Daily GK Update- 16th, May 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM KisanSamman Nidhi: Eighth Instalment released: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently released the eighth instalment of Prime Minister KisanSamman Nidhi. The Government of India transfers Rs 6,000 to the account of small and marginal farmers. These funds are transferred in three instalments. The first instalment of Rs 2,000 is made between April and June. The second Instalment is made between August and November. The third instalment is made between December and March.

About PMKSN: The scheme was begun in 2018. The scheme provides financial support to farmers who hold land ownership up to two hectares. Since its inception, the GoI has provided Rs 75,000 crores. It aims to cover 125 million farmers irrespective of their land size.

 

2. Manisha Kapoor joins executive committee of ICAS: Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) announced that its general secretary Manisha Kapoor has been appointed to the executive committee of the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS). Until April, ASCI served on the executive committee as a member for a two-year term. Now, Kapoor will play a leadership role on the committee till 2023. She will be one of the four global vice-presidents on the executive committee.

In her role as part of the ICAS leadership team, she will promote advertising self-regulation as an optimal mechanism for consumer protection, strengthen ICAS as a global alliance and facilitate knowledge sharing among SROs to establish best practices and monitor global trends in advertising ecosystem that impact self-regulation. She will also work closely with established and emerging digital platforms to make the online space more transparent and fair for consumers.

Note: President of ICAS: Guy Parker; ICAS Headquarters: Brussels Capital, Belgium;

Advertising Standards Council of India Founded: 1985; Advertising Standards Council of India Headquarters: Mumbai.

 

3. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Declares Malerkotla as 23rd District: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has declared Malerkotla as the 23rd district of the state on May 14, 2021, on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Malerkotla is a Muslim-dominated area and has been carved out of the Sangrur district of the state. The government had promised that Malerkotla will be declared a district soon in 2017.

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

 

4. Chhattisgarh develops CGTeeka web portal for systematic vaccination of people: Making Covid vaccination registration quick, convenient and hassle-free, the Chhattisgarh government has developed a web portal ‘CGTeeka’ for systematic vaccination of people in the age group 18-44 years. This web portal, developed by CHiPS, was launched by Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel. CGTeeka web portal has been developed on the basis of social and geographical conditions in the state. This initiative of the government would save the people from waiting in long queues.

 

5. National Dengue Day: 16th May: In India, the National Dengue Day is observed every year on 16 May. The day is an initiative by the Ministry of Healthy and Family Welfare, to raise awareness about dengue and its preventive measures, and preparedness for control of the vector-borne disease before the transmission season begins.

About the Dengue: Dengue is spread through the bite of the female mosquito (Aedesaegypti). Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is caused by the dengue virus of four distinct serotypes — DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. Dengue, which is spread by the Aedesalbopictus species of mosquitos, can lead to flu-like illness such as severe muscle pain and nausea and can lead to death if not cured properly.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. KP Sharma Oli Re-appointed as Prime Minister of Nepal: In Nepal, KP Sharma Oli was re-appointed as the Prime Minister of the country by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari. Oli was administered the oath of office by the President on May 14, 2021. Now, he must prove that he has majority support in the House within 30 days. This will be his third stint as Prime Minister. He was first appointed as PM from 12 October 2015 to 4 August 2016, and then again from 15 February 2018 to 13 May 2021. Key highlights:

(1) The decision to re-appoint Oli was taken after none of the opposition party could secure majority seats in the House to form a new government or apply for it in the provided time frame (by 9 pm on 13 May 2021).

(2) As a result, Oli, who is the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-UML), the largest party in the House of Representatives, was appointed for Prime Minister, as per the provision of 76(3) of the Constitution of Nepal.

(3) It must be noted that, on 10 May 2021, Oli failed to obtain a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives, gaining only 93 of the total 232 votes cast, which was 43 votes short of reaching the 136-vote majority required to win the confidence vote. As a result, Oli was automatically relieved from his post.

 

2. China’s First Mars Rover ‘ZhuRong’ Successfully Lands on Mars: China successfully achieved the feat of landing its first Mars Rover ‘Zhu Rong’ on the red planet, on May 15, 2021, becoming the only second nation to do so. Till date, only the United States has successfully landed its rover on Mars. All other countries that have tried have either crashed or lost contact soon after reaching the surface.

The vehicle used a combination of a protective capsule, a parachute & a rocket platform to make the descent. Zhurong, which means God of Fire, was carried to Mars on the Tianwen-1 orbiter. China’s Mars rover, called Zhurong after an ancient fire god in Chinese mythology, will part ways with the lander by driving down a foldable ramp. Once it has deployed, the rover is expected to spend at least 90 Mars days.

Note: China National Space Administration Founded: 22 April 1993; China National Space Administration Administrator: Zhang Kejian; China National Space Administration Headquarters: Haidian District, Beijing, China.

