Daily GK Updates - 21st Aug, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. MoTA partners MoRD to promote sustainable livelihood in Rural India: Ministry of Tribal Affairs has signed a joint communication with Ministry of Rural Development to promote sustainable livelihood opportunities. Through the joint communication, both ministries will together promote sustainable livelihood opportunities among tribal women Self Help Groups (SHGs) under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). Ministry of Rural Development will identify and map the tribal women SHG members including their individual livelihood assets while Ministry of Tribal Affairs will offer planning support to SRLM to finalize the State Annual Action Plan and include the same in its Livelihood Annual Action Plan. The partnership between the two ministries will support the efforts of each other, such as the initiatives of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and objectives of DAY-NRLM deeply complement each other.

Notr: Union Minister for Rural Development: Narendra Singh Tomar.

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs: Arjun Munda.

 

2. Tribal Affairs Minister launches “Trifood Project” of TRIFED: The tertiary processing centres of “Trifood Project” of TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been virtually launched by the Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda. The Trifood project has been launched in Raigad, Maharashtra and Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. This project is expected to help in encouraging the tribal entrepreneurship. “Trifood Project” is being implemented by TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs in association with Ministry of Food Processing (MoFPI). TRIFOOD seeks to improve the income of tribals with the help of better utilization of Minor Forest Produce (MFPs) collected by the tribal forest gatherers.

Note: Chairman of TRIFED: Ramesh Chand Meena.

 

3. Atal Innovation Mission signs SoI with Business Sweden: Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and Business Sweden on behalf of India Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre has signed a virtual Statement of Intent (SoI) to expand the culture of innovation in the country. The partnership aims to encourage the disruptive potential of Indian entrepreneurs, and to give impetus to the vibrant start-up ecosystem across the country. Through this partnership, various initiatives of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) like Atal Community Innovation Centers (ACIC), Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL), Atal New India Challenge (ANIC), Atal Incubation Centre (AIC), and Atal Research & Innovation for Small Enterprises (ARISE), will receive support with the help of programs, awareness campaigns, various activities and events which will improve the overall innovation grid of both the countries. India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre is an association between AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur and Business Sweden. It seeks to create an ecosystem of open innovation in both the countries.

 

4. Swachh Survekshan Awards 2020 Announced: Swachh Survekshan 2020 awards have been announced and Indore became India’s cleanest city for the fourth year in a row. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced the Swachh Survekshan 2020 result at the Award Ceremony ‘Swachh Mahotsav’ in the national capital being organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoUHA). This is the fifth edition of the annual cleanliness survey of the country. A total of 129 awards will be handed out to the top-performing cities and states.

Swachh Survekshan was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016. While Mysuru won the award for the cleanest city of India in 2016, Indore retained the top spot for three consecutive years in 2017, 2018 and 2019. One city has been given only one Award. Cities population is as per 2011 Census. Here is the list of the winners across several categories:

 

 

Sr. No.	Category	Winners
1	Cleanest city awards for cities with a population above 1 lakh:	Indore (Madhya Pradesh)
		Surat (Gujarat)
		Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra)
2	Cleanest city awards for cities with a population below 1 lakh:	Karad (Maharashtra)
		Saswad (Maharashtra)
		Lonavla (Maharashtra)
3	Cleanest state with more than 100 cities:	Chhattisgarh
4	Cleanest state with less than 100 cities:	Jharkhand
5	Cleanest Ganga town:	Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
6	The cleanest megacity with more than 40 lac population:	Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
7	Fastest-moving city in terms of cleanliness:	Jodhpur (Rajasthan)
8	Self-sustainable city in terms of cleanliness (more than 10 lakh population):	Rajkot (Gujarat)
9	Self-sustainable city in terms of cleanliness (less than 10 lakh population):	Mysuru (Karnataka)
10	Cleanest small cities:	Ambikapur (Chattisgarh)
11	The cleanest city with a population between 1 lakh to 3 lakh:	Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh)
12	Cleanest capital city:	New Delhi (Union Territory of New Delhi) and the NDMC.
13	Fastest moving cleanest capital city:	Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
14	Fastest moving self-sustainable cleanest capital city:	Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
15	Cleanest cantonments in the country:	Jalandhar Cantt.
		Delhi Cantt.
		Meerut Cantt.

 

5. Santosh Gangwar launches official Logo of “Labour Bureau”: Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment, Santosh Gangwar has launched the official Logo of “Labour Bureau”. It displays the three goals that Labour Bureau aspires to achieve in producing quality data i.e. Accuracy, Validity and Reliability. It also indicates that the Labour Bureau is a data based organization which deals in data pertaining to workers and work. The logo of Labour Bureau also comprises of “Blue wheel”, a cog wheel that represents work. The blue colour indicates that the Labour Bureau deals with the blue collarworkers. It also includes a “tricolored graph” that matches the colors of the National flag. It also has “wheat ears” which indicates the fruit of rural agricultural labour.

 

6. Google launches ‘Kormo’ app in India to help people find jobs: Google has launched its employment application named ‘Kormo Jobs’ in India. It would help millions of Indians to get entry-level jobs. Kormo Jobs will help to provide entry-level jobs to thousands of people, to help those who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus and young professionals who are looking for jobs. Google had first launched the employment application in Bangladesh in 2018 and further expanded it to Indonesia in 2019. In 2019, Google had also tested this app in India but under the brand ‘Spot’ on Google Pay app, which saw more than 2 million verified jobs posted on the platform, including from companies like Zomato and Dunzo.

Note: CEO of Google: Sundar Pichai; Headquarters: California, United States.

