Daily GK Update - 16th March, 2021

 NATIONAL UPDATES:

 1. NITI Aayog leaves 6 PSBs out of privatisation plan: The Niti Aayog has kept public sector banks (PSBs) that were part of the last round of consolidation and State Bank India out of the privatisation plan. These banks are Punjab National Bank, Union Bank, Canara Bank and Indian Bank, and Bank of Baroda and State Bank of India that were part of an earlier round of consolidation.    The government will soon take a call on the two banks and one general insurer that will be taken up for privatisation in the next fiscal year.

2. Maharashtra govt launches women empowerment scheme ‘Mahasamruddhi Mahila Sashaktikaran scheme’: The Maharashtra government launched a women empowerment scheme to increase the participation of rural women across fields. Mahasamruddhi Mahila Sashaktikaran scheme was come into effect on March 8. To boost the confidence of women, state government will promote listing the names of wives alongside their husbands on the 7/12 extract, which is the official agricultural land record of an individual or family registered with the state government’s revenue department. The inclusion of wives’ names on house property documents will also be promoted. Under this scheme, the self-help groups will help women display their skills and provide them sustainable markets and effective branding tools. The women cell and the state rural livelihood mission will also be a part of this mission.

3. First project Genome Mapping in Indian Ocean will be launched: In the Indian Ocean, the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) will launch the first-of-its-kind project of Genome Mapping. Indian Ocean covers about 20% of the Earths’s water surface and so is the third largest water body in the world. Its objective is to bather samples of genome mapping of microorganisms in the Indian Ocean. It is also necessary to understand the biochemistry and the response of the Ocean to climate change, nutrient stress and increasing pollution. The cost of the project and duration is Rs 25 crore and will take around three years to complete.

What is Genome Collection: Samples will be collected by the researchers from several stretches of the ocean at an average depth of about 5 km. It is just like gene mapping which is carried out on blood samples collected from humans, the scientists will map these in the bacteria, microbes found in the ocean. Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) mapping shows the nutrients present in them and also those lacking in various parts of the ocean.

What is Genome Mapping: When a specific gene is assigned or located into a particular region of a chromosome and determined the location of and relative distances between genes on the chromosome.

4. National Vaccination Day: 16th March: The National Vaccination Day, (also called the National Immunization Day), is celebrated every year on March 16 in India, to convey the importance of vaccination to the entire nation. The prime purpose behind the celebration of National Vaccination Day is to make all people aware of arming against polio and eradicating it completely from the world. In 2021, the National Vaccination Day is important as the country has started its biggest Covid-19 immunization programme.

History of the day: The day was first observed in the year 1995. It was in 1995 that India started the Pulse Polio Programme and the first dose of Oral Polio Vaccine was given. According to the World Health Organization, immunization is a process through which an individual’s immune system becomes fortified against foreign harm causing agent.

 INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 1. France launches first military exercises in space: France launched its first military exercise in space to evaluate its ability to defend its satellites and other defense equipment from an attack. The exercise, codenamed “AsterX” in memory of the first French satellite from 1965, will be based on 18 simulated events in an operations room. During the drill, the French military will monitor a potentially dangerous space object as well as a threat to its own satellite from another foreign power possessing a considerable space force.

2. INS Jalashwa reaches Madagascar’s Antsiranana Port with Indian Naval training team on-board: INS Jalashwa reached the port of Antsiranana, Madagascar with an Indian Naval training team on-board. The Indian Naval training team will be deployed in Madagascar for capacity building and training of the Malagasy Special Forces for two weeks. INS Jalashwa will leave for Comoros to deliver 1000 metric tonnes of rice and then will head to the Port of Ehoala in Madagascar to deliver a consignment of 1000 metric tonnes of rice and one lakh tablets of HCQ. The supplies of food assistance and support for capacity building to Madagascar is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR and India’s time-tested role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region.

 3. India opens ‘energy office’ in Moscow as Delhi-Moscow increase focus in sector: India has opened an “energy office” in Moscow’s at the 45th floor of the Federation Tower that will have the presence of five top Indian energy PSUs even as Moscow and Delhi increase engagement in the sector. The five main Indian energy PSUs who will be present are–ONGC VIDESH Limited, Indian Oil Corp, GAIL (India), Oil India Limited, and Engineers India. The key objectives of IEO is to make all-out efforts for supporting the current assets, finding new business opportunities, involved in capacity building, tying for new technologies for skill development, import & export of petroleum products and services.

