Daily GK Updates - 14th August, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. No Rail Budget from next fiscal: The 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Rail Budget is set to come to an end from the next fiscal, with the Finance Ministry accepting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s proposal to merge it with the General Budget.

2. 6,900 km gas pipelines to connect Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India: The government has ambitious plan to lay 6,900 km of gas pipelines linking Bangladesh, Myanmar, most north-eastern states, and West Bengal.

3. Fifth Generation signs pact with Anna University: Fifth Generation Technologies, a multi-national research and innovation company with specialisation in building “real time intelligence” solutions and products to the manufacturing industry, has entered into an agreement with Anna University, Chennai, for conducting research to arrive at a useful prediction of the remaining life of critical equipment that are working in high temperature environments.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. Kotak Mahindra Bank starts Innovation Lab, open to investing in start-ups: More than 1 Cr. central government employees will get a pay hike after the Cabinet approved the implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission.

2. E-verifying without net banking: More banks to follow PNB,UBI: After Punjab National Bank and United Bank of India, more banks are likely to soon start a facility wherein an account holder can verify his income tax return on e-filing site even without having netbanking.

SPORTS:

3. USA wins 1,000th Olympic gold medal: Simone Manuel anchored the U.S. women's 4x100 metres medley relay team to the 1,000th gold medal in her country's summer Olympic history, and the second of her career.

OBITUARIES:

4. Famous Lyricist Na Muthukumar passed away: Na Muthukumar passed away in Chennai at the age of 41 years.He won two national awards for the songs AnandaYazhaiMeetukiral in ThangaMeengal and AzhageAzhage in Saivam.

5. Former minister S.P. SargunaPandian passed away: Former DMK Minister S.P SargunaPandian, who began her political career as a platform speaker, died. She was 75 years old.

6.Akshardham founder Pramukh Swami passes away:Pramukh Swami, the 95-year-old founder of Akshardham temples and a saint of the Swaminarayan sect, passed away after prolonged illness at the Sarangpur temple.