Daily GK Updates: 1St Oct 2014

1. Obama, Modi establish Contact Group to expedite Indo-US nuke deal implementation
i. India and the US have established an inter-agency Contact Group on the civil nuclear deal to
sort out outstanding liability and technical issues to fast-track its full implementation.
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama while taking note of the
delay reaffirmed their commitment to implement fully the US-India civil nuclear cooperation
agreement that would facilitate installation of American-origin nuclear reactors in India.
iii. From the Indian side, the inter-agency Contact Group will have representatives from
Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of External Affairs and Finance Ministry.
iv. After summit talks with Obama, Modi said both sides are serious about resolving at the
earliest issues blocking the implementation of the civil nuclear deal.

2. Come soon before it's too late, PM tells US businesses
i. Asserting that India is on the move to becoming a country with a business-friendly
environment, PM Narendra Modi has exhorted top US coporates to establish and expand their
base in India before it is too late.
ii. "Together we will reach new heights of development and growth," Modi said at the event
organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC).
iii. "Take the benefit of the fast paced development and changes in the Indian economy," Modi
said in his address on Tuesday to American businesses urging them to take advantage of India's
growing economy to foster mutual prosperity.
iv. Among those present at the meeting were World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, External
Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, and several top corporate leaders from both the US and India,
including Mukesh Ambani.
v. USIBC chairman, Ajay Banga, who is also MasterCard CEO, said India under Modi is
experiencing a new chapter of growth.

3. India, US agree to cooperate on future explorations of Mars
i. India and the US have agreed to cooperate on future explorations of Mars planet, which
America said will yield tangible benefits to both the countries and the world at large.
ii. The agreement in this regard was signed by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and K
Radhakrishnan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO in Toronto
yesterday on the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress.

4. US to help India develop three smart cities
i. In a boost to Indias 100 smart city programme, the US will help India in developing three such
cities apart from joining hands with civil society and authorities to provide clean water and
sewage facilities in 500 cities in the country.
ii. The three cities are Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam.
iii. This announcement was made after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
President Barack Obama
iv. The Indian government plans to develop 100 smart cities and in this regard an allocation
of Rs. 7,060 crore was proposed in the Union Budget.

5. Rajiv appointed New Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).
i. President Pranab Mukherjee on 30 September 2014 authorised Vigilance Commissioner Rajiv
to act as chief of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) until the appointment of the Central
Vigilance Commissioner. His appointment came with effect from 29 September 2014.
ii. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is headed by a Central Vigilance Commissioner
and has two Vigilance Commissioners.
iii. The vacancy for the post of Central Vigilance Commissioner had occurred after Central
Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar completed his tenure on 28 September 2014. Pradeep
Kumar took oath as the chief of the Central Vigilance Commission on 14 July 2011.
Note: The other Vigilance Commissioner JM Garg completed his tenure on 7 September 2014
following which Rajiv was left as the lone Vigilance Commissioner in CVC.
ii. According to the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, in the event of any vacancy in the
office of the Central Vigilance Commissioner by reason of death, resignation or otherwise, the
President may authorise one of the Vigilance Commissioners to act as the Central Vigilance
Commissioner until the appointment of a new incumbent.

6. Magnificent Mary gives India first boxing gold at 17th Asiad
i. M C Mary Kom became the first Indian woman boxer to clinch a gold medal at the Asian
Games after she came from behind to beat Kazakhstan's Zhaina Shekerbekova in the flyweight
(51KG) summit clash at Incheon on Wednesday.
ii. Mary Kom defeated Shekerbekova 2-0 in a evenly-contested battle in which the Kazakh had
the initial advantage.
iii. This is India's seventh gold at Incheon, South Korea.

7. Google social network siteOrkut closed
i. Google closed the social networking site Orkut permanently on 30 September 2014. Google
announced the decision to shut down Orkut in June 2014.
ii. Old users of Orkut will be able to take backup of their pictures and posts till September 2016
and users can export their profile data, community posts and photos using Google Takeout. But
no one will be able to create new IDs on Orkut account.
iii. Decision of shutting down Orkut was taken as its competitor social networking sites namely
Facebook and Twitter were much popular than orkut. Now, Google has moved to a new platform
- the Google Plus.
Note: Orkut started in 2004 was named after its creator, Orkut Buyukkokten, a Google
employee.

8. Afghanistan signed Bilateral Security Agreement with the US
i. Afghanistan signed Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US with an aim to allow
some US troops to remain in the country till 2015.
ii. National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Mohammad Hanif Atmar and US Ambassador
James Cunningham signed BSA at the presidential palace of Afghanistan in Kabul.

9. Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train to cost Rs 65,000 crore
i. Railways minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda has said that the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train
project will cost around Rs 65,000 crore.
ii. Project will be taken up under the Public-Private partnership.Mr Gauda said that the existing
track will be strengthened to increase the current speed of trains to 160 kilo meter per hour.

10. Geete rules out resignation, says Sena still part of NDA
i. Anant Geete, Shiv Sena's lone member in the Union Cabinet, has said he will not resign as
Heavy Industries Minister after his party decided to continue in NDA despite parting ways with
BJP for Maharashtra polls.
ii. BJP earlier snapped ties with its oldest partner Shiv Sena after failure of talks on seat-sharing
in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, ending a 25-year-old ideological alliance that had
survived various vicissitudes.
iii. Geete said he had spoken to party chief Uddhav Thackeray on the issue. "I have spoken to
Uddhav Thackeray. There is no question of resigning. We are a part of the NDA (National
Democratic Alliance).



11. Krishak Express and Lucknow-Barauni express collided near Gorakhpur station
i. Barauni bound Lucknow Barauni express on 30 September 2014 collided with the coaches of
Lucknow bound Maduadih-Lucknow Krishak Express near Gorakhpur station at Nandnagar
railway crossing.
ii. The collision led to derailment of four coaches of Krishak express in which at least 12
passengers have been killed and 44 others were injured

12. Union Commerce Ministry cancelled approvals of nine SEZs
i. The Union Commerce Ministry on 29 September 2014 cancelled approvals of nine special
economic zones (SEZs), including that of Hindalco Industries, Essar and Adani.
ii. The other developers whose SEZs were cancelled include Chennai Business Park, Integrated
Warehousing Kandla Project Development and Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation.
iii. As per SEZ rules 2005, formal approval is valid for a period of three years, by which time at
least one unit has to commence production and the zone becomes operational from the date of
commencement of such production.

13. Mahatma Gandhi's book My Experiments with Truth now in Kashmiri, Punjabi
i. Largest selling book of Mahatma Gandhi My Experiments with Truth will now be available
in Kashmiri and Punjabi language from today.
ii. The Kashmiri and Punjabi translation of the famous autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi has
been published by Ahmedabad based publication House- Navjeevan Trust- also founded by
Mahatma Gandhi. The book will now be available in 17 Indian languages apart from English and
Hindi.
iii. After growing demand from Kashmiris to print Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography in their
language, the book is being translated by three scholars. The best translation, which retains the
heart of Gandhi's teachings, has been selected for printing.
14. Core Sector grows 5.8 % in August
i. Eight core industries grew by 5.8 per cent in August this year as against 4.7 per cent in the
same month last year led by healthy growth in coal, cement and electricity sectors.
ii. According to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry, coal sector grew by 13.4
per cent, cement by 10.3 percent and electricity by 12.6 per cent in August.

15. Sarita Devi refuses Asiad medal
i. Indian boxer L Sarita Devi on October 1, 2014 stunned officials and spectators by refusing to
accept the bronze medal, which is now in the custody of organizers
ii. Sarita had lost her semi-final bout in controversial circumstances and had to be content with
the bronze medal in the women's light weight (57-60kg) event of the 17th Asian Games on
September 30. India later lodged an official protest with the Amateur International Boxing
Association's technical jury team. But the protest was rejected.
iii. The 32-year-old Indian lost 0-3 in an unanimous decision to South Korea's Jina Park at the
Seonhak Gymnasium. Sarita lost on points against Park in a bout where she was the dominant
boxer.

16. Indian economy to grow at 5.5 percent in current fiscal, estimates ESCAP
i. United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,ESCAP has
estimated that the Indian economy will grow at 5.5 percent in the current fiscal.
ii. The report forecast that the Asia -Pacific developing economies will grow at 5.8 percent this
year

17. Mark Zuckerberg to visit India later this month
i. After Sheryl Sandberg, its now the turn of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to visit India,
the second biggest market for the social networking giant, later this month.
ii. Mr. Zuckerberg, who will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be in India to address
the first Internet.org summit taking place on October 9-10 in New Delhi.
iii. The young billionaire is expected to meet members of other key ministries as well.
iv. Mr. Zuckerberg is the third high profile CEO of a US-based corporation, after Amazons Jeff
Bezos and Micrsofts Satya Nadella, to visit India in last few days.

