Daily GK Update- 16th Aug, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Indore declared India’s first ‘Water Plus’ certified city: India’s cleanest city, Indore in Madhya Pradesh, has achieved another feat of being declared as the country’s first ‘water plus’ certified city, under the Swachh Survekshan 2021. Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The parameters on which Indore achieved the ‘water plus’ status:

(1) Indore carried out a survey and halted 7,000 outfalls of greywater that went in rivers, drains.

(2) Moreover, 30 per cent of the city’s sewage water was recycled and reused. This recycled water was used by people in their gardens and some construction sites.

(3) Seven sewerage treatment plants were constructed in the city and about 110 million litres per day (MLD) treated water from them is being used.

What is the ‘Water+’ city certificate: A Water Plus city certificate is provided to a city that maintains cleanliness in rivers and drains under its administration. According to protocol and the toolkit provided by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs, a city can be declared as Water Plus only after all wastewater released from households, commercial establishments, and the like is treated to a satisfactory level before releasing the treated wastewater to the environment.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel.

 

2. Meghalaya govt to provide free treatment to COVID-19 patients under ‘Out of Pocket Treatment’ scheme: Health Minister Prestone Tynsong after a meeting told reporters that all expenses for treatment of COVID 19 patients will be covered under the scheme and it will be known as ‘Out of Pocket Treatment’.  The decision was taken after MHIS put up a proposal to cover COVID patients under the scheme. Earlier 60 percent of the cost for COVID treatment was covered under MHIS but now all expenses under five categories will be covered.  He further said that the rates calculated are approved by the Government and will be implemented from 15th August 2021.

 

3. Himachal Pradesh State Handicrafts & Handloom Corporation signs MoU with Flipkart for online sale: The Himachal Pradesh State Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation has signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with online retailer Flipkart for online sale and promotion of the products made by local artisans and  craftsmen to customers across the globe. The pact signed between two is an important step towards the promotion of rural economy and boost the sale of handicraft and handloom products of the state. It may be recalled that  MoU would provide an e-Commerce platform for over 20,000 artisans associated with handloom and handicrafts in the State.

 

4. PM Modi Transfers About Rs 19,500 Crore to Over 9.75 Crore Farmers Under PM-KISAN Scheme: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually transferred about Rs 19,500 crore to over 9.75 crore beneficiaries farmers under the government’s PM-KISAN scheme. With this, the government has so far transferred nine installments amounting around Rs 1.57 lakh crore to farmer families under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. An annual financial benefit of Rs 6,000 is provided to eligible beneficiary farmer families, payable in three equal four-monthly installments of Rs 2,000 each, under the PM-KISAN scheme.

 

5. LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates “Bungus Awaam Mela” in J&K: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has inaugurated the Bungus Awaam Mela with grand arrangements for village games, exhilarating local performances, and other activities to celebrate the 75th year of Independence at Bungus valley in Kupwara district. While inaugurating the fair, the Lt Governor paid tributes to the great revolutionary, freedom fighter Khudiram Bose, on his death anniversary. He also remembered countless others who made sacrifices and invaluable contributions towards achieving the Independence of the country. To make the Bungus valley environmentally sustainable, the LG directed the Forests and Tourism Department to chart out a viable “Eco-Tourism” plan for the region and all other prominent beautiful grasslands and meadows in the UT. He also suggested for undertaking a feasibility study for starting a cable car in this trekker’s paradise.

 

6. PM Modi declares August 14 as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that, August 14 will be observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ or ‘Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas’, in memory of people’s struggles and sacrifices during the partition of the country in 1947. The day aims to inspire us to eliminate the poison of discrimination, animosity and ill-will, as well as strengthen unity, social harmony and human sensibilities. Pakistan celebrates August 14 as its Independence Day.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Pakistan successfully test-fires nuclear-capable ballistic missile Ghaznavi: The Pakistan Army successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi. The Ghaznavi missile can strike targets up to 290 kilometres and is capable of carrying both nuclear as well as conventional warheads. The training launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) and re-validating technical parameters of the weapon system.

