Daily GK Potion – 30th July 2015

 

  1. India to surpass China by 2022 to become world’s most populous nation
    1. India will surpass China to become the most populous nation in the world by 2022, six years sooner than previously forecast, and the country is projected to retain the top spot till 2100.
    2. Currently, the population of China is approximately 1.38 billion compared with 1.31 billion in India.
    3. Around and after 2022, India’s population is projected to continue growing for several decades to 1.5 billion in 2030 and 1.7 billion in 2050, while the population of China is expected to remain fairly constant until the 2030s, after which it is expected to slightly decrease.
  2. Microsoft launches new operating system Windows 10
    1. Microsoft will start rolling out its new operating system Windows 10 around the world, including India, with a host of new features as the long-time leader in PC software tries to lure back consumers who gave up on Windows for mobile.
    2. The technology giant’s India-born CEO Satya Nadella will have the Windows 10 launch party in Kenya.
  3. Kotak launches mobile banking app for ‘un-banked’ regions
    1. Seeking to provide mobile banking services to customers in the remotest of regions, Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) today launched a mobile banking app ‘Kotak Bharat’ which requires no internet connectivity.
    2. The ‘inclusive digital banking’ app is primarily targetted to benefit customers in the under-banked and un-banked regions, who can access its services in their preferred language.
    3. It is currently available in Hindi and English. The app would also be available in Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil and Kannada in about a month, followed by other Indian languages.
  4. Rs 20k-cr NIIF, foreign investment in AIFs to boost infrastructure
    1. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday gave its nod for setting up of the proposed Rs 20,000-crore National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
    2. First announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 Budget speech, the corpus of NIIF will be used to raise debt and, in turn, be invested as equity in infrastructure finance companies such as Indian Railway Finance Corporation and National Housing Bank.
    3. Government contribution would not exceed 49 per cent of the subscribed capital of NIIF, so that it can be seen as a sovereign fund and take independent decisions on its planned investments.
  5. Dhanush’s ‘Visaarnai’ Becomes First Tamil Film To Enter Venice Film Festival
    1. Superstar Dhanush’s production venture “Visaarnai” has become the first Tamil movie to have its premiere in the competition section of the upcoming 72nd Venice International Film Festival.
    2. The film stars Attakathi Dinesh, Anandhi and Aadukalam Murugadoss in the leading roles.
    3. The film is Dhanush’s second film as producer to get international recognition after the critically acclaimed “Kaaka Mutta”.
  6. Yakub Memon hanged after unprecedented pre-dawn Supreme Court hearing
    1. Convicted as “a driving spirit” for the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in which 257 people were killed, Yakub Memon was finally hanged in Nagpur jail today, after 21 years in prison.
    2. Memon was first convicted in 2007 by a Mumbai court for financing and organising the training in Pakistan of those who executed the attack. The Supreme Court upheld that verdict in 2013.
  7. Hockey India appoints Roelant Oltmans as India coach after Van Ass exit
    • Hockey India (HI) President Narinder Batra on Saturday announced High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans as the coach of men’s national team after Paul van Ass’s six-month tenure ended under unceremonious circumstances.

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