Daily GK Updates - 17th April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. NITI Aayog launches ‘PoshanGyan’, a digital repository on health, nutrition: NITI Aayog, in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Centre for Social and Behaviour Change, Ashoka University launched called “PoshanGyan”, a national digital repository on health and nutrition. The website can be accessed through thr following link: https://poshangyan.niti.gov.in/. Key Features of PoshanGyan:

(1) The unique feature of the repository is that it has a crowdsourcing feature that allows anyone to submit communication material for inclusion on the website, followed by a review by a designated committee.

(2) PoshanGyan repository enables the search of communication materials on 14 thematic areas of health and nutrition across diverse languages, media types, target audiences and sources.

(3) Content for the repository has been sourced from the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and Women and Child Development and developmental organizations.

(4) The website provides an intuitive interface that means multi-parametric search, multiple downloads at a point in time, easy sharing of materials via social media and easy viewing on any type of smartphone.

(5) The portal will have a dedicated “Theme of the Month” in line with MoHFW and MoWCD guidelines to promote key topics.

 

2. Piyush Goyal Launches “e-SANTA”, an Electronic Marketplace for Aqua Farmers: Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal has inaugurated e-SANTA, an electronic marketplace, to provide a platform for connecting aqua farmers and buyers. e-SANTA aims to raise income, lifestyle, self-reliance, quality levels, traceability, of aqua farmers.

About the “e-SANTA”:

(1) e-SANTA stands for Electronic Solution for Augmenting NaCSA farmers’ Trade-in Aquaculture.

(2) Here, the term National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA) is an extension arm of the Marine Products Export Development Authority.

(3) It will act as an alternative marketing tool between farmers & buyers by eliminating middlemen.

(4) The platform will help the farmers to get a better price and the exporters to directly purchase quality products from the farmers and enhancing traceability.

(5) e-SANTA Portal can be accessed through the following link: https://esanta.gov.in/

 

3. “Online Grievance Management Portal” launched: Union Minister for Communication & IT and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the “Online Grievance Management Portal of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)”. About the Portal:

(1) NCSC Grievance Management portal would make it easier for Scheduled Castes population of our country to register their complaint from any part of the country.

(2) The portal shall enable them to file their application and other atrocity and services related grievances online and to get them addressed in a time bound manner.

(3) NCSC aims to streamline the grievance redressal especially of the Scheduled Caste population through this portal.

(4) The portal designed in collaboration with the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N), a Centre of Excellence under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India will facilitate an end-to-end e-filing of complaints and grievances and their tracking.

(5) Finally, it is intended to make the hearing process work on similar lines as e-courts.

 

4. HGCO19 an mRNA Vaccine Candidate: An additional government funding has been received by India’s mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine candidate-HGCO19 for its clinical studies. This funding has been awarded under the ‘Mission Covid Suraksha’. About HGCO19:

(1) HGCO19, the novel mRNA Vaccine candidate has been developed by Pune-based biotechnology company Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. in collaboration with HDT Biotech Corporation, USA.

(2) It has already demonstrated safety, immunogenicity, neutralization antibody activity in the rodent and non-human primate models.

(3) For Phase 1/2 clinical trials for its vaccine candidate HGCO19, Gennova has initiated the enrolment of volunteers.

(4) One of the advantage of mRNA vaccine is that they are considered safe due to non-infectious, non-integrating in nature, and degraded by standard cellular mechanisms.

(5) They are also highly efficacious and mRNA vaccines are fully synthetic.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. US President Biden announces complete troop withdrawal from Afghanistan: US President Joe Biden has announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year, thus bringing to end the country’s longest war. US troops, as well as forces deployed by our NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Allies and operational partners, will be out of Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary of that heinous attack on September 11 (2001).

Why the US withdraw their troops from Afghanistan: Biden and his team are refining national strategy to monitor and disrupt significant terrorist threats not only in Afghanistan, but anywhere they may arise — Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Before making the announcement, Biden had spoken with former US presidents Barack Obama and George Bush. The US and the Taliban signed a landmark deal in Doha on February 29, 2020, to bring lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan and allow US troops to return home from America’s longest war.

