Daily GK Update - 15th March, 2021

 NATIONAL UPDATES:

 1. Nitin Gadkari inaugurates two Technology Centres, three Extension Centres of MSME: Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the two Technology Centres and three Extension Centres of MSME virtually. The Technology Centres which were inaugurated have been set up at Visakhapatnam and Bhopal and the Extension Centres at Srinagar, Jaipur and Nagaur. The MSME has rolled out the Technology Centres Systems Programme  to develop the competitiveness ecosystems of MSME in  the country. These Technology Centres will train more than 16 thousand students annually and have  infrastructure for training and production.

 2. India’s Electric Vehicle financing industry projected to be Rs 3,70,000 Crore in 2030: India’s Electric Vehicle financing industry is projected to be Rs 3,70,000 Crore in 2030. This was said in the report titled Mobilising Electric Vehicle Financing in India, which was released by NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute India. The report highlights the role of finance in India’s transition to electric vehicles. The report analyses that the transition will require a cumulative capital investment of over 19 lakh crore rupees in electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and batteries over the next decade. The report has also proposed a toolkit of 10 solutions that can be adopted in catalysing the required capital.

3. DoT Launches Online Certificate Course on 5G Technology: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched a new online certificate course on 5G technology to be conducted by the National Telecommunications Institute for Policy Research, Innovation and Training (NTIPRIT), which is the training institute of DoT. The course, which will be conducted from 9 March 2021 onwards, is 36 hours long and will be conducted over a period of 12 weeks every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Participants will also be allowed to record the session if they happen to miss it. DoT hopes that this course would act as a capsule programme for learning overall 5G technology from the perspective of Policymaking. The following topics will be covered under the course:

(1) The evolution from 1G to 5G.

(2) Introduction to 5G: Standardisation bodies, timelines and roadmaps, IMT 2020 vision and requirement, the spectrum for 5G, new radio, architecture, deployment options, global launches, availability of 5G devices, and use cases.

Note: Minister of Communications: Ravi Shankar Prasad.

 4. Tata Motors launches ‘Wheels of Love’ to support parenthood: Tata Motors has launched ‘Wheels of Love’, a holistic programme that supports new parents in the workforce. This is a move to promote a progressive culture of care, inclusion and sensitisation within the organisation across levels. A specially curated book, also aptly titled, Wheels of Love, puts forth various beliefs to enable new and expectant parents to successfully manage the needs of a growing family while also fulfilling their career goals. This guide book also provides valuable insights for managers to support their team members as they progress through the various stages of parenthood.

The most important aspects of the program include: (1) Announcing pregnancy in the workplace, understanding the manager’s dilemma, managing work performance effectively, handing over the job, managing maternity leave and transitioning back to work; (2) Dedicated counseling sessions for new parents to deal with emotional and psychological challenges that may arise; (3) One-to-one classes for pregnant / new mothers and their managers on how to manage work transitions; (4) Assigning a friend to the new mothers to keep in touch with their workplaces during the maternity leave; (5) Webinars on relevant topics including how to prepare for newborn babies, childcare tasks for couples with dual careers, and much more.

Note: Tata motors HQ: Mumbai; CEO: Guenter Butschek.

 INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi Virtually Attends First Quad Summit 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga come together for the first QUAD Summit. The meeting was held virtually during which the four participants will exchange views on different areas of cooperation like maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, COVID-19, emerging and critical technologies, maritime security, and climate change. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue nations are planning to counter China by cooperating and pool their resources to fund new production technologies and development projects. The world leaders talked about the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and its development. President Biden also said that they are launching a new pact for the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines.

About the QUAD: QUAD is also known as the Asian NATO. It is an informal strategic forum comprising India, the United States, Japan, and Australia. The forum is maintained by semi-regular summits, military drills and information between member countries. The idea of QUAD was first brought up by the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe back in 2007. Since then the representatives from the member countries have met regularly and worked together. However, this was the first-ever meeting between the national heads of the QUAD countries.

 2. Switzerland tops UN’s global e-commerce index 2020, Indian ranked 71: Switzerland replaced the Netherlands at the top of UNCTAD’s Business-to-Consumer E-commerce Index 2020, which ranks 152 countries on their readiness to engage in online commerce. Top 5 countries are Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Singapore, United Kingdom. The two largest B2C e-commerce markets in the world, China and the United States, rank 55th and 12th respectively in the index. India remains, by far, the most prepared country for e-commerce in South Asia. It moved up four notches from its previous year’s position to rank 71st. Sri Lanka ranked 91, Nepal at 113rd position and Bhutan at 114th position. Afghanistan and Pakistan – the least and the second-least prepared country for e-commerce respectively.

 3. World Consumer Rights Day: 15th March: It is celebrated on 15 March across the world annually to spread awareness about the rights of consumers and their needs. A special message was sent by President John F Kennedy to the US Congress on 15 March, 1962 and so the day was inspired by him. In the message he formally addressed the issue of consumer rights. To do so, he was the first leader. The history behind the World Consumer Rights Day is that the first consumer movement was observed in 1983 and since then every year it is observed to mobilize an action on important issues and campaigns. The theme of World Consumer Rights Day 2021 is ‘Tackling Plastic Pollution’. It will raise awareness and engage consumers globally to adopt and promote more sustainable practices. The last year theme was ‘The Sustainable Consumer’.

 OTHER UPDATES:

 SPORTS

 1. Mithali Raj becomes 1st Indian woman cricketer to score 10K Int’l runs: The veteran Indian women’s cricketer Mithali Raj has become the first Indian woman cricketer that has completed 10,000 international runs in all the cricket formats. She also becomes the second woman cricketer at the international level to complete 10000 runs. She achieved the milestone of 10,000 after she hit a boundary off the Anne Bosch in 28th over of Indian innings in the ongoing third ODI match against South Africa.

Achievements of Mithali Raj: Mithali, playing her 212th ODI for India, achieved the landmark during the third match of the bilateral series against South Africa. The cricketer is the recipient of several National and International awards. She won the Arjuna Award in the year 2003 and Padma Shri in the year 2015. She is the only female cricketer who has captained in more than one ICC ODI World Cup Final that is in the year 2005 and 2017. She also become the first woman to complete 20 years in International cricket in the year 2019.

 BANKING AND FINANCE

 1. AckoDrive partners with IDFC FIRST Bank to issue free FASTags: AckoDrive, a one-stop solution for first-hand car buying, has announced a partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank to issue free FASTags. With AckoDrive getting a FASTag is hassle free and convenient. Unlike FASTags issued by others, AckoDrive’s digital platform requires no issuance fee, no paperwork or security deposit. Any private car owner can purchase a FASTag from AckoDrive’s platform by submitting a few personal and vehicle details and by adding the initial wallet money of Rs. 100 to recharge the FASTag. These FASTags can also be used for contactless payments for fuel purchase at HPCL pumps. During the purchase, AckoDrive will automatically create a FASTag wallet for the car owner with IDFC FIRST bank. It can be easily recharged through the AckoDrive platform itself, along with other regular options.

 2. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches women savings account: Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has announced the launch of a “Women Savings Account” catering to the financial needs of women. ‘Garima Savings Account’, as the product has been named, will offer multiple customised benefits to women, including up to a maximum of 7% rate of interest on the savings account. Garima Savings Account offers a higher cash deposit and free unlimited withdrawal at any Ujjivan SFB branch with no additional charges for non-home branch transactions. Customers would also enjoy unlimited free NEFT and RTGS transactions through internet banking and mobile banking.

 BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 1. Wipro to acquire UK-based IT consultancy Capco for $1.45 billion: Wipro Ltd. announced that it had agreed to acquire Capco, a London-based technology consultancy, for $1.45 billion. The deal, once completed, is expected to help the Indian IT services provider gain a firmer foothold and presence in the European market, especially in the financial services industry where the U.K. firm has an established clientele. The Capco purchase, which will be the Indian company’s biggest-ever acquisition, comes barely eight months after Wipro hired Mr. Delaporte from Capgemini to help the company recover its erstwhile position among India’s top three IT services providers.

 2. Reliance Power forms JV with Jera for 745 MW project in Bangladesh: Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power has formed a joint venture with Japan-headquartered Jera Co. Inc to develop a new gas-fired power generation project in Bangladesh. The company has achieved financial closure for the project with a group of lenders including Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Asian Development Bank and all requisite conditions for availing drawdown under the loan agreements have been achieve. The project is to build, own, and operate a 745-MW (net output: 718 MW) natural gas combined-cycle power project in Meghnaghat near Dhaka.

 OBITUARIES

1. Former Boxing Champion ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler Passes Away: The former undisputed middleweight boxing legend “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler has passed away. Hagler, the American legend, ruled as the undisputed middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.