Daily GK Updates - 11th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Skill Development Ministry Launches AI-based portal ASEEM to bridge Demand-Supply gap of Skilled Workforce: Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched ‘Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)’ portal on 10 July 2020 to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities. ASEEM is an Artificial Intelligence-based platform to improve the information flow and bridge the demand-supply gap in the skilled workforce market. On one hand, the employers will be able to assess the availability of skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans while on the other hand the portal will strengthen the career pathways of skilled workers by exploring emerging job opportunities especially in the post COVID era. The ASEEM portal can be accessed at smis.nsdcindia.org/. It is also available as an APP. ASEEM has been developed and will be managed by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with Bengaluru-based company Betterplace, specialising in blue collar employee management.

 

2. Rajasthan launches campaign “Pure for Sure” to ensure purity of milk & dairy products: The Rajasthan state government has launched a week-long campaign “Pure for Sure” to ensure purity of milk and its products. The campaign will run from July 8-July 14, 2020. Under the campaign samples of milk and dairy products will be collected for testing at Food Testing Laboratory available at the divisional level. Information related to samples will be provided by the food safety officers on the FSSAI app on daily basis.

 

3. Himachal’s Nadaun police station among best in country: Nadaun police station in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh has been ranked among the best police stations of the country and the top most police station of the state in the annual ranking of police stations for 2019. The Certificate of Excellence was provided to Nadaun police station by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Recently, the ranking of police stations is carried out by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and the same was released by the Union Home Minister in a ceremony during DGPs Conference. Following criteria are used to rank the police stations: standard of service delivery, identifying techniques of improvement in policing, addressing of cases and infrastructure.

Note: Chief Minister of HP: Jairam Thakur; Governor of HP: Bandaru Dattatraya.

 

4. Flipkart tie-up with Karnataka Govt to promote Art & Craft: Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Mines of Government of Karnataka to promote the arts, crafts and handloom sector of Karnataka. This MoU will unite the Flipkart Samarth Programme with the brands based in Karnataka like Cauvery and Priyadarshini Handlooms, part of Karnataka Handlooms Development Corporations.

Note: Flipkart Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Kalyan Krishnamurthy; Chief Operating Officer (COO): Sriram Venkataraman; Head Office: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Karnataka chief Minister: B. S. Yediyurappa; Governor of Karnataka: Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala; Capital of Karnataka: Bengaluru.

 

5. All India Tiger Census 2018 sets new Guinness World Record for largest camera-trap wildlife survey: The fourth edition of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 has created the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest camera trap wildlife survey. The All India Tiger Estimation is conducted every four year since 2006, by the National Tiger Conservation Authority with technical support from the Wildlife Institute of India. In the fourth cycle of the survey, conducted in 2018-19, Camera traps (outdoor photographic devices fitted with motion sensors that start recording when an animal passes by) were placed in 26,838 locations across 141 different sites. Key Highlights of the survey:

These cameras surveyed an effective area of 121,337 square kilometres (46,848 square miles). A total of 34,858,623 photographs of wildlife were captured by the 26,838 camera traps installed. Of the total photographs 76,651 were tigers and 51,777 were leopards while the remaining were other native fauna. The photographs of tigers included 2,461 individual tigers (excluding cubs). As per the survey, India has an estimated 2,967 tigers or 75 percent of the global tiger population.

 

6. DCGI approves Itolizumab for restricted emergency use on COVID-19 patients: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Itolizumab for restricted emergency use on COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. DCGI has approved Itolizumab injection for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients due to COVID-19. Itolizumab injection (drug of Biocon Limited) used for the treatment of patients with active moderate to severe psoriasis.

 

7. Illustrated biography of Dalai Lama titled “His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography” written by Tenzin Geyche Tethong, to be released in October 2020: The biography of the current Dalai Lama titled “His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography”, is set to hit the stands in October 2020. The 352-page book has been written by Tenzin Geyche Tethong, one of the Dalai Lama’s closest aides and advisor of over 40 years. The book is published by Roli Books. The book features nearly 400 never seen before photographs and documents from the life and times of the Tibetan spiritual leader. It also has a personal message by the spiritual leader, along with a foreword by his younger brother, Tenzin Choegal.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. ISRO to launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite: Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite. This satellite is onboard the Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV) as a primary payload by August 2020. This satellite has been locally designed and tested in Brazil. It will be the first satellite for Earth observation; it will not be a hitchhiking satellite. The Amazonia-1 satellite which PSLV will launch will help in monitoring and observing the deforestation of the Amazon region. With the recent fires in the Amazon region, the role of this satellite will be much more crucial for the countries. The images sent by the Brazilian satellite will also provide help in the vegetation and agricultural areas.

