Daily GK Updates – 7th Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Centre forms committee to assess existing TRP system of TV channels: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has constituted a four-member committee, to assess the existing Television Rating Points (TRP) of TV channels. The committee will be chaired by Prasar Bharati CEO, Shashi S Vempati.

About the committee: The committee will be responsible to address the ‘needs of the stakeholders’ and make necessary recommendations for a rating system which shall be ‘robust, transparent and accountable’. It will have to submit its report to the Information and Broadcasting minister within two months. The need to form such committee was felt after the alleged TRP scam in which it was alleged that certain TV channels manipulated TRPs in return for payment. TRP is calculated in India by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) using a device called Bar-O-Meter, which is installed in over 45,000 households across the country. The device collects data about a programme or channel watched by members of these households on the basis of which weekly ratings are issued by BARC.

Note: Chairman of Broadcast Audience Research Council India: Punit Goenka; Broadcast Audience Research Council Founded: 2010; Broadcast Audience Research Council Headquarters: Mumbai.

 

2. Ministry of AYUSH to form strategic policy unit named “Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB): Ministry of AYUSH has collaborated with M/s Invest India to set up a strategic policy unit called “Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB)”. The role of the “Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB)” will be to facilitate planned and systematic growth of the Ayush Sector. Under the collaboration, Invest India would deploy highly trained and expert resources to implement and execute the plans of the Ministry of AYUSH.

 

3. AK Gupta becomes new MD and CEO of ONGC Videsh: AK Gupta, the new Managing Director and CEO of ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) took charge. Before this, he was Director (Operations) of the company. Gupta was also the Head of New businesses in Marketing in ONGC and Head Business development in ONGC Videsh, both for the domestic and international markets. He has handled commercial negotiations with alliance partners, regulators, customers and National Oil Companies.

OVL is the international petroleum company of India and the overseas arm of national oil and gas major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited. Gupta brings with him over three decades of experience in various capacities in domestic and overseas oil and gas exploration and production operations.

Note: ONGC Videsh Limited Founded: 1965; ONGC Videsh Limited Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

4. ‘Till We Win’: Book on Covid-19 by AIIMS Director: A new book titled “Till We Win” by AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and two other doctors will give a definitive account of India’s fight against Covid-19 and how to deal with the pandemic in the days to come. The book has been co-written by leading public policy and health systems expert Chandrakant Lahariya and renowned vaccine researcher and virologist Gagandeep Kang.

About the book: The book deals with the “realization of inner strength and unity” amongst people of all walks of life in a country known for its cultural and linguistic diversity. It will hit the stands this month and published by Penguin Random House India. The book delves into how learnings from Covid-19 pandemic can be used to strengthen the Indian health system, for better, forever. It is up to all of us to convert the challenge posed by pandemic as an opportunity to strengthen health systems.

 

5. National Cancer Awareness Day: 7th November: The National Cancer Awareness Day is observed annually in India on November 7, to spread awareness on cancer, its symptoms and treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. In 2018, approximately 18 million cases were there globally, of which, 1.5 million were in India alone. In 2018, there were around 0.8 million cancer deaths in India against 9.5 million globally. The day was first observed in 2014 as and when announced by the union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. The day coincides with the birth anniversary of scientist Marie Curie (Marie Skłodowska Curie), winner of the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Note: World Cancer Day: 4th February.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara wins 3rd term: The incumbent President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, has won a third 5-year term in a landslide victory, gaining more than 94 per cent of the votes polled. The 78-year-old, Mr Ouattara was first sworn in as the president in 2010 and then re-elected in 2015. Apart from this, he has also served as the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire from November 1990 to December 1993.

Note: Ivory Coast Capital: Yamoussoukro; Ivory Coast Currency: West African CFA franc.

 

2. Piyush Goyal Co-chairs 8th Meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments: The 8th meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments (“the Joint Task Force”) was hosted by India in virtual format on 4th November 2020. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The India-UAE Joint Task Force was created in 2012 as a crucial forum for investment and cooperation in areas of mutual interest with the purpose to stimulate economic activity, and further deepening the already strong economic ties between the UAE and India.

 

3. PM Modi Chairs Virtual Global Investor Roundtable (VGIR) 2020 Conference: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the Virtual Global Investor Roundtable (VGIR) 2020 Conference on 05 November 2020, aimed at attracting investment in the country. The conference focused on discussions around India’s economic and investment outlook, structural reforms and the government’s vision for making the country a $5 trillion economy. The Virtual Global Investor Roundtable (VGIR) was organised by the Ministry of Finance and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund. It provided a platform for exclusive dialogue between leading global institutional investors, Indian business leaders and the highest decision makers from the government of India and financial market regulators. The roundtable witnessed participation from 20 of the world’s largest pension and sovereign wealth funds with a total assets under management of about USD 6 trillion. These global institutional investors represent key regions including the US, Europe, Canada, Korea, Japan, Middle East, Australia, and Singapore. The Indian side included business leaders, financial market regulators, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and RBI governor Shaktikanta Das.

