Daily GK Potion – 11th March 2015

1. Solar-powered plane SI2 lands in Ahmedabad
   • Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), the world’s first solar flight circumventing the globe without a drop of fuel, landed after a delay of two days.
   • The Swiss aircraft touched down at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 11.24 p.m. Gujarat Chief Secretary D.J. Pandian received pilot Bertrand Piccard at the airport and presented him with a Gujarati shawl.
   • This is the airplane’s second stop. Solar Impulse 2 began its journey from Abu Dhabi on Monday and made a stopover at the Muscat International Airport in Oman on Tuesday morning.
2. Saif Ali Khan to promote ‘Bollywood Britain’ tourism campaign in India
   • VisitBritain, the country’s national tourism agency, has announced actor Saif Ali Khan as the spokesperson for the ‘Bollywood Britain’ tourism campaign in India.
   • Aimed at honeymooners and couples seeking a romantic getaway, the campaign highlights different movie locations featured in some of the most popular Bollywood blockbusters, starring actors such as Saif in films like “Cocktail” and “Love Aaj Kal”.Saif in films like “Cocktail” and “Love Aaj Kal”.
3. Land bill passed in Lok Sabha
   • The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015, popularly known as the land bill, was adopted by the Lok Sabha after debating it for two days.
   • Congress and Biju Janata Dal walked out ahead of the voting, to protest the removal of a clause that makes it mandatory to get farmers’ consent prior to the acquisition of land by the government.
   • Government made nine amendments to bill, all of them were adopted. Lok Janshakti Party extended support to the Bill.
4. Attorney General’s office is public authority under RTI Act: Delhi High Court
   • The Delhi High Court on Tuesday held that the office of the Attorney General of India carries out public function and it comes within the ambit of the Right To Information (RTI) Act.
   • Justice Vibhu Bakhru also said that the top law officer performed public functions and his appointment was governed by the Constitution, and so it falls under the RTI Act.
5. Five sick PSUs to be closed down: Govt in Lok Sabha
   • Five public sector undertakings (PSUs) will be closed down by the government, which has included some of the best known state-run enterprises like Air India, MTNL and Hindustan Shipyard, in the list of 65 sick PSUs.
   • Air India accumulated losses of Rs 5388 crore, Rs 5490 crore and Rs 7559 crore in years 2013-14, 2012-13 and 2011-12 respectively, according to the figures tabled in the House.
   • MTNL showed profit of Rs 7820 crore in 13-14 but had incurred losses of Rs 5321 cr and Rs 4109 cr in the previous years.
   • Hindustan Shipyard Limited posted losses of Rs 859 crore, Rs 551 crore and Rs 462 crore in the three years.
6. World Cup: Kumar Sangakkara Creates ODI Record, Powers to Fourth Ton in a Row
   • Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara on Wednesday became the first player to score four successive one-day international centuries, setting a new record in a World Cup match against Scotland in Hobart.
   • Sangakkara had made 105 not out against Bangladesh, an unbeaten 117 in the game with England followed by 104 against Australia.
   • Sangakkara was eventually out for 124 in the 37th over having hit 13 boundaries and four sixes.
   • Sangakkara is due to retire from one-day internationals after the World Cup.
7. United Arab emirates to host 2019 AFC ASIAN cup
   • United Arab Emirates will host the AFC Asian Cup 2019 after defeating a rival bid from Iran, the Asian Football Confederation has confirmed.
   • The 2019 instalment will see an expanded tournament with 24 teams competing instead of 16.
   • UAE will host the Asian Cup for the second time, with the competition having taken place there in 1996.
8. Aditya Birla Retail to buy Jubilant’s Total
   • Aditya Birla Retail, part of the $40-billion Aditya Birla Group, is set to take over Total hypermarkets owned by Jubilant Retail in a tuck-in acquisition deal.
   • The deal would see the diversified Jubilant Bhartia Group making a quiet exit from hypermarket retailing, which it entered a decade ago.
9. LIC to invest Rs 1.5-L cr in Indian Railways over next 5 years
   • State-run insurance major LIC on Wednesday committed Rs 1.5 lakh crore to the Indian Railways for development of various commercially viable projects.
   • The investment would be made over a period of five years.
   • “LIC has taken the task of supporting Indian Railways… It is a commercial decision… LIC will invest Rs 1.5 lakh crore over a period of five years,” finance minister Arun Jaitley said.
   • The investment would be done in bonds issued by various railway entities such Indian Railways Finance Corporation (IRFC), beginning next fiscal.
   • On an average, LIC will be subscribing bonds worth Rs 30,000 crore over next five years.
     
10. Obama names David Hale as ambassador to Pak
    • U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated veteran diplomat David Hale as the next ambassador to Pakistan.
    • Mr.Hale is currently the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, a position he has held since 2013.
    • Mr. Obama named him for the post on Tuesday and if confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Hale would replace Cameron Munter.
11. Manmohan summoned in coal scam case
    • A Delhi court on Wednesday summoned former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Coal Secretary P.C. Parakh and industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and others as accused in a coal block allocation scam case.
    • Rejecting the CBI’s plea for closing the case, Special Judge Bharat Prasahar asked all the accused persons to appear on April 8, the next date of hearing.
    • The case pertains to the allocation of coal blocks to Hindalco, owned by the Aditya Birla Group, allegedly in violation of rules.
12. SBI sells 4% stake in Cibil to IIFL for around Rs 72 crore
    • State Bank of IndiaBSE -0.85 % has sold 4 per cent stake in the largest credit information company Credit Information Bureau India Ltd (Cibil) for an estimated Rs 72 crore.
    • Cibil is the largest and the oldest credit bureau in the country having entered the market in 2000.
    • The US-based TransUnion International owns a 55 per cent stake in the company. The rules allow 74 per cent FDI in credit information companies.
      

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