 

7. ADB approves USD 1 billion loan for Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System: Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 1 billion (about Rs. 7,485 crore) loan for the construction of the modern, high-speed Delhi-Meerut regional rapid transit system (RRTS) in India. The 82-kilometer Delhi-Meerut regional rapid transit system is a first of its kind project in India to help decongest the city and improve regional connectivity by establishing transit options through the densely populated sections of the NCR, connecting Delhi to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, The total project cost is estimated to be USD 3.94 billion, and of this, the Centre will provide USD 1.89 billion while the co-financiers are expected to provide USD 1 billion.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Keith Rowley becomes PM of Trinidad and Tobago for 2nd consecutive term: Keith Rowley had sworn in as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for a 2nd consecutive 5-year term. He is from the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM). As per the preliminary result, PNM won 22 of the 41 electoral seats, while the opposition united National Congress (UNC) led by former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar won 19 seats.

Note: The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Capital: Port of Spain; The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar; The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago President: Paula-Mae Weekes.

 

2. International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism: 21st August: United Nations observes 21st August every year as International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. The day is observed to pay tribute to the individuals across the globe who have been attacked, injured, traumatized or lost their lives because of terrorist attacks. The day was designated by United Nations General Assembly in 2017 and the first time the day was observed in 2018.

An online high-level event entitled “Not Forgotten: Stories of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism”, will be held with the participation of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres, for victims to speak about remembrance on their own terms, reminding the audience that it is not only about bereavement, but also about acknowledging the experience of survivors.

 

3. World Senior Citizen Day: 21st August: The World Senior Citizen Day is observed globally on August 21 every year to raise awareness about issues affecting older people, such as deterioration with age and the abuse of the elderly and support, honor and show appreciation to seniors and to recognize their achievements. The Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 14, 1990. The day was officially founded by the former President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan in 1988 to dedicate a day to older adults and their issues.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

 

1. INOX Group becomes sponsor of Indian team for Tokyo Olympics: The governing body for the Olympic Movement in India, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and INOX Group has signed a sponsorship agreement to support Team India for Tokyo Olympics, which was rescheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The partnership agreement will further support team India’s promotions through the Group’s entertainment company, Inox Leisure Limited.

About Inox Group: The Inox Group is a diversified Indian conglomerate with activities spanning manufacturing medical and industrial gases, cryogenic equipment, LNG storage and distribution equipment, besides owning multiplex chains.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. YES Bank launches unique facility ‘Loan against Securities’: ‘Loan against Securities’ is an unique digital solution launched by the YES Bank under its loan in seconds platform. “Loan against Securities” will enable customers to avail loan facility against the securities that they hold. The customers are required only to pledge the securities and not selling them. YES Bank will open a current account in the name of the customer in order to conduct smooth transactions. The securities eligible under the “Loan against Securities” facility are: Shares, Equity & Debt Mutual Funds, Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), Fixed Maturity Plans (FMP), Insurance policies issued by LIC and select Private Insurance Companies, Non-Convertible Debentures (NCD), Tax free Bonds (RBI, NABARAD, NHAI, PFC, IRFCL, HUDCO, IIFCL, NHB, REC, and IREDA).

Note: MD & CEO of Yes Bank: Prashant Kumar.

 

2. NPCI launches its subsidiary firm – NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL): National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched its wholly-owned subsidiary firm named NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL). Ritesh Shukla has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NIPL. NIPL will venture into newer international markets and co-create payment systems with participating nations. The primary focus of NIPL would be the internationalization of RuPay and UPI, along with a few more offerings of NPCI.

 

3. SBI waives off SMS charges for all savings accounts: SBI has waived off SMS charges in addition to its penalty waiver on non-maintenance of minimum balance for all its Savings Accounts including those with cheque or Internet Banking facilities. Earlier, customers had to maintain monthly balance of Rs. 3000 (metro), 2000 (semi urban), 1000 rupees (rural areas) respectively. The bank used to levy a penalty of 5 to 15 rupees plus taxes on non-maintenance of average monthly balance. SBI has over 44 crore savings accounts.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Apple Becomes First U.S. Company to reach $2 Trillion Market Cap: Apple Inc. has become the first publicly traded U.S company to reach a market capitalization of over $2 trillion, after its share price climbed above $467.77 on 19 August 2020. Apple is also the world’s only second company to hit $2 trillion in market cap. Before this, Oil Major Saudi Aramco was the world’s first and only publicly listed company to reach a $2 trillion market value in December 2019.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. IISc professor Biman Bagchi selected for 2021 Joel Henry Hildebrand Award: An Honorary Professor at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Joel Henry Hildebrand Award in the Theoretical and Experimental Chemistry of Liquids. Professor Biman Bagchi was told about the award by the American Chemical Society in Washington DC. The Institute described the award as being “prestigious” in the area of liquids and gasses. “After a long time an Indian has got this award,” IISc said. The award aims to recognize distinguished contributions to the understanding of the chemistry and physics of liquids. The award consists of $5,000 and a certificate. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co. The award is to be presented at the society’s spring 2021 National Meeting and Expo in San Antonio, Texas in March 2021.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Indian cricketer Gopalaswamy Kasturirangan passes away: Former Cricketer, Administrator and Pitch Curator, Gopalaswamy Iyenger Kasturirangan passed away. He was born on 12th October 1930 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He began his career in the 1948-49 season representing Mysore in the Ranji Trophy and retired from first-class cricket after the 1962-63 season. Gopalaswamy Kasturirangan was a fast bowler who played 36 first-class matches and Captained Mysore Ranji Team (now Karnataka)