Daily Free Current Affairs 7th Jan. 2016 ( Free GK Updates)

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 7 JAN 2016

(Daily News India)

                              Shared By: WWW.DailyGk.IN

1. KATE ATKINSON WINS 2015 COSTA NOVEL AWARD

i. The British writer Kate Atkinson has grabbed the 2015 Costa novel award for her novel “A God in Ruins”.

ii. She became the first British author to receive a Costa prize 3 times.

iii. Earlier she had won this award for Life After Life in 2013 and Behind the Scenes at the Museum in 1995.

iv.The Costa Book Awards are  annual literary awards given to English-language books  writers based in Britain and Ireland.

2. UNION GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO DIRECTLY SHIFT FROM BS-IV TO BS-VI EMISSION NORMS IN 2020

i.Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has decided to implement the emission norms of Bharat Stage  VI from 1st April 2020 to control vehicular pollution.

ii. Government will directly shift to BS-VI emission norms from the present BS-IV emission norms and will skip BS-V emission norms altogether.

iii.Earlier Supreme Court Ordered the Union Government to implement BS-VI emission norms earlier than April 2021 deadline due to rising air pollution in the country.

UNON ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS MINISTER: NITIN GADKARI

3. APURVI CHANDELA BROKE WORLD RECORD TO WIN GOLD AT SWEDISH CUP GRAND PRIX

i. Indian shooter Apurvi Chandela broke the world record to grab a gold medal in the women's 10 metre air rifle event at the Swedish Cup Grand Prix.

ii. Apurvi Chandela shot 211.2 in the event and broken record of Chinese Olympic gold medallist Yi Siling, who held the record with 211.

iii. She has also qualified for the Women's 10 m air rifle at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

4. JAMMU AND KASHMIR CHIEF MINISTER MUFTI MOHAMMAD SAYEED DIED

i. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away on 7 January at the AIIMS hospital in New Delhi.

ii. He had founded the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party. 

5. UNION CABINET APPROVES CREATION OF A CREDIT GUARANTEE FUND FOR MUDRA LOANS

i. The Union Cabinet has approved creation of a Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units Development Refinance Agency loans.

ii. Under Credit Guarantee Fund for MUDRA Units will guarantee loans sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana to reduce the credit risk to Banks and other financial intermediaries who are Member Lending Institutions.

iii. Under this scheme the guarantee  would  be  provided  on  portfolio  basis  to  a  maximum  extent of  50 per cent  of  Amount  in  Default  in  the MUDRA  Bank.

6. FILIPPO GRANDI TAKES CHARGE AS UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

i.Senior United Nations official Filippo Grandi  has taken the charge as new UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

ii. He has replaced Antonio Guterres of Portugal.

iii. He has been appointed for a tenure of five years.

iv.United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees.

v.It is established in 1950 and headquarterd at Geneva, Switzerland.