Navy chief Admiral DK Joshi resigns

Indian Navy chief admiral DK Joshi resigned on Wednesday, hours after seven sailors suffered serious injuries and two officers remained "unaccounted for" in an accident on board India's Russian-built submarine, INS Sindhuratna. The latest accident 11th after the INS Sindhurakshak sank in August has put the navy's dismal safety record under further scrutiny and underlined its inability to maintain its dwindling Kilo-class fleet. Joshi's resignation has been accepted by the government. A defence ministry spokesperson said he had stepped down taking moral responsibility for the recent accidents.

Admiral Joshi is the first military chief to resign. He took charge in 2012, had more than a year left in service. The Defence Ministry immediately accepted his resignation. Vice Admiral RK Dhowan will officiate till a new chief is appointed.The Russian-origin Kilo Class submarine, one of India's 14 conventional submarines, was carrying no weapons or ammunition. It had sailed out last night and since it was still being tested, had not been placed under operational command yet. Defence Minister AK Antony briefed President Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the accident.

Stem Cell and its uses

Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. They are found in multicellular organisms. Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. Stem cells are distinguished from other cell types by two important characteristics. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of inactivity. Second, under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions. In some organs, such as the gut and bone marrow, stem cells regularly divide to repair and replace worn out or damaged tissues. In other organs, however, such as the pancreas and the heart, stem cells only divide under special conditions.

Uses of Stem Cells: Stem cells lay the very foundation of our bodies. Every part of our body including skin, bones, blood and organs were formed from stem cells. Stem cells can replicate and turn into any type of cell in the body such as the muscle cell, heart cell, blood cell, bone cell and so on. These stem cells also play the repair function in our body by replacing old cells with new cells.  Medical researchers believe that stem cell therapy has the potential to dramatically change the treatment of human disease. A number of adult stem cell therapies already exist, particularly bone marrow transplants that are used to treat leukemia. In the future, medical researchers anticipate being able to use technologies derived from stem cell research to treat a wider variety of diseases including cancer, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and muscle damage, amongst a number of other impairments and conditions. However, there still exists a great deal of social and scientific uncertainty surrounding stem cell research, which could possibly be overcome through public debate and future research, and further education of the public.

World's largest railway platform is Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur railway platform is World's largest railway Now. A newly built railway platform in northern Uttar Pradesh state has entered the record books as the longest railway platform in the world, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. According to World Record Academy, the station now has a platform measuring 1,366.33 meters with ramp and 1,1355.40 meters without it, breaking the Guinness record of 1,074 meters set by the platform at Kharagpur Station, West Bengal, India, thereby setting a new world record. Gorakhpur railway station is a major railway junction. It is the headquarters of Northern Eastern Railways (NER) and was formed in 1952 by combining two railway systems.

World's Top 10 Largest Platform List:

1. Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India: 1,300 m (4,265 ft) ( longest in the world)
2. Kharagpur, West Bengal, India: 1,072 m (3,517 ft) (2nd longest in the world)
3. State Street Center subway station, Chicago, Illinois, USA: 1,067 m (3,501 ft) (longest in United States)
4. Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand: 1,000 m (3,281 ft) (longest in southern hemisphere)
5. Cheriton Shuttle Terminal, Folkestone, United Kingdom: 791 m (2,595 ft) (longest in Europe)
6. East Perth railway station, Perth, Western Australia: 770 m (2,526 ft) (longest in Australia)
7. Kalgoorlie railway station, Perth, Western Australia: 760 m (2,493 ft)
8. Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: 708 m (2,323 ft)
9. Port Pirie, South Australia: 701 m (2,300 ft)
10. East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Kowloon, Hong Kong: longest platform with platform screen doors 300 m (984 ft)

India GK Question Paper 52

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Odia become 6th classical languages after Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam

Odia on Thursday became the sixth language of the country to get “classical language’’ status after the Union Cabinet conceded a long-pending demand for putting it in the same league as Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.  Following demands, the Union Cabinet today gave its approval for putting Odia in the list of classical language.  The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for classifying Odia as classical language. This will give impetus to scholarship in this language. 

The following benefits are available for languages which are declared as classical languages:
1.  Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in the concerned language.

2. A `Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Languages` can be set up.

3. The University Grants Commission can be requested to create, to start with at least in Central Universities, a certain number of professional chairs for classical languages, for scholars of eminence in the concerned language.
Background:
There has been a demand that Odia, which is one of the oldest languages and has no resemblance to Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, Telugu, etc., be declared as a classical language. So far Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam have been declared as classical languages.

