Daily GK Updates – 6th Feb, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. GoI launches unified web portal for monitoring progress of GOBARDHAN activities: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Animal Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria jointly launched a unified web portal for monitoring the progress of GOBARDHAN activities across the nation. About Gobardhan:

(1) Gobardhan aims to positively impact village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste.

(2) It focuses on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to useful compost, biogas and bio-CNG.

(3) It will also help in keeping the village clean while increasing the income of farmers and cattle herders.

(4) It will be hugely beneficial for the country as India is home to the highest cattle population in the world (around 300 million in number) which produces around 3 million tonnes of dung.

(5) It will encourage farmers to consider dung and other waste not just as waste but as a source of income.

(6) It will provide many benefits to rural people by keeping villages clean and sanitized, improving livestock health and increasing farm yields.

 

2. Punjab CM launches ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’ mission: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has virtually launched the ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’ mission as part of the government’s campaign to accomplish the goal of 100 per cent potable piped water supply in all rural households. The scheme is being funded by the World Bank, Jal Jeevan Mission of GoI, NABARD, and State Budget. The scheme will benefit more than 1.6 lakh residents from 155 villages in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur districts by helping replace groundwater with surface water supply for drinking, besides resolving the problem of arsenic affected habitations. The Chief Minister also inaugurated one Mega Surface Water Supply Scheme covering 85 villages in the Moga district, 144 new water supply schemes for 172 villages, 121 Arsenic, and Iron removal plants.

Note: Punjab CM: Captain Amarinder Singh; Punjab Governor: V.P.Singh Badnore.

 

3. India’s First Amputee Clinic Launched In Chandigarh: The first of its kind ‘amputee clinic’ in India, has been launched by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), a premier medical and research institution in Chandigarh. The basic intent of this initiative is to bring an Amputee as a near-normal functional human being in society. This initiative will attempt to provide appropriate management to amputees to guide them in their path to rehabilitation in society and will support patients with counselling and medical facilities during their treatment and recovery.

About the ‘PGI Amputee Clinic’: ‘PGI Amputee Clinic’ in Chandigarh has been set up with the aim of improving amputation patient care by providing a collection of services under one roof with significant coordination. The clinic will provide social, mental and physical support to its patients.

 

4. ‘Atmanirbharta’ named Oxford Hindi word of 2020: Oxford Languages, the world’s leading dictionary publisher, has named ‘Aatmanirbharta’ as the Hindi word of the year 2020. The Oxford Hindi word of the year is a word or expression that is chosen to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.

About the ‘Aatmanirbharta’: ‘Aatmanirbharta’ means self-reliance. The word was chosen as it “validated the day-to-day achievements of the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the perils of a pandemic”.

 

5. IT minister launches ‘Work from Anywhere’ portal, Tejas Virtual Intelligence tool: IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched virtual intelligence tool Tejas and ”Work from Anywhere” portal at an event. The National Informatics Centre Services Inc (NICSI), a public sector enterprise under the National Informatics Centre (NIC), celebrated 25 years of its establishment at an event. Tejas, a virtual intelligence tool that extracts critical information from data to make its meaningful information for policy decisions and improving efficiency in government services and citizen delivery. “Work from Anywhere” portal, a virtual environment that enables employees to “access routine applications like e-office, calendar, mail, and other departmental applications and communicate across through VC ensuring safety during this pandemic with social distancing and work assurance from anywhere.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India is 3rd Globally in Scientific Publications after China, US: India has seen an exponential increase in the number of scientific publications over the last 10 years and is in the third position globally after China and the US,the Department of Science and Technology (DST) said. According to data from the US agency the National Science Foundation (NSF) India is currently in third place only behind China and the United States with 135788 scientific articles in the year 2018. The NSF database shows that India’s growth rate of scientific publication was 12.9 percent as against the world average of 4.9 percent

 

2. Saudi Arabia hosted Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hosting Future Investment Initiative (FII) with the theme “The Neo-Renaissance.” . The two-day Davos styled summit, would witness global policymakers and business tycoons speaking on a range of topics. The topics will include pharmaceuticals, entertainment and several others. The summit was planned to take place in October 2020 but was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Conference dubbed as ‘Davos in the desert‘ would witness the participation of 150 speakers.

