Daily GK Update- 2nd Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Centre sets up two panels to lower crop insurance premium: The Centre has appointed two separate groups of experts to suggest suitable working models with cost benefit analysis that will lower crop insurance premium and technology in crop yield estimation under the flagship Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). This follows the exit of several States including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar and West Bengal from the scheme, citing high premium.

(1) A ten-member committee under scientist KR Manjunath of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will explore the feasibility of adoption of various technology-based approaches developed through pilot projects by ISRO and its arm National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) as well as Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) of the Union Agriculture Ministry.

(2) The other sub-committee, headed by Saurabh Mishra, joint secretary in Ministry of Finance, will conduct cost benefit analysis of all “accepted models – agriculture insurance pool, cup and cap 80-110 per cent and co-insurance 20-80 per cent” as well as any profit-loss sharing model.

 

2. Govt set up high-level committee to examine of lifting Nagaland’s AFSPA: The Government of India has decided to constitute a ‘five-member’ committee to look into the demand for withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act “AFSPA” in Nagaland. The committee headed by Vivek Joshi, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, would submit its recommendations within 45 days. Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry Piyush Goyal will be its Member-Secretary. The Chief Secretary and DGP of Nagaland and the DGP of Assam Rifles will be the other members of the committee. Vivek Joshi, who is Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, will head the five-member committee while Additional Secretary in the Union Home Ministry Piyush Goyal will be the member secretary of the panel. Other members of the committee are the chief secretary and DGP of Nagaland and the DGP of the Assam Rifles.

About the AFSPA: The AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. It also gives immunity to the forces if they shoot someone dead.

Note: Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio; Governor of Nagaland: Jagdish Mukhi.

 

3. NITI Aayog released 4th State Health Index: NITI Aayog has released the fourth edition of the State Health Index for 2019–20 that provides incremental performance in health outcomes and status. The index is developed by: NITI Aayog, World Bank, and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The report, titled “Healthy States, Progressive India”, ranks states and Union Territories on their year-on-year incremental performance in health outcomes as well as their overall status. The index is being compiled and published since 2017. The reports aim to nudge states/UTs towards building robust health systems and improving service delivery.

(1) Among the ‘Larger States’, in terms of annual incremental performance, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Telangana are the top three ranking states.

(2) Among ‘Smaller States’, Mizoram and Meghalaya registered the maximum annual incremental progress.

(3) Among UTs, Delhi, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, showed the best incremental performance.

On overall ranking based on the composite index score in 2019–20, the top-ranking states were Kerala and Tamil Nadu among the ‘Larger States’, Mizoram and Tripura among the ‘Smaller States’, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Chandigarh among the UTs.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. China launches new camera satellite with 5m resolution: China has launched a new satellite with a camera capable of taking photos of the ground with a resolution of five meters, according to the National Space Administration of China (CNSA). The satellite, called “Ziyuan-1 02E” or “Five Meter 02 Optical Satellite”. Beijing time by a Long March-4C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Beijing Province. Shanxi (northern China). This is the 39th launch of the Longue Marche-4C rocket and the 403rd launch of the entire Long March series.

About the satellite:

(1) The Ziyuan-1 02E weighs approximately 2.5 kilograms and is equipped with infrared, near-infrared and hyperspectral cameras. The cameras can take panchromatic color images of the Earth.

(2) The satellite will work with the five-meter optical satellite 01 and will reduce the revisiting time of Chinese territory from three days to two days.

(3) Images taken by the satellite duo will help engineers study China’s geological environment and search for minerals. People working in other fields such as transport, agriculture and disaster mitigation will also receive help through the images.

 

2. Somalia’s President suspends PM Mohamed Hussein Roble: Somalian Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has been suspended. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has suspended the Prime Minister, who is facing allegations of involvement in the theft of land. Mohamed Roble accused the President of trying to stage a coup and said, he would continue in office. He urged the security forces to take orders from him rather than Mr Farmajo. The term of Farmajo officially ended in February but was extended because of disagreements over how to choose a new incumbent. Somalia has not had an effective central government since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Siad Barre in 1991. The country is marred by disputes between rival politicians and clans. It is also battling an insurgency by al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate.

Note: Somalia Capital: Mogadishu; Somalia Currency: Somali shilling.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Uttar Pradesh won 11th Hockey India junior national championship: Uttar Pradesh has crowned the winners of the 11th Junior National Men’s Hockey Championship following a 3-1 victory over Chandigarh in the final at Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu. Tournament top scorer Sharda Nand Tiwari opened the scoring for Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh Hockey maintained its unbeaten record. In the 3rd/4th Place playoff match, the Hockey Association of Odisha edged out Hockey Haryana 3 – 2 in a closely contested affair to clinch 3rd place in the competition.

