Daily GK Updates - 20th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt plans introducing artificial intelligence system in MCA 21 portal: The Union government has planned to introduce artificial intelligence system in the MCA 21 portal as it seeks to make the compliance process easier as well as ensure routine enforcement activities are done round-the-clock on autopilot basis. MCA 21 is the electronic backbone for the dissemination of information to all stakeholders, including the regulator, corporate and investors. All filings under the company’s law are submitted to the ministry through this portal.

Note: MCA 21 allows electronic filings of various documents under the Companies Act, 2013 and has fully automated all processes related to enforcement and compliance monitoring under the Act.

2. The Government of Meghalaya approved the establishment of the Farmers Commission: The Government of Meghalaya has approved the establishment of a commission for monitoring the problems of farmers. According to the proposal passed in the 'Kisan Parishad' by the Agriculture Department, the proposal for the formation of the Kisan Commission was given. The first 'Kisan Parishad' of its kind in the country was organized in December 2018 and it was attended by scientists and bureaucrats besides farmers to discuss issues related to the state’s agricultural conditions.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will attend the meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers in Bishkek: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will attend the foreign ministers' meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Swaraj's Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi will also attend the meeting. This will be the second Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting that India will be attending as a full member of SCO. 

2. Units of world measurement were redefined: After decades of unprecedented laboratory work, the  world's scientific and technical community has  adopted a resolution to redefine the four of the seven base units unanimously in a historic decision , these units are  kilograms (SI unit of weight), Kelvin (temperature Key SI unit), Mole (SI unit of substance), and ampere (current SI unit). This decision has now enabled scientists and researchers to fully base the SI units on the fundamental qualities of nature; it will ensure their continued refinement and improvement for the coming years. Basic constants are unchanged of time and place and have been successfully replaced by units based on artifacts, and by connecting all the seven base units with fundamental constants / quantum standards, a new era has been opened for the quantum world.

3. World Bee Day: 20th May:  To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators (such as bees, butterflies, bats and hummingbirds), the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day. 20 May coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, who in the 18th century pioneered modern beekeeping techniques in his native Slovenia and praised the bees for their ability to work so hard, while needing so little attention.

4. World Metrology Day: 20 May: World Metrology Day is observed every year on 20 May. The theme for World Metrology Day 2019 is International System of Units - Fundamentally better.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. BFA launches two new formats of game ‘AirBadminton’ & ‘Triples’: The world body governing Badminton (BFA) has launched two new formats of the game ‘AirBadminton’ and ‘Triples’ with new dimensions of the court and an innovative shuttlecock called 'Airshuttle'. AirBadmintion will be outdoor sports (Traditional badminton- indoor game). In Triples format, the match will be played between a team of three players each with the presence of at least one female. Infrastructure won't be a hindrance for people interested in Airbadminton as it can be played in different environments like grass in parks, on sands in beaches and the streets and bylanes.

2. ICC releases the official song for World Cup 2019: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the official song of the 2019 ICC World Cup as the countdown to the tournament enters the final two weeks. The official song ‘Stand By’ is collaboration between new artist LORYN and one of the UK’s most successful and influential acts, Rudimental. It will be played in ground and city events across the tournament.

Note: The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup is the 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by England and Wales, from 30 May to 14 July 2019. It is the fifth time that the Cricket World Cup will be held in England and Wales, following 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999 World Cups.

3. Double Olympic Bethlean Champion Dahlmeier announces Retirement at the age of 25: Germany’s double Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier announced her retirement at the age of just 25 after struggling with health issues. She has won seven world championship gold medals, and in 2018 in Pyeongchang, she became the first female biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Olympics. 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Indian short film wins Nespresso Talents award in Cannes: Indian filmmaker Achyutanand Dwivedi's film, "Seed Mother" (three-minute film) has won the third prize in the international section of Nespresso Talents 2019 in Cannes. The Nespresso 2019 first prize in the international section was won by New Zealand's Josh Morrice for "Subak", about rice cultivation in Bali. The second prize went to Mexican filmmaker Marco Aurelio Celis' "Ruffo". The film "Seed Mother" celebrates the exceptional spirit of Rahibai Soma Popere, a woman who champions the use of local seeds and traditional methods of farming in villages of Maharashtra. The theme of this year was ’We Were We Were It’, whose purpose is to search the world, to experience diversity and to share experience and knowledge through food.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. BSNL has partnered with Google to expand WiFi footprint in India: State-run telco BSNL has announced that it has joined hands with internet major Google to expand its WiFi footprint across the country. The new initiative will help the customers to use BSNL high-speed internet services on WiFi. Google has previously completed the rollout of RailWAccording to an Analysys Mason study, public Wi-Fi will connect 40 million new users to the internet by 2019.

2. Debt card transactions increase by 27% on PoS terminals in March 2019: RBI statistics: According to the RBI data, in March 2019, the total number of financial transactions done by people using their debit card has increased by 15%. Compared to March 2018, the financial transactions made by debit card on POS terminals increased by 27%. Actually, the total number of financial transactions done by people using the debit card at ATMs is 891 million for March, which is 15% more than the 775 million in March 2018.

OBITUARIES

1. I M Pei, The Master Architect Passes Away: I M Pei, a dominant figure in American architecture for more than three decades who designed the Louvre’s crystal pyramid, has passed away. He was 102. Pei’s more than 50 projects included the Musee d’Art Moderne in Luxembourg (2006) and the 72-story Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong (1989). He was honored with the American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal in 1979; the Grande Medaille d’Or from the Academie d’Architecture de France; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the USA.