Daily GK Update- 28th Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India and World Bank signs USD 32 million loan for Mizoram: The Government of India, along with the Government of Mizoram has signed a $32 million loan agreement with World Bank for Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project. The project aims to improve the management capacity and quality of health services in Mizoram, with a focus on the benefit of under-served areas and vulnerable groups.

Benefits of the project:

(1) The project will strengthen the governance and the management structure of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) and its subsidiaries, improve the quality and coverage of services delivered by the state government health systems, and invest in a comprehensive Quality Assurance program which would enable quality certification of health facilities.

(2) The Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project will benefit the people across all eight districts of the state. It will also benefit health sector staff, specifically at the secondary and primary levels, by strengthening their planning and management capacity along with building their clinical skills and competencies.

Note: World Bank Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States; World Bank Formation: July 1944; World Bank President: David Malpass.

Chief Minister of Mizoram: Pu Zoramthanga; Governor: P.S. Sreedharan Pillai.

 

2. ICCR was appointed as the personnel certification body of the Yoga Certification Board of India: Yoga Certification Board of India has appointed Indian Council for Cultural Relations as the personnel certification body. ICCR, along with the Ministry of Ayush, will now start Yoga Certification courses for the professionals across the world. Apart from holding Yoga courses, ICCR will now ensure Indian embassies become the centres for Yoga Certification

 

3. KarnamMalleswari appointed 1st vice chancellor of Delhi Sports University: The Delhi government appointed former Olympic medalist weightlifter KarnamMalleswari as the first Vice-Chancellor of Delhi Sports University. She is the first Indian woman weightlifter to bring home an Olympic medal. She created history at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 by lifting 110 kilograms and 130 kilograms in the ‘snatch’ and ‘clean and jerk’ categories. She has also been awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award and Padma Shri.

 

4. Ruskin Bond’s book titled ‘It’s a wonderful Life’ launched: Indian British author Ruskin Bond has authored a new book titled ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is published by Aleph Book Company. The book is written in a perceptive, uplifting, deeply moving, and non-fictional way.  He is a recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. His First Novel was the Room on the Roof’.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Narendra Singh Tomar addresses the 42nd session of the FAO Congress:Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar addressed 42nd session The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) conference virtually. The FAO and all 193 members of the European Union supported the new Strategic Framework 2022-2031 which will support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Hans Hoogwein, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to United Nations Organizations in Rome, as New Independent Chairman of the Council (ICC) for the next two years (2021–23).He will replace Khalid Mehboob of Pakistan.

 

2. Israel successfully tests laser that can shoot down drones mid-air: The Israeli military said it has successfully tested an airborne high-power laser that can shoot down drones, technology it hopes to deploy on a larger scale in the coming years. Israel already boasts a large and sophisticated air defense system, which the military says had a 90 per cent interception rate against thousands of rockets fired from Gaza during last month’s 11-day war. The laser technology would complement that system.

 

3. Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day: 27th June: The United Nations Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day is held on June 27 since 2017 to celebrate the work of MSME in local and global economies and their contribution to sustainable development. The day also recognises the contribution of these industries in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2021, the theme is “MSME 2021: key to an inclusive and sustainable recovery.” That is why the UN will be hosting a series of events to explore how MSMEs – the backbone of our economies – can be equipped to ensure an equitable and sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown breaks 100-meter backstroke world record: Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown breaks the 100-meter backstroke world record at the South Australian Aquatic Centre with a time of 57.45 seconds from the previous mark of 57.57 seconds set by American Regan Smith in 2019. Emily Seebohm finished second in 58.59 to qualify for her fourth Olympics.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI Card partners with Fabindia to launch Fabindia SBI Card: SBI Card, the country’s second-largest credit card issuer and Fabindia, a retail platform for a wide range of handcrafted products by the artisans of the country, have joined hands to launch an exclusive co-branded contactless credit card named “Fabindia SBI Card”. The card is designed with curated benefits and privileges to offer a rewarding shopping experience to its premium customers and comes in two variants — Fabindia SBI Card SELECT and Fabindia SBI Card. The introduction of the new Fabindia SBI Card further bolsters our premium portfolio, reinforces our commitment to enable our customers to embrace digital payments and contribute to the country’s digital economy.

Note: SBI Card MD and CEO: Rama Mohan Rao Amara; SBI Card Founded: October 1998; SBI Card Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana.

 

2. Google Pay expands cards tokenisation with more banks: Digital payments platform Google Pay has announced further expansion in the footprint of bank partners offering cards tokenisation on the Google Pay app. The platform had earlier rolled out tokenisation with Kotak Mahindra Bank, SBI Cards and Axis Bank. It has now added debit cards by SBI, IndusInd Bank and Federal Bank and Credit cards by IndusInd Bank and HSBC India to its slate. The feature also works with online merchants. With tokenisation, Google Pay users can use Near-field communication (NFC) capable devices/phones to make contactless payments at over 2.5 million Visa merchant locations. They can scan and pay at more than 1.5 million Bharat QR enabled merchants as well as pay bills and recharges from within their Google Pay app using their credit card.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. S&P Projects India’s Growth Forecast for FY22 to 9.5%: S&P Global Ratings cut India’s FY22 growth forecast for the current fiscal to 9.5 per cent, from 11 per cent earlier, and warned of the risk to the outlook from further waves of COVID pandemic. It also projected India’s growth at 7.8 per cent in the next fiscal ending March 31, 2023. The agency lowered the growth outlook saying that a severe second COVID-19 outbreak in April and May led to lockdowns imposed by states and a sharp contraction in economic activity.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Cochin International Airport won honour in airport service quality: Cochin International Airport (CIAL) won Airport Council International (ACI) Director General’s Roll of Excellence honour in Airport Service Quality. This recognition is awarded to those airports which, in the opinion of passengers, consistently delivered excellent services. Cochin International Airport has consistently delivered excellence in customer service by winning multiple awards for five years in past 10 years. It is one among six airports across the world that will receive recognition in 2021.

Note: Airport Council International Headquarters location: Montreal, Canada; Airport Council International Founded: 1991.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India- USA Navy Passage Exercise in Indian Ocean Region: The Indian Navy and the Air Force began a two-day passage exercise with U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Ronald Reagan during its transit through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The exercise aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship and cooperation by demonstrating the ability to integrate and coordinate comprehensively in maritime operations.

Indian Composition: The Navy’s INS Kochi and Teg, along with P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft and MiG 29K fighters, are participating in the exercise. For the exercise, which is under the area of responsibility of the Southern Air Command, the IAF forces are operating from bases under four operational commands and include Jaguar and Su-30 MKI fighters, Phalcon and Netra early warning aircraft and IL-78 air to air refueller aircraft.

U.S. Composition: The U.S.’ CSG comprises Nimitz class aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey and Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh. It has fielded F-18 fighters and E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft in the exercise being carried out south of Thiruvananthapuram on the western seaboard.

 

2. India successfully test fires subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay off Odisha coast: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired the subsonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ on June 24, 2021, from an Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha’s Balasore. This was the eighth test flight of the missile. The first test flight of Nirbhay was held on 12 March 2013.

About the Missile: Nirbhay is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile indigenously designed and developed by DRDO. The missile can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads. Nirbhay is a two-stage missile and can engage several targets in a single flight. The missile has a length of 6 metres, a width of 0.52 metres, a wingspan of 2.7 metres and weighs about 1500 kg. It has a strike range of about 1500 km.