Daily GK Updates - 13th Aug, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi launches “Transparent Taxation- Honoring the Honest” platform to benefit honest taxpayers: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the platform for “Transparent Taxation- Honoring the Honest” via video conferencing on 13 August 2020. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has put in place this system to empower the taxpayer, provide a transparent system & honour honest taxpayers. The ‘Transparent Taxation- Honoring the Honest’ platform aims to carry forward the journey of direct tax reforms by easing compliance and expediting refunds, to make the tax system “people-centric and public friendly”. The 3 big feature of this platform is faceless assessment, faceless appeal, and taxpayers charter (to empower assessees by outlining their rights and duties, in a statute under the income tax law, to get time-bound services). The platform will use technology such as data analytics and AI. With the introduction of taxpayers’ charter, India joins countries like US, Australia and Canada to have such provisions in their law. Faceless appeal will be applicable from September 25, while faceless assessment and taxpayer charter will come into force from August 13.

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

 

2. Indian Railways observes Cleanliness Week to mark Independence Day: Indian Railways is observing “Cleanliness Week” from 10th August in order to mark the Independence Day. The “Cleanliness Week” will include a special Cleanliness drive which will focus on cleaning the the tracks, station offices, colonies, work sites, edge of stations and other areas near railway premises. The Cleanliness drive will give special attention on the collection of plastic waste along with other waste.  The Ministry of Railways also announced that the prime focus will be on intensive cleanliness of stations, trains, water vending points, toilets as well as drains. Railway men will also urge the passengers and general public to keep the trains, stations and tracks clean.

Note: Union Minister for Railways: Piyush Goyal.

 

3. Jal Shakti Minister launches Swachh Bharat Mission Academy: The Swachh Bharat Mission Academy has been launched by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The SBM academy was launched during the current week-long behaviour change campaign ‘GandagiMukt Bharat’. The launch of SBM academy is a crucial part of the phase 2 of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen). It will ensure behaviour change and promote the capacity building of the key stakeholders such as Swachhagrahis, PRIs members, community-based organizations, NGOs, SHGs etc. About Swachh Bharat Mission Academy:

Swachh Bharat Mission Academy is a phone-based academy and offers a 60-minutes module, which is an IVR based training course. The course covers a wide range of topics under Open Defecation Free sustainability (ODF-S) as well as Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM). It consists of 4-chapters, each with four audio lessons along with a multiple-choice quiz at the end of the chapter. It is a free of charge, access to on-demand, anytime, anywhere training course that includes high quality and standardized content. It will also enhance the knowledge as well as interpersonal communication skills in order to improve the quality of interaction with the beneficiaries.

 

4. Atal Innovation Mission & Dell Technologies launches “SEP 2.0”: The second edition of Student Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP 2.0) has been rolled out by the Niti Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) in collaboration with Dell Technologies. The Student Entrepreneurship Programme has been launched for the young innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) as it will enable them to work closely with Dell volunteers. The young innovators who are part of SEP 2.0 will get mentor support, prototyping and testing support, end-user feedback, intellectual property registration along with patenting of ideas, processes, and products.

Note: Chief Executive Officer of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog: Amitabh Kant.

 

5. Reliance Foundation launches “W-GDP Women Connect Challenge”: Reliance Foundation has launched the “W-GDP Women Connect Challenge” across India in association with US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP). The “W-GDP Women Connect Challenge” has been launched to bridge the gender divide as well as the digital divide in India. The recently launched W-GDP Women’s Connect Challenge (WCC) will assist the private sector-led approaches that close the gender digital divide and expand business opportunities, as well as empowering women. W-GDP will create an India-specific expression of the WCC in association with the Reliance Foundation. With this, it will incorporate the lessons of previous W-GDP WCC Rounds. About Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP):

The Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative was established by the White House in February 2019. This is the first whole-of-government approach to women’s economic empowerment by reaching about 50 million women in the developing world by 2025. The initiative focuses on three pillars namely: women prospering in the workforce, women succeeding as entrepreneurs, and women enabled in the economy.

Note: Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation: Nita M Ambani.

Acting Administrator of US Agency for International Development: John Barsa.

 

6. Dr V K Paul chairs Expert Committee meet on Vaccine Administration: Dr V K Paul, Member Niti Aayog has chaired the meeting of National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19. The Secretary (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) Rajesh Bhushan is the co-Chair of the committee. The committee held a meeting to deliberate on measures to ensure availability of vaccines as well as its delivery mechanism. It also discussed the mechanisms for the establishment of a digital infrastructure for inventory management. The V K Paul led committee also deliberated on delivery mechanism of the vaccine including tracking of vaccination process while focusing particularly on last mile delivery. Broad parameters guiding the selection of COVID-19 vaccine candidates, was also a key subject of discussion during the meet. Other key subjects were procurement mechanisms for COVID-19 vaccine, guiding principles for prioritization of population groups for vaccination, financial resources required for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine and various options of financing the vaccine.

