Daily GK Update : 27th April 2017

National  Appointment

1. Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar appointed new CRPF chief

•  The union government has appointed senior IPS officer (1983-batch Uttar Pradesh) ‘Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar’ as the Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• The Central Armed Police Force was headless for nearly two months after the retirement of ‘K. Durga Prasad’
• Senior IPS officer ‘R.K. Pachnanda’ has also appointed as the DG of Indo-Tibetan Border Police force (ITBP).

Note:

• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
• It came into existence as the Crown Representative's Police on 27 July 1939.
• It became the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28th December 1949.

National Affairs

2. PM Modi launches affordable airfare scheme ‘UDAN’

• Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’ (UDAN) by flagging off the Alliance Airlines flight on Shimla-Delhi sector from Jubbar Hatti airport near Shimla.
• The Prime Minister also unveiled an e-plaque to mark the laying of Foundation Stone of a Hydro Engineering College at Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh).
• Over 45 unserved and under-served airports would be connected under the scheme the UDAN.
• UDAN is an innovative scheme to develop the regional aviation market. It is a market-based mechanism in which airlines bid for seat subsidies.

Note:

• UDAN has a unique market-based model to develop regional connectivity. Interested airline and helicopter operators can start operations on hitherto unconnected routes by submitting proposals to the Implementing Agency.

3. Venkaiah Naidu launches MyMSME Mobile app

• The union minister of Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has launched 'MyMSME app' and website portal of MSME facilitation council in New Delhi.
• My MSME mobile application is for all Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) in India and other stakeholders.
• This application acts as a source of all information related to MSME’s Policies, Registration, Services, Schemes, etc.

4. India & Sri Lanka sign MoU on Economic Cooperation

• India and Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on economic co-operation in the presence of PM Modi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe’ in New Delhi.
• The MoU proposes Indian investment in the development of port and oil tank farms in Trincomalee, setting up of an LNG power plant, piped gas supply in Colombo and also aims to undertake highway, railway projects in Sri Lanka.

5. India to host 18th World Road Meeting

• The International Road federation (IRF) has announced that India will host the 18th World Road Meeting on 13th November 2017.
• The theme of World Road Meeting 2017 is ‘Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth’.
• Around 4000 delegates across the world will discuss important issues facing in mobility sector.

Note:

• The International Road Federation is a global not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Washington, DC since 1948 and supported by regional offices throughout the world.
• The IRF seeks to promote the benefits of a sustainable road transport infrastructure at all levels of society.

Obituaries

6. Veteran actor 'Vinod Khanna' passes away

• Veteran actor and sitting BJP MP of Gurdaspur Vinod Khanna (70-year) passed away in Mumbai, after suffering from cancer.
• Khanna had won numerous awards, including the Film fare award for best supporting actor for 'Haath ki Safaai' (1975) and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1999).
• The actor debuted in 1968 with 'Man Ka Meet' and seen in 141 films between 1968 and 2013.
• He was last seen in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 2015 film ‘Dilwale’.

Note:

• Khanna was born in a Punjabi family to Kamla and Kishanchand Khanna in Peshawar, British India (now in Pakistan).

International Affairs 

7. Wikipedia founder to launch new site to tackle fake news

• The founder of Wikipedia ‘Jimmy Wales’ is going to launch a news site "Wikitribune" to tackle the spread of false information.
• The site will be jointly run by journalists and a community of volunteers who will verify the stories before publishing them.
• The site will ensure that journalists only write articles based on facts that they can verify.

 Honors & Awards

8. Srishti Kaur wins Miss Teen Universe 2017 

• Srishti Kaur (India) has crowned ‘Miss Teen Universe 2017’ in the event held at the Ruben Dario National Theatre in Nicaragua’s capital Managua.
• Samantha Pierre (Canada) and Ary Trava (Mexico) were the runners-up in the event.
• Noida girl Srishti Kaur studies in London College of Fashion, succeeds Nieveles Gonzalez (Puerto Rico).
• Xirelle Agustin(Philippines) has won in the Teen Popularity category, while Nicole Obando (Costa Rican) won the award for Teen Charm.

Note:

• The Miss Teen Universe beauty pageant for teens aged 15 to 19 is held by the Miss Universe Organisation.

Science & Defence

9. NASA launches Super Pressure Balloon from New Zealand

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully launched a stadium-sized,heavy-lift Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) from Wanaka, a scenic spot on New Zealand's South Island.
• The balloon will float for more than 100 days at 110000 feet across the globe in the Southern Hemisphere's mid-latitude band.
• The Super Pressure Balloon will detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles from beyond the galaxy as they penetrate the earth's atmosphere.

10. India successfully test-fires Agni-III ballistic missile

• Today, India successfully carried out a fresh user trial of 3,000 kilometer range Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.
• The test was aimed at re-establishing the operational effectiveness of the weapon system.
• The Agni-III, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads weighing up to 1.5 tons.
• Agni-III ballistic missile is 17 meters tall with a two-metre diameter and weighs about 48 tons.

Note:

• Agni-III is a rail mobile system capable missile and can be launched from anywhere giving the country intermediate range ballistic missile firepower and greatly extending its power projection in the region.

"Thought of the Day"

 “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

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