DAILY GK BULLETS | JAN 7 | S.W.A.G

1. Priyanka Chopra wins People’s Choice Award for ‘Quantico’

• Priyanka becomes the first Indian actor to register a win at the People's Choice Awards.
• Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra has bagged the favourite actor in new TV series honour at the 2016 People's Choice Awards for her performance of an FBI recruit on American show Quantico.

2. Mehbooba set to be first woman CM of J&K

• The selection of Ms. Mehbooba, a Lok Sabha member, as the leader of 28-member PDP Legislature party was a unanimous decision.
• Ruling PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is set to be the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, succeeding her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who passed away on Thursday, with party MLAs unanimously electing her as their leader and writing to Governor N N Vohra in this regard.

3. BioQ Pharma ties up with Cipla

• California based BioQ Pharma Inc. has signed a distribution, supply and development agreement with pharmaceutical major Cipla Ltd for registration and commercialisation of its Ropivacaine infusion pharmaceutical in India.
• BioQ Pharma is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of single-use, large volume and ready-to-use infusible pharmaceuticals.

4. Uber launches start-up mentorship programme ‘uberEXCHANGE’

• Taxi-hailing app Uber on 06 Jan 2016 announced a new start-up mentorship programme in the country in partnership with Invest India called ‘uberEXCHANGE’.
• Over the next years, Uber will host a series of six leadership talks by senior Uber executives, including from their headquarters in San Francisco.
• The programme will address issues that entrepreneurs face, like fund-raising, product design, engineering and how to scale up a business.

5. Govt. approves closure of HMT Watches

• The Union Cabinet on 06 Jan 2016 approved the closure of the iconic HMT Watches and offered a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to its employees as per the 2007 pay scales.
• Two other unviable units of the public sector company, HMT Chinar Watches and HMT Bearings, are also to be shut down.
• The movable and immovable assets of these companies will be disposed of as per the government policy, an official statement said after the decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

6. Boost for Indian Navy’s firepower: INS Kadmatt commissioned

• Adding to Indian Navy’s firepower, INS Kadmatt, the second ship of Project 28 (P28) class anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvettes, was commissioned on 07 Jan 2016.
• With the changing power dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region, INS Kadmatt will augment the mobility, reach and flexibility of Indian Navy.
• INS Kadmatt has been indigenously designed by Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, Kolkata.

7. Cabinet approves MoU with Singapore to manage airports

• The Union Cabinet on 06 Jan 2016 approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore for operating and maintaining the terminal building of airports at Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
• This is the first time the Airports Authority of India will award operation and maintenance contract to any entity for terminal building.
• The city side and airside of Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports will continue to be managed by the AAI.
• The MoU envisages collaboration with Singapore in areas such as traffic development, commercial development, master planning and design, training and development, cargo handling and management among others.

8. Union Cabinet approves Stand Up India Scheme for women and SC/ST

• The Union Cabinet has approved the Stand Up India Scheme to promote entrepreneurship among Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) and Women entrepreneurs.
• Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
• The Scheme seeks to facilitate at least two such projects on an average one for each category of entrepreneur per bank branch.
• The Stand-up India is component of Start-up India, Stand up India slogan anchored by Department of Financial Services (DFS) to encourage greenfield enterprises by Women and SC/ST entrepreneurs.
• It will refinance window through Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) with an initial amount 10,000 crore rupees.

9. Achyuta Samanta elected as General President of 105th ISCA

• Dr Achyuta Samanta was on 6 January 2016 elected as the General President of the 105th Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) that is scheduled for 2017-18.
• Samanta is also currently serving as member of Executive Council of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).
• With this, Samanta becomes the second person from Odisha to be elected as President of the ISC in its 102 years history.

10. Kunal Shah appointed as Chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India

• FreeCharge co-founder and CEO Kunal Shah was on 5 January 2016 appointed as the Chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
• Shah succeeds Nishant Rao, who has now joined Freshdesk as the global Chief Operating Officer. Shah co- founded FreeCharge in August 2010.

11. Gajendra Chauhan takes charge as FTII chairman

• Amidst massive protests and detentions, actor Gajendra Chauhan took charge as the Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) on 07 Jan 2016.
• Chauhan presided over his first meeting with other members of the governing body.
• The actor and the BJP member was appointed the chairman of the top film institute on June 9, 2015.
• His appointment was followed by a series of protests by students and celebrated alumni of the institute.

12. Sam Pitroda appointed as Odisha Government’s Technical Advisor

• Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, popularly known as Sam Pitroda, on 6 January 2016 was appointed Technology Advisor to the Odisha Government.
• Pitroda was appointed as the technology adviser for development of telecom, electronics, IT, ITES sectors of the state.
• Pitroda will have a key role in Vision 2036 for Odisha@100, as the state government is making a vision document for 2036 to celebrate the 100 years of state’s formation.

13. Vedanta appointed Samir Cairae as India metals business CEO

• Vedanta Limited on 6 January 2016 appointed Samir Cairae as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Diversified Metals (India).
• Cairae will report to Tom Albanese, CEO, Vedanta Resources Plc. Cairae will also become a member of Vedanta Executive Committee team.
• The heads of Vedanta’s aluminium, copper, power and iron ore units will report to Cairae.

14. Apurvi Chandela set world record in 10m air rifle at Swedish Cup Grand Prix

• Indian ace shooter Apurvi Chandela has set a new world record in the women’s 10 metre air rifle event at the 2015 Swedish Cup Grand Prix.
• She set the new record after winning gold medal in the women’s 10 metre air rifle event shooting score of 211.2.
• Her winning score has surpassed previous world record of 211 score set by Chinese Olympic gold medallist Yi Siling.
• In the Swedish Cup Grand Prix, silver and bronze went to Swedish shooters Astrid Steffensen and Stine Nielsen respectively.
• Chandela has already qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

15. J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passes away

• Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away of multiple organ failure in New Delhi today morning after nearly a week-long hospitalisation. He was 79.
• Sayeed who founded the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had been admitted to AIIMS in Delhi with complaints of severe fever and neck pain.

16. Noted Gujarati writer Labshankar Thakar passes away

• Noted Gujarati writer and poet Labhshankar Thakar passed away after prolonged illness in Ahmedabad. He was 80.
• He was modernist author of Gujarati literature with influence of existentialism challenging traditional literature styles.