Daily GK Updates – 12th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. NITI Aayog presents Voluntary National Review 2020 report: India’s second Voluntary National Review (VNR) report has been presented by the NITI Aayog at the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, 2020. The VNR 2020 report has been titled as “Decade of Action: Taking SDGs from Global to Local” and it accounts for the adoption and implementation of the 2030 Agenda in India. The VNR is a critical component which reviews the progress and implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. NITI Aayog has been authorized to examine the adoption as well as monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national level. The High-level Political Forum (HLPF) is the foremost international platform to follow-up and review the progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is organised annually in July for eight days under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN. HLPF 2020 is being hosted virtually in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic between 10 to 16 July 2020. 47 Member States are set to present their VNRs.

Note: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog: Amitabh Kant.

 

2. NTPC’s Singrauli Unit 1 emerges as India’s top-performing plant in first quarter of FY21: The state-run electricity giant National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Singrauli’s Unit 1 has emerged as the top-performing unit in the country in the first quarter of the financial year 2020-21 as per the data released by Central Electricity Authority. The Unit-1 of the NTPC Singrauli power plant registered a plant load factor (PLF) or capacity utilisation of 101.96 percent in the April-June 2020 period. Apart from this, Unit 4 & 5 registered PLF of 101.85 percent and 100.35 percent in First Quarter of Financial Year 20-21 among the Coal-fired Units.

Singrauli Super Thermal Power Plant: Singrauli Super Thermal Power Plant is located at Shaktinagar in Sonebhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. The power plant is the first power plant of NTPC. The first unit of the station, with an installed capacity of 200 MW, started generating electricity on February 13, 1982. NTPC Singrauli has total 7 units with an overall installed capacity of 2,000 Mega Watt. It includes five units of 200 Mega Watt each and two units of 500 Mega Watt each.

 

3. Loyal Textile Mills Limited launches world’s first reusable PPE kit with Triple Viral Shield Technology: India’s Loyal Textile Mills Limited has launched a new product ‘VIRAL SHIELD’ which comprises of Covid-19 Anti-Viral, Reusable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Masks and Protective Fashion Wear Range. The new triple viral shield products by Loyal Textile has been launched in collaboration with Reliance Industries India and HeiQ from Switzerland. This PPE is the World’s first Reusable PPE. It has been launched under Loyal’s signature brand Supera ShieldTM. The product has passed the Viral Penetration Test, Synthetic Blood penetration test and the SBPR test. It is effective against any type of viruses, bacteria and fungi.

 

4. Assam govt decides to upgrade Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary to a national park: Assam government decided to upgrade the Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary into a national park amid an ongoing row over allowing coal mining within its jurisdiction. While a limited number of human activities are allowed in wildlife sanctuaries, national parks are strictly off-limits. Assam has five national parks and Dehing Patkai, if upgraded, will increase the tally to 6.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Lee Hsien Loong becomes Prime Minister of Singapore: Ruling People Action Party’s Lee Hsien Loong has won the election for the post of Singapore’s Prime Minister for his 4th term. He won 83 votes out of 93 in the General Elections. It was the weakest performance of the ruling party since independence in 55 years. Opposition Workers’ Party won a record 10 seats and secured 2 group representation constituencies The General Elections of Singapore are the only elections in South-East Asia that were held amid COVID-19 pandemic. Lee Hsien Loong is the 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore. The People’s Action Party is the ruling party in Singapore since independence in 1965.

 

2. World Malala Day: 12th July: The United Nations has declared 12th July as World Malala Day to honour the young activist, Malala Yousafzai. Malala Day is being commemorated on the birthday of Malala Yousafzai to honour women and children’s rights around the world. On October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen after she publicly advocated for the education of girls. In 2012, she was awarded the first-ever National Youth Peace Prize by the Pakistan government. In 2014, at age 17, She became the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts for children’s rights which had begun even before she was shot. United Nations declared World Malala Day on July 12 in 2013 to honour the young activist with Yousafzai speech at the UN on education of women and children Her documentary ‘He named me Malala’ was shortlisted for Oscars in 2015.

