Daily GK Update- 19th May, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Centre announces formation of Cotton Council of India: The Union Government has announced the formation of the Cotton Council of India under the Chairmanship of renowned veteran cotton man Suresh Bhai Kotak. The Council will have representation from Textiles, Agriculture, Commerce, and Finance Ministries along with Cotton Corporation of India and Cotton Research Institute. Mr Goyal also appealed to the spinning and trading community to ensure a hassle-free supply of cotton and yarn first to the domestic industry.

The government is committed to protecting the interests of cotton farmers, spinners, and weavers, the Minister assured to actively consider the demand of the spinning sector for exemption from import duty on those import contracts in which bills of loading are issued up to September 30, 2022, to overcome the current cotton shortage and logistic issues.

About Cotton Council of India (CCI): The council will discuss, deliberate, and prepare a robust action plan for bringing out a tangible improvement in this field. The announcement came yesterday during a meeting with stakeholders from the cotton value chain, held under the Chairmanship of Union Textiles Minister Piyush Goyal.

 

2. Panel of PM’s Office recommends urban job guarantee scheme: The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has recommended that the government implement a guaranteed employment programme for the unemployed in cities and implement a universal basic income (UBI) scheme to eliminate income gaps. Citing the country’s uneven income distribution, the report also advocated raising the minimum wage and increasing government investment on the social sector to make vulnerable groups more resilient to shocks and prevent them from falling into poverty. Key Points:

a)      According to the report that is titled, “The State of Inequality in India”, given the disparity in labour force participation rates between rural and urban areas, the urban equivalent of demand-based and guaranteed employment programmes such as MGNREGS should be implemented so that surplus labour can be rehabilitated.

b)      It added that boosting the minimum wage and implementing universal basic income are two ideas that can help close the income gap and ensure that wages are distributed equally in the labour market.

c)       The EAC-PM stated that charting the mobility into and out of poverty is the most significant part of quantifying poverty in a multi-dimensional environment.

d)      According to the results of the three rounds of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the top 1% of the population possessed 6-7% of total income earned in the three years to 2019-20, with the top 10% holding a third.

 

3. Ashwini Vaishnaw Opened NIELIT Center in Leh, Ladakh: Union Cabinet Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw has inaugurated the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Centre Leh, Extension Centre Kargil and IT Enabled Incubation Centre for Handicraft and Handloom Sector.

Union Minister, Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw, while inaugurating the NIELIT Centres at Leh, Kargil and Incubation Centre at Leh, reiterated the commitment of the Hon’ble Prime Minister for the development of UT of Ladakh. He informed that after the abrogation of Article 370 and the formation of the new UT, the path of development in this area has opened manifolds. Any proposal related to IT Education, Training, and Incubation for the development of UT of Ladakh will be approved immediately by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. He also complimented NIELIT for starting the Leh and Kargil Centres and setting up of IT Enabled Incubation Centre in record time which needs to be scaled up at a faster pace.

 

4. Supreme Court has ordered the release of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination suspect: The Supreme Court used Article 142 of the Constitution to grant AG Perarivalan, a convict in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, extraordinary powers to “do complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it.” Perarivalan was released free by a bench of justices led by L.N. Rao and B.R. Gavai, who took into account his lengthy incarceration.

Perarivalan spent 29 of his 32 years in prison in solitary confinement until being granted bail by the Supreme Court in March 2022. He spent 16 years on execution row before the court remitted his sentence to life imprisonment in 2014. The court further noted that Perarivalan had filed his clemency plea under Article 161 with the Tamil Nadu Governor in 2015, and that the state cabinet had instructed the state’s chief executive to accept it in September 2018.

Background: Rajiv Gandhi was slain in a suicide explosion at a rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991. Perarivalan was arrested on June 11, 1991, while he was only 19 years old. On January 28, 1998, 26 persons were sentenced to death, including Perarivalan and his co-accused Nalini. On May 11, 1999, the Supreme Court maintained the death sentences of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, and Nalini.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Emmanuel Macron names Elisabeth Borne as France’s new prime minister: Elisabeth Borne was appointed France’s new Prime Minister to become the second woman to hold the post in the country. She has served as Labor Minister in Macron’s previous government since 2020. Borne is the second woman to hold the position after Edith Cresson, who was Prime Minister from 1991-to 1992 under Socialist President Francois Mitterrand.

Borne, succeeds Jean Castex, whose resignation was expected after President Emmanuel Macron’s reelection last month. Macron and Borne are expected to appoint the full government in the coming days. Macron is expected to name a new prime minister shortly. French media say Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne is the favourite for the job. In France, it’s common for presidents to have more than one prime minister during their terms.

Note: France Capital: Paris; France President: Emmanuel Macron.

 

2. Somalia elects Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as new president: Somali legislators have elected former leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the country’s next president, following a long-overdue election in the troubled Horn of Africa nation. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and 2017, won the contest in the capital, Mogadishu, amid a security lockdown imposed by authorities to prevent deadly rebel attacks. He defeated Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (also known as Farmajo).

The presidential elections committee said in a statement that Mohamud collected 214 votes against 110 casts in favour of incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo in a final third round. The 66-year-old Mohamud is the leader of the Union for Peace and Development Party, which commands a majority of seats in both legislative chambers.

Note: Federal Republic of Somalia Capital: Mogadishu; Federal Republic of Somalia Currency: Somali Shilling (SOS); Federal Republic of Somalia Prime Minister: Mohammed Hussein Roble.

