Daily GK Update- 21st July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Maharashtra govt launches new EV Policy 2021: The Maharashtra state government has launched the new Electric Vehicle Policy-2021. The policy announced by the State Environment Minister, Aaditya Thackeray aims to accelerate the adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles in the country. The new EV policy introduced in Maharashtra is a revision of the 2018 policy. It is introduced with an aim to make Maharashtra the “topmost producer of battery-powered electric vehicles in India.” The policy also aims for electric vehicles (EVs) to make up 10 per cent of all new vehicle registrations, by 2025. For this ambitious mission, the state government has rolled out anRs. 930 crore policy, valid up to 31st March 2025. To make this successful, EVs will be exempted from road tax and registration charges.

Note: Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai; Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.

 

2. Andhra govt announces 10% reservation for EWS: The Andhra Pradesh government announced a 10% reservation for the Kapu community and other Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) for appointments in the initial posts and services in State government in accordance with the Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019. The 10% reservation in employment will benefit Kapus who are neither benefited under BC quota nor under EWS quota and other Open Competition (OC) sections who are deprived of the benefits of reservation thus far due to non-implementation of the EWS quota.

The following are the operational guidelines for implementation of the 10% reservation:

(1) Persons who are not covered under the existing scheme of reservations for SCs, STs and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and whose gross annual family income is below Rs 8 lakh are to be identified as EWS for the benefit of reservation.

(2) The income includes income from all sources i.e. salary, agriculture, business, profession etc. for the financial year prior to the year of application.

(3) The term family for this purpose will include the person who seeks the benefit of reservation, his or her parents and siblings below the age of 18 years as also his or her spouse and children below the age of 18 years.

(4) The persons seeking the benefit of reservation under the EWS category have to obtain the necessary EWS certificates from the Tahsildars concerned.

Note: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy; Governor: BiswaBhusanHarichandan.

 

3. India’s first monk fruit cultivation exercise begins in HP’s Kullu: The ‘monk fruit’ from China, which is known for its properties as a non-caloric natural sweetener, was introduced for field trials in Himachal Pradesh by the Palampur-based Council of Scientific Research and Industrial Technology Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) in Kullu. The field trials have begun three years after the CSIR-IHBT imported its seeds from China and grew it in the house. Fifty seedlings were planted in the fields of progressive farmer ManavKhullar from Raison village for field trials and CSIR-IHBT signed a ‘Material Transfer Agreement’ with Manav. The economic benefits of the new crop are estimated to be between Rs 3 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh per hectare. The plant prefers mountainous area with an annual mean temperature of about 16–20 °C and humid conditions.

Note: Himachal Pradesh Governor: BandaruDattatreya; Himachal Pradesh CM: Jai Ram Thakur.

 

4. HC of J&K and Ladakh renamed as ‘High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh: The ‘Common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh’ has been officially renamed as the ‘High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.’ The order was notified by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, Department of Justice. President Ram NathKovind has signed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2021 to effect the change, in the exercise of the powers conferred Section 103 (1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

Note: Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of J&K: Manoj Sinha; Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh: Radha Krishna Mathur.

 

5. IIT-Madras develops AI algorithm called ‘NBDriver’: Indian Institute of Technology Madras Researchers has developed an Artificial Intelligence-based Mathematical Model called ‘NBDriver’ to identify cancer-causing alterations in cells. The algorithm uses a relatively unexplored technique of leveraging DNA composition to pinpoint genetic alterations responsible for cancer progression, which is difficult using present methodologies. Understanding the underlying mechanism of these alterations will help identify the most appropriate treatment strategy for a patient in an approach known as ‘precision oncology’.

 

6. A new book titled ‘The India Story’ by BimalJalan: Former RBI governor BimalJalan writes a new book titled ‘The India Story’. The book focuses on India’s economic history and aims to provide lessons for the future of India’s political economy. He traces India’s economic policies from 1991 to 2019 to offer insights on learning from the past, before moving ‘Beyond the Metrics of Economy’ to talk about the role of governance in implementing these policies. He also authored the books ‘India Then and Now’, ‘India Ahead’.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Saudi Arabia ends male guardian requirement for women attending hajj: According to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Saudi Arabia, women can now register for the annual Hajj pilgrimage without a male guardian (marham). In registration guidelines of Hajj for domestic pilgrims, the ministry highlights, women do not need to require a male guardian to register and could do registration along with other women. Women wishing to perform Hajj will have to register individually. India had announced the same rule in 2017 when the Modi government declared that women could go on Hajj without a male companion. Muslim women were exempted from mahram and also from the lottery system.

