The Daily Brief – 26th July 2016

By Praveen Dwivedi -
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  • The Lok Sabha has passed Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in order to open six new IITs. The Bill seeks to amend the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 to add six new IITs as institutions of national importance.
  • The Union Agriculture Ministry and the S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the second phase of the “Feed the Future” India triangular training programme. The programme seeks to bring specialised agriculture training to 1,500 agricultural professionals across Africa and Asia.
  • India has contributed 100,000 USD to the United Nations’ Trust Fund in support of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. With this, India has become the first country to make a contribution to the fund and to start a UN fund for sex abuse victims. Historically, India has been one of the largest troop-contributing countries in the UN peacekeeping operations. Currently, India is second largest contributor of military and police personnel.
  • Budha Rashmi Mani was appointed as Director General (DG) of the National Museum. He was appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) presided by Prime Minister Modi. He will have a tenure of 3 years or till attainment of age 70. It is one of the largest museums in India. It functions under the Union Ministry of Culture.
  • Top Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav failed a dope test after he was tested positive for a banned substance steroid. With this, his participation in 2016 Rio Olympics has been jeopardised and if found guilty by the disciplinary panel, he may face a four-year suspension. The out-of-competition doping test was conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
  • Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited, a public sector company, is set to wind up its operations. The management has informed the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) that the company cannot be revived to operate in profit.
  • Sanjay Puri has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer of ITC Ltd.
  • The Telecom Commission has decided to fix a minimum rate of three per cent of a company’s adjusted gross revenue as spectrum usage charge (SUC), so as to move towards a uniform rate for all players.
  • K’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, is likely to visit India this year in a bid to renew ties and partnerships post the Brexit referendum. He will be the first British minister to visit India since Brexit.
  • The Finance Ministers from the Group of 20 (G-20) major economies have pledged to boost the global economy. This announcement was made at the end of the two-day meeting of G-20 Finance ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held in Chengdu, China.
  • The Singapore zoo has decided to repopulate the Caribbean Islands with the manatee, which became extinct in that region in the early 20th The species is listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
  • Chris Froome won his third Tour de France title, after winning it in 2013, as well as last year.

Today’s Quiz

1. Who won the Tour de France title this year?





2. Which of the following animals became extinct in the Caribbean Islands, and will soon be repopulated there by the Singapore zoo?





3. Where was the G-20 Finance Ministers Meeting held this year?





4. Who recently became the U.K’s foreign secretary post the Brexit referendum, and is likely to visit India this year to renew business ties?





5. Who has been appointed as the new COO of ITC Ltd.?





6. Which Indian wrestler recently failed a dope test, jeopardizing his participation in the Rio Olympics?





7. Who has recently been appointed as the Director General of the National Museum?





8. Which country recently contributed to set up the first United Nations’ Trust Fund in support of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers?





9. The Lok Sabha recently passed the Institutes of Technology Amendment Bill. What does the Bill seek to do?





10. What Ministry of the central government manages the National Museum?









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