Daily GK Update : 25th August, 2016 For All The Upcoming Exams

Naqvi launches websites for Ministry of Minority Affairs

i. The Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched new Hindi website and updated and revamped English website of the Minority Affairs Ministry.

ii. The new improved and revamped website http://ift.tt/1kR7VLE  is very user-friendly  and provides easy navigation.

Madhya Pradesh, Delhi Assembly passes GST Bill

i. Delhi Assembly has ratified the Goods and Service Tax Constitution Amendment Bill. It is the third non-BJP-ruled state and overall the 8th to clear the proposed tax regime. 

ii. GST is a tax levied when a consumer buys a good or service. It is meant to be a single, comprehensive tax that will subsume all the other smaller indirect taxes on consumption like service tax, excise duty etc.

Sakshi Malik will be brand ambassador of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign

i. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has announced that Sakshi Malik, India’s bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics, will be the brand ambassador of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign in the state.

ii. The programme aims to empower the girl child and reduce rates of female foeticide in districts with low child sex ratio.

Navtej Sarna tipped to be next Indian envoy to US

i. India's high commissioner to UK, Navtej Sarna, is likely to take over from Arun Singh as India's ambassador to the US.
ii. Singh, who steered India's Washington outreach for the past year-and-a-half, is scheduled to retire at the end of the month.

Union Cabinet Approvals – August 24 2016

i. The Union cabinet approved an MoU with Myanmar for cooperation in the field of traditional systems of medicine.

ii. In another major step in fight against tax evasion, the Cabinet gave its approval to the revised DTAA between India and Cyprus that provides for source-based taxation of capital gains on transfer of shares instead of one based on residence.

iii. The Union Cabinet approved of a new air services agreement between India and Fiji that would allow Indian airlines to fly to any point in the island nation. 

iv. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been approved of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Africa to establish cooperation in Grassroots Innovation.

21 banks to go live with Unified Payments Interface

i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in India has announced that customers of 21 banks will shortly be able to use Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for sending and collecting money via a smartphone using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA).

ii. UPI will also provide an option for scheduling push and pull transactions for various purposes like sharing bills among peers. 

iii. One can use UPI app instead of paying cash on delivery on receipt of product from online shopping websites and can pay for miscellaneous expenses like paying utility bills, over the counter payments, barcode (scan and pay) based payments, donations, school fees and other such unique and innovative use cases.

New railway line between Nandyala and Yerraguntla commissioned 

i. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has commissioned a new railway line between Nandyala and Yerraguntla

ii. The Union Ministers and Chandrababu also flagged off a new passenger train between Nandyala and Kadapa on the occasion.

South India’s first Children Court was inaugurated in Hyderabad

i. After Goa and Delhi, Telangana has become the third state to inaugurate south India’s first Children’s Court was inaugurated in Hyderabad. 

ii. This court is a child-friendly court and sixth in the country with features like separate waiting rooms for children and a video camera trial for the accused, mandated under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act-2012.

Telangana Aarogyasri Trust bags FICCI award

i. The GPS-enabled mobile app of the Telangana Aarogyasri Healthcare Trust bagged this year’s Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)’s healthcare excellence award. 

ii. It is the IInd award for the app having secured the ‘Elite Smart Healthcare Conclave’ for being the most important mobile app in the nation.

Deepika Padukone is world’s 10th highest paid actress, Indian Psychiatric Society’s new Brand Ambassador

i. Forbes magazine ranked out the world’s highest paid actresses and Hunger games star Jennifer Lawrence has topped the list for the second time in a row. Indian star Deepika Padukone is also among the top 10 highest-paid actresses in the world.

ii. The Top 5 List :- 1. Jennifer Lawrence 2. Mellissa Mccarthy 3. Scarlett Johansson 4. Jennifer Aniston 5. Fan bingbingDeepika Padukone: Indian Psychiatric Society’s new Brand 

iii. Deepika Padukone has also joined hands with the Indian Psychiatric Society as its brand ambassador to spread awareness about mental health and help reduce the stigma associated with its ailments.

Former Governor of Bihar, West Bengal and Haryana A R Kidwai Dies

i. A R KidwaiFormer Governor of Bihar, West Bengal and Haryana, A R Kidwai passed away on August 24, 2016 in New Delhi. He was 96.

ii. Born on July 1, 1920, in Baragaon in UP’s Barabanki district, Kidwai started his career as a professor of Chemistry, and became Dean of Faculty of Science at Aligarh Muslim University.

CMFRI inks pact with varsity to boost marine life research

i. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is keen on boosting its research activities in marine biodiversity, with a special focus on the Gulf of Mannar.

ii. Towards this, CMFRI has signed an MoU with Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU), Tirunelveli, to carry out collaborative research programmes and develop adequate manpower to explore marine biodiversity prospects in the region.

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