GK UPDATE -14th January-Daily GK News Updates

1.    Country in festive fervour

i. Makar Sankranti, Pongal and Bihu being celebrated with enthusiasm across the country; Eid-milad-un-nabi, marking the birth anniversary of prophet Mohammed is also celebrated with religious fervour.

ii. Two major harvest festivals, Makar Sankranti and Pongal are being celebrated across the country with much pomp and fanfare. 

iii. While it is known as Makar Sankranti in northern regions of India, down South, the festival is celebrated by the name Pongal in Tamil Nadu. 

iv. People from different parts of the country thronged the bank of river Ganges to take holy dip and offer special puja. 

v. Assam is celebrating Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu, the harvest festival with feasts and prayers. 

vi. Bihu festival is an occasion when all differences are forgotten and people unite People begin celebrations by erecting hut-like homes with bamboo, hay and dry leaves. 
vii. Bihu is a celebration of food after a good harvest and a variety of sweets are prepared from rice, coconut and til. Here's a report- 
vii. Eid Milad-un-Nabi is being celebrated across the world with religious reverence and fervour to commemorates the Prophet Mohammad's birthday. 

2.    Bhutanese parliamentarians on four-day visit to India 

i. A parliamentary delegation from Bhutan on Monday left for New Delhi to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation. 

ii. The 13-member delegation led by the Speaker of Bhutan's National Assembly Jigme Zangpo on the invitation of the Speaker of Lok Sabha Meira Kumar.

iii. During the four-day visit, the parliamentarians will meet Kumar and discuss issues of bilateral parliamentary cooperation.

iv. The delegation will also meet with other high-ranking officials and members of Indian Parliament and is likely to call on Vice President Hamid Ansari, according to a press release. 

v. The Indian Parliament has been persistently rendering support in the human resource development of the Bhutanese parliamentarians and officials through such visits and exchange programmes.

3.    Eid-e-Meeladunnabi being celebrated with religious fervour & gaiety

i. Jashne Eide Muladunnabi or the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad is being celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety in several parts of Uttar Pradesh and in Lucknow.

ii. In the shape of Julus-e Madh-e Sahaba is being taken out from Jhandewalan Park in Lucknow on the birth anniversary of Prophet Hazrat Muhammed today.

iii. Various gatherings are in the progress in the whole state of Uttar Pradesh since Monday evening where noted Islamic scholars are elaborating the deeds and teachings of the prophet, who not only preached peace but also practiced it through his remarkable and imitable life.

4.    President presented Sunil Gangopadhyay Award 2012 & 2013

i. President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the Sunil Gangopadhyay Memorial Award of 2012 and 2013 on 11 January 2014 to two eminent Bengali poets, namely Nirendranath Chakraborty and Sankha Ghosh, respectively.

ii. The awards were given at a function at Raj Bhawan in Kolkata.

iii. The Sunil Gangopadhyay Memorial Award was instituted by a cultural organisation The Bengal in 2012 following his death. Gangopadhyay had a talent of bringing in the historical research works into his writings.

5.    Delhi became first state to withdraw FDI in Multibrand Retail

i. Delhi government on 13 January 2014 withdrew the Foreign Domestic Investment (FDI) in Multibrand Retail. With this, Delhi became first state to take this step. This action is a reversal of previous Government’s stand in FDI that was made in July 2012 and allowed multi-brand retail trade.

ii. Delhi is one of the major recipients of FDI. This action can adversely affect the investment in the capital and tarnish its FDI friendly image.

iii. The Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said that he is not opposed to FDI. He also agreed that FDI in multibrand retail gives more choice to the consumers.

iv. But, it was found that at the global level FDI in multibrand retail caused massive job losses at multiple places. Thus, to prevent unemployment in the capital this decision was taken.

