Daily GK Updates - 3rd November, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vice President inaugurates 21st North East Book Fair in Guwahati: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 21st North East Book Fair in Guwahati, Assam. Vice President laid stress on the use of the mother tongue and the relevance of books to stir one’s creativity and stimulate innovative and inventive ideas. This book fair organized by the All Assam Publishers and Booksellers Association (AAPBA). There are as many as 217 bookstalls including one from Bangladesh.

2. Health Minister launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 portal: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 portal in New Delhi. This portal start from December 2019-March 2020. The IMI2.0 is a rechristened version of mission Indhradanush Universal Immunization Programme(UIP) that aims to achieve 100% immunization. The portal was launched during the celebration of the silver jubilee of the Pulse Polio Programme. The health minister also launched Operational guidelines for ‘Strengthening immunization systems to reach every child’ and ‘Operational guidelines for Strengthening Td10 and Td16 vaccine implementation.

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

3. Maps of newly formed Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh released by GoI: The maps prepared by Survey General of India depicting the new Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has been now released. The new Union Territory of Ladakh consists of two districts of Kargil and Leh. The rest of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir is in the new Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In 1947, the former State of Jammu and Kashmir had the following 14 districts – Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Anantnag, Baramulla, Poonch, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Leh and Ladakh, Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory. By 2019, the state government of former Jammu and Kashmir had reorganized the areas of these 14 districts into 28 districts. The names of the new districts are as follows – Kupwara, Bandipur, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shupian, Kulgam, Rajouri, Ramban, Doda, Kishtivar, Samba and Kargil.

4. Kolkata International Film Festival to start on Nov 8: The 25th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) will start on November 8. Germany is the Focus Country of this year’s festival. In all, 214 Feature Films and 152 Short and Documentary Films from 76 countries will be screened at 17 venues. The important segment of the festival includes Homage, Centenary Tribute, Retrospective, Contemporary World Cinema. Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Noted Film Personality Kumar Sahani.

Note: Chief Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee; Governor of West Bengal: Jagdeep Dhankhar.

5. Punjab Cabinet passes resolution to institute Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Award: Punjab State Cabinet passed a unanimous resolution to institute Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Award for Promotion of Peace and Interfaith Understanding, in commemoration of the 550th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The award would carry a citation and a cash prize of 11 lakh rupees. This coveted award would be given each year and would be adjudicated by a jury to be notified by the State Government.

Note: Punjab CM: Amarinder Singh; Governor: VP Singh Badnore.

6. IIT Delhi to set up space technology cell in collaboration with ISRO: The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) will set up a space technology cell (STC) in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). This collaboration is to contribute to the space technology research areas such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), nanotechnology, functional textiles, smart manufacturing at its campus. It is also proposed that IIT, Delhi as an Institute becomes an academic partner of ISRO.

Note: IIT Delhi Director: V Ramgopal Rao.

ISRO Director: K.Sivan; Headquarters: Bengaluru; Established: 1969.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi Releases Commemorative Coin to Mark 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak at Bangkok: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-day visit to Bangkok, Thailand to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit as well as East Asia, and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) summits. During the visit, PM Modi released a commemorative coin marking the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on November 2, 2019. He also released Thai translation of Tamil classic ‘Tirukkural’.

2. UNESCO designates Mumbai and Hyderabad as member of UCCN: UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of FILM and Hyderabad in the field of GASTRONOMY. The 7 categories for recognition under UCCN are Crafts and Folk Arts, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Music, Media Arts and Literature. Previously, 3 Indian cities were recognized as members of UCCN, namely- Jaipur-Crafts and Folk Arts (2015), Varanasi-Creative city of Music (2015), Chennai-Creative city of Music (2017).

Note: UCCN, created in 2004, is a network of cities which are thriving, active centres of cultural activities in their respective countries. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 246 cities.

UNESCO President: Audrey Azoulay; Founded: 16 November 1945; Headquarters: Paris, France.

