Daily GK Updates - 10th December, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. DECEMBER 10- HUMANS RIGHTS DAY:

Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 every year.  It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950, the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V), inviting all States and interested organizations to observe 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.

 

2. UNION CABINET APPROVED 4000 CRORE RUPEES PROPOSAL FOR SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY:

The proposal for introducing measures to encourage Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Industry in India. The proposal will give a big boost to the shipbuilding and ship repair industry and will facilitate the Make in India initiative of the Union Government.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. IISC BAGS SOLAR PANNEL R&D CONTRACT FROM US MILLITRAY:

The Indian Institute of Science has bagged a US military contract for research and development on solar powered micro-grid. The federal contract worth USD 52,900 has been awarded by the US Pacific Air Forces, Yokota Air Base in Japan to develop solar powered micro-grid with battery and super capacitor energy storage system. This is one of the rare instances that an Indian scientific institute known for its high-end cutting edge research has been awarded a federal contract by the US military.

2. “2016 UK- INDIA YEAR OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION” LAUNCHED:

India and United Kingdom launched a joint initiative “2016: UK-INDIA Year of Education and Research” in New Delhi. Minister of HRD Smriti Irani highlighted the importance of mobility of students and faculty and expressed hope that, under the GIAN Program, more UK academicians would be able to come to India in 2016. She expressed hope that areas of mutual interest in research could be picked up out of the ten research priority areas under IMPRINT (Impacting Research Innovation and Technology).

3. US JOIN “AMBITION COALITION AT UN CLIMATE TALKS:

The United States has announced that it had united with the European Union and 79 developing countries to jointly push for an ambitious accord in Paris to curb global warming. The decision, announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry, came a day after the European Union said it had joined the African, Caribbean and Pacific nations most vulnerable to climate disasters to lobby for a far-reaching deal.

4. MOSCOW ANNOUNCES  TRILATERAL SYRIA TALKS IN GENEVA :

Russia said Moscow, Washington and the United Nations will hold Syria talks in Geneva as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict are ratcheted up. The announcement has been made by Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov. Representatives from Syria’s fragmented opposition began a two-day closed-door meeting in Saudi Arabia to seek a united front for potential talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 

5. LUXEMBOURG BECAME THE 10TH COUNTRY TO RATIFY AOA OF INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK:

Luxembourg on 8 December 2015 became the 10th country to ratify the Articles of Agreement (AoA) that will lay the legal framework for the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).Apart from Luxembourg, Australia, Austria, Brunei Darussalam, China, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore and United Kingdom ratified the 60-article agreement so far. These 10 countries are among the 57 founder-member countries of the multilateral bank that has its headquarters in the Chinese capital Beijing.

0THER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. MAHELA JAYWARDENE AWARDED HONORARY LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP OF MCC:

Jayewardene became the 14th Sri Lankan to be awarded with MCC Honorary Life Membership. Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas were awarded with the same.

BANKING & ECONOMY:

2. MOU BETWEEN INDIA & INDONESIA IN THE FEILD NEW AN DRENEWABLE ENERGY COOPERATION:

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on cooperation in the energy sector.

3. GLOBAL FINANCIAL INTEGRITY RELEASED THE GLOBAL ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS REPORT 2015:

This study is GFI’s 2015 annual global update on illicit financial flows from developing economies. It is the sixth annual update of GFI’s 2008 report-Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries 2002-2006. Among the 149 countries surveyed, India stood at the 4th position in terms of illicit financial flows between 2004 and 2013 with 51 billion US dollars.

AWARDS:

5. TWO INDIAN WINS QUEEN’S YOUNG LEADERS AWARDS IN UK:

Two Indians have won the Queen’s Young Leaders award in the UK for their exceptional work in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in their communities. Kartik Sawhney, 21, and Neha Swain, 28 from India are among 60 others who won the Queen’s Young Leaders award 2016 which will be presented by the British monarch at a gala ceremony in Buckingham Palace in June 2016.