18. Tintu Luka claims 800m silver in Asiad
i. Indian sprinter Tintu Luka clocked her seasons best to clinch a silver medal in the 800m
womens race of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon on Wednesday.
ii. Luka clocked 1:59.19s to better the bronze medal she had won in this event in the previous
edition of the Games in Guangzhou.
iii. The gold was won by Kazakhstans Mukasheva Margarita, who broke the two-decade-old
Games record of 1:59.85s with a timing of 1:59.02s.
iv. Chinas Zhao Jing settled for the bronze medal after finishing the race in 1:59.48s, which also
happened to be her personal best.

19. Microsoft unveils Windows 10 Operating System
i. Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced its 'Windows 10' Operating System to replace the
largely unpopular Windows 8, skipping a number to mark a leap toward unifying the way people
work on tablets, phones and traditional computers.
ii. Microsoft is restoring some of the more traditional ways of doing things and promises that
Windows 10 will be familiar for users regardless of which version of Windows they are now
using.
iii. For instance, the start menu in Windows 10 will appear similar to whats found in Windows
7.

20. Japan's "bullet train" turns 50
i. It was 50 years ago 1964, that Japan first introduced the world to the bullet train, also known as
Shinkansen. The country's high-speed rail network helped transport Japan to the top tier of world
economies.

Daily Gk Update- 2-3 rd Oct 2014

1. Dussehra is being celebrated across the country
i. The festival of Vijaya Dashmi is being celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety throughout
the country today. The festival marks the victory of good over evil
ii. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi
have greeted the nation on this occasion. In the national capital the traditional Ramlila will come
to an end with the burning of effigies of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi will participate in the functions to be held in Subhash Maidan and Ramlila
Maidan.

2. Rajasthan becomes first state to start olive refinery
i. Rajasthan today started the countrys first olive refinery and expressed hope that it would be
able to fulfil the countrys demand of olive oil in coming years.
ii. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated the refinery set up with a cost of Rs. 3.75 crore
in Lunkaransar area in the district and said it was an achievement for Rajasthan to become the
first state in the country to set up such refinery.
iii. The olive oil produced in the refinery will be marked under the brand name of Raj Olive Oil
and will be available in markets after some time.

3. Australian fighter jets to join military action against Islamic States militants in Iraq
i. The Australian Cabinet has given its approval for fighter jets to join the US-led military action
against Islamic State militants targets in Iraq. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said IS was a death
cult that had declared war on the world and must be stopped.
ii. The US and Arab allies have been bombing IS targets in Syria and Iraq for the past fortnight.
European countries have been attacking only Iraqi sites.
iii. The UN says the militant Islamists have committed a staggering array of human rights
abuses.

4. Former News of the World editor Ian Edmondson admits to phone hacking
i. A former news editor at Rupert Murdochs now-defunct tabloid News of the World on Friday
admitted to hacking phones of celebrities such as Jude Law and Paul McCartney while at the
newspaper, becoming the eighth person to be convicted in connection with the case.
ii. Ian Edmondson, 45, is likely to receive a custodial sentence after pleading guilty at the Old
Bailey court in London.
iii. Edmondson illegally intercepted the voicemails of two Home Secretaries, ex-Beatle Sir Paul
McCartney and actors Jude Law and Sienna Miller.

5. Asian Games: India placed eighth with total haul of 57 medals
i. India have brought the curtains down on their campaign in the 17th Asian Games, maintaining
their domination of kabaddi with two gold medals.
ii. On the penultimate day of competitions at Incheon on day, India rose a rung to eighth in the
overall medal standings.
iii. The women's kabaddi team won their title-match against Iran quite comfortably by a 31-21
margin, to maintain their supremacy for the second edition running, having clinched gold when
the event made its debut four years ago in Guangzhou.
iv. For the men's kabaddi team, it was not a cakewalk. They literally overcame a scare from Iran
before notching up a 27-25 win in a thrilling final. It was their seventh successive gold medal in
the event.
v. Hammer thrower Manju Bala's medal was upgraded from bronze to silver after a Chinese
competitor who finished ahead of her was caught for doping.
vi. With two gold medals coming on Friday, India were placed eighth on the table with a total
haul of 57 medals - 11 gold,10 silver and 36 bronze.

