GK Update 1 July 2016

1. Suresh Prabhu launches NIVARAN portal

i. Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Minister of Railways  has launched "NIVARAN portal", an online system for redressal of service related grievance of serving and former railway employees. 
ii. Nivaran portal is an online system that seeks to facilitate the employees to lodge their grievances and also monitor the progress.
iii. It has been developed by CRIS (Centre for Railway information systems), an IT arm of Indian Railways on basis of process designed by Establishment directorate of Railway Board.

2. Indigenously built Tejas inducted into IAF

i. The Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted the first squadron of the indigenously made Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas into its fleet. 
ii. An induction ceremony to induct two Tejas aircrafts was held at the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bengaluru, which included a multi religious prayer.
iii. The crew members of the first squadron of Tejas, a multi-role supersonic single-engine aircraft designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

3. SBI Digital Village

i. Balal village in Kasargode district in the state of Kerala is one of the 21 villages selected across the country by the State Bank of India under the SBI Digital Village initiative, which will be launched by the SBI Chairperson on State Bank Day (1st July). 
ii. The objective of the initiative is to popularise digital banking in rural areas. The bank has already installed an ATM, provided free Wi-Fi connection and conducted technology training sessions at Balal village.

4. D K Hota assumes charge as BEML chairman

i. D K Hota has been appointed as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML) with effect from July 1.
ii. Prior to assuming his office, he was the Director (HR) on the board of the company.
iii. Further, BEML has informed the exchanges that P Dwarakanath, ceased to be the company CMD consequent upon his attaining the superannuation on June 30, 2016.

5. World famous futurist, writer Alwin Toffler dies at 87

i. Alvin Toffler, the Famous author of Future Shock, passed away in Los Angeles, United States. He was 87.
ii. Toffler’s book Future Shock outlines people's anxiety at the pace of social change in the 1960s.
iii.  Alvin Toffler was known for his works discussing modern technologies. His works included the digital revolution and the communication revolution with emphasis on their effects on cultures worldwide.

6. India’s first integrated defence communication network launched

i. India's first integrated defence communication network was launched, enabling the army, air force, navy and the Special Forces Command to share situational awareness for a faster decision-making process.
ii. The Defence Communication Network (DCN), a strategic, highly secure and scalable system, has a pan-India reach from Ladakh to the North East to island territories.
iii. Built by HCL under a nearly Rs 600 crore project, DCN offers high quality voice, video and data services covering 111 entities spread across the country.

7. India Post payments bank proposal gets Cabinet nod

i. The Union Cabinet has granted its approval to set up India Post’s payments bank, 650 branches of which will be made operational by September 2017.
ii. The payments bank will be managed with a professional setup, headed a chief executive officer, and will have representations from various other government departments including the Department of Posts, Department of Expenditure and Department of Economic Services among others.
iii. The Total architecture of postal payments bank is of Rs 800 crore which will have Rs 400 crore equity and Rs 400 crore grant. By September 2017, all 650 branches of postal payments bank will become operational.

8. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu makes history again, becomes first Indian to feature in Europa League

i. Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was named in Norwegian club Stabaek FC's squad for their Europa League qualifying match against Welsh Premier League side Connah's Quay Nomads FC, making him the first from the country to play in the continental competition.
ii. Sandhu, who signed for Stabaek in 2014, made headlines in May when he became the first Indian to start a first team match in a top-division league of Europe. In that match against IK Start in the Norwegian Tippeligaen. 

iii. He kept a clean sheet in a 5-0 away victory. He then returned back home to play in goal for India’s thumping victory over Laos.

9. Sameer emerges fastest athlete of 56th National Inter-state Athletics

i. Sameer Mon, the veteran sprinter of India, won gold in 100 meter dash in 10.60 seconds at the 56th National Inter-state Senior Athletics Championships in Hyderabad.
ii. With this, Sameer, representing Manipur, also became the fastest athlete in the country.
iii. 32-year-old Sameer was a member of the bronze winning Indian 4x100m relay quartet in Delhi Commonwealth Games. He had earlier won the Inter-state titles in 2008 and 2011.