Daily GK Updates - 17th June, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Trustees of PM CARES fund appoints SARC & Associates as its auditor: New Delhi based Chartered Accountants, SARC & Associates has been appointed by the Trustees of the Prime Minister’s Citizens Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations fund as its auditors for the next 3-years. The SARC & Associates is headed by Sunil Kumar Gupta who is also the auditor of the PM’s National Relief Fund appointed in 2019. The fund is administered on an honorary basis by the joint secretary of administration in the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO) and assisted by an officer in a director or deputy secretary rank in the PMO.

2. Maharashtra signs 12 MoUs worth Rs 16,100 crore with foreign & Indian firms for various developmental projects: The state government of Maharashtra has signed 12 Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with Indian and foreign corporations from countries like USA, China, South Korea and Singapore. The MOUs have been signed as a part of the ‘Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0’ initiative of the state to restart the economy which has taken a hit by coronavirus pandemic. The total cost of the MoU is Rs 16,100 crore. The Memorandum of Understanding were signed for various developmental projects in areas such as information technology, I-T enabled services, automobile, oil and petroleum, chemicals, logistics and food processing sectors.

3. KVIC rolls out project for Indian Palm Industry: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched a project to produce Neera and Palmgur in Palghar district of Maharashtra. It aims is to promote Neera and palm as a substitute to soft drinks, sweets, etc along with generating self-employment opportunities for Adivasis as well as traditional trapper. Neera is a nutrient-rich health drink extracted from the palm trees before sunrise. Tool kits will also be distributed for efficient commercialization of Palm.

Note: Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission: Vinai Saxena.

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

4. West Bengal Govt launches job portal ‘Karmo Bhumi’ for IT professionals: The West Bengal government under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a job portal for IT professionals who have returned to the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic and looking for job. IT professionals can use the portal ”Karmo Bhumi” to connect with companies based in the state. The portal can be accessed at: karmabhumi.nltr.org. It will act as a medium between the professionals and IT companies in Bengal. West Bengal is among those states that has seen mass influx of people after COVID-19.

Note: Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar; Capital: Kolkata

5. Uttar Pradesh becomes top state to provide employment to workers under MGNREGA: Uttar Pradesh has become the top most state in the country to provide employment to the workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme MGNREGA. According to the data released by officials, the state provided employment to 57 lakh 12975 workers on 15 June 2020. These workers are engaged across 56,981 panchayats out of the total 58,000 panchayats in the state. Uttar Pradesh now accounts for 18 percent of the total workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the country and has generated 7.93 crore man-days. UP is followed by Rajasthan (53.45 lakh workers), Andhra Pradesh (36 lakh workers), West Bengal (26 lakh) and Madhya Pradesh (23.95 lakh) with high MGNREGA employment.

Note: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Aditya Nath; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

6. New fish species ‘Schizothorax sikusirumensis’ discovered in Arunachal Pradesh: In Arunachal Pradesh, a new species of fish has been discovered from genus Schizothoraxunder family. The fish species is named as Schizothorax sikusirumensis. The discovery was made by Dr. Keshav Kumar Jha, Associate Professor & Head, Department of Zoology, Jawaharlal Nehru College, Pasighat. The name of this fish species has been derived from the name of the rivers where it was found. This fish was collected from the junction of River Siku and Sirum near Gakang area under Mebo circle of East Siang District. There are currently 65 recognised species of genus Schizothoraxunder family.

Note: Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: Pema Khandu; Governor: B.D. Mishra.

7. MoHFW launches Guide to address stigma associated with COVID-19: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued 'guide to address the issue of stigma faced by people affected by COVID-19'. The guide is framed especially for patients recovered from COVID-19, frontline healthcare providers, their families etc. It can be accessed at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/GuidetoaddressstigmaassociatedwithCOVID19.pdf. In case of any problem, queries can be sent to ncov2019@gov.in and @CovidIndiaSeva.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kyrgyzstan PM Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev Resigns due to false criminal charges: Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev, the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, has announced his resignation from the post on 15 June 2020. He resigned in connection with allegations against the government in a criminal case on the extension and renewal of radio frequency resources. Abylgaziev was appointed as the 20th Prime Minister of the country by President Sooronbai Jeenbekov in April 2018.

Note: Kyrgyzstan Capital: Bishkek; Currency: Kyrgyzstani som

2. World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought: 17th June: The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on June 17 each year to raise awareness of the presence of desertification and drought, and highlight methods of preventing desertification and recovering from drought. It is an unique occasion to remind everybody that desertification is often effectively tackled, that solutions are possible, which key tools to the present aim lay in strengthened community participation and co-operation in the least levels. The theme of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2020: ‘Food. Feed. Fibre. – the links between consumption and land’. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on January 30, 1995.

