Daily GK Updates - 5th December, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Fit India School Rating System launched as part of Fit India Campaign: Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Kiren Rijiju has jointly launched the Fit India School Rating System. The “Fit India School Rating System” has been launched as part of the Fit India Campaign. The Fit India school rating system as per certain parameters is expected to enhance the image of the schools. Fit India program is an innovative initiative launched by the Prime Minister to increase the awareness among the masses and to encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyle.

2. Odisha launches ‘Madhu’ app to help school students: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched ‘Madhu’ app. It is an e-learning mobile phone application which will help school students to understand their subjects in a better and most efficient way. The app is named after ‘Utkal Gourab’ Madhusudan Das. The app is developed by Ganjam district administration for school students. Through this app, the students will be able access the video explanation of the topics they were taught in their classroom.

3. VP Naidu launches new Rotavirus vaccine: ROTAVAC-5D: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched the new Rotavirus vaccine: ROTAVAC-5D designed and developed by Bharat Biotech in New Delhi. ROTAVAC is an example of a true social innovation that was realized through a partnership between scientists from India and the USA. India is firmly committed to ending morbidity and mortality in children caused due to diarrhoea by 2022. The first generation, Rotavirus vaccine, ROTAVAC developed under a Public-Private Partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, has put India on the global map for setting new standards in pharmaceutical Research and Development.

4. India’s first maritime museum coming up at Lothal in Gujarat: Government of India (GoI) & Portugal has decided to cooperate in the setting up of an India’s 1st National Maritime Heritage Museum at the ancient Indian site of Lothal in Gujarat with the aim to boost the underwater or marine archaeology. The Museum will showcase salvaged material from shipwreck sites in the Indian Ocean waters.

Note: Gujarat CM: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat; Capital: Gandhinagar.

5. 3-day-long North East Food Show begins in Meghalaya: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has inaugurated the first-ever North East Food Show (three-day-long) at Polo Grounds, Shillong. The food show will provide a strong platform and network to different stakeholders. There are different technologies and products relating to the food industry which people are not aware of, and the show will serve as the bridge to connect with one another. It will also be an opportunity for these majors to source products not available anywhere else and to introduce their products to the region.

6. Avantee mega Food Park inaugurated in MP’s Dewas: Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Union Minister for food processing) has inaugurated Avantee mega Food Park in Dewas. Madhya Pradesh. This first food park of central India is spread over 51 acres and has been constructed at a cost of about 150 crore rupees. About 5 thousand local people will get employment from this Mega Food Park.  Processing of soyabean, gram, wheat and other grains and vegetables will be done in the park. Warehouses will also be opened in Indore, Ujjain, Dhar and Agar in the next phases.

7. Mumbai Central gets first ‘Eat Right Station’ certification from FSSAI: The Mumbai Central station of Railways was conferred with the ‘Eat Right Station’ certification with four stars rating by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The Mumbai Central Railway Station is the country’s first “Eat Right Station.” The focus of the movement is on improving the health and well-being of people by ensuring they eat healthily. Mumbai Central station has been judged on the basis of compliance of food safety and hygiene, availability of healthy diet, food handling at preparation, transhipment and retail/serving point, food waste management, promotion of local and seasonal food and creating awareness on food safety and healthy diet.

‘Eat Right India’ movement is built on two broad pillars of ‘Eat Healthy’ and ‘Eat Safe’.

Note: FSSAI founded: August 2011; FSSAI Act: Food and Standards Act, 2006; Headquarters: New Delhi; Chairperson: Rita Teaotia; Chief Executive Officer: Shri Pawan Kumar Agarwal.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India gifts patrol vessel to the Maldives as the net security provider of the region: India gifted a ‘Made in India’ Patrol Vessel named "KAAMIYAAB” to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). It will be net security provider in the region amid China’s increasing forays in the Indian Ocean Region. Meanwhile, 2500 LED streetlights donated by India were installed in Male recently. These streetlights save 80% energy and will result in cost savings of approx. 8.35 lakh MVR per year for Male city. In 2019, tourist arrivals from India to the Maldives have doubled and India has risen from 5th to the 2nd position in the tourism market of Maldives.

2. World Soil Day: 5 December: World Soil Day is celebrated annually on the 5th of December at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy. This year, by addressing the increasing challenges of soil management, the FAO campaign “Stop soil erosion, Save our future” aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being. By encouraging people around the world to engage in proactively improving soil health, the campaign also aims to raise the profile of healthy soil.

Note: The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), in 2002, adopted a resolution proposing the 5th of December as World Soil Day to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well-being.

3. International Volunteer Day: 5 December: The International Volunteer Day (IVD) is observed across the world on 5 December every year. The theme of IVD 2019 is ‘Volunteer for an inclusive future". Volunteering provides opportunities for people, particularly those often excluded, to concretely impact their own lives and play a constructive role in their communities by volunteering their time and skills. This year’s theme highlights Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10) and the pursuit of equality including inclusion through volunteerism.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. India bag ten Gold medals at 13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu: India dominated the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal by clinching 10 Gold in Athletics, Volleyball, Shooting and Table Tennis. Archana Suseendran in women's 100 metres (track and field events), M. Jashna (women's high jump), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (men's high jump) and Ajay Kumar Saroj (men's 1500 metres) won a gold each to begin India's athletics campaign on an impressive note. In Volleyball, Indian men's and women's team won gold. Indian women's volleyball team defeated host Nepal by 3-2 in the final at Kathmandu. In Shooting, India swept all the medals on offer in the women's 10 metres air rifle event with Mehuli Ghosh winning the gold. The Indians have so far claimed 40 medals (15 gold, 16 silver and nine) bronze.

