Daily GK Update- 31st Aug, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Govt introduces “Bharat series (BH-series)” registration: Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles i.e. “Bharat series (BH-series)”. The vehicles bearing the BH-series mark will not have to require the assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another. Earlier, under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, if a person moves from one state to another, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered, but a new registration with the new state- registering authority has to be made within the stipulated time of 12 months.

Who can apply for “BH-Series”: This facility is available on a voluntary basis to Defense personnel, employees of Central Government/ State Government/ Central/ State Public Sector Undertakings and private sector companies/organizations, which have their offices in four or more States/Union territories.

Format of Bharat series (BH-series) Registration Mark:

YY – Year of first registration

BH- Code for Bharat Series

####- 0000 to 9999 (randomized)

XX- Alphabets (AA to ZZ)

The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two. This scheme will facilitate the free movement of personal vehicles across States/UTs of India upon relocation to a new State/UT. After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.

Note: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways: Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

 

2. PM Modi dedicates renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak in Punjab’s Amritsar, to mark 102 years of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The historic garden is a memorial of national importance, preserved in the memory of countless revolutionaries, sacrificers, fighters, who were killed in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, which occurred on the festival of Baisakhi on 13 April 1919. Apart from this, PM Modi also inaugurated four museum galleries developed at the Smarak, to showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab in 1919. PM also announced multiple development initiatives taken by the government to upgrade the complex.

 

3. Rajnath Singh names Army Sports Institute, Pune as “Neeraj Chopra Stadium”: Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh visited the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune and named the Army Sports Institute stadium as “Neeraj Chopra Stadium”. The focus of the Indian Army (in the field of sports) is to identify and train promising sportspersons in 11 disciplines. The Indian Army’s “Mission Olympics” programme was launched in 2001 with the intent to deliver medal-winning performances in the Olympics and other international events.

Neeraj Chopra has won a Gold medal for India in the javelin throw event at Tokyo Olympics. With a throw of 87.03 metres in his first attempt, Neeraj killed the competition. In his second he improved it to 87.58m and that turned out to be the golden throw.

 

4. Ministry of Textiles in partnership with NIFT launches project ‘INDIAsize’: Ministry of Textile in partnership with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi has launched the project ‘INDIAsize’ to develop Indian size charts based on body measurements of the Indian population for better fitting of ready to wear garments. The project ‘INDIAsize’ plans to measure 25000 people in the age group of 18 to 65 years in six different regions of India using 3D body scanners. The six regions are- i.e. New Delhi (North), Mumbai (West), Chennai (South), Hyderabad (Centre), Kolkata (East) and Shillong (North-East).

 

5. World’s Highest Altitude Movie Theatre open in Ladakh: The world’s highest movie theatre has recently been inaugurated in Ladakh, which got its first-ever mobile digital movie theatre in the Paldan area of Leh, at an altitude of 11,562 feet. The inflatable theatre can operate in -28 degrees Celcius. The initiative aims to bring cinema watching experience to most remotest areas of India. It must be noted that four such theatres will be established in Leh in the coming period.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. BRICS-Agricultural Research Platform operationized to strengthen cooperation in agricultural research & innovations: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh has announced the operationalization of the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform (BRICS- ARP) for strengthening the cooperation of BRICS member nations in the field of agricultural research & innovations.

The BRICS- Agricultural Research Platform has been prepared and set up in India. The Coordinating Centre of the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform is housed at NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi. The platform will help in addressing the issues of world hunger, undernutrition, poverty and inequality by promoting sustainable agricultural development through strategic cooperation in agriculture and allied sector.

 

2. International Day for People of African Descent: 31st August: The International Day for People of African Descent is celebrated for the first time on 31 August 2021. The United Nations aims to promote the extraordinary contributions of the African diaspora around the world and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against people of African descent.

History of the day: The year 2020 marked the midterm of the International Decade for People of African Descent. While some progress has been made at legislative, policy and institutional levels, people of African descent continue to suffer intersectional and compounded forms of racial discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion. On 19 June 2020, the Human Rights Council adopted the resolution on the “Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers”.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Paralympics 2020: Avani Lekhara wins gold in Shooting: Shooter Avani Lekhara has scripted history as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, firing her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event. The 19-year-old from Jaipur, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, finished with a world record-equalling total of 249.6, which is also a new Paralympic record. Avani is only the fourth Indian athlete to win a Paralympics gold after swimmer Murlikant Petkar (1972), javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia (2004 and 2016) and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu (2016).

 

2. Paralympics 2020: Nishad Kumar wins silver in men’s high jump: India’s Nishad Kumar has clinched a silver medal in the men’s high jump T47 event at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. This is the second medal for India at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. The 23-year-old Nishad made a jump of 2.06m, and in doing so created an Asian record. He also equalled his jump with USA’s Dallas Wise, who also took home silver. Another American, Roderick Townsend, won the gold with a world record jump of 2.15m. T47 class is meant for athletes with a unilateral upper limb impairment resulting in some loss of function at the shoulder, elbow and wrist.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI enhances limit under Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility to Rs 2 lakh: The Reserve Bank of India has increased the limit of fund transfer under the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility Scheme from Rs 50,000 per transaction to Rs 2 lakh per transaction. Earlier there was a ceiling limit of 12 transactions in a year. Now, this limit has also been removed. However, for cash-based transfers under the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility, the per transaction limit of Rs 50,000 will still be present with a maximum number of transfers in a year allowed at 12.

About the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility: Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility is a fund transfer mechanism from India to Nepal (not otherwise) that operates on NEFT. It was started by RBI in the year 2008. It is managed by SBI in India and Nepal SBI Bank Limited (NSBL) in Nepal.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Rajnath Singh Commissions Indigeneously built ICGS ‘Vigraha’: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has dedicated to the nation, the indigenously built Coast Guard Ship ‘Vigraha’ in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. According to the defence ministry, the 98-meter vessel will be based in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and will be operated by a company of 11 officers and 110 sailors. The ship has been designed and built indigenously by Larsen & Toubro Ship Building Limited.  With the joining of this ship, the Indian Coast Guard now have 157 Ships and 66 Aircraft in its inventory.

About the ICGS Vigraha:

(1) The ICGS Vigraha, is the seventh and final ship in the series of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), the agreement for which was signed in 2015.

(2) The Vigraha is equipped with advanced radars, the latest in navigation and communication technology.

(3) The sensors and machinery present in the ship make it capable of operating in tropical sea conditions.

(4) Moreover, in a significant boost to the defence capabilities of the armed forces, the Vigraha indigenous vessel has also been designed to carry one twin-engine helicopter and four high-speed boats for the purpose of boarding operation, search and rescue, law enforcement, and maritime patrol.

 

2. India and Germany conducts joint maritime exercise in Gulf of Aden: The Indian Navy and the German Navy carried out a joint exercise in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen, in the Indian Ocean leg of Indo-Pacific Deployment 2021. The Indian Navy was represented by frigate “Trikand” while the German Navy was represented by frigate “Bayern”. The exercise included helicopter (cross deck helo) landings and visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations. The joint exercise aimed at enhancing interoperability and exchange of best practices between the navies of the two countries in the maritime domain.