Daily GK Updates - 24th August, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 24th Meeting of Western Zonal Council held in Panaji: Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 24th meeting of Western Zonal Council in Goa. The Western Zonal Council is a forum for the Centre and States to exchange ideas on issues such as health, security and social welfare. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, representatives from the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli attended the meeting. Mr. Sawant is the vice-chairman and host of the meeting. The previous meeting of the Western Zonal Council was chaired by then Home Minister Rajnath Singh at Gandhinagar in Gujarat in April last year.

Note: The States have been divided into five zones and each zone has its council comprising the Chief Minister, two Ministers and the Chief Secretary of each State. The zonal councils are headed by the Union Home Minister and each zone nominates one Chief Minister as its vice-chairman on rotation basis.

2. Minority Affairs Ministry Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to inaugurate “Hunar Haat”: Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot will inaugurate this “Hunar Haat” at Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur. “Hunar Haat” has proved to be an effective programme to provide employment and employment opportunities to master artisans. More than 2 lakh 40 thousand master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts have been provided employment and employment opportunities.

3. Ocean energy gets renewable energy status: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has declared Ocean Energy as renewable energy status. It has clarified to all stakeholders that energy produced using various forms of ocean energy such as tidal, wave and ocean thermal energy conversion and shall be eligible for meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO).

Note: Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy: Raj Kumar Singh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. First-ever World Youth Conference for Kindness held: President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the first-ever World Youth Conference for Kindness organised by the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) at Vigyan Bhavan, Delhi. The theme of the conference was “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Gandhi for the Contemporary World: Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.” In attendance were Union Ministers, prominent artists, nobel laureates and over 1,000 youth representing 27 countries. The conference was in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi and aimed at providing youth with creative, effective methods of engaging and realising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It sought inspiration from Gandhi’s championing of non-violence.

2. Sheikh Hasina, Sania Mirza to co-chair World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and tennis star Sania Mirza will be among co-chairs for India Economic Summit to be held here in October by the World Economic Forum, where hundreds of Indian and global leaders would discuss India’s role in South Asia and on the world stage. The two-day summit, scheduled for October 3-4, will be held by Geneva-based WEF in collaboration with industry body CII (Confederation of Indian Industry). Mirza will co-chair the summit as a sportsperson and the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia. Summit Theme: “Innovating for India: Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World.”

3. Abdalla Hamdok takes charge as Prime Minister of Sudan: Abdalla Hamdok has taken the oath as the prime minister of Sudan. This comes a month after Sudan embarked on a three-year transition to civilian rule. Hamdok was sworn in before Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of the newly- formed Sovereign Council, at the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum in presence of the chief justice.

Note: Capital: Khartoum; Currency: Sudanese pound

4. 'Statue of Unity', Mumbai's Soho House among Time's 100 greatest places in the world: The 597-ft tall 'Statue of Unity' in Gujarat and Mumbai's Soho House have been featured by the Time magazine in its second annual list of the 2019 World's greatest places, a compilation of 100 new and newly "noteworthy destinations to experience right now".

The 'Statue of Unity', the world's tallest statue, is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India's first home minister as well as deputy prime minister. Statue of Unity is standing on an island in the Narmada River, over the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat. Mumbai's chic Soho House is located in an 11-­storey building overlooking the Arabian Sea. It houses a library, a cinema with 34 seats and a rooftop bar and pool. Soho House Mumbai is Asia's first Soho House that puts a local spin on the "formula that has allowed Nick Jones' members-­only clubs to blossom across the US and Europe".

The Time list also includes Zakouma National Park in Chad, Red Sea Mountain Trail in Egypt, Newseum in Washington, The Shed in New York City, the Geosea Geothermal Sea Baths in Iceland, Six Senses Hotel in Bhutan that offer guests the opportunity to take guided journeys through the mountains of the Himalayan kingdom, Leopard Hill in Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya and the Pohoiki in Isaac Hale Beach Park in Hawaii.

5. Russia launches floating nuclear reactor in Arctic: Russia launched the world's first floating nuclear reactor. The vessel weighs 21,000 tonsand has two reactors with a capacity of 35 megawatts each. This reactor loaded with nuclear fuel, the Akademik Lomonosov left the Arctic port of Murmansk to begin its 5,000 kilometres (3,000-mile) voyage to Pevek in northeastern Siberia.
Note: President of Russia: Vladimir Putin; Capital: Moscow; Currency: Russian ruble.

6. NASA honours Rolling Stones by naming rock on Mars: NASA announced that it has named rock on Mars in honour of the iconic English band, The Rolling Stones. The space agency revealing that the "Rolling Stones Rock" was a stone that was sent rolling after NASA's InSight lander touched down on the Mars' surface.

OTHER UPDATES:

                                                                                     

SPORTS

1. India won Bronze in World Archery Youth Championships: The Indian team of Sukhbeer Singh, Sangampreet Singh Bisla and Tushar Phadtare clinched a bronze medal in the junior compound men's team event in the World Archery Youth Championships in Madrid, Spain. Trailing by one point till the penultimate end, the Indian trio made a spectacular recovery, shooting a flawless final end with two Xs (closer to centre) to defeat Colombia's Jagdeep Teji Singh Mejia, Gomez Zuluaga Felipe and Toro Vasquez Manuel 234-231.

BANKING & FINANCE

1. Bandhan Bank launches co-branded credit card with Standard Chartered: In a bid to offer a complete suite of services to its existing customers, Bandhan Bank, launched a co-branded credit card in association with Standard Chartered bank. The credit card would be offered to 40 lakh savings bank account holders across the 1,000 branches of Bandhan Bank. As part of the tie-up, while Standard Chartered bank will take the credit risk, Bandhan Bank will be responsible for identifying and issuing cards to its customers. Standard Chartered has 100 branches in India. It has a credit card base of 12 lakh customers, and has been growing at 15-20 per cent on year-on-year basis.

Note: MD & CEO, Bandhan Bank: Shekhar Ghosh; CEO, Standard Chartered: Zarin Daruwala

OBITUARIES

1. Former finance minister Arun Jaitley passes away: Former finance minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passed away at Delhi’s AIIMS Saturday after battling multiple health issues for the last several months. Jaitley, 66, was admitted to hospital on August 9 after he complained of palpitations and restlessness. He was a lawyer by profession. He held the portfolios of Finance Ministry, Corporate Affairs Ministry, Defence Ministry, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting.