Daily GK Updates - 26th January, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Election Commission has become a model to other countries - Gautham Bagadi (Deputy Commissioner):  He was addressing the Voter’s Day programme in Raichur . Mr. Bagadi said that a country like the U.S. is still conducting elections through ballot paper but, India votes through EVMs to bring in more transparency.

2. 69^th Republic Day of India, 2018:  India celebrates its 69th Republic Day on January 26. The chief guests on Republic Day of India 2018 were 10 Leaders of 10 nations of the world (Heads of ASEAN states). Around 61 tribal guests were invited to participate in the Republic Day celebration. he awards – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri – will be given to eminent personalities from various fields such as literature and education, art, sports, social work, medicine, science and engineering, civil service, public affairs, trade and industry.

3. Supreme Court to hear plea against States and Karni Sena: The Supreme Court agreed to hear pleas for initiating contempt of court action against the Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan governments and Karni Sena members for aggravated incidents of violence, even against schoolchildren, in the background of the release of Padmaavat . The petition filed by activist Tehseen Poonawala and Supreme Court advocate Vineet Dhanda described the destruction wreaked on public property and theatre premises, and how suspected members of the Karni Sena had pelted stones at a school bus carrying children at Gurugram, Haryana. They questioned the lack of preventive measures taken by law enforcers in the States, which allowed the agitators to indulge in violence in the name of protest.

4. Two CRPF men get Shaurya Chakra: Two CRPF CoBRA commandos have been decorated with the Shaurya Chakra for an anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand’s Latehar that led to the killing of six Maoist cadres besides the recovery of a heavy assortment of arms and ammunition in 2016. Assistant Commandant Vikash Jakhar and Sub-Inspector Riyaz Alam Ansari belonged to the 209th battalion of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

5. Eight children from Northeast among 18 bravery awards winners: Four children from Nagaland, two from Mizoram and one each from Manipur and Meghalaya are among the 18 bravehearts honoured with the National Bravery Awards this year. Of the eight children from the Northeast, F. Lalchhandama from Mizoram and Loukrakpam Rajeshwari Chanu from Manipur have been honoured posthumously. Gita Siddhartha, president of the Indian Council for Child Welfare, the organisation that plays an important role in the selection of children for the bravery awards, told that this is the “highest ever selection of children for bravery awards from the Northeast”.

6. Mobile internet services snapped in Kashmir: Mobile internet services have been snapped in Kashmir as a precautionary measure on the occasion of the Republic Day. The internet services on mobile phones and data cards were suspended yesterday as part of the security drill of the Republic Day. it’s a normal practice in Kashmir to suspend the internet services on the Republic Day and Independence Day, this is the first time that these services were withdrawn a day earlier.

7. Bandh in Hubballi: The bandh call seeking the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the long-pending Mahadayi river water sharing row evoked good response in Hubballi. The city witnessed a total shut-down with shops, commercial establishments remaining closed voluntarily. With holiday being declared for schools and colleges on account of the bandh call and public transport services suspended for the day, the roads wore a deserted look for a major portion of the day.

8. Ashoka Chakra for airman: The Indian Air Force (IAF) Garud Commando Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala has been posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award, for his role during a counter-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATESP:

1. India and ASEAN shake hands on maritime cooperation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 10 visiting leaders from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to set up a mechanism on maritime cooperation to counter the common “traditional” and “non-traditional” challenges they face. This idea evolved during a two-hour-long informal discussion on “maritime cooperation and security” at a “retreat” hosted by Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan

2. US, others launch new tool: The United States and 28 other countries to launch a new plan to better identify and punish anyone who uses chemical weapons, amid new reports of a suspected chemical attack in Syria. The initiative was announced in Paris, where US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and diplomats from the other signatory countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. MS Dhoni, Pankaj Advani to be conferred Padma Bhushan: Former India skipper MS Dhoni and Snooker player Pankaj Advani are among those who received Padma Bhushan on Republic Day, January 26, 2018. Advani is the first Indian to win the 6-red snooker world title. He has bagged a total of 18 world titles. Most recently, Advani won the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Doha.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Alibaba Cloud promises to set up data centre: The Chinese firm, Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of the Alibaba Group, has evinced interest in setting up its data centre in Andhra Pradesh. The company will be establishing its first data centre in Mumbai on Friday. Alibaba Cloud president Simon Hu has assured Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Davos that his company would set up its second centre in Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Naidu floored the Chinese firm’s president with his presentation on Wednesday.