Daily GK Updates - 23rd June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s first solar-powered cruise boat to be rolled out in December: India’s first solar-powered cruise boat will be rolled out in December 2019 in Alappuzha, Kerala. The initiative comes from the Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD). It earlier launched Aditya, India’s first solar-powered ferry in 2016 in the Vaikom-Thavanakadavu route which has proved to be a success.

Features: The ₹3-crore cruise boat that can carry 100 passengers is under construction at a boatyard in Aroor. The hybrid vessel will be powered by a motor that can source energy from solar panels, battery, and generator. Its battery will have 80 KWh (kilowatt hour) power backup, as compared to 50 KWh backup in Aditya. The double-deck, double-engine catamaran-type vessel adheres to norms specified by the Indian Registry of Shipping (IRS).

2. Govt develops National Strategic Plan to end TB by 2025: The government has developed a National Strategic Plan with the goal of ending Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025. India accounts for 27.4 lakh estimated new TB cases annually, which is the highest in terms of absolute numbers. However, India ranks 35th in the world in terms of TB cases per lakh population. Over 5 lakh 62 thousand patients were cured last year.

3. Maha govt announces scheme for smokeless kitchens: A pilot project aimed at providing smoke-free environment in the kitchen for women will be launched by the Maharashtra government. The project, named “Chullah (wood-fired stove)-free and smoke-free Maharashtra”, will target the women who have not benefited under the Ujjwala or any other LPG distribution scheme. The pilot project will be implemented in Naxal- affected areas as well as the districts where farmer suicide rate is high.

4. Anupam Kher Unveils His Auto-Biography ‘Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly’: Veteran actor Anupam Kher is out with his auto-biography, titled “Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly,” and expresses that he started writing it when he was actually 10 years old. The book – an extraordinary, riveting and no-holds-barred saga studded with fascinating behind-the-scenes revelations, anecdotes and rare nuggets of lessons an up am kher’s life story is nothing short of a grand masala box office hit.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Olympic Day: 23 June: World Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June. The day is celebrated to promote participation in different sports throughout the world without any discrimination of the gender, age and athletic ability. The day is not confined to sports activities but a serious international effort to promote fitness and well-being in addition to the Olympic ideals of fair play, solidarity, respect and Sportsmanship across the globe.

2. Shefali Juneja appointed India’s representative to ICAO: Senior bureaucrat Shefali Juneja was appointed as India’s representative in the council of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a United Nations body. Juneja, a 1992 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre), is at present the Joint Secretary in Ministry of Civil Aviation. She has been appointed to the post of Representative of India in the ICAO, Montreal, Canada, for a period of three years. Juneja will replace senior IAS officer Alok Shekhar.

Note: International Civil Aviation Organisation is a specialized agency of United Nations, charged with coordinating and regulating international air travel. ICAO was established in 1944 by Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention). It is headquartered in Quartier International of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

3. 3rd Indo-French cyber dialogue 2019 was held in Paris: The third Indo-French cyber dialogue 2019 was held in Paris, France. To combat terror in cyber space, the two sides have decided to develop effective mechanism and coordinate their efforts in cyber space.

4. Saudi Arabia became the first Arab country to get FATF membership: Saudi Arabia became the first Arab country to get full membership of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). With this, the number of permanent members in the group accounted to 39.

4. Author Amish Tripathi appointed director of London’s Nehru Centre: Renowned Author Amish Tripathi has been named as the new director of London’s Nehru Centre, under Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). He is the author of best-selling books such as ‘Secret of the Nagas’ and ‘Sita – Warrior of Mithila’. He will take over the director’s post from diplomat Srinivas Gotru, whose 4 year tenure ended in early 2019.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Roger Federer Crushes David Goffin to Lift 10th Halle Open Title: Roger Federer defeated David Goffin in straight sets to win the Halle Open for a record-extending 10th time in his career. It is the first time that Federer has earned 10 crowns at one tournament, joining Rafael Nadal as the only men in the Open Era to accomplish the feat.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. US topples China as India’s largest merchandise trade partner: The US overtook China to once again become India’s top goods trading partner in 2018-19, official data shows. Also, India’s trade surplus with the US declined to $16.8 billion from $21.2 billion a year ago. India ranked 20th among the top capital importing countries. The UK, the Netherlands, Germany, the US and Australia were the top destinations for Indian capital investments.