Daily GK Update- 17th Aug, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi sets India’s target to become ‘energy independent’ by 2047: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the target of becoming an ‘energy independent country by the year 2047, the year when India will celebrate the 100th year of Independence. For this, PM has announced a ‘Mission Circular Economy’ that will replace petroleum with other forms of energy to make India achieve self-reliance in energy production by 2047.

About the Mission Circular Economy: Mission Circular Economy would include a mix of electric mobility, gas-based economy, doping ethanol in petrol and making the country a hub for hydrogen production. Modi government has decided to set up the National Hydrogen Mission to make India a new global hub and the exporter of green hydrogen.

 

2. Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar flags off ‘Operation Blue Freedom’: The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar has flagged off a pioneering world record expedition named ‘Operation Blue Freedom’ from Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi on the occasion of 75th Independence Day. The Operation Blue Freedom expedition comprise of a team of people with disabilities from across the country to reach Siachen Glacier, to create a new World Record, for the largest team of people with disabilities reaching the world’s highest battlefield.

The team of people with disabilities were trained by ‘Team CLAW’, a team of Armed Forces veterans. The expedition was undertaken till Kumar Post (Siachen Glacier). The event was organised by Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, a premier autonomous research body mandated to research and provide policy feed to empower marginalised communities and to bring in Socio Economic transformation in the society.

 

3. Ministry of Social Justice launches an e-study platform “TAPAS”: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has launched an online portal named TAPAS (Training for Augmenting Productivity and Services) to provide filmed lectures/courses and e-study material in the field of social defence. TAPAS is the initiative of the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The course can be taken up by anyone and is free of cost.

About TAPAS: TAPAS seeks to provide access to lectures by subject experts, study material and more, but in a manner that it supplements the physical classroom without compromising on the quality of teaching. The main objective of introducing the course modules, is to impart training and enhance the knowledge and skills for the capacity building of the participants. It can be taken up by anyone who wishes to enhance his or her knowledge on the topics and there is no fee for joining.

 

4. Chandrayaan-2 orbiter detects water molecules on lunar surface: India’s Chandrayaan-2 moon mission may have made a hard landing on the lunar surface in 2019, but the orbiter accompanying it has been providing useful information to scientists back on Earth. A research paper revealed that the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter confirmed the presence of water molecules (H2o) and hydroxyl (OH) on the surface of the moon. The findings were published in the journal Current Science. “The initial data analysis from IIRS clearly demonstrates the presence of widespread lunar hydration and unambiguous detection of OH and H2O signatures between 29 degrees north and 62 degrees north latitude. The discovery was made by the orbiter’s imaging infrared spectrometer (IIRS).

About the Mission: The Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in July 2019. But Vikram lander on-board the mission crash-landed on the lunar surface just 2.1 km from its destination in September that year. Chandrayaan-2 was launched with the aim of mapping the variations in lunar surface composition, as well as locating and studying the surface of the Moon for the presence of water.

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

 

5. Vice President releases book ‘Accelerating India: 7 Years of Modi Government’: The Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu has released a book ‘Accelerating India: 7 Years of Modi Government’ at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas. The book commemorates the achievement and evaluation of two elected terms of PM Modi as the Head of Parliamentary. Releasing the book, VP Naidu said that as India will celebrate 75 years of independence, it was time to study the progress of the constitutional promise of a ‘dignified life to the common man.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Afghanistan Prez Ashraf Ghani steps down, as Taliban forces takes power: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani will shortly tender his resignation, as the government has surrendered to the Taliban forces, which entered Kabul and sought the unconditional surrender of the central government. Following this, a new interim government has been announced, which is likely to be headed by Ali Ahamd Jalali, a US-based academic. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as the Islamist terrorists entered the city, he wanted to avoid bloodshed, while hundreds of Afghans desperate to leave flooded Kabul airport.

In Washington, opponents of President Joe Biden’s decision to end America’s longest war, launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.  American diplomats were flown by helicopter to the airport from their embassy in the fortified Wazir Akbar Khan district as Afghan forces, trained for years and equipped by the United States and others at a cost of billions of dollars, melted away.

Note: Afghanistan Capital: Kabul; Afghanistan Currency: Afghan afghani; Afghanistan Official languages: Pashto, Dari.

 

2. WHO forms Advisory Group named “SAGO”: World Health Organization (WHO) has created a new advisory group named, The International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens, or SAGO. The function of SAGO will be to systematically study the emergence of future emerging pathogens with pandemic potential, and advise the development in this regard to WHO. WHO has made an open call for nominations to SAGO from the member countries, thus providing a transparent foundation for the new scientific advisory group. The group will also work towards finding the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Note: President of the World Health Organisation: Tedros Adhanom; Headquarters of WHO: Geneva, Switzerland; WHO founded: 7 April 1948.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Harshit Raja becomes India’s 69th Chess Grandmaster: The 20-year-old Chess player Harshit Raja from Pune, Maharashtra has become the 69th Grandmaster of India in Chess. He achieved the feat of becoming the GM at Biel Masters Open 2021 where he drew his game against Dennis Wagner to get his final GM norm with one round to spare. Grandmaster (GM) title is awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE and is the highest title a chess player can attain.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI cancels license of Raigad based Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank: The Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the license of Raigad based Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank Limited in Maharashtra. As informed by the Reserve Bank of India, the license of Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank was cancelled due to insufficient capital and earning prospects and its continuance would have adversely affected depositors. RBI has added that the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank. RBI has informed that 95 per cent of the depositors will receive full amounts of their deposits from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation. On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Five lakh rupees.

 

2. RBI imposes ₹1 crore penalty on Cooperatieve Rabobank U.A: RBI imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1 crore on Cooperatieve Rabobank UA. Its Mumbai Branch is a part of the Netherlands-based Rabobank Group. The penalty has been imposed for contravention of certain provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and directions related to ‘transfer to reserve funds’. The RBI said it conducted a statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (ISE) of the bank with reference to the bank’s financial position as on 31 March last year. Examination of the risk assessment report pertaining to the same revealed contravention of the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act and the directions issued by the central bank.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Adi Godrej to step down from Godrej India board: Adi Godrej will step down as the chairman of Godrej Industries on October 01, 2021. He will be replaced by Nadir Godrej, his younger brother. Godrej Industries (GIL) is the holding company of the Godrej group. Presently Nadir Godrej is the Managing Director of Godrej Industries. However, Adi Godrej will continue to serve as the Chairman of Godrej Group.

Note: Godrej Industries Founded: 1963; Godrej Industries Headquarters: Maharashtra.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. President Ram Nath Kovind confers 144 Gallantry awards in 2021: President Shri Ram Nath Kovind, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has approved 144 Gallantry awards for armed forces, police and paramilitary personnel on the occasion of Independence Day 2021. Besides, President Kovide also approved 28 Mention-in-Despatches to the army personnel for their significant contributions in different military operations.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former India defender Chinmoy Chatterjee passes away: Eminent India-international footballer Chinmoy Chatterjee, who played for the three Maidan heavyweights in his prime in the 1970-80s, has passed away. He was a member of the Indian team at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games where they finished fourth in the quarterfinal league. Chatterjee played for Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting, during his domestic career. He also represented Bengal in the Santosh Trophy four times, and became champions in three of them.