Daily GK Updates - 9th December, 2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. INDIA’S RANK 4TH IN BLACK MONEY OUTFLOW PER ANNUM:

India ranks fourth in the world in black money outflows with a whopping $51 billion siphoned out of the country per annum between 2004 and 2013. China topped the list with $ 139 billion average outflow of illicit finances per annum, followed by Russia ($ 104 billion per annum) and Mexico ($52.8 billion per annum), according to the annual report released by Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington-based research and advisory organization.

2. HETERO DRUGS BECOMES  INDIAN COMPANY TO RECEIVE DGCI’S APPROVAL FOR HEPATITIS C DRUG:

Hyderabad-based Hetero Drugs on 8 December 2015 announced that it received the approval of Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to launch fixed-dose combination therapy Ledipasvir-Sofosbuvir. The product will be available under the brand name Ledisof in India. With this approval, Hetero became the first company in the country to get approval from DGCI to launch hepatitis C medicines.

3. MANOHAR PARRIKAR BECOME 1ST INDIAN DEFENCE MINISTER TO VISIT PACOM:

Manohar Parrikar has visited the US Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii, becoming the the first-ever Indian Defence Minister to visit the key facility in a sign of deepening of military ties between the two strategic partners. Parrikar held meetings with the PACOM Commander Admiral Harry B Harris and discussed the growth of the strategic partnership between the two nations. The two also emphasised the importance of expanded maritime security cooperation within the context of broader military-to-military ties, especially in the Indo-Asia- Pacific.

4. KARANATAKA GOVT. SIGNS EoI WITH REITZEL GROUP:

Karnataka delegation, which is touring France to promote ‘Invest Karnataka 2016’ (global investment meet), has signed an Expression of Interest (EoI) agreement with Reitzel Group. The agreement signed in the presence of R V Deshpande, Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Tourism at Paris is for Reitzel’s expansion of its existing Gherkin production plant at Kunigal, Tumakuru district.

5. GOI PROPOSES  JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN NPCIL AND NTPC,NALCO:

To boost to nuclear power generation in the country, the government has proposed joint ventures between Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and other Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) like the NTPC, Indian Oil and NALCO. However, this is subject to the passing of Atomic Energy Amendment Bill 2015 introduced in the Lok Sabha. The JVs proposed with other PSUs is to pool equity for expanding installed nuclear power capacity.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. DEC-09 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COMMEMORATION AND DIGNITY OF THE VICTIMS OF THE CRIME OF GENOCIDES:

The United Nations General Assembly established 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention, and to commemorate and honour its victims.

2. SINGAPORE’S CHANGI AIRPORT TO RUN JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD AIRPORT:

Passengers using Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports look forward to a retail and food and beverages experience that passengers going through Singapore’s Changi airport enjoy at present. This follows the Governments of India and Singapore signing an agreement for Singapore airport developer Changi being nominated for taking up the operations and management of the two Indian airports. The agreement was signed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the island city state and will see. The operations of the airport will remain with AAI. 

3. NEW ZEALAND  FORMALLY BECOMES MEMBER OF AIIB:

New Zealand has formally become a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Finance Minister Bill English said Tuesday. New Zealand's ratification would contribute to the AIIB reaching the 50-percent threshold of the needed for the AIIB to establish operations, English said in a statement. The move followed the passage of the International Financial Agreement Amendment Act in the New Zealand Parliament in November. New Zealand was the ninth country to formally become a founding member.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. CHEN LONG AND CAROLINA MARIN BAGGED 2015 BWF PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD:

China’s Chen Long and all England and World champion Carolina Marin on 7 December 2015 bagged the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Male and Female Player of the Year Awards respectively in Dubai. Marin held off competition from Zhao Yunlei, Saina Nehwal and Bao Yixin. On the other hand, long retained the Male Player of the Year award that he won last year. China’s rising star and World Junior Champion in Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles Zheng Si Wei grabbed the Eddy Choong Award for Most Promising Player of the Year.

 BANKING & ECONOMY:

2. CENTRE SETS UP ‘SETU’ TO SUPPORT START UP BUSINESSES:

A mechanism known as SETU to support all aspects of start-up businesses and other self- employment activities has been set up by the government, Lok Sabha was informed today. Union Minister for Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurs envisaged fostering entrepreneurship and grassroots innovation by providing support in terms of fiscal incentives, creation of grass root technology innovation hubs, legal support and market linkages.

3. YES BANK COMMITS 5 BILLION USD FOR CLIMATE CHANGE:

YES Bank, India’s fifth largest private bank, has announced it would mobilize $5 billion towards climate finance by 2020 to help India meet its target of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The bank made the declaration on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties (COP) 21 climate summit underway in Paris. 

AWARDS:

4. ANGELA MERKEL IS TIME ‘PERSON OF THE YEAR’:

Time Magazine has named German Chancellor Angela Merkel its “Person of the Year”. The magazine bestowed the title on the 61-year-old world leader for the way she managed the economic crisis over the summer, and the way she’s currently handling the refugee crisis and terrorism threat looming over Europe. Merkel is the first individual woman to receive the “Person of the Year” recognition since TIME changed its title from “Man of the Year” in 1999. Women, however, have been recognized as part of a group, such as last year’s winner, “Ebola Fighters.”