Daily GK Update- 27th May, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. First-ever national conference of female legislators to be inaugurated by President: At the Legislative Assembly complex, President Ram Nath Kovind will kick off the two-day National Women Legislators’ Conference-2022, which is expected to draw a large number of female parliamentarians and legislators from throughout the country. The first-ever such event, hosted by the state Assembly, is part of the nation-wide celebrations scheduled under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav‘ honouring India’s 75th anniversary of independence. Key Points:

a)      According to Assembly sources, the two-day conference will focus on modern issues such as women’s rights, gender equality, and enough female representation in decision-making bodies.

b)      Speakers in the session Constitution and Women’s Rights include Gujarat Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya, Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, and former Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat.

c)       The panellists for the session “Role of Women in India’s Freedom Struggle” will be MPs Supriya Sule and Jebi Methar, as well as former MP Subhashini Ali, while the speakers for the session Women’s Rights and Legal Gaps will be West Bengal minister Shashi Panja, MP Jaya Bachchan, Delhi Assembly deputy speaker Rakhi Birla, and Kerala High Court justice Anu Sivaraman.

d)      In the last day session, “Under Representation of Women in Decision Making Bodies,” Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri, Telangana MLC Kavitha Kalvakuntla, and National Federation of India Women general secretary Annie Raja will express their perspectives.

 

2. MeitY hosts Digital India BHASHINI brainstorming session: Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, was present during a brainstorming session organised by MeiTY on Mission Digital India BHASHINI – the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM). According to him, Startups are an essential component of our digital ecosystem, and Mission Digital India Bhashini will support them in developing India-specific and Indian Languages enabled IT solutions.

Key Points:

a)      MSMEs, Startups, and Individual Innovators will have access to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) resources through the Bhashini Platform.

b)      The goal of this mission is to empower Indian citizens by linking them to the country’s digital initiatives in their local language, resulting in digital inclusion. Bhashini is an interoperable platform that will catalyse the entire Digital Ecosystem. Realizing the goal of Digital Government is a huge step forward.

c)       The mission will create and cultivate an ecosystem that will bring together central and state government agencies, as well as start-ups, to develop and implement new products and services in Indian languages.

d)      Mission Digital India Bhashini also aspires to significantly enhance material in Indian languages on the Internet in areas of public interest, such as governance and policy, science and technology, and so on, encouraging Indians to use the Internet in their own language.

 

3. India to introduce made in India TB infection skin test called “c-TB”: India will introduce a newly approved “made in India” TB infection skin test called ‘c-TB’, said Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. This cost-effective tool will be of immense benefit to other high burden countries as well. A new initiative, “Adopt people with TB” will be launched this year, based on Indian values of collectivism, which will call upon corporates, industries, organisations, political parties and individuals to come forward and adopt TB-infected people and families and provide them with nutritional and social support.

Among these are the ‘bidirectional testing’ of TB with Covid, house-to-house TB detection campaigns, scaling up of rapid molecular diagnostics at sub-district levels, use of artificial intelligence and digital tools, ‘Jan Andolan’, and most importantly, the decentralisation of TB services to Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres as part of comprehensive primary healthcare.

 

4. India’s First Olympic Values Education launched in Odisha: The Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was launched in Odisha by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in collaboration with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT). The OVEP is a practical set of resources aimed at introducing young people to the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. It will be a values-based curriculum, to be implemented initially in 90 schools in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar, catering to about 32,000 children. The state of Odisha intends to take OVEP to all its schools and higher education institutions in a phased manner, thereby enabling its young population to truly take on board the Olympic values.

About Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP): It is a series of free and accessible teaching resources created by the IOC, to complement academic curricula using the context of Olympic sports and the core principles of Olympism. The programme aims to disseminate this values-based curriculum to help children become active, healthy and responsible citizens. A landmark initiative in India’s Olympic movement, the launch of OVEP comes as a build-up to the prestigious IOC 2023 Session.

Note: International Olympic Committee Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; International Olympic Committee Director-General: Christophe De Kepper; International Olympic Committee Founded: 23 June 1894, Paris, France.

 

5. Ruskin Bond’s book titled ‘Listen to Your Heart: The London Adventure’ Released: A new book titled “Listen to Your Heart: The London Adventure” authored by Ruskin Bond, was published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI) on Ruskin Bond’s 88th birthday (19th May 2022). Ruskin Bond, India’s famous Children’s book author, was born in Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) and grew up in Jamnagar (Gujarat), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), New Delhi and Shimla (Himachal Pradesh).

About the book: His latest book, Listen to Your Heart: The London Adventure, to be released on his 88th birthday, gives readers a peek into the four years he spent in the Channel Islands and England. The fifth – and final – volume of his memoir, talks about how he muses over his loneliness, switches jobs, falls in love, befriends the ocean and relentlessly chases his big dream of becoming a famous writer.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus re-elected as Director-General of World Health Organization: World Health Organization has re-appointed Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as Director-General of WHO for the second term with effect from 16th August 2022. His re-election was confirmed during the 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva. He was the sole candidate. Dr Tedros was first elected in 2017. Before joining the WHO, Dr Tedros was served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Minister of Health in Ethiopia.

