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Daily Current Affairs and GK Updates 25th Jan 2017 - PDF (Hindi & English)

Daily Current Affairs and General knowlwedge 25th Jan 2017

Dear Readers,

We bring you the Current Affairs Today  25th Jan 2017 Section, a section which outlines the latest news headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere. This will help you with the GK and Current Affairs asked in various competitive exams like IBPS, SBI (PO and Clerk), SSC, Railways, LAW entrance exams, UPSC etc. and will help you score good marks. We recommend all our aspirants to go through the section and boost your general awareness before.


GLOBAL NEWS
 

US Senate Confirms Nikki Haley as US's UN Ambassador

US Senate Confirms Nikki Haley

The United States Senate on 24 January 2017 confirmed Nikki Haley as the next Ambassador to the United Nations (UN).

●        With this, she will become the first Indian-American to serve on a Cabinet rank position in any presidential administration.

●        Haley is expected to be sworn in shortly. She will replace Samantha Power at the United Nations.

●        Nikki Haley is an American politician.

●        From January 2011 to January 2017, she served as the 116th Governor of South Carolina.

●        Prior to her tenure as governor, she served a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

●        On 12 January 2016, she delivered the official Republican response to President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address.

●        On 20 January 2017, President Donald Trump sent her nomination for Ambassador to the United Nations to the Senate.

SPORTS

Indian Women's League to take off from Jan 28 to improve Women's Football

Indian Women's League to take off from Jan 28 to improve Women's Football

After the Indian Super League, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced the launch of the Indian Women’s League (IWL), which will kick off at the Capital’s Ambedkar Stadium on January 28.

●        The IWL will comprise six teams, short-listed after two stages of competitions. Twenty teams from nine states took part in the preliminary qualifiers, and nine qualified for the IWL preliminaries held in October.

●        The teams will play on a league-cum-knockout basis with the final to be held on February 14.

●        AIFF president Praful Patel said the IWL will not only encourage youngsters to take up football, but also help improve the standard of the game in the country.

●        Union sports minister, Vijay Goel, unveiled the trophy while Rio Olympics bronze medalist, Sakshi Malik, was guest of honour.

●        AIFF has nominated Sara Pilot as the chairman of the league.

●        The captains of the teams are: Sasmita Malik (Rising Students), Oinam Bembem Devi (Eastern Sporting), Sanju Yadav (Football Club Alakhpura), Sumithra Kamaraj (Jeppiaar Institute), Dalima Chibber (Pune City) and K Lalhruaizeli (Aizawal).

National News

January 25 : National Voters' Day

The 7th National Voters’ Day (NVD) was observed across the country on 25 January 2017 by the Election Commission of India.

●        The theme for the 7th National Voters’ Day is ‘Empowering Young and Future Voters.’

●        The Commission’s objective through NVD is to increase enrolment of voters, especially of the newly eligible ones.

●        The National function of the NVD was held in New Delhi and presided over by President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

●        The National Voters’ Day is observed every year on 25 January.

●        It observed annually to mark the anniversary of Election Commission of India.

●        The National Voters’ Day is also utilised to spread awareness among voters regarding effective participation in the electoral process.

India to Ratify Amended Version of Kyoto Protocol

India to Ratify Amended Version of Kyoto Protocol

The Union Cabinet, presided by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 24 January 2017 gave its approval to ratify the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol on containing the emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs).

●        The 2nd commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 2012. As of now, 75 countries have ratified the 2nd Commitment Period.

●        The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international environmental treaty.

●        It was negotiated at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992.

●        The treaty was entered into force on 21 March 1994.

●        The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty, which extends the 1992 UNFCCC.

●        It was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997.

●        It entered into force on 16 February 2005.

●        At present, there are 192 parties to the Protocol. Canada withdrew from the protocol effective December 2012.

Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 approved by Cabinet

Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 approved by Cabinet

The Union Cabinet, presided by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 24 January 2017 gave its post-facto approval for launching of Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 (VPBY 2017).

