Daily GK Updtaes - 26th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Lalit Kala Academy announces the 60th National Academy Awards winners :  Lalit Kala Academy (LKA) has announced 15 winners of the 60th Annual Academy Awards.All the awardees will be honoured with a plaque, a shawl and prize money of Rs 1 lakh at the 60th National Exhibition of Art at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and Sir JJ School of Art. The winners will also display their artworks at the exhibition.

2. Government notifies Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules 2019 : The Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry has notified the Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 to promote clinical research in the country. The new rules will change the regulatory landscape for the approval of new drugs and conduct of clinical trials in the country.These rules will apply to all new drugs, investigational new drugs for human use, clinical trial, bioequivalence study and Ethics Committee. It has reduced the time for approving applications to 30 days for drugs manufactured in India and 90 days for those developed outside the country.

3. Vice President to attend 16th Convocation of IGIDR in Mumbai :  Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will attend the 16th Convocation of Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research(IGIDR) in Mumbai. The Institute focuses on research on developmental issues from a multi-disciplinary point of view.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kenyan teacher Peter Tabichi wins Global Teacher Prize 2019 :  Kenyan teacher Peter Tabichi (36-years) has won the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2019 during a ceremony in Dubai, presented by the Hollywood actor, Hugh Jackman.Mr. Tabichi is a maths & physics teacher at Keriko Secondary School in Pwani Village, in a remote part of Kenya’s Rift Valley. He donates most of his salary (80% of his monthly income) to help poorer students.

2. President Kovind to hold talks with his Croatian counterpart :  President Ram Nath Kovind will hold talks with his Croatian (former Yugoslavia) counterpart in Zagreb (It's capital) to strengthen ties in key sectors such as trade, investment and renewable energy. President Ram Nath Kovind is the first Indian President to visit Croatia. Several agreements will be followed by talks during his three-day visit.The President will also participate in the India-Croatia Economic Forum meeting.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. RBI appoints a five-member committee to deepen digital payments :  According to RBI Governor Mr. Shaktikanta Das, The Reserve bank of India (RBI) has appointed a 5-member committee under the chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani to further deepen digital payments and enhance financial inclusion through Fintech. The RBI has requested the committee to give recommendations in 3 months in this regard. Mr. Das was speaking at the inaugural event of Financial Technology (Fintech) Conclave being organized by NITI Aayog in New Delhi. The objective of the conclave is to shape India’s continued ascendancy in FinTech, build the narrative for future strategy and policy efforts, and to deliberate steps for comprehensive financial inclusion.

2. Naresh & Anita Goyal step down from Jet Airways Board :  Jet Airways founders Naresh Goyal and his wife Anita Goyal have stepped down from the board of the cash-strapped airline. The board has accepted their resignations. The board also approved the issue of 11.4 crore equity shares to the lenders upon conversion of Re 1 of the outstanding debt. The board also approved the constitution of an Interim Management Committee to manage and monitor the daily operations and cash flow of the company. Lenders will infuse up to Rs 1,500 crore via debt instruments.

SPORTS:

1.Govindaraj re-elected BFI president :  K. Govindaraj has been unanimously re-elected as the President of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) at its annual general-body meeting. A new six-team women’s league would be held inside the next three months. Mr. Govindaraj has declared to give its proposal in the next 45 days and intend to have a zone-wise competition before the final round.

2. India Open badminton tournament begins at IGI Stadium New Delhi :  PV Sindhu will play against compatriot Mugdha Agrey at the 2019 India Open Super 500 Badminton tournament starting in New Delhi (from 26th - 31st March 2019). The total prize money for this tournament is USD 350,000. This marque tournament was previously held at the Siri Fort Sports Complex for the last seven years. The 2019 India Open is a badminton tournament (eight- edition) which will take place at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium New Delhi in India.

OBITUARIES:

1. Noted Folk Artiste Anasuya Devi passes away :  Kala Prapoorna awardee Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi (99-years) passed away due to illness at Houston, USA. She was an eminent folk artist, radio commentator, harmonium player, music composer and an author. In 2018, her two books, Bava Geetalu, a compilation of Folk Songs was released. She was also an awardee of the Life Time Achievement Award in America and ‘Queen of Folk’ award in Paris.

2. Bangladeshi singer Shahnaz Rahmatullah passes away :  Renowned South Asian singer, Shahnaz Rahmatullah (67-years) passed away after suffering a heart attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh Her professional experience began at the age of 11, as a playback singer of Notun Shur (1963), and appeared on television from 1964. She was awarded the National Film Awards (best female singer) in 1990 and Ekushey Padak(in 1992).