Daily GK Updates - 20th Aug, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Cabinet approves setting up of National Recruitment Agency: The establishment of “National Recruitment Agency” has received the Union Cabinet‘s approval. The National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will result in transformational reform in the recruitment process for central government jobs. NRA will comprise of representatives of Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, the SSC, RRB as well as IBPS. NRA is expected to be a specialist body which will offer the state-of-the-art technology and best practices to the field of Central Government recruitment. A sum of Rs. 1517.57 crore has been sanctioned by the Government of India for the National Recruitment Agency (NRA). The National Recruitment Agency (NRA) would be a multi-agency body which is responsible to conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET). Some important features of CET:

(1) The CET will be conducted to shortlist candidates for the Group B and C (non-technical) posts.

(2) The scores received by the candidate in CET shall be valid for a period of 3-years from the date of declaration of the result.

(3) There shall be no restriction on the number of attempts to be taken by a candidate to appear in the Common Eligibility Test subject to the upper age limit.

(4) Separate CET each for the three levels of matriculate (10th pass), higher secondary (12th pass) and the graduated candidates.

(5) Based on the screening done at the CET score level, the final selection for recruitment shall be made via separate specialised Tiers (II, III etc) of examination which shall be conducted by the respective recruitment agency.

(6) Candidates will be able to reap the advantage of registering on a common portal and give a choice of Centres.

 

2. “Pavitrapati” & “Aushada tara” launched to fight against COVID-19: Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, DIAT (DU) has launched two products namely “Pavitrapati” & “Aushada tara” to fight against COVID-19. “Pavitrapati” is an Ayurvedic based Biodegradable Face Mask which will act as a virus neutraliser in order to provide resistance against the bacteria / virus. These masks will be made available on online platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart etc. “Aushada tara” is an anti-microbial body suit which comprises of superhydrophobic, breathing, anti-microbial, comfort feeling properties. This has passed the splash resistant tests and has got good repellent property of any fluids.

 

3. Nitin Gadkari launches farm-to-fork service portal VedKrishi.com: The Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Nitin Gadkari has launched an online farm-to-fork service platform called VedKrishi.com. The platform will connect farmers to the consumers. Using the portal VedKrishi.com, farmers would be able to sell their non-toxic farm produce directly to consumers. The platform will allow home deliver of grocery products including dairy goods, vegetables, grains, and pulses, apart from pickles, juices, sauces, etc. The platform has been set-up by Nagpur-based farmer producer organization VedKrishi Farmer Producer Company.

 

4. India Post issued stamps on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India: India Post has released a set of five commemorative postage stamps and a miniature sheet on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India on 15th August 2020 on the occasion of 74th Independence Day. This is the third part of the series. The stamps depict following five cultural sites of India: The Historic City of Ahmedabad; Churches and Convents of Goa; Group of Monuments at Pattadakal; Khajuraho Group of Monuments; Qutub Minar.

Note: UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France; UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.

 

5. Sadbhavana Diwas: 20th August: Every year on 20th August, the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi is celebrated as Sadbhavana Diwas or Harmony Day. This year on 20th August 2020, we are going to celebrate the 76th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The Indian National Congress instituted Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award in 1992, a year after his death.

 

6. Indian Akshay Urja Day: 20th August: Indian Akshay Urja Day or Renewable Energy Day is observed on 20th August every year. Indian Akshay Urja is observed to mark the importance of renewable energy resources in India. India’s government is aware of the importance of development or renewable energy sources to provide the state with a sustainable amount of energy. It is significant to promote awareness about renewable resources among people who are ignorant about the subject. Indian Akshay Urja Day was established in 2004 to support renewable energy development programs and promote its use instead of traditional sources of energy. The very first event relating to Akshay Urja Diwas was organized in New Delhi.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. US elections: Democratic Party formally nominates Joe Biden as presidential candidate: In the United States, Democratic Party has formally nominated Joe Biden as its presidential nominee for the 2020 elections. He will take on President Donald Trump in the November polls for the White House. Biden received the nomination in a "roll call across America", which saw Democratic delegates and normal people from all 50 states and seven territories of the US cast the majority of votes for the former vice president. The nomination was a formality, as Senator Bernard Sanders withdrew from the contest in April. Biden has nominated Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for Vice President's post.

 

2. Luis Abinader becomes new President of Dominican Republic: Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona has been sworn in as the 54th President of Dominican Republic. He succeeds Danilo Medina of Liberation Party. Abinader’s Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) won the elections with 53% vote, while Gonzalo Castillo who was the candidate of the ruling PLD got 37.7%. The 53-year old Luis Rodolfo Abinader was elected to the four-year term on July 5, which ended the 16-year run in power by the Center-Left Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). He had finished second in the 2016 presidential election.

Note: Dominican Republic Capital: Santo Domingo; Dominican Republic Currency: Dominican Peso.

 

3. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla participates in 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament: The fifth edition of the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament was held virtually on 19 and 20 August 2020. The two day conference was organized virtually for the first time due to COVID-19. The event was organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, jointly with the Parliament of Austria and with the support of the United Nations (UN). The theme of the conference was Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that deliver peace and sustainable development for the people and planet. From India, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla participated in the inaugural ceremony of the conference. The second part of the conference will be held in physical format in 2021 in Vienna, Austria.