 

7. CII organised “India@75 Summit – Mission 2022”: The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari addressed the ‘India@75 Summit: Mission 2022’ on 8 August in New Delhi, via video-conferencing. The event was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to look towards improving presence of MSME industry in the 115 identified aspirational districts of the country. The summit worked under the umbrella theme ‘Collaborating for a New, Self-Reliant India". The summit was focused on ‘reinventing technology in India’. The MSME Ministry and Industries should be made import substitutes, cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous.

Note: CII adopted India@75 vision on 8 May 2008; CII President: Uday Kotak

 

8. PESB selects Soma Mondal as next chairman of SAIL: Soma Mondal has been selected by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) as the next chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). She will be taking charge when the present Chairman Anil Chaudhary. Mondal had taken over as Director (Commercial) of SAIL in September 2018. Prior to this, she was Director (Commercial), NALCO, Bhubaneswar which was history in making as was NALCO’s first-ever female director.

Note: SAIL Headquarters: New Delhi; SAIL founded: 19 January 1954.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Israel shares AI-based technology, high-end equipment with AIIMS to help combat COVID-19: Israel has given state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence-based technologies and high-end equipment to AIIMS, Delhi as part of Israel-India cooperation to fight the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Israeli Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka formally handed over the high-end equipment and technology solutions to Director of AIIMS, Dr Randeep Guleria in the presence of Chief Guest Sanjay Bhattacharya, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs.  It also includes a 12-hour disinfection product called CPD that stays active to protect the surface against new attacks of contamination, a non-invasive remote patient monitoring system which aids as a preliminary screening tool of respiratory indicators of suspected COVID-19 patients and recovering patients and AI-based software for Ultrasound use and designed especially for fighting COVID-19. Dr Guleria said India-Israel relations are strong. Earlier, India helped Israel with medicines and safety gear. Now Israel has sent equipment including robotic teleconsultation and telemonitoring equipment.

 

2. International Lefthanders Day: 13th August: The International Left Handers Day is observed on August 13 every year to celebrate the uniqueness and differences of the left handers and raise awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed in a predominantly right-handed world. The day was first observed in 1976 and was officially declared in 1997.

 

3. World Organ Donation Day: 13th August: The World Organ Donation Day is observed globally on 13th August every year. The day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and motivate people to donate organs after death. The day provides an opportunity to all to come ahead and pledge to donate their precious organs because one organ donor can save up to eight lives.

Note: Organ donation is retrieving a donor’s organ like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas after the donor is deceased and then transplanting into another person who is in need of an organ.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI announces ‘positive pay’ feature to help avert cheque frauds: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced to introduce a mechanism of ‘Positive Pay’ feature for all cheques of value Rs 50,000 and above. This feature helps to avert cheque frauds. The limit of Rs 50,000 will cover approximately 20 per cent of transactions by volume and 80 per cent by value. About Positive Pay:

Positive pay is a fraud-prevention system offered by most commercial banks to companies to protect them against forged, altered and counterfeit checks. When the beneficiary submits the cheque for encashment, the cheque details are compared with the details provided to the Bank through Positive Pay. If the details match, the cheque is honoured. In case of mismatch in cheque details, the cheque is referred to you.

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikanta Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. CCI approves formation of joint venture between HAMCL & HL: The proposed combination filed by Keihin Corporation, Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd., Showa Corporation and Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd has received the approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The two companies have filed for the formation of a Joint Venture between Honda Motor Co. Limited (HAMCL) and Hitachi Limited (HL).

Honda Motor Co. Limited (HAMCL) is a limited liability, joint stock Corporation incorporated in Japan. It is engaged in developing, manufacturing and marketing motorcycles, scooters, automobiles and power products globally. Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. (HIAMS) develops, manufactures, sells and services the power train systems, chassis systems and advanced driver assistance systems, etc.

Note: Chairperson of Competition Commission of India: Ashok Kumar Gupta.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. 121 Police personnel honored with Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation for 2020: The Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation for 2020 has been awarded to 121 Police personnel. The medal is being given since 2018 with the objective to promote high professional standards of investigation of crime and to recognize such Excellence in Investigation by investigating officers. The list of Police personnel who have received the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation, 2020 includes 21 women police officers.

 

2. Akshay Kumar only Bollywood star to feature in Forbes’ highest-paid actors of 2020: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is the only Indian star to be listed among the top 10 world’s highest paid actors of 2020, released by Forbes magazine on 11 August 2020. With total earnings of $48.5 million, Akshay is placed at sixth place in the list. Most of his income came from product endorsements. The list takes in account the earnings between June 1, 2019 and June 1, 2020. The list has been topped by Wrestler-turned-movie star Dwayne Johnson, for a second straight year, with the total earning of $87.5 million. Johnson is also known by his ring name The Rock.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Sports journalist GK Menon passes away: Renonwed sports journalist GK Menon (93 years) passes away in suburban Mumbai. He worked as a freelancer with the Indian Express and The Times of India in 1990s. He played cricket at club level and also was an active member of Shivaji Park Gymkhana, Dadar (Mumbai). He was manager of Bombay University team in 1952-53 which won Rohinton Baria Trophy by beating Delhi. Test players like Chandu Patankar, Ramnath Kenny, Naren Tamhane and GR Sunderam emerge out of this team.