Daily GK Updates - 22nd July, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. CSIR-CMERI unveils COVID Protection System for Workplace: The COVID Protection System for Workplace has been unveiled by the CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur. The COPS for Workplace comprises of three units namely contactless Solar Based Intelligent Mask Automated Dispensing Unit cum Thermal Scanner (IntelliMAST), Touchless Faucet (TouF) and 360° Car Flusher.

IntelliMAST: With the help of customised Software solutions, this intelligent surveillance kiosk will determine the body temperature and finds out whether an individual is wearing Face Mask or not.

Touchless Faucet (TouF): This system has been launched for households and Office Spaces. It dispenses Liquid Soap and Water from the same Faucet with a time-gap of 30 seconds, and help in containing the spread of infection among the family members, for any asymptomatic individual.

360° Car Flusher: This system will be applicable to sanitize cars as it comprises a Sodium Hypochlorite Water Screen which uses specialised Nozzle Design to ensure that the Sanitizer Diffused Water is evenly spread over and under the Car Body/Wheels with adequate Water Force and coverage.

 

2. PNB launches campaign to distribute face masks & sanitizers: Punjab National Bank has launched a nation-wide campaign to distribute face masks and sanitizers to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The PNB’s campaign was launched by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan. This campaign has been launched by PNB under the Corporate social responsibility (CSR). Under this campaign, Punjab National Bank will distribute such material in 662 districts throughout the country. The campaign also featured the participation of PNB’s 22 zonal offices across the nation via video conferencing.

Note: MD and CEO of Punjab National Bank: S.S. Mallikarjuna Rao.

 

3. Chhattisgarh launches ‘Godhan Nyay Yojna’, to boost rural economy: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’ on 21 July 2020, under which the state government will purchase cow dung from the cattle rearers at the rate of Rs 2 per kg. The women self-help groups will then prepare vermicompost from it, which will then be sold at Rs 8 per kg to farmers, while the dung will be utilized for other products. The scheme will help to promote cattle rearing, ensure safety of livestock, help cattle ranchers earn extra income, help in tackling the problem of open grazing by stray cattle and encourage use of organic fertilizers as well as boost rural economy among other things.

 

4. Tamil Nadu Labour dept launches web portal for unorganised sector: Tamil Nadu Labour Dept has launched dedicated web portal for unorganized sector workers ‘labour.tn.gov.in’. It will help thousands of workers in the present pandemic situation in which there is a travel restriction. Tamil Nadu Govt is running 17 different welfare boards for the unorganised sector workers offering educational scholarships, marriage assistance and skill training to the wards of the members, health facilities and insurance.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. SpaceX Launches South Korea’s Military Communications Satellite ANASIS-II: On 20 July 2020, Elon Musk-owned private operator SpaceX launched South Korea’s first dedicated military communications satellite, named ANASIS-II on-board its Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ANASIS-II stands for Army/Navy/Air Force Satellite Information System 2. It is a secure communications satellite for the South Korean Agency for Defense Development and will supplement the Koreasat-5/ANASIS-I satellite, a combined civilian and military communications satellite launched in 2006. With this successful launch, South Korea has become the 10th country in the world to own a military-only communications satellite, which will provide “permanent and secured military communications”.

Note: South Korea President: Moon Jae-in; South Korea Capital: Seoul; South Korea Currency: South Korean Won.

SpaceX founder & CEO: Elon Musk; SpaceX president & COO: Gwynne Shotwell; SpaceX Founded: 2002; SpaceX Headquarters: California, United States of America.

 

2. India, Maldives sign agreement for establishment of ‘Emergency Medical Services’ unit in Male: India and Maldives have signed an MVR 8 Million agreement for establishment of ‘Emergency Medical Services’ Centre in Dharavandhoo, an island located north of the country’s capital, Male. The project includes the development of a fully-fledged emergency centre, training facilities and office space within Dharavandhoo Hospital, to: enhance timely access to quality emergency care; increase collaboration between healthcare facilities and disaster response agencies; overcome the challenges presently faced by Dharavandhoo Hospital, especially during this critical time of need.

Out of the total MVR (Maldivian rufiyaa) 8.45 million, The government of India is providing a grant of MVR 7.5 million and rest MVR 980,800 will be taken from the state budget of Maldives. The project is one of the several small and medium projects that are being financed by India under a grant assistance of around 20 million US dollars for the neighbouring country.

Note: President of the Maldives: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih; Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency of the Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa.

