Daily GK Updates - 1st December, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES

1.   A.K.JAIN TO BE ACTING CHAIRMAN OF CBDT:

Senior revenue officer AK Jain has been appointed as the acting Chairman of the CBDT following the retirement of its Chairperson Anita Kapur. Jain, a 1978 batch Indian Revenue Services Officer, will be holding additional charge as chairperson of Central Board of Direct Taxes, the apex policy making body of the Income Tax department. He is at present Member (Personnel and Vigilance) of CBDT.

2.   DECEMBER 01: WORLDS AIDS DAY:

World AIDS Day is held on the December 1st every year since 1988. This day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. Globally there are an estimated 34 million people who have the virus.

3.  UNION GOVT. LAUNCHED IPV INJECTION AS PART OF GLOBAL POLIO ENDGAME STRATEGY:

PV will roll-out to 126 countries which are only using OPV in the National program and it will be the largest and fastest globally-coordinated vaccine introduction project in history.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  NARENDRA MODI IN EIGHT PLACE FOR TIME’S MAGAZINE’S PERSON OF THE YEARS POLL:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently among the top 10 people in the Time Person of the Year readers’ choice poll, in the company of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and Pope Francis. Although Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (10.5 percent) continues to lead the poll, Modi with a vote share of 2.7 percent was in the eighth place as of Monday evening, while Pakistani activist Malala (5.9 percent) was in second place and Pope Francis (3.9 percent) in third.

2.    SYRIA CONFLICT: GERMAN CABINET APPROVES  IS MISSION:

The German cabinet has backed plans for military support in the fight against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria. Tornado reconnaissance aircraft, a naval frigate and a 1,200-strong force will be sent to the region under the proposals. Germany decided to join the fight against IS after an appeal by French President Francois Hollande in the wake of the 13 November Paris attacks. Its forces will not engage in combat.

3.  SAUDI ARABIA ALLOWS WOMEN TO VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTION FOR FIRST TIME:

Saudi female candidates running for municipal councils have begun campaigning in elections, marking the first time women are allowed to vote and contest polls in the kingdom.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1.  P.V. SINDHU WINS 2015 MACAU OPEN GRAND PRIX GOLD BADMINTON TOURNAMENT:

Ace Indian shuttler Pusarla Venkata Sindhu has won the $120,000 2015 Macau Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton tournament in the women’s single category. In the title clash of the tournament, Sindhu (World No. 12) defeated Minatsu Mitani (World No. 6) of Japan by 21-9, 21-23, 21-14 score. With this victory, she has won this title for the third consecutive time after she had won it in 2013 and 2014.

BANKING & ECONOMY:

2. RAILWAY SIGNS RS.40,000 – CRORE PACTS WITH GE AND ALSTOM:

Indian Railways has signed two joint venture agreements with global transport majors General Electric and Alstom Transport for setting up two locomotive factories in Bihar with an investment of Rs 40,000 crore. US-based GE will set up a diesel locomotive factory at Marhowra that will supply 1,000 engines of 4,500 and 6,000 horsepower over 11 years. France’s Alstom will set up a manufacturing facility at Madhepura to supply 800 electric locomotives of 12,000 horsepower over 10 years. The factories will be set up at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore each.

OBITUARIES:

3. RUSSIAN LEGENDARY FILMS DIRECTOR ELDAR RYAZANOV PASSES AWAY:

The legendary film director Eldar Ryazanov died in Moscow at the age of 88.  The People’s Artist of the USSR, Eldar Ryazanov, was a Soviet film director, screenwriter and actor, most well known for his satirical comedies – “Old Men – Robbers,” “Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia,” “Office Romance,” “Station for Two,” “Garage” and many others.