Note: Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh; Saudi Arabia Currency: Saudi riyal.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix 2021: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), won the British Grand Prix 2021, for a record-extending eighth time. The event was held on July 18, 2021, at the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom. This is the 99th career win of seven times world champion Hamilton and the fourth win of the current season after 10 races. Monaco based Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) stood second. Hamilton’s teammate ValtteriBottas from Finland, finished third.

 

2. Bangladesh Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to get Olympic Laurel: Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus will receive the Olympic Laurel at the Tokyo Games, the second time the trophy will be awarded. Yunus, whose pioneering micro-lender has been hailed for cutting poverty across the globe, will be honoured for “his extensive work in sport for development. The 81-year-old economist-turned-globe-trotting celebrity speaker won the Nobel in 2006. He will be given the award at the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony on July 23.

About the Olympic Laurel: The Olympic Laurel was created five years ago to recogniseendeavours in culture, education, peace and development through sport. It was given for the first time at the 2016 Rio Games to Kenyan former Olympian Kip Keino, who opened a children’s home, a school and an athletes’ training centre in his home country.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bank of Maharashtra signs MoU with NABARD: Bank of Maharashtra has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) to boost ongoing developmental initiatives linked to priority sector lending in Maharashtra. It is on a collaborative approach to enhance rural prosperity through the convergence of institutional lending & ongoing development initiative. The MoU envisages joint initiatives for the benefit of farmers, farmer producer organisations, joint liability groups, self-help groups, rural artisans, weavers, Agri-preneurs, Agri start-ups, micro, small and medium enterprises in the State.

Note: Maharashtra Headquarters: Pune; Maharashtra CEO: A. S. Rajeev; Maharashtra Founded: 16 September 1935;

Chairman of NABARD: G R Chintala; NABARD Founded: 12 July 1982; NABARD Headquarters: Mumbai.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Google Cloud launches second ‘Cloud Region’ in India: Google Cloud has announced the launch of its new Cloud Region in Delhi NCR, for customers and the public sector in India and across the Asia Pacific. With the new region, the customers operating in the country will benefit from lower latency and higher performance of their cloud-based workloads and data. This new Google Cloud region is the second such in India after Mumbai and the 10th in Asia-Pacific. As the second cloud region, customers are expected to benefit from improved business continuity planning, while maintaining data sovereignty. Totally, 26 Google Cloud regions are present across the world.

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

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. India’s Payal Kapadia wins best documentary award in Cannes 2021: Director Payal Kapadia’s, “A Night of Knowing Nothing” won the Oeild’or (Golden Eye) award for best documentary at the 74th Cannes Film Festival. The Mumbai-based filmmaker’s first feature bagged the prestigious prize in a formidable field made up of 28 documentaries presented across various sections of the festival. A Night of Knowing Nothing screened as part of the Directors’ Fortnight, a section that runs parallel to the festival.

About the award: The award was instituted in 2015 by LaScam (the French-Speaking Writers’ Society) and Bertuccelli in collaboration with the Cannes Film Festival and its general delegate Thierry Fremaux.

About the Payal Kapadia: Kapadia, an alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), also has films such as the documentary And What is the Summer Saying (2018) and Last Mango Before the Monsoon, 2015 short, to her credit.

 

2. 2-Indian organisations win UNDP Equator Prize 2021: AadhimalaiPazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited and Snehakunja Trust are among the 10 awardees of the prestigious Equator Prize 2021 for their work in the field of conservation and biodiversity. The UNDP gives a biennial award to recognize community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

About the AadhimalaiPazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited: AadhimalaiPazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited is a 1,700-member cooperative, managed and run entirely by indigenous people from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu and its work in the past eight years has improved livelihood across 147 villages by processing and marketing a diverse range of forest produce and crops.

About the Snehakunja Trust: Snehakunja Trust has protected sensitive wetland and coastal ecosystems in the Western Ghats and the Karnataka coast for 45 years with a focus on community-based restoration and conservation.