 

3. Mongolia PM Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh resigns amid COVID-19 scandal: Mongolia’s prime minister Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh has resigned following a protest over a hospital’s treatment of a new mother who tested positive for the coronavirus. Prime Minister Khurelsukh Ukhnaa submitted his resignation and a proposal to dissolve his government after hundreds gathered outside the parliament building to demonstrate against the policies.  Parliament, which is controlled by Khurelsukh’s Mongolian People’s Party, voted overwhelmingly to accept his resignation.

 

4. International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation: 6th February: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female is observed globally on 6 February. This day is sponsored by the United Nations for their efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation. It was first introduced in 2003. This year theme of International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female: No Time for Global Inaction: Unite, Fund, and Act to End Female Genital Mutilation.

About the Female genital mutilation: Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and the integrity of girls and women. Girls who undergo female genital mutilation face short-term complications such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty in passing urine, as well as long-term consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Ashok Dinda announces retirement from all forms of cricket: Fast bowler Ashok Dinda, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The 36-year-old right-handed pacer made his first-class debut for Bengal in 2005 and played for 15 years in Bengal cricket. He made his international debut in 2009, in a T20I against Sri Lanka, followed by making his ODI debut in Zimbabwe in 2010. He played 13 ODIs and 9 T20I matches for India. He played 116 first-class matches for Bengal, taking 420 wickets at a bowling average of 28.28.

 

2. Ajay Singh re-elected Boxing Federation of India President: Spicejet chairman Ajay Singh defeated Ashish Shelar in a high-profile contest to get re-elected as president of Boxing Federation India for a second term. As for his second tenure, Singh said the focus will be developed at the grassroots, sports science, women’s boxing and involving young administrators in the sport. He will focus on training of Tokyo Olympics-bound boxers, grassroot development and women’s boxing.

Note: Boxing Federation India established: February 25, 1949.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Andy Jassy set to replace Jeff Bezos as Amazon CEO: Amazon.com Inc founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos has announced that he would step down as CEO of the company and become Executive Chairman in Q3 of 2021, i.e. with effect from July 01, 2021. Andy Jassy, who is currently serving as the chief executive of Amazon Web Services (AWS), will replace Bezos as CEO of Amazon. Bezos started the company 27 years ago, on 5 July 1994, as an internet bookseller.

Note: Amazon.com Inc Founded: 5 July 1994; Amazon.com Inc Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Chiefs of Air Staff (CAS) Conclave Organised at Bengaluru: Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the ‘Chiefs of Air Staff (CAS) Conclave’ at Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The two-day conclave has been organised by Indian Air Force, from 3 to 04 February 2021, in a Hybrid Form with extensive use of digital media. The Chiefs of Air Staff from about 75 countries would come together on a single platform to exchange their thoughts on current issues related to aerospace power strategy and technological developments.

About the Conclave: The Conclave is a perfect example of India’s Defence Cooperation with other countries working as a diplomatic instrument, giving an opportunity for building bridges of friendship, mutual trust and capacities on a global basis. Promoting transparency in defence cooperation and building areas of common interests in military aviation will be focus areas of the CAS Conclave.

Note: Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria; Indian Airforce founded: 8 October 1932; Indian Airforce Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

2. Aero India 2021 Begins in Bengaluru: The Aero India 2021 event, country’s premier aerospace and defence exhibition, kick-started at Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bengaluru. The 13th edition of the international event touted as the world’s first-ever hybrid aero and defence show will see several aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Army, Navy, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), and the Coast Guard participating in the show.

About the event: The three-day event will focus on India’s indigenous defence sector capabilities amid buzz around Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India campaigns. This 13th edition will see a combination of both physical and virtual exhibition with 601 exhibitors, including 523 from India and 78 from 14 foreign countries. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited would exhibit its Aatmanirbhar Formation Flight.