Daily GK Updates - 4th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India to contribute USD 22 million to GFTAM: India has announced a contribution of USD 22 million to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM) for the 6th replenishment cycle (2020-22). This is an increase of 10% over the amount contributed by the US in the 5th cycle. The Global Fund is a partnership designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. As an international organization, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests more than USD 4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts in more than 100 countries.

India has received USD 2.0 billion from the Global Fund for attaining targets related to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria reduction. As a donor, India has contributed USD 46.5 million so far till 2019 including USD 20 million for the 5th Replenishment.

2. Indira Gandhi International Airport Gets India’s tallest ATC tower: The Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri has inaugurated the new “Aerodrome Control Tower” at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi. This ATC tower is India’s tallest (102-metres) and most technologically advanced air traffic control (ATC) tower. It will enhance safety and boost the efficiency of air transport management services. The earth-quake resistant building has been constructed at the cost of approximately Rs 250 crore. This allows for simultaneous landings from the same direction on parallel runways which will further increase the capacity of the airport.

3. UDAN regional connectivity scheme launched in Haryana from Hisar: Hisar, Haryana has entered into the civil aviation map after the launch of the air shuttle service between Hisar and Chandigarh. SpiceJet has started the air shuttle service between Hisar and Chandigarh under the Ude Desh ka Har Nagarik (UDAN) Regional Connectivity Service scheme. SpiceJet would provide the service of two flights between Hisar and Chandigarh daily.

Note: Haryana Capital: Chandigarh; Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar; Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya.

4. Aadhaar for ITR filing, PAN will be auto-generated: The Income Tax Department announced that it will automatically issue PAN to all taxpayers who do not have a Permanent Account Number and are using Aadhaar for filing income tax returns (ITR). Under this new Aadhaar-PAN rule, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) will obtain demographic information from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and issue a new Permanent Account Number (PAN).

Note: UIDAI Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Ajay Bhushan Pandey; Headquarters: New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Oleksiy Honcharuk appointed new Prime Minister of Ukraine: Oleksiy Honcharuk (35-years) has been appointed as the youngest-ever Prime Minister of Ukraine. He replaces Volodymyr Groysman, who offered his resignation after Zelensky's inauguration. Ukraine's new president Volodymyr Zelensky (41-year) nominated Honcharuk after weeks of consultations. The Prime Minister is appointed by the president with the consent of the Verkhovna Rada.

2. Trump nominates Indian-American ‘Shireen Mathews’ as District Court judge: President Donald Trump has nominated Indian American Shireen Mathews as a judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of California. Currently, Matthews is a partner at Jones Day, the fifth-largest law firm in the country, in San Diego. Matthews will be the first Asian Pacific American woman and first Indian-American to serve as an Article III federal judge in the Southern District. Article III judges "hold their office during good behaviour", which means they have a lifetime appointment, except under very limited circumstances.

3. CEC Sunil Arora assumes charge as AWEB Chairman: India’s Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora (1980 batch IAS officer - Rajasthan cadre) has assumed Chairmanship of Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB) for the term 2019-21, as India takes over the chair from Romania. Earlier, India was unanimously nominated to the Vice-Chair of AWEB at the last General Assembly held at Bucharest (in 2017). The AWEB Flag was handed over to the new Chairman, Sunil Arora and it will remain with Election Commission of India for the two-year term till 2021. More than 110 delegates from 45 countries attended the meeting. Mr Arora announced, an AWEB Centre would be set up at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, New Delhi for documentation, research and training and for the sharing best practices.

4. 1st ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) begins: The first ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between the regional bloc and Washington, starting at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand and ending in Singapore. This drill is Co-led by the US and Royal Thai navies, the exercises will stretch into "international waters in Southeast Asia, including the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea".  The drills come at a time of stepped-up US engagement in the region and tensions between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea.

