Daily GK Updates – 11th Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. FASTags mandatory for all four-wheelers from January 1, 2021: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a notification that FASTags will become mandatory for all four-wheelers, including old vehicles, from January 1, 2021. For this government has made an amendment in FORM 51 (certificate of Insurance), wherein the details of FASTag ID shall be captured. This shall be applicable w.e.f. April 1, 2021. Government has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to make FASTag mandatory for registration of new four-wheeled vehicles, including for those sold before December 1, 2017.

About FASTags: FASTag would be supplied by the vehicle manufacturers or their dealers during registration. Apart from this, a valid FASTag will also be mandatory while getting new third party insurance. The initiative aims to promote electronic toll collection and ensure that payment of fees is done at toll plazas through the electronic means only so that the vehicles pass seamlessly through the toll plazas.

Note: Minister of Road Transport and Highways:  Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

 

2. Pakke Tiger Reserve provides Covid-19 Insurance to Green Soldiers: Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Arunachal Pradesh has become the first in the eight-State northeast to provide insurance cover against Covid-19 for “green soldiers”. Eight-State northeast includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. 57 frontline staff (referred to as green soldiers) of the Park have been insured for nine months against health issues due to the infection by the Covid-19. The forest guards are rightly the green soldiers in the frontline of India’s wildlife, and the onus of wildlife conservation pretty much falls on them.

About the Insurance: The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), an NGO, paid the insurance amount with support from Foundation Serge. The NGO has been supporting India’s frontline forest staff with accident cover for the last 20 years. The insurance coverage is of Rs. 1 lakh each but a few who would be retiring soon has been insured for Rs. 50,000.

About Pakke Tiger Reserve: Pakke Tiger Reserve (declared in 1999-2000) lies in the foothills of the eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh and is also known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve. It falls within the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot. It is home to over 2000 species of plants, 300 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, etc. Many species of the flora and fauna are globally threatened, and PTR is one of the last remaining strongholds left for these species. It is known for its amazing sightings of four resident hornbill species.

Note: Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: Pema Khandu; Governor: B.D. Mishra.

 

3. Kerala launches “Parivarthanam” scheme for better livelihood of fisherfolk: The government of Kerala has launched a pioneering eco-sustainable programme called ‘Parivarthanam’, to improve the livelihood of the fishing community. The scheme aims at improving the livelihood skills of youngsters along the coastline and also enable socio-economic uplift of the fishermen community.

About “Parivarthanam” scheme: Parivarthanam, which means change, will be headed by Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation (KSCADC). The scheme will promote the processing and marketing of clean fish and its fresh products. Parivarthanam will also guarantee a fixed price to fish-catchers as fair compensation. It would also provide jobs to college dropouts and migrant workforce returning home due to Covid-19. Apart from this, the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) of Union governments will monitor the procurement and processing of fish besides ensuring its quality.

Note: Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan; Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

 

4. Ex-SPG officer pens novel “Rasaathi” on transgenders: Ex-SPG officer, Sasindran Kallinkeel’s has penned a novel named “Rasaathi: The Other Side of a Transgender”. The main character in the novel, published by BookMitra, is a transgender named Rasaathi born in a well-to-do family in South India. Rasaathi, meaning princess, is in the late 40s who wants people to treat transgenders like human beings by showering love, affection, sympathy and recognise their pathetic and horrible life.

About Sasindran Kallinkeel: Sasindran Kallinkeel was with the Central Reserve Police for 23 years and had a seven-year stint with the Special Protection Group (Prime Minister’s Security) as a senior security officer when Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh were in office.

 

5. NGT bans sale and use of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a total ban on the sale and use of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region from 9 November to 30 November. The ban will be applicable in cities and towns where the air quality is in the “poor” category. NGT further added that in cities or towns where the air quality is “moderate” or below, only green firecrackers will be sold and the time duration of bursting them will be restricted to two hours during festivals such as Diwali, Chhath, New Year/Christmas Eve as may be specified by the state. Currently, the state governments have their own set of guidelines with regard to permitting/banning the sale and use of firecrackers during the festive season.

Note: Chairman of NGT: Adarsh Kumar Goel; NGT Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. AIM and Sirius jointly launch ‘AIM-Sirius Innovation Programme 3.0’: The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship initiative by the NITI Aayog, and Russia’s Sirius (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station) have jointly launched ‘AIM–Sirius Innovation Programme 3.0’. AIM–Sirius Innovation Programme 3.0 is a 14-day virtual programme for Indian and Russian schoolchildren.

About ‘AIM-Sirius Innovation Programme 3.0’: It is the first Indo-Russian bilateral youth innovation initiative, which seeks to develop technological solutions, both web-based and mobile-based, for the two countries. During the event, around 48 students and 16 educators and mentors will create 8 virtual products and mobile applications to address global challenges across a wide range of areas, in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. These areas include culture, distance education, applied cognitive science, health and well-being, sports, fitness, and games training, chemistry, artificial intelligence, and digital financial assets.

