Daily GK Updates - 2nd April, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bank offers $1bn to India for its Covid-19 emergency response and health systems preparedness project: The World Bank has announced to give USD 1 billion to the Indian government for a proposed India Covid-19 emergency response and health systems preparedness project. The project has been proposed by the GoI to respond and mitigate the Covid-19 threat and strengthen national systems for public health preparedness in India. This four-year project has been proposed by the government, after the assessment that outbreaks like Covid-19 will continue in the coming years, and hence there needs to be a long-term strategy to tackle the next wave of the disease. The World Bank funding is from its Covid-19 fast-track facility.

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

2. DARPG developed National Monitoring Dashboard: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has launched ‘National Monitoring Dashboard on COVID-19 Grievances’ which will receive and monitor all grievances related to COVID-19 on priority basis. The National Monitoring Dashboard was developed and implemented at https://darpg.gov.in where COVID-19 related grievances are monitored on priority basis by a technical team of DARPG on a daily basis to ensure timely implementation of COVID 19 Response Activities.

Note: Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions: Jitendra Singh.

3. Naval Dockyard Mumbai developed low cost temperature sensor: Naval Dockyard, Mumbai has designed and developed its own handheld IR based temperature sensor with accuracy of 0.02 degree Celsius for undertaking screening of personnel at the yard’s entry gates. The non-contact thermometer has a Infrared sensor and an LED display integrated with a microcontroller which runs on a 9V battery. This will reduce the load on the security guard at the gate and will check for COVID-19. The instrument has been manufactured under Rs. 1000/.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

4. Justice Rajnesh Oswal appointed as the permanent judge of J&K High Court: Justice Rajnesh Oswal was sworn in as the permanent Judge of the common High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh increasing the strength of judges to 9. He is the first Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to take oath under the Indian Constitution. He was administered oath of office by Justice Gita Mittal in a simple but impressive ceremony in Jammu.

5. PIB sets up COVID19 Fact Check Unit: Press Information Bureau (PIB) has set up a portal ‘COVID 19 Fact Check Unit’ which will receive messages by email and send response on time. PIB will also release a daily Bulletin at 8 pm every day to inform regarding Government’s decisions and developments and progress on COVID 19. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has set up a Technical Group of professionals from AIIMS to clarify doubts in the minds of the general public on any technical aspect of COVID 19.

6. ICCR announces art competition amid coronavirus: The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) with its focus on building cultural links with countries around the world through Cultural and Educational exchanges announces art competition. The theme of the competition is ‘Art in the Time of CORONA: United against Corona- Express through Art’. The event encourages professional and amateur artists to participate and present their emotions and innovative thoughts on COVID-19 pandemic, and the fight against the virus.

7. SCTIMST ties up with Wipro 3D to provide emergency ventilator system: Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) of DST tied up with Wipro 3D, Bengaluru to jointly build a prototype of an emergency ventilator system based on Artificial Manual Breathing Unit (AMBU). The ventilators can help meet urgent requirements arising out of the COVID-19 related crisis. AMBU bag or a bag-valve-mask (BVM) is a portable and lightweight hand-held device used to provide positive pressure ventilation to a patient.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UN Cop26 Climate Change Summit in Glasgow Postponed until 2021: The 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UN COP26), which was scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from 9 to 20 November 2020 under the presidency of the UK government, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Cop26 Climate Change Summit has now been pushed back to 2021 and the new dates for the conference would be decided in due course. This decision has been taken by the COP Bureau of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), with the UK and its Italian partners.

Note: UNFCCC Secretary-General: Patricia Espinosa; Indian-origin Alok Sharma appointed president of Cop26 climate conference.

2. NASA Announces Mission SunRISE to Study Causes of Giant Solar Particle Storms: US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected a new mission called the ‘Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE)’ to study how the Sun generates and releases giant space weather storms, known as solar particle storms, into planetary space. SunRise is an array of six CubeSats operating as one very large radio telescope. NASA has sanctioned USD 62.6 million to design, build and launch SunRISE. It will be launched after July 1, 2023. The new mission will not only improve understanding of how our solar system works, but it ultimately can help protect astronauts traveling to the Moon and Mars by providing better information on how the Sun’s radiation affects the space environment they must travel through.

Note: The administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Jim Bridenstine; Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.

