Daily GK Updates - 3rd May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. BSNL Launches 'Bharat Fibre' Broadband Service In Kashmir Valley: State-owned telecom firm BSNL has become the first operator to start optical fibre-based high-speed broadband service in Pulwama with the launch of 'Bharat Fibre'. This is the first such FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) service deployment in the (Kashmir) Valley. The service has been launched in a business partnership model with the local channel partner of Pulwama area, on a revenue sharing basis.

2. Mangaluru Police Gets An All-women Patrol Unit “Rani Abbakka Force”: Mangaluru City Police has launched an all-women police patrol unit ‘Rani Abbakka Force’. The force will cover the malls, beaches, educational institutions, places of religious importance, and the public transport system and handle issues related to eve-teasing and chain-snatching, among others. All-women police patrol force has been named after the 16th-century warrior of coastal Karnataka, Queen Abbakka of Ullal near Mangaluru, who fought the Portuguese in the 16th century.

3. Government and IIT-Delhi To Set up a CoE For Waste to Wealth Technologies: The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) signed an MoU in New Delhi for setting up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Waste to Wealth Technologies for implementation of sustainable, scientific and technological solutions for waste management. The waste to wealth mission project has been approved under the recently constituted Prime Minister’s Science Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). 

4. National Space Day: 3^rd May 2019: Every Year National Space Day is celebrated on the first Friday of May to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields among young people. This year in 2019 National Space Day is observed on 3rd May to encourage youth and also to educate young people about the wonders of the Universe.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 16th Ministerial Meeting of Asia Cooperation Dialogue Held in Qatar: The 16th Ministerial Meeting of Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) was held in Doha, Qatar. Gen. (Dr) V.K. Singh (Retd), Minister of State for External Affairs led the Indian delegation. The theme of the meeting was "Partners in Progress”.

2. Vladimir Putin Signs Law to Create Independent Russian Internet: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a new measure that aims to expand government control over the Internet. It would enable the creation of a national network, able to operate separately from the rest of the world. The new law aims to protect Russia from foreign online restrictions by creating a "sustainable, secure and fully functioning" local internet.

3. World Press Freedom Day: 3rd May: World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) is celebrated all over the world on the 3rd of May. The theme for WPFD 2019 is “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”.  One of the aims of World Press Freedom Day is to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the field. Another is to assess the state of press freedom throughout the world. Norway is ranked first in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). India Ranked 140th in 2019 World Press Freedom Index.

4. World Bank gives 545 million dollars for cyclone-hit southern Africa: The World Bank will extend more than half-a-billion dollars in grants for cyclone-ravaged southern African countries. A total of up to 545 million US dollar will be disbursed to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi - the three countries hit by Cyclone Idai in March. Cyclone Idai devastated the port city of Beira and its surrounding areas when it hit on March 14, killing more than 600 people. Weeks later a fresh massive storm, Cyclone Kenneth, lashed the northern coastal regions of Mozambique which killed 41 people. Mozambique, which received 350 million US dollar, Malawi will get 120 million US dollar while Zimbabwe will receive 75 million US dollar.

5. International Energy Day: 3^rd May:  International Energy Day is celebrated by The International Energy Agency (IEA) all over the world on 3 of May. IEA is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in wake of the 1973 oil crisis for better conservation of energy and promotion of sustainable development worldwide.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Bajrang Punia Wins Gold In Ali Aliyev Wrestling Tournament: World number one Bajrang Punia has become the first Indian to win gold at the Ali Aliev wrestling tournament after defeating Viktor Rassadin of Russia in the 65 kg freestyle in Kapiisk. Bajrang, who is part of the JSW Sports Excellence Program, will fight at the historic Madison Square Garden arena. 

2. Jaipur to Host Asian Youth Women Handball Championship: Jaipur will host the 8th Asian Youth Women Handball Championship in which 10 teams will be participating. It will be played in August 2019. The previous edition in 2017 was held at Jakarta in Indonesia where South Korea was the champion while Japan and China were placed second and third respectively.

3. India to bid for 2024 World Table Tennis Championships: Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has decided to bid for the 2024 edition (take part-32 teams) of the biennial World Team Championships. The last time India hosted a World Championships was way back in 1987 and the last big ITTF event that was staged in India was in 2012 when Hyderabad hosted the World Junior Championships.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian is new Member of Finance Commission’s Advisory Council: The Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India, Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian had been included as Member of the Advisory Council of the Fifteenth Finance Commission. Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian will be the twelfth Member of the Council.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Huawei Overtakes Apple To Become 2nd Biggest Smartphone Maker: Huawei Technologies Co overtook Apple Inc to claim the No. 2 spot in smartphones making in the first quarter, moving a step closer to its avowed ambition of displacing Samsungat the top of the market. Huawei’s been steadily gaining on Apple and Samsung Electronics Co. with an increasingly high-end line-up of devices.

2. Vodafone Idea announces multi-million dollar IT outsourcing deal with IBM: India’s largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd Friday announced a five-year multi-million-dollar IT outsourcing deal with tech giant IBM. The collaboration will provide Vodafone Idea with a hybrid cloud based digital platform to enable more intimate engagement with its over 387 million subscribers (as of December 31, 2018), enhancing business efficiency, agility and scale plus simplification of its business processes.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Former ISRO Chairman Awarded France's Highest Civilian Honour: Mr. A S Kiran Kumar (Former ISRO chairman) was conferred with France’s highest civilian honour, Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Legion d’Honneur. He was awarded for his contribution to India-France space cooperation. Kumar was the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 2015 to 2018. Currently, He holds the Chair of the ISRO Committee on Earth Observation Satellites. Kumar was conferred with the prestigious honour by France’s Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler on behalf of the French President. 

About Award: The Ordre national de la Lgion d'Honneur (National Order of the Legion of Honour) is the highest civilian award given by the French for outstanding service to France.