6. India Mens Kabaddi Team bag seventh successive gold in Asian Games,
i. Six-time defending champions India retain the seventh gold medal in Asian Games after they
narrowly edge past the determined Iranian side in this rematch of 2010 Guangzhou Asian
Games.
ii. The Indian side got off to the worst possible start of the tournament in Incheon but came back
roaring to win the gold medal in the 17th edition of Asian Games.
iii. India beat Iran by 27-25 in this mouth-watering title clash. Earlier, it was the womens team
that made India proud by also wining the gold medal in their match also against Iranian side.

7. Women's kabaddi team bags gold at Asiad
i. The Indian women's kabaddi team notched up its second successive gold medal at the Asian
Games, beating Iran 31-21 in the summit clash on Friday.
ii. India thus maintained their supremacy in women's kabaddi, which made its Asiad debut in the
previous edition in Guangzhou.

8. Indian women clinch gold in 4x400m relay at Asian Games 2014
i. India continued their stranglehold in women's 4x400m relay event in the Asian Games as its
quartet ran a brilliant race to win the gold for the fourth time on the trot in Games record time in
the 17th edition in Incheon on Thursday.
ii. The quartet of Priyanka Panwar, Tintu Luka, Mandeep Kaur and M.R. Poovamma won an
easy race in 3:28.68 to improve upon the earlier Games record of 3:29.02 which was also in the
name of the gold-winning Indian team in 2010.
iii. This was the second gold for India from athletics after Seema Punia bagged the yellow metal
in women's discus throw.
Daily GK Update - 4th Oct 2014

1. India sign off 8th in Asiad medals tally
i. India on Saturday ended their 17th Asian Games campaign at the eighth spot on the medals
tally, a drop of two positions from the previous edition of the mega-event which drew to a close.
ii. India signed off with 57 medals -- 11 gold, 10 silver and 36 bronze. The tally dipped
considerably compared to the 2010 edition in Guangzhou, China.
iii. In 2010, the country had ended sixth with 65 medals -- 14 gold, 17 silver and 34 bronze.
iv. As expected China ended their campaign on top claiming a whopping 342 medals.
v. The Chinese contingent walked away with 151 gold, 108 silver and 83 bronze medals.
vi. Hosts South Korea finished a distant second with 234 medals -- 79 gold, 71 silver and 77
bronze.
vii. They were followed by the Japanese, who notched up 200 medals, including 47 gold, 76
silver and 77 bronze.

2. China test fires 10,000-km range nuclear missile
i. China has flight tested an upgraded version of its 10,000-km range Dongfeng missile which
can reach most of the US and European cities, demonstrating its nuclear capability, media reports
said.
ii. The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) launched a Dongfeng-31B on September 25, days
before its October 1 National Day from the Wuzhai Missile and Space Test Centre, also called
Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi province, Hong Kong-based South China Morning
Post said quoting US media reports.
iii. The DF-31B is an upgraded version of the DF-31A and the launch was at least the second
time the PLAs Second Artillery Corps had tested a DF-31 missile in the past three months.

3. Prime Minister connected to people over radio with programme, Mann Ki Baat
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 October 2014 addressed the countrymen over radio for the
first time in his programme Mann Ki Baat. Mann ki Baat is a new initiative of Modi to reach out
to maximum populace
ii. In his address, he advocated for use of Khadi products as homage to Mahatma Gandhi and
said that the use of Khadi at least as a handkerchief or bed sheet would benefit poor and light the
lamp of prosperity in their house. He also impressed upon people to generate confidence among
them including the specially-able children.
iii. He promised to make such radio broadcast a regular affair and invited ideas from the citizens
while noting that he had been receiving a number of suggestions since it was announced that he
would be addressing the nation over radio.

4. 32 people killed in Stampede at Patnas Gandhi Maidan
i. A stampede occurred at Gandhi Maidan in Patna during the Ram Leela ceremony on 3 October
2014. In the stampede at least 32 people were killed and about 15 were injured. The injured have
been admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
ii. The tragedy occurred at the time when people were returning from the ground after watching
the Ravan Vadh (killing of demon king) ceremony.
iii. After the incident the state and union government announced a relief compensation of 3 lakh
rupees and 2 lakh rupees, respectively for the families of the dead. Apart from this, the State
Home Secretary and Additional Director General of Police have ordered a high level probe into
the incident. The probe team has been asked to submit the report within 24 hours.

