Daily GK Update - 24th March, 2021

 NATIONAL UPDATES:

 1. Delhi Govt Launches ‘Education Mentoring Programme’ for Girls of Class 9-12: Over 200 students from Indira Gandhi Delhi Technological University for Women will mentor 1,000 girl students of Delhi government schools in grades 9 to 12 under the AAP dispensation’s “Education Mentoring Programme” launched. The Delhi Government launched the programme through its “Youth for Education” initiative to clearing their doubts related to careers in STEM, share strategies for clearing entrance exams, support in accessing learning resources and motivate them as they transition from school to colleges and careers. BTech, MTech, PhD, and MBA students of the university will mentor these students. Initially, 200 students will mentor 1,000 students.

2. ISRO launches sounding rocket to study attitudinal variations: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a sounding rocket to study attitudinal variations in the neutral winds and plasma dynamics from Sriharikota spaceport. ISRO has developed a series of sounding rockets called Rohini series, important among them being RH-200, RH-300 and RH-560, number in the name indicating the diameter of the rocket in mm. Sounding rockets are one or two stage solid propellant rockets used for probing the upper atmospheric regions and for space research.

 3. ArindamBagchi takes charge as MEA spokesperson: ArindamBagchi, an officer of the 1995 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has assumed charge as the new spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA). He is replacing Anurag Srivastava, an officer of the 1999 batch of IFS. Before this, Bagchi was serving as the joint secretary (north) at the MEA headquarters. He was an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer from the 1995 batch. In past, he has served as India’s ambassador to Croatia from November 2018 to June 2020. He was also India’s deputy high commissioner to Sri Lanka.

Note: Minister of External Affairs: SubrahmanyamJaishankar.

                                         INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Armed Forces 4th Strongest in the World: China has the strongest military force in the world while India stands at number four, according to a study released by defence website Military Direct. China has the strongest military in the world, scoring 82 out of 100 points in the index. The USA, despite their enormous military budgets, comes in 2nd place with 74 points, followed by Russia with 69, India at 61 and then France with 58. The U.K. just about makes the Top 10, coming in 9th place with a score of 43. The study said “ultimate military strength index” was calculated after taking into consideration various factors including budgets, number of inactive and active military personnel, total air, sea, land and nuclear resources, average salaries, and weight of equipment.

2. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurates Amar Ekushey book fair in Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Amar Ekushey book fair in Dhaka. She also released the book ‘New China 1952’ which is the English translation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib’s book ‘Amar DekhaNaya Chin’.  She also distributed prizes among the winners of the Bangla Academy Literary Award 2020. The theme of this year’s book fair is the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and golden jubilee of independence. The book fair has been dedicated to the martyrs of the liberation war of 1971.

3. World Tuberculosis Day: 24th March: World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on 24 March to create awareness among the public about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease. The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease. The theme of World TB Day 2021 – ‘The Clock is Ticking’ –conveys the sense that the world is running out of time to act on the commitments to end TB made by global leaders. This is especially critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has put End TB progress at risk, and to ensure equitable access to prevention and care in line with WHO’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.

What is Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects your lungs. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes. Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of your body, including your kidneys, spine or brain. When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved. For example, tuberculosis of the spine may give you back pain, and tuberculosis in your kidneys might cause blood in your urine.

Note: TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus is the WHO’s Director-General; WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

4. International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims: 24th March: International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is observed annually on 24th March every year. This day is observed on 24th March every year to pay tribute to “Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero” as he was murdered on 24 March 1980. He was actively engaged in criticizing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable individuals in El Salvador. The International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims aims to honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations. It also aims to promote the importance of the right to truth and justice.

 OTHER UPDATES:

 SPORTS

1. India Legends wins 2020-21 Road Safety World Series T-20: In Cricket, India Legends defeated Sri Lanka Legends by 14 runs to clinch the Road Safety World Series final title, held at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. India Legends put up a total of 181/4 but Sri Lanks Legends could manage 167/7. Sachin Tendulkar was the captain of the India Legends. Related awards:

Player of the Match: Yusuf Pathan (India Legends)

Player of the Series: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka Legends)

Most Runs: Tillakaratne Dilshan

Most Wickets: Tillakaratne Dilshan

2. NozomiOkuhara bags women’s singles titles at All England Open: Japan’s NozomiOkuhara has won the All England Badminton Championships women’s title as she defeated PornpaweeChochuwong 21-12, 21-16 in the finals. In the men’s category, Malaysia’s Lee ZiiJia has won the All England Badminton Championships title as he defeated Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the summit clash. With this win, Malaysia’s title drought came to an end and it is after four years, that someone from the country has managed to win the All England Open. Lee Chong Wei had last won the All England Open for Malaysia in 2017. Here is the list of winners of the All England Badminton Championships 2021:

Sr. No.	Category	Winner
1	Men’s singles	Lee ZiiJia (Malaysia)
2	Women’s singles	NozomiOkuhara (Japan)
3	Men’s doubles	Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe
4	Women’s doubles	Mayu Matsumoto and WakanaNagahara
5	Mixed doubles	Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino

 BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI imposes Rs 15 lakh penalty on Fedbank Financial Services: The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 15 lakh on Fedbank Financial Services Limited, Mumbai. The penalty has been imposed for non-compliance with “certain provisions of the directions issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) contained in ”Monitoring of Frauds in NBFCs (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016′. The statutory inspection of the company with reference to its financial position as of March 31, 2019, revealed, inter alia, non-compliance with the directions issued by it. The inspection report of the KoyanaSahakari Bank based on its financial position as of March 31, 2019, revealed that it had exceeded the prudential inter-bank (single bank) exposure limit.

 BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Govt to sell up to 16% stake in IRCON via OFS: The offer for sale (OFS) for up to 16 per cent government stake at a floor price of Rs 88 per share in railway PSU IRCON will open. The base issue size of the OFS is 10 per cent or over 4.70 crore equity shares, with a green-shoe option to retain over-subscription of 6 per cent or over 2.82 crore shares. The total issue size, including green-shoe option, comes to 16 per cent or over 7.52 crore shares.

2. IATA appoints Standard Chartered Bank as EasyPay partner: International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Standard Chartered Bank as one of its IATA EasyPay service providers in India enabling greater payment flexibility to travel agents. IATA EasyPay is a new payment method which aids streamline payment flows within the aviation ecosystem. EasyPay is based on ‘pay-as-you-go’ and provides a secure alternative to traditional billing and settlement plan payment methods (cash or credit card) which is available to all the IATA accredited agents in India.

 AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Gandhi Peace Prize for the Year 2019 & 2020 announced: The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2019 is being conferred on (Late) His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman. Gandhi Peace Prize recognizes the unparalleled vision and leadership of the Late H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said in strengthening relations between India and Oman, and his efforts to promote peace and non-violence in the Gulf region.

On the other hand, Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020 is being conferred on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Committee selected the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods. The Gandhi Peace Prize recognizes the immense and unparalleled contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in inspiring the liberation of Bangladesh, bringing stability to a nation born out of strife, laying the foundation for the close and fraternal relations between India and Bangladesh, and promoting peace and non-violence in the Indian subcontinent

About the Gandhi Peace Prize: Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by the Government of India since 1995, the 125th Birth Anniversary commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex. The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/ handloom item.

DEFENCE

1. Defence Ministry deal with BDL to acquire 4,690 anti-tank guided missiles: The Defence Ministry has sealed a deal with the public sector undertaking Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to acquire 4,960 MILAN-2T anti-tank guided missiles at a cost of ₹ 1,188 crores for the Indian Army. The missiles, having a range of 1,850 metres, are being produced by BDL under license from French defence major MBDA Missile Systems. These missiles can be fired from the ground as well as vehicle-based launchers and can be deployed in the anti-tank role for both offensive and defensive tasks. The missile is being produced by BDL under license from MBDA Missile Systems, France. These missiles can be fired from the ground as well as vehicle-based launchers and can be deployed in Anti-Tank Role for both offensive & defensive tasks and will further enhance the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces.

Note: Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh; Bharat Dynamics Limited Founded: 1970, Hyderabad; Bharat Dynamics Limited Chairman & MD: Siddharth Mishra.

OBITUARIES

1. Noted filmmaker and writer SagarSarhadi passes away: Noted writer and filmmaker SagarSarhadi, known for films like “KabhiKabhie”, “Silsila”, and “Bazaar”, has passed away. He began his career as Urdu short stories writer and entered Bollywood through Yash Chopra’s 1976 “KabhiKabhie”, which had Amitabh Bachchan and Raakhee in the lead role. He turned director with “Bazaar” in 1982. He had written dialogues for various acclaimed films like “Silsila”, “Chandni”, “Deewana” “Kaho Na Pyaar Hai” etc.