Daily GK Updates - 5th June, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Health Minister Chairs Meeting to Review Status of RNTCP In New Delhi: The Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, chaired a high-level meeting to review the status of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) in New Delhi. During the meeting, Dr Vardhan directed the officials for taking up the elimination of TB on a Mission Mode, which would include all stakeholders to come together for an aggressive strategy for TB free India by 2025. 

2. L&T Financial Services Launches ‘Digital Sakhi’ in Tamil Nadu: L&T Financial Services’ (LTFS) ‘Digital Sakhi’, an educational programme aimed at digital financial inclusion of rural women, was launched in two villages of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. LTFS in association with Sri Aurobindo Society will train and develop a team of 100 rural women (Digital Sakhis) as digital enablers, who in turn, will train about 40,000 others in using digital modes of payments.

3. BJP's Rajesh Patnekar elected as Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly: Goa BJP MLA Rajesh Patnekar has been elected as the speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly. Mr Patnekar garnered 22 votes over the 16 votes received by Congress leader Pratapsingh Rane during the assembly session. The 22 votes for Mr Patnekar include 16 from BJP MLAs, and three each from Goa Forward Party legislators and independents. Mr Patnekar represents the Bicholim assembly constituency of Goa.

4. Telangana enhances assistance under ‘Rythu Bandhu Scheme’ to Rs 5000: Telangana government has announced to increase the assistance under its flagship ‘Rythu Bandhu scheme’ for 2019-20 from Rs 4000 to Rs 5000. The scheme is an Initial Investment support programme of the state government to provide income support for agriculture and horticulture crops to farmer in each season to be used to purchase inputs like seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, labour and other filed operations. The amount Rs 5000 (per acre per farmer per season) would be paid through electronic transfer using the RBI payment platform, e-Kuber.

5. Rajasthan Government increases financial aid under ‘Aapki Beti’ scheme: The Rajasthan government has increased the annual financial assistance under the ‘Aapki Beti’ scheme.  ‘Aapki Beti’ scheme provides annual financial assistance to the schoolgirl (class 1 to 8) in the state living under Below Poverty Line (BPL) and whose mother or father or both have died. As per the revised scheme, girls will get an amount of Rs 2,100 instead of Rs 1,100. Similarly, for girls (in class 9 to 12), financial aid has been increased to Rs 2,500 from Rs 1,500. The State Government has also increased the ex-gratia payment (from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh) to the next of kin of polling personnel who got killed on election duty.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tamil Nadu Gets $287 million World Bank Loan For Healthcare Reform: The Centre, the Tamil Nadu Government and the World Bank have signed a $287-million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Programme (TNHSRP). TNHSRP aims to improve the quality of healthcare, reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and fill equity gaps in reproductive and child health services in the State, according to an official statement. 

Note: Tamil Nadu CM: Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Governor: Banwarilal Purohit.

2. 14th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Summit Held in Mecca: The 14th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Mecca, Saudi Arabia was hosted by Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. The official agenda of meeting was to address ‘current issues in Muslim world’ and ‘recent developments in a number of OIC member states.

Note: The organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, the Kingdom of Morocco on 25 September 1969. Secretary-General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation is Yousef Bin Ahmad Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Othaimeen.

3. ‘2nd Global Disability Summit’ to be Held in Buenos Aires: The '2nd Global Disability Summit' will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Indian delegation will be headed by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot. The objective of the summit is to deliberate on issues across the world concerning empowerment and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and to work out a mechanism for enabling them to live an independent and dignified life.

Note: The ‘1st Global Disability Summit’ was held in London in July 2018.

4. Nirmala Sitharaman to Attend G20 Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Japan: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend the two-day meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers and central bank governors in Japan. This will be the first overseas visit of Sitharaman as the Finance Minister. She took charge as the first full-time woman Finance Minister of the country, recently. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das is also likely to attend the meeting at Fukuoka in Japan.

Note: Saudi Arabia will host the G20 summit in November 2020. 

5. World Environment Day: 5th June: The World Environment Day (WED) observed every year across the world on 5th June to encourage awareness and action for the protection of the environment. The theme for World Environment Day 2019 is "Beat Air Pollution ". China is the global host nation for the 44th edition of this event.

Note: World Environment Day is a platform for encouraging awareness and propagating the need for protecting the environment. It has been a flagship campaign (first held in 1974) for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime.

6. International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported And Unregulated Fishing: 5 June: International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is organized every year on 5th June. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities are responsible for the loss of 11–26 million tonnes of fish each year, which is estimated to have an economic value of US$10–23 billion.

Note: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.FAO Founded in: October 1945, Headquarters: Rome, Italy, Current Director-General: José Graziano da Silva.

7. Volcano erupts in the Indonesian island of Bali: A volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali, Mount Agung erupted. Mount Agung spewed a plume of ash and smoke more than 2,000 metres into the sky. The volcano is located about 70 kilometres from the tourist hub of Kuta. It has been erupting periodically since it came back to life in 2017. Indonesia is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where the collision of tectonic plates causes frequent quakes and major volcanic activity.