Note: World Health Organization Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; World Health Organization Founded: 7 April 1948.

 

2. World Air Power Index 2022: Indian Air Force Ranks 3rd: World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) has released the World Air Powers Ranking of 2022. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been placed at the third position on the World Air Power Index in terms of the total fighting strength of the various air services of different nations of the world. This report has placed the Indian Air Force (IAF) above the Chinese Aviation based armed forces (PLAAF), Japan Air Self-Preservation Power (JASDF), Israeli Aviation based armed forces, and French Air and Space Power. The report says that the Indian Air Force (IAF) currently counts 1,645 total units in its active aircraft inventory.

Key points of World Air Power Index 2022:

a)      The Global Air Powers Ranking (2022) report has given the highest TvR score to the United States Air Force (USAF). It comprises a broad mix of aircraft types and many products are locally sourced from the massive industrial base of the country. The highest attainable TvR score is 242.9 held by the United States Air Force (USAF).

b)      In addition, it maintains dedicated strategic-level bombers, a sizeable helo, CAS aircraft, fighter force and hundreds of transport aircraft and the USAF will be reinforced in the coming days with hundreds of units still on order.

c)       The report has evaluated the total fighting strength of the various air forces of different nations of the world and ranked them accordingly. Currently, WDMMA is following 98 nations, covering 124 air administrations and following 47,840 aeroplanes.

 

3. Time’s 100 most influential people 2022: Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy, business tycoon Gautam Adani and prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez have been named among the world’s 100 most influential people of 2022 by TIME magazine. The list has been divided into six categories: Icons, Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders and Innovators.

While Adani has been named under the Titans category along with the likes of Apple CEO Tim Cook and American host Oprah Winfrey, Nundy and Parvez found their place under the Leaders category along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukraine counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India beats Indonesia 16-0 in Asia Cup 2022 hockey tournament: Indian men’s team slammed six goals in the final quarter to record a 16-0 win over Indonesia in a thrilling Pool A game of the Asia Cup 2022 to qualify for the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup. India joined Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea in the Super 4 round of the Asia Cup. India needed to win the contest by at least a 15-0 margin to qualify and the young side thrived under pressure.

Both India and Pakistan finished on four points each in Pool A behind Japan but the holders qualified for the Super 4s on the basis of a better goal difference. Pakistan had lost 2-3 to Japan earlier in the day. This was India’s first win in the ongoing edition of the Asia Cup as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Pakistan before suffering a 2-5 defeat at the hands of Japan, who finished first in Pool A. Japan won all of their three matches in the pool.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI formed a six-member group to examine customer service standards: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) established a six-member committee to assess and review customer services in regulated firms with the goal of safeguarding customers’ interests. The committee will also examine the adequacy of customer service standards and provide recommendations to improve customer service, according to a statement from the banking regulator. The six-member committee will also assess the effectiveness of customer service regulations and make recommendations for improvements. Key Points:

a)      Former RBI deputy governor BP Kanungo will lead the committee, which will deliver its report three months after its first meeting.

b)      The RBI wants to improve customers’ banking experiences and ensure that complaints are rapidly addressed by both regulated firms and the central bank.

c)       The committee would assess the customer service landscape’s developing and evolving demands, particularly in the context of evolving digital and electronic financial products and distribution, and recommend appropriate regulatory measures.

d)      The group is also anticipated to recommend ways to use technology to improve customer service efficiency, upgrade internal grievance resolution mechanisms, and boost the central bank’s overall consumer protection framework.

e)      The Reserve Bank of India has taken stern action against banks for service deficiencies, particularly in digital banking. It has also ordered that these services be reviewed and audited.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. SEBI Revoked the ICEX’s Permanent Recognition: SEBI, the market regulator, announced that it had revoked the Indian Commodity Exchange Limited’s (ICEX) recognition. The bourse’s recognition was revoked after Sebi issued an order declaring it non-compliant on many grounds, including net worth and infrastructure criteria. As a result of the withdrawal, ICEX has been directed to transfer the funds in its Investor Protection Fund and Investor Services Fund to the Investor Protection and Education Fund of Sebi.

Furthermore, it has been requested to set aside adequate assets to cover any claims, clear any outstanding Sebi debts, and pay Sebi registration costs in accordance with broker standards. ICEX has been told not to use the term “stock exchange” or any variation of it in its or its subsidiary companies’ names. The federal government recognised ICEX as a forward contract exchange on a permanent basis.

Note: SEBI Chairperson: Madhabi Puri Buch

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. A Gopalakrishnan won VASVIK industrial research award 2020: A Gopalakrishnan, Director of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute has won the VASVIK (Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra) Industrial Research Award for the year 2020 in the category of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. The award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 1.51 lakh and citation, is in recognition of his significant contribution towards the research works related to fish genetics. The research works related to fish genetics which is relevant for conserving many commercially important and endangered species.

The award committee observed that Dr Gopalakrishnan’s genetic studies conducted and the technologies developed have served to produce molecular markers for many endangered fishes which is crucial for biodiversity conservation. Broodstock’s development techniques and mariculture technologies formulated and standardised by him have helped in the economic upliftment of the society by providing alternate livelihoods.