Daily GK Updates - 15th June, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Centre Launches ”Aarogyapath” Healthcare Supply Chain Portal: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched a healthcare supply chain portal named ”Aarogyapath”, to provide real-time availability of critical healthcare supplies to manufacturers, suppliers and customers. The portal AarogyaPath can be accessed at https://www.aarogyapath.in. The initiative aims at filling a critical gap in last-mile delivery of patient care within India through improved availability and affordability of healthcare supplies. It will act as a single-point availability of items by hospitals, labs, research, medical colleges, patients, importers and manufacturers.

2. Maharashtra CM Launches Mumbai’s New Flood Warning System IFLOWS-Mumbai: In Mumbai, a new integrated flood warning system (IFLOWS) has been inaugurated, which can predict flood alerts for the city, and therefore enable the authority to take due precautions in advance. The state-of-the-art IFLOW-Mumbai flood warning system was jointly inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology, and Earth sciences. The system will provide early warning for flooding specially during high rainfall events and cyclones. With this hi-tech system it will be possible to have an estimate of the flood inundation three days in advance, along with immediate weather updates. The system has been developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) with in-house expertise and coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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

3. Central Railway Launches Robot ‘CAPTAIN ARJUN’ to intensify screening, surveillance of passengers in Pune: Railway Protection Force of Central Railway, Pune division, has launched a unique robot named ”CAPTAIN ARJUN”, for the screening of passengers for COVID-19 infection while they board trains as well as keep a watch on anti-social elements. With this, the Central Railway has added another feather in its cap. ‘CAPTAIN ARJUN’ stands for Always be Responsible and Just Use to be Nice. The robot undertakes the thermal screening of passengers and captures the temperature in a digital display panel. It also sounds an abnormal automatic alarm indicating a higher temperature than reference range. Hence, Captain ARJUN will provide enough protective cover to the passengers while undergoing the screening and also ensure security in the railway premises.

4. CIMAP announced Medicinal and Aromatic plants photography competition: Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic plants (CIMAP) has announced competition on medicinal and aromatic plants. The theme is ‘Know your Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs)’. It is open to all Indian amateur and professional photographers and 3 photographs of 3MB size are to be summitted for entry along with their Latin and vernacular name and importance till June 30. The winners will get cash awards of Rs. 5000, Rs. 3000, and Rs. 2000 as per the position.

5. Madhya Pradesh to organise employment fair for labourers: MP Govt will organise employment fair to provide employment opportunities to registered labourers under Sambal Yojana (Power facility scheme-BPL families) and labourers returning from other states. It will be organised in 3rd week of June. Labourers will be informed by SMS and transportation arrangement will be made for them to reach the venue along with food, water. It will be organised along with corona prevention guidelines like thermal testing, sanitisation, etc.

6. Raja Parba festival begins in Odisha: Raja Parba festival (June 14 to 16) is being celebrated in Odisha every year. It is a 3-day-long festival dedicated to Mother Earth (Bhuma Devi) and womanhood at large. The first day is called Pahili Raja, second is Mithuna Sankranti and third Bhudaha or Basi Raja. In this unmarried girl perform various customs. Also, Odia people do not undertake any construction work that require earth digging. This festival is also associated with summer end and monsoon Arrival.

7. JNU develops new drug molecules against amoebiasis: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Researchers have developed new drug molecules against the protozoa that causesamoebiasis. Amoebiasis or amoebic dysentery is a disease caused of Entamoeba histolytica protozoa. According to WHO, Entamoeba histolytica is the 3rd leading cause of death in the world. It is anaerobic in nature but on entering human, it synthesizes large amounts of cysteine to counter oxidative stress. It spreads through drinking or eating uncooked food.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shambhu S. Kumaran appointed as Ambassador of India to Philippines: Shri Shambhu S. Kumaran has been appointed as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Philippines. He is presently serving as the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Morocco. He will replace Jaideep Mazumdar as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Philippines. He is the IFS officer of 1995 batch.

