Daily GK Updates - 11th February 2015

1. India presses for automatic exchange of tax information at G20 meet 

i. India has called for expeditious implementation of the automatic exchange of tax information saying it would help in tracking illegal money stashed in foreign banks. 

ii. Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha advocated "full and fast implementation" of Automatic Exchange of Information within the agreed time-frame. 

iii. India called for strengthening the IMF through implementing the 2010 quota and governance reforms and creating an environment for multilateral swaps to overcome such negative impact.

iv. The quota reform, if implemented, will increase India's voting share in IMF from the current 2.44 per cent to 2.75 per cent, following which the country will become the eighth largest quota holder at the IMF, up from the 11th position.

2. National Games mascot in Limca Book of Records

i. National Games mascot Ammu, the Great Hornbill, has immortalised itself by finding a mention in the Limca Book of Records.

ii. The mascot found a place in the record books owing to a play, Kalikkunna Kuttikalkkayi Bharatham Kathirikkunnu (India Awaits Children Who Play) in which Ammu is featured.

iii. According to the Limca Book’s 2015 Special Literature Edition, it is a play about a mascot which had been staged in most number of schools. The Great Indian Hornbill, had been staged in 147 schools.

3. Israel offers expertise to clean up Ganga

i. In an effort to deepen economic cooperation, Israel has offered its expertise and technological capabilities to India in its ambitious drive to clean up the Ganga.

ii. A preliminary offer on this was made by Amit Lang, Director-General of the Ministry of Economy, Israel led  delegation to continue talks on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which both countries had initiated in 2007, as well as expand cooperation in the field of water management, waste water treatment.

iii. Israel has made significant technological advancement in desalination and drip irrigation with the world’s largest desalination plants and recycles 90 per cent of water for agricultural needs.

4. Scheme for grant of government pension to journalists 

i. Puducherry government has initiated steps to bring into effect a scheme evolved in 2003 to pay monthly pension to media persons.

ii. The scheme envisages payment of monthly pension of Rs 6000 to a media person who had completed 20 years of continued service in a newspaper, periodical, news agency or in electronic media.

iii. The beneficiary should be aged 58 years and above at the time of presenting the application. 

5. NABARD announces Rs 1,14,927 crore credit plan for Rajasthan 

i. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) today announced Rs 1,14,927 crore credit plan for agriculture in Rajasthan for fiscal 2015-16, encompassing all 33 districts in the state. 

ii. The credit projections will grow by 39 per cent from Rs 82,534 crore in the ongoing fiscal (2014-15) to Rs 1,14,927 crore in 2015-16 for Rajasthan's agriculture and allied sectors.

iii. NABARD has identified infrastructure gaps in the state with 155 projects worth Rs 3,020 crore, which could be financed under RIDF and other channels available with NABARD. 

6. ICICI Bank launches ‘Pockets’, India’s first digital bank on a mobile phone

i. ICICI Bank, India’s largest private sector bank, has announced the launch of ‘Pockets’, India’s first digital bank for the youth.

ii. Anyone, including those who are not customers of ICICI Bank, can download the e-wallet from Google Playstore, fund it from any bank account in the country and start transacting immediately.

iii. This wallet uses a virtual VISA card which enables the users to transact on any website or mobile application in India.