Daily GK Updates - 16th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Commerce Ministry launches SEZ India app: The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has launched a mobile application named “SEZ India” under its broader e-Governance initiative to help the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Units and Developers. It will help the SEZ Units and Developers to find information easily and track their transactions on Online System. It will also facilitate them to file all their transactions digitally through SEZ Online system and track the status on the go through the SEZ India mobile app.

2. SEBI tightens merger norms: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has tightened rules for mergers and amalgamations by Indian companies in a bid to safeguard the interests of the public shareholders. The market regulator amended rules in an effort to make listing process more transparent and ensure wider public holding, prevent mergers of large unlisted firms with small ones. The new rules will ensure that all classes of shareholders get an equitable treatment during mergers and acquisitions. It will also stop practice using route of merger to get an indirect listing for an unlisted company.

3. VK Singh on Bahrain visit: Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh visited Bahrain and held talks with senior ministers on issues related to labour.
There are nearly five million expatriate Indians in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 

4. New Adoption Regulations come into force: The new Adoption Regulations have come into force from 16th Jan, 2017. The regulations, which have replaced the Adoption Guidelines, 2015, will further strengthen the adoption programme in the country by streamlining the process.The regulations framed by the Central Adoption Resource Authority as mandated under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 was notified on the 4th Jan, 2017.

5. Tamil Nadu Government launches mobile app Pinakin for Tourism: Tamil Nadu government has launched a mobile application Pinakin to provide information of famous tourist destinations in the state. The app will provide information on other major tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu. Initially, it will cover world heritage tourist sites like Thanjavur Big Temple, GangaikondaCholapuram, Mamallapuram and Darasuram and soon include other places in the state. The app will provide information in two languages Tamil and English, benefiting both domestic and international tourist.

6. BSF launches operation SardHawa at Rajasthan border: The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched operation SardHawa at the western international border of Rajasthan to check the instances of infilteration due to the dense fog in the area. The purpose of this 14 days operation (from 15 to 28 January, 2017) is to keep hawk’s eye on the international border and to motivate patrolling jawans. Under it jawans will patrol the border with advanced weapons in the police station areas near to the border.

7. Migratory bird census at Hirakud begins: Annual enumeration of migratory birds at Hirakud Dam began on 15th Jan, 2017.Thousands of winged guests from Caspian Sea, Baikal Lake, Mongolia, Central and South East Asia and Himalayan region flock to the reservoir every year from November and stay for four months till the end of February before flying back in the first week of March. 
Note: Last year, the census officials recorded 95,912 birds of 60 species.

8. India 60th in inclusive development index:India has been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies, below neighbouring China and Pakistan, in the inclusive development index, according to a WEF report. WEF’s ‘Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017’, released today, said that most countries are missing important opportunities to raise economic growth and reduce inequality at the same time because the growth model and measurement tools that have guided policymakers for decades require significant readjustment.

                              INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Britain and UAE launch joint military exercises: Britain and the United Arab Emirates launched a joint military exercise - “Sea Dagger 2017”.
The exercise is aimed at training on the planning, implementation and management of joint military operations. 

2. Japan and Indonesia agree to deepen defence ties: Japan and Indonesia have reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on maritime security and deepen defence ties as both nations feud with China over sea territory. Both island nations committed to give maritime cooperation the highest priority. It was announced Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Besides, Japan will actively encourage cooperation on maritime security and encourage the development of the remote islands of Indonesia.

3. Silicon identified as ‘missing element’ in Earth’s core:  Researchers have found out that “Silicon” (about 5 per cent) likely makes up a significant proportion of the Earth’s core after iron and nickel.The discovery could help us to better understand how our world formed.

4. Facebook to introduce fake news tools in Germany: Facebook to introduce new tools in Germany to help combat the spread of fabricated news stories. It would enable German users to flag potentially false stories.The stories will then be passed to third-party fact-checkers and if found to be unreliable, will be marked in users' news feeds as "disputed". 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Four Indian women boxers in final of Nation’s Cup in Serbia: Indian women boxers continued to pack quite a punch as four of them, including former World Championships silver-medallist Sarjubala Devi (48kg), entered the finals of the 6th Nation’s Cup in Vrbas, Serbia where the country is now assured of six medals. Sarjubala, the reigning national champion, defeated local favourite Gayane Panyan to enter the summit clash.The others, who made the final cut are Priyanaka Chaudhary (60kg) and Pooja (69kg). SeemaPoonia is also through to the final without fighting a single bout so far as her category features only three boxers. Priyanka, on the other hand, got the better of Kazakhstan’s Rimma Volosenko, while Pooja also triumphed over a Kazakh rival in Valentina Khalzova.