Daily GK Updates - 21st March, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Andhra Pradesh Government signed MoU with Cisco to launch AP Fibre Net: The Fibre Net Project is aimed at providing broadband connectivity at affordable rates to all households and institutions in the State.

2. Fashion Designer Ritu Beri appointed as Advisor to Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

3. Government allows 49% FDI in Insurance under automatic route: The Government has relaxed FDI norms for the insurance sector by permitting overseas companies to buy 40% stake in domestic insurers without prior approval, which is another effort to bring more foreign players into India’s vast insurance market.

4. BHEL commissions its 2^nd 270 MW thermal unit at Goindwal Sahib coal-fired power project in Punjab: The unit has been commissioned at the GVK Power and Infra Ltd in Tarn District near Amritsar. 

5. Hinduja Brothers top Britain’s ‘Asian Rich List’: India-born brothers S P Hinduja and G P Hinduja have topped the ‘Asian Rich List 2016’.

6. Cisco to invest $100 million in India to train over 250,000 students.

7. Mumbai’s Wilson College adopts railway station for cleanliness: One of Mumbai’s oldest college, Wilson College has adopted the Charni Road station here for cleanliness and upkeep as a part of the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2016 observed across the world on 21^st March 2016 with the theme ‘Challenges and Achievements of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

2. International Day of Forests observed on 21^st March 2016 with theme ‘Forest and Water’: The theme highlights the importance of forests in sustaining planet’s supply of freshwater, which is essential for life.

3. United Nations appoints Red from ‘Angry Birds’ as Honorary Ambassador for Climate Change.

4. Obama embarks on Historic Cuba visit: US President Barack Obama embarked on a historic trip to Cuba more than a year after Washington reset its foreign policy towards the island following decades of cold war animosity that almost led to a nuclear war. He will meet Cuban President Raul Castro here.

5. Prince Harry begins 5-day trip to Nepal to mark the 200^th anniversary of bilateral ties.

6. General Lori Robinson nominated as 1^st US Female Combatant Chief.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. H S Prannoy won 2016 Swiss Open Men’s single title of Badminton organised in Basel, Switzerland defeating Marc Zwiebler of Germany.

2. SSP Chowrasia won Hero Open title of Golf held at New Delhi.

3. Lionel Messi named as Huawei Global Ambassador.

4. Bangladesh bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny suspended by ICC for illegal bowling action.

AWARDS:

5. Cairn India bags five awards at FICCI Excellence Awards: The awards, which are dedicated for best safety and occupation health systems act as motivation and catalyst for adopting best safety practices and systems in the manufacturing sector.

6. Indian-origin student Geetakshi Arora wins first Noor Inayat Khan Prize in London.

OBITUARIES:

7. Former Danish PM Anker Joergensen died in Copenhagen at the age of 93.