Daily GK Updates - 3rd May, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. The Famous Kashmiri Saffron Gets GI Tag: Kashmiri saffron, the pride of Jammu & Kashmir, has finally been granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag, thus symbolizing its exclusivity in the international market. These saffrons are cultivated and harvested in the Karewas (high lands) of Jammu & Kashmir, by the local farmers, and are known for its unique qualities, which can only be found in saffrons grown and produced in J&K. It is grown in some regions of Kashmir, including Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam and Kishtwar. The unique characteristics of Kashmir saffron – longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep-red colour of stigmas, high aroma, bitter flavour, chemical-free processing and high quantity of crocin (colouring strength), safranal (flavour) and picrocrocin (bitterness). The application for the tag was filed by the Directorate of Agriculture, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, and facilitated by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, and Saffron Research Station, Dussu (Pampore).

Note: Lt. Governors of Jammu and Kashmir: Girish Chandra Murmu.

2. Maharashtra govt will provide free health insurance scheme to all citizens: Amid coronavirus outbreak, the Maharashtra government has announced the inclusion of state’s whole population (100%) under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana’s free health treatment. Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to provide free and cashless insurance premium to the people of the state. Under the scheme, people in the state with ration card and domicile certificate can avail the benefits of free and cashless health insurance. At present, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana is covering 85% of the state’s population. With the latest announcement, the benefits of the scheme have been extended towards the remaining 15% people of state

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

3. CAIT to launch e-commerce platform ‘bharatmarket’: Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) will soon launch a national e-commerce marketplace named ‘bharatmarket’ for all retail traders. This will integrate capabilities of various technology companies to provide end-to-end services in the logistics and supply chains, including deliveries at home. It will also include nationwide participation by retailers and aims to bring 95% of retail traders onboard the platform, who will be the shareholders. The portal will be run exclusively by the traders. CAIT is expecting to enrol around one crore retailers on the national platform in year 2020, hence making it the world’s largest and most-unique e-marketplace ever. The pilot of this project has been started in six cities- Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur and Bengaluru.

4. Giridhar Aramane assumes charge as Secretary, MoRTH: Giridhar Aramane has assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He has replaced Sanjeev Ranjan who has been appointed as secretary in the Ministry of Shipping. Before assuming charge as Secretary to MoRTH, Aramane was serving as Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. He has also been a Jt Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas from 2012-14. He is a 1988 batch IAS officer of AP cadre.

Note: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways: Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

5. SCTIMST develops nasal and oral swabs for COVID-19 testing: Sree Chitra Triunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has developed two types of nasal and oral swabs and viral transport medium for COVID-19 testing. They are named as Chitra EmBed flocked nylon swabs and Chitra EnMesh, with flexible plastic handles. The swabs will be available as sterile, ready-to-use devices. These two swabs developed with locally available material can reduce import dependency and can meet the huge demand at much lower costs.

6. Ministry of Shipping launches new website ‘shipmin.gov.in’: Ministry of Shipping has launched its website shipmin.gov.in on 30th April, 2020. The new website is based on open source technology and is deployed on NIC cloud Meghraj. The website is designed as per Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) issued by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India. The new website has a well-designed and dynamic Homepage with Social Media Integration of better video uploading facility.

7. Andhra Pradesh to extend free power to farm sector during Kharif season: Andhra Pradesh government will supply free power for nine hours to 81 percent of feeders of the farm sector during the Kharif season. It will be increased to 100 percent for the next Rabi season. Due to issues relating to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the State power sector, the issue of supply of free electricity to farmers for nine hours has been restricted to 81 percent.

8. WIHG reveals 35 thousand-year history of river erosion in Ladakh Himalayas: Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) studied rivers in Ladakh Himalaya, bringing out 35,000 year history of river erosion and identified hotspots of erosion and valleys that act aS buffer zone. The study showed the phenomena of rivers in drier Ladakh Himalaya operated in longer time scales and their response to varying climate. The study will help to understand river-borne erosion and sedimentation that eventually become the cradle to evolving civilizations.

