Daily CA : 23/01/2015

1. Jhumpa Lahiri wins DSC Prize for 2015

• Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri won DSC Prize for Literature for her book, The Lowland. 

• DSC prize is one of the South Asia's top literary awards.

• The Prize celebrates writing on the South Asian region from writers across the globe and is given to the best novel or translations into English of a work on or about the region.

• The prize was given by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Vijay Shesadri.

2. SBI launch "Chota ATMs" in Kerala

• State Bank of India partnered with Ezetap, the mobile point-of-sale service provider, has launched Chota ATM in Kerala.

• Chota ATM will allow kirana store owners, taxi drivers, small businessmen, traders who are dealing with customers to turn their mobile device into both a cash withdrawal point as well as a credit/debit card payment terminal.

• Kerala is an important tourist destination and a number of small and medium businesses catering to this sector can benefit from the mPOS technology for accepting payments or to offer cash, C.V Venkatesh, General Manager, SBI said.

3. Saudi King Abdullah passes away

• Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah was passed away today. He was 90 years old.

• He has joined hands with US to fight against al-Qaeda and sought to modernise the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom with incremental but significant reforms, including nudging open greater opportunities for women.

• Abdullah was selected as crown prince in 1982 on the day his half-brother Fahd ascended the throne.

• He became de facto ruler in 1995 when a stroke incapacitated Fahd.

4. Arunachal became the first state in the country to launche web-based education programme

• Arunachal Pradesh today became the first state in the country to launch a web-based educational programme for all schools. The programme was formally launched by the state Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.

• The State government has started the programme in collaboration with Google.

• Christened as Chief Minister Global Education Programme, the education system would initially be launched in 50 to 100 schools in the state.

• The system is a solution built for teachers and students through Chrome books to bring the power of the web into classroom.

5. Kerala to get first International Institute of Music

• An International Institute of Music will be soon open in Kerala, which will be trusted and build by Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his family.

• Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, has said that the proposed international music institute will provide an opportunity to youngsters in the state, in the country and abroad. 

• Kerala's Culture Minister, K C Joseph, has said that it would be the first international institute in the country, dedicated to music.

6. US scientists make safe GMO

• US scientists have taken the first step towards making safe genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) by using synthetic biology so they cannot spread in the wild.

• Using synthetic biology, scientists have re-written the genetic code of bacteria by using synthetic chemicals to grow them. In this case, scientists have engineered organisms so that they require synthetic amino acids for survival or for life.

• Key characteristic of these GM bacteria is that they die if escaped into nature as they fed synthetic amino acids for survival.

Implication of this research

• Currently, genetically engineered micro-organisms are used in Europe, the US and China to produce drugs or fuels under contained industrial conditions.

• With this GMOs scientist can build safety measures so that their spread could be controlled and can be used in the outside world.

• Now the future challenge is to re-engineer the code of other lifeforms.

7. Telugu comedian and director M.S.Narayana passes away

• Popular Telugu comedian and director Mylavarapu Surya Narayana has passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana. He was 63.

• He is noted for his comic timing and facial expressions with witty dialogues in Telugu Cinema.

• He is popularly known as M.S.Narayana and had acted in over 700 Telugu movies.

• He had won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor- Telugu film Dookudu. He also had won Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Award for Best Male Comedian five times for the films Maa Nanna ki Pelli, Ramsakkanodu, Sardukupodam Randi,Shivamani and Dookudu.