3. India ranked 133 in 2019 Women, Peace, and Security Index: India has been ranked at 133rd rank in the 2019 Women, Peace, and Security Index. Norway has topped the ranking. The ranking has been released by Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security. It ranks 167 countries on women’s equality, reveals trends in women’s wellbeing across 11 indicators. Switzerland is on second, Finland on third and Denmark on fourth. Yemen is ranked last.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. South Africa won Rugby World Cup 2019: The 2019 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match played at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan. It marked the culmination of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and was played between England and South Africa. This was the 3rd Rugby World Cup title win for South Africa with a 32–12 victory.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. E-Stamp counter launched at Tripura Gramin Bank in Agartala: The Tripura Gramin Bank in collaboration with Stock Holdings Corporation of India Ltd. has launched an e-Stamp Counter at the Abhoynagar branch of Tripura Gramin Bank in Agartala. Facilities will bring cent per cent transparency and will also save the hard-earned money of customers from forged vendors, who are involved with black-marketing of stamp papers.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Unemployment rate rises to 8.5%: CMIE: As per the data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s unemployment rate in October rose to 8.5%. This is the highest since August 2016, and up from 7.2% in September. Here are some other facts: Urban unemployment rate: 8.9%; Rural unemployment rate: 8.3%.; Tripura and Haryana saw unemployment levels of more than 20% (the highest); while unemployment was the lowest in Tamil Nadu at 1.1%.

2. OECD predicts India’s GDP growth at 6.6% in 2020-24: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has predicted India’s GDP growth rate for 2020-2024 at 6.6%. For 2013-17 it was 7.4. IT was revealed by OECD in its report titled Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India 2020. Overall Southeast Asia region is expected to record 5.7 per cent growth on average in 2020-24.

3. Google to buy wearables maker Fitbit for $2.1 billion: Google has agreed to buy Fitbit for $2.1 billion in a move giving the US tech giant an entry into the wearable technology space, the two companies announced Friday. The move comes with Google seeking to expand beyond its core business of online search into hardware, and with Fitbit struggling against rivals including Apple.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Pepsico India wins US award for saving water: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo presented the prestigious Award for Corporate Excellence to Pepsico India. This award is given for its efforts to save more than 17 billion of litres of water by conducting various community programs and replenished over 5 billion litres of water, by impacting 60,000 community members. This award is given by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.

Note: Chairman and CEO of Pepsico: Ramon Laguarta.

2. Rajinikanth to be honoured special Icon award at IFFI: The 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will honour superstar Rajinikanth with a special Icon of Golden Jubilee Award and the Life Time Achievement Award for a Foreign Artiste will be conferred to French Actress Isabelle Huppert. The festival will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28. Russia will be the partner country at the festival this year.

Note: Chief Minister of Goa: Pramod Sawant; Governor of Goa: Satya Pal Malik.

3. Odisha Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Picked For Italian Golden Sand Art Award: Internationally-acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has been selected for the prestigious Italian Golden Sand Art Award 2019. He will be honoured during the International Scorrana Sand Nativity in Italy scheduled to be held from November 13 to 18. Mr Pattnaik said he will also represent India in International scorrana sand Nativity. As many as eight sculptors will participate in this festival.

DEFENCE

1. India, Uzbekistan to conduct first-ever military exercise- DUSTLIK-2019: India and Uzbekistan will hold their first-ever joint field training exercise named ‘DUSTLIK-2019’. It will be held at Chirchiq area in Uzbekistan from November 04 to November 13, 2019. The aim of the exercise is to promote positive relations between the Indian Army and the Army of Uzbekistan.

OBITUARIES

1. Industrialist K.K. Modi passes away at 79: Industrialist and chairman of Modi Enterprises, Krishan Kumar Modi, passed away at the age of 79 years. Modi was also a former president of FICCI. Modi led FICCI in 1997. Modi Enterprises includes companies like Godfrey Phillips, Indofil Industries and Modicare. K.K. Modi was the eldest son of late Rai Bahadur Gujarmal Modi (founder of the city of Modinagar). K.K. Modi was also the president of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry from 2002 to 2006.