GK and Current Affairs Updates

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned a 250 MW thermal power project based on eco-friendly Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion technology, using low quality lignite, in Gujarat. 

•    BHEL’s scope of work includes design, manufacture, supply, and commissioning of boilers, among others. 
•    This is the third such unit commissioned by BHEL, with the previous two in Tamil Nadu.
•    The project is equipped with CFBC technology that enables use of low quality lignite as fuel. The second unit of this project is also at an advanced stage of completion.
•    This is the third 250 MW unit based on CFBC technology, commissioned by BHEL, with two others commissioned earlier in Tamil Nadu.
•    CFBC boilers are highly fuel flexible and can burn a wide variety of fuels, including lignite, efficiently. 
•    These boilers are also highly environment friendly with very low pollutant emissions.

To ensure a garbage-free Puducherry, the government will form 'Swachh Bal Senas' to make children the watchdogs of cleanliness and prevent elders from littering. 

•    Children will be given yellow colored whistles, which they will blow whenever they see elder throwing garbage, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said. 
•    Beat constables in respective areas would help children carry out the work, she added.
•    Puducherry will be the first Union Territory to have such senas and children will be given yellow colored whistles. 
•    The young children will also gain knowledge of healthy style of living.
•    She was addressing police personnel after handing over cash awards and commendation certificates to beat constables and inspectors in recognition of their successful detection of crimes at a function.
•    Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry, is a Union Territory of India. 
•    It was formed out of four exclaves of former French India, namely Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe. 
•    It is named after the largest district Puducherry.

July 17, is “officially” World Emoji Day.The concept of World Emoji Day has been created by Jeremy Burge, the founder of Emojipedia. Emojipedia is a emoji data base which stores information about all things emoji. 
•    July 17 is displayed on iOS Calendar Emoji. 
•    Emojis are not just symbols with facial expression. It is a form of language in its own and has been constantly growing and evolving. 
•    Emojis have evolved from basic icons with smiley expressions to varied characters and themes with respect to diversity of race, religion and gender. 
•    These unique icons have not only given its users many reasons to laugh but has also put them in uncomfortable situations due to lack of knowledge about each and every expression. 
•    Micro-blogging site Twitter has been encouraging people to use #worldemojiday and tweet about their favorite emojis. 

Delhi government will start a sports university in the Capital where students who want to focus on sports will be given a degree to enable them to earn a livelihood.

•    Delhi Education and Sports Minister Manish Sisodia made the announcement at an award ceremony of Delhi Assembly Sports Tournament at a sports complex in East Delhi.
•    He cited the case of a boy who started focusing on athletics in class XII but then, due to that, could not clear his exams and eventually did not land a job.
•    He said that a sports university would address the requirement of such people.
•    The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is the governing authority of the Indian national capital territory of Delhi and its 11 districts. 
•    It consists of an executive, led by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, a judiciary and a legislative. 
•    The present Legislative Assembly of Delhi is unicameral, consisting of 70 Members of the Legislative Assembly

Travel guide Lonely Planet has published its 'Best in Asia' list, ranking the Japanese island of Hokkaido the best destination in Asia. 

•    Shanghai in China, Jeonju in South Korea, Con Dao Islands in Vietnam and Hong Kong completed the top five. Meanwhile, Meghalaya, the only Indian destination featured on the list, was ranked ninth.
•    Hokkaido is the northernmost of Japan's main islands, famous for skiing volcanoes and hot springs.  
•    Lonely Planet said: 'Hokkaido's perfect powder snow put it on the international map, but it has also blinded visitors to the year-round charms of Japan's northernmost island. 
•    Top 10 location list are:
1.   Hokkaido, Japan
2.   Shànghai, China  
3.   Jeonju, South Korea
4   Con Dao Islands, Vietnam  
5    Hong Kong, China
6    Ipoh, Malaysia
7    Pemuteran, Indonesia
8    Trang Islands, Thailand
9    Meghalaya, India  
10  Taitung, Taiwan

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 17 July 2016 listed Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier’s works among its World Heritage Sites.

