Daily GK Potion – 20th February 2016

Sameer Anjaan entered Guinness Book of Records for writing 3524 songs

  • Bollywood lyricist Sameer Anjaan is recognised by Guinness World Records as the Most prolific Bollywood lyricist ever who has composed 3524 different songs.
  • Sameer has written 3524 songs in 650 Bollywood movies, and is now the first Guinness Record possessor in this particular category.
  • Sameer was presented with a certificate during a celebration ceremony held in Mumbai.

Brendon McCullum belts fastest ever Test century against Australia

  • New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum has smashed the fastest ever Test ton in his final international match.
  • McCullum reached three figures in 54 balls in Christchurch on Saturday, bettering the previous mark of 56 deliveries held by Viv Richards and Misbah-ul-Haq.
  • He cracked four sixes and 16 fours to post his second Test ton against Australia

Kalikho Pul sworn in as new chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh

  • Dissident Congress leader Kalikho Pul has been sworn in as the ninth chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • He was administered the oath by governor KP Rajkhowa at a ceremony at the Raj Bhawan in Itanagar.
  • A former finance and health minister of the state, 47-year-old Pul represents the Hayuliang assembly constituency was elected as the leader of the house and the chief minister by the rebel Congress MLAs, BJP MLAs and two independents in the assembly session, which had been held at an auditorium as a make-shift venue on December 17

Harper Lee passes away

  • Harper Lee, who wrote one of America’s most beloved literary classics, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and surprised readers with a second book about racial injustice in the U.S. South after living a largely reclusive life for decades, died at the age of 89 on Friday.
  • “To Kill a Mockingbird” was published in 1960 as the civil rights movement was heating up and its unflinching examination of racial hatred in the South made it especially poignant.
  • In the first book, Finch, the adored father of the young narrator Scout, stood up to a white lynch mob and unsuccessfully defended a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman.

US launches anti-dumping probe on tyres from India, Sri Lanka

  • A US investigative body has decided to go ahead with its anti-dumping investigations into a certain category of tyres imported from India and Sri Lanka that may have a damaging effect on domestic industry even as it let China off the hook.
  • All six commissioners of the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) voted to determine that there is a reasonable indication that the US industry is materially injured by imports of certain new pneumatic off-the-road tyres from India that are allegedly sold in the country at less than fair value and subsidised by the governments of India and Sri Lanka.
  • This is for the first time that anti-dumping investigations have been launched into tyres coming to the US from India, while Chinese tyres have faced a similar probe in the past.

Christine Lagarde appointed for second term as IMF chief

  • Christine Lagarde, who steered the IMF through some troubled times including the Eupropean financial crisis, has been re-appointed as its Managing Director for a second five-year term after an uncontested election.
  • The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday selected 60-year-old Lagarde to serve as IMF Managing Director for a second five-year term starting on July 5, 2016, IMF said in a statement. The Board’s decision was taken by consensus.
  • During turbulent times in the global economy, Ms. Lagarde strengthened the Fund’s ability to support its members with policy advice, capacity building, and financing. She has also played a critical role in revitalising the Fund’s relations with its global membership, including its emerging market and developing members,
  • Before her appointment at the IMF in 2011, Ms. Lagarde had an extensive and noteworthy career as an anti-trust and labour lawyer.
  • She served as partner with the international law firm of Baker & McKenzie where she became Chairman of the Global Executive Committee in 1999, and subsequently Chairman of the Global Strategic Committee in 2004.
Gromo Referal

Tendulkar’s autobiography enters Limca Book of Records

  • He might have bid adieu to cricket but Sachin Tendulkar continues to make records with the his autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’ entering the Limca Book of Records for being the best-selling adult hardback across both fiction and non-fiction categories.
  • The book, published by Hachette India, was released on November 6, 2014 and has broken all records for an adult hardback across both fiction and non-fiction categories with 1,50,289 copies confirmed on order subscriptions.
  • Boria Majumdar was the co-author of Tendulkar’s autobiography. It also holds the record in retail value terms having logged up Rs. 13.51 crore with its cover price being Rs. 899.

Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd forms joint venture with Idea Cellular for payments bank

  • Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (ABNL) today announced formation of a joint venture with group firm Idea Cellular to set up a payments bank.
  • Last year in August, RBI had given in-principle approval to the company to set up a Payments Bank under the guidelines for licensing of Payments Banks.
  • The company jointly with Idea Cellular Ltd has incorporated a new subsidiary for the aforesaid purpose in the name and style of Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd, Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (ABNL) said in a BSE filing.
  • ABNL will hold 51 per cent shares and the rest 49 per cent by Idea Cellular
  • Payments banks are allowed to collect deposits (initially up to Rs 1 lakh per individual), offer Internet banking, facilitate money transfers and sell insurance and mutual funds.

Uma Bharti to Inaugurate Jal Manthan 2016

  • Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Sushri Uma Bharti will inaugurate “Jal Manthan -2” on February 22, 2016 New Delhi.
  • The main theme of two day event is ‘Integrated Approach for Sustainable Water Management’.
  • The two day event will have consultations and discussions on River Basin Approach for Sustainable development, Ground water, Water security, Principles of allocation of water, innovation in water governance, Water management, Coordination between centre and states, Water conservation and need for a National Legislation on water.
  • It may be recalled that first Jal Manthan was organized in November 2014.

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