3. India – China Completes 70 years of diplomatic ties on April 1, 2020: On April 1, 2020, India and China marked the 70th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties between the two countries. It was on April 1, 1950, the Republic of India became the first non-Communist country in Asia to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). To commemorate the special occasion, the two neighbors had planned to hold 70 programmes, 35 in each country, but the plans have been paused in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

4. World Autism Awareness Day: 2 April: The World Autism Awareness Day is observed internationally on 2 April every year, to raise awareness about people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout the world. Theme 2020: “The Transition to Adulthood”. Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects a person's communication and their experience with the world around them. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 2007. World Autism Day is one of only seven official health-specific UN Days.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. World’s oldest tennis tournament, Wimbledon 2020, cancelled for first time since World War II: Due to the ever-increasing cases of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the All England Club announced on 1 April 2020 that the premier tennis Grand Slam tournament Wimbledon 2020, has been cancelled. It marks the first time that the Wimbledon tournament had been called off since World War II. The tournament was due to be played between 29 June and 12 July in 2020. It will now be held from 28 June to 11 July in 2021. The cancellation of the tournament was announced by All England Club (AELTC) after an emergency meeting.

Note: Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the others being the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. Wimbledon is the only major still played on grass-court.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI Increases FPI limit in Corporate Bonds to 15% for FY21: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has hiked the limit for foreign portfolio investors’ (FPI) investment in corporate bonds from 9 percent to 15 percent of outstanding stock for FY2020-21. Currently, the FPIs can invest Rs 3.17 lakh crore in Indian corporate bonds. With the enhanced limit, they can hold Rs 4.29 lakh crore of corporate bonds for the half year ended September 2020, and Rs 5.41 lakh crore for the half year ending March 2021.

Besides this, the Reserve Bank has introduced a separate channel, called the ‘Fully Accessible Route’ (FAR), for non-residents to invest in specified Government of India dated securities. Eligible investors can invest in specified Government securities without being subject to any investment ceilings. All new issuance of government securities of 5-year, 10-year and 30-year tenors from the financial year 2020-21, will be eligible for investment under the FAR as ‘specified securities’. This scheme shall operate along with the two existing routes, the Medium Term Framework (MTF) and the Voluntary Retention Route (VRR). The directions shall come into effect from April 1, 2020.

2. L. Duraiswamy appointed as new MD of Sundaram Home Finance: Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy has assumed the charge as new Managing Director of the Sundaram Home Finance. He has replaced Srinivas Acharya who was serving as the Managing Director of Sundaram Home Finance since 2010.

Note: Chairman of Sundaram Home Finance: T.T. Srinivasaraghavan.

3. PhonePe launches coronavirus insurance policy ‘Corona Care’: PhonePe has launched a unique coronavirus hospitalization insurance policy named “Corona Care.” PhonePe has partnered with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance for this “Corona Care”. “Corona Care” plan is priced at Rs 156 with an insurance cover of Rs 50,000 for a person aged less than 55 years. PhonePe users can purchase their Coronavirus insurance policy under the “My Money” section on the PhonePe app. The policy has several benefits like it covers 30 days of expenses related to pre-hospitalization costs and post-care medical treatment.

Note: PhonePe founded: December 2015; CEO of PhonePe: Sameer Nigam; Headquarters location: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. RIL Overtakes TCS to re-gain the status of most valued firm: Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) surpassed Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) to once again become the most valued firm by market capitalisation on 31 March 2020. The market capitalisation (m-cap) of RIL was Rs 7,05,211.81 crore, which was Rs 21,133.32 crore more than that of Tata Consultancy Services’ Rs 6,84,078.49 crore valuation on the BSE. The m-cap figures of companies change daily with the movement in their stock prices.

OBITUARIES

1. Padma Shri Winner and Sikh Spiritual Singer, Nirmal Singh Passes Away: Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa, a noted singer of Sikh ‘Gurbani’ hymns, passed away in Amritsar, due to the novel coronavirus. He was 62. He was the former Hazoori Raagi at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Nirmal Singh Khalsa received the Padma Shri in 2009 for his contribution to Gurbani music. As per the data, it is the first death due to Covid-19 in Amritsar and the fifth death in the state.

Note: Chief Minister of Punjab: Captain Amarinder Singh; Governor of Punjab: VP Singh Badnore.

2. Emmy award winning Singer Adam Schlesinger Passes Away: The Emmy award-winning American singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger (52 years), best known for his work with US rock band ‘Fountains of Wayne’, has passed away after being diagnosed with coronavirus. He won three Emmys, a Grammy, and the ASCAP Pop Music Award, and was nominated for Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe Awards.

3. Nobel Prize Winner Phillip Anderson passes away: Philip Anderson (96 years), a Nobel Prize-winning physicist passes away. He expanded the world’s understanding of magnetism and superconductivity. During the Second World War, he was drafted to work at the US Naval Research Laboratory. He was awarded Nobel Prize for Physics in 1977 which he shared with van Vleck and Mott for their “fundamental theoretical investigations of the electronic structure of magnetic and disordered systems”.