5. British aid worker Alan Henning beheaded by ISIS militants
i. The British aid worker, Alan Henning was beheaded by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
militants. The militants group fighting in Iraq and Syria on 3 October 2014 posted a video that
shows, the British-accented Jihadist known as Jihadi John beheading Henning.
ii. Henning, a 47-year-old from Manchester in England was kidnapped in December 2013. He
volunteered to help drive an aid convoy to Syria for a Muslim country.
iii. Henning is the second British national and fourth Western hostage killed in the same manner.
Apart from Henning other three are David Haines (a Briton), James Foley (American) and
Steven Sotloff (American).

6. Half of tatkal tickets on 80 trains to be costlier
i. Half of the tatkal tickets on 80 trains have become costlier with the railways deciding to
partially implement the dynamic fare system under which charges will depend on demand.
ii. The decision, clearly aimed at mopping up more revenues by the cash-strapped railways,
comes in the midst of festival season when there is a big rush of train travellers.
iii. "It has been decided that 50 per cent of the existing tatkal quota ticket shall be sold under
dynamic fare scheme," said a senior Railway Ministry official on Thursday.
iv. As per the scheme, 50 percent of tatkal quota tickets would be sold under the existing system
and the subsequent 50 percent under 'premium tatkal' quota of dynamic pricing. It will mean
more the demand, more the cost.
v. The 'Premium Tatkal Ticket' scheme will be applicable to 80 trains from 1st October and like
Premium train, the scheme will be available online only.
vi. Some trains which have been identified for implementation of the scheme are Hyderabad-
New Delhi Andhra Pradesh Express, Hyderabad-Hazrat Nizamuddin Dakshin Express,
Secunderabad-Howrah Falaknuma Express, Kacheguda-Bangalore Express and Secunderabad-
Patna Express.

Daily GK Updates: 5-6th Oct 2014

1. Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated
i. Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated in the national capital and across the nation with Muslims
offering special prayers in Eidgahs and mosques and sacrificing animals, even as security
arrangement was stepped up ahead of the festival.
ii. President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari on Sunday greeted citizens on
the eve of Eid-ul-Zuha, saying people should imbibe the spirit of universal love and brotherhood
for prosperity of the nation and the world.
iii. I convey greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens, especially my Muslim brothers and
sisters," Mukherjee said, noting that the festival symbolizes sacrifice, faith and devotion.

2. Nobel prize in medicine awarded to trio for discovering brain's 'GPS'
i. The Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine has been awarded to three scientists who
discovered the brain's GPS system. British-American researcher John O'Keefe and a
Norwegian couple, Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser share the award.
ii. They discovered how the brain knows where we are and is able to navigate from one place to
another. Their findings may help explain why in Alzheimer's disease patients cannot recognise
their surroundings.

3. New York Times issued Apology for Racist Cartoon on India's Mars Mission
i. A reputed newspaper of United States, The New York Times issued an apology to its readers
for its racist cartoon on Indias Mars Mission.
ii. In its apology, it clarified that it in no way was trying to impugn India.
iii. The apology was published on the New York Times Facebook page in response to criticism
from many quarters.
iv. The clarification issued by Andrew Rosenthal, Editorial Page Editor reads that readers have
complained about a recent editorial cartoon in the International New York Times about Indias
foray into space exploration. It said that the cartoonist Heng Kim Songs intent after the cartoon
was to highlight that how exploration of space is no longer the exclusive domain of rich, Western
countries.
Problem with the cartoon
i. The cartoon showed a farmer accompanied by a cow knocking on the door of the Elite Space
Club where two men sit reading a newspaper which has India's space mission on the front page.
ii. It means that still India and Indians are considered as cattle-rearing folks.
iii. It became an ironic after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared to the world at Madison
Square Garden that we were no longer a country of snake-charmers.

4. India among five nations to build world's largest telescope
i. India along with Japan, the US, China and Canada will start work on the worlds biggest
telescope on Hawaii Island that will enable to identify an object as small as coin from a distance
of 500 kms.
ii. The 30-meter telescope will be established near the summit of the Mauna Kea volcano with a
cost of $1.4 billion.
iii. The construction is expected to be completed by March 2022. Japan is expected to cover
about a quarter of the construction costs.
iv. To mark the start of construction, 100 astronomers and officials from the five countries are
scheduled to attend a ceremony on October 7 at a location 4,012 meters high on Mount Mauna
Kea.
v. The telescope will be larger than Japans Subaru Telescope, one of the worlds biggest, which
was also built on the summit of Mauna Kea and started observation in 1999.

