Daily GK: 7th - 8th December 2014

1.    Kotak Mahindra Bank launches savings bank account for customers of 55 years and above

i. Kotak Mahindra BankBSE 0.38 % (KMB) today announced the launch of Grand, a savings bank account tailored exclusively for customers of 55 years and above.

ii. According to a press release issued by the bank, Grand has been designed keeping in mind their need for hassle-free banking, financial independence and personal attention.

iii. According to the release, customers will earn 6 per cent pa on savings balance of over Rs 1 lakh and 5 per cent on balances up to Rs 1 lakh.

iv. To earn higher return on their balances, they can sign up for the Kotak ActivMoney facility, which converts savings account balance above a certain amount into term deposits.

2.    India sets new world record for largest human flag

i. India today set a new world record for the largest human flag, formed by over 50,000 volunteers, beating the previous record held by Pakistan.

ii. The event saw about 1.5 lakh volunteers, mainly youth, turn up for the event at YMCA Grounds here even as 50,000 of them formed the tricolour, Governor of Rotary 3230, organiser of the ‘My Flag My India’ campaign, ISAK Nazar, told reporters here.

iii. The Guinness World Record for the largest human flag was previously held by the Sports Club of Lahore with 28,957 people forming the flag, he said.

iv. “This is the first record (of its kind) in independent India and our aim was to infuse patriotism and nationalism in the present generation and next-generation youth,” he said, adding, youngsters formed the crux of the participants.

3.    Modi, Mukesh Ambani most searched personalities in 2014: Yahoo

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Mukesh Ambani feature amongst the most searched personalities online this year, according to search engine Yahoo.

ii. According to the seventh edition of Yahoo India’s ‘Year in Review’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the list of ‘High and Mighty? the Political Top 10’ in 2014, followed by his aides Arun Jaitley (Finance and I&B Minister) and BJP President Amit Shah.

iii. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav have also been named in the list.

iv. The review is based on users’ daily search habits and an editorial selection of what they read, recommended and shared most on Yahoo in India.

v. “The slew of reforms and Modi’s efforts to improve diplomatic ties were of ongoing interest to Yahoo users. ‘Make in India’ made it to the top of the list of Biggest Financial Events of the Year,” Yahoo said

4.    Dev Shah becomes world champion in Under-7 category in World Schools Chess Championships

i. Seven-year-old Dev Shah of Mumbai has become the youngest rated chess player from India.

ii.  Dev Shah has become the world champion in the Under-7 category in the World Schools Chess Championships that concluded recently at Juiz de Fora in Brazil. 
iii. Dev, a trainee of South Mumbai Chess Academy and student of Dhirubhai Ambani School, was among three boys who scored the highest score. The Mumbai boy was ruled the victor on account of a better aggregate score

5.    Mandatory for PSUs to procure 20 percent of products manufactured by MSME: Govt

i. Government today said that it will be mandatory for Public Sector Undertakings, PSUs from 1st April, 2015 to procure 20 percent of the products manufactured by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSME.

ii. He said, so far only 32 PSUs have met 20 percent procurement limit. The Minister said that the government is also considering of imposing a penalty against the PSUs and other departments for failing to meet the required limit of procurement of MSME products.

6.    India forex reserves up $ 1.432 billion to $ 316.311 billion

i. India's forex reserves surged by 1.432 billion US dollar to 316.311 billion dollar in the week ended 28th November.

ii. A RBI press release has informed that foreign currency assets, a major part of the overall reserves, increased by 1.424 billion dollar to 290.822 billion dollar in the reporting week. In the previous week, total reserves had declined by 672.4 million dollar to 314.878 billion dollar.
iii. The country's gold reserves remained unchanged at 19.738 billion dollar. The Special Drawing Rights increased by 6.4 million dollar to 4.229 billion dollar, while the country's reserve position with the IMF also rose by 2.5 million dollar to 1.521 billion dollar during the week.

7.    Indian Blind Cricket Team lifts World Cup after defeating Pakistan

i. India lifts the Blind Cricket World Cup after defeating Pakistan by five wickets. In the summit clash Defending Champions Pakistan scored 389 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 40 overs in Cape Town, South Africa yesterday. India had asked Pakistan to bat first after winning the toss. 

ii. Chasing a tough target, India managed to reach in 39.4 overs, losing 5 wickets in the process.

iii. For India, Prakasha Jayaramaiah scored 82 runs, while Ajay Reddy made 74. Interestingly, in the opening match of the tournament Pakistan had beaten India by seven wickets. It was the 4th edition of the Blind Cricket World Cup.

8.    GSAT-16 launched from Kourou in French Guiana functioning normally

i. India’s communication satellite GSAT 16 is performing normally which was launched successfully from Kourou in French Guiana yesterday morning . The ISRO sources say that the first Apogee Manoeuvre Firing commenced as planned at 03:51 hrs IST early this morning.

ii. The Liquid Apogee Motor was fired for a duration of 6131 seconds for targeted perigee-raising from 256 km to 16271 km as well as to reduce orbital inclination from 5.98 degrees to 1.35 degrees. The firing of apogee motor will consume 879 kg propellant during this manoeuvre. ‘

iii. The satellite will be placed in the Geostationary orbit of about 36000 kms after three manoeuvres by 12th of this month. GSAT 16 has highest number of 48 transponders that will be used for television, telephone and internet applications.

9.    Kumar Sangakkara became fourth batsman to complete 13000 ODI runs

i. Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara on 3 December 2014 became the fourth batsman to complete 13000 One-Day Internationals (ODI) runs.

ii. Sangakkara achieved the feat of crossing 13000 run during the third match of ODI series with England.  He took 386 matches to complete these many runs.

iii. The all-time list of most-run getters in ODI is led by Sachin Tendulkar of India with 18426 runs from 463 ODIs. He is followed by Ricky Ponting of Australia with 13704 runs from 375 ODIs and Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka with 13430 runs from 445 matches.

10.  Amos Meindi of Kenya won 29th Pune International full Marathon

i. Amos Meindi of Kenya won 29th Pune International full Marathon in Men’s category on 7 December 2014. He finished the race by completing 41.175 km in 2 hours 18 minutes and 36 seconds.

ii. Regassa Bezida of Ethiopia and Teresse came at second place and third place respectively.

11.  Carnatic vocalist Nedanuri Krishnamurthy died

i. Veteran Carnatic vocalist Nedanuri Krishnamurthy died on 8 December 2014 in Visakhapatnam. He was 87. He was undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

ii.  He was born on 10 October 1927 in Kothapalli in the erstwhile Hyderabad State of British India

iii. He underwent training in Carnatic music (vocal and violin) with Dwaram Narasinga Rao Naidu in Maharaja’s Music College at Vizianagaram in early 1940s

iv.  Later he developed his style of music under guidance of Carnatic vocalist, Sripada Pinakapani

12.  Uber taxis banned in Delhi, company blacklisted

i. The Delhi Government today banned all operations by private cab service Uber with immediate effect and blacklisted it from providing any transport service in the national capital in the wake of the alleged rape incident in a taxi plying for it.

ii. The action came a day after a taxi driver employed by Uber was arrested from Mathura for allegedly raping a 27-year-old woman executive in his cab.

iii. “The transport department has banned all activities related to providing of any transport service by www.uber.com with immediate effect. The department has also blacklisted the company from providing any transport service in the NCT of Delhi in future,” the Delhi Government said in a statement.

iv. It said the Transport Department has cancelled the permit and registration certificate of the taxi (DL1YD 7910) and driving licence of the accused.

v. According to the department, the taxi permit was granted on May 28, 2014, after due verification of character and antecedents of the permit holder.