 

3. Dr Kamal Bawa Elected to US’ National Academy of Sciences: The chief of Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Dr Kamal Bawa has been elected to the US National Academy of Sciences. The election is the reaffirmation of our important work on the ecology, conservation, and management of tropical forests that are declining all over the world but are critical to humanity’s well-being. He is also an elected fellow of the Royal Society (London) and the American Philosophical Society.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Italian Open 2022: Check the complete list of winners: World No.1 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the 79th edition of the Italian Open (Internazionali BNL d’Italia) in Rome and to capture the 38th ATP Masters 1000 crown. Novak Djokovic became the fifth man in the Open Era to earn 1,000 match wins after defeating Casper Ruud in the semi-finals. In women’s singles, Iga Swiatek has won the Italian Open title after defeating Ons Jabeur.

Here is the list of winners and runner-ups of the Italian Open finals:

 

Category	Winner	Runner-up
Men’s singles	Novak Djokovic (Serbia)	Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
Women’s singles	Iga Świątek (Poland)	Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Men’s doubles	Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić (Croatia)	John Isner (United States) & Diego Schwartzman (Argentina)
Women’s doubles	Veronika Kudermetova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia)	Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) & Giuliana Olmos (Mexico)

 

2. South Korea won the Uber Cup 2022, defeating China: After a thrilling final at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, Korea stunned defending champions China to capture their second Uber Cup title. Korea fought back from behind twice to deny China a record-extending 16th title in the famous team tournament in a tie that lasted close to 90 minutes apiece.

Key Points:

a)      In the deciding singles match, Korea’s 46th-ranked Sim Yu-jin faced China’s 15th-ranked Wang Zhiyi, with the final knotted at 2-2. Sim, who turned 23, beat Wang 28-26, 18-21, 21-8 in an hour and 28-minute match.

b)      After a surprising run in Bangkok, Korea won the Uber Cup for the first time in 12 years. The Asian giants beat India 5-0 to win their group, then defeated Denmark and Japan 3-0 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.

c)       World No. 3 In the first game, Chen was defeated by fourth-ranked An by 21-17. The Korean had a five-point lead early in the second game, but Chen came back to win that game 21-15 and the decider 22-20, despite an ankle injury concern.

d)      In the second doubles match of the final, Korea’s Km Hye Jeong and Kong Heeyong defeated Ping Huang and Li Wen Mei in straight games, forcing the final to a decider.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. S N Subrahmanyan: Appointed as MD and CEO of Larsen & Toubro: S.N. Subrahmanyan, the current deputy managing director and president of Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), has been named managing director and chief executive officer, marking the first change of guard at the top of India’s largest engineering and construction corporation in 18 years. S.N. Subramanyam will replace A.M. Naik as the CEO of the company. Key Points:

a)      L&T said that A.M. Naik, the company’s long-serving chairman, has been named non-executive chairman for three years to ensure a smooth transition of leadership and to provide direction and mentorship to management.

b)      The present term of Naik as group executive chairman expires on September 30. He had been given a five-year extension till the company’s annual general meeting in 2017, which he had received in 2012.

c)       During Naik’s 18-year tenure, the $16 billion-in-revenue L&T has gone global, waged bitter battles with competitors, avoided a hostile acquisition, and diversified into various new sectors, including defence equipment manufacturing.

d)      Subrahmanyan also takes over at a difficult time: private investment demand in India hasn’t taken off, West Asia is slowing due to low oil prices, and the company has a high working capital and low return on equity.

 

2. Eicher Motors named B Govindarajan as new CEO of Royal Enfield: Eicher Motors has appointed B Govindarajan as the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Enfield. He will also serve as the Wholetime Director of the Board of Eicher Motors Limited. Since 2021 August, Govindarajan had been serving the company as the executive director, prior to which he was associated as the chief operating officer since 2013.

Govindarajan played a key role in the development of the Himalayan, Continental GT 650 and Interceptor INT 650 and the recent J-platform based Meteor and Classic 350 models. He has spent over 23 years working across Royal Enfield and Eicher Motors and over the years.

About the Royal Enfield: Royal Enfield is an Indian multinational motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The company is the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production and operates manufacturing plants in Chennai in India.

Note: Royal Enfield Headquarters: Chennai; Royal Enfield Founded: 1955; Royal Enfield Parent organization: Eicher Motors.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Rajnath Singh launches India-made warships, INS Surat and INS Udaygiri: Defence minister Rajnath Singh has launched two made-in-India warships INS ‘Surat’ and ‘Udaygiri’ at the Mazagon Docks in Mumbai. This is the first time that the two indigenously built warships have been launched together, the Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL). Both warships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and built at MDL, Mumbai.

About INS Surat: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Surat is the fourth destroyer in Project 15B which is named after the second-largest commercial hub of western India. Built using block construction, the ship involves the hull construction in two different geographical locations, which was then assembled at Mazagon Docks Limited.

About the INS Udaygiri: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Udaygiri, named after a mountain range in Andhra Pradesh, is the third ship of Project 17A Frigates. It is a follow to the P17 Frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems. The new warship is the reincarnation of the erstwhile ‘Udaygiri’, the Leander class ASW frigate, which saw numerous challenging operations in its illustrious service to the country, spanning over three decades from February 1976 to August 2007.