Daily GK Updates - 21st November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Manohar Parrikar commissioned destroyer ‘INS Chennai’: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 21st November commissioned ‘INS Chennai’, the third indigenously designed guided missile destroyer in the Kolkata class. With an overall length of 164 metres and displacement of over 7,500 tonnes, ‘INS Chennai’ is one of the largest destroyers in the Indian Navy’s fleet.

2. India successfully conducts test-fire of nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile: India today successfully test fired the nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile.ii. The twin trial was conducted from a test range in Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. The Prithvi-II missile has a payload capacity of 500 kg to 1,000 kg and a strike range of 350 km.

3. Nat Geo Magazine cover features Mangalyaan’s Mars photo: An image of the planet Mars taken by ISRO's Mars-orbiting spacecraft Mangalyaan has found a place on the cover of the November edition of the National Geographic magazine.

4. 47^th International Film Festival of India begins at Goa: The 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), considered to be Asia's oldest film festival, began in Goa on Nov 20, 2016. The Republic of Korea is the focus country of IFFI 2016. Legendary singer S P Bala Subrahmanyam was honoured with 'Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the year' at the opening ceremony of the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

5. Jagadish Singh Khehar appointed Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA launches ‘next generation’ weather satellite: The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) on 20 November 2016 launched the highly advanced geostationary weather satellite Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R). The Satellite was launched by NASA on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was launched on board of Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:

1. Siby Sebastian appointed as CEO of SBM Bank (Mauritius), India: The State Bank of Mauritius (SBM) Group has appointed Siby Sebastian as Chief Executive for its India operations. The SBM Group operates four branches in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ramachandrapuram.

AWARDS:

2. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar gets International Peace Prize: Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was honoured with an International peace prize for his efforts in ensuring world peace. The 'Dr Nagendra Singh International Peace Award' was given to him by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.The award has been instituted in the memory of Dr Nagendra Singh, an Indian judge at International Court of Justice, The Hague.

3. Al Nayhan conferred with prestigious Mother Teresa International Award:Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was awarded the prestigious Mother Teresa International Award by the Mumbai-based NGO Harmony Foundation. Shaikh Abdullah, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was conferred with the award for his contribution in promoting peace and stability in the West Asia.