Daily GK Updates - 7th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NHA ties with Google to strengthen the implementation of PMJAY: National Health Authority signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Google to collaborate and strengthen the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). The two organizations will now work together to increase process efficiencies in day-to-day applications. Google will support NHA in improving digital presence of PMJAY and showcasing relevant content to the 50 crore entitled beneficiaries. Google will also help provide training and support to NHA personnel to build on digital skills. NHA is the nodal agency for implementing Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

Note: NHA is the programme implementing authority of the world's largest public-funded health insurance scheme “Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). NHA's CEO: Indu Bhushan

2. Union govt launches eco-friendly crackers to fight air pollution: Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched eco-friendly green firecrackers, which have been manufactured in India and are available in markets for sellers and consumers. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs have been successful in developing various environment-friendly fireworks such as sound-emitting crackers, flowerpots, pencils, chakkar and sparklers. A green logo as well as a Quick Response (QR) coding system has been developed for the differentiation of green crackers from conventional crackers.

3. India to shift to BS VI vehicular emission norms from BS IV by April 2020: India will shift to Bharat Stage Six (BS VI) vehicular emission norms from BS IV by April 2020 in order to curb vehicular pollution. This announcement was made by the Environment and Forest Minister Mr Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi. BS6-compliant vehicles will be available in Delhi in April 2020 and BS6 petrol/diesel is already available in Delhi/NCR.

Note: Bharat stage Emission Standards (BSES) are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engines and Spark-ignition engines equipment, including motor vehicles. The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Anumula Gitesh Sarma appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of Government of India notified that Mr Anumula Gitesh Sarma was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1986 batch. He succeeds Dr. Ajay M. Gondane.

Note: Australia Capital: Canberra; Currency: Australian dollar

2. New book documenting Gandhi’s legacy launched in South Africa: A new book titled “150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma the South African Legacy”, by Fakir Hassen launched in Johannesburg, South Africa. This book released on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. The book chronicles commemorations of Gandhi’s activities, including his birth and death anniversaries & his visit in South Africa, which was stifled by the apartheid-era minority white government and revived after former president Nelson Mandela.

Note: Capitals of South Africa: Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein; Currency: Rand

3. World Habitat day: October 7: The World Habitat Day was observed every year on first Monday in October all over the world. This year it was observed on October 7, 2019 with the theme “Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste to wealth”. The aim of this day is to reflect on the state of cities and towns and the basic human right to adequate shelter. The theme for 2019 aims to promote the contribution of innovative frontier technologies such as automation, robotics, electric vehicles, renewable energy technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to sustainable waste management to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11: inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities. In 1985 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day through Resolution 40/202. It was first celebrated in 1986.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Christine Wolf clinches Hero Indian Women’s Open golf title: Austria’s Christine Wolf has won the Hero Women’s Indian Open at Gurugram, Haryana. It was Christine’s first title after six years on the Ladies European Tour. Norway’s Mariaane Skarpnord finished as runner-up while England’s Meghan MacLaren finished third in the competition. Among the Indian players, Anika Varma finished at 5th position while Tvesa Malik was at 6th position.

2. Harmanpreet Kaur becomes first Indian to play 100 T20Is: Indian women cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian to play 100 T20 International matches. She achieves this feat in the sixth T20I against South Africa in Surat. Harmanpreet Kaur is among 10 female players who have reached the three-figure mark in terms of appearances. New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Australia’s Ellyse Perry top the list with 111 appearances. Overall, Harmanpreet has two more appearances in T20Is than MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who have played the highest number of matches for India in men’s cricket.

3. Sumit Nagal achieved a career-best ranking of 129 in ATP men’s singles: Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal, aged 22, from Haryana achieved a career-best ranking of 129 in the latest Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) men’s singles rankings 2019. He moved up six places from 135. The first place was held by Novak Djokovic (Serbia), followed by Rafael Nadal (Spain) and Roger Federer (Switzerland). In the doubles ranking, Juan Sebastian Cabal & Rober Farah of Colombia held the top spot followed by Horacio Zeballos of Argentina (3) and Nicolas Mahut (4) of France.

4. 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships For 2019 Held In Doha, Qatar: The 17th Edition of the IAAF World Athletics Championships for 2019 was held at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar from September 27-October 6, 2019. The biennial event was organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and Qatar Athletics Federation. It was the first edition of the competition under its rebranded name, having previously been known as the World Championships in Athletics. Mascot: The event mascot was “Falah”, an anthropomorphic falcon dressed in athletic gear in the maroon colour of the flag of Qatar. The 18th edition will be held in Eugene, Oregon, United States in 2021.

