Daily GK Updates - 23rd April, 2019

                 NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Naval Commanders’ Conference - 2019 begins in New Delhi: The first edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2019 has begun in New Delhi. The three days conference is the apex forum within the Service for interaction between the Naval Commanders. It will provide the higher naval leadership a forum to discuss the emerging challenges in the maritime domain. The conference also serves as a platform for interaction of Naval Commanders with senior Government Officials.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. LSE Names A Professorship After Economist Amartya Sen: The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has announced the creation of the Amartya Sen Chair in Inequality Studies, named in honour of the India-born economist, philosopher, and Nobel laureate, who was Professor of Economics at LSE from 1971-82. “Amartya Sen Chair in Inequality Studies,” its holder will also serve as Director of the LSE International Inequalities Institute, which facilitates interdisciplinary work on subjects related to inequality.

2. Mount Agung volcano in Bali resort Island erupted: Mount Agung on Indonesia's resort island of Bali has erupted again (last eruption in 1963). The volcano's status remains on alert, or level three of four possible levels and authorities continue to impose a 4-kilometre exclusion zone. Thousands of masks have been distributed to the communities amid the fears of the ashes impacting human respiratory. Mount Agung is situated in Karangasem district and about 70 kmfrom tourist hub Kuta.

OTHER UPDATES:

AGREEMENTS 

1. Network Intelligence Inks MoU With BSE To Provide Cyber Security Services: BSE has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Network Intelligence, to provide cybersecurity services to its members in line with the cybersecurity framework set by SEBI. Network Intelligence will be using its own developed platform BlueScope to offer 24x7 cybersecurity operations to the members. 

2. Ministry Of Ayush Inked MoU With CSIR: The Ministry of AYUSH inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for cooperation in research and education in areas of traditional systems of medicine and its integration with modern science. Earlier, CSIR and Ayush Ministry jointly developed the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) which prevents bio-piracy and misappropriation of traditional knowledge.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI General Insurance launches Cyber Defence Insurance: SBI General Insurance (SBIG) has launched a product to protect businesses from financial and reputational losses due to cyber-attacks. In the initial phase, it will focus on small medium-sized enterprise (SME), mid-market businesses. The new insurance plan of SBI General Insurance comes with CyRUSS (Cyber Risk Underwriting and Solution Suite). CyRUSS is a cloud-based tool for commercial cyber policies including risk assessment, ongoing risk management and claim management as well.

2. Bajaj Allianz Launches Total Health Secure Goal Plan: Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance in collaboration launched their first product 'Total Health Secure Goal'. The new insurance product is a combination of two existing plans - Health Guard policy by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, and iSecure from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.

RANKS AND REPORTS

1. Cancer Preparedness Index 2019 Released, India Ranks 19^th: India was ranked 19th out of 28 countries in the Index of Cancer Preparedness (ICP)released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).  It was released as part of the report titled “Cancer preparedness around the world: National readiness for a global epidemic” prepared by EIU. Top 3 countries are Australia (1st), Netherlands (2nd) and Germany (3rd). Bottom three are Saudi Arabia (28th), Romania (27th) and Egypt (26th).

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. World Book Day: 23 April: World Book Day is celebrated every year on 23 April. It is also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book. It is organized by UNESCO to raise awareness about the importance of reading and promote publishing and the protection of copyright around the globe. It was first celebrated on 23 April 1995. For the year 2019, Sharjah, UAE has been declared as the World Book Capital. 

2. 23rd April: United Nations English Language Day: The United Nations English Language Day is being observed annually on 23 April across the world to entertain as well as inform people about the culture, history, and achievements associated with the English language. It is the date traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of death of the greatest writer ever known in the English language ‘William Shakespeare’. English has an official or special status in at least 75 countries that have a total population of over two billion.

Note: The day was established in 2010 by the Department of Public Information, as a result of its efforts to establish language days for each of United Nation’s six official languages.

The days are as follows:

Arabic days: 18 December , Chinese day: 20 April , French day: 20 March . Russian day: 6 June

Spanish day: 23 April

SPORTS

1. Fabio Fognini Becomes First Italian To Claim ATP Masters 1000 Title: Fabio Fognini became the first Italian to win an ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. He defeated Dusan Lajovic. The Italian defeated World No. 3 Alexander Zverev to reach the quarter-finals and stunned 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in the last four.

OBITUARIES

1.  S Muthiah, chronicler of Madras, Passes Away: Chennai's famed chronicler, cartographer, and journalist S. Muthiah, 89, passed away due to age-related ailments. He was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2002 for his accomplishments.

2. Noted lady Mountaineer Rama Sengupta Paul passes away: The veteran lady mountaineer of the country Rama Sengupta Paul(66-years) has passed away following a cardiac arrest. She led the first successful all-women expedition to Krdarnath Dome in Garhwal Himalaya. Rama was a member of Indo-Japanese Women expedition to Kamet and Abi Gamin organized by Indian Mountaineering Foundation in 1976.