6.    Gopalakrishnan is MD & CEO of Aegon Religare

i.  Aegon Religare Life Insurance has announced the appointment of KS Gopalakrishnan as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the company.

ii. Prior to this elevation, he was the Executive Director of the company and earlier to this, he was the Appointed Actuary and the Chief Financial Officer at ARLI.

iii. Gopalakrishnan has over twenty five years of experience in the life insurance industry across markets such as India, Canada and Hong Kong.

7.    Corp Bank's scheme for small units

i. Corporation Bank will launch ‘Corp Micro Plus’, a special campaign for micro enterprises from January 17 to March 31.

ii. According to a press statement by the bank, the rate of interest will be at base rate (10.25 per cent currently). There will be no processing charges during the campaign period, it said.

iii. S. R. Bansal, Chairman and Managing Director of the bank, inaugurated a fully furnished SME (small and medium enterprise) loan centre at Ahmedabad on Monday, which will cater to the financial requirements of the MSME sector in Ahmedabad, Kadi, Rajkot, Gandhidham and Jamnagar, it said.

iv. The bank is planning to open SME loan centres at Pune, Ludhiana and Chennai before February 15.

8.    Tata AIA Life launches 'Money Maxima'

i. Tata AIA Life Insurance today launched a product, Money Maxima, a long-term plan which is compliant with new IRDA guidelines.

ii. “Money Maxima is a long term plan that stretches to fit the dreams of our customers through flexibility of plan duration.

iii. The plan offers the dual benefits of both guaranteed and non-guaranteed returns and, hence, is good value for money,” Tata AIA Life Deputy CEO and CDO, Mukesh Dhawan said in a release.

iv. Tata AIA Life has launched a bouquet of solutions, compliant with new IRDA guidelines applicable from this month.

9.    FIFA awards Cristiano Ronaldo prestigious Ballon d'Or prize

i. FIFA named Portuguese attacker Cristiano Ronaldo world's best soccer player for the 2012/2013 season.

ii. He was voted in ahead of Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich and Barcelona's Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who was shortlisted to pick up the award for a fifth year in succession.

iii. Ronaldo last won the FIFA World Player award in 2008.

10.  Nadine Angerer named player of year

i. Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer has been voted the best women's football player in the world for 2013.

ii. Angerer, the current European player of the year, defeated United States forward Abby Wambach, last year's winner, and five-time champion Marta of Brazil.

iii. Angerer helped Germany win the European Championship last year.

11.  Anju B George gets gold medal in world athletics

i. Anju Bobby George has given India their first world athletics title although nine years after the event was held in Monaco. 

ii. The long jumper, who won the silver at the World Athletics Final in 2005, was elevated to the top spot by the International Association of Athletics Federations on Monday, after gold medal winner Russia's Tatyana Kotova was disqualified for doping. 

iii. Anju's fifth place finish at the 2005 Helsinki World Championship's long jump event was also upgraded to fourth. 

iv. Kotova has been slapped with a suspension till January 2015 for testing positive for formestane and Anju who finished with silver then, has now been conferred the gold. 

12.  South Korean Prez to arrive tomorrow

i. South Korean President Park Geun -hye will arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday on a four-day visit and will hold extensive talks with Indian leadership with India making it clear that the trade deficit and market access would be among the issues which will be flagged.

ii. Park's visit also comes barely days after Korean firm Poscos nearly USD 8.4 billion (Rs 520 billion) steel plant in Odisha got a nod from the Environmental Ministry, paving the way for its going ahead with operations.

iii. The South Korean President, who will be accompanied by senior ministers for foreign affairs, trade and science, will hold extensive talks with leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

13.  Vijay Zol selected captain of India to lead U-19 Cricket World Cup

i. Vijay Zol of Maharastra was selected as the Captain of India to lead the Under-19 Cricket World Cup by the All-India Junior Selection Committee on 13 January 2014. The U-19 Cricket World Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2014.

ii. Vijay Zol also led India to victory in the U-19 Asia Cricket Cup against Pakistan in January 2014.

iii. India has won the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup three times in 2000, 2008 and 2012.

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