GK Update 10 June 2016

1. Suresh Prabhu flags off Champaran Satyagrah Express train in Bihar

i. In Bihar, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off Champaran Satyagrah Express train at a function in Motihari. 
ii. This train will run between Bapudham, Motihari to Anand Vihar, Delhi. 
iii. The Minister also inaugurated Banmankhi - Purnea rail section and Pipraha Railway Station. Mr. Prabhu also inaugurated road over bridges at Motihar, Begusarai, and Danapur through video conferencing.

2. Axis Bank launches India’s first certified green bond at London Stock Exchange

i. Axis Bank has launched India’s first internationally-listed certified green bond to finance climate change solutions around the world at London Stock Exchange (LSE). 
ii. The proceeds of the bond will be invested by Axis Bank in green energy, transportation, and infrastructure projects. The green bonds of Axis Bank were certified by the Climate Bonds Standards Board.
iii. Green Bonds : Bonds basically are debt instruments which help issuer to get capital while the investors receive fixed income in the form of interest. In the case of Green Bonds, the issuer gets capital from the investors only if the investment (capital) is being raised to fund green projects relating to renewable energy or emission reductions etc.

3. Maharashtra to observe 21st of every month as Yoga Day

i. Maharashtra government has decided to celebrate the 21st day of every month as Yoga day across all schools, colleges and universities in the state.
ii. It is also decided that every district will have to set up a Yoga Day committee at their levels to plan 'Yoga Mahotsav' (Yoga Festival) every year in between January 12-21 and a separate committee at the state level will monitor and coordinate with these committees.

4. Centre announces new Print Media Advertisement policy

i. Information and Broadcasting ministry has framed a New Print Media Advertisement Policy for Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) with the objective to promote transparency and accountability in issuing of advertisements in print media.
ii. The DAVP is the nodal agency of the Government of India for advertising on behalf of various Ministries and Departments which are funded by the government.
ii. The policy focuses on streamlining release of Government advertisements and to also promote equity and fairness among various categories of newspapers and periodicals.
iii. The policy has classified newspaper and journals into three categories namely small, that is up to 25,000 copies, medium between 25,001 and 75,000 copies and big, 75,000 copies or more, per publishing day.

5. India signs up to Europe-led clampdown on tax evasion and corruption

i. India has joined a group of nearly 40 countries that have signed a Europe-led clampdown on tax evasion and corruption.  Besides India, some of the other countries outside Europe include Nigeria, Afghanistan, Mexico, and UAE.
ii. Under this group countries are committed to automatically exchange information on beneficial ownership between law enforcement agencies and tax authorities of partner countries. 
iii. This initiative aims to develop a global standard for the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership data Most European countries except Switzerland have signed this automatic exchange mechanism.

6. Nepal Deputy PM to land in Delhi today for three-day visit

i. Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Kamal Thapa has arrived in New Delhi today on a three-day visit. 
ii. Mr. Thapa, who is also Nepal's Foreign Minister, will hold the talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on a range of bilateral issues which also includes, Nepal's Constitution and internal situation. 
iii. During his visit to the nation, he will also attend the convocation of the South Asian University in New Delhi tomorrow. This is an SAARC project which came into force in the year 2010. This will be his fifth visit to India since the formation of CPN-UML-led government in October.

7. FCI inks pact with Adani Group

i. Food Corporation of India (FCI), a state-run organization has signed an agreement with the Adani group for construction of two silos to store wheat, at an estimated cost of about Rs 80 crore. These two silos would have a combined storage capacity of 75,000 tons. 
ii. The silos will be designed, built, financed and operated by the private partner Adani group, while it will be owned by the FCI.
iii. As part of the agreement, Adani Agri Logistics will construct silos at Kotkapura in Punjab and Katihar in Bihar in the next two years. The silo at Kotkapura would be of 25,000 -tons capacity and will require an investment of about Rs 35 crore while the other silo at Katihar would have a capacity of 50,000 tons to be built at a cost of about Rs 45 crore.

8. Tata Power Solar bagged the MNRE award

i. Tata Power Solar has bagged the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) award for rooftop solar power projects. 
ii. The company has won the award in the Channel Partner/EPC contractor category at the National Excellence Awards 2016 instituted by MNRE for the first time.
iii. As per MNRE, the awards are presented to encourage efficiency and give positive feedback to various government bodies as well as private sector. The Tata Power Solar has commissioned 112.5 MW of rooftop projects till 2016. 

9. Internet Saathi, a joint initiative of Google and Tata has launched in West Bengal
i. Internet search engine Google and Tata Trusts’ joint initiative Internet Saathi was launched in Kolkata, West Bengal.
ii. The initiative aims at reducing the digital gender gap in rural areas of India such as Purulia, where girls have now been trained to use the Internet and teach others in turn.
iii. In the last ten months, the initiative has been active in villages across five states in India, namely Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

10. MTNL chairman Narendra Yadav steps down

i. State-run firm Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has announced that its Chairman and Managing Director, Narendra Kumar Yadav has resigned. 
ii. Now for the timing, Director (finance) P K Purwar has been given additional charge of the CMD's post. 
iii. The company is a telecommunications service provider in the metro cities of Mumbai and New Delhi in India and in the island nation of Mauritius in Africa.

11. Major General Per Lodin appointed to head UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan

i. Per Lodin, Major General of Sweden, was appointed as the Head of the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). It has personnel from 10 countries comprising 44 military members and 72 civilian staff. UNMOGIP began the operations in 1949.
ii. Lodin's appointment was approved by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
iii. Major General Lodin succeeds Major General Delali Johnson Sakyi of Ghana, who will complete his two-year assignment as Chief Military Observer and Head of UNMOGIP on 2 July 2016.

12. Akhil Sharma wins €100,000 Dublin International literary award

i. An Indian American author Mr. Akhil Sharma has won the prestigious 2016 International DUBLIN Literary Award for his novel 'family life'. 
ii. The Award is organised and sponsored by Dublin City Council and at €100,000 is the world’s largest prize for a single novel published in English. 
iii. The winning novel was chosen from a total of 160 titles, nominated by libraries in 118 cities in 43 countries. Akhil Sharma is the third American author to win the prize in its 21-year history. He is also the author of An Obedient Father, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

13. BJP MLA dies in road mishap in Madhya Pradesh

i. In Madhya Pradesh, ruling BJP MLA Rajendra Dadu died in a road accident. He was 62 years old.
ii. His vehicle suffered an accident on the Bhopal-Indore road in Sherpura vicinity on the outskirts of Sehore district. 
iii. This was his second consecutive term as MLA of Nepanagar in Burhanpur district. He was going Indore to attend a BJP Legislature Party meeting.

14. World's highest-paid athletes: Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes 2016 list

i. Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first athlete from a team sport in almost 20 years to top Forbes annual list of the World's Highest-Paid Athletes. 
ii. The financial magazine has calculated the earnings, including all salaries, prize-winnings and bonuses earned by active athletes between June 1st, 2015 and June 1st, 2016. 
iii. Ronaldo, with earnings of 88 million US Dollars, takes the top spot for the first time, which is also the first time for a soccer player.

15. Euro 2016 to kick off in Paris today amid tight security

i. Europe's biggest football extravaganza, Euro 2016 begins in France today and will end on 10th July.
ii. 24-teams will vie for the supremacy in European football, during the one month-long marathon. 
iii. Hosts France will launch the tournament with a Group A game against Romania tonight at the Stade de France.