Daily GK Updates – 9th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi virtually inaugurates Construction work of Agra Metro project: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the construction work of the Agra Metro project in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The Agra Metro project comprises 2 corridors with a total length of 29.4 km. It would connect major tourist attractions like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Sikandra with railway stations and bus stands.

About the Project: The estimated cost of the project will be around Rs 8,379.62 crore. It will be completed in 5 years. The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has set the target to complete the first phase of the Agra Metro Rail Project by December 2022. Once operational, the project will boost `Ease of Living` of the 26 lakh population of the city and also cater to more than 60 lakh tourists who visit Agra every year. It will also provide an environment-friendly Mass Rapid Transit System to the city.

 

2. ADB approves $190 million loan to upgrade power distribution in Bengaluru: The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of $190 million (approx Rs 1,400 crore) to modernize and upgrade the power distribution system in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The financial-assistance by ADB will be used for the Bengaluru Smart Energy Efficient Power Distribution Project. The $190 million loan includes a $100 million sovereign loan and a $90 million non-sovereign guarantee loan to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM). BESCOM is one of five state-owned distribution utilities and the largest in Karnataka. This combination of sovereign and non-sovereign loans is being deployed by ADB in India on a pilot basis for the first time.

Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.

 

3. Meghalaya CM Unveils State Disability Logo, Launches Meghalaya Sign Bank App: In Meghalaya, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed with a formal function held at Yojna Bhawan Auditorium, Shillong. The theme this year is building back better towards a disability inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-Covid 19 world. During the function the Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma,unveiled the State Disability Logo. The second edition of the Meghalaya Sign Bank App was also launched by the Chief Minister. The app is available for both ios and android users. Two students with disabilities were also felicitated for their outstanding achievements by Chief Guest Sangma and Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla

 

4. Pixxel to launch remote-sensing satellite on ISRO rocket: The Bengaluru-based space-technology start-up “Pixxel”, has signed a pact with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to launch its first remote-sensing satellite on Isro’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket in early 2021. Earlier, the startup had planned to launch this satellite towards the end of 2020 and on a Russian Soyuz rocket. Pixxel aims to put a constellation of 30 earth observation micro-satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit by mid-2023. The data through these satellites will help in various sectors, ranging from agriculture to urban monitoring, such as track on air and water pollution levels, forest biodiversity and health, coastal and marine health, and changes in the urban landscape.

About the agreement: The agreement was signed between Pixxel with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under the Department of Space. This agreement with NSIL is the first-of-a-kind private earth-observation mission and one of the first since the setting up of IN-SPACe, the authorisation and regulatory body under the Department of Space (DoS) to enable private players undertaking space activities in India.

Note: ISRO Chairman: K. Sivan; ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Anil Soni appointed first CEO of The WHO Foundation: US-based Indian-origin health expert, Anil Soni has been appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly-created “The World Health Organization (WHO) Foundation”. Before this, he was working with Viatris, a global healthcare company in the US, where he served as Head of Global Infectious Diseases. He will assume his role as CEO with effect from 1st January 2021.

About the WHO Foundation: The WHO Foundation was launched in May 2020 as an independent grant-making agency, based in Geneva, Switzerland, to work alongside the WHO and the global health community to address the most pressing global health challenges.

Note: Headquarters of WHO: Geneva, Switzerland; Director-general of WHO: Tedros Adhanom.

 

2. International Anti-Corruption Day: 9th December: International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on 9 December to raise public awareness for anti-corruption. The day is observed since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on 31 October 2003. The theme of International Anti-Corruption Day 2020: ‘RECOVER with INTEGRITY.’ The theme focuses on recovery through corruption mitigation and emphasizes that inclusive COVID-19 recovery can only be achieved with integrity.

 

3. International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime: 9th December: The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is observed annually on December 9. The 9th of December is the anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”). This year marks the 71st anniversary of the Convention. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention, and to commemorate and honour its victims.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson retires from all forms of Cricket: New Zealand all-rounder, Corey Anderson has announced his retirement from international cricket. Anderson has played 13 Tests, 49 ODIs and 31 T20Is for New Zealand, scoring 2277 runs with two hundred and 10 half-centuries and 90 wickets. Anderson has signed a 3-year contract with Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA, where he will serve in the Major and Minor League Cricket and coaching ventures at the cricket academies that come under the MLC.

Some facts about Anderson: Anderson rose to fame after scoring fastest 100 in the history of One Day International cricket (ODI), in 36-ball against West Indies in January 2014. However, this record was broken by AB de Villiers, in January 2015 who scored the fastest ODI century against the West Indies in Johannesburg in 31 balls.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. PNB launches loan management solution ‘LenS-The Lending Solution’: Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a tech-based loan management solution ‘LenS-The Lending Solution’, to speed up and maintain accuracy in online loan processing and sanctioning of credit proposals. It is envisaged to be implemented in a phased manner for all kinds of loans. Under the Mudra scheme, the processing and sanction of credit proposals up to Rs 10 lakh including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises ( MSME) loans (fresh, renewal, enhancement and review) will be done by LenS.

