Daily Gk Update For January 5, 2015

Arvind Panagariya named NITI Aayog vice-chairman

 

Economist Arvind Panagariya has been appointed to run Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new Policy Commission, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said on Monday.

The new commission was set up to modernise economic strategy after decades of Soviet-style central planning.

Economist Bibek Debroy along with former secretary of defence research and development V.K. Saraswat were named as the other full-time members of the commission, also called the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI).

International Hindi Conference 2015 will be hosted in New Jersey

International Hindi Conference-2015 (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय हिंदी सम्मलेन-2015) will be hosted by New Jersey, United States in April 2015.
Theme of 2015 edition of this conference is Expanding World of Hindi: Possibilities and Challenges.

Key facts of International Hindi Conference 2015

• This conference seeks to provide a platform for participants to get together and identify challenges and find solutions for the advancement of the Hindi language in North America and the Caribbean region.
• In this conference, Hindi scholars from various parts of the world, particularly from United States and India will participate.
• Participants are expected to discuss individual and organisational partnerships and leadership and field capacity building and infrastructure building skills and topics.
• In this case they are going to discuss topics such as material selection and development funding, professional development of teachers, and volunteer management.
• This conference will also hold sessions on topics such as, Hindi in higher education, expanding the use of Hindi in businesses and commerce, Community support for Hindi, Current status of the teaching and learning of Hindi etc.

Union Sports Ministry recommends Saina Nehwal’s name for Padma Bhushan award

Union Sports Ministry has recommended badminton player Saina Nehwal’s name for Padma Bhushan award. As per Sports ministry, recommending her name is a special case.
Earlier, she had expressed anger for not being nominated for this year’s award.
However, Sports ministry earlier did not nominate her citing reason that Badminton Association of India (BAI) did not apply for Saina’s name for award on time. Later on 3^rd January 2015, BAI had acknowledged Saina’s name to Sports ministry paving way for  her nomination.
About Saina Nehwal

• She was born 17 March 1990 in Hisar, Haryana.
• She is the first Indian to win Olympics medal in Badminton and had achieved this feat by winning the Bronze medal at the London Olympics 2012.
• She is the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships and was also the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament, by winning Indonesia Open in 2009.
• She also has won the China Open Super Series Premier-2014.
• She is only Indian badminton player who attained a career best ranking of number 2 in December 2010 by Badminton World Federation.
• Awards: Government has awarded her with Arjuna Award (2009), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2009–2010) and Padma Shri (2010).

About Padma Bhushan award

It is the third highest civilian award in India, after Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan. It was established on 2 January 1954 by President and is awarded to recognized person for their distinguished service of a high order to the nation, in any field
Every year it is announced on the occasion of Republic Day. It is conferred to recipient by the President at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Edward Brooke, first black elected US senator passes away

Edward Brooke, the first elected black US senator passed away on 3^rd January 2015. He was 95.
He belonged to US’s Republican Party.
About Edward Brooke

• He was elected to US Congress in 1966 by voters of Massachusetts State at a time of widespread racial unrest in the country.
• He was also the first African-American to hold the post of attorney general of any state in US. He was attorney general Massachusetts State.
• He had served as Congressmen in the US Senate till 1979 and was one of only nine African-Americans to do so, including US President Barack Obama.
• His name i.e. the Brooke amendment was given to US federal housing act, passed in 1969, which limited to 25 percent the amount of income a family must pay for rent in public housing.
• He lost his bid for the third term to Congress in 1978. After this defeat he returned to private law practice.
• In 2004, he was awarded US Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2009, he was also awarded Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress has to honor civilians.

Indonesia cracks down on aviation sector after AirAsia crash

Highlighting the depth of Indonesia’s air safety problems, the transportation ministry announced harsh measures on Monday against everyone who allowed AirAsia Flight 8501 to take off without proper permits including the suspension of the airport’s operator and officials in the control tower.

The routing permits of all airlines flying in the country also will be examined to see if they are violating the rules, said Djoko Murjatmodjo, acting director general of air transportation.

“Who knows if other airlines are also doing the same thing,” he said.

The crackdown comes as searchers continue to fight bad weather while combing the Java Sea for bodies and wreckage of the Airbus A320 that crashed on December 28, killing all 162 passengers and crew on board.