9. Sikkim launched web portal to gather public feedback and suggestions: Sikkim Government has launched a portal ‘www.sikkimgovtfeedback.org’ portal to gather public feedback and suggestions on government schemes and general administration at Gangtok. It is developed by the state Information and Public relations (IPR) Department. The portal would ensure transparency in functioning of the government by providing an interface with the people. Inputs received from the public will be documented and screened by official for necessary action.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian-Origin Girl Vaneeza Rupani Credied to Name NASA’s First Mars Helicopter as ‘Ingenuity’: A 17-year-old Indian-origin girl Vaneeza Rupani has been earned the honour of naming the NASA’s first Mars helicopter, after she submitted her essay into NASA’s “Name the Rover” contest. Rupani, a high school junior from Northport, Alabama, has suggested the name ‘INGENUITY’ for the helicopter, which has been liked and accepted by NASA. Rupani’s entry was among 28,000 essays submitted by K-12 students from every US state and territory. In March 2020, NASA announced that its next rover to Mars, would be named Perseverance. Perseverance and Ingenuity are scheduled to launch in July 2020 and land in February 2021 at the Mars. Ingenuity will be the first aircraft to attempt powered flight on another planet.

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

2. World Press Freedom Day: 3rd May: The World Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3 annually to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression. The day pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives as they risk their lives at times and face tough situations to bring the news in front of the public. The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020 is “Journalism without Fear or Favour”. UN General Assembly established World Freedom Day in 1993 following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference.

3. International Dawn Chorus Day 2020: 3rd May: The annual International Dawn Chorus Day is held on the first Sunday in May. The day is dedicated to listen to the sounds of birds, when birds sing at the start of a new day, at around 4:30. It is a magical reminder that the natural world lives its life all around us, every day, whether we listen or not. In 2020, this day is being celebrated on 03 May 2020. The day encourages people to rise early to listen bird songs. The first ever International Dawn Chorus Day was held in Birmingham, England in 1984, by the Urban Wildlife Trust (now The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country).

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Former World Snooker champion Peter Ebdon announces retirement: Former World Snooker Champion Peter Ebdon has announced his retirement from professional snooker after suffering from various neck and back injuries. Peter Ebdon won 2002 World Snooker championship by defeating Stephen Hendry in an 18-17 final thriller. He also ended as a runner up in the championship for the record two times in his professional career of 29 years. He also won the UK Championship in 2006.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Neeraj Dhawan appointed as Chief Risk Officer at Yes Bank: Neeraj Dhawan has been appointed as the chief risk officer of Yes Bank with immediate effect and serve at the position for 3 years. He will replace Ashish Agarwal, the current chief risk officer, who will be transitioning to a new role in the bank. Prior to this, Dhawan was holding the position of chief risk officer for retail and business banking at Yes Bank. He has 29 years of experience in financial service and banking industry.

OBITUARIES

1. Padma Shri awardee & Renowned poet K S Nisar Ahmed passes away: Padma Shri awardee & Renowned Kannada poet KS Nisar Ahmed passed away. He was also known as “Nityotsava Kavi”. He was awarded the Pampa Award (the highest literary award in Karnataka) in 2017. He also a recipient of the Rajyotsava award in 1981 and Padma Shri in 2008.

2. Delhi Historian RV Smith Passes Away: Eminent historian, author and columnist Ronald Vivian Smith, who is best known for his writings on Delhi, passed away due to age-related ailments. He was 81. Born in Agra in 1938, Smith made Delhi his second home and was recognised as the city’s greatest chronicler, for writing extensively in many leading publications on Delhi’s intricate histories such as ‘Delhi: Unknown Tales of a City’ and ‘The Delhi that No-one Knows’. The ‘True Chronicler of Delhi’ was the recipient of the Canon Holland Prize and the Rotary Award for general knowledge and journalism award (1997-98) from the Michael Madhusudan Academy.