangladesh rail link that will connect Agartala with Akhaura junction in Bangladesh. The entire link will be constructed by IRCON.

II. Gujarat HC constituted panel to ensure amenities to labourers at Alang ship-breaking yard: Gujarat High Court constituted a four-member panel to ensure basic amenities like housing and hospitals for labourers at Alang ship-breaking yard in Bhavnagar district following a public interest Litigation.

III. Delhi High Court allowed Red FM to participate in Stage-3 of FM auctions: Delhi High Court allowed Digital Radio Broadcasting Ltd, which runs Red FM to participate in the Stage-3 of the FM Radio waves auctions.

IV. Central Government constitutes a committee to suggest measures for selection of the most meritorious to teaching profession: The committee constituted by the UGC and the Union Government is chaired by Prof. Arun Nigavekar, former chairman of UGC to give recommendations on various provisions for regulating recruitment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges and their development advancement in UGC funded institutions.

V. Union Government, in collaboration with 3 State Governments to start artificial breeding of Great Indian Bustard: Under an integrated collaborative effort, the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change along with the state governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra will soon undertake an artificial breeding programme for the Great Indian Bustard, one of the critically endangered flying bird species in the world, to boost the population of the species.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

I. World’s largest flower Amorphophallus Titanium bloomed at Jindai Botanical Gardens in Tokyo: World‘s largest flower Amorphophallus Titanum bloomed for the 1^st time in 5 years at Jindai Botanical Gardens in Tokyo, Japan. The flower Titan arum measuring 2-meter (6.5 feet) in height rarely flowers and is notoriously difficult to propagate.

II. EU banned marketing of around 700 generic medicines of GVK Biosciences: The medicines will be banned in 28 member countries of European Union. This is the last suspension imposed on the sales and distribution of generic drugs and it will come into effect from August 2015.

III. China launches two new Navigational Satellites into space: The satellites, designated BDS (Short for BeiDou Navigation Satellite System) M1-S and M2-S were put into a medium-earth orbit about 13,700 miles above Earth.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

I. Shah Panel submitted report on MAT: The Panel headed by Law Commission chairman A P Shah has submitted its 66-page report to Finance Ministry. The Government had in May appointed the Shah Committee to examine the matter relating to levy of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) on FIIs prior to April 2015.

II. Amazon overtakes Walmart to become largest U S retailer.

SPORTS:

III. Ferrari Driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany won Hungarian Formula one Grand Prix which was held in Budapest: This was Vettel’s second win of the season and it came only days after the funeral of the Mercedes French former test driver Jules Bianchi.

IV. Team Sky cyclist Chris Froome of Britain won 102^nd Tour de France: With this, Froome became the 1^st Briton to win the Tour De France for the second time.

V. The 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games that will involve 6,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities from around the world started in Los Angeles, California.

OBITUARIES:

VI. P R Chari, the nuclear disarmament advocate died: The ardent nuclear disarmament advocate was known for promoting a consensual approach on the nuclear issue.