Facebook Buys WhatsApp for $19 Billion

Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 billionFacebook is buying mobile messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, by far the company’s largest acquisition and bigger than any that Google, Microsoft or Apple have ever done. The world’s biggest social networking company said Wednesday that it is paying $12 billion in Facebook stock and $4 billion in cash for WhatsApp. In addition, the app’s founders and employees — 55 in all — will be granted restricted stock worth $3 billion that will vest over four years after the deal closes. In a filing to the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Facebook announced the acquisition. “The acquisition supports Facebook and WhatsApp’s shared mission to bring more connectivity and utility to the world by delivering core internet services efficiently and affordably. The combination will help accelerate growth and user engagement across both companies,” the filing stated.
The deal will see WhatsApp run semi-independently, much like Instagram. The chat service will maintain its brand and existing offices, but it will take advantage of Facebook’s “expertise, resources and scale.” It’s safe to say that the combined entity will have a lot of clout should the deal close later this year. WhatsApp already has over 450 million active users every month; combine that with Facebook Messenger and competitors like Line suddenly appear tiny by comparison. “WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “I’ve known Jan for a long time and I’m excited to partner with him and his team to make the world more open and connected.” The company also announced that WhatsApp’s cofounder and CEO Jan Koum would join Facebook’s board of directors.

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India GK Question Paper 50

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India GK Question Paper 49

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N Ramachandran elected New IOA President

N. Ramachandran elected as new Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President today after 14 months of suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  The election of 65-year-old Ramachandran, chief of World Squash Federation and younger brother of BCCI boss N Srinivasan, as IOA president was a mere formality as he was the lone candidate in the fray for the top post. Kho-Kho Federation of India President Rajeev Mehta and All India Tennis Association (AITA) chief Anil Khanna were also elected unopposed as Secretary General and Treasurer respectively in the polls which marked the exit of corruption-tainted Abhay Singh Chautala and Lalit Bhanot from the IOA.
Ramachandran, who made an unsuccessful bid last year to get squash into the Olympic Games, served as the IOA treasurer from 2008 to 2012 and has been president of the World Squash Federation since 2008. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) froze India's membership in December 2012 and suspended it from the Games movement when the IOA elected a number of tainted officials to key posts. The officials in the row included secretary-general Lalit Bhanot, who is currently out on bail on corruption charges linked to the chaotic 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. The IOA, after initially refusing to keep tainted officials out, finally accepted an IOC diktat last December to revise its constitution and elect "clean" office-bearers in fresh elections. Representatives from the IOC were present at Sunday's elections, but it was unclear when India's ban will be lifted.

Invisible export and Examples

Invisible export: Invisible export is any export that does not have a tangible physical presence, which mostly include service sectors like banking, advertising, copyrights, insurance, consultancy etc. Invisible exort also known as invisible trade is basically associated with the person’s own skill and knowledge is what is 'sold' rather than a piece of software or books. The net total of a country's invisible imports and invisible exports is called the invisible balance of trade and is a part of the country's balance of trade. For countries that rely on service exports or on tourism, the invisible balance is particularly important.

Moreover Visible Exports are actual goods which are sold to other nations by domestic firms, like tables, TV's, and vehicles.

Ganga Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers in Devprayag

Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet and take the name "Ganga" River at Devprayag (Uttarakhand). "Devaprayaga" means "Godly Confluence" in Sanskrit. As per Hindu scriptures, Devaprayaga is the sacred event of merging two heavenly rivers, Alakananda and Bhagirathi, to form the holy Ganges. Here is a wonderful snap at sangam of Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and Ganga.

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India-born Satya Nadella named new Microsoft CEO

Microsoft has named Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella as its new CEO. Company founder Bill Gates is also leaving the chairman role for a new role as technology adviser. Microsoft Corp. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Satya Nadella as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board of Directors effective immediately. Nadella previously held the position of Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise group. “During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” said Bill Gates, Microsoft’s Founder and Member of the Board of Directors. “Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together. His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth.”

Since joining the company in 1992, Nadella has spearheaded major strategy and technical shifts across the company’s portfolio of products and services, most notably the company’s move to the cloud and the development of one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world supporting Bing, Xbox, Office and other services. During his tenure overseeing Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business, the division outperformed the market and took share from competitors. Microsoft also announced that Bill Gates, previously Chairman of the Board of Directors, will assume a new role on the Board as Founder and Technology Advisor, and will devote more time to the company, supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction. John Thompson, lead independent director for the Board of Directors, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors and remain an independent director on the Board. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Bharat Ratna Award Winners list

Bharat Ratna Award Winners list (1954 to 2014):Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour, given for exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of Public Service of the highest order. The provision of Bharat Ratna was introduced in 1954.