5. Joint India-New Development Bank Workshop held in New Delhi: A joint India- New Development Bank workshop was held in New Delhi. The workshop was organized to enhance the NDB’s engagement with the India's private and public sector.  The NDB is aiming to support the Indian public and private sector for infrastructure development through innovative means such as loans in a local currency, guarantees, credit enhancement and equity investments. The NDB is the first Multilateral Development Bank established by developing countries and emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Note: President of NDB: K V Kamath; Headquarters: Shanghai, China.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Mithali Raj announces retirement from T20Is: Indian women's cricket ODI (One Day International) Captain Mithali Raj (36-years) has announced her retirement from T20 Internationals. She wants to focus on her ODI career, keeping in mind the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand. Mithali ended her T20 career with 2,364 runs from 89 matches at an average of 37.5 and the highest score of 97 not out. Mithali is also the first Indian woman to reach the landmark of 2000 T20 runs. In 203 ODIs, she scored 6,720 runs at an average of 51.29, with seven hundred. She has also played in 10 Tests, with 663 runs including a hundred.

2. Hamilton Masakadza announces retirement from International Cricket: Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza (36-years) has announced to retire from international cricket after conclusion of Bangladesh & Afghanistan T20I Tri-series (13 to 24 September 2019). He is a right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm medium-pace bowler. Hamilton Masakadza has represented Zimbabwe in 38 Tests (2223 runs), 209 ODIs (5658 runs) and 62 T20Is (1529-run). In his overall international career, he scored 9,410 international runs including 10 international tons and 42 half-centuries.

BANKING & FINANCE

1. ESIC ties up with SBI for real-time payments to ESIC beneficiaries: The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and the State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide electronic payment services for beneficiaries of ESIC. As per an agreement, SBI will provide e-payment services directly to bank accounts of all ESIC beneficiaries and payees without any manual intervention as an integrated and automated process. The e-payment integration would affect the statutory benefit payments to ESIC beneficiaries as well as other payees on a real-time basis, reducing time lags and delays and at the same time, help eliminate mistakes and errors caused by repetitive and manual data entries.

Note: Director-General of ESIC: Rajkumar; Chairman of SBI: Rajnish Kumar.

2. IDBI Bank to be recapitalised with an infusion from government, LIC: The Union Cabinet has cleared recapitalization of IDBI Bank with a one-time infusion of funds by both the government and the LIC. It has approved 9,000 crore capital infusion into IDBI Bank, including 4,557 crores by the government as one-time re-capitalisation. This will help both IDBI and LIC, and it shows the government's commitment to take banking to a sound level. The capital infusion process will be done through recapitalisation bonds under which the government will infuse the capital into the bank and the bank will buy the recapitalisation bonds from the government on the same day.

Note: IDBI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, MD and CEO: Rakesh Sharma.

3. ECL Finance and Central bank of India ink pact to co-lend to MSMEs: ECL Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of Edelweiss Financial Services, and Central Bank of India have signed an agreement for priority sector lending to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME's) customers. The partnership aims to facilitate speedy disbursal of credit across a bouquet of products, including machinery and business loans. Through this partnership, MSMEs will be offered a blended lower rate of interest, translating into a lower cost of funds, helping them deploy capital more effectively in their business.

Note: Chairman of Central Bank of India: Rajeev Rishi; MD & CEO of Central Bank of India: Pallav Mohapatra.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Vaishno Devi Shrine tops the list of ‘Swachh Iconic Places’: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has been adjudged as the "Best Swachh Iconic place" in the country in the ‘Swachh Iconic Places’. The Shrine has been adjudged on the basis of the overall improvement in sanitation. This list released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. President Ram Nath Kovind will confer the award to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) during the ‘Swachh Mahotsav’ to be organised by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation on 6 September 2019.

DEFENCE

1. Army to commission 1st batch of women soldiers in 2021: The Indian Army has announced that the first batch of 100 women soldiers in the Army is likely to be commissioned by March 2021. The women soldiers will be commissioned into the Corps of Military Police of the Indian Army. In the Corps of Military Police, women soldiers will take up duties of policing cantonments and other Army establishments.  They will also work in co-operation with civil police of various state governments as well as the Centre and will also investigate cases of crime. At present, women in the Army work only in engineering, medical, legal, signals and educational wings.

2. India, US to carry out joint Military Exercise "Yudh Abhyas 2019": Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training, Exercise "Yudh Abhyas 2019". This exercise is being conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord, Washington, the USA from 05-18 September 2019. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest joint running military training and defence corporation endeavours between India and USA. This will be the 15th edition of the joint exercise hosted alternately between the two countries.   The exercise is also an ideal platform to learn from each other's expertise and experiences of planning and execution of operations.

Note: Chief of the Army Staff of India: General Bipin Rawat; Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army: Mark A Milley.