Daily GK Updates - 22nd July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi lays foundation stone AIIMS and revival of a fertilizer plant in Gorakhpur: Prime Minister NarendraModi has laid the foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and revival of fertilizer factory which was closed for the last three decades in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

2. India ranks 110^th on Sustainable Development Index: India ranks 110th on the list followed by Lesotho on 113th position, Pakistan (115), Myanmar (117), Bangladesh (118) and Afghanistan (139). The index is topped by the Sweden followed by Denmark and Norway on the top three performing countries respectively.

3. Centre forms a panel to prepare a draft bill on Ganga River: Centre has constituted a committee to prepare Draft Bill on Ganga to deal with all the issues related to the River. The committee will be chaired by the retired Justice GiridharMalviya.

4. Green nod for Odisha Power Project: A State green panel has given first-stage clearance to Orissa Integrated Power Ltd (OIPL) for diverting 17.02 hectares of revenue forest land to set up a 4,000 MW UMPP in Sundargarh district in Odisha at a cost of ₹29,000 crore.

5. Kerala Tourism has secured two gold awards at PATA Awards: Kerala Tourism has secured two Gold Awards at the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) awards in recognition of its trendsetting marketing initiatives. The two gold medals for 'Marketing Media' are in the categories of 'Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media' and 'E-Newsletter', which were clinched by the successful 'Visit Kerala' television commercial campaign and the popular Kerala Tourism E-Newsletter respectively.

6. Odisha Government forms a judicial panel for reforms in Jagannath temple management:The Odisha government has constituted a judicial commission to study the functioning of the PuriJagannath Temple, which has in recent weeks witnessed major controversies over mismanagement of rituals by unruly servitors. The one-man commission will be headed by retired Orissa High Court judge Bimal Prasad Das.

7. Kerala Government constitutes State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation: The Kerala State Government has constituted a State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (STAGI) on the lines of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). The Group will advise the State government on the policies and practices to be adopted and implemented under the National Immunisation Programme.

8. A film festival on Mother Teresa in Indian and abroad: The Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF), a film festival focusing on Mother Teresa's life and teachings is going to be held at over 100 locations in India and around 50 other countries. The festival will be kicked off from Kolkata on August 26 after which it will travel all over the world for the next six months. It will be organized by the World Catholic Association for Communication.

9. NMDC signs MoU with NEERI to develop sewage treatment plants: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to develop 12 sewage treatment plants (STP).

10. Ajay BhushanPandey appointed as CEO of UIDAI.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Fox News CEO Roger Ailes resigns: Roger Ailes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox News Channel has resigned from his post. He will be succeeded by Rupert Murdoch, Head of parent company 21st Century Fox and Founder of the empire that includes Fox.

2. Sony Pictures Networks bags broadcast right of International Champions: Sony Pictures Networks India has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights to telecast the 2016 edition of the International Champions Cup (football) in India. The matches this year will be held across North America, Europe, Australia, and China, and will see 17 of the top clubs from across the world participating in the highly anticipated season opening tournament.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. Corporation Bank launches ‘Green Pin’ facility: This is an online module for generation of Personal Identification Number (PIN) for credit card holders. The facility enables credit card users to generate PIN online. PIN is compulsory for all point-of-sale (POS) terminal transactions at a merchant establishment.

OBITUARIES:

2. Former French Cyclist Dominique Arnaud passes away at the age of 60.