 

3. ADB Renews Pact with IEA to collaborate on Energy Sector Sustainability and Resilience: The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to further scale up collaboration and advance progress on sustainability on energy sector resilience in the Asia and the Pacific region. The three-year agreement, upto 2023, will enable the two organisations to share knowledge and best practice in energy sector data and analysis, on-the-ground engagement, capacity building, technology and innovation among other areas. The renewal agreement was signed on 9 July 2020 on the occasion of IEA’s Clean Energy Transitions Summit in Paris. The first three-year MoU was signed between ADB and IEA in March 2017 to facilitate knowledge and analytical work to advance clean energy development in ADB’s developing member countries. The renewed agreement will help to overcome critical knowledge and experience gaps blocking the development of sustainable energy systems in ADB’s developing member countries and enhance IEA’s data collection and capacity building efforts in Asia and the Pacific.

Note: ADB HQs: Manilla

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Asia Cup Cricket tournament 2020 postponed till June 2021: The 2020 edition of the Asia Cup Cricket tournament has been postponed till June 2021 by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) due to ongoing increase in COVID-19 cases in the region. The tournament was earlier scheduled to be held in September 2020. Originally Pakistan was to host the Asia Cup 2020, but due to security reasons amid coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was later rescheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, since it is the least affected country in the region. Now Sri Lanka will host the Asia Cup in 2021 while Pakistan have been awarded the hosting rights in 2022.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SEBI Revamps advisory committee on mutual funds; Usha Thorat new head: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has re-constituted its advisory committee on mutual funds that advises the capital markets regulator on matters related to regulation and development of mutual fund industry. The revamped advisory committee on mutual funds has 20-member and will be headed Usha Thorat, former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). SEBI had formed the panel in 2013. The earlier panel had 15 members and was headed by Janki Ballabh, former Chairman of SBI. Role of the advisory committee is to advise SEBI on: (1) Issues related to regulation and development of mutual fund industry. (2) Disclosure requirements and measures required for a change in the legal framework to introduce simplification and transparency in mutual fund regulations.

Note: SEBI's Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

 

2. Govt Halts Merger of 3 State-owned General Insurers, Will Infuse Rs 12,450 Crore: The Union Cabinet decided to halt the merger process of three state-owned general insurance companies, National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance, for the moment and approved fund infusion of Rs 12,450 crore to improve their financial health. The cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also decided to increase the authorised share capital of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) to Rs 7,500 crore and that of United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL) and Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) to Rs 5,000 crore each to give effect to the capital infusion decision.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kezang D Thongdok bags Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2020: Arunachal Pradesh filmmaker Kezang D Thongdok has bagged the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2020 for a short documentary “Chi Lupo“. Chi Lupo is a short documentary on honey hunting. Chi Lupo sketches the tradition of honey hunting practised in the Shertukpen community in which “Chi” means honey while “Lipo” means hunters. This age-old tradition of honey hunting is slowly slithering away with each passing day. To keep this tradition of indigenous practice of honey hunting alive, Kezang D Thongdok documented the age old tradition of honey hunting.

Note: Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema; 2019 winner: Amitabh Bachchan

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Navy Completes “Operation Samudra Setu”: Operation Samudra Setu, which was launched on 05 May 2020 as part of the national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic has culminated after successfully bringing 3,992 Indian citizens back to their homeland by sea. Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa (Landing Platform Dock), and Airavat, Shardul and Magar (Landing Ship Tanks) participated in this operation which lasted over 55 days and involved traversing more then 23,000 kilometers by sea. Indian Navy has previously undertaken similar evacuation operations as part of Operation Sukoon in 2006 (Beirut) and Operation Rahat in 2015 (Yemen).

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. World Cup-winning footballer Jack Charlton passes away: A member of the England 1966 World-Cup winning team, Jack Charlton passed away. He was also an integral part of the great Don Revie-managed Leeds United side that won the 1969 League title and the 1972 FA Cup. He made a club record 773 appearances for Leeds United over a 23-year period as a player, becoming one of the all-time great central defenders in the game. He was awarded the Republic’s most distinguished award, honorary Irish citizenship, in 1996.