 

4. World Photography Day: 19th August: The World Photography Day is celebrated on 19 August every year to promote photography as a hobby and also inspire photographers around the globe to share a single photo with the rest of the world. The first official World Photo Day was observed on August 19, 2010. The origin of World Photo Day comes from the invention of the Daguerreotype, a photographic process developed by Frenchmen Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1837. It was on August 19, 1939 that the French government purchased the patent of Daguerreotype process and announced the invention as a gift “free to the world”.

 

5. World Mosquito Day: 20th August: World Mosquito Day is observed on 20 August annually to raise awareness about the causes of malaria and how it can be prevented. The day also commemorates the discovery made by British doctor Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. In 1902 Ross won Nobel Prize for Medicine becoming the first British person to receive the award.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. England’s World Cup-winning off-spinner Laura Marsh retires from all forms of cricket: Laura Marsh, England national women cricket team off-spinner, has announced her retirement from all forms of cricket. The 33-year-old had announced her retirement from international cricket in December 2019. Marsh had played in 103 one-day internationals, 67 T20 and 9 Test matches during her career. She was also part of England teams that won the Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2009 and 2017.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Govt modifies partial credit guarantee scheme 2.0, extends it by three months: Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme (PCGS) 2.0 was launched by Central Government on May 20, 2020. Purpose of Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme (PCGS) 2.0: to provide Portfolio Guarantee for purchase of Bonds or Commercial Papers (CPs) with a rating of AA and below issued by NBFCs/HFCs/ MFIs by Public Sector Banks (PSBs). The Government has now modified PCGS 2.0 for purchase of Bonds/CPs as under:

(1) Additional 3 months have been granted to build up the portfolio, Till 19 Nov 2020.

(2) At the portfolio level, AA and AA- investment sub-portfolio under the Scheme should not exceed 50% (instead of 25% stipulated earlier) of the total portfolio of Bonds/ CPs purchased by PSBs under the Scheme.

This has been done due to the fact that the stipulated limit for AA/AA- rated Bonds/CPs has been nearly reached while the appetite for lower-rated Bonds/CPs is nearing saturation considering their lower ticket size.

 

2. Lakshmi Vilas Bank launches “LVB DigiGo” instant account opening facility: Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) has launched LVB DigiGo, a digital initiative to enable the opening of savings account instantly. LVB’s new initiative will help people to avail the most required banking services instantly through the website. As a Lakshmi DigiGo customer, one can visit the nearest LVB Branch and convert his/her “Lakshmi DigiGo”, account to a fully-featured regular account of choice and avail cheque book, debit card and a host of other facilities.

Note: Headquarters of Lakshmi Vilas Bank: Chennai; Lakshmi Vilas Bank MD & CEO: S Sundar (Interim).

 

3. Muthoot Finance, Kotak General Insurance tie up to offer COVID-19 cover: Muthoot Finance has tie-up with Kotak Mahindra General Insurance to offer COVID-19 insurance cover of up to Rs 1 lakh against the gold loan. The company will be providing complimentary COVID-19 insurance cover to their eligible customers through Muthoot Finance Ayush Gold Loan, an exclusive initiative of Muthoot Group. This specific cover will only be available for the customers opting to avail gold loan under the Super Loan scheme.

Note: Muthoot Finance Head Office: Kochi, Kerala; Muthoot Finance Chairman: M.G. George Muthoot; Muthoot Finance Managing Director: George Alexander Muthoot.

Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Kotak Mahindra General Insurance MD and CEO: Mahesh Balasubramanian.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. RRVL acquires majority equity stake in Vitalic Health Pvt. Ltd.: Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited has acquired majority equity stake in Chennai-based Vitalic Health Pvt. Ltd. as well as in its subsidiaries. Total transaction costed approximately Rs 620 crores. Vitalic Health Pvt. Ltd. is engaged in the business of pharma distribution, sales, and business support services, while its subsidiary runs an online pharmacy platform “Netmeds” which connects customers to pharmacists and offers door step delivery of medicines, nutritional health as well as wellness products. The investment made by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited represents 60% holding in the equity share capital of Vitalic Health while 100% direct equity ownership of its subsidiaries namely Tresara Health Private Limited, Netmeds Market Place Limited and Dadha Pharma Distribution Pvt Limited. The investment will improve RRVL’s ability to provide affordable health care products and services.

Note: Founder & CEO of Netmeds: Pradeep Dadha.

 

DEFENSE

 

1. Defence Minister addresses Naval Commanders' Conference 2020: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the inaugural session of Naval Commanders' Conference-2020. It is a 3-day biennial conference. The agenda of the conference is Navy’s Modernisation and Security in the Indian Ocean amidst the situation at the LAC in Ladakh. It is the apex level event for interaction between the Naval Commanders. It will focus on joint planning structures, Tri-Service Synergy, and operational readiness to improve efficiency.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. British Tennis legend Angela Buxton passes away: Former British tennis player, two-time Grand Slam doubles champion and equal rights pioneer Angela Buxton has passed away. She was 85. Buxton won the women’s doubles alongside Althea Gibson at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 1956. Buxton also reached the singles final at Wimbledon 1956 but lost to American Shirley Fry. Her tennis career was cut short at the age of just 22 due to a serious hand condition.