Main Purpose of PNB LenS: To standardise the system, process and assess formats for credit processing; To auto-generate the loan documents for each type of credit facilities; To reduce delay, cost and human errors involved in manual processing, digital record maintenance, security & data privacy; Ready to use monitoring and MIS reports for better tracking and transparency.

Note: PNB Headquarters: New Delhi; PNB CEO: S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao.

 

2. RTGS system to be available on 24×7 basis from December 14: The Reserve Bank of India has announced that the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system will be made available round the clock on all days of the year with effect from 00:30 hours on December 14, 2020. Presently RTGS system is available for customers between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

RTGS shall continue to be governed by the RTGS System Regulations, 2013. RTGS shall be available for customer and inter-bank transactions round the clock, except for the interval between ‘end-of-day’ and ‘start-of-day’ processes, whose timings would be duly broadcasted through the RTGS system. Intra-Day Liquidity (IDL) facility shall be made available to facilitate smooth operations.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Finin launches as neobank in India in partnership with SBM: Finin, a fintech company, has launched itself as a ‘neobank’, in partnership with SBM Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Bank of Mauritius in India, focussing on saving rather than lending. It will provide features such as detailed break-up of user spending and send prompts if they exceed pre-set limits and automatic sweeps of money into liquid funds. The bank will target white-collar workers and freelancers and has waiting list of 15,000 people before launch. It aims to open 50,000 accounts in six months.

 

2. HDFC Life stands with Dabbawalas of Mumbai with ‘PromiseWalaDabba’ Campaign: In support of Mumbai’s Dabbawalas, HDFC Life in association with Ketto India has initiated #PromisewalaDabba, a nationwide crowdfunding campaign. #PromiseWalaDabba has been initiated by the insurance company for supporting the community, with an aim to help the Dabbawalas of Mumbai stand on their feet once again with a month’s supply of ration, delivered to their homes. Ketto, India’s foremost crowdfunding platform has also partnered with HDFC Life as part of the campaign in order to serve as a platform to raise money for this cause.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Serum Institute’s Adar Poonawalla named as 1 of 6 “Asians of The Year”: Adar Poonawalla, the Chief Executive of the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), has been named among six “The Straits Times Asians of the Year” for 2020, by Singapore’s leading daily, The Straits Times, for their work in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. SII has collaborated with the University of Oxford and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to develop COVID-19 vaccine, ‘Covidshield’, and is conducting trials in India.

The other five Asians of the Year includes: (1) Chinese researcher Zhang Yongzhen; (2) China’s Major-General Chen Wei; (3) Japan’s Dr Ryuichi Morishita; (4) Singapore’s Professor Ooi Eng Eong; (5) South Korean businessman Seo Jung-jin.

The Straits Times has collectively referred these 6 winners as “the virus busters”, because they are heroes of a kind, having devoted themselves to the pressing cause of resolving the coronavirus pandemic, each in their own capacity.

Note: The SII was founded by Cyrus Poonawalla (Adar Poonawalla’s father) in 1966.

Adar Poonawalla joined the Serum Institute of India in 2001 and became the CEO of the company in 2011.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Father of Fibre Optics Narinder Singh Kapany passes away: Narinder Singh Kapany, also known as the father of fibre optics, passed away. The India-born American physicist was named as one of the seven “Unsung Heroes” by Fortune in their ‘Businessmen of the Century’ issue of November 1999. Kapany was the first to transmit images through fibre optics back in 1954 and laid the foundation for high-speed internet technology. He not only founded fibre optics but also used his own invention for the business. He founded the Optics Technology Incorporation and Kaptron Incorporation in 1960 and 1973 respectively. He studied at Agra University and then moved to Imperial College in London. He received his PhD from the University of London in 1955.

Awards: He received ‘The Excellence 2000 Award’ from the USA Pan-Asian American Chamber of Commerce in 1998, a fellow of numerous scientific societies including the British Royal Academy of Engineering, the Optical Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

 

2. Veteran Bengali actor Manu Mukherjee passes away: Veteran Bengali actor Manu Mukherjee passed away. He started his film career with Mrinal Sen’s Nil Akasher Niche (1958). The actor is best remembered for his roles in Satyajit Ray’s Joy Baba Felunath and Ganashatru. He had also been part of children’s fantasy film Patalghar’.

 

3. Veteran Marathi actor Ravi Patwardhan passes away: Ravi Patwardhan, a popular face in Marathi entertainment industry, has passed away. The veteran actor became a household name for his role in Marathi TV series Agabai Sasubai. Apart from this, Patwardhan has also starred in a few Hindi movies namely Tezab, Jhanjaar, Bond and Yeshwant.

 

4. Pizza Hut co-founder Frank Carney passes away: American entrepreneur Frank Carney, who along with his brother Dan, started the Pizza Hut empire in the US city of Wichita, has passed away from pneumonia. He was 82. Carney had recently recovered from Covid-19, but had Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade and pneumonia is common in Alzheimer’s patients.