 

3. Indian direct selling industry ranks 15th globally, US tops: WFDSA Report: The Indian direct selling industry, is ranked 15th globally, in terms of overall sale in 2019, as per ‘The Global Direct Selling – 2019 Retail Sales’ report by Washington-based World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA). The Indian direct selling industry improved its ranking from 19th in 2018 to 15th in 2019. Indian industry recorded sales of USD 2.47 billion in 2019, a growth of 12.1 percent than last year. However, the global direct selling industry reported an overall decline of 4.3 percent in sales to USD 180.47 billion in 2019. As per the report, the United States Direct Sale Industry is leads the list, contributing 20 percent of the global direct selling industry with sales of USD 35.21 billion. It is followed by China (13 %), Korea (10%), Germany (10%) and Japan (9%) among the top five countries.

 

4. World Bank Retains India’s Classification as Lower-Middle Income Group Economy for 2020-21: India has retained its position as lower-middle income group economy in the new World Bank Country Classifications by Income Level 2020-2021. India became a lower-middle-income nation from low-income in the fiscal year 2009. Every year, the World Bank classifies the world’s economies in four income groups, which includes low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income countries. These classifications are updated annually on July 1 based on the country’s GNI per capita in current USD (using the Atlas method exchange rates) of the previous year. A country’s GNI per capita, changes with economic growth, inflation, exchange rates, and population, revisions to national accounts methods and data. Classification for 2020-21:

For the fiscal year 2020-21, a total of 218 countries have been listed, which includes all World Bank member countries (189), and other economies with populations of more than 30,000. Out of these total 218 economies, 83 are in the high-income group, 56 in the upper-middle group, 50 in the lower-middle income group and 29 in the low-income group. The GNI per capita range to classify countries in the four different groups are given below:

Low income – GNI per capita < $1,036 (means GNI per capita, of this group is $1,035 or less in 2019)

Lower-middle income – GNI per capita between $1,036 – $4,045

Upper-middle income – GNI per capita between $4,046 – $12,535

High income – GNI per capita > $12,535

 

5. Science Exploration Day: 20 July: The Science Exploration Day (also called Moon Day) is marked every year on 20 July. It was on this day in 1969 that Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon’s surface. Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon’s surface. The Armstrong- Aldrin duo spent 21.5 hours on the surface of the moon out of which they spent 2.5 hours outside of their capsules. To commemorate their achievement, the day was declared a holiday in 1984 by the then President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. CBDT and CBIC sign MoU for exchange of information on automatic and regular basis: The Central Board of Direct Taxes, (CBDT) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, (CBIC) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for exchange of information between the two organizations. The MoU was signed by CBDT Chairman Pramod Chandra Mody and CBIC Chairman M. Ajit Kumar, on 21 July 2020. This new MoU supersedes the MoU signed between CBDT and the erstwhile Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in the year 2015. The MoU comes into force from the date it was signed and is an ongoing initiative of CBDT and CBIC. The latest MoU will facilitate the sharing of data and information between CBDT and CBIC on an automatic and regular basis. CBDT and CBIC will also exchange with each other, on request and spontaneous basis, any information available in their respective databases which may have utility for the other organization. A Data Exchange Steering Group has also been constituted for this purpose, which will meet periodically to review the data exchange status and take steps to further improve the effectiveness of the data sharing mechanism.

Note: Chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs: M. Ajit Kumar.

Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes: Pramod Chandra Mody.

 

2. Ramesh Babu Boddu appointed as MD & CEO of Karur Vysya Bank: Board of Directors of the Karur Vysya Bank has appointed Ramesh Babu Boddu as a Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the bank. He has also been co-opted as an Additional Director. The appointment of Ramesh Babu Boddu has been made for a period of three years from the date of taking charge. He will succeed PR Seshadri who resigned on 31st March 2020. Ramesh Babu Boddu has earlier served as Deputy Managing Director in State Bank of India and retired in April 2020.

Note: Karur Vysya Bank HQs: Karur, Tamil Nadu

 

3. NFRA constitutes technical advisory committee under the chairmanship of Prof. R Narayanaswamy: Professor R Narayanaswamy, faculty of the Finance & Accounting discipline at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, has been appointed as the Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), the independent accounting and auditing regulator set up by the central government. The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) comprises seven members. Functions of TAC:

(1) Advise the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) on how it can fulfill its mandate to protect the public interest and the interests of investors, creditors and other users of corporate financial statements; (2) Advise the Executive Body of the NFRA on issues related to the drafts of accounting standards and auditing standards; (3) Advise on development of measures of audit quality; (4) Advise on suitable methods for promoting awareness (a) relating to compliance with accounting and auditing standards and (b) of the role of the NFRA in protecting investors through independent auditor regulation.

