DAILY GK UPDATE - 31st DEC

1.    New Year's celebrations kick off around world

i. New Year's Eve is around the corner, and everybody is gearing up for big celebrations.

ii. Popular party destinations for New year eve celebration.

iii. Beach and city destinations are popular party choices this season with Goa, Pondicherry, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Shillong and Varkala being the top spots.

2.    Air Marshal Arup Raha takes over as IAF chief

i. Air Marshal Arup Raha today took over as the Air Force chief succeeding Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne.

ii. In his address after taking over the charge at Air Headquarters in New Delhi, Mr. Raha said IAF is committed to providing vital support to the security forces deployed in counter-insurgency operations. He said IAF is on a trajectory of modernisation and is transforming into a strategic aerospace power with full spectrum capability.

iii. An ace fighter pilot, Raha has held various command, staff and instructional appointments in his 39-year-old career. Born on 26th December, 1954, 59 year-old Raha is expected to have a tenure of three years as the Chief of Air Staff.

3.    Rs 2,000 cr transferred in direct benefit

i. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Monday said over Rs 2,000 crore had been transferred to consumers in 184 districts as direct benefits. In these high-Aadhaar coverage districts, 66 million consumers have been benefited, it said. The scheme aims to curb leakages and prevent black-marketing and provide subsidy to consumers in their bank accounts.

4.    Brand Amul to spread to America

i. After saying ‘Khobradaar USA,’ the Utterly Butterly Amul Girl is all set to butter up the Big Apple.

ii. Come February, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which owns and markets the Amul brand of milk products, will start manufacturing ghee (butter oil),paneer (cottage cheese) and shrikhand (a sweet dish made of strained yogurt) from a plant near New York.

iii. “Initially, three products will be manufactured at the facility from February. There are around 3 million Indian and many more Asian consumers whom we will target in the initial phase,” said R. S. Sodhi, Managing Director of the Federation. The dairy major has joined hands with a New Jersey-based non-resident Indian to use his plant.

iv. Earlier this year, Kaira (Anand) District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (Amul Dairy) entered into an agreement with GCMMF and the NRI.

v. GCMMF exports every year around Rs 100 crore worth of dairy products including to the US, West Asia, and Europe. Around Rs 35 crore worth of milk products are exported to the US alone.

vi. For 2013-14, GCMMF is eyeing a turnover of around Rs 18,000 crore, 30 per cent more than last year.

5.    IICT scientist wins award

i. B. Mahipal Reddy, Chief Scientist & Head of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, here has been honoured with the Best Scientist Award of Science-Tech Foundation (STF), Bangalore for the year 2013.

ii. Reddy has been selected for his efforts which resulted in the development of novel catalysts for air pollution control, bio-mass conversion to value-added products, synthesis of fine chemicals and solar fuels, and the conversion of greenhouse gases to useful chemicals.

iii. He is the author of over 220 publications in high-impact international journals and holder of 8 patents, a release from the institute said.

6.    Tejas Team Sets New Record of 500 Flights in One Calender Year

i. TEJAS attained another significant milestone on 27th Dec 2013, by flying the 500th sortie this year, the highest achieved in a calendar year thus far. 

ii. The achievement is significant, given that the highest number of sorties attained earlier in a calendar year was less than 300 sorties This feat follows close on the heels of attaining IOC on 20th December 2013. 

iii. The pace of the programme continues with greater enthusiasm towards achieving newer milestones.
iv. Congratulating the Tejas team Avinash Chander, SA to RM and Secretary Deptt of Defence R&D said, "the single most important factor behind the achievements is the synergy of teamed efforts of ADA, DRDO, CEMILAC, HAL and IAF."

v. Year 2013 has been exceptionally successful year for Tejas in achieving key milestones while participating in seven detachments all over country, an excellent achievement in itself. 

7.    Anurag Bhushan took charge as the Dubai Consul General of India

i. Anurag Bhushan, a career diplomat on 30 December 2013 took charge as the Consul General of India in Dubai and Northern Emirates in the UAE. Before taking the charge as the Consul General, he was serving as the head of the Regional passport office in New Delhi.

ii. He is the 14th Consul General of India in Dubai, since 1973 and he is the successor of Sanjay Verma, who has been appointed as the ambassador of India to Ethiopia.

8.    Chandra Kant Birla resigned from Hindustan Motors Limited –

i. Chandra Kant Birla, Chairman of Hindustan Motors Limited resigned from the board on 29 December 2013. He also stepped down from the post of director of Hindustan Motors (HM).

ii. During the 18- month period, that is April 2012 – September 2013, company incurred a huge loss of 71 crore rupees as compared to a loss of 29 crore rupees in 2011-12.
iii. The slowdown in the economy has affected HM. HM faced some additional challenges in term of cash flow problems for the company.  

Hindustan Motors Limited
Hindustan Motors is an Indian automaker based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is part of the Birla Technical Services industrial group. The company was the largest car manufacturer in India before the rise of Maruti Udyog.

9.    Durban Test:SA defeat India by 10 wickets,clinch series 1-0

i. South Africa defeated India by 10 wickets in the second cricket Test to clinch the two-match series 1-0 in Durban yesterday. Chasing 58 runs to win, the hosts quickly made 59 for no loss.
ii. Earlier, India were all out for a paltry total of 223 in their second innings. Ajinkya Rahane's brilliant 96 run went in vein.
iii. For South Africa, Robin Peterson claimed four wickets while Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander took three each.
iv. Jacques Kallis who was playing his farewell Test hit a superb 115 runs in the host's first innings.

v. Brief Scores: India: 334 and 223 all out, South Africa: 500 and 59 for no loss.
vi. Dale Steyn was adjudged Man of the match and AB De Villiers Man of the series.

10.  ICC Test Team Rankings: SA consolidate its lead as Number One

i. South Africa on Monday strengthened their position as the number-one ranked side on the ICC Test Team Rankings table courtesy their 10-wicket victory over India in the second and final Test in Durban.

ii. The 1-0 series win has helped South Africa gain two ratings points to finish on 133, while India have conceded two ratings points to end at 117. 
iii. This means the gap between the two top ranked sides has now increased from 12 ratings points to 16 ratings points. 
Meanwhile, Australia have an opportunity to finish third on the rankings table.