Daily GK Updates - 27th January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 3rd Global Potato Conclave to Begin in Gandhinagar from 28 January: The Third edition of the Global Potato Conclave will be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 28 to 31 January 2020. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will address the conference through remote video conferencing, which aims to highlight achievements and opportunities in the area of potato research, trade and industry, and value chain. Earlier, two Global Potato Conferences were organized in 1999 and 2008. The Global Potato Conclave will provide a common platform to all stakeholders to discuss issues and make future plans involving everyone related to the potato sector. The conclave is being organized by Indian Potato Association in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research New Delhi and ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla and International Potato Center, Lima, Peru.

2. Kerala Partners MIT to Unveil India’s First ‘Super Fab Lab’ in Kochi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated India’s first Super Fab Lab at the Integrated Startup Complex of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in Kochi that will give India’s hardware industry a huge leap.

The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) Super Fab Lab has been has been built in collaboration with the US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is the world’s first such facility to function outside the United States. The facility has state-of-the-art machines worth more than Rs 7 crore built in an area of 10,000 square feet. Kerala presently has two electronic fab labs already functioning at Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

Note: Fab Lab and Super Fab Lab: Fab Labs are fabrication laboratories offering digital fabrication and computation. A Fab Lab lets you make almost anything; make the products you can consume. A Super Lab lets you make a Fab Lab. It is an amazing facility that has the tools not just to make anything, but make the tools that make things.

3. World Bank Approves USD 210 Million Loan for Maharashtra Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project: The Government of India along with the Government of Maharashtra has signed a loan agreement of USD 210 million with World Bank under Maharashtra Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project. The project aims to support small holder farmers participate in competitive agriculture value chains, facilitate agri-business investments, increase market access and productivity in focus commodities, and build resilience of crops to recurrent floods or droughts in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The USD 210 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a 6-year grace period and a maturity period of 13.5 years.

Note: Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

President of World Bank: David R. Malpass; Headquarter: Washington DC.

4. GeM Signs MoU with Uttar Pradesh to Set Up Project Management Unit: The Uttar Pradesh government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government eMarketplace (GeM), under the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, to set up a GeM Organizational Transformation Team (GOTT) Project Management Unit (PMU) in the state. Uttar Pradesh government is the second state after Punjab to establish a GOTT-PMU for inclusive, efficient and transparent procurement system. Among the CPSEs, SAIL is the only one till now to sign MoU for setting up a PMU.

5. Ministry proposes 6th Schedule Area status to Ladakh: Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has proposed 6th Schedule Area status to Union Territory of Ladakh. Tribal Affairs Minister also assured that his ministry will take all necessary measures to preserve and enrich the rich legacy of Ladakh. Sixth Schedule (in Article 244 of the Indian Constitution) allows constitution of Autonomous District Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram to safeguard the rights of tribal population.

6. Indian Railway’s First Waste-To-Energy Plant Commissioned in Bhubaneswar: The first waste-to-energy plant of the Indian Railways has been commissioned at Carriage Repair Workshop, Mancheswar, in Bhubaneswar by the East Coast Railway (ECoR) zone. The plant is the first Government of India initiative in waste to energy plant and fourth such plant in the country. It has been built at a cost of Rs 1.79 crore and has the capacity to dispose 500 kg waste, including plastic and e-waste. This waste-to-energy plant uses a patented technology called ‘Polycrack’, which is world’s first patented heterogeneous catalytic process to convert multiple feed stocks into hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water. This process will produce energy in the form of light diesel oil which is used to light furnaces.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec Announces Resignation: Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec announced his resignation and called for fresh elections, following weeks of rising tensions within his minority five-party coalition government. Sarec's minority government, consisting of five center-left parties in Slovenia, was established in September 2018.  Mr Sarec's resignation came almost at the same time as Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj announced that he too would quit in a row over health care funding. Mr Sarec, is Slovenia's youngest-ever Prime Minister. He was previously best known as a comedian and political satirist before he launched himself as an anti-establishment politician.