Other members of the TAC are: Vidya Rajaram, chartered accountant; Gargi Ray, CFO of Infosys Consulting Group; Anantha Narayanan, former head of equity research at Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley; Shriram Subramanian, MD, InGovern; S Subramanian, CFO, Titan Company; and Suhas Tuljapurkar, Managing Partner, Legasis

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Ola rolls out enterprise solution ‘Ola Corporate’ to global customers: India-based mobility platform, Ola is rolling out its enterprise mobility solution ‘Ola Corporate’ across global markets. It will be rolling out the enterprise offering to customers across Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The solution had first been introduced in the Indian market and had garnered 10,000 corporate users in the country. Ola Corporate will also offer a range of safety features under its Ride Safe initiative and will follow in class hygiene and sanitisation protocols for safer mobility amid the pandemic.

Note: Ola CEO: Bhavish Aggarwal; Ola Headquarters: Bengaluru.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Renowned Indian Animator Arnab Chaudhuri Posthumously Conferred with Toonz Media Award 2020: The prestigious ‘Legend of Animation’ award of the Toonz Media Group (TMG) has been posthumously conferred to the legendary animation director Arnab Chaudhuri, for his invaluable contribution to the animation and entertainment industry of India. The award was given on 20 July at the Animation Masters Summit (AMS) 2020 – Digital Edition, an annual event celebrated by Toonz Media Group. It was held digitally this year. The ‘Legend of Animation’ award is given away every year to honour a genius from the field of animation in India. Arnab, who passed away on December 25, 2019, was one of the pioneers of the Indian Animation industry, and his animation movie ‘Arjun: The Warrior Prince’ is the only animation from India to date to be longlisted for Oscar awards.

 

DEFENSE

 

1. US Navy and Indian Navy conduct naval exercise PASSEX in A&N: The United States Navy and the Indian Navy undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX), a joint maritime drill in the Indian Ocean region near Andamans and Nicobar Islands on 20 July 2020. The high-end Passex exercise was carried out to maximize training and interoperability, including air defence of the two navies. The passage exercise involved a total of eight Indian and US warships. World’s largest aircarft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) along with Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), participated from US Navy. Four frontline warships of the Indian Navy took part from in the exercise. The Indian Navy had also conducted similar PASSEX exercises with Japanese Navy (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) and French Navy in recent past.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

 

2. Indian Army Gets DRDO’s indigenously-developed Bharat Drone for accurate surveillance along China border: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has provided its indigenously-developed drone ‘Bharat’ to the Indian Army to conduct accurate surveillance in high altitude areas and mountainous terrain along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, amid the ongoing border dispute between India and China. The Bharat series of drones has been developed by a Chandigarh-based laboratory of the DRDO, to carry out accurate surveillance in high altitude areas and mountainous terrain along India’s lines of control with Pakistan and China. It is among the world’s most agile and lightest surveillance drone. Key Features of Bharat Drone:

The Made-in-India, small yet powerful drone works autonomously at any location with great accuracy. Its unibody biomimetic design with advance release technology is a lethal combination for surveillance missions. It is equipped with artificial intelligence that helps it to detect friends and enemies and take action accordingly. It can survive in extreme cold weather temperature and is continuously being developed further for even harsher weather. It provides real-time video transmission during the entire mission and with very advanced night vision capabilities, it can detect people hidden in deep forests. It has been built in a way that makes it impossible to be detected by Radar.

Note: Indian Army Headquarters: New Delhi; Chief of the Army Staff: Manoj Mukund Naravane.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Spanish novelist Juan Marse passes away: Renowned Spanish novelist Juan Marse (87 years) passes away. He was on of the most respected novelist of Spain over the past few decades. He was the winner of Spanish-speaking world's top literary award ‘2008 Cervantes Prize’. His most famous work was ‘Úlitmas tardes on Teresa’ (Last Afternoons with Teresa) which was published in 1965 and was based on misadventure of a working-class adolescent who tries to win over a girl.

 

2. Former Australian test cricketer Barry Jarman passes away: Former Australian test wicketkeeper and ex-International Cricket Council match referee Barry Jarman has passed away. He was 84. Jarman made his test debut in 1959, and had captained Australia in one test on the 1968 Ashes tour of England. He is one of the five wicketkeepers turned captain of Australia, Jack Blackham, Billy Murdoch, Adam Gilchrist and Tim Paine being the others. Overall Jarman played in 19 tests for Australian team and scored two half-centuries among his 400 runs at an average of 14.81. He also served as an ICC match referee in 25 tests and 28 one-day internationals (1995-2001). He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1997.