Daily GK Potion – 24th and 25th December 2014

  1. Deadline to exchange pre-2005 notes extended till June 30
    • The deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations, including Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, has been extended by another six months till June, 30, 2015 by RBI.
    • Earlier the deadline to exchange the notes was January 1, 2015.
    • The central bank clarified that all such notes will continue to remain a legal tender.
    • Currency notes issued before 2005 do not have the year of printing on the reverse side. In notes issued post 2005, the year of printing is visible at the bottom on the reverse.
    • Post-2005 notes have added security features and help in curbing the menace of fake currency.
  2. Senior Congress leader Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil is appointed as Leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly.
  3. Snapdeal launches online ‘Agri Store’ targeting farmers
    • Celebrating Kisan Diwas, e-retailing firm Snapdeal.com announced the launch of “The Agri Store.
    • It will offer products like seeds, fertiliser and irrigation tools, among others, to farmers.
    • A Hindi version of the store will also be launched soon to aid farmers in making an informed decision.
  4. Veteran Actor Booth Colman passed away at 91. He was known for his roles in television series ‘Star Trek’, and films like ‘Julius Ceasar’,
  5. Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malaviya
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    • The President’s Office has announced the Bharat Ratna award to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
    • The announcement was made on the eve of Mr. Vajpayee’s 90th birthday and the 153rd birth anniversary of Pandit Malviya.
    • Mr. Vajpayee will be the seventh Prime Minister to receive the award, while Pandit Malviya will be the 12th person to be honoured posthumously.
    • Pandit Malviya was a freedom fighter and the founder of the Benaras Hindu University.
  6. National Consumer Rights Day observed on 24th December.
  7. Government sets up committee to form SIT to reinvestigate 1984 riot cases
    • The Committee, headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice (retired) G.P. Mathur, will submit its report within three months.
    • The committee will also oversee the implementation of the payment of enhanced compensation of Rs. 5 lakh per person killed during the riots.
  8. Centre celebrates Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday as ‘Good Governance Day’
    • Centre government celebrated the 90th birthday of Bharatiya Janata Party veteran and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Good Governance Day.
    • “There is no bigger tribute to Atal ji than celebrating his birthday as ‘Good Governance Day’ and pledging to devote ourselves to this cause,” Modi tweeted.
    • Home Minister Rajnath Singh and senior BJP leader LK Advani will release a book titled ‘Hamare Atal ji’.
  9. S Bhattacharya appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Ltd
    • Senior IAS officer S Bhattacharya has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Ltd (CIL).
    • The CIL was without a full time chief for the past six months.
    • Bhattacharya, is currently the CMD of Singareni Collieries Company (SCCL).
  10. ISRO’s Radhakrishnan in Nature journal’s top ten list
    • Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is one of the 2014 top ten scientists chosen by the prestigious journal Nature.
    • This is the first time in the recent past that the journal has chosen an Indian working in India. He is listed along with other people like Andrea Accomazzo, the Rosetta flight operations director, European Space Agency.
  11. United Bank of India launches new alternate delivery products
    • Kolkata-based United Bank of India (UBI) recently launched three new ‘alternate delivery products’ that will provide more convenience to the customers.
    • This puts the bank in the select group of banks offering the facility of online transactions (RuPay e-commerce), with RuPay debit cards.
    • Another product ‘TD on Missed Call’ gives the ease of investment in pre-defined Fixed Deposit (Rs10,000) by just giving a missed call on a particular number.
    • The other facility to have been launched includes the online PPF account maintenance.