●        The Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 is a part of Union Government’s commitment for financial inclusion and social security.

●        The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) will implement the VPBY 2017 during the current financial year.

●        The scheme aims at providing social security during old age and protecting elderly persons aged 60 years and above against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain market conditions.

●        It will provide an assured pension based on a guaranteed rate of return of 8 per cent per annum for ten years.

●        The scheme also has an option to opt for pension on a monthly/quarterly/halfyearly and annual basis.

Awards

Pawar and Kohli among others to receive Padma Awards

Pawar and Kohli among others to receive Padma Awards

The Centre on Wednesday announced the list of Padma awardees which included names of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi, chef Sanjeev Kapoor, singers Kailash Kher and Anuradha Paudwal.

●        Cricketer Virat kohli, wrestler Sakshi Malik and gymnast Dipa Karmakar are also being felicitated with Padma awards this year.

●        The government had begun inviting nominations for the awards in May last year and received around 5,000 entries, from which 500 names were shortlisted in December.

●        Dr Mukut Minz, a Jharkhand tribal also received the honor for his achievements in the field of renal surgery.

●        Madhubani painter from Bihar Baoa Devi, Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, Odisha actor Sadhu Meher and former law secretary TK Vishwanathan have also made it to the list.

●        This year, the Padma awards will be given out to 120 distinguished personalities for their achievements in different fields.

●        These include  75-year-old Sukri Bommagowda, known as the nightingale of the Halakki Vokkaliga tribes, Birkha Bahadur Limboo Muringla from Sikkim, among others.

Appointments

Vishal Kaul appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Ola Cabs

Vishal Kaul appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Ola Cabs

Vishal Kaul, a PepsiCo veteran, was on 23 January 2017 appointed as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the ride-hailing service Ola Cabs.

●        Kaul will head Ola’s operations, strengthen Ola’s market leadership and will work to expand its reach across the country and widen the base of Ola’s customers and driver-partner fraternity.

●        Moreover, the company also elevated current COO Pranay Jivrajika as the Founding Partner.

●        An alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, Jivrajika had earlier served as Associate Vice-President and Vice-President of Ola Operations before taking over as COO in February 2015.

●        Kaul joined the PepsiCo, a FMCG, in 1999.

●        Among many accomplishments, he won PepsiCo President's Ring of Honor and Exceptional Change Leadership awards for his performance in India.

●        He is an alumnus of Punjab Engineering College and Symbiosis Centre for Management and HRD.


PERSONS

Nita Ambani honoured by The Met in NY for her philanthropic work

Nita Ambani honoured by The Met in NY for her philanthropic work

Nita Ambani, founder and chairperson, Reliance Foundation, has become the first South Asian to be honoured by the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York for her philanthropic work in the areas of education, sports, healthcare, rural transformation, urban renewal, disaster response, women's empowerment and promotion of the arts.

●        The Met, recognised as one of the most iconic museums in the world, is currently located at three celebrated sites of New York — The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters — and houses over 5,000 years of art from around the world.

●        The Met was impressed by the diversity and scale of the work carried out by Reliance Foundation, led by Nita Ambani.

●        The direction she gives the foundation has helped it to focus its work on sustainable urban and rural transformation as well as healthcare, education, grassroots development through sport, and women's empowerment.

●        The foundation supports Indian art and aims to take it across the globe. It has benefited over 10 million Indians, touching the lives of individuals across more than 10,500 urban areas and villages.


On This Day

On 25 January 1914, an Indian mass meeting in Durban in South Africa unanimously endorsed the agreement between General Smuts and Mahatma Gandhi. The Agreement was reached on January 21, 1914. 
This Agreement was called the Gandhi-Smuts Agreement where a commission ruled in favour of the Indian demands - The £3 Tax was repealed, Indian marriages were recognized, the Black Act was abolished, and the Immigration Restriction Act was lightened. In exchange, Gandhi agreed that the Satyagraha would stop. 6 months hence the Indian Relief Act was passed.


 

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