Daily GK Updates - 2nd January, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Government constituted Shyam Benegal Committee to revamp Censor Board: The recommendations of this committee will provide a holistic framework and enable those tasked with the work of certification of films to discharge their responsibilities keeping in view this framework. 

2. Javed Ahmed appointed as the Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh.

3. NABARD, NRSC sign MoU for web-based monitoring of watershed projects: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for web-based monitoring of watershed projects. The web-based monitoring of Indo-German Watershed Development (IGWDP) projects will happen in three states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Telangana.

4. Government offloads 1.12 lakh tonnes of seized pulses in retail market: Prices of key pulses, especially Tur and Urad shot up during few last months due to fall in domestic output by two million tonnes in 2014-15 crop year because of deficit monsoon. Now the government has offloaded over on lakh and 12 thousand tonnes of seized pulses in the retail market to improve availability and tame prices.

5. Government issues draft guidelines for kidney donation: The Government of India has issued draft guidelines for allocating criteria for kidney donation from deceased source. The move is aimed at easing rules and procedures to encourage organ donation in the country. The draft guidelines have been posted on the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) website.

6. Lucknow gets Rs 5000-crore ring road as New Year gift: The proposal is aimed at easing traffic congestion. It was one of the promises made by Rajnath Singh in his campaigns during the Lok Sabha elections 2014.

7. Direct transfer of kerosene subsidy in 26 districts from April 1: After the success of paying subsidy to LPG users in their bank accounts, government will from April 1 roll out a similar programme for kerosene, where the users will buy the cooking fuel at the market rate and get the subsidy money directly in their bank account.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Copyright of Adolf Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ expires: For the first time in 70 years, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi manifesto Mein Kampf is to be available to buy in Germany. Reprinting the anti-Semitic book was banned after WW2 by Bavaria’s regional government, which held the copyright. The copyright has now expired and Munich’s Institute of Contemporary History is to publish a new edition.

2. Rupee among best of Asian currencies in 2015: Rupee turned out to be one of the best performers in 2015 among all Asian and BRICS currencies, excluding Yen.  

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Reserve Bank of India asked banks to open branches in villages with a population of more than 5000: The banking regulator has asked banks to submit a roadmap on how many branches they will be opening by 31^st March 2017.

SPORTS:

2. Mithali Raj won the BCCI’s Women Cricketer of the Year Award 2015.

OBITUARIES:

3. Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole passed away due to heart failure at the age of 65.