DAILY GK BULLETS | JAN 15 & 16 | S W A G

1. Modi announces capital gains, income tax sops for start-ups

• Kick-starting its ambitious Start-Up Mission, the government on Saturday promised to prioritise such measures for greater employment generation and said it was committed to ensuring start-ups a friendlier regulatory regime, easier capital availability as well as quicker exit norms through a bankruptcy law. 
• The Start Up India mission envisages technology business incubators and research parks.
• Prime Minister says a dedicated fund with Rs 10,000 crore corpus will be created for funding of start-ups.
• With 4,200 startups, India ranks 3rd globally.
• Of $18 billion pumped into Indian startups between 2010-15, $9 billion came in 2015 alone.
• 9 Indian startups have been valued at more than a billion dollars.
• Increase in number of incubators: 80 in 2014, 110 in 2015; 50% outside Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai.
• After many startups made their case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the action plan for Startup India.

2. World Bank fund for railway development

• The World Bank (WB) and the Indian Railways would work together to create a Railway Development Fund that will partly finance the $142-billion investment plans for the core infrastructure sector that the Narendra Modi government has announced.
• “Our idea is to get part of this plan funded by multilateral bodies and the World Bank that has global experience and access to technology is a good partner,” Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said after a meeting with senior officials of the Bank.

3. Xi officially launches AIIB 

• China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), in which India and 56 countries have joined as founding members, was formally opened on 16 Jan 2016 by Chinese President Xi Jinping. 
• In all 57 countries have joined as founding members, while the US and Japan have stayed out. 
• The bank was formally established in Beijing on December 25, 2015. 
• Chinese Finance Minister, Lou Jiwei, was elected as the first Chairman of the AIIB council. 
• China’s former Finance Minister, Jin Liqun, was elected the first AIIB president. 
• With authorised capital of $100 billion and subscribed capital of $50 billion, Beijing-based AIIB will invest in sectors including energy, transportation, urban construction, and logistics as well as education and healthcare. 
• China, India and Russia are the three largest shareholders, taking a 30.34 per cent, 8.52 per cent, 6.66 per cent stake respectively in the newly formed bank. 
• Their voting shares are calculated at 26.06 per cent, 7.5 per cent and 5.92 per cent.

4. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 

• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 came into force 15 January 2016. 
• In this regard, Union Ministry of Woman and Child Development has issued orders for enforceable of Act. 
• The Act had received President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent on December 31, 2015 after it was passed by the Parliament. 
• Aims at ensuring protection, proper care, development and social reintegration of children in difficult circumstances by adopting a child-friendly approach. 
• Permits trying of juveniles between the ages of 16 and 18 years as adults for heinous offences. 
• Establishment of Child Welfare Committees (CWC) along with Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) in each district.

5. World Bank releases World Development Report 

• The World Bank on 14 January 2016 has released World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends in Washington DC, the USA. 
• The report explored the impact of the internet, mobile phones, and related technologies on economic development across the world including India. 
• The report suggested that Digital development strategies need to be broader than ICT  (information and communication technology) strategies. 
• World Bank appreciated the Aadhaar scheme as it saved 1 billion US dollars by bringing down corruption.

6. Tsai Ing-wen elected Taiwan’s first female president 

• Tsai Ing-wen was elected as Taiwan’s president on 16 Jan 2016, becoming the first woman to win the office. Voters were expected to give her Democratic Progressive Party, which is skeptical of closer ties with China, control of Taiwan’s legislature for the first time, giving her broad authority to push her policies in office. 
• Eric Chu, the Nationalist party candidate in Taiwan’s presidential election, has conceded defeat.

7. Govt inks loan agreement with World Bank 

• Union Government has signed a loan agreement with World Bank for the Neeranchal National Watershed Project to improve watershed management in rural rain fed areas. 
• The loan credit will support the watershed activities of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) in selected sites in 9 states. 
• These states are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan. 
• World Bank will provide loan of US$ 178.50 million with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period. 
• The project is implemented by the Union Ministry of Rural Development over a six-year period (2016-21) to achieve objectives PMKSY.

8. Ankita Anand wins the Lorenzo Natali Media Prize 

• An independent Delhi-based writer Ankita Anand on 14 January 2016 won the European Commission’s prestigious Lorenzo Natali Media Prize for 2015 in Asia and the Pacific amateur category. 
• She earned the award for her sensitive portrayal of life for young women facing the threat of the diktat of khap panchayats in Haryana with the title Stirrings beneath the peepul published in the journal The Equator Linel.

9. Apia International Sydney 2016 
Women’s Doubles Title: 

• Ace Indian tennis player Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis have won the 2016 WTA Apia International title in the women’s doubles category. 
• In the final match played at Sydney (Australia), the top seeded duo defeated French pair Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic by 1–6, 7–5, [10–5] score. 
• It was their overall 11th title together from 2015 when they had won 9 titles and second title of season 2016. 
• It was also their 30th match win together in a row.

Women’s Single Title: 

• Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) has won the 2016 WTA Apia International title in the Women’s Singles Category. 
• In the final match she defeated Mónica Puig of Puerto Rico by 6–0, 6–2 score.

Men’s Singles Title: 

• Viktor Troicki of Serbia  has won the 2016 WTA Apia International title in the Men’s Singles Category. 
• In the final match she defeated Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria by 2–6, 6–1, [7–6] score.

Men’s Doubles Title: 

• J. Murray (GBR) and his partner B. Soares (BRA) have won the 2016 WTA Apia International title in the men’s doubles category.  
• In the final match played at Sydney (Australia), duo defeated the pair R. Bopanna (IND) and F. Mergea (ROU).

10. 61st Britannia Filmfare Awards 

• The grand Annual 61st Britannia Filmfare Awards event was organized in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 
• Bajirao Mastani with 8 awards was the film wining highest number of awards.

11. Easterine Kire wins The Hindu Prize 

• Easterine Kire, a poet, novelist and children’s writer from Nagaland won The Hindu Prize, 2015. 
• Ms. Kire won for her novel ‘When the River Sleeps’, a book about a lone hunter seeking a heart stone in a faraway sleeping river and fighting all odds to get it. 
• The award was given away by author Alexander McCall Smith on 16 Jan 2016 at the ongoing Lit for Life event organised by The Hindu at Sri Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, Chetpet.

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