Note: Capital of Philippines: Manila; Currency: Philippine Peso; President of Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte; Prime Minister: Salvador H. Laurel

2. Global Wind Day: 15th June: Every year the Global Wind Day is celebrated worldwide on 15 June to spread awareness about wind energy, the various uses of wind energy, and the ways and possibilities as to how wind energy can help change the world. The day is organised jointly by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Wind Europe and the national associations. 2020 marks the 13th year of Global Wind Day.

Note: Chairman of Global Wind Energy Council: Morten Dyrholm; CEO of Global Wind Energy Council: Ben Backwell; Headquarters of Global Wind Energy Council: Brussels, Belgium.

3. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 15th June: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is marked every year on 15 June to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic, and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. The theme in 2020 for WEAAD is “Lifting Up Voices”. The day was launched on June 15, 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations (UN). WEAAD was officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011.

4. Kathy Lueders Becomes The First Ever Female Director Of Human Explorations At NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that Kathy Lueders will be its first female director of human spaceflight. Lauders will be heading the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate, that’s working to get astronauts back on the moon by 2024. She has for years been in charge of the exhaustive testing program for space capsules developed by SpaceX, Boeing and other companies that are partnering with NASA to build vessels that can safely take humans into space.

5. Government to organise 4 more courses on COVID-19 for Bangladesh: Government will organise 4 more courses on COVID 19 management for professionals in Bangladesh and other countries. The courses are the part of Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) platform aimed at capacity building for professionals engaged in the COVID 19 pandemic management. It will be conducted between June 18-26 by National Centre for Good Governance, Mussoorie and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Six courses have already been conducted.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Imtaiyazur Rahman appointed as CEO of UTI Asset Management Company: UTI Mutual Fund appointed Imtaiyazur Rahman as the CEO of United Trust India (UTI) Asset Management Company (AMC). He was serving as acting CEO of UTI Mutual Fund from past 2 years after Leo Puri’s term ended. His appointment will bring stability to the company and it will launch its first IPO shortly addressing SEBI’s concern. He joined the UTI Group in 1998 and is with the AMC since 2003. The AMC has already filed Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI in December 2019 to protect investor’s interest in shareholding.

Note: UTI Mutual Fund Chief Financial Officer: Surojit Saha; Company Secretary: Arvind Patkar; Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

2. RBI Approves Kaizad Bharucha’s Re-appointment as HDFC Bank Executive Director: Private sector lender HDFC Bank said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Kaizad Bharucha as the executive director of the bank for a period of three years with effect from 13 June. In his current position, Bharucha is responsible for wholesale banking covering areas of corporate banking, emerging corporate group, business banking, capital markets and commodities business, agri lending, among others.

3. India’s forex crosses half trillion mark for the 1st time: India's foreign exchange reserves (Forex) have surged by 8.22 billion dollars crossing half-a-trillion mark for the 1st time. The reserves rose to $501.70 billion along with a whopping rise in foreign currency assets. As per RBI, foreign currency assets rose by $ 8.42 billion to $ 463.63 billion. However, Gold reserves are declining by $ 329 million. India's special drawing rights (supplementary foreign exchange reserve assets) with IMF and reserve position enhanced.

OBITUARIES

1. SAIL Director Atul Srivastava passes away: Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) Director, Atul Srivastava passes away at Apollo Hospital, New Delhi due to cardiac arrest. He took charge as Director (Personnel) of SAIL on March 12, 2018. He was serving SAIL for more than 35 years through SAIL plants as well as at the Corporate Office. He had served the organisation in areas like HR Policies, Manpower Planning, HRD/OD Interventions, Performance Management, Employee Engagement Initiatives and IR Management.

2. India’s oldest 1st class cricketer Vasant Raiji passes away: India's oldest first-class cricketer, Vasant Raiji (100 years) passes away at his residence in Walkeshwar in Mumbai. He was a right-handed batsman and played nine first-class matches in the '1940s and scored a total 277 runs. He was the opener of Bombay and Baroda team in the Ranji Trophy and was a reserve for the Hindus team in the 1941 Bombay Pentangular. After John Manners death, he was declared as the oldest living first class cricketer in the world.