Daily GK Updates - 6th January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Amit Shah lays foundation stone of 220 km Delhi Cycle Walk project: Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of Delhi Cycle Walk project at Tughlakabad in New Delhi to make the city most walkable and environment friendly. The first phase of the Delhi Cycle Walk project will cover 36 kilometre of the whole network of over 220 km. The project will address environmental issues and traffic problem in the city as well as reduce Delhi’s pollution by about 20 percent in addition to supporting PM Modi’s Fit India project. This cycle walk will be based on green strategies and universal accessibility covering abundant forests, dense residential areas and work places in close proximity in the city.

2. India’s Biggest Defence Expo to be held in UP’s Lucknow in February 2020: The Defence Expo- 2020 will be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from February 5 to 8, 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the biennial Defence Expo-2020 on February 5. The theme of the 11th edition of expo is ‘India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’. The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed that Lucknow Defence Expo-2020 will be the biggest, held in India, in terms of participation of exhibitors, the area of the exhibition and the revenue to be earned. Around 925 exhibitors have so far registered for the expo, which will be held in an approximately over 200-acre area. The event will make the state an important destination for defence equipment as well as aerospace manufacturing. Also, 65 MoUs are expected to be signed.

Note: Before this, the Defence Expo in Chennai in 2018 was the biggest which was held over a 80-acre area, with 702 exhibitors. This will be the only second time that the event will be held outside Bengaluru. In 2018, Chennai hosted the show for the first time ever.

3. Dr. Suresh Chandra Sharma appointed as Chairman of National Medical Commission: The chief of Delhi AIIMS’ ENT head-neck surgery department, Professor Suresh Chandra Sharma, was appointed the chairman of National Medical Commission. Health Ministry bureaucrat RK Vats, who has also been Medical Council of India (MCI) Secretary-General, has been named Secretary General of NMC. The appointments were done for a period of three years, or until the officials turn 70, or until orders are issued to reverse the appointments, whichever is earlier.

4. Piyush Goyal Inaugurates NSE’s AI Powered Knowledge Hub in New Delhi: The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways, Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurated the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub in New Delhi on 06 January 2020. NSE Knowledge Hub is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered learning ecosystem that will assist the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector to enhance their skills in AI and Machine Learning. The Knowledge Hub created by NSE will help academic institutions in preparing future-ready talent for the BFSI sector. The initiative is also available on mobile as state-of-the-art and future-ready platform to bring together world class content and learners.

5. Rajnath Singh Inaugurates National Traders Convention in New Delhi: The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the three-day National Traders Convention at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on 06 January 2020. The convention has been organised by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). It will deliberate upon various trade-related issues and the future strategy will be decided for their solution. The convention is a pat of the NDA governments’s initiative to protect the interests of traders and to promote ease of doing business.

6. International Symposium on Marine Ecosystems Challenges and Opportunities 2020 to be held in Kochi: The third edition of the International Symposium on Marine Ecosystems Challenges and Opportunities (MECOS-3) will be held in Kochi, Kerala from 7 to 10 January 2020. MECOS3 is being organized by the Marine Biological Association of India (MBAI) at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi. Eminent marine scientists, oceanographers, fishery researchers and marine biotechnologists from across the globe will take part in the event to discuss on a wide range of topics, including impact of climate crisis in marine ecosystems and unusual warming of the Arabian sea.

7. Journalist Day Observed in Maharashtra on January 6: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra state celebrates the Journalist Day on January 6th every year in the memory of late journalist Balshastri Jambhekar. Balshastri Jambhekar, is also known as ‘The Father of Marathi Journalism’, for his efforts in starting journalism in Marathi language. The first newspaper in the Marathi language named ‘Darpan’, was published on January 6, 1832, the date which also marks his birth anniversary.

8. PM Modi Launches I-STEM Portal to Link Researchers with Resources: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM) portal (https://www.istem.gov.in/) at the 107th edition of the Indian Science Congress at Bangalore. The I-STEM Web Portal is the gateway for users to locate the specific facilities they need for their R&D work and identify the one that is either located closest to them or available the soonest. It is a unique One Nation One Research Web Portal for national collaboration among all institutions and private laboratories. The five-day Indian Science Congress will bring together science and technology enthusiasts, from around the world, to talk about the development, innovation and research in scientific fields.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev resigns: North Macedonia's prime minister, Zoran Zaev, handed in his resignation, with a caretaker Cabinet set to assume control in order to organize the country's elections, due to take place on April 12. Lawmakers accepted Zaev's decision without debate. The Balkan nation is still reeling from the European Union's decision not to consider membership talks, as both North Macedonia and Albania were blocked by France, with support from the Netherlands and Denmark, in October last year. French President Emmanuel Macron said the accession process itself must first be reformed before accepting new members. Oliver Spasovski, North Macedonia's interior minister, has been nominated as caretaker prime minister in the wake of Zaev's resignation.

2. UN declares Malala Yousafzai ‘Most Famous Teenager of The Decade’: The United Nations has declared Pakistani education activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai as “Most Famous Teenager of The Decade”. The revelation has been made in its ‘Decade in Review’ report. Malala is working towards children’s rights ever since she was a teenager. In recognition of her efforts, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and also become the yougest recipient of the award.

Note: Headquarters of United Nations: New York, USA; Founded: 24 October 1945; Secretary-General of the United Nations: Antonio Guterres.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Adani Ports to buy 75% stake in Krishnapatnam Port: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s largest private sector port operator, has agreed to buy a 75% stake in Krishnapatnam Port Co. Ltd (KPCL) at an enterprise value of Rs 13,572 crores. The Krishnapatnam Port is located in southern Andhra Pradesh and is a multi-cargo facility. It handled 54 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in the year ended 31 March 2019. The purchase will accelerate Adani Ports’ plan to expand its cargo-handling capacity to 400mt by 2025.

Note: Chairman and Managing Director of APSEZ: Gautam Adani; Director of APSEZ: Karan Adani.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. ‘1917’ is Best Motion Picture (Drama) in ‘Golden Globe Awards 2020’: The 77th Golden Globe Awards, which honor the movies and American Television were distributed on 6th January 2020 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Desi Girl Priyanka Chopra with husband Nick Jonas presented the Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy - to Fleabag. Tom Hanks was honoured with the Cecil B deMille award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment, while Ellen deGeneres was honoured with the Carol Burnett Award for lifetime achievement in television.

Note: Golden Globe Awards were started in 1944, by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, in order to give recognition to the excellence in Film and Television. The revenue, which is generated from this annual ceremony is often donated to entertainment-related charities and is also used to fund scholarships and other programs for future film and television professionals. All the winners of the 77th annual Golden Globes from the world of TV and film are as follows:

Best film – drama: 1917

Best actress in a film – drama: Renee Zellweger, Judy

Best actor in a film – drama: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Best film – musical or comedy: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best score – film: Joker

Best director – film: Sam Mendes, 1917

Best song – film: I’m Gonna Love Me Again, Rocketman