GK Today

GK Today(28-08-2015)

Greece's caretaker government sworn in with first female prime minister

i. Greece’s new caretaker government was sworn in on Friday as the country prepares early elections next month, the third time Greeks will go to the polls this year.
Vassiliki Thanou, a top judge and the country’s first female prime minister, will lead the country until the election, which is expected to take place on 20 September.

NDMC decides to rename Aurangzeb road as APJ Abdul Kalam road

i. Aurangzeb road one of the most important addresses in Lutyen's Delhi will be renamed as Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam road.
ii. According to East Delhi MP Maheish Girri, who belongs to the BJP, the New Delhi Municipal Council or NDMC has decided to change the name from Aurangzeb road to Abdul Kalam road.
iii. Aurangzeb road begins at the Taj Mansingh hotel near India Gate and joins Safdarjang Road near the official residence of the Prime Minister.

Union Government gives nod to 6 new SEZ proposals

i. Union Government has approved six new proposals 6 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) proposals including four from Information Technology and IT enabled Service (ITeS) sector. This decision was taken by the Board of Approval (BoA) for SEZ (under the aegis of Union Commerce Ministry) chaired by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia.
ii. The approved SEZ proposals are
HCL IT City Lucknow- set up IT/ITeS zones in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Loma IT Park Developer- set up IT/ITeS zones in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
North Mumbai International Commodity Township- It is proposed free trade warehousing zone in Thane, Maharashtra.
iii. It should be noted that SEZs account for about 25 per cent of the India’s total exports. In 2013-14, exports from these zones had rose to 4.94 lakh crore rupees from 22,840 crore rupees in 2005-06.

Scientist Dr Modadugu Vijay Gupta to receive inaugural Sunhak Peace Prize

i. Noted Indian agricultural scientist Dr Modadugu Vijay Gupta has been chosen for the inaugural Sunhak Peace Prize. He will receive the first Sunhak Peace Prize in South Korean Capital city of Seoul along with President of Kiribati Islands Anote Tong.
ii. Dr. M. V. Gupta has been selected for this award for his pioneering work in the blue revolution. He has invested his entire life to developing sustainable aquaculture as an alternative solution to the future food crisis. Anote Tong has been chosen for this award for creating global awareness on the severity of climate change issue and sought for action by the international community for its solution.

 Union Government launches E-Payment Module to deposit compensatory levies into CAMPA Funds

i. Union Government has launched an e-payment module to make the payment of compensatory levies into the Compensatory Afforestation Management Planning Authority (CAMPA) Funds.
ii. It was launched by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi in order to make these payments for diversion of forest land quicker and more transparent. The e-payment module has a designated account for the payment purpose, depending on the States in which the forest land is proposed to be diverted.

 Introducing Fortune's Change the World list: Companies that are doing well by doing good

i. The economic system that won the great ideological battle of the 20th century is facing a renewed challenge in the 21st. You can hear it in the passionate rhetoric of Pope Francis in Bolivia and see it in the crowds cheering socialist Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire.
ii. To take on the world’s toughest challenges in a sustainable way, companies are turning to something familiar: the profit motive. Here, the true and best meaning of return on investment.
iii. Fortune’s new Change the World list is our contribution to this trend. It is meant to shine a spotlight on companies that have made significant progress in addressing major social problems as a part of their core business strategy.

 Barcelona's Lionel Messi wins UEFA Best Player in Europe award 

i. Lionel Messi added another individual trophy to his collection Thursday, being voted UEFA's Best Player in Europe for last season.
ii. The Barcelona star beat Luis Suarez, his teammate at the Champions League winner, and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in a Europe-wide poll of journalists.
iii. Messi, the four-time FIFA world player of the year, got the UEFA honor after a season-long duel with Ronaldo for the Champions League scoring record. Both resume this season on 77 goals.
iv. Suarez, who scored the decisive second goal in the 3-1 final win over Juventus in June, reached the shortlist despite starting his season in late-October. The Uruguay forward served a FIFA ban for biting at the 2014 World Cup.

Usain Bolt beats Justin Gatlin in World Championships 200m final

i. Usain Bolt won the rematch and 200m gold as he ran a wonderful bend to once again leave rival Justin Gatlin chasing silver and fresh air.
ii. On a sweaty, sticky night in the Bird's Nest, Bolt was out of the blocks quicker and opened up an unassailable lead over the first 100m before coming away down the straight and jabbing his thumbs at his chest as he crossed the line.
iii. His 19.55 seconds was the fastest in the world this year, his speed and peerless championship class too good for American Gatlin, whose 19.74 was well outside his season's best.