The listed works include Chandigarh’s Complexe du Capitole, Khangchendzonga National Park and Mount Khangchendzonga.
It is the first time that any country got three sites inscribed in the Word Heritage List at a single session of the committee meeting.
Three Indian sites listed in the World Heritage Sites are:
•    Complexe du Capitole, Chandigarh
•    The site comprises three buildings, i.e., Legislative Assembly, Secretariat and High Court.
•    Following the independence of India, the divided Punjab required a new capital as Lahore was now in Pakistan. Therefore, Le Corbusier was commissioned by first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru to build a new city of Chandigarh as the capital of Punjab.
•    The brief for the design was a city unfettered by the traditions of the past, a symbol of the nation's faith in the future.
•    Later, Corbusier and his team constructed large assembly and high court building, and also the major buildings in the city.
•    At present, many of the buildings are considered modernist masterpieces.
•    Khangchendzonga National Park and Mount Khangchendzonga:
•    The park is located at the heart of the Himalayan range in Sikkim.
•    It includes a unique diversity of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and snow-capped mountains covered with ancient forests, including the world’s third highest peak, Mount Khangchendzonga.
•    It is the first 'Mixed Heritage' site of India.
•    Besides these, Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites (Antigua and Barbuda) and Pampulha Modern Ensemble (Brazil) were also included in the list.

Tennis star Sania Mirza has documented her journey to become the World No. 1 in the women’s doubles rankings in an autobiography set for release this July, according to publishers Harper Collins.

•    Titled, ‘Ace Against Odds,’ the book has been penned by Mirza with her father Imran Mirza. 
•    The 29-year-old sportswoman, who shot to fame at the age of 16 after winning the Wimbledon’s Championships Girls’ Doubles title, was ranked as India’s No. 1 player by the Women’s Tennis Association, both in singles and doubles circuits.
•    The autobiography chronicles her rise to the top, and is peppered with anecdotes where she talks about the difficulties and hardships as well as the joys and triumphs that came her way.
•    Mirza, who announced her retirement from the singles circuit in 2012 underwent a remarkable transformation between August 2015 and March 2016, during which she pocketed 41 consecutive wins with her doubles partner Martina Hingis, and went on to become the World No. 1 in the Women’s Doubles rankings.

A book titled Courage & Commitment: An Autobiography by Margaret Alva was in news in the second week of July 2016.
•    Via this book, Alva narrates her forty-year career under four Prime Ministers, namely Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. It also tells about her transition from politician to Governor.
•    In the book, also speaks about her denunciation of the manipulation of seats by her own party; and the events leading to her resignation in 2008 from the post of the AICC General Secretary in charge of eight states.
•    At the same time, she also offers rare insights into the lives of national and international political luminaries.
•    Margaret Alva is a political leader from the Indian National Congress
•    She was the governor Rajasthan and Uttarakhand
•    She was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1974, 1980, 1986 and 1992 as a representative of Congress
•    During her time in the Rajya Sabha, she was its vice-chairman (1983-85)
•    She also served terms as Union Minister of State in the ministries for Parliamentary Affairs, Youth and Sports and Women and Child Development, and more
•    In her HRD role, between 1985 and 1989, Alva oversaw the Rajiv Gandhi-led government's 28-point plan intended to improve the rights and involvement of women and children.
•    Her 1989 proposal that 33 percent of seats in panchayat raj (local government) elections should be reserved for women became law in 1993
•    She was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament in 1999

Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on 15 July 2016 gave its nod to set up Happiness Department in the state. The department will work as knowledge resource centre on the subject of happiness.
With this approval, Madhya Pradesh became the first state of the country to set up such a Department.
Apart from the department, the cabinet also decided to establish a state Happiness Institute under the Happiness Department. Initially it will have a budget of three crore 60 lakh rupees.
Functions of the Happiness Department
•    It will prepare guidelines for coordination between different departments for propagating happiness in the state.
•    It will identify and define the parameters of happiness and efficiency.
•    It would also prescribe action plan and activities for experiencing happiness.
•    The department will assess mind-set of state's people from time to time.
•    It would compile and publish survey reports pertaining to status of happiness.
•    It will undertake constant researches regarding means of expanding happiness and improve norms to assess them.
The Happiness Department will include a Chairman, a CEO, a director each for Research and Coordination and an accounts officer, four posts of Research Assistant, six Junior Assistant and five peons.
 

India has ranked third on the scale of global business optimism for the April-June quarter, after remaining on top globally for the two preceding quarters, according to Grant Thornton's latest International Business Report.
•    Growth in employment expectations dropped to second position during this period from top rank in the previous quarter (January-March this year), while the optimism further slipped to fourth place in profitability expectations from third.
•    The business confidence index (BCI) is based on enterprises' assessment of production, orders and stocks, as well as its current position and expectations for the immediate future.
•    There is a tremendous rise in the optimism for an increase in exports.
•    According to the survey, 35 per cent of respondents expect a rise in exports compared to 13 per cent in the last quarter. 
•    The country, however, continues to rank number 2 in citing regulations and red tape as a constraint on growth for two consecutive quarters.