DAILY GK UPDATE: 18TH JANUARY

1. National Bravery Awards: 22 children selected

i.22 children including 4 girls have been selected for 2012 National Bravery Awards.

ii.The coveted Bharat Award will be conferred on 17 year old Master Tarang Atulbhai Mistry of Gujarat who saved four people from drowning in the Narmada River.
iii.The prestigious Geeta Chopra Award will be conferred on 18-year old Kumari Renu who was instrumentral in exposing the perpetrators of inhuman treatment of a children's home.

iv.The Sanjay Chopra Award will go to 11 and a half year old Master Gajendra Ram of Chattisgarh who saved a child from drowning in a well.

v.The Awards were announced at a function held in New Delhi this afternoon.

2. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Continuation of JNNURM

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the continuation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to sanction new projects and capacity building activities till 31st March, 2014 under Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) components of JNNURM.  

NOTE:The proposal would enable provisioning of creation of urban infrastructure, particularly in small and medium towns, in all States and UTs. These projects would be subsumed in the next phase of the JNNURM for the 12th Five Year Plan.

3. 50% cut in reserve price of CDMA spectrum

The government has approved a 50 per cent reduction in the reserve price of spectrum used by CDMA mobile operators.

Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said: i. "The Cabinet has approved 50 per cent reduction in CDMA spectrum (reserve) price which was fixed earlier at Rs 18,200 crore (pan India 5MHz),"

ii.After 50 per cent reduction, pan-India 5MHz of 800 MHz spectrum (CDMA radio-waves) will now cost Rs 9,100 crore.

iii.The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, considered the recommendation of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) which suggested a 50 per cent cut in the reserve price of 800 MHz band.

4. Govt imposes 2.5 per cent import duty on crude edible oil:

i.The government imposed 2.5 per cent import duty on crude edible oil to protect domestic farmers, but duties unchanged on refined cooking oil feared a hike in retail prices.

ii.The decision was taken at the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

At present, crude edible oil attracts no import duty but there is 7.5 per cent duty on refined edible oil.

NOTE: In 2011-12 oil years (November-October), the total import of vegetables oils (edible and non-edible oil) was an all-time high of 10.19 million tonnes.

In the first two months of the current oil year, imports are up by 5 per cent. 

5. London-Based Indian Researcher Selected For Award for Alzheimer's Drug

Mahaveer Golechha, the London-based Indian researcher was selected to be felicitated for an award that includes his work on a drug that can be a potential cure of Alzheimer's disease.

Golechha, 27 would travel to San Francisco for receiving this Young Investigator Scholarship Awardwhich will be awarded by the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation at its 7th Annual Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration Conference in February 2013.

Mahaveer Golechha’s research on the drug:

In the study conducted by Golechha, he found discovered that naringin has essential anti-Alzheimer activity. This in turn could be essential for further research for developing cure of the disease.

Alzheimer's disease is primarily the neurodegenerative disorder which affects mostly the elderly.

6. First North East International Tourism Mart begins in Guwahati:

i.The first ever North East International Tourism Mart begins at Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati today.

ii.Tourism ministers, tour operators, hoteliers from across the globe are participating in the mega extravaganza.

iii.The international tourism mart is showing North-East’s tourism products and their prospective before a global audience. Delegates from the US, Australia, Italy, Swizerland and ASEAN countires, among others are taking parts in the fair.

NOTE: The 10th annual convention of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India will also be held at the same venue after the end of International tourism mart.

7. Chinese Author Zhao Jiang to launch her First Book in Tamil, China’s Travel Attractions:

i. Zhao Jiang the Director of the Government-run China Radio International’s (CRI) Tamil station has written a book in Tamil titled China’s Travel Attractions. The book will carry her Tamil name Kalaimakal.

ii. This is her first book in Tamil and would make a debut in the Chennai Book fair that is going on in YMCA College Ground in Nandanam and will continue till 23 January 2013.

iii. The book named China’s Travel Attraction is a compilation of the history and culture of the Beijing, Sanghai and Tibet and can be considered as an introduction these.

The book also carries the story of changes seen by the Chinese Capital in recent past to its turning up as a city of subways.

About Zhao Jiang:

i.  She has served as a broadcaster in China Radio International’s for 13 years
ii. She completed her undergraduate degree in Tamil from Communications University of China – the only school in Beijing that teaches Tamil.

8. Union Cabinet of India Approved President’s Rule in Jharkhand

i.The central government of India recommended to the President Pranab Mukherjee, to impose President’s rule in the state.

ii.The former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Arjun Munda resigned from the office after his government was concentrated to minority after the withdrawal of support of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

iii.In the meeting, the Union Cabinet of India discussed Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed’s report for imposition of President's rule and eventually referred this matter to President for taking the necessary action.

NOTE:  I. Jharkhand was created as a state in 2000 and since then, it has been kept under the President’s Rule two times.

ii.1st President’s Rule: imposed on 19 January 2009 because of loss of majority following the resignation of CM Shibu Soren

iii.2nd President’s Rule: imposed on 1 June 2010, because of loss of majority following the resignation of CM Shibu Soren

iv.President’s Rule is imposed in case of failure of constitutional machinery in States under Article 356.

9. Saina sails into Malaysian Open semis:

i.Saina Nehwal defeated Japanese Nozomi Okuhara by 21-11, 14-21  2-0  in a 43-minute contest of the Malaysian Super Series in the women's singles competition here on Friday.

ii.She will next take on the winner between two-time All England champion Tine Baun and sixth seed Tzu Ying Tai of Chinese Taipei tomorrow.

10. Cycling champ Armstrong confesses to using drugs:

i.Lance Armstrong has finally confessed to using performance enhancing drugs during his cycling career.

ii.He also admitted that he cheated to win all seven of his Tour de France titles.

iii.Armstrong revealed his secrets in an interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Yesterday, hours before the interview went to air, the International Olympic Committee stripped him of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Games.

iv.A cancer survivor who inspired millions with what had seemed like a fairytale career, Armstrong said he did not believe he could have achieved what he did without breaking the rules due to the culture of drugs in cycling.

NOTE:i. Armstrong's admission came just months after the U.S.Anti-Doping Agency released a detailed report describing him as the ringmaster of the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.

ii.Armstrong has already been banned for life, stripped of his all race wins and dumped by his sponsors.

11. Ranchi ready to host first ever cricket match: India vs England 2012-13

i. Jharkhand's capital is set to host its first international cricket match when India take on England in a One-Day International (ODI) in the newly built 39,000-capacity JSCA International Stadium here Saturday.

ii. The stadium, located in the outskirts of the city in Dhurwa, is around 10 minutes away from the Birsa Munda Airport.

iii. The ground does not have fences which gives every spectator an unrestricted view. There are two major pavilions with five viewing levels. There are two grass hill tops too located on the east and western stand.