Daily GK Updates - 7th January, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mufti Sayeed passes away, Mehbooba likely to succeed as CM: Jammu and Kashmir CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a crafty politician who took on the powerful Abdullah family and rose to become the country’s first Muslim Home Minister, died at AIIMS. Her daughter Mehbooba is likely to succeed as CM.

2. Watan ko Jano initiative, A programme that aims to expose youth from J&K to rest of India: Watan ko Jano, an initiative being carried out by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in coordination with the J&K Government was in news. It is essentially a Youth Exchange Programme under which the children of militancy-hit victims, orphanages, and weaker section of society are identified by J&K State Rehabilitation Council as beneficiaries under the programme in the state.

3. Gadkari launches India’s first River Information System: Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the River Information System (RIS)-the first of its kind in India-to facilitate safe and accurate navigation on National Waterway-1 (the Ganga River).

4. International media conference in Mysuru: The Global Communication Association (GCA), a not-for-profit professional organisation, to host the 11^th international conference of media experts and communication specialists from around the world at Mysuru.

5. Mysuru to get Cauvery river gallery: Karnataka’s Tourism and the National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI) have signed a MoU to set up a Cauvery river gallery in Mysuru.

6. Telangana Cabinet Okays ‘Sampoorna Arogya Keralam’ medical care project: The project aims to bring all major government health services under one umbrella. With this, people will not be required to visit multiple offices or agencies for medical care.

7. India to skip BS-V, leapfrog to BS-VI norms from April 1, 2020: In a bid to curb vehicular pollution, the centre decided to implement stricter emission norms of Bharat Stage VI from April 1, 2020 skipping BS-V altogether.

8. Uber launches ‘uberEXCHANGE’, start-up mentorship programme:  Taxi-hailing app Uber announced a new start-up mentorship programme in the country in partnership with Invest India called ‘uberEXCHANGE’.

9. A B Khare appointed as the CMD of Madras Fertilizers.

10. Achyuta Samanta elected as General President of 105^th Indian Science Congress.

11. Sam Pitroda appointed as the Technical Advisor of Odisha Government.

12. Pavan Kapoor appointed as India’s Ambassador to Israel.

13. Tata Trusts and Mars sign MoU to work on food safety in India: The Global food manufacturer Mars Incorporated will help develop methods and tools to increase crop productivity, farm income among others.

14. Centre approved Rs 815 cr drought aid for Odisha.

15. Tata Motors and Petronas joined hands for lubricants: Tata Motors in association with Petronas Lubricants International launched Tata Motors Genuine Oil (TMGO) for its passenger vehicles range in the Indian market.

16. Delhi Government scrapped management and other quotas in private schools.

17. Vedanta appointed Samir Cairae as India metals business CEO.

18. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notice to Bihar Government over poor conditions of prisons.

19. Union Cabinet approved MoU with Bangladesh to set up border haats.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Filippo Grandi takes helm as UN High Commissioner for Refugees. 

2. California declared state of emergency in Los Angeles after methane gas leak: The leak happened at the Southern California Gas Company’s Aliso Canyon storage field in Porter Ranch of Los Angeles.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Cabinet nod for credit guarantee fund for MUDRA loans: The Union Cabinet has given its approval for the creation of a credit guarantee fund for Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency loans.

SPORTS:

2. Hashim Amla resigned as Test Captain of South Africa.

AWARDS:

3. Subodh Sarkar conferred with Gangadhar National Award for Poetry.

OBITUARIES:

4. Noted Gujarati writer Labshankar Thakar passed away at the age of 80.

5. Pierre Boulez, French Conductor and Composer passed away at the age of 90 in Baden-Baden, Germany.