 

4. ‘Argyle Mine’ World’s Biggest Pink Diamond Mine in Australia, Shuts Down After Exhausting ‘Economic Reserves’: The world’s largest pink diamond mine, Argyle mine, in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia, has announced that it is shutting down its business, after 40 years of a successful operation. The iconic mine has exhausted all its economic reserves, hence it is shutting down its business. The seam was discovered in 1979 and the Anglo-Australian firm began mining operations in 1983. It produced more than 90 percent of the world’s pink diamonds. Globally, Argyle is the fourth-largest diamond-producing mine in the world by volume.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Bank launches ‘Mine’ a comprehensive banking programme: Private lender ICICI Bank has launched a comprehensive banking programme for its millennial customers, (in the age bracket of 18 years to 35 years), called ‘ICICI Bank Mine’. The ‘ICICI Bank Mine’ is India’s first and unique product launched by the bank to offer a mobile-first, highly personalised and experiential led banking experience to the millennial customers. Features of ‘ICICI Bank Mine’:

(1) Instant savings account

(2) New look iMobile, the Bank’s mobile banking app

(3) Curated credit and debit card,

(4) Instant personal loans & overdrafts,

(5) Experiential branch with social engagement space

Note: ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. WhatsApp’s payments service gets NPCI nod: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has finally allowed Facebook-owned messaging platform “WhatsApp” to roll out its payments service in the country in a “graded” manner. The announcement by NPCI came after the organisation made a crucial change to its regulations concerning the use of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). The change puts a limit on single third parties such as WhatsApp or its rivals Google Pay and Walmart’s PhonePe where they can only handle 30 per cent of overall UPI transaction volumes. The NPCI runs the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) used for real-time payments between peers or at merchants’ end while making purchases. The UPI channel has rapidly grown to become India’s most favoured mode of digital transactions since its launch in terms of volumes.

Note: National Payments Corporation of India MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe; National Payments Corporation of India Headquarters: Mumbai; National Payments Corporation of India Founded: 2008.

 

2. Maple Group gets RBI nod to acquire up to 9.99% stake in RBL Bank: The Reserve Bank of India has granted its approval to Maple Group to acquire up to a 9.99 percent stake in the RBL Bank.  Maple Group was one of the investors that participated in the bank’s preferential issue. The group had acquired rights to buy the stake and was waiting for permission from the banking regulator. RBL reported a standalone net profit of Rs 144.2 crore in July-September quarter as against Rs 54.3 crore posted in Q2 the previous financial year. The number was better-than-expected, as a CNBC-TV18 poll had estimated the number to the tune of Rs 126.2 crore.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Indian Army chief made honorary General of Nepal Army: The Chief of Army Staff General, MM Naravane was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by President Bidya Devi Bhandari. He was honoured at a special ceremony at the President’s official residence ‘Shital Niwas’ in Kathmandu, Nepal. The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Nepal K.P. Sharma Oli, Indian Ambassador Vinay M. Kwatra and other senior officials of both the countries.

The practice follows a seven-decade-old tradition of conferring Army Chiefs of each other’s country with the honorary title. Commander-in-Chief General KM Cariappa was the first Indian Army Chief to be decorated with the title in 1950. In January last year, Chief of Nepali Army, General Purna Chandra Thapa, was also made the honorary General of the Indian Army by President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony in New Delhi.

Note: Prime minister of Nepal: KP Sharma Oli; President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari; Capital of Nepal: Kathmandu; Currency: Nepalese rupee.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India receives 2nd batch of Three Rafale Aircraft: India receives the second batch of three Rafale Aircraft, bringing total Rafale Jets with IAF to eight. The second batch of three Rafale jets landed in Jamnagar, Gujarat on 4th November 2020, after flying non-stop from France. Earlier, the first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 28 and they were officially inducted in the Indian Air Force on 10 September at Ambala Air Base in Haryana. With the arrival of the second batch, the IAF now has a total of eight Rafale fighter aircraft. As per the information by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, the induction of all 36 jets will be completed by 2023.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Filmmaker-actor Ashish Kakkad passes away: Noted actor, filmmaker and voiceover artiste, Ashish Kakkad, has passed away after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. He was 49. He was one of the most prominent artist from Gujarati film industry. As a filmmaker, Ashish was known for his Gujarati projects namely Better Half (2010) and Mission Mummy (2016). As an actor, he was seen in several Hindi films such as Kai Po Che! in 2013, and psychological thriller ‘Beyond Blue: An Unnerving Tale of a Demented Mind’ in 2015, including other Gujarati films.