Daily GK Updates - 2nd February, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bank approved $35 million to improve citizen access to public services in Madhya Pradesh: The Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project will improve access to selected public services for the people of Madhya Pradesh and particularly those belonging to deprived groups. 

2. Companies Law Committee submitted report recommending changes in the Companies Act, 2013: The committee was chaired by Tapan Ray Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and consist of 8 members and one member convener.

3. Archana Ramsundram became 1^st woman to head paramilitary force: Tamil Nadu cadre IPS Officer Archana Ramsundram was appointed as the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) that guards India’s frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan.

4. Urban Ladder appointed Sanjay Gupta as Chief Marketing Officer.

5. Ashish Kumar Goel takes charge as General Manager, Eastern Railways: He is also the General Manager of South Eastern Raailways.

6. Saroj Kumar Jha appointed Senior Director for Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group at World Bank.

7. SC refers curative plea on Section 377 to five-judge bench: A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will hear curative petitions of seeking re-examination of its verdict criminalising sexual activity between same sex consenting adults under section 377 of IPC.

8. India and Brunei sign MoUs on Defence, Health and Sports: The three MoUs were signed during the visit of Vice President of India Shri Hamid Ansari. The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan.

9. Bajaj unveils bike with INS Vikrant metal: The 150-cc bike was named ‘V’ and it contains metal sourced from India’s first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant which got decommissioned in 1997.

10. Himachal Pradesh to spend 15 crore rupees on Swachh Bharat Mission in Kinnaur.

11. Jai Kumar Garg appointed as MD and CEO of Corporation Bank.

12. S N Prasad assumes charge as Coal India Limited director.

13. PM Modi inaugurated the Global Ayurveda Fest at Kozhikode which is being held from 31^st January to 4^th February 2016.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Google’s Alphabet comes before Apple as world’s most valuable company: The shift occurred in Monday’s extended trading after Alphabet, Google’s new parent company, released fourth-quarter earnings report that highlighted the robust growth of the digital ad market.

2. WHO declared Public Health Emergency of international concern over Zika Virus outbreak.

3. UK granted licence to use gene editing techniques on human embryos: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) of United Kingdom granted licence to the Francis Crick Institute to use new gene editing techniques on human embryos.

4. Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra is set to join Hollywood A-listers to present at the upcoming 88^th Academy Awards.

5. World Wetlands Day observed 2^nd February 2016 with theme Wetlands for our Future-Sustainable Livelihoods.

6. TCS, Wipro, Infosys join Obama’s ‘computer science for all’ plan. 

7. Bangladesh cabinet approved draft of Citizenship Law, 2016 expanding scope for dual citizenship.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. RBI keeps key rates unchanged in the 6^th bi-monthly monetary policy: The repo rate or short term lending rates remains unchanged at 6.75% and the reverse repo rate at 7.75%. CRR is also unchanged at 4% while the MSF and Bank rate are kept at 7.5%.

SPORTS:

2. Rishabh Pant of India U-19 slams fastest fifty in just 18 balls to beat Nepal U-19 in the on-going U-19 World Cup.

OBITUARIES:

3. Noted Dravidian Ideologist Annamalai died at the age of 78.