Note: ISRO Director: K. Sivan, Headquarters: Bengaluru; Established: 1969.

Capital of Brazil: Brasilia; President of Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro; Currency of Brazil: Brazilian Real.

 

2. World Population Day: 11th July: World Population Day is observed globally on 11th July every year. This day is observed to raise awareness among people about the impact of a growing population and issues including gender equality, the importance of family planning, poverty, maternal health, human rights, etc. This year theme of World Population Day 2020:’ Putting the brakes on COVID-19: Safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls’. The day was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989 in commemoration of the day in 1987, when the world reached the population of 5 billion.

Note: United Nations Population Fund Headquarters: New York, United States; United Nations Population Fund Executive Director: Natalia Kanem; United Nations Population Fund Founded: 1969.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Manipur’s Gyanendro Ningombam becomes new Hockey India president: The Hockey India Executive Board has named Gyanendro Ningombam, as the new Officiating President of Hockey India. Earlier, Mohd Mushtaque Ahmed has resigned as Hockey India president due to personal commitments. Ningombam had served as the CEO of Manipur Hockey (2009 - 2014) and vice president of the sport’s governing body till 2018. Hockey India is the governing body with an exclusive mandate to direct and conduct all activities for both men and women's hockey in India.

Note: Hockey India Founded: 20 May 2009; Hockey India Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. IRDAI Constitutes 9-member Working Group under Suresh Mathur to study feasibility of Indian Pandemic Risk Pool: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed a 9-member working group to examine the feasibility of ‘Pandemic Risk Pool’. The working group will be chaired by Suresh Mathur, Executive Director of IRDAI. The main aim to this risk pool will be to address various risks which have been triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as offer protection in case of a similar crisis in the future. The panel will explore the possibility of addressing these risks and any other related risks arising out of a Pandemic through the mechanism of a “Pandemic Risk Pool” and form the structure and operating model for the pool

 

2. Union Bank of India reduces MCLR by 20 basis points across tenors: Union Bank of India has announced a reduction in its marginal cost of funds-based lending rate - MCLR by 20 basis points across tenors. The revised one-year MCLR stands at 7.40 per cent (earlier 7.60 %). SBI has also reduced its MCLR by 5-10 basis points for shorter tenors. Indian Overseas Bank has cut its MCLR by up to 25 bps across tenors. Canara Bank and Bank of Maharashtra have also reduced their MCLRs by 10 bps and 20 bps, respectively, across all tenors.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Global economy to contract by 5.2 pc in 2020: D&B Report: The global economy is likely to contract by 5.2 percent in 2020, according to Dun and Bradstreet’s (DNB) Country Risk and Global Outlook Report that covered 132 countries. The reason behind this decline is the coronanvirus, which is still spreading, and the economic prospects of countries across the world are uncertain.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. UNIFIL’s Indian Battalion wins annual environment award: UNIFIL’s Indian Battalion (INDBATT), the Indian battalion stationed at United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has won the first position in the Annual Environment Award. INDBATT has won the award for a project that seeks to increase awareness and decrease waste generation by planting seedlings in their positions and areas of responsibility, preventing littering, reusing plastic bottles, building green houses and building compost pits. In all seven entities of the UNIFIL Mission were awarded for initiating and implementing innovative projects to preserve environment. The “Annual Environment Awards” were launched by UNIFIL in December 2019 to recognise environmental achievements within the Mission’s area of operations. UNIFIL is a UN-NATO peacekeeping mission established on 19 March 1978 by United Nations Security Council, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, in order to ensure that the government of Lebanon would restore its effective authority in the area.

Note: UNIFIL Mission Leadership: Major General Stefano Del Col.

 

DEFENSE

 

1. Boeing delivers final Apache & Chinook helicopters to IAF: Boeing India has delivered the last of the five AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Hindan Air Force Station. Boeing has completed delivery of all 22 new AH-64E Apache to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Apaches were deployed at the Leh airbase as part of the forward movement of assets, amid the stand-off with China in Ladakh. Boeing also handed over the last five of the 15 CH-47F(I) Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to the IAF. India contracted 22 Apache helicopters and 15 Chinook helicopters from Boeing through the Foreign Military Sales programme of the U.S. government in September 2015 under a $3 billion deal.

Note: Headquarters of Boeing: Chicago, United States; Boeing Founded: 15 July 1916; President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing: David L. Calhoun.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. American Musician Charlie Daniels passes away: Legendary American Musician Charlie Daniels (83 years) passes away in Tennessee, US. He was a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and is known for his contributions to Southern rock, country, and bluegrass music. He was best known for ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’ for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1979. He was inducted into Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame (2002), Grand Ole Opry, and Country Music Hall of Fame (2016).