Note: Slovenia Capital: Ljubljana; Currency: Euro

2. Switzerland Mints World’s Smallest Gold Coin; Features Albert Einstein: In Switzerland, State-owned Swissmint has minted world’s smallest gold coin measuring 2.96-millimeter (0.12-inches). The coin features the image of Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue. Swissmint has minted just 999 such coins.

Features of the Coin: The size of the coin is 2.96-millimeter (0.12-inches); It weighs 0.063 grams (1/500th of an ounce); The coin has a nominal value of 1/4 Swiss francs (USD 0.26); It will be sold for 199 francs, along with a special magnifying glass so that owners can see the famous physicist on its face.

3. UK introduces new fast-track visa to attract scientists: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced a new fast-track visa to attract more of the world's best scientists to the U.K. in hopes of creating a global science "superpower." Johnson paired the announcement of the Global Talent route program with a pledge of USD 392 million for research into advanced mathematics. The money will help fund researchers and doctoral students whose work in math underpins myriad developments.

4. International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust: 27 January: International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held on 27 January to commemorate the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War due to the genocide that resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews and 11 million others, by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz (the largest Nazi concentration and death camp), the ending of the Second World War, and the ending of the Holocaust. Theme 2020: “75 years after Auschwitz – Holocaust Education and Remembrance for Global Justice”.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Brazil's Joao Souza gets life ban for match-fixing: Brazilian Joao Souza has been banned from tennis for life after being convicted of multiple match-fixing and other corruption offences. A Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) investigation found that the 31-year-old had committed several anti-corruption breaches between 2015 and 2019 including fixing matches at ATP Challenger and ITF Futures tournaments in Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Czech Republic.

Souza, who had been provisionally suspended since March 2019 pending completion of the investigation, was also fined $200,000 following a disciplinary hearing in London on 14th Jan. The TIU said Souza had not reported corrupt approaches, had failed to co-operate with their investigation, including destroying evidence, and “solicited other players to not use best efforts” in matches.

2. Anil Khanna nominated Life President of Asian Tennis Federation: Senior sports administrator Anil Khanna, who recently decided not to contest the President’s post of the Asian Tennis Federation, was nominated Life President of the continental body. Khanna had served as ATF President from 2005 to 2019 and also ITF Vice President from 2015-19. The ATF’s Board of Directors also appointed Khanna as the Chairman of the Finance Committee as well as Co-Chairman of the ATF foundation. CS Sunder Raj was voted as the Senior Vice President of the federation, representing South Asia. Anil Dhupar was elected as the member of the Senior Committee while VK Batra was voted as a member of the Constitution Committee of the ATF.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Sunil Mehta Sworn in as IBA Chief Executive: Former MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank, Sunil Mehta, has taken charge as the chief executive of the Indian Bank’s Association (IBA) from 27 January 2020. Mehta recently retired as the Managing Director and CEO of Punjab National Bank. He has succeeded VG Kannan, who demitted once as chief executive of IBA on December 31, 2019.

Note: Indian Banks Association Founded: 26 September 1946; Headquarters: Mumbai

2. India’s GDP to grow at 5.0% in FY20 & 5.5% in FY21: India Ratings: India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has projected India’s GDP growth rate for fiscal 2019-2020 at 5 percent, which is a multi-year low. Ind-Ra expects gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at 5.5 percent in FY21.

OBITUARIES

1. NBA legend Kobe Bryant passes away: National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Kobe Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. The crash occurred in the foggy hills above Calabasas, California, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bryant was a 5-time NBA champion and 2-time Olympic gold medallist is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history.

2. Former Karnataka Minister Amarnath Shetty Passes Away: Former Karnataka Minister and senior Janata Dal(S) leader Amarnath Shetty has passed away due to age-related ailments. Shetty was 80. Shetty, who began his political career in 1965, was minister for Tourism and Muzarai in the Janata Dal government. He was elected to the state Assembly from Moodbidri constituency in Dakshina Kannada district three times in 1983, 1987 and 1994.