Daily GK Update- 10th Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Punjab became 1st Indian state to approve Tissue Culture-Based Seed Potato Rules: The Punjab Cabinet headed by chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi approved the ‘Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules-2021’ to develop Punjab as a standard potato seed centre. With this decision, Punjab has become the first Indian state to have the facility of tissue culture-based certification, which will develop the Jalandhar-Kapurthala belt of Punjab as the export hub of potatoes. The Cabinet also approved to introduce the ‘Punjab Horticulture Nursery Bill-2021’ by amending ‘Punjab Fruit Nursery Act-1961‘.

Note: Punjab Governor: Banwarilal Purohit; Punjab Capital: Chandigarh; Punjab Chief minister: Charanjit Singh Channi.

 

2. 14th edition of Cyber security conference to be inaugurated by Bipin Rawat: Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat will inaugurate the 14th edition of ‘c0c0n’, an annual Hacking and Cyber Security Briefing, which will be held virtually from Nov 10-13. The conference, which is being conducted by Kerala Police in association with two non-profit organisations, Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB) and Information Security Research Association (ISRA), would primarily discuss online scams and defences during the lockdown period. About the conference:

(1) The theme of this year’s ‘c0c0n’ is Improvise, Adapt and Overcome.

(2) The conference is being held in such a way that online security is beneficial even to children in the state where many crimes are taking place with the shift to online classes.

(3) The conference is being held virtually so that people from across the globe can attend the event as the 13th edition of ‘c0c0n’ last year saw more than 6,000 attendees from around the world.

(4) The conference “aims to discuss at the international level the challenges facing the digital world during the COVID period and the solutions needed to overcome them”.

 

3. Srinagar joins UNESCO network of creative cities: Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is among the 49 cities selected worldwide to join the UNESCO creative cities network (UCCN). Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the inclusion as a “fitting recognition” for the vibrant cultural ethos of the old city. It has been designated as a creative city of craft and folk arts, UNESCO. These 49 cities were added to the network of 246 cities following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, in recognition of “their commitment to placing culture and creativity at the heart of their development and to sharing knowledge and good practices”. Other Indian cities on the list:

Srinagar joins Chennai and Varanasi – UNESCO Cities of music;

Jaipur – UNESCO city of crafts and folk arts;

Mumbai – UNESCO city of film and;

Hyderabad – UNESCO City of gastronomy.

 

4. Rajib Kumar Mishra given charge as PTC India’s CMD: Rajib Kumar Mishra shall exercise the power of chairman and managing director of PTC India Ltd, subsequent to relieving of Deepak Amitabh. PTC India Ltd. (formerly known as Power Trading Corporation of India Limited), was incorporated in 1999 to undertake to the trade of power to achieve economic efficiency & security of supply & to develop a vibrant power market in the country. Mishra joined PTC India in 2011 as executive director and is now a whole-time director since February 2015. Currently, he is director (business development and marketing), in PTC India. Additionally, he is holding the post of managing director of PTC Energy.

Note: PTC India Ltd Founded: 16 April 1999.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. China launched world’s 1st Earth Science Satellite named “Guangmu”: China has launched the world’s first Earth-science satellite, Guangmu or SDGSAT-1 into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi Province. The satellite was launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and developed by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS).

About the Guangmu: Guangmu was launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket which is the 395th flight mission. SDGSAT-1 is the first satellite customized according to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was adopted in 2015 with 17 SDGs for peace and prosperity.

Note: China Capital: Beijing; China Currency: Renminbi; China President: Xi Jinping.

 

2. IHRF appoints Daniel del Valle as the High Representative for Youth: The International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) has appointed the Spaniard Daniel del Valle as the High Representative for Youth due to his achievements in the thematic area of youth empowerment and youth participation for the United Nations. IHRF, a non-governmental and non-profit institution.

About the Daniel del Valle: Daniel del Valle brings to the International Human Rights Foundation his ongoing experience of serving as Policy Advisor to the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the United Nations in New York. As a youth representative, he has distinguished himself through his creativity, dedication, energetic advocacy and awareness-raising about the importance of youth empowerment in today’s world, particularly, in developing countries and also in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Note: International Human Rights Foundation Chairman: Garry Kasparov; International Human Rights Foundation Founder: Thor Halvorssen Mendoza; International Human Rights Foundation Founded: 2005; International Human Rights Foundation HQ: New York, USA.

 

3. World Science Day for Peace and Development: 10th November: World Science Day for Peace and Development is celebrated each year on November 10 every year. This day is celebrated to highlight the important role that science play in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues. The year 2021 marks the 20th edition of World Science Day for Peace and Development. With climate change becoming a serious threat to the lives of billions of people and the planet, this year’s celebration will highlight the importance of “Building Climate-Ready Communities”.

History of World Science Day for Peace and Development: World Science Day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2001 and celebrated for the first time in 2002.

Note: Director-General of UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO formation: 4 November 1946; UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Max Verstappen wins 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix: Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) has won the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) stood second while Sergio Perez (Mexico- Red Bull) came third. Perez became the first Mexican to stand on his home podium at a jubilant Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

 

2. Sankalp Gupta becomes 71st Indian Grandmaster: Sankalp Gupta has become India’s 71st Grandmaster by scoring 6.5 points and finishing second in the GM Ask 3 round-robin event in Arandjelovac, Serbia. The Maharashtra player also touched the 2500 Elo rating mark during the tournament. To achieve the GM title, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.

 

3. India’s Tajamul Islam Wins Gold Medal In World Kickboxing Championship: 13-year-old Tajamul Islam is the first Kashmiri girl to have represented India and won the gold medal in the under-14 age category in World Kickboxing Championship held at Cairo in Egypt. Islam defeated Argentina’s Lalina in the final. She was born in Tarkpora, a remote village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Tajamul is also a brand ambassador of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI launches 1st Global Hackathon named HARBINGER 2021: The Reserve Bank of India has launched its first global hackathon named “HARBINGER 2021 – Innovation for Transformation”. The theme of HARBINGER 2021 is ‘Smarter Digital Payments’. The Hackathon invites participants to identify and develop solutions that have the potential to make digital payments accessible to the under-served, enhance the ease of payments and user experience while strengthening the security of digital payments and promote customer protection.

HARBINGER 2021 invites innovative ideas for the following problem statements in the payment and settlement systems landscape:

Innovative, easy-to-use, non-mobile digital payment solutions for converting small-ticket cash transactions to digital mode.

(1) Context-based retail payments to remove the physical act of payment.

(2) The alternate authentication mechanism for digital payments.

(3) Social Media Analysis Monitoring tool for detection of digital payment fraud and disruption.

(4) Being part of HARBINGER 2021 gives an opportunity to the participants to get mentored by industry experts and exhibit their innovative solutions before an eminent jury and win exciting prizes in each category.

Winner: Rs 40 lakh

Runner-up: Rs 20 lakh

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Brickwork Ratings Projects India’s GDP at 10-10.5% in FY22: Domestic credit rating agency Brickwork Ratings has estimated the gross domestic product (GDP) of India at 10-10.5 per cent in the current financial year, i.e. in 2021-22 (FY22). Earlier this was estimated at 9 per cent. Brickwork Ratings is a SEBI registered Credit Rating Agency with headquarter in Bengaluru. It expects the GDP growth for Q2 FY22 to be at 8.3 per cent (year-on-year), on the back of a 7.4 per cent contraction in Q2FY21. The country’s GDP grew at 20.1 per cent in the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Philosopher Koneru Ramakrishna Rao passes away: Well-known educationist, teacher, and philosopher, Koneru Ramakrishna Rao passed away. He was an internationally recognized psychologist and served as president of the US-based Parapsychological Association and the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2011. Ramakrishna Rao was instrumental in bringing in numerous curricular reforms to link classrooms with the community during his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University and Chairman of the APSCHE.