Daily GK Updates - 18th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

           

1.  Cabinet approves setting up of NMC: The Union Cabinet has approved National Medical Commission Bill, 2019. The bill provides for setting up of a National Medical Commission in place of Medical Council of India and repeal the Indian Medical Council Act 1956. The features of the bill include, the Common final year MBBS Exams will be known as National Exit Test (NEXT) which would serve as Licentiate Exam, for entrance to Post Graduate medical course and as screening test of foreign medical graduates.

Note: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare: Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

2. SC forms a panel to frame Emergency Plan to prevent the extinction of Indian birds: The Supreme Court of India has constituted a three-member high powered committee to urgently frame and implement an emergency response plan for the protection of two Indian bird species namely ‘Great Indian Bustard’ and the ‘Lesser Florican’ that are facing extinction at an alarming rate. The 3 Member panel comprising of: Dr Deepak Apte – Director of Bombay Natural History Society. Dr Dhananjai Mohan – Chief Conservator of Forests of Uttarakhand. Dr Asad R Rahmani – Former Director of Bombay Natural History Society.

Note: The Supreme court also sought responses from the Centre and State governments, where these two species of birds are prominently found, on a plea of wildlife activists.

3. Uttarakhand to host first ever Himalayan states conclave: Uttarakhand will host the first ever Himalayan states conclave here on July 28 where the prime focus will be on sustainable development. The conclave will host the Chief Ministers of the Himalayan states - Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland, along with administrators and specialists.

Note: Uttarakhand CM: Trivendra Singh Rawat, Governor: Baby Rani Maurya, Capital: Dehradun

4. Internet Saathi' programme to be expanded to Punjab, Odisha: Google India and Tata Trusts initiative is aimed at facilitating digital literacy among women in rural India named "Internet Saathi". This initiative will be expanded to villages in Punjab and Odisha. This programme has now reached 2.6 lakh villages in 20 states. In Punjab, the programme will cover around 5,000 villages. In Odisha, it will cover over 16,000 villages.

Note: Chief of "Internet Saath" Google India: Neha Barjatya.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Palau Becomes 76th Country to Join ISA: Palau, an archipelago of over 500 islands in Oceania, became the 76th signatory countryto join the International Solar Alliance. The International Solar Alliance is a group of 121 solar resource-rich countries with headquarters in Gurugram, India.  The organisation aims to deploy over 1,000 gigawatts of solar energy and mobilise more than USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Note: Capital of Palau: Ngerulmud; Currency of Palau: U.S. Dollar.

2. The UK expands its Go Global programme to India to boost startups: The UK government has expanded its Go Global initiative to India with the aim of giving Indian Startups the most innovative and cutting-edge start-ups the skills they need to grow their business. This will also help the startups in India to build links with the UK’s digital sector and will pave the way for future economic partnerships.

Note: Go Global programme is an innovative scheme supporting start-ups to work with UK expertise to take their firms to the next level.

3. Nelson Mandela International Day: 18 July: The United Nations observes 18 July every year as Nelson Mandela International Day.  The day acknowledges the Nelson Mandela's contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world. Nelson Mandela Day is an occasion for all to take action and inspire change.

Note: Headquarters of United Nations: New York, USA; Founded: 24 October 1945. Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. ISSF Junior World Cup: Anish Bhanwala claims gold medal in 25m rapid fire pistol: Indian shooters Anish Bhanwala claimed the gold medal in 25m rapid fire pistol competition at ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany. India has so far won eight gold, seven silver and three bronze medals in the tournament. Indian shooters, Adarsh Singh came fourth with a score of 17.

Note: The 2019 ISSF Junior World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF Junior World Cup, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation.

2. Athletics: Hima Das wins fourth gold in 15 days: Star Indian sprinter Hima Das (19-years) has won a gold medal in the 200m race at the Tabor Athletics Meet in the Czech Republic. Hima won the race in 23.25 seconds, which had a mediocre field with most of the competitors representing clubs of the Czech Republic. Hima's compatriot VK Vismaya was second with a season of best 23.43 seconds. This was Hima's fourth gold since July 2 when she ran her first competitive race in Europe. In men's 400m, Muhammad Anas won in 45.40 seconds, while compatriots Tom Noah Nirmal came second with a season-best effort of 46.59 seconds.

3. Deepika Kumari clinches silver at 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games test event: India's top-ranked woman archer ‘Deepika Kumari’ clinched silver medal at the ‘2020 Tokyo Olympic Games test event’. This was Deepika's first individual final in a world event since she won a gold at the third stage of the World Cup in Salt Lake City in June last year. In the men's category, India had a forgettable outing with country's top-ranked Atanu Das making a second-round exit, losing to Bae Jaehyeon of Korea 4-6.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Andhra Bank launches AI chatbot in Telangana: Andhra Bank MD & CE0 J Packirisamy has launched an Artificial Intelligence interactive assistant chatbot named ‘ABHi’ (www.andhrabank.in). Customers can connect and know details from 'ABHi' through website www.andhrabank.in over Mobile/Desktop browser, Facebook Messenger and over voice using Google Assistant. With ABHi, customers will be able to get the information instantaneously 24x7. The Bank's AI-powered chatbot-ABHi uses latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithm to understand the customer query and fetch the relevant information from the possible knowledge base in a matter of milliseconds.

2. ADB cuts India’s GDP growth rate from 7.2% to 7% for FY20: Asian Development Bank lowered India's GDP growth rate from 7.2% to 7% for the current fiscal year. India is expected to grow by 7% in 2019 and 7.2% in 2020, slightly slower than projected in April, ADB said in its supplement to the Asian Development Outlook 2019.

Note:  President of ADB Bank: Takehiko Nakao;  HQ of ADB Bank: Manila, Philippines.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. L&T Infotech acquires AI firm Lymbyc for Rs 38 crore: Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd acquires AI firm Lymbyc for Rs 38 crore. Lymbyc’s expertise in data discovery, agile analytics and ability to process large data sets, will enhance LTI’s Mosaic platform to provide differentiated analytics solutions. Lymbyc  is a Bengaluru-headquartered company known for its capabilities in analytics and data sciences space.

Note: CEO of Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd: Sanjay Jalona; CEO of Lymbyc: Satyakam Mohanty.

2. Ebix acquires Yatra Online in $337.8 million: US company, Ebix has announced the acquisition of travel portal Yatra Online for $337.8 million. Now, Yatra has become the part of Ebix’s EbixCash travel portfolio, forming India’s one of the “largest and most profitable” travel services companies. Yatra will continue to serve customers under its brand, alongside EbixCash’s two other travel brands 'Via' and 'Mercury'. Ebix is a provider of on-demand software and e-commerce services.

Note: CEO of Yatra Online: Dhruv Shringi; CEO of Ebix: Robin Raina.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Govt's ''Find the Incredible You'' campaign wins PATA award: The "Find the Incredible You" campaign of the Tourism Ministry has won the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award, 2019. The campaign focuses on digital and social media and the promotion of niche tourism products of the country. The campaign won the award under the "Marketing - Primary Government Destination" category. According to an official release, this year's awards attracted 198 entries from 78 organisations and individuals worldwide. As part of the 2.0 campaign, five new television commercials were produced by the ministry, which was aired globally on television and social media. To take the campaigns to the next level, the 'Incredible India 2.0'campaign was launched in September 2017. The campaign strategy was to shift the focus from the external experience of tourist destinations to the internal experience of travellers themselves.

Note: PATA Gold Awards are given to tourism industry organizations and individuals making an outstanding contribution towards the successful promotion of the travel industry throughout the Asia Pacific Region.