8. Global Gender Equality Index Released: India Ranks 95, Denmark Tops: India ranked 95th out of 129 countries in a new index that measures global gender equality looking at aspects such as poverty, health, education, literacy, political representation and equality at the workplace. The list was topped by Denmark. Chad was placed at bottom most position (129th). The Sustainable Development Goals Gender Index has been developed by UK-based Equal Measures 2030, a joint effort of regional and global organizations. 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Indian Jr. Women's Hockey Team Clinch Cantor Fitzgerald U21: The Indian junior women's hockey team clinched the Cantor Fitzgerald U21 International 4-Nations title after beating Ireland 1-0 in the final at Dublin, Ireland. The win meant India ended the tournament with an unblemished record. With three goals in four games, Mumtaz Khan finished as the highest goal scorer of the tournament. 

2. Sidharth Rawat Wins ITF Men’s Futures Tennis Title: Third seed Sidharth Rawat defeated Rio Noguchi of Japan to clinch his maiden title in the$25,000 ITF men’s Futures tennis tournament. The tournament was held in Thailand.

3. Ashis Ray’s Book on World Cup “Cricket World Cup: The Indian Challenge” Launched: “Cricket World Cup: The Indian Challenge” – a book on the history of the tournament from an Indian perspective by veteran broadcaster and writer Ashis Ray – has been formally unveiled by the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Tom Harrison. 

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. MN Sarma elected as Secretary General of General Insurance Council: Mr. M N Sarma has been elected as the new Secretary General of the General Insurance Council (GIC). He will take over the charge in August 2019. Mr. Sarma is the former Chairman & Managing Director (MD) of United India Insurance.

2. RBI Releases Report On 'Benchmarking India's Payment Systems': The report on 'Benchmarking India's Payment Systems’ which was released mentions that the country is "strong" in areas like having necessary laws and cash in circulation per capita. The report provides a comparative position of the payment system ecosystem in India relative to comparable payment systems and usage trends in other major countries. 

3. RBI observe financial literacy week from June 3-9: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will observe ‘Financial Literacy Week’ across the country from 3rd to 9th of June. Financial Literacy Week is an initiative of RBI to promote awareness on key topics every year through a focused campaign. The theme this year is - 'Farmers and how they benefit by being a part of the formal banking system'. The RBI has advised banks to display the posters and content in their rural bank branches, Financial Literacy Centres, ATMs and websites. It is RBI’s endeavour to reach out to the farming community and all stakeholders are requested to coordinate and make this financial literacy campaign a success.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. World Bank Retains Growth Forecast for Indian Economy At 7.5%: The World Bank retained its forecast of India's growth rate at 7.5% for the current financial Year 2019/20. In its Global Economic Prospects report, the World Bank also mentioned that growth rate is expected to remain the same for the next two fiscals.

Note: World Bank Headquarters in: Washington DC, USA, Established in: 1944, President:David Malpass.

2. JLR Inks Pact With BMW To Develop Next-Gen Electric Vehicles: Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover has joined hands with BMW to develop next-generation electric drive systems. The two partners will invest jointly in research and development, engineering and procurement with an aim to provide the necessary economies of scale to support increased consumer adoption of electric vehicles.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Sunder Pichai, Nasdaq's Friedman To Receive 2019 Global Leadership Award: In the United States, Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai and Nasdaq president Adena Friedman have been chosen for the prestigious Global Leadership Awards 2019 by business advocacy group USIBC in recognition of the two companies' contribution as the leading technology-driven platforms. The award by Washington-based US-India Business Council (USIBC) would be conferred upon Indian-American Pichai, 46, and Friedman, 50, during 'India Ideas Summit'. 

2. Malayalam Actor Sheela J.C. Honoured with J.C. Daniel Award: Malayalam Actor Sheela J.C. has won the J.C. Daniel Award, the highest honour in Malayalam cinema.  She is only the second woman to get it, after Aranmula Ponnamma in 2005. She won the State and National Awards for the Second Best Female Actor for Akale.

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran Comedian and Theatre Actor Dinyar Contractor Passes Away: Veteran comedian, film and theatre actor Dinyar Contractor passed away aged 79. He had been suffering from various age-related illnesses.  The actor had featured in several Bollywood films including 'Baadshah', and 'Khiladi' along with television shows like 'Khichdi' and 'Hum Sab Ek Hain', and was also awarded the Padma Shri in January 2019.​ 

2. Rajasthani folk dancer ‘Queen Harish’ passes away: World fame dancer Queen Harish passed away in a road accident near Kaparda village Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Harish gave a new identity to Jaisalmer with his different dance style. Harish Kumar was popularly known as Queen Harish and his shows comprising of various folk-dance forms like Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Chang, Bhawai, Chari among others were very popular.