5. West Bengal government constituted task force to probe into Burdwan blast
i. The State Government of West Bengal constituted a high-level composite Task Force to
investigate into the blasts at Khagragarh in Burdwan District. The blasts occurred on 2 October
2014 in which two persons were killed.
ii. This high-level task force will be headed the Director General of Police GM P Reddy and
will also co-ordinate with various investigating agencies like CID, Kolkata police and others
probing the blast.
iii. Apart from this, the state government is also keeping close touch with the National
Investigating Agency (NIA) on the matter.

6. Dhoni is ISL team Chennaiyin FC co-owner
i. After the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the
latest cricketer to own a football team in the high-profile Indian Super League, investing in the
Chennaiyin FC ahead of the event starting October 12.
ii. Dhoni, the current Indian cricket captain, has pencilled a deal to be a co-owner of Chennaiyin
FC along with Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan.
iii. Dhoni has signed a deal to become a co-owner of Chennaiyin FC, a source from IMG-
Reliance, the organisers of the much-anticipated league told PTI.
iv. The ISL kicks off on October 12 in Kolkata while the final will be held on December 20.

7. Novak Djokovic beats Tomas Berdych to win fifth China Open
i. World number one Novak Djokovic claimed his fifth China Open title with a straight set
demolition of Czech Tomas Berdych.
ii. Djokovic beat Berdych in a straight set by 6-0, 6-2. Djokovic said that it was probably his best
performance in all the finals in his career, adding that it was extremely incredible.

8. Sharapova beat Kvitova to claim China Open titles
i. Russian Maria Sharapova overcame Czech Petra Kvitova 6-4 2-6 6-3 in the final of the China
Open to claim the title and move up to number two in the world rankings on Sunday.
ii. Wimbledon Open champion Kvitova broke her opponent in the very first game but Sharapova
showed greater intensity towards the end to prevail in a contest that lasted two hours and 28
minutes.

9. Oliver Wilson win first European golf title
i. World number 792 Oliver Wilson held on to win his first European golf title at the Alfred
Dunhill Links Championship, beating world number one Rory McIlroy by one stroke on 17
under par.
ii. The Englishman, making his 228th start, finished ahead of a chasing pack to win by one stroke
on 17 under par. He played in the 2008 Ryder Cup but lost his European Tour card in 2012 and
needed an invite to play at St Andrews.

10. World Junior Chess Championship begins in Pune
i. The World Junior Chess Championship began in Pune today with a glittering ceremony
attended by eminent dignitaries from the sporting world, entertainment and corporate world.
ii. The tournament will be played till 19th October and will be conducted in the Swiss League
format, comprising of 13 rounds with one round scheduled each day.
iii. Gujrathi will lead the Indian challenge in the Open and Padmini Rout in the girls'
championship. They pose serious threats for the more fancied players in both championships to
be held simultaneously.

Daily GK Updates: 23, 24, 25 & 26th Oct 2014
1. Manohar Lal Khattar takes over as new Haryana CM;
i.Senior BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar has been sworn in as the new Chief Minister of
Haryana today.
ii. Khattar and his ministerial colleagues were administered the oath of office and secrecy by
Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki at a ceremony at Panchkula which was attended by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, party veterans L K Advani and Murli
Manohar Joshi.
iii. Several Union Ministers including Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu, the Chief
Ministers of BJP-ruled states, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, LJP chief and Union Minister
Ram Vilas Paswan also attended the ceremony.
iv. Those sworn-in as Cabinet Ministers were: Ram Bilas Sharma, Capt Abhimanyu, O P
Dhankar, Anil Vij, Rao Narbir Singh and Kavita Jain.
v. This is the first time that the state has got a BJP chief minister. He will be the fifth non-Jat
Chief Minister of Haryana.
vi. Khattar, 60, who won the Assembly polls from Karnal, in his maiden electoral appearance,
administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki at around 1120
hrs at the ceremony held at HUDA Ground in Panchkula near Chandigarh.

2. India worlds 4th largest steel maker at 62.41 MT in Jan-Sept
i. With 62.41 million tonnes output, India remains the worlds fourth largest steel producer in the
first nine months of the current year, preceded by China, Japan and the US.
ii. World Steel Association (WSA) data showed Indias steel production grew by 1.8 per cent,
the second highest among the top four steel producing nations, during the January-September
period from 61.27 MT in the same period last year.
iii. India has been the worlds fourth largest steel maker for the last four years. The order is likely
to remain unchanged in current year too, an industry expert said.
iv. During the first nine months, China produced 618 MT steel which is a little more than half of
worlds total production at 1,231 MT.
v. China logged 2.3 per cent growth during the period. But its steel production remained static in
September, as per data revealed by WSA, at 67.5 MT when compared with the same month last
year.
vi. Japan remained the remote second with 83.1 MT production during the nine-month period
clocking just 0.8 per cent growth over 82.4 MT production in the same period last year.
vii. The US stood at the third spot with 66.33 MT production compared to 65.3 MT output
during the JanuarySeptember period of the last year.