 

3. 4th India-Swiss Financial Dialogue held virtually: The fourth India-Swiss Financial Dialogue was held here virtually through video conferencing. Ajay Seth, Secretary Economic Affairs led the Indian delegation. The delegation from the Swiss side was led by Daniela Stoffel, State Secretary, and State Secretariat for International Finance, Switzerland.About the Dialogue:

(1) The dialogue, inter-alia, covered sharing of experiences by both countries for collaboration on various aspects including investments, International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA), National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), FinTech, sustainable finance and cross border financial services.

(2) Further, matters relating to G20, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy were discussed along with infrastructure financing, read the release.

Note: Switzerland Currency: Swiss franc; Switzerland Capital: Bern; President of Switzerland: Guy Parmelin

 

4. International Day of Light: 16th May: The International Day of Light (IDL) is celebrated on 16 May each year to mark the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. The day celebrates the role that light plays in science, culture and art, education, and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications, and energy to help achieve the goals of UNESCO – ‘education, equality, and peace. The message of 2021 International Day of Light is “Trust Science”. The celebration of the International Day of Light will enable various sectors of society worldwide to get indulge in activities that display how science, technology, art and culture can help in achieving the goals of UNESCO i.e. building the foundation for peaceful societies.

Note: UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France; UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.

 

5. International Day of Living Together in Peace: 16th May: The International Day of Living Together in Peace is held on 16th May every year since 2018. The UN General Assembly, declared 16 May the International Day of Living Together in Peace, as a means of regularly mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity. The Day aims to uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony.

History of the day: The United Nations General Assembly decided to celebrate 16th May as the International Day of Living Together in Peace on 8th December 2017.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Ramesh Powar appointed Head Coach of Indian Women’s Cricket team: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the appointment of Ramesh Powar as the Head Coach of Team India (Senior Women). The three-member Cricket Advisory Committee comprising SulakshanaNaik, Madan Lal and RudraPratap Singh interviewed the applicants and unanimously agreed on Powar’s candidature. A former international, Powar played 2 Tests and 31 ODIs for India.

Note: Secretary of BCCI: Jay Shah; President of BCCI: SouravGanguly; Headquarters of BCCI: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Founded: December 1928.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Geojit sign an ink pact with PNB to offer three-in-one account: Geojit Financial Services has entered into an agreement with Punjab National Bank to provide a three-in-one account to the latter’s customers. The new service gives customers who have a savings account with PNB, a PNB Demat account and a Geojit trading account. Saving and Demat accounts can be opened online in PNB with a hassle-free approach.About the 3-in-1 account:

(1) The 3-in-1 account makes it easier for PNB customers to transfer funds in real-time via the payment gateway facility from their savings accounts to meet their investment needs.

(2) The trading account, which can be opened online in 15 minutes, provides a seamless interface to invest online in the avenues offered by Geojit.

(3) PNB clients can now open a Geojit Trading account online and start investing online in equity as well as Geojit’sSmartfolios product. This will help clients diversify their investments and manage them all through one account.

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. Google Pay users in US can now transfer money to India, Singapore: Alphabet Inc’s Google has launched international money transfer partnerships with remittances firms Wise and Western Union Co for users of its U.S. payments app. Google Pay users in the United States can now transfer money to app customers in India and Singapore, with plans to expand to the 80 countries available via Wise, and 200 via Western Union by the end of the year.

About the partnership:

(1) The company has partnered with Western Union and Wise, both of which have integrated their services into Google Play.

(2) When Google Pay users in the U.S. attempt to send money to someone in India or Singapore, they will be informed about the exact amount that the recipient will receive.

(3) From within the Google Pay app, users also get to choose which payments provider Wise or Western Union, they wish to use and how long it would take for the recipient to receive the money.

Note: Google CEO: SundarPichai; Google Founded: 4 September 1998, California, United States; Google Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin.

 

2. Retail inflation eases to 4.29% in April: The country’s retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased to 4.29 per cent in the month of April. Separately, India’s factory output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), witnessed a growth of 22.4 per cent in March, two separate data released by the Ministry of Statistics &Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The retail inflation during the month of March was at 5.52 per cent. This is the fifth consecutive month that the CPI data has come within the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper margin of 6 per cent. The government has asked the central bank to maintain retail inflation at 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on either side for a five-year period ending March 2026.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former CBI officer K Ragothaman passes away: Former CBI officer K Ragothaman has passed away. He was the chief investigation officer of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He was awarded the Police Medal in 1988 and President Medal in 1994. Ragothaman has authored many books including Conspiracy to Kill Rajiv Gandhi, Third Degree Crime Investigation Management and Crime and the Criminal. He joined the CBI in 1968 as a sub-inspector of police.