 

2. Nitesh Kumar wins double gold at 4th Para-Badminton National Championship: Nitesh Kumar won doubled gold at the 4th Para-Badminton National Championship, which concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Haryana’s Nitesh along with his partner Tarun Dhillon defeated World No. 1 Paralympic Games gold medallist Pramod Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar in straight sets 21-19, 21-11 in the Men’s doubles finals to win the gold. Earlier, Nitesh also won the gold medal in the Men’s singles category. World No 1 SL3 Para-Badminton player Parul Parmar from Gujarat also secured gold while Mandeep Kaur from Uttarakhand won Silver and Mansi won bronze.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. HDFC Life signed bancassurance partnership with South Indian Bank: HDFC Life signed a bancassurance (Bank-Insurance) agreement with South Indian Bank to enable customers of the South Indian Bank to avail HDFC Life’s life insurance products and services to the customers of South Indian Bank. This bancassurance arrangement will enable customers of the South Indian Bank to avail HDFC Life’s wide range of life insurance products which include solutions for protection, savings and investment, retirement and critical illness. This bancassurance partnership will further strengthen HDFC Life’s business across India.

About the agreements:

(1) HDFC Life is one of the largest life insurance players with a market share of 22.3% (in terms of Overall New Business Premium as on September 30, 2021). The insurer has a wide range of products that offer customers the dual benefits of protection as well long term savings based on their life stage requirements.

(2) HDFC Life is targeting to provide the customer with innovative products and superior levels of services through the physical and digital routes.

(3) The Company offers end to end digital on-boarding to customers along with 24/7 service. This unique combination of simple products and superior quality service makes for a compelling customer proposition.

Note: South Indian Bank Founded: 29 January 1929; South Indian Bank Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala; South Indian Bank MD & CEO: Murali Ramakrishnan.

 

2. IndusInd Bank and NPCI tie-up to offer cross-border payments through UPI: IndusInd Bank has partnered with the National Payments Corporation to offer real-time cross-border remittances to India using UPI IDs, for its Money Transfer Operator (MTO) partners. It is the first Indian bank to go live on UPI for cross-border payments/NRI remittances. Under this arrangement, the MTOs will be using the IndusInd Bank channel to connect with NPCI’s UPI payment systems for validation and cross-border payment settlement into beneficiary accounts. IndusInd Bank has started off with Thailand’s DeeMoney for Foreign Inward Remittance (FIR) through UPI. The bank has started the service with DeeMoney, a Thailand-based financial solutions provider offering money transfers and foreign currency exchange services. Customers using the DeeMoney website can easily transfer funds just by adding the beneficiary’s UPI ID.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. PETA: Alia Bhatt India’s 2021 Person of the Year: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has named Bollywood star Alia Bhatt its 2021 Person of the Year. She is an animal lover and often shares pictures with her pets. This year, Alia Bhatt invested in Phool, the company behind Fleather, which is a vegan leather made from discarded temple flowers.

Her vegan kidswear line, Ed-a-Mamma, also won a 2021 PETA India fashion award for helping to nurture kids’ love for animals and nature. Alia also starred in a pro-adoption PETA India campaign to help cats and dogs. She has used her position to call for stronger animal protection laws.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Greek President Karolos Papoulias passes away: Veteran Greek politician Karolos Papoulias, who served as president at the height of the economic crisis of the 2010s, died. Papoulias, a longtime socialist lawmaker and minister, was close to Andreas Papandreou, the founder of the Socialist PASOK party. He served two terms between 2005 and 2015. Papoulias, who was also foreign minister in 1985-89 and 1993-96, was a high-ranking member of socialist PASOK party and a close associate of its late leader and former prime minister Andreas Papandreou.

 

2. E.O. Wilson, Known as ‘Father of Biodiversity,’ passes away: E.O. Wilson, the former Harvard University biologist and Pulitzer Prize winner whose study of ants and human behaviour made him one of the world’s most influential scientists and prompted his calls for action to protect millions of species on the planet, has passed away. He was 92. To protect Earth earned him the nickname “Darwin’s natural heir”.

He was the author of hundreds of scientific papers and more than 30 books, two of which won him Pulitzer Prizes for nonfiction: 1978’s On Human Nature, and The Ants in 1990. The “father of biodiversity,” as Wilson was also known, attempted to unify the natural sciences with the humanities and said there was still time to reverse a “sixth extinction” of most species on the planet if environmental degradation was halted.

 

3. ‘He-Man’ artist and toy designer Mark Taylor passes away: Mark Taylor, artist and toy designer for the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe franchise as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, passed away. Taylor began his career with Mattel in 1976 as a packaging designer. He-man was the muscled frontman for toy manufacturer Mattel’s Masters of the Universe franchise. He-Man was the epitome of a hulking superhero warrior but also became an icon within the LGBTQ+ community.