Note: President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi; Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Indian Bank signs MoU with Paralympic Committee: Public sector Indian Bank has signed an MoU with the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) as one of the banking partners of the Paralympic Games scheduled to commence from August 24 in Tokyo, Japan. The bank, through its year-long association with PCI, will provide financial assistance to paralympic athletes. The President of the Paralympic Committee of India is Deepa Malik. In a year-long association, the bank will provide financial assistance to Paralympic athletes to prepare for the coveted sporting events in the domestic arena as well as global platforms. Timely financial aid provided to these sportspersons will encourage them to focus their efforts on the game and win laurels for the country.

Note: Indian Bank Headquarters: Chennai; Indian Bank CEO: Padmaja Chunduru; Indian Bank: 1907.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Indian Navy, IDFC FIRST bank bring ‘Honour FIRST’ banking solutions: The Indian Navy has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) First Bank to initiate ‘Honour FIRST’. ‘Honour FIRST’ is a premium banking solution for serving personnel and veterans of the Indian Navy. Designed especially keeping in mind the needs of the Armed Forces and its veterans, the Honour FIRST Defence Account is supported by a dedicated team of defence veterans. The MoU for Honour FIRST was signed at the Naval Headquarters in New Delhi between Commodore Neeraj Malhotra, Commodore – Pay and Allowances, Indian Navy and IDFC FIRST Bank’s senior officials.

The imperative features of ‘Honour FIRST’:

(1) Studded with a range of privileges and features, the Honour FIRST Defence account comes with a free enhanced Personal Accident Insurance Cover of Rs. 46 lakhs for both on-duty and off-duty incidents.

(2) Additionally, the insurance not only covers accidental death but also total and partial permanent disability. The Personal Accident Insurance Cover also includes a child education grant of Rs. 4 lakhs and a marriage cover of Rs 2 lakh.

(3) Honour FIRST Defence Account also comprises a free lost card liability and fraud protection of up to Rs. 6 lakhs, purchase protection against theft and damage up to 90 days.

(4) Other benefits include free unlimited ATM transactions across all domestic ATMs in the country, free online payment transactions, unlimited cheque books and anywhere banking across the Bank’s network of branches and ATMs.

Note: IDFC First Bank Establishment: 2018; IDFC First Bank MD & CEO: V. Vaidyanathan; IDFC First Bank Headquarters; Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. ADB ties up with IIFL Home Finance to promote green housing in India: Asian Development Bank has embarked on a green housing initiative in India aiming to reduce carbon emissions and conserve water and energy. The multilateral development body has tied up with low cost housing financier IIFL Home Finance towards this end. ADB is also planning to engage other institutional stakeholders including the Indian government, which has initiated a massive drive towards housing for all. The program has a broad scope and reaches other key actors in the green affordable housing ecosystem in India to build capacity across a range of developers, other housing finance companies, and local /state/national government stakeholders.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Navy takes part in US Navy-led multinational SEACAT exercises: The Indian Navy participated in the U.S. Navy-led Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) military exercise in Singapore, to demonstrate its maritime manoeuvres. The main objective of SEACAT 2021 was to enhance the interoperability and shared maritime security concerns and preserve rules-based international order. The exercise comprised approximately 400 personnel and 10 ships. The 20th edition of the exercise was organised by the U.S. Navy, in Hybrid format, and included 20 other partner nations from the Indo-Pacific region, including India. Other countries participating in the exercise include Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

About the SEACAT: SEACAT was held for the first time in 2002. The exercise aims to foster enhanced cooperation between Southeast Asian countries by incorporating standardized training, tactics and procedures when faced with crises, contingencies or illegal activities in the maritime domain.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. German Football Legend Gerd Müller passes away: Former West Germany forward and the Bayern Munich football legend, Gerd Muller has passed away. At the international level, he represented West Germany, scoring 68 goals in 62 appearances, and at the club level, he played for Bayern Munich, with which he scored a record 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games. He was nicknamed “Bomber der Nation” (“the nation’s Bomber”) or simply “Der Bomber”, for his scoring prowess.