The Daily Brief – 15th September, 2016

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The Daily Briefs are a comprehensive update of current affairs for the day. To know more about them, read this. If you’d like to receive updates for current affairs every day, you’ll need to subscribe by entering your email address at the right side of this page. The previous Briefs can be accessed at the archives here. Also, check out our mock tests!

  • India and Afghanistan have signed an Extradition Treaty to facilitate exchange of wanted terrorists and criminals. The two nations also inked agreements on peaceful uses of outer space and on cooperation on civil and commercial matters. Besides, India also extended a one-billion dollar aid to Afghanistan for capacity and capacity building in areas like empowerment of women, education, skill development, health, energy and others.
  • Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has been honoured with  the Tamil Ratna award by the America Tamil Sangam (ATS) in New York. He was bestowed with this award for fighting corruption and working for more transparency in the functioning of the government.
  • Reliance Communications (RComm) has signed an agreement to merge its wireless business with Aircel Ltd. This marks the largest ever consolidation in the Indian telecom sector. The two businesses would be merged into a joint venture, witch each side having a 50% shareholding.
  • Sikkim’s Sushmita Rai has won a bronze medal at the World Martial Arts Masterships 2016, which was held at South Korea. The competition is considered an Olympics for martial arts with 2073 participants from 87 countries.
  • Gautam Gambhir-led team, India Blue, has won the Duleep Trophy Cricket tournament this year. The tournament is played with a pink ball. The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket tournament played between teams representing  the geographical zones of India. It was instituted in 1961-62 by the BCCI.
Ramesh Raskar
  • An Indian-origin scientist, Ramesh Raskar, has bagged the prestigious Lemelson–MIT Prize worth $500,000 for his groundbreaking work to improve lives globally. Raskar is the founder of the Camera Culture research group at the MIT Media Lab. He has more than 75 patents to his name, and is the co-inventor of radical imaging solutions including Femto-photography, an ultra-fast imaging system that can see around corners; low-cost eye-care solutions for the developing world; and a camera that allows users to read pages of a book without opening the cover. The annual Lemelson–MIT Prize honours outstanding mid-career inventors improving the world through technological invention and demonstrating a commitment to mentorship in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
  • Jean-Claude Juncker, the Chief of the European Commission has set up a special task force to carry out negotiations with Britain for its exit from the European Union.
  • Former Israeli President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shimon Peres, has suffered a stroke. Mr. Peres has held nearly every major office in the country, including Prime Minister twice and President, a mostly ceremonial post, from 2007 to 2014.
  • The US has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israel to provide the country with military assistance over a 10-year period. This defence deal is the largest such agreement the US has ever had with any country.

Today’s Quiz

1. India and ________ have signed an Extradition Treaty to facilitate exchange of wanted terrorists and criminals.





2. Who has been honoured with the Tamil Ratna Award this year?





3. Reliance recently merged with which of the following telecom companies?





4. Which Indian sports person won a bronze medal at the World Martial Arts Masterships 2016?





5. Who has been awarded the Lemelson–MIT Prize this year?





6. The Us signed its largest ever defence deal with which of the following countries?





7. What is the colour of the cricket ball used by the Duleep Trophy tournament?





8. Who is currently serving as the Chief of the European Commission?