2. Virat Kohli regains no.1 spot in ICC Test rankings: India captain Virat Kohli regained the top spot in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Test rankings in batting. Kohli, who had struck a fine 136 in the day-night Kolkata Test against Bangladesh last week, reached 928 points. Australian Steve Smith (923 points) slipped a rung in the latest list issued in Dubai. Cheteshwar Pujara has held on to his fourth spot, while Ajinkya Rahane has come down a spot to sixth in the latest batting. Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah is the highest-placed Indian at the fifth position. West Indies captain Jason Holder has consolidated his position at the top of the all-rounders' list.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Reserve Bank keeps repo rate unchanged at 5.15 %: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy review of the current financial year 2019-20. The RBI keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 5.15%. Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF remains unchanged at 4.90%. The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 5.40%. The MPC has also decided to maintain the accommodative stance of monetary policy to revive growth, while ensuring that inflation remains within the target.

Note: Governor of RBI: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

2. Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank signs MoU for bancassurance: Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) and Canara, HSBC, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Life Insurance Company Ltd. signed an MoU for bancassurance (for selling life insurance products through the branches of KVGB). As per the pact, KVGB will market wide range insurance products of the Canara HSBC through its 636 branches in 9 districts of Karnataka.

Note: Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank founded: September 12, 2005; Headquarters: Dharwad, Karnataka; Chairman: Puttaganti Gopi Krishna; Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Sponsored by: Syndicate Bank.

3. S&P reaffirms India's rating at 'BBB' with a stable outlook: Rating Agency S&P (Standard & Poor's) has reaffirmed the Sovereign Credit Rating of India at BBB with outlook as stable. India’s economy continues to achieve impressive long-term growth rates despite a recent deceleration. India will maintain its sound net external position and fiscal deficit will remain elevated but broadly in line with their forecast. In the report, S&P has maintained a stable outlook for India on the basis of their expectation that over the next two years the growth will remain strong. They expect the economy to continue to outperform their peers on the back of rising domestic demand and strong demographics.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. ET Lifetime of Public Service Award for Former FM (Late) Arun Jaitley: Arun Jaitley former Finance Minister of India was bestowed with the Economic Times (ET) Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service 2019. The award was received by Arun Jaitley’s spouse Sangeeta Jaitley.

Note: Arun Jaitley was the former Finance Minister of India, he was also the Minister of Corporate Affairs from May 2014 to May 2019, Minister of Defence from March 2017 to September 2017, Minister of Information and Broadcasting from November 2014 to July 2016, Minister of Law and Justice from July 2003 to May 2004 and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting from October 1999 to September 2000.

2. ‘Joker’ fame Joaquin Phoenix named 2019 ‘Person of the Year’ by PETA: ‘Joker’ fame Joaquin Rafael Phoenix, American actor from California, United States (US) has been bestowed with the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) ‘Person of the Year’ Award 2019. Joaquin Phoenix has been a vegan since the age of three and has been a supporter of PETA for a long time. He has recently appeared in an advertisement of PETA titled “We are all animals”, which was displayed in the Times Square and Sunset billboards to promote the prohibition of travelling wild-animal circuses.

3. New Zealand wins MCC’s Spirit of Cricket award: The New Zealand cricket team has been awarded the Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award. The team has been awarded for its exemplary show of sportsmanship during the final match of the ICC World Cup at Lord’s in July 2019, which it lost under controversial circumstances. Martin-Jenkins was the former MCC president and BBC Test Match Special commentator.

DEFENCE

1. Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2019: The 8th India-China joint training exercise ‘HAND-IN-HAND 2019’ with the theme counter-terrorism under United Nations mandate is scheduled to be conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya from 07 to 20 December 2019. The Chinese contingent from the Tibet Military command comprising of 130 personal and the Indian Contingent of similar strength will participate in the 14-day long training exercise. The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct of counter-terrorist operations in semi-urban terrain.

Note: China Capital: Beijing; Currency: Renminbi.

2. Chief of the air Staff participates in Pacific Air Chiefs’ Symposium 2019: Chief of the Air Staff of India is participating in the Pacific Air Chiefs’ Symposium 2019 (PACS 2019) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The theme for this year’s symposium is ‘A Collaborative Approach to Regional Security’. The conference will bring together Air Chiefs from across the Indo-Pacific region who will provide perspectives on common challenges faced and on shared mutual interests while focusing on relevant topics like ‘Regional Security’, ‘Domain Awareness’, ‘Multi-Domain Awareness’, Ínteroperability’ and ‘HADR’. The symposium will also entail discourse and discussions on the combined effort required to maintain peace and security within the region.

Note: Chief of the Air Staff: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

Note: Hawaii Capital: Honolulu

OBITUARIES

1. England legend Bob Willis passes away: Former England fast bowler Bob Willis (70 years) passed away after a short illness. Bob Willis took 325 wickets in 90 Tests and 80 wickets in 64 ODIs in his career. He also captained England in 18 Tests and 29 ODIs.