Interesting Facts about Bharat Ratna Award Winners.
* First Bharat Ratna was awarded to Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Sir C.V. Raman, and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari in 1954.
* Last Bharat Ratna was awarded to Sachin Tendulkar in 2014.
* Mother Teresa was the first naturalized Indian citizen of Bharat Ratna Award Winner in 1980.

* Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (1987) And Nelson Mandela (1990) are two non Indians of Bharat Ratna Award Winners.

* Sachin Tendulkar is the first sportsperson and the youngest Bharat Ratna Award Winner.
Bharat Ratna Award Winners - Complete List:

SN	Name	Year	Discipline / Work
1	Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari	1954	Independence Activist, Last Governor General
2	Sir C.V Raman	1954	Physicist , Nobel Prize Winner ( 1930 )
3	Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan	1954	Philosopher,and India’s Second President(1962-1967)
4	Bhagvan Das	1955	Independence activist, author
5	Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya	1955	Civil engineer, Diwan of Mysore
6	Jawaharlal Nehru	1955	Independence activist, author, First Prime Minister (1947-1964)
7	Govind Ballabh Pant	1957	Independence activist, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Home Minister
8	Dhondo Keshav Karve	1958	Educator, social reformer
9	Bidhan Chandra Roy	1961	Physician, Chief Minister Of West Bengal
10	Purushottam Das Tandon	1961	Independence activist, educator
11	Rajendra Prasad	1962	Independence activist, jurist, First President (1950-1962)
12	Zakir Hussain	1963	Independence activist, Scholar, Third President (1967-1969)
13	Pandurang Vaman Kane	1963	Indologist and Sanskrit scholar
14	Lal Bahadur Shastri	1966	Posthumous, independence activist, Second Prime Minister (1964-1966)
15	Indira Gandhi	1971	Third Prime Minister (1980-1984)
16	V.V. Giri	1975	Trade unionist and Fourth President (1969)
17	K. Kamaraj	1976	Posthumous, independence activist, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu State
18	Mother Teresa	1980	Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity
19	Vinoba Bhave	1983	Posthumous, social reformer, independence activist
20	Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan	1987	First non-citizen, independence activist
21	M.G. Ramchandran	1988	Posthumous, film actor, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
22	B.R. Ambedkar	1990	Posthumous, chief architect of the Indian Constitution, politician, economist, and scholar
23	Nelson Mandela	1990	Second non-citizen and non-Indian recipient, Leader of the Anti-Apartheid movement
24	Rajiv Gandhi	1991	Posthumous, Sixth Prime Minister (1984-1989)
25	Vallabhbhai Patel	1991	Posthumous, independence activist, first Home Minister(1947-1950)
26	Morarji Desai	1991	Independence activist, fourth Prime Minister(1977-1979)
27	Abdul Kalam Azad	1992	Posthumous, independence activist, first Minister of Education
28	J. R. D. Tata	1992	Industrialist and philanthropist
29	Satyajit Ray	1992	Bengali Filmmaker
30	A.P.J. Abdul Kalam	1997	Aeronautical Engineer,11th President of India
31	Gulzarilal Nanda	1997	Independence activist, interim Prime Minister
32	Aruna Asaf Ali	1997	Posthumous, independence activist
33	M.S. Subbulakshmi	1998	Carnatic classical singer
34	Chidambaram Subramaniam	1998	Independence activist, Minister of Agriculture
35	Jayaprakash Narayan	1999	Posthumous, independence activist and politician
36	Ravi Shankar	1999	Sitar Player
37	Amartya Sen	1999	Economist
38	Gopinath Bardoloi	1999	Posthumous, independence activist, Chief Minister of Assam
39	Lata Mangeshkar	2001	Playback singer
40	Bismillah Khan	2001	Hindustani Classical Shehnai Player
41	Bhimsen Joshi	2008	Hindustani Classical Singer
42	Prof. C.N.R Rao	2014	Man behing india’s maiden mars mission
43	Sachin Tendulkar	2014	Indian Cricketer, First Sportsman and Youngest Indian who got Bharat Ratna,