DAILY GK UPDATE: 20th SEPTEMBER 2012

1. India and Burundi signed 3 Major Agreements and issued a Joint Statement
President of the Republic of Burundi visited India from 17 to 19 September 2012.
During this visit, India and Burundi signed three agreements-
(i)Exchange Programme for Cooperation in the field of Education,
(ii)Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the field of Rural Development and 
(iii)Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.  Besides, India also announced a Line of Credit of 42.38 million US dollars for Farm Mechanisation and Integrated Food Processing Complex in Burundi.
2.Saina Nehwal signed up a 40-crore deal with Rhiti Sports Management Company
India`s badminton player Saina Nehwal signed up a 40-crore deal with Rhiti Sports Management company, which made her the country`s highest paid sportsperson outside cricket. Saina had a three-year contract with Deccan Chargers, which expired in September .
3. Andhra Pradesh Government decided to set up 15 Marine Police Stations
Andhra Pradesh state government decided to set up 15 marine police stations along its coastline in addition to the existing six ones. The decision was taken in a bid to beef up security along the 974 km long coastline of the state.
4.Tata Steel won a high-speed Rail Contract of Value Rs 315.15 Crore in France
Tata Steel, the Indian major iron and steel making company, received a letter of intent from French, Eiffage Rail for supplying high quality rails for the 182 kilometer high speed line. The line will connect the cities named Rennes and Le Mans. The project with its value Rs 315.15 Crore and will have to supply 50,000 tonnes rails for making of the Brittany-Loire Valley line. The rail line that is an extension of the high-speed link in existence will reduce the travel time by 37 minutes in between Rennes and Paris.
5 Famous Urdu Poet Muzaffar Razmi died at Kairana in Shamli district
The famous Urdu poet Muzzaffar Razmi died on 19 September 2012 in Kairana in Shamli district. Razmi wrote three books of Urdu Poetry. His book, Lahmon ki Khattah released in the year 2004 was uncovered by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
6.Delhi Quarterathon to be held on Oct 14
Delhi Quarterathon, India's first road running event, is all set to be held in the Capital on the 14th of next month with almost 10,000 runners expected to take part in the competition. Delhi Quarterathon will cover a stretch of 7 miles, and is the only road running event to be held every quarter across different cities in India. 
7.Four day literature festival kicks off in Nepal
In Nepal, a four day literature festival has begun in the capital Kathmandu today. Indian authors including Bengali poet and novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay, Journalist Vinod Mehta , Amish Tripathi, Advaita Kala, are taking part in the festival .
8.Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Chief Ministers fail to agree on water sharing at Cauvery River Authority meeting.
Prime Minister yesterday chaired a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority, CRA,  in New Delhi to discuss the demand made by Tamil Nadu for releasing more water of the river by Karnataka. There was no consensus in the meeting as both states refused to accept the ruling.  Dr Manmohan Singh has asked Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from the 21st of this month upto the 15th of next month. 
9.Inter Ministerial Group recommends de-allocation of three more coal blocks.
The Inter Ministerial Group, IMG, has recommended de-allocation of 3 more coal blocks. These  coal blocks are North Dhadu allotted to Electrosteel Castings Limited and others, Choritand Tailaya allotted to Rungta Mines Limited and Sunflag Iron and Steel Limited, Gondkhari allotted to Maharashtra Seamless Ltd,  Dhariwal Infrastructure (P) Ltd and Kesoram Industries Ltd. 
10.First super fast air-conditioned double decker express train was flagged off 
First super fast air-conditioned double decker express train was flagged off at Kalupur Railway Station in Ahmedabad. The double decker express train was the first fo its kind will complete its 500 kilometers journey from Ahmedabad to-Mumbai in seven hours. 
11.Commerce Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan begin today in Islamabad. 
The two-day talks will see the signing of three agreements for normalizing trade relations between the two neighbouring countries besides discussing a wide range of issues. This was disclosed by Commerce Secretary, S.R. Rao at the Wagah border. He is leading an 11-member delegation for talks with his counterpart Munir Qureshi. The talks would mainly focus on normalizing and boosting bilateral trade to create prosperity for the people of both the countries.
12.Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa  arrived in New Delhi last night for a three-day official visit. 
He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. During the official meetings, India is expected to air its concerns over issues related to the rehabilitation of war-displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka and also press for a long-term inclusive solution to the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka. He will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee.