Daily GK Update- 9th Aug, 2021

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 22,480 MW by 2031: India’s nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 22,480 Mega Watts by 2031 from the current 6,780 MegaWatts. There are presently 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW in operation and one reactor, KAPP-3 (700 MW) has been connected to the grid on January 10, 2021. Ten (10) nuclear power reactors with 8000 MW capacity (including 500 MW PFBR being implemented by BharatiyaNabhikiyaVidyut Nigam Limited {BHAVINI}) are under construction. Additionally, the Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction of ten (10) indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW each to be set up in fleet mode.

2. Power minister launches e-certification programme to provide regulatory training: Power Minister R K Singh has launched an e-certification programme, ‘reform and regulatory knowledge base for power sector’, to provide regulatory training. The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy R K Singh launched ‘reform and regulatory knowledge base for power sector’, an e-certification programme to provide regulatory training to the practitioners from diverse backgrounds through virtual mode. R K Singh also launched a Regulatory Data Dashboard which is an e-compendium of data containing state-wise details of tariff and power discoms (distribution companies) performance, developed by IIT Kanpur. The Dashboard would assist in benchmarking the sector performance, over time and across the power sector utilities.

3. Labhanshu Sharma wins Bharat Kesari Wrestling Dangal for Uttarakhand: Indian Wrestler Labhanshu Sharma won the Bharat Kesari Wrestling Dangal 2021 organised in Tamil Nadu. 20 years since the formation of Uttarakhand, Labhanshu has broken the drought and won the title of Bharat Kesari for the state. With 15 gold medals at the state level and 10 medals at the national level and 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal in the International Wrestling competitions; Labhanshu is already set to bring glory to the nation.

Note: Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya; The chief minister of Uttarakhand: Pushkar Singh Dhami.

4. India’s first Heart Failure Biobank starts at SCTIMST in Kerala: The first Heart Failure Biobank in the country has come up at the National Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in HF (CARE-HF) at the SreeChitraTirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Kerala. The Biobank is open to study genetic, metabolomics and proteomic markers of health outcomes in heart-failure patients.

About the Biobanks: Biobanks are an important resource of collections of high-quality biological human samples that can be used to understand molecular pathways and to improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of heart failure. The biospecimens include blood, serum and tissue samples obtained during open-heart surgery and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and genomic DNA collected from heart-failure patients.

Note: Kerala CM: PinarayiVijayan; Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

5. 2nd IEEE International Conference on Range Technology by DRDO: The 2nd Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on Range Technology (ICORT-2021) is being held virtually. The conference has been organised by Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur, a laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It was inaugurated by Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy. The event will host speakers from across the globe, who will present their technological achievements in multiple subjects related to Tests and Evaluation of defence systems.About the conference:

The conference will be a very effective platform for all the Range Technology enthusiasts to interact with each other and stay updated with recent developments in relevant fields.

More than 250 technical articles were submitted by experts on the relevant subjects, out of which 122 articles have been selected by a specialised technical committee.

A virtual industrial exhibition is also being held in which more than 25 industries and organisations from India and abroad will display their products and technologies.

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

1. US approves sale of Harpoon Joint Common Test Sets to India worth $82 million: The US has approved the sale of Harpoon Joint Common Test Set (JCTS) and related equipment to India for an estimated cost of $82 million, a decision which it said will help strengthen the bilateral strategic ties and improve the security of a major defensive partner in the Indo-Pacific region. The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying the US Congress of this possible sale, according to an official statement.

2. Nagasaki Day: 9th August: Japan commemorates the 9th of August every year as Nagasaki day. On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. It was code-named “Fat Man” due to the design of the bomb as it had a wide, round shape. This happened 3 days after dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. An area of about 5 square miles was completely obliterated and around 65,000 people were killed in the bombing. Nagasaki and Hiroshima continue to feel the impact of the destructive bombing even today.

3. International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: 9th August: United Nations observes the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 09th August every year. The day is being observed to protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population and recognize the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental protection. The theme for 2021 is “Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract.” The day was recognised by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1994. The date to marks the day of the inaugural session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations at the United Nations in 1982.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Tokyo Olympics 2020 Closing Ceremony Highlights: The Tokyo Olympics 2020 came to an end on August 08, 2021. The international multi-sport event was held from July 23 to August 08, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. This was for the fourth time that Japan hosted the Olympic Games, after previously hosting the Tokyo 1964 (Summer), Sapporo 1972 (Winter), and Nagano 1998 (Winter) games. Apart from this, Tokyo is the first Asian city to hold the Summer Games twice. Indian Contingent managed to win 7 medals comprising 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze Medals. The country stood at the 48th position in the medal table out of 86 countries.

Top Five Nations in the Medal Tally:

United States: 113 (Gold: 39, Silver: 41, Bronze: 33)

China: 88 (Gold: 38, Silver: 32, Bronze: 18)

Japan: 58 (Gold: 27, Silver: 14, Bronze: 17)

Great Britain: 65 (Gold: 22, Silver: 21, Bronze: 22)

Team ROC (the Russian Olympic Committee): 71 (Gold: 20, Silver: 28, Bronze: 23)

India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020: India finished the Games with its best-ever Olympic medal tally of 7 in Tokyo Games 2020, surpassing the previous best record of 6 medals at the 2012 London Olympics. MC Mary Kom, and men’s hockey team skipper, Manpreet Singh, were flag-bearers for the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony. Bronze-medalist BajrangPunia was the flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the event.

Indian Medal Winners List:

(1) Gold: Men’s Javelin Throw: Neeraj Chopra

(2) Silver: Women’s 49kg Weightlifting: MirabaiChanu

Men’s Freestyle 57kg Wrestling: Ravi Dahiya

(3) Bronze: Women’s Welterweight boxing: LovlinaBorgohain

Women’s Singles Badminton: PV Sindhu

Men’s 65kg Freestyle Wrestling: BajrangPunia

Men’s hockey: India men’s hockey team

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. ICICI Prudential Life ties up with NPCI for UPI Autopay: ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has tied up with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to provide a Unified Payments Interface Autopay facility to its customers. This tie-up is another step in the company’s digitalisation journey, which provides customers with a hassle-free and seamless experience across the policy lifecycle.About this facility:

(1) While purchasing a life insurance policy, customers can link their bank accounts with UPI Autopay for payment of premium.

(2) The UPI Autopay e-mandate can be activated by customers by using their smartphones to make regular renewal premium payments in a paperless format.

(3) The UPI payment mode is fast becoming a preferred route of payment due to the contactless and frictionless experience it provides.

(4) Customers can set up the e-mandate facility to make their regular renewal premium payments and ensure financial security for self and their families.

(5) Customers can enable the UPI Auotpay feature on their UPI apps. Alternatively, it can be enabled for banks through an e-mandate.

Note: ICICI Prudential Life Insurance CEO: N. S. Kannan; ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Founded: 2000.

2. Sebi allows payments banks to act as investment bankers: Sebi has allowed payments banks to carry out the activities of investment bankers to provide easy access to investors to participate in public and rights issues by using various payment avenues, markets regulator. Non-scheduled payments banks, which have prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), will be eligible to act as a banker to an issue (BTI).

This is subject to fulfilment of the conditions stipulated in the BTI rules. Further, payments banks registered as a BTI will also be permitted to act as self-certified syndicate banks, subject to the fulfilment of the criteria laid down by the Sebi in this regard from time to time.”The blocking/movement of funds from the investor to the issuer shall only be made through the savings account of the investor held with the payments bank.

Bankers to an issue mean a scheduled bank or such other banking company as may be specified by Sebi carrying activities, including acceptance of application money, acceptance of allotment or call money, refund of application money and payment of dividend or interest warrants.

Note: Securities and Exchange Board of India Founded: 12 April 1992; Securities and Exchange Board of India Headquarters: Mumbai; Securities and Exchange Board of India Agency executive: Ajay Tyagi.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Eurosport India appoints John Abraham as the MotoGP Brand Ambassador: Eurosport India has appointed Bollywood superstar and MotoGP enthusiast, John Abraham, as the India Ambassador for their flagship Motorsport property, MotoGP™. John will be seen promoting MotoGP to a wider audience base in India as its face through Eurosport’s campaign – “MotoGP, Race Lagate Hai”. Eurosport India currently boasts of an unparalleled depth in global motorsports programming for the Indian motorsports fans with prestigious properties like FIA Formula 2 Championship, W Series, Nascar, Indycar Series and Bennetts British Superbike racing. Prior to the association, the actor has shared the stage with MotoGP legend “The Doctor”-Valentino Rossi and has frequented many MotoGP races.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan gets Brunel Medal: Bhutan’s India-assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project was conferred with the Brunel Medal awarded by the London-based Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The award was given as a mark of excellence in civil engineering within the industry and was handed over by the Indian envoy to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj to the Chairman of Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project Authority, LyonpoLoknath Sharma. One of the reasons the Mangdechhu project was awarded was because of its social and environmental credentials. About the project:

(1) The project will reduce 2.4 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

(2) Bhutan and India in the past have collectively resolved to increase the hydropower energy capacity of Bhutan to 12000 MW.

(3) The Brunel Medal is historically given to major projects and organisations across the world.

(4) The 2020 edition of the prize went to the Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project – a collaboration between Indian and Bhutanese governments. The award was announced in October 2020.

Note: Bhutan Capital: Thimphu; Bhutan Prime minister: LotayTshering; Bhutan Currency: Bhutanese ngultNATIONAL UPDATES: