Daily GK Updates - 9th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates Conference on Empowering Women Entrepreneurs 2020 in New Delhi: The Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated the inaugural session of ‘Conference on Empowering Women Entrepreneurs’ in New Delhi. The three-day conference was organised by Ministry of MSME in collaboration with various industry associations like FICCI-flo, CII and India SME Forum. The conference stressed on the portal ‘MSME SAMBANDH’ and a portal ‘Udyam Sakhi’. ‘MSME SAMBANDH’ gives all the relevant information about procurements made by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) from MSMEs. ‘Udyam Sakhi’ is meant for female entrepreneurs to provide them right information about self-employment.

2. MSDE launches Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme in Bengaluru: The Union Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey has launched the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme in the Indian Institute of Management in Bengaluru. The Fellowship is launched as part of the SANKALP programme of the ministry to provide skilled manpower for District Skill Committees to prepare the District Skill Development plan. Now, IIMB will train 75 graduates for two years in preparing the District skill plan considering the skill gaps.

3. India Pharma & India Medical Device 2020 Conference held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat: The fifth edition of the India Pharma 2020 & India Medical Device 2020 Conference & Exhibition is being held at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat. The three day conference was inaugurated by the Chemicals & Fertilizers Minister Shri Sadananda Gowda. The conference has been organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The Theme of the event is “India Pharma: Meeting Challenges of Affordable and Quality Healthcare and India Medical Device: Promoting Affordable responsible and Quality Medical Device for Universal Health Care”. The event is being organised for the first time in the State of Gujarat, which is also the partner state for this event.

4. Agartala and Ghojadanga approved as authorised land immigration check posts: Government of India (GOI) has approved Tripura capital Agartala and West Bengal’s Ghojadanga as authorised land immigration check posts to enter or exit India. Agartala and Ghojadanga are located along the Indo-Bangladesh border. The senior immigration officers, under the Bureau of Immigration, have been appointed for the Check posts with effect from March 2, 2020. The Central Government issued notification and approved check posts according to sub-rule (b) of rule 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, to Tripura and Ghojadanga land check post, located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

5. Odisha Government to Launch Separate dept for SHGs “Mission Shakti” dedicated to women: The government of Odisha under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced that the state will launch an exclusive department for Self Help Group (SHGs) called “Mission Shakti” which will be dedicated to all women of the state. This will make Odisha, first state of the country to have a separate department dedicated to SHGs.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA names its Mars 2020 rover as ‘Perseverance’: The American space agency NASA has come up with a new name for the rover that it will send to the Mars (Red Planet) in July 2020 under the Mars rover mission. Till date, the project was known by its code name – Mars 2020. However, from now on, it will be referred to as the ‘Perseverance’ rover. The name has been selected out of a schools competition that drew 28,000 entries. The name was suggested by Alexander Mather, 7th standard student and was announced by Nasa’s director of science, Thomas Zurbuchen at an event in Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia. The Perseverance rover will be the 5th exploratory vehicle after Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity.

Note: Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States; Administrator of NASA: Jim Bridenstine.

2. Singapore’s Daren Tang elected as WIPO’s Director General: The Coordination Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has nominated Mr. Daren Tang from Singapore for the post of Director General. He will succeed Australia’s Francis Gurry who will step down on September 30, 2020 after 12 years of being in this position. The WIPO General Assembly will meet in an extraordinary session on May 7-8, 2020, to confirm the Coordination Committee’s nomination.

Note: WIPO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

3. India ranks 83rd in Freedom in the world 2020 report; Finland tops: India has been ranked among one of the least free democracies, as per the annual Freedom in the World 2020 report, published by Freedom House, a US-based watchdog, which has been tracking global political and civil liberties for almost past half a century. India is placed at 83rd position along with Timor-Leste and Senegal in bottom five of “free democracies”. 85 nations were surveyed in the current report in the ‘free countries’ category. The overall score of India declined from 75 in 2019 to 71 in 2020. India has the worst score decline among the world’s 25 largest democracies in the current report. Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are the top five countries in the free category.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. First ever Khelo India Winter Games begin at Gulmarg in Kashmir: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiuju inaugurated the five-day Khelo India Winter games at famous tourist destination Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. During the event, the competitions in the sports disciplines like snow skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ski mountaineering and snow baseball would be held. The GoI will establish a Sports Training Academy at Gulmarg at the level of International Standards for the promotion of sports tourism.

2. Indian runner Prachi provisionally suspended: Indian runner Prachi (400m) has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the presence of a steroid Oxandrolone, the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA). As per the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and NADA list, Oxandrolone is a prohibited substance, which is a non-specified substance-Anabolic Androgenic Steroid. She waved off her right for B sample analysis and hence her case has been forwarded to the Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel for adjudication. The provisional suspension starts to apply from February 20, 2020.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI Life Insurance Company re-appoints Sanjeev Nautiyal as MD & CEO: The Board of Directors of SBI Life Insurance Company re-appointed Sanjeev Nautiyal as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer of the company(CEO) with effect from March 10, 2020  replacing Arijit Basu. This approval is given by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and members of the Company. He served as a Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SBI Life since March 10, 2018.

Note: SBI Life Insurance Company Headquarters: Mumbai.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Moody’s cuts G-20 growth outlook to 2.1%: According to Moody’s Investors Service, G-20 countries are expected to grow by 2.1 per cent in 2020. The global credit rating agency is expecting these shocks to materially slow economic activity, particularly in the first half of this year (2020). The G-20 grouping includes advanced economies such as the US, Euro area, Japan, Germany and the UK, and emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, Russia and Mexico.

Note: Moody’s Corporation is an American business and financial services company. Headquarters of Moody’s is in New York, USA.

The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

DEFENCE

1. Indian Coast Guard conducts 9th edition of rescue exercise ‘SAREX-2020’ in Goa: Indian Coast Guard (ICG), an armed force that protects India’s maritime interests, has conducted a 2-day 9th edition of national level search and rescue exercise ‘SAREX-2020’ based on the theme ‘Harmonization of Maritime and Aeronautical Search and Rescue (HAMSAR)’ in the sea at Vasco, South Goa district from March 5-7,2020. It was inaugurated by Dr. Ajay Kumar, IAS, Secretary (Defence), Ministry of Defence. ICG conducts this exercise biennially under the aegis of National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB) since 2003.

Key Points: (1) For the 1st time, it was attended by 3 pillars of national SAR mechanism i.e. Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Defence. (2) It also saw the participation of 24 representatives from 19 countries, primarily from Asia and Africa, international delegates including 38 national observers and officials of 7 commercial airlines including 2 helicopter operators. (3) This exercise consists of a series of conduct of workshop, table top exercise and sea exercise with focus on Mass Rescue operation (MRO).

Note: Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Headquarters: New Delhi; Director General– Krishnaswamy Natrajan

OBITUARIES

1. Senior Congress leader Hans Raj Bhardwaj passes away: Former Law Minister and senior Congress leader Hans Raj Bhardwaj (83-years) passed away at the Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi after a cardiac arrest. He was a Rajya Sabha member for five terms from April 1982 to June 2009. He was appointed the governor of Karnataka in 2009.