Daily GK Update - 17th June 2015

1. Govt okays 16 FDI proposals worth Rs. 6,751 cr.

i. The government on Wednesday approved 16 foreign investment proposals, including those of Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Star India Private Limited, amounting to Rs. 6,750.86 crore.

ii. The proposals were cleared during the FIPB meeting held on May 28

iii. Broadcaster Star India Private Limited has been given approval for further issuance and transfer of shares to its foreign collaborator and acquisition of another Indian company engaged in broadcasting sector on a slump sale basis.

iv. Syngene International has been allowed to raise foreign investment to 44 per cent from 10 per cent by initial public offering of equity shares to FIIs, FPIs and NRIs.

2. Book titled Modi - Incredible emergence of a star in Chinese language written by Tarun Vijay

i. A book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled Modi –Incredible emergence of a star written in Chinese language by Tarun Vijay

ii. The book was published in July 2014 by Sichuan University’s South Asia Study Centre.

iii. The book is a biography based on the life and economic vision of Narendra Modi.

3. ASCI launches mobile app to curb misleading advertisements

i. In a bid to address misleading advertisements, the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) launched its consumer complaint mobile application – ASCIonline, to provide consumer complaint services on a mobile app besides providing the facility online.

ii. Talking about the initiative, Narendra Ambwani, ASCI chairman said, “One of the goals of ASCI is to provide convenient access for lodging complaint and hence this launch of mobile app."

iii. Lodge complaints by simply providing advertisement details and objection. Users can also attach the files like image or video or YouTube link of that advertisement.

iv. Status of complaints and complaint tracking also made simple and user-friendly.

4. Archana Ramasundaram out of CBI, appointed Director of NCRB

i. Senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram has been moved out of the CBI and appointed as Director, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

ii. Ramasundaram, a 1980 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was appointed as Additional Director in CBI in February last year amid controversy.She was not assigned any work on the direction of the Supreme Court, which is hearing a writ petition against her appointment.

iii. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved lateral shift of Ramasundaram from the post of Additional Director, CBI to hold Director General or equivalent level post at the Centre.

iv. Ramasundaram's appointment last year had generated quite a controversy as the CBI locked horns with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Home Ministry over the choice.

5. Charles Correa, face of contemporary architecture in India passes away

i. India’s greatest contemporary architect Charles Correa passed away in Mumbai following a brief illness. He was 84.

ii. He was Chief Architect for Navi Mumbai along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta from 1970–75.

iii. He also had served as first Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanization and was appointed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.He is founder of Mumbai’s Urban Design Research Institute (established in 1984) dedicated to protect the environment and improve lives of urban communities.

iv. He had been awarded the Padma Shri (1972), Padma Vibhushan (2006) by Government of India. He was also awarded Royal Gold Medal for Architecture (1984) by the Royal Institute of British Architects, 7th Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1998), Praemium Imperiale of Japan.

6. Election Commission suspends recognition of PA Sangma-led National People’s Party

i. Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended recognition of the PA Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) which was a recognized state party in Meghalaya.

ii. The recognition of NPP was suspended under para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 after the party failed to file the election expenditure statement incurred in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

iii. At present NPP has one Lok Sabha member- PA Sangma from Tura constituency from Meghalaya. It also has 4 members in Rajasthan Legislative assembly and 2 in Meghalaya Legislative assembly.

7. BSNL to set up 40,000 wi-fi hot spots India

i. State owned telecommunications giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced to set up 40,000 Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) hot spots across the country.

ii. This project will come in lines with new digital architecture which is part of Union Government’s flagship Digital India Programme. The 40,000 wi-fi hot spots project will be entailed with an investment of about 6,000 crore rupees. The project is likely to be completed by 2018.

iii. It was announced by Union Minister of Communications & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad after launching the Wi-Fi facility at Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

iv. BSNL has installed the Wi-Fi facility at the premises of Taj Mahal as part of the Union Government’s plan to provide free internet services at major tourist places across country.