Daily GK Updates - 4th December, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. EC to implement Political Parties RTMS: The Election Commission of India will implement the political parties Registration Tracking Management System (RTMS). It will be implemented through an online portal to facilitate tracking of the status of the application by applicants. The Commission said, the applicant who is applying for party registration from 1st January 2020 onwards will be able to track the progress of his or her application and will get status through SMS and email.

Note: Sunil Arora is the Chief Election Commissioner of India.

2. UP govt announces 25% subsidy & full stamp duty waiver for defence industry: Uttar Pradesh government has decided to provide a 25% subsidy and 100% stamp duty waiver for setting up the defence industry in the state. State govt. will provide all facilities (like power, road and fencing of land) to the companies that will set up defence industries. The state cabinet has given relief to the home buyers in Noida and Greater Noida region by giving exemption to the builders from penal interest and other dues for the period their project is stalled due to litigation. Builders will only get this exemption if they pass on this benefit to the home buyers. The benefit will apply to builders who are set to provide homes to buyers by June 2021.

Note: UP CM: Yogi Adityanath, Governor: Anandiben Patel.

3. Govt launches 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN: The government has launched the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country. The focus in this round will be North East Region, Hilly States, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Islands. The scheme was launched in October 2016, which seeks to provide connectivity to un-served and under-served regions through the revival of existing airstrips and airports.

Note: UDAN scheme came under: Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation: Hardeep Singh Puri.

4. TRAI revamps mobile number portability rules: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has revamped mobile number portability (MNP) rules, making the entire process faster and simpler. The TRAI has prescribed three working days timeline for port out requests within a service area. Similarly, the timeline of five working days has been prescribed for requests for port out from one circle to another. The new rules will come into effect from 16th December. The validity of the Unique Porting Code (UPC) has also been brought down to four days instead of a fortnight earlier. It will be applicable to all circles except Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and North East, where the validity of the said code remains unchanged to 30 days.

5. Indian Navy Day: 4 December: The Indian Navy day is being observed every year on 4th December to celebrate achievements and role of the naval force in the country. The Navy day is celebrated to honour the courageous attack on the Karachi harbour during the Indo-Pakistan war (on 4th December 1971) by the Indian Naval Missile boats as well as to reverence all the martyrs of that war. The Day is also celebrated to highlight the role the Navy plays in securing the country’s marine borders during peacetime and carrying out humanitarian missions. As per the recent Data, since 2008, 70 Indian naval warships have been deployed, which safely escorted over 3440 ships with over 25,000 mariners on board.

Note: Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Karambir Singh. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosle (Maratha Emperor) of the 17th century is considered as “Father of the Indian Navy”.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pritivirajsing Roopun elected as new President of Mauritius by parliament: The National Assembly of the Republic of Mauritius has unanimously elected Prithvirajsing Roopun (62-years) as new President of the island nation. He was the former arts and culture minister of Mauritius. The motion for his election as new President was presented by Prime Minister, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister of Defence, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity. In Mauritius, Prime Minister is head of government and holds most political power while the president is head of state but has no executive role and is considered guardian of the constitution.

Note: Capital: Port Louis; Currency: Mauritian rupee; Mauritius Prime Minister: Pravind Kumar Jugnauth

2. India, Sweden sign MoU for India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre: India and Sweden signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre in New Delhi. The objective of the innovation Centre is to develop an ecosystem of open innovation to which start-ups and the healthcare delivery stakeholders can use to collaborate and address current and future challenges in the healthcare sector. The India-Sweden partnership has been the most active as the Joint Working Group has met ten times since 2009.

The MoU focuses on creating new partnerships within the public, private and academic sectors. The Minister further stated that with 22 new AIIMS soon to become fully operational, and 157 new Medical Colleges are at the development stage.

3. Typhoon Kammuri makes landfall at Luzon, Philippines: In the Philippines, typhoon Kammuri has made landfall at Luzon, the country's largest and most populous island. Around two lakh residents have been evacuated from coastal and mountainous areas over fears of flooding, storm surges and landslides. Now, Kammuri is expected the pass to the south of the capital Manila, which is hosting thousands of athletes for the regional Southeast Asian Games.

4. Sundar Pichai promoted as Alphabet Inc. CEO: Indian American business executive Sundar Pichai (Google CEO) promoted as Alphabet Inc. CEO after Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have announced that they are stepping down from the leadership role of the parent company Alphabet. Google CEO Indian-American Sundar Pichai will be assuming the role of Alphabet Inc CEO, making him one of the most powerful corporate leaders of the world. Alphabet and Google no longer need two CEOs and a President and Sundar Pichai will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet.

Note: Google established: 4 September 1998; Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States.

5. World Bank arm IFC invests $200 million in Mahindra Finance: The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a unit of the World Bank Group, has anchored an investment round of $200million in Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL). Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL) is a Rural NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company) with the objective to create a ‘pool’ specifically for financing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in low-income states. IFC is investing $75 million from its own account and mobilizing another $125 million as parallel loans. At the same time, Mahindra Finance has committed to invest $225 million in this fund. At least $ 100 million of this would be for women-owned MSMEs & it will be supported by blended finance from the IFC-Goldman Sachs’ Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility.

Note: Formation of International Finance Corporation: July 20, 1956; Headquarters of International Finance Corporation: Washington, D.C., U.S.; Membership of International Finance Corporation: 184 countries; CEO of IFC: Philippe Le Houérou.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Walmart launches credit card in partnership with HDFC Bank: Walmart India, in partnership with HDFC Bank, launched a co-branded credit card exclusively for members of its Best Price Modern Wholesale “B2B Cash & Carry” stores, offering “free credit up to 50 days. The card is being supported by Diners Club International which has acceptance of its own membership card in 185 countries. Simultaneously, the card was launched at 26 other Best Price Modern Wholesale Store locations across the country.

Note: Headquarters of Walmart India: Gurgaon, Haryana; President and CEO of Walmart India: Krish Iyer.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Lionel Messi wins Ballon d’Or for 6th time: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player for a record 6th time. It is the 32-year-old Argentine’s first Ballon d’Or since 2015 and comes after he scored 54 times for club and country in 2018-19, in which Barca won La Liga. Virgil van Dijk was second-one of four Liverpool players in the top seven, including Sadio Mane in fourth. Juventus and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, was third in the voting.

DEFENCE

1. India successfully test-fires indigenously developed nuke-capable Prithvi-II missile: India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile off Odisha coast. The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army conducted the user trial of the 350 km range missile from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur. The missile weighs about 4,600 kg, is capable of carrying 500 to 1000 kilograms of warheads and is thrust by liquid propulsion twin engines. Inducted into the 333-missile regiment of the Indian Army in 2003, the nine-meter-tall, single-stage liquid-fueled Prithvi-II is the first missile to have been developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. This missile is developed under the joint collaboration of Defence Research and Development Organization and Bharat Dynamics Limited, the missile was first test-fired on 27 January 1996.

Note: DRDO Chairman: G Satheesh Reddy, Established: 1958, Headquarters: New Delhi.

OBITURIES

1. Veteran journalist Bhaskar Menon passes away: Baskar Menon, Veteran Journalist in the Press Trust of India (PTI) passes away. He was the Regional Manager in the south division of the PTI. He has also handled much crucial news like the assassination of former Prime Minister (PM) of India, Rajiv Gandhi in the year 1991.