3. SBI launches mPassBook facility on its smartphone application
i. The nation's largest lender State Bank of IndiaBSE 0.26 % (SBI) launched a facility called
'mPassBook' today, on its 'State Bank Anywhere' mobile application, for its retail banking users.
ii. Launching the facility, SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya, said that 'mPassBook' is an
electronic application of a physical passbook for savings bank and current accounts.
iii. The facility is currently available on Android phones but would soon be available on iOS and
Blackberry phones too.

4. PM announces Rs.745 crore for Kashmir's damaged homes, hospitals
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced Rs.745 crore relief for rebuilding
damaged homes and hospitals in flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir.
ii. Speaking to media persons at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar, Modi said the Union government would
do everything possible to help rebuild the lives and livelihood of people who suffered in last
month's floods in the state, an IANS report stated.
iii. Modi said the loss memo of Rs.44,000 crore submitted to the Centre by the state government
was being considered, and announced an immediate relief of Rs.570 crore for rebuilding of
damaged homes and Rs.175 crore for similarly affected hospitals in the state.

5. China launches AIIB to rival World Bank
i. Australia, Indonesia and South Korea skipped the launch of a China-backed Asian
infrastructure bank on Friday as the United States said it had concerns about the new rival to
Western-dominated multilateral lenders.
ii. China's $ 50 billion Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is seen as a challenge to
the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, both multilateral lenders that count Washington
and its allies as their biggest financial backers.
iii. China, which is keen to extend its influence in the region, has limited voting power over these
existing banks despite being the world's second-largest economy.
iv. The AIIB, launched in Beijing at a ceremony attended by Chinese finance minister Lou Jiwei
and delegates from 21 countries including India, Thailand and Malaysia, aims to give project
loans to developing nations. China is set to be its largest shareholder with a stake of up to 50
percent.
v. Indonesia was not present and neither were South Korea and Australia, according to a pool
report.
vi. Japan, China's main rival in Asia and which dominates the $ 164 billion Asian Development
Bank along with the United States, was also not present, but it was not expected to be.

6. EU doubles assistance to combat Ebola to 1 bn euros
i. The European Union has nearly doubled its assistance to combat the raging Ebola virus in
West Africa to 1 billion euros.
ii. The heads of state and government of the 28-nation bloc agreed upon the move at their two-
day summit concluded in Brussels on Friday.
iii. "EU member nations pledged at the meting to increase their financial assistance to continue
to provide emergency assistance for the population affected by the Ebola epidemic and to
support a "sustained, coordinated and increased" effort to curb the spread of the deadly virus," a
joint statement said.
iv. Before providing 1 billion euros (USD 1.26 billion), EU leaders had pledged nearly 600
million euros to pay for medical staff and facilities in the worst affected countries - Liberia,
Sierra Leone and Guinea, where some 4,900 people have died of the disease.

7. Pankaj Advani won World Billiards Point Format Championship
i.Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani won World Billiards Point Format Championship on 24
October 2014.
ii. In the title clash played at Leeds, United Kingdom, Advani outplayed Singapores Peter
Gilchrist, 6-2.
iii. Advani, who trailed 1-2, won five frames on the trot to regain the title, he had last won in
2012. This was Advanis 11th World title and third of the year in different formats of the game.
Three titles won by Advani in 2014 are
i. IBSF World 6-Red Snooker title
ii. World Team Billiards title
iii. World Billiards Championship (point format)

8. Services sector FDI dips 9% to $1.08 bn in April-Aug
i. Foreign direct investment in the services sector dipped by 9 per cent to USD 1.08 billion
during the April-August period of the ongoing fiscal.
ii. The services sector, which includes banking, insurance, outsourcing, R&D, courier and
technology testing, had received FDI worth USD 1.19 billion during the first five months of the
previous fiscal, 2013-14, according to the data by Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion.
iii. The services sector contributes over 60 per cent to Indias GDP. In 2013-14, foreign
investment in the sector fell to USD 2.2 billion from USD 4.83 billion in 2012-13.
iv. Foreign investments are considered crucial for India, which needs around USD 1 trillion over
five years (2012-17) to overhaul its infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to
boost growth.