 OTHER UPDATES:

 BANKING AND FINANCE

 1. KVGB launches loan scheme for women entrepreneurs: The Dharwad-headquartered Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) has launched the ‘Vikas Asha’ loan scheme for women. This new loan scheme is exclusively for women to meet business-related needs, including purchasing machinery/equipment/vehicle, and working capital requirements under micro and small enterprises, including retail trade. Under this scheme, the bank will extend loan up to a maximum of ₹10 lakh with a repayment period of 84 months.

2. Mastercard, Samsung Electronics, & Samsung Card sign MoU to develop biometric cards: Mastercard, Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Business, and Samsung Card has announced signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a biometric card that features a built-in fingerprint scanner to authorize transactions securely at in-store payment terminals. Under the partnership, the companies aim to provide faster and secure payment experiences. The biometric authentication capability allows safer interactions and reduces physical contact points by eliminating the need to enter a PIN on a keypad. It also offers an additional layer of security to currently available credit cards by verifying the cardholder’s identity via a unique fingerprint.

 3. Srimathy assumes charge as Executive Director of Indian Overseas Bank: S Srimathy has assumed charge as Executive Director of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) with effect from March 10. Prior to this assignment, she was serving as Chief General Manager (CGM) of Canara Bank. She had been deputed to NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) prior to taking over the present post in Indian Overseas Bank.

 BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 1. U.S. becomes India’s second biggest oil supplier, Saudi plunges to No. 4: The United States overtook Saudi Arabia as India’s second biggest oil supplier last month, as refiners boosted cheaper U.S. crude purchases to record levels to offset OPEC+ supply cuts, data from trade sources showed. The switch in supplies, triggered by lower U.S. crude demand, coincided with Saudi Arabia’s voluntary extra 1 million bpd output cut on top of an agreement by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) to maintain lower production.

 2. Tech Mahindra acquires majority stake in Perigord Asset Holdings: IT services firm Tech Mahindra has acquired a 70% stake in Perigord Asset Holdings, a digital workflow and artwork, labelling and BPO services firm. This acquisition will help Tech Mahindra to augment expertise in the global pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science (HLS) sectors. The company will pay Euro 21 million for a 70% stake, and the balance 30% over the next four years at a valuation linked to the company’s financial performance.

 AWARDS AND HONOURS

 1. Forest officer Sasmita Lenka gets UN’s Asia Environmental Enforcement Award: Senior forest officer (DFO) from Odisha, Sasmita Lenka has been shortlisted to receive the United Nations (UN) Asia Environmental Enforcement Award, under ‘Gender Leadership and Impact’ category. The lady DFO will be presented the coveted international award for her notable work in busting pangolin smuggling rackets in Odisha.

 2. Chadwick Boseman wins his first Golden Globe posthumously: Chadwick Boseman’s widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award for best actor in a motion picture drama on behalf of the late actor, who died in August of colon cancer at age 43- three months before Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was released.             Boseman is the first Black winner in the category in nearly 15 years. (Forest Whitaker won at the 2007 ceremony for his performance as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.) The honour also makes Boseman the first Black posthumous winner in an acting category

 3. ‘Digambara Kavi’ Nikhileswar wins Sahitya Akademi Award: Renowned writer Nikhileswar, and one among the six ‘Digambara Kavulu’ has been chosen for the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award-2020 for his anthology of poems Agniswaasa penned in 2017. A poet with a focus on social issues for almost six decades now, Nikhileswar also contributed to English and Hindi languages. Nikhileswar was the founder-secretary of Viplava Rachayithala Sangham (VIRASAM) and was jailed under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in 1971 for his revolutionary writings and also participating in civil rights movement.

 OBITUARIES

1. Renowned Padma Bhushan winning painter Laxman Pai passes away: Renowned Indian artist and painter Laxman Pai has passed away. The Goa-based painter was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour. The former principal of the Goa College of Art had several laurels under his name including Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Nehru Award, and Lalit Kala Akademi Award.