Daily GK Update - 9th & 10th August 2015

Union Government launched School Nursery Yojana

to bring students closer to nature
i. The Yojana seeks to engage class VI to IX in raising
of saplings in nurseries created in schools. The Yojana
was launched by Union Environment Minister Prakash
Javadekar in New Delhi.
ii. Theme of the Yojana is to plant a tree for sustainable
future and to make the nation clean and green.

About School Nursery Yojana

The Yojana in its first phase would cover 1000

schools and would be extended to 5000 schools
in 2016 and 10000 schools the following year.

Under the Yojana, students will grow saplings as

part of practical exercise for biology classes and
extra-curriculum activities.

Each school will initially receive first time

financial grant of 25,000 rupees for creation of
the nursery with essential facilities.

Global satellite to be named after Abdul Kalam

i. A global satellite for earth observation and disaster
risk reduction GlobalSat for DRR proposed under
the UN framework is to be dedicated to A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam as a tribute to the vision of the celebrated rocket
scientist and former Indian president who died July 27.
ii. This has been stated by Milind Pimprikar, Chairman
of CANEUS (CANada-Europe-US-ASia) Organization
on Space Technologies for Societal Applications
headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
iii. Founded in 1999, CANEUS serves to develop a
common platform for space technology solutions for
natural and man-made disaster management. The
GlobalSat for DRR is a UN-driven global initiative on
sharing space technology for disaster risk reduction,
Mr. Pimprikar told IANS.

Param Tyag Chakra Initiative launched to honour

families of martyrs
i. The Param Tyag Chakra was
launched by the Alumni Association of
Rajagiri School of Engineering and
Technology to honour family members
of brave military men, who sacrificed
their lives for the nation.
ii. For this initiative, the Alumni Association of Rajagiri
School of Engineering and Technology in association
with the management and students launched a web
platform aimed at collecting the details of these family
members.
iii. Everyone including the general public, the
government, corporates, the media can join this
initiative in multiple ways like by identifying and
referring such families or by channeling the support
required for them etc.
Suraksha Bandhan drive launched to facilitate
enrolment under Social Security Schemes
i. Union Government launched Suraksha Bandhan drive
in a Mission Mode through participating banks and
insurance companies to facilitate enrolment under
social security schemes.
ii. The drive launched in the back drop of Raksha
Bandhan aims at taking forward the Governments
objective of creating a universal social security system
in the country, targeted especially at the poor and the
under-privileged.
iii. The drive will be supported through the Jeevan
Suraksha Gift Cheques, which will be available for
purchase for 351 rupees in Bank branches by persons
wishing to gift them to facilitate one year payment of
premium for Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana by the
recipient.
Raghavendra Gadagkar awarded with Germany's
Cross of Order of the Merit
i. Indian sociobiologist Raghavendra
Gadagkar was awarded with the
Germany's highest civilian honour Cross
of Order of the Merit at the German Consulate in
Bengaluru.
ii. He was bestowed with the honour for his
contribution in the field of behavioural ecology and

sociobiology and for strengthening research corporation

between India and Germany.
iii. His first book, Survival Strategies, has been
translated into Chinese and Korean. He was also the
founding Chair person of the Centre for Contemporary
Studies, established at IISc in 2004.
About Cross of Order of the Merit

Established in 1951 by the first President of the

Federal Republic of Germany Theodor Heuss.

It is highest civilian award of Germany awarded

to Germans as well as to foreigners.

It recognizes person for their outstanding

achievements in the fields of political, cultural,
economy, intellectual and volunteering.

Goa Tourism Minister Parulekar conferred with

PATWA 2015 Award
i. Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar received the
Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) Safari India South Asia Travel Award 2015.
ii. Parulekar is the first tourism minister of Goa to
receive this prestigious award.
iii. Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA)
found in 1998 at the Pacific Area Travel Association
(PATA) Conference in Colombo, Sri Lank, is a
professional organization of travel writers.
10th August: World Bio-Fuel Day
i. Every year 10th August is observed as World BioFuel Day in a bid to create awareness about non fossilfuels (Green Fuels).
ii. On this day in 1893, Sir Rudalph Diesel (inventor of
the diesel engine) for the first time successfully ran
mechanical engine with Peanut Oil. His research
experiment had predicted that vegetable oil is going to
replace the fossil fuels in the next century to fuel
different mechanical engines. Thus to mark this
extraordinary achievement, World Biofuel Day is
observed every year on 10th August.

Xiaomi ties up with Foxconn to set up facility in

Andhra Pradesh through " Make in India"
Initiative
i. China-based Smartphone maker Xiaomi Inc has tied
up with Taiwan-based Foxconn to set first Assembly
line in Andhra Pradesh under Make in India initiative.
ii. These two Smartphone manufacturer giants has
forayed together into Indian electronics market to roll
out Xiaomis first locally made Smartphone, the
Redmi2 Prime as it seeks to expand its market share in
India.
iii. The size of the investment made in setting up the
assembly line was not disclosed.

Telecom Minister launches mobile app "Disha" to

aid digital literacy in Bihar
i. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched
a new mobile app Disha to aid digital literacy in Bihar.
The app was launched in Bihar that aims to help people
learn about computers and Internet through self
learning modules.
ii. The app envisages offering digital literacy to tribal
and Dalit women in the State which is free and
available on Google app store. This initiative was taken
by Ministry to spread out digital literacy in women
from tribal and Dalit background in Bihar.
iii. To promote digital literacy government has initiated
training program under Digital Saksharta Abhiyan in
all states.
Poet, freedom fighter Kayyara Kinhanna Rai passes
away
i. Eminent Kannada poet and freedom fighter Kayyara
Kinhanna Rai passed away at Badiyadkka in Kasaragod
district of Karnataka. He was 101.
ii. He was an author, poet, journalist and Indian
independence activist. About Kayyar Kinhanna Rai He
was born on 8 June 1915 in Kasaragod in then Madras
Presidency of British India.
iii. He had started his career as a secondary school
teacher and later delved into journalism and contributed
his writings to various newspapers.