Daily GK Updates - 20th January, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura celebrating their statehood day : Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura are celebrating theirstatehood day.On this day in 1972, all the three states became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.

2. Trivendra Rawat flags off the air services from Dehradun to Amritsar : Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat flagged off the air services from Dehradun to Amritsar from Jolly Grant Airportin Dehradun.Rawat said that work to connect several cities of the country with Dehradun is being done and expansion of air services in the state is being done expeditiously.

3.  Nirmala Sitharaman launches TN Defence Industrial Corridor : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched a series of projects as a part of the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor in Tiruchirppalli.This will be the country's second defence industrial corridor after the first one was launched in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh August 2018.The Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor will include Chennai, Hosur, Salem and Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli as the nodes.This will also help the industry to integrate with the global supply chain of Defence manufacturing. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bharat Ratna CNR Rao has chosen for Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials : Eminent scientist and recipient of Bharat Ratna C N R Rao has been chosen for the first Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Research by the Centre for Advanced Materials of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).The Prize committee unanimously decided to award this to Professor Rao which involves a plaque, a medal and a cash prize of 1 lakh USD.The award will be presented to Mr. Rao during the International Workshop on Advanced Materials at Ras Al Khaimain UAE on 25thFebruary 2019.

2. World's oldest man Masazo Nonaka dies at 113 : The world's oldest man, Masazo Nonaka (Japan) has passed away in the north of Japan's Hokkaido island at the age of 113.According to the Kyodo News agency, Nonaka, who was officially recognized as the oldest male in the world by Guinness World Records last April.The record-holder Masazo Nonaka was born in 1905 in the town of Ashoro.The Japanese are traditionally considered to be one of the most long-living people on the planet.

3.  The World Economic Forum annual meet to begin in Davos : The World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meet has begun in Davos, Switzerland.The theme of the event would be 'Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution'.World leaders from across the globe will flock to the ski resort town on the Swiss Alps for five days to discuss what's ailing the world amid fears of the global economy sleepwalking into a crisis.

4.Rio de Janeiro will be World Capital of Architecture for 2020 - UNESCO : According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro will be the World Capital of Architecture for 2020.Rio (defeated Paris and Melbourne) will be the first city to receive the title under a program launched together by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA) in November 2018.The city will host the World Congress of UIA, in July 2020, an event that occurs every three years.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. HDFC Standard Life Insurance renamed to HDFC Life Insurance :HDFC Standard Life Insurance has changed its name to HDFC Life Insurance following the receipt of relevant approvals from regulatory authorities.With a view to aligning the corporate name of the company with its brand name, the corporate name has been changed to HDFC Life InsuranceThe change in name is effective right off the bat and the company will henceforth operate under the name HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd.

OBITUARIES:

1. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Mary Oliver passes away :  The Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet Mary Oliver (83-years) passed away at her home in Florida, USA.Oliver (author of more than 15 poetry and essay collections) wrote brief, direct pieces that sang of her worship of the outdoors and disdain for greed, despoilment and other human crimes.

SPORTS:

1. Ankita Raina wins ITF's tournament in Singapore : India's Ankita Raina has won the International Tennis Federation's25,000-dollar Women's tournament in Singapore.In the Final, Ankita defeated top seed and world number 122 Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands, 6-3. She toppled four seeded players in the tournament to win her first title of the season and eighth overall.