S W A G - Become a Professional: DAILY GK BULLETS | JAN 28

1. India and ADB Sign $80 Million Loan Agreement

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India on 28 Jan 2016 signed an $80million loan agreement to continue improving infrastructure in two North Eastern State Capital cities.
The loan is the third tranche of a $200 million financing facility under the North Eastern Region Capital cities Development Investment Program and will be used for investments in water supply, solid waste management and sanitation in Agartala and Aizwal.
It will also support urban reforms, benefiting nearly a million people in the two cities.

2. Govt announces list of first 20 smart cities under ‘Smart Cities Mission’

The list of 20 smart cities out of the 98 shortlisted for the ‘Smart Cities Mission’ was released on 28 Jan 2016.
These 20 cities will be the first to receive funds, thus kickstarting the process of developing them into ‘smart cities’.
The next two years will see the inclusion of 40 and 38 cities, respectively.
The investment of Rs 50,802 crore has been proposed in selected smart cities and towns during the five-year period.

Here’s the list:

Smart cities

3. SC appoints Justice Sanjay Mishra as U.P. Lokayukta

The Supreme Court on 28 Jan 2016 recalled its December 16 order appointing controversial Justice Virendra Singh, a former judge of Allahabad High Court as Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh, and named another retired judge as the new ombudsman.
While taking back its decision, the apex court appointed Justice Sanjay Mishra, a retired judge of the Allahabad High Court as new Lokayukta of UP.

4. Apollo Munich ties up with Axis Bank

Standalone health insurance company Apollo Munich on 28 Jan 2016 announced its partnership with Axis Bank for offering bank customers customised insurance policies.
Through bancassurance, health insurance penetration is expected to grow rapidly as there are more than one lakh bank branches in the country, with a majority located in rural and semi-urban areas.
Besides, Apollo Munich Health Insurance has distribution partnership with Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and Citi.

5. UP IPS Aparna Kumar scales tallest peak in Antarctica

UP cadre IPS officer Aparna Kumar has become the country’s first civil servant to scale Mount Vinson Massif, the highest peak in the Antarctica. She achieved the feat on January 17.
She hoisted the Tricolour and the flag of the Uttar Pradesh Police Service on Mount Vinson Massif.
She set out on the Antarctic expedition on 5 January 2016, accompanied by a 10-member team of mountaineers from various countries.

6. Ariane 5 launches Intelsat 29e on first Arianespace flight of 2016

Intelsat, the commercial satellite giant, on 27 January 2016 announced that Inteslat 29e, the first of the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellites, was successfully launched.
The satellites were launched from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 vehicle.
The high throughput platform should provide customers with superior connections at a lower cost.
Intelsat 29e is the first satellite of Intelsat’s next generation, all digital EpicNG satellite platform, which combines wide beams and spot beams with frequency reuse technology and the sector’s most advanced digital payload.

7. CERT-In inks cyber security agreements with 3 nations

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has signed cyber security agreement with its counterparts in Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
In this regard, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has apprised the Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signed between CERT-In and 3 nations.
These MoUs are related to cybersecurity and shall promote closer cooperation for exchange of knowledge and experience.
CERT-In (headquarter- New Delhi) is nodal department under the aegis of Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology that deals with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing in India.

8. Rajasthan signs MoU to join UDAY scheme

The Rajasthan Government and its power distribution companies or discoms signed a pact with the Centre on 27 Jan 2016 under the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) aimed at relieving the debt burden of the most indebted discoms in the country.
Rajasthan’s discoms have a total debt of Rs.80,500 crore which is 18.7 per cent of the country’s total discom debt of Rs.4.3 lakh crore.

9. Cognizant acquires KBACE Technologies

United States (US) based software services exporter Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) has acquired cloud-based computing firm KBACE Technologies.
This acquisition will help Cognizant to strength and expands its digital capabilities from its critical business applications to cloud-based IT infrastructures.

10. India and Armenia sign Protocol amending DTAC

India and Armenia has signed a Protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) to curb instances of tax evasion.
The Protocol amends the Article on Exchange of Information for tax in the bilateral DTAC signed between India and Armenia and has been in existence since September 2004.
It has been amended to bring it in line with the updated provisions in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Model.

11. India becomes World’s largest Rice exporter

India has overtaken Thailand as the world’s largest rice exporter in the year 2015 by shipping (exporting) 10.23 million tonnes of rice.
It was announced by the Bangkok based Thai Rice Exporters Association Chairman Charoen Laodhammatas.

12. David Warner wins Allan Border Medal

Australian batsman David Warner on 27 January 2016 defeated captain Steve Smith for the prestigious Allan Border Medal for 2016.
Warner also won the Test Player of the Year title at the award ceremony in Melbourne, and finished clear of captain Steven Smith and fast bowler Mitchell Starc in the Allan Border Medal count.
Glenn Maxwell was named ODI Player of the Year.

13. Ishika Shah wins 12th Sub-Junior National Snooker championship title

14-year old Ishika Shah on 26 January 2016 won the 12th Sub-Junior National Snooker championship title in Indore, Madhya Pradesh by defeating Anushi Sethby 50-2, 50-33 in the final match.

14. FIH announces winners of the Hockey Stars Awards 2015

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced the winners of its Hockey Stars awards for 2015, which sees Netherlands pair Lidewij Welten and Robert Van der Horst pick up the women and men Player of the Year awards respectively.
Netherlands made it a hatrick of award wins as Joyce Sombroek picked up the women’s Goalkeeper of the Year for the second year in a row, while Ireland’s David Harte won the men’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
The Rising Star of the Year awards went to Great Britain’s Lily Owsley and Germany’s Chrisopher Rühr, the latter picking up this award for the second time in his career.

15. Artificial Intelligence pioneer Marvin Minsky passes away

Marvin Minsky, the pioneer of artificial intelligence passed away on 24 January 2016 in Boston, United States due to cerebral hemorrhage. He was 88.
He was an American scientist in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) who had created robotic hands that can manipulate objects.

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