3. India has sixth highest nuclear weapons stockpile, United States tops: SIPRI Yearbook 2020: The Swedish think tank, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its 51st edition of the SIPRI Yearbook 2020, which assesses the current state of armaments, disarmament and international security. As per the report, the number of nuclear arsenal in India has increased compared to the previous year. India added 10 more weapons by January 2020 to the stockpile to touch 150, compared to an estimated 130-140 in January 2019. This places India at sixth place globally in the list. However, the country is still behind the number of warheads possessed by China and Pakistan. While China (5th) has a total of 320 warheads in its arsenal, Pakistan (7th) is estimated to have 160. United States has highest nuclear warheads at 5800, followed by Russia and United Kingdom. The report also states that the nine nuclear-armed states namely United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), together possessed an estimated 13 400 nuclear weapons in January 2020. This is a decrease from the 13 865 nuclear weapons that these states possessed at the beginning of 2019. As per SIPRI, despite an overall decrease in the number of nuclear warheads, nuclear powers continue to modernise their arsenals.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sports Ministry to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE): The Ministry of Sports has planned to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE) under its flagship programme, Khelo India Scheme. One KISCE will be set up in each state and union territory to create a robust sporting ecosystem in the entire country and strengthen India’s pursuit for excellence in Ölympics. The Ministry has identified eight states in the first leg of program in which state-owned sports facilities will be upgraded into Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE). These include, Karnataka, Odisha, Kerala, Telengana and the north east states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. To upgrade the existing state-owned sports facilities in the above states into KISCE, ‘Viability Gap Funding’ would be extended by the government in sports science and technology support for sports disciplines practiced at the centre.

Note: Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports: Kiren Rijiju.

2. Azerbaijan’s Shakhriyar Mamedyarov wins World Stars Sharjah Online Chess Championship 2020: The World Stars Sharjah Online Chess Championship 2020 was organized by the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club, on June 12-13, 2020. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan became the winner of $10,000 chess tournament with a score of 7.5 in 10 rounds. India’s Pentala Harikrishna finished second with 6.5 out of 10. The event was held online on a popular platform Internet Chess Club (ICC) in double round-robin format with 10 min +3 sec time control. Sharjah Online International Chess Championship was hosted by the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IBBI Reconstitutes Advisory Committee on Corporate Insolvency Resolution and Liquidation: The insolvency regulator ‘Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India’ (IBBI) has reconstituted the Advisory Committee on Corporate Insolvency Resolution and Liquidation process. The 14 member reconstituted panel would be chaired by Uday Kotak, Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank. IBBI had earlier constituted the Advisory Committee on Corporate Insolvency and Liquidation in August 2017. Uday Kotak was the Chairman of this panel too. However, at that time the panel had 12 members. IBBI has inducted three new members in the reconstituted panel. The committee shall advise and provide professional support on any matter relating to the corporate insolvency resolution and liquidation dealt with by the board under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India 9th largest recipient of FDI in 2019, US Tops: UN Report: According to the World Investment Report 2020, of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India emerged as the world’s ninth largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the year 2019. World Investment Report 2020 is the 30th edition of the annual report. The report reveals that India received USD 51 billion (approximately Rs 38.79 crore) in foreign investment in 2019, an increase of 20 percent over the previous year 2018 (USD42 bn). In the developing Asia region, India was among the top five host economies for FDI. United States is the largest recipient of FDI in 2019 at $246 billion. China, Singapore, Netherlands and Ireland are the top 5 largest recipient of FDI in 2019 respectively. In 2019, global FDI flows increased marginally by 3 percent, to $1.54 trillion. The report has also predicted that the global foreign investment flows (FDI) is likely to plunge by up to 40% in 2020. However, FDI is projected to decrease by a further 5% to 10% in 2021 and to initiate a recovery in 2022.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Deccan Development Society wins Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award: Hyderabad-based Deccan Development Society has won the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award. The society has been honoured for its help in promoting biodiversity and support farming in degraded lands. The honour was declared by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Vice President and CEO, Olivier Wenden.

Note: Director of Deccan Development Society PV Satheesh; Headquarters of Deccan Development Society: Hyderabad, Telangana.

OBITUARIES

1. Mahaveer Chakra Awaredee Lt Gen Raj Mohan Vohra passes away: Retired Lt. Gen. Raj Mohan Vohra (88 years) passes away in Delhi due to COVID-19. He commanded elite Hodson’s Horse in the Shakargarh Sector in 1971 Indo-Pak war and was declared war hero. He was awarded with 1972 Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), country's 2nd highest gallantry award for his conspicuous bravery and leadership. He also fought for the Indo-Pak war of 1965. He tenanted prestigious appointments like GOCinC Eastern Command and GOC 31 Armoured Division.

 

2. Senior Journalist Dinu Randive passes away: Senior journalist Dinu Randive (95 years) passes away at his residence in Dadar, Mumbai. He played a significant role in the struggle movement named Samyukta Maharashtra movement to carve out Maharashtra state. He also participated in the Goa liberation movement. He started his career in journalism in 1956 and was conferred with lifetime achievement award Mantralaya and Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh (Maharashtra journalists association). He was recently conferred with Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink award for Lifetime Achievement.

3. Former Goa minister Achyut Usgaonkar passes away: Former Goa minister Achyut Kashinath Sinai Usgaonkar (92 years) passes away in Panaji, Goa due to age-related ailments. He was the leader of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, the oldest regional party in Goa. He has also served as the cabinet minister from August 13, 1977 - April 27, 1979 in the then Shashikala Kakodkar government. Prior to this, he was the deputy speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly under 1st Chief Minister of Goa Dayanand Bandodkar.

Note: Goa Capital: Panaji; CM: Pramod Sawant.