Daily GK Updates: 8th Oct 2014

1.    Invention of blue LEDs wins physics Nobel
i. The 2014 Nobel Prize for physics has been awarded to a trio of scientists in Japan and the US for the invention of blue light emitting diodes (LEDs).
ii. Professors Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura made the first blue LEDs in the early 1990s.
iii. This enabled a new generation of bright, energy-efficient white lamps, as well as colour LED screens.
iv. The winners will share prize money of eight million kronor (£0.7m).
v. They were named at a press conference in Sweden, and join a prestigious list of 196 other Physics laureates recognized since 1901.
2.    Two Americans and a German won the Nobel Prize in chemistry
i. Eric BetzigStefan W Hell and William E Moerner are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014 for having bypassed this limit. Due to their achievements the optical microscope can now peer into the nanoworld.
ii. Two Americans and a German won the Nobel Prize in chemistry this year for their work on optical microscopy that has opened up our understanding of molecules by allowing us to see how they work close up.
iii. The winners are Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell and William E. Moerner, the Nobel committee in Sweden announced Wednesday.
iv. Back in 1873, science believed it had reached a limit in how much more of a detailed picture a microscope could provide. At the time, microscopist Ernst Abbe said the maximum resolution had been attained.
3.    India to grow 5.6% this year, 6.4 % in 2015: IMF
i. The International Monetary Fund has forecast 5.6 percent growth rate for India this year and a higher 6.4 per cent next year. 
ii. The IMF said this in its latest World Economic Outlook report yesterday citing renewed confidence in the market due to a series of economic reforms being undertaken by the Government. 
iii. In China, the report said, growth will remain at 7.4 percent this year and is projected to be of 7.1 per cent in 2015.
4.    Exim Bank extends $7.76 mn line of credit to Cuban Bank
i. Export-Import Bank of India has, at the behest of the Government of India, extended two additional Lines of Credit [LOCs] to Banco Exterior De Cuba, Cuba aggregating $7.76 million.
ii. While one LOC (for $2.71 million) is for financing the setting up of a bulk blending fertilizer plant, the other (for $5.05 million) is for financing the modernisation of an injectable products plant.
iii. With the signing of the above two LOC Agreements, Exim Bank, till date, has extended three Lines of Credit to Cuba, at the behest of the Government of India, taking the total value of LOCs extended to $12.76 million.
iv. Under the LOC, Exim Bank will reimburse 100 per cent of contract value to the Indian exporters, upfront upon shipment of goods. The LOC will be used for sourcing of goods and services from India.
5.    Georgetown University appoints Pratima Dharm as first Hindu priest
i. The Georgetown University has appointed its first Hindu priest —a woman — to serve the religious needs of its Hindu students, whose number has increased in recent years.
ii. Pratima Dharm, who recently retired as the first Hindu chaplain in the U.S. Army, has been appointed as the first Hindu chaplain at the Georgetown University, a move welcomed by the Hindu students of this top private research university.
iii. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Jesuit and Catholic university in the U.S.
iv. Ms. Dharm began her new assignment at Georgetown on October 1, 2014, the university said in a media statement.
v. Previously she served on Army bases and hospitals around the world, including a yearlong deployment in Iraq.

6. Anoop Jain won 2014 Waislitz Global Citizen Award

Who: Anoop Jain
What: won 2014 Waislitz Global Citizen Award
When: 8 October 2014
 
Anoop Jain on 8 October 2014 won 2014 Waislitz Global Citizen Award. He was awarded for his exemplified values of a Global Citizen through his work in founding Humanure Power (HP) in Bihar in 2011 that builds community sanitation facilities in rural India.

About Humanure Power
The organization named humanure Power worked to deal with the problem of open defecation. HP builds community toilets to counter India’s sanitation crisis. 650 million Indians defecate outside daily because they have no toilet. HP began this massive issue in the Supaul district of Bihar.

7. Indian Air Force celebrated 82nd Air Force Day on October 8

Who: 82nd Air Force Day
What: Celebrated by the Indian Air Force
When: 8 October 2014
 About Air Force Day
The Air Force Day is observed because Indian Air Force was officially established on 8 October 1932. It was then called Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF). After India became a Republic in January 1950, the prefix Royal was dropped to rename it as Indian Air Force.

8. Union Government launched Pashmina Promotion Programme (P-3)

Who: Pashmina Promotion Programme (P-3)
What: Launched by Union Government
When: 8 October 2014
 
Union Government launched Pashmina Promotion Programme (P-3) on 8 October 2014. The P-3 programme was launched at Pashmina Dehairing Plant Complex, Skalzangling, Leh by the Union Minister of State for Textiles (Independent Charge) Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

The Pashmina Promotion Programme will be successfully implemented in a time-bound manner so that pashmina wool production can be increased up to 65 tonnes during 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17).

About Pashmina Promotion Programme (P-3)
Under P-3, a major provision has been made for the establishment of latest technology imported Pashmina Dehairing Plant at Leh with the total grant of 19.35 crore rupees. The grant is provided for inclusion of other machineries like scouring, drying, and boiler along with construction of building for installation of these machineries at Leh.

Besides, financial assistance will also be provided under different components like

• Creation of Common Pashmina Facilitation Centre for Wool testing
• Disease Surveillance Centre
• Geographic Information System (GIS) Lab
• Shelter for Nomads
• Portable Electric Units for Handloom Spinning/Weaving
• Solarised Community Centres
• Open Fodder enclosures
• Establishment of Pashmina Dehairing Plant
• Distribution for Foundation Stock to farmers
• Construction of Shelter for Housing of Pashmina Stock

Background
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 August 2014 had announced to launch Pashmina Promotion Programme (P-3) with additional financial assistance for improving quality and quantity of pashmina wool as well as living standard of poor nomads of Ladakh region.

Pashmina internationally known as Cashmere is a fine luxury fibre which is produced from goat breed Changthang in the Ladakh region of India.

9. ICC banned Zimbabwe bowler Prosper Utseya and Bangladeshi bowler Sohag Gazi for illegal action

Who: Zimbabwe bowler Prosper Utseya and Bangladeshi bowler Sohag Gazi
What: ICC banned them for illegal bowling action
When: 8 October 2014
 
International Cricket Council (ICC) on 8 October 2014 banned the Zimbabwe bowler Prosper Utseya and Bangladeshi bowler Sohag Gazi from bowling in international cricket. They were banned after ICC found that both the off-spinners exceeded the 15 degree limit of arm extension in their bowling action.

In August 2014, Utseya was reported for a suspect bowling action following the third ODI against South Africa in Bulawayo.

Earlier, ICC had banned three other off-spinners. These were: Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan, Sachithra Senanayake of Sri Lanka and Kane Williamson of New Zealand.

Although all the players suspended from bowling by the ICC are permitted to apply for reassessment after modifying their actions.

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