Daily GK Update : 11th January 2017

National Affairs

1. PM Modi inaugurated 8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit

• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the "8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017" at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar (Gujarat).
• The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers.
• The summit is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat.
• Vibrant Gujarat 2017 is scheduled to be held from 10-13 January 2017.

2. India & Kenya sign agreements in area of agriculture

• Today, India and Kenya has signed agreements in the area of agriculture which were inked after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in New Delhi.
• India is collaborating with Kenya to raise agricultural productivity there.
• The Loan of Credit Agreement of 100 million dollars signed for farm mechanization will open a new dimension of engagement between the two countries.

3.  Notification Assembly elections in Goa  and Punjab issued

• Today, the notification for Goa and Punjab assembly elections has been issued and the process of filing nomination papers has begun.
• The Goa Legislative Assembly election, 2017 will be held on 4th February 2017  to elect the 40 members.
• The Punjab legislative assembly election, 2017 will be held on 04 February 2017 to select the 117 members.
• The results of the election will be announced on 11th March, 2017.

Note:

• Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail, VVPAT, machines will be used for the first time along with EVMs.

4. Railway minister launches new IRCTC app to promote digital ticketing

• The union railway minister Suresh Prabhu has released an Android-based mobile application named "IRCTC Rail Connect app" to promote ease of ticketing through digital transactions.
• Currently, e-ticketing system caters to over 10 lakh passengers daily.
• Rail Connect has been developed to bring the power of next generation e-ticketing system like high performance and enhanced security.
• The IRCTC Rail Connect will also be inter-connected with IRCTC AIR, Food on Track mobile apps to facilitate the booking of air tickets and food through e-catering.

5. Air India launches ‘Fly For Sure’ scheme

• The Air India (AI) has launched a "Fly For Sure" scheme.
• The customer has to pay extra Rs. 2,000 while booking the ticket and get to board any Air India flight on the same day and same sector.
• The voucher will be non-refundable and can be availed on all domestic routes offered by AI.
• Earlier, low-cost airline SpiceJet had launched a similar scheme in 2016.

Obituaries

6. Veteran British war correspondent Clare Hollingworth passes away

• Veteran British war correspondent Clare Hollingworth (105-year) has passed away in Hong Kong.
• She was the first to report on the invasion that triggered the outbreak of World War -2.
• She went on to report from Vietnam, Algeria and the Middle East.
• Hollingworth was a rookie reporter for the Daily Telegraph when she fell upon the scoop of the century.

Banking & Finance

7. World Bank drops India's growth rate to 7 % after demonetization

• In its latest report, the World Bank has decelerated India's growth for 2016-17 fiscal to 7% from its previous estimate of 7.6% due to immediate withdrawal of a large volume of currency in circulation and subsequent replacement with new notes in November contributed to slowing growth.
• The country would regain momentum in the following years with 7.6%  and 7.8% growth.
• India maintains the distinction of being the fastest growing emerging market economies of the world, bypassing China.

Sports

8. Jimmy Adams appointed new West Indies director

• The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has appointed 'Jimmy Adams' (49-year) as its new Director of cricket.
• Adams is the former head coach of the Kent County Cricket Club (England county) will officially take over the position for a three-year contract.
• Jimmy Adams played 54 Test matches for the Caribbean side and will be able to draw upon from his vast experience.
• He will oversee and manage all cricket matters to include the development of all teams, all coaching and cricket eduction and other technical programs.

Thought of the Day

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.”

“जीवन तूफान के चले जाने का इंतज़ार करने में नहीं; यह तो बरसात में भी भीगने का आनंद लेने में है।”

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