Daily GK Updates - 27th May, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government approves over Rs 5500 crore investment to improve infrastructure in six states: The centre has approved an investment of over 5500 crore rupees for basic urban infrastructure in six states under the Atal Mission. The states are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand and Meghalaya.

2. 1^st bullet train to run in India in 2023 as per a statement by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu: According to him the train will connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad and is expected to cover 508 km in about two hours, running at a maximum speed of 350 kmph.

3. I&B Ministry frames guidelines for online government advertisements: All online ads from the Centre would now be routed via the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), which would empanel eligible websites.

4. India’s growth to rise to 8% in FY 2019 according to the US Global rating agency Fitch.

5. Mamata Banerjee takes oath for second successive term as West Bengal CM.

6. Centre approves Rs 4241 crore National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in Odisha: The project will create job opportunities for around 1.5 lakh people and will help Odisha grow as a manufacturing hub and help Paradip port’s growth.

7. BrahMos supersonic cruise missile successfully test-fired by IAF at the Pokhran field range in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district.

8. Indian Coast Guard Ship ARUSH commissioned at Kochi.

9.  Cabinet approves the takeover of Hindustan Steel Works Construction Limited (HSCL) by National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd (NBCC) for financial restructuring of HSCL.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Google cleared of infringement in Oracle lawsuit over Java: Google has won a major US court battle with software firm Oracle after a jury ruled it did not unfairly appropriate parts of the Java programming language.

2. China signs deals with Sudan to build 600 MW atomic reactors: The agreements were signed during a three day visit to Sudan by a Chinese delegation led by Nur Bekri, head of the National Energy Administration (NEA) and deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

3. Guinea Bissau President Jose Mario Vaz named Baciro Dja as Prime Minister.     

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. HDFC among world’s top 10 consumer financial services company: The mortgage lender HDFC Ltd has been ranked among the world’s top ten biggest and most powerful companies in the consumer financial services sector on a Forbes list. The list is topped by American Express and HDFC was ranked 7^th in the list.

SPORTS:

2. Indian boxer Sonia Lather settles for silver after losing World Championship final.

3. Para-athlete Amit Kumar Saroha from Haryana won gold medal in record breaking performance in men’s club throw (F-51) at the recently concluded 2016 French Open Athletics Championship in Paris.

4. Sanjay Bangar appointed India’s coach for Zimbabwe tour and Abhay Sharma to be fielding coach.

AWARDS:

5. Indian-American Rishi Nair wins 28^th Annual National Geographic Bee Competition.

6. Sunil Bharti Mittal receives 2016 Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award.

OBITUARIES:

7. Veteran Communist leader K C Mathew passed away at the age of 92.

8. Noted Marathi literary critic R G Jadhav passed away at the age of 83.