Daily GK Updates - 13th November, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President approved Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gau Samvardhan Bill: The bill was passed by the Haryana Legislative Assembly on 16 March 2015. Cow slaughter in Haryana will invite rigorous imprisonment ranging from 3 to 10 years and a fine of up to 1 lakh rupees.

2. India inked MoUs with six countries in the International Civil Aviation Negotiations: The Government of India announced that it signed MoUs with six countries namely Finland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and Oman and Ethiopia. The MoUs were signed during International Civil Aviation Negotiations (ICAN) 2015, which was held in Antalya, Turkey.

3. India’s GSAT-15 communication satellite launched successfully: Indigenously made communications satellite GSAT-15 was successfully launched by the European Ariane 5 VA-227 launch vehicle. The launch took place from Kourou in French Guyana in South America.

4. Defence Minister commissioned India’s Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel ‘Samarth’ at Vasco in Goa.

5. Annual Hundred Drums Wangala Festival begins in Meghalaya.

6. World famous wax museum Madame Tussauds’ to open in Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Russian President Putin ordered inquiry into allegations of major drug abuse in athletics: He ordered an inquiry into allegations of major drug abuse in athletics that have left the country facing a possible Olympic ban.

2. Opposition Croatian Democratic Union led by HDZ Party won Parliamentary Elections of Croatia: On the basis of 99.5 percent of votes counted, the opposition conservatives HDZ party headed by former intelligence chief Tomislav Karamarko won 59 seats in the 151-seat parliament.

3. Indian origin barrister KalyaniKaul sworn-in as Circuit Judge in the UK.

4. 12^th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ meet held in Luxemburg: 12^th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers’ meeting took place in Luxemburg. The meeting was held under the theme ‘Working together for a Sustainable and Secure Future’.

5. Ukrainian Parliament approved amendment to Labour Code prohibiting discrimination at workplace: The Sexual Minorities Anti-Discrimination Bill that bans any discrimination at the workplace on the basis of age, health condition, race, political inclination, religion, family and property status, social and foreign origin, gender identity and sexual orientation, was passed by 234 votes.

6. IEA released World Energy Outlook 2015: International Energy Agency released the report which in light of low energy prices, calls for no complacency on energy security front and sees clear signs that the energy transition is underway, that is, from fossils to renewable.

7. Sameer Panda-led Indian team won NASA award for Burst Prevention and Puncture Curative technology: A team of Indian scientists led by Sameer Panda won the NASA award for an innovative technology named Burst Prevention and Puncture Curative (BPPC) technology.

8. PM Modi launches Neev Fund in UK: India’s 1^st Low Income State Infrastructure Equity Partnership (the Neev Fund) was launched by PM Modi in the UK. The fund has co-investment from the UK Department of International Development and the State Bank of India.

9. India and UK strike 3.2 billion pound deal on energy, climate change during PM Modi’s visit in UK.

OTHER UPDATES:

AWARDS:

1. Abraham M Keita from Liberia won the 2015 International Children’s Peace Prize: Liberian teenager Abraham M Keita was awarded with the prestigious International Children’s Peace Prize 2015. He was awarded for his extraordinary and peaceful fight for justice for child victims of physical and sexual violence, and for successfully campaigning for the Liberian parliament to adopt the Children’s Law.

OBITUARIES:

2. Former Israeli President Yitzhak Navon died at the age of 94: He was the 5^th President of Israel.