9. New Chief of staff for Southern Naval Command
i. Rear Admiral Atul Kumar Jain today assumed office as Chief of Staff of Southern Naval
Command here.
ii. He has taken over the charge from Rear Admiral M S Pawar, who is appointed as the Flag
Officer, Maharashtra and Gujarat area (FOMAG), a Naval press release said.
iii. Rear Admiral Atul Kumar Jain has served as the first Flag Officer Commanding, Karnataka
Naval area, Karwar. During this tenure, he was instrumental in setting up of base support
facilities for INS Vikramaditya at the Naval Base Karwar.

10. SS Rajendran, veteran Tamil actor, passes away
i. Tamil cinema's yesteryears' actor SS Rajendran, who was battling for life at a private hospital
in Chennai, breathed his last today. He was 85.
ii. "He was admitted to Meenakshi Hospital yesterday (Thursday) in critical condition.

11. Stamp on Sri lankan Buddhist monk Dharmapala released
i. A commemorative postage stamp on Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Anagarika Dharmapala, who
is credited to have revived Buddhism in India in the 19th century, was released in New Delhi on
Saturday by President Pranab Mukherjee.
ii. Law and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to
India Sudharshan Seneviratne, Member of Parliament Meenakshi Lekhi and Foreign Secretary
Sujatha Singh were among those present on the occasion.
iii. "Dharmapala, was one of the founding contributors of Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism and
was also a pioneer in the revival of Buddhism in India," Mukherjee said.
iv. In 1891, Dharmapala went on a pilgrimage to the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, where
Lord Buddha had attained enlightenment. He decided to work towards restoring it's glory.

12. Noted freedom fighter Jagdish Sharan Pande died
i. Noted freedom fighter Jagdish Sharan Pande died after prolonged illness on 23 October 2014
in Almora, Uttarakhand. He was 95.
ii. Pande had worked for Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauj. While working for
Netaji's Azad Hind Force had even been jailed for two years in Burma in 1943-44

13. Ashwika Kapur won 2014 Panda Award for her film on a Kakapo parrot
i. Ashwika Kapur on 24 October 2014 became the first Indian woman to win prestigious
Wildscreen Panda Award. She won the coveted wildlife photography award in best newcomer
category for her film, Sirocco - how a dud became a stud.
ii. Panda award also known as Green Oscar of the natural history and wildlife film
industry was announced at the annual Wildscreen Film Festival held at Bristol, UK.

About the film Sirocco - how a dud became a stud
Ashwikas film is a tale of a Kakapo parrot named Sirocco, which is perhaps the only bird in
the world to have bagged a government job. Sirocco, a male bird was appointed as the official
Spokesbird for Conservation in New Zealand who helped in conservation advocacy on social
media.

14. Sahil Doshi won 2014 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge
i. Sahil Doshi, an Indian-American student on 22 October 2014 won the 2014 Discovery
Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
ii. He was awarded for his innovative design of an eco-friendly battery that could help lower
harmful greenhouse gases.
iii. His prototype named PolluCell is capable of converting Carbon Dioxide into electricity,
ingeniously helping to reduce our carbon footprint while offering power for household uses and
developing nations.
iv. The 2014 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge prize also included 25000 US
dollar and a student adventure trip to a destination such as Costa Rica.

15. Sania-Cara pair clinches WTA Finals doubles title
i. Indian ace Sania Mirza and her Zimbabwean partner Cara Black ended the season and their
partnership on a remarkable high by clinching the WTA finals women's doubles title with a
comprehensive triumph in the summit clash in Singapore on Sunday.
ii. Sania and Cara, making their debut at the season finale, prevailed 6-1 6-0 over Su-Wei Hseih
of Chinese Taipei and Shuai Peng of China in a clash that lasted just about an hour.
iii. The Indo-Zimbabwean combination, which would be breaking up after this, broke the East
Asians thrice in the opening set itself and were decisively better with their first serve.

16. Dhoni buys Ranchi franchise of Hockey India League
i. India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sahara Adventure Sports Limited are co
owners of new Ranchifranchise of Hockey Indian League (HIL), Ranchi Rays, which was
unveiled on Saturday.
ii. Ranchi Rhinos, who were the inaugural champions of HIL, was scrapped following distrust
between owners (PatelPS Group and Uniexcel Group) and Hockey India (HI).