DAILY GK UPDATE - 30th March 1. Nepal to host 18th SAARC Summit on 14th Nov i. Nepal will hold the 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu on 14th November, the third time the country is hosting the event since the establishment of eight-member regional grouping in 1985. ii. A cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Thursday decided to hold the summit on 14th November and directed authorities to make necessary preparations for the successful summit, according to cabinet sources. iii. The date is subject to approval by SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) member states that include India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. iv. Nepal had last hosted the 11th SAARC Summit in January 2002 and 3rd Summit in November 1987. v. The 17th SAARC summit was held in Maldives in 2011. vi. The cabinet also decided to form various committees to expedite preparation works for hosting the summit on time. 2. Indias economy likely to grow 5.5 per cent in 2014-15 i. Indias economy is likely to grow 5.5 per cent in 2014-15 as industrial output will recover to expand at 3.3 per cent. ii. According to the survey of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, FICCI agriculture and services sector growth in the next financial year, at 3.3 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. iii. It also estimates that growth in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal will pick up marginally to 5 per cent. iv. Ficci said, this might imply that actual growth in the year 2013-14 will be slightly lower than the growth of 4.9% projected by the Central Statistical Organization. v. On inflation, it said inflation based on Wholesale Price Index, WPI is expected to stay at about 5.5 per cent in 2014-15 and the one based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be at about 7.9 per cent, as per the survey. 3. ISSF World Cup: Heena Sidhu bags silver medal i. World number two air pistol shooter Heena Sidhu has clinched a silver medal at the ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning, the United States. The feat has taken Heena Sidhu closer to the numero uno spot in her event. ii. The 24-year-old shooter from Ludhiana now has the maximum medals in a World Cup by any Indian pistol shooter. iii. Malaika Goel, a 16-year-old young shooter, reached the finals and was ranked sixth. London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang missed the finals by one a half points in mens air rifle, which brought him to sixth. 4. ICICI Pru bags award i. ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has bagged Morningstar India’s best fund house award in the debt, equity and multi-asset category. ii. This for the first time in history of Morningstar India that a fund house has bagged all the top awards. iii. The award, which recognises funds and fund houses that added most value for investors, is designed to help investors identify the year’s most exceptional funds and fund houses. iv. Nimesh Shah, Managing Director, ICICI Prudential AMC said “We remain committed to being investor-centric and investment-centric, and would continue to deliver consistent performance to investors through our wide product range.” 5. Anand seals Candidates title with effortless draw i. Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand sealed the Candidates tournament title with an effortless draw with Peter Svidler of Russia in the 14th and final round at Khanty Mansiysk in Russia on Sunday. ii. Having won one of the strongest tournaments of recent times with one round to spare, Anand just didnt want anything to go wrong and went for the draw with white pieces that was for the taking iii. The Indian ace thus officially earned the right to a rematch with Magnus Carlsen of Norway along with the winners purse of 13,5000 Euros. 6. Djokovic beats Nadal to win fourth Miami title i. Novak Djokovic won his fourth career title at the Miami Masters on Sunday with a 6—3, 6—3 defeat of top seed Rafael Nadal. ii. The trophy comes in addition to titles in 2007, 2011, 2012 and marked the third win in a row in the series in which Djokovic now stands 18 wins and 22 defeats. iii. The second seed also completed the March Masters 1000 title double, winning Indian Wells (over Roger Federer) and Miami. 7. India beat Australia by 73 runs in World Twenty20 i. India defeated Australia by 73 runs in their final Group-II match of the ICC World Twenty-20 at Dhaka last night. Put in to bat, the Men in Blue posted a formidable 159 for 7 in the alloted 20 overs. ii. Yuvraj Singh bucked bad form, as he scored a brilliant 43-ball 60 to take India past the 150-mark. Yuvrajs innings comprised 5 fours and 4 sixes. iii. With the ball, it was the Indian spinners who again put up a good show, as they bundled out the Aussies for a paltry 86 in 16.2 overs. R. Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers, as he bagged 4 wickets, and conceded just 11 runs from 3.2 overs. Amit Mishra took two wickets. iv. Ashwin was adjudged man of the match. 8. Pak thrash Bangladesh by 50 runs to eliminate Australia i. Talented opener Ahmed Shehzad scored a brilliant hundred as Pakistan predictably crushed hosts Bangladesh by 50 runs in a Group 2 league encounter of the ICC World T20 to keep their semi-final hopes alive in Mirpur on Sunday. ii. The result also eliminated Australia from the tournament and Pakistan and West Indies will fight out for the second semifinal spot with India having already qualified for the last-four stage from Group 2. iii. Batting first, Pakistan scored a commanding 190 for five with Shehzad (111 not out) hitting his maiden T20 International century which was laced with 10 boundaries and five sixes from 62 deliveries. Shehzad was later adjudged man-of-the-match.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 17:08:10 +0000
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