 

2. Prime Minister of Haiti Joseph Jouthe Resigns: Prime Minister of Haiti, Joseph Jouthe has resigned following a situation of unrest in the country due to an increase in killing and kidnapping cases over the past few days. Joseph Jouthe served as the Prime Minister of Haiti from March 4, 2020, until April 14, 2021. President JovenelMoise has nominated Claude Joseph as the new prime minister of Haiti.

Note: Haiti Capital: Port-au-Prince; Currency: Haitian gourde.

 

3. India sign MoU with France for cooperation on Gaganyaan Mission: The Indian space agency, ISRO has signed an agreement with the space agency of France CNES for cooperation in its first human space mission, Gaganyaan. CNES will train Indian flight physicians and CAPCOM mission control teams at French facilities. The Gaganyaan orbital spacecraft project was kicked off in August 2018. It originally intended to send astronauts from Indian soil to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022.

Under the agreement: CNES will provide equipment developed by it, tested and still operating aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to Indian crews. It will also supply fireproof carry bags made in France to shield equipment from shocks and radiation. The agreement provides for the CNES to support the implementation of a scientific experiment plan on validation missions, exchange information on food packaging and the nutrition programme, and above all the use by Indian astronauts of French equipment, consumables and medical instruments.

Note: ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan; ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka; ISRO established: 15 August 1969.

 

4. World Hemophilia Day: 17th April: World Hemophilia Day observed globally on 17 April every year. This day is observed to raise awareness for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. The date was chosen in honour of the World Federation of Hemophilia founder Frank Schnabel birthday. This year is the 30th edition of World Haemophilia Day. The theme for 2021 World Hemophilia Day is “Adapting to Change: Sustaining care in a new world”. The day is being held since 1989, which marks the birthday of Frank Schnabel, founder of the World Federation of Hemophilia.

What is Hemophilia: It is a rare disorder in which your blood doesn’t clot normally because it lacks sufficient blood-clotting proteins /factors. If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time after an injury than you would if your blood clotted normally.

Note: World Federation of Hemophilia Founder: Frank Schnabel; World Federation of Hemophilia Founded: 1963; World Federation of Hemophilia Headquarters location: Montreal, Canada.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Punjab National Bank launches digital initiative PNB@Ease: Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a digital initiative “PNB@Ease” under which every transaction undertaken by a bank branch will be initiated and authorised by customers themselves. This facility will enable the customers to avail all banking services under one roof. On its 127th foundation day, PNB announced other digital initiatives such as the instant opening of online saving accounts via video-KYC, insta pre-approved loan, instaDemat account and insurance facility through internet and mobile banking services. PNB’s 127th Foundation Day celebrated on Apr 12, 2021.

About the “PNB@Ease”: This facility will enable the customers to avail all banking services under one roof, he said, adding, PNB@Ease outlets would boost the bank’s distribution capability and lower the cost of customer acquisition. The service can range from savings accounts opening to availing various loans and more, without visiting a branch or help from the bank employees.

Note: Punjab National Bank Headquarters: New Delhi; Punjab National Bank MD and CEO: S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao; Punjab National Bank Founded: 19 May 1894, Lahore, Pakistan.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Bharat Petroleum partners Accenture for digital transformation of sales, distribution network: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), India’s second-largest oil marketing company, has collaborated with Irish multinational company Accenture to transform its sales and distribution network. Through artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies to build, design and implement a digital platform called Iris, Accenture will integrate real-time data from across BPCL’s countrywide network, including more than 18,000 fuel retail outlets, 25,000 tank trucks, 75 oil installations, and depots, 52 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling plants and 250 additional industrial and commercial locations, to provide a consolidated view of BPCL’s sales and distribution network.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Marathi film Puglya wins Best Foreign Feature at Moscow Film Fest: The Marathi film “Puglya” has won the Best Foreign Language Feature award at Moscow International Film Festival, 2021. The film Puglya has been directed and produced by Vinod Sam Peter under the banner Abraham Films. So far, this film has won over 45 awards and recognitions at various international film festivals. The film is yet to be released in India. The film revolves around a pug and two boys, who are around 10 years old.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former CBI Chief Ranjit Sinha passes away: Former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ranjit Sinha has passed away. He was a 1974-batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre, who served as CBI Director from 3 December 2012 to 2 December 2014. Prior to being appointed as CBI Director, Sinha had headed Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force, the Railway Protection Force and several other senior positions in the CBI in Patna and Delhi.