Daily GK Update: 16th December, 2016 For All The Upcoming Exams

Nation pays tribute to bravehearts of 1971 Indo-Pak war on Vijay Diwas 

i. The nation is paying tributes to the bravehearts on  16 December 2016, who laid down their lives during 1971 India-Pakistan war on the occasion of Vijay Diwas which is observed on 16 December of every year.

ii. On the occasion, Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar along with three Service chiefs paid tributes to the bravehearts at Amar Jawan Jyoti.

Pakistan successfully test-fires cruise missile

i. Pakistan has successfully test-fired an enhanced version of an indigenously-designed cruise missile that can hit targets at 700km with all kinds of warheads, bringing many Indian cities within its range.

ii. Called ‘Babur’ after Mughal invader and founder of the dynasty of same name, the missile is part of Babur Weapon System version- 2 because it is enhanced version of earlier missile.

Indian-American woman elected as Mayor of Californian city

i. For the first time, an Indian-American woman has been elected as the new Mayor of the key Californian city of Cupertino, globally known for its Apple headquarters. 

ii. Savita Vaidhyanathan, an MBA who worked as a high school Math teacher and an officer in a commercial bank as well as in non-profit management.

Mukesh Ambani featured among World's Most Powerful People

i. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has been ranked 38 on the World's Most Powerful People list for 2016 by Forbes. 

ii. Russian President Vladimir Putin has topped the list for the fourth consecutive year.

Seventh Edition of bilateral Exercise ‘EKUVERIN’ commences in Maldives

i. The Seventh edition of Exercise EKUVERIN will be held from 15 to 28 Dec 2016 at Kadhdhoo, Laamu Atoll, Maldives. 

ii. The Exercise is a 14-day platoon level joint military exercise between the Indian Army & the Maldives National Defence Force conducted on a yearly basis. 

iii. The aim of the exercise is to conduct military training with emphasis on amphibious & counter-insurgency/ counter-terrorism operations with a view to enhancing interoperability between the two armies.

Smriti Mandhana named in ICC Women’s Team of the Year

i. India batswoman Smriti Mandhana has been named in the ICC Women’s Team of the Year 2016, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced. 

ii. The women’s team of the year, which will be captained by West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor, has been added to the list of awards to acknowledge and appreciate outstanding performances of women’s cricketers over a 12-month period.

India tops Asia in innovation chart

i. India has Topped the Asia's innovation chart Index.

ii. The ‘Silicon Valley’ of the east, Bengaluru, which is 5th largest hub at the global level, saw most of the innovations in 2016 including the opening of 3 new centres between March and October 2016, apart from setting up of startup accelerator by Apple.

5th Edition of India-Arab partnership conference held in Muscat, Oman

i. The 5th India-Arab Partnership Conference was held on December 14-15 2016 in Muscat, Oman.ii. The Conference was organised in collaboration with the Oman Foreign Ministry, Arab League Secretariat, the Ministry of External Affairs in India, the General Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the Arab Countries (GUCCIAC) and Federation of the Arab Business (FAB). iii. The theme of the conference: ‘Partnership towards innovation and cooperation in IT’.

ICFA presents 'Global Agriculture Leadership Award 2016' to Ratan Tata

i. Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) has presented 'Global Agriculture Leadership Award 2016' to Tata Sons interim Chairman Ratan Tata in Mumbai on 15th December 2016. 

ii. According to ICFA, the Leadership Awards jury conferred on Tata the 'Lifetime Achievements Award 2016' for his transformational role in scaling Tata Group as the globally admired group during his stint of two decades as Chairman.

Nigeria's Amina Mohammed confirmed as new UN deputy Secretary­General

i. New United Nations (UN) Secretary­General Antonio Guterres has announced Nigeria’s Environment minister, Amina Mohammed as his Deputy Secretary­General (DSG) on 15th December 2016. 

ii. Guterres also announced the appointment of two other women into high­profile positions at the UN. Ms.Maria Viotti of Brazil (Chef de Cabinet) and Ms Kyung­wha Kang of the Republic of Korea as Special advisor on policy, a new role he intends to create.