 

2. 30 Indian cities likely to face acute water risks by 2050: WWF: About 30 Indian cities will face increasing “water risks” in the next few decades according to a new report released by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). According to the scenarios in the WWF Water Risk Filter report, nearly 30 Indian cities, including Jaipur, Indore, Amritsar, Pune, Srinagar, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kozhikode and Visakhapatnam will face acute “water risks.” Globally, the report estimates that “hundreds of millions of people in cities across the globe could face dramatically increased water risks.” 100 cities will witness a massive rise in water risks by 2050. The list also includes cities such as Beijing, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Mecca and Rio de Janeiro.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Russian Daniil Medvedev wins Paris Master 2020: Russian, Daniil Medvedev has won Paris Master 2020 title in tennis when he beat Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in Paris. He became the fourth Russian to capture the Rolex Paris Masters title. The World No. 5 earned his first service break at 4-4 in the second set and charged to the title from that point by winning eight of the final nine games. Medvedev joins countrymen Marat Safin, Nikolay Davydenko and Karen Khachanov on the Paris honour roll.

 

2. West Indies Great Michael Holding Appointed MCC Foundation Patron: Former West Indies fast bowler, Michael Holding has been appointed as a new patron of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Foundation. The 66-year-old Holding is a passionate advocate for equality in cricket and the wider community. The MCC Foundation is the charitable arm of the Marylebone Cricket Club, custodian of the game’s laws, and was created with the aim of enhancing lives through cricket. Last month, actor, mental health advocate and cricket-lover Stephen Fry had joined the Foundation as a patron. The pair joins the list which includes Claire Taylor, Mike Brearley, Mike Atherton, Mike Gatting.

Note: Director of the MCC Foundation: Sarah Fane; MCC FoundationFounded in 1993.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SEBI increases Overseas Investment limits for Mutual Funds: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has enhanced the investment limits for Mutual Fund companies for overseas investments. Mutual Funds can make overseas investments subject to a maximum of US $ 600 million per Mutual Fund, within the overall industry limit of US $ 7 billion. Earlier it was USD 300 million. Mutual Funds can make investments in overseas Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) subject to a maximum of US $ 200 million per Mutual Fund, within the overall industry limit of US $ 1 billion. Earlier it was Rs 50 million.

Note: Securities and Exchange Board of India Founded: 12 April 1992;Securities and Exchange Board of India Headquarters: Mumbai; Securities and Exchange Board of India Agency executive: Ajay Tyagi.

 

2. RBI to evaluate impact of ‘RBI Kehta Hai’ campaign: The Reserve Bank of India will evaluate the impact of multi-media public awareness campaign ‘RBI Kehta Hai’, which was launched in 14 languages to educate the public about safe banking and financial practices. As part of the campaign, messages have been launched on basic savings bank deposit accounts, customer liability in unauthorised electronic banking transactions, safe digital banking practices, banking facilities for senior citizens, banking ombudsman scheme, and cybersecurity, among others.

About ‘RBI Kehta Hai’ campaign: ‘RBI Kehta Hai’ was the first even 360-degree campaign initiated by the central bank using all mass media, including media such as television, radio, newspapers, hoardings, web banners, gifs, social media and SMS. In order to evaluate the impact of the public awareness campaign, the RBI has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from eligible companies and other entities which have successfully completed at least five similar projects. The RBI had launched the multi-media campaign with a view to creating awareness among common man about good practices, regulations and initiatives in banking and financial sector.

Note: Governor of RBI: Shaktikanta Das; Deputy Governors of RBI: BP Kanungo, MK Jain, MD Patra and Rajeshwar Rao; Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Amazon India launches first all-women virtual customer service in Bengaluru: Building on its diversity, equity and inclusivity efforts, Amazon India announced the launch of its first all-women Virtual Customer Service (VCS) site in Bengaluru with 60 women. Through this all-women VCS site, the company has extended flexible career opportunities for women across the city, empowering them to pursue their careers from their homes. This site will enable Amazon India to reach out to a broader talent pool of women who prefer to work from home, as it seeks to bring greater diversity across its teams.

 

2. Vodafone Idea appoints Jagbir Singh as CTO: Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL), the telecom operator providing services under the brand ‘Vi’, has appointed Jagbir Singh as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He will be replacing Vishant Vora, who quit in October citing personal reasons. Previously, Jagbir was Group CTO at Smartfren Telecom, Indonesia, and is responsible for network, IT and digital platforms and enterprise business.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Vidya Balan’s short film ‘Natkhat’ eligible for Oscar nomination: The Indian film ‘Natkhat’, starring and co-produced by Vidya Balan, has won the top prize at the third edition of Best of India Short Film Festival 2020. By winning the festival, the film has become eligible for 2021 Oscar qualification. The film has been directed by Shaan Vyas and co-produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Vidya Balan. The film also won cash prize money of $2,500 (approximately Rs 1,85,497) and an opportunity for a television broadcast deal on ShortsTV. The Best of India Festival has been established by ShortsTV since 2018 to honour and recognize the exceptional work of the Indian (India) filmmaker.

 

2. Malayalam author S Hareesh wins the JCB Prize for Literature: Malayalam author, S Hareesh has won the JCB Prize for Literature 2020 for his novel Moustache. It has been translated into English by Jayasree Kalathil & published by HarperCollins India. The JCB Prize for Literature is regarded as the richest literary prize in India. As per the norm, the Malayalam author will receive a Rs 25 lakh cash prize and the translator will receive an additional Rs 10 lakh.