Medal tally: Top 3 countries

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	14	11	4	29
2	Kenya	5	2	4	11
3	Jamaica	3	5	4	12

Indian Performance: 27 athletes from India represented in the championships.

Annu Rani became the first Indian to reach the finals of the women’s javelin throw event in the World Championships in Doha. She threw the javelin 62.43m in her second attempt and emerged as the fifth-best performer of the qualification round breaking her previous record of 62.34m. But she missed out the qualification for 2020 olympics.

India’s Avinash Sable qualified for Tokyo Olympics in men’s 3000m steeplechase event by finishing it in 8 minute 21.37 seconds. Olympics qualifying standard was 8:22.00.

Indian team comprising of Muhammed Anas, VK Vismaya, Nirmal Noah and Jisna Mathew, finished 7th in the finals of 4*400m mixed relay and qualified for the 2020 Tokyo olympics.

MP Jabir qualified for the 400m hurdles semifinals at the World Athletics Championship. With this, he became the second Indian male hurdler to reach the semifinals after Joseph Abraham (2007 Osaka World Championships).

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. State Bank launches debit card with EMI facility on POS: In order to provide a superior and affordable shopping experience to its customers, Indian multinational, public sector bank, the State Bank of India (SBI) has launched the “Debit Card EMI facility” for its existing customers. Under this service, the consumer can opt for an EMI (equated monthly installment) period ranging from 6 months to 18 months. iv. SBI debit card facility is available for those with good credit history. To know your eligibility, customers need to type DCEMI and send an SMS (short message service) to 567676 from registered mobile number.

Note: SBI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Chairman: Rajnish Kumar

2. Reliance Nippon Life AMC to be rebranded Nippon India Mutual Fund: The largest Japanese life insurance company, Nippon Life Insurance has renamed Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management (RNAM) as Nippon India Mutual Fund (NIMF) after acquiring 75 % stake in RNAM from Reliance Capital for around Rs 6,000 crore. With the help of a 130 year old Nippon Life’s international network, it will be helpful in expanding the company in the tier-II and -III cities to offer a range of products suited to the investors’ need on the debt side of the mutual fund industry. NIMF runs as an advisor for India focused equity and fixed income funds in Japan (launched by Nissay Asset Management), Korea (launched by Samsung Asset Management) and in Thailand (launched by BBL Asset Management) & controls offshore funds through its subsidiaries in Singapore and Mauritius, and also has a representative office in Dubai, thereby, catering to investors across Asia, West Asia, the UK, the US, and Europe.

Note: Nippon Life Insurance Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President: Hiroshi Shimizu

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded jointly to three-person: William G Kaelin Jr, Peter J Ratcliffe and Gregg L Semenza are jointly awarded 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. This was announced by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. The scientists identified molecular machinery that regulates the activity of genes in response to varying levels of oxygen. This discovery will help to form new strategies to fight anemia, cancer and several other diseases.

About Nobel Prize:

Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed for outstanding work in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics, and the promotion of peace.

DEFENCE

1. 10th edition of Indo Maldives joint exercise begin at Pune: The 10th edition of the joint exercise between India and Maldives named Ekuverin for the year 2019 begun at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra. This 14 day joint exercise between Indian Army (IA) and Maldives National Defence Forces will be conducted till October 20, 2019. Under the United Nations (UN) mandate, the exercise focuses to enhance interoperability between the two nations in carrying out counter insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in a semi-urban environment while sharing best practices. Previous edition: The previous/9th edition of the exercise was conducted at Northern Area Headquarter, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maalifushi of Maldives in 2018.

Note: Maldives Capital: Malé; Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa.

2. Indian Army’s first mountain combat exercise ‘Him Vijay’ 2019 begun in Arunachal Pradesh: The Indian Army’s first and biggest mountain combat exercise “Him Vijay” for the year 2019 begun at Arunachal Pradesh. It is an important exercise for validating the operational concepts of the newly raised Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) to meet the requirements of modern warfare. The exercise has two phases, where the first phase will be conducted from October 7-10, 2019 and the second phase will be conducted from October 20-24, 2019. The key focus of the exercise is to test mobility, communication and coordination of fast-moving troops in difficult terrain.

OBITUARIES

1. Grammy awardee, Drummer Ginger Baker passed away: English drummer Peter Edward familiarly known as Ginger Baker and co-founder of the rock band “Cream” passed away at the age of 80 in England due to old age ailments. Born on August 19, 1939 in London, England Ginger Baker’s music career spanned for 6 decades and emerged as the first superstar percussionist. He won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 1993 as a member of ‘Cream’. He launched a band in 1970 named band Air Force with his last Long Playings (LPs) in 2014 called “why?”. He was also credited as number three on Rolling Stones’ 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time published in 2006.