12 August 2015 Current Affair Updates | Daily GK Download

2. World's fifth seeded Japan`s Kei Nishikori defeated big-serving American John Isner 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to win the Washington Open and capture his 10th career ATP title. The 25-year-old Asia's number one won his third crown of the season by defeating eighth seeded Isner.

3. President Pranab Mukherjee presented the 24th Saraswati Samman for 2014 to Kannada writer and former Union Minister Dr. M. Veerappa Moily for his epic “Sri Ramayana Mahanveshanam” written in Kannada. He is the second author to get this award in Kannada. Moily's award-winning epic “Sri Ramayana Mahanveshanam” was published in 2007. So far it has been translated in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu languages.

4. As per the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) 2015, of the World Economic Forum, rank of India has improved significantly to 52nd in 2015 from 65th in 2013. Improving ranking of India from 65th to 52nd position in travel and tourism competitiveness index had been set as a target in the Result Framework Document (RFD) of Ministry of Tourism for the year 2014-15.

5. Dr. Najma Heptulla, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs launched a new Central Sector Scheme – Nai Manzil in Patna. The scheme “Nai Manzil” scheme will address educational and livelihood needs of minority communities in general and muslims in particular as it lags behind other minority communities in terms of educational attainments. It is a new direction and a new goal for the all out of school/dropped out students and those studying in Madrasas.

6. Thomas Cook (India) Limited announced acquiring Kuoni Group’s travel businesses in India and Hong Kong for Rs. 535 crore. It is a very big deal in India's Tourism sector. The deal includes outbound travel brand SOTC and destination management brand SITA. India-born entrepreneur Prem Watsa backs Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. The deal to acquire Kuoni Group’s travel businesses in India and Hong Kong is the third acquisition by it in the last two years.

7. Senior India hockey player Gurbaj Singh was suspended for 9 months for indulging in groupism and creating disharmony within the team. This suspension means that Gurbaj will be unable to play for India till 9 May 2016. The decision to suspend Gurbaj was taken after a meeting of Hockey India's disciplinary committee headed by Harbinder Singh with the midfielder and former India coach Jude Felix.

8. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a new mobile app named Disha to promote digital literacy in Bihar. The app aims to help people learn about computers and Internet through self learning modules. The app also aims to offer digital literacy to tribal and Dalit women in the state. The app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. The Ministry also launched Disha handbook that has pictographic lessons on computers operations. The Disha handbook is framed by the Common Service Centres (CSCs) for the purpose of digital literacy.

9. In view of the forthcoming festival of Raksha Bandhan, a special enrolment drive, “Suraksha Bandhan”, is being launched by participating banks and insurance companies for enrolling bank account holders in Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY). The “Suraksha Bandhan” drive aims to take forward the Government’s objective of creating a universal social security system in the country. It is targeted especially at the poor and the under-privileged.

10. The Government has launched the School Nursery Yojana, an initiative to bring students closer to nature, by involving them in raising of saplings in nurseries created in schools. The underlying theme of the Yojana is to plant a tree for sustainable future and to make the nation clean and green. Under the Yojana, students will sow the seeds, grow saplings in the school nursery, as part of practical exercise for Biology classes and extra-curricular activities for students of other streams.