Daily GK Update- 10th July, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Amit Shah virtually unveils ‘Statue of Peace’ of Swamy Ramanujacharya: Union home minister, Amit Shah virtually unveiled the ‘Statue of Peace’ of Swamy Ramanujacharya in Srinagar, located in a temple in the Sonwar region. Saint Ramanujacharya, also known as Ramanuja, is considered to be a great thinker, philosopher and social reformer, a south Indian Brahmin born in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur. About the Ramanuja:

a)      Ramanuja is known to have revolted against the discrimination of untouchability and played a role in bringing a big change in society. He is a follower of Vaishnavism and taught people the principles of salvation.

b)      He wrote many books, including Sri Bhashya, Vedartha Sangraha and Bhagavad Gita Bhasya, based on his belief that is different from the teachings of Adi Shankaracharya. The saint is known for judging people not by their caste at birth, but by their character.

c)       He is believed to be the first Hindu acharya to initiate women into ‘sanyasa’ (renunciation of the world). He is also known for blending Vedanta methodology with ‘bhakti’. After Ramanuja’s demise, the female community of ‘sanyasinis’ faded away.

 

2. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches SVANidhi Mahotsav: On the occasion of second anniversary of the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbharNidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, the Housing and Urban affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri launched the ‘SVANIdhi Mahotsav,’ which will be celebrated from 9th to 31st of July. The festival will be organized in 75 cities across all states and Union Territories, and showcase various cultural activities, digital training activities and loan melas. It will also have functions for felicitation of distinguished Street vendors. The festival aims to celebrate 75 years of independence with the nano-entrepreuners and it is the first of its kind for the financial inclusion of street vendors. Till now three thousand six hundred crore rupees has been distributed to beneficiaries of the scheme. The PM SVANidhi programme was launched by the modi government in July 2020 to provide financial assistance through loans to street vendors who were reeling under the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

3. India’s undernourished population drops to 224.3 million as per UN report: India’s population of 224.3 million undernourished people has decreased over the past 15 years according to the UN report. However, the number of obese adults and anaemic women has increased in the world’s second-most populous nation. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report, which was released by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UNICEF, World Food Programme (WFP), and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 828 million people worldwide were suffering from hunger in 2021, up about 46 million from 2020 and 150 million since the COVID-19 pandemic’s outbreak. Important highlights about India as per the Report:

a)      There were 224.3 million undernourished persons in India in 2019–21, down from 247.8 million in 2004–06.

b)      The number of stunted children under the age of five decreased from 52.3 million in 2012 to 36.1 million in 2020 and the number of overweight children under the age of five decreased from three million to 2.2 million in 2020.

c)       However, India, which has a population of over 1.38 billion, saw an increase in the number of obese adults from 25.2 million in 2012 to 34.3 million in 2016, and an increase in the number of women with anaemia between the ages of 15 and 49 from 171.5 million in 2012 to 187.3 million in 2019.

d)      From 11.2 million in 2012 to 14 million in 2020, exclusively breastfed infants up to the age of five months.

 

4. Mangarh Hillock to be declared monument of national importance: A team from National Monuments Authority lead by Shri Tarun Vijay, Chairman, National Monuments Authority, submitted a report on declaring Mangarh hillock in Rajasthan as a monument of National Importance in the year of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. This report carries relevant details about the Mangarh hillock and recommendations by National Monuments Authority.

Minister of State for Culture Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the unsung heroes and Mangarh hillock haven’t received the importance in history which they deserved. He also said 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters were brutally killed by the British army on 17th November 1913. To pay our tribute to, on the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav we will positively take forward the report submitted by NMA Chairperson, Shri Tarun Vijay.

 

5. Delhi to host India’s biggest shopping festival in 2023: Delhi will host its first ever government-backed shopping festival from January 28 to February 26 next year, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced. The festival will have 200 concerts for entertainment, food walks and will also offer huge discounts on products. This will be the biggest ever shopping festival in India. The Delhi Shopping Festival was one of the ambitious projects proposed in the Rozgaar Budget 2022-23 presented by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in March this year. During the festival, huge discounts will be offered on products to customers and awards will also be given to keep the quality of the festival high. There will be exhibitions on spirituality, gaming, wellness and technology. For 30 days during the festival, Delhi will be decked up like a bride. All major markets and malls will be decorated. It will offer an unparalleled shopping experience to people.

 

6. Kharchi festival begins in Tripura 2022: A week-long traditional Kharchi festival, offering prayer to 14 gods and goddess, began with thousands of devotees converging at Khayerpur on the eastern outskirts of the Tripura. Kharchi Puja is predominantly a tribal festival but it owes its origins to Hindu religion. Devotees and sadhus from across India and neighbouring Bangladesh have also participated in the festival. According to Tripura royal family’s “Rajmala”, Queen Hiravati once went to take a bath in the river Maharani and noticed a wild buffalo chasing the 14 gods. With the help of the queen’s cloth the gods managed to kill the beast. Happy with Hirabati’s help, the gods visited the palace and the royal family offered puja by sacrificing wild buffaloes.

Note: Tripura Capital: Agartala; Tripura Chief Minister: Dr. Manik Saha; Tripura Governor: Satyadeo Narain Arya.

 

7. National Fish Farmers’ Day: 10th July: National Fish Farmers Day is celebrated on 10th July every year to demonstrate solidarity with all fisher folk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders throughout the Country. It is 65th National Fish Farmers Day being celebrated across the Country. National Fisheries Development Board, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India celebrated the National Fish Farmers Day virtually at National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) Hyderabad.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe announces resignation: Ranil Wickremesinghe has resigned as Sri Lankan prime minister to make way for an all-party government to take over. He will resign after an all-party government is established and the majority is secured in Parliament. Wickremesinghe will continue as Prime Minister until then. Meanwhile, 16 MPs of President Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party in a letter requested him to resign immediately and make way for a leader who could command the majority in Parliament to lead the country. In the wake of the island nation’s worst economic crisis since it gained independence in 1948, people have been protesting against President Rajapaksa and his government, asking him to step down. The island nation of 22 million people has witnessed its foreign exchange reserves shrink due to economic mismanagement and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

2. Alvaro Lario named as new President of IFAD: The governing council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has been appointed as Spain’s Alvaro Lario new President. Lario will take office on 1 October 2022 and serve a four-year term. He will succeed Gilbert Houngbo who has led the organisation since 2017. Key Points:

a)      Lario, who would become IFAD 7th president, will lead the UN agency at a crucial time when global food prices are surging, induced by the Ukraine war, climate change, and the pandemic, with the World’s poorest countries hardest hit.

b)      New figures published by five UN agencies including IFAD showed the world falling further behind in efforts to end hunger and poverty in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

c)       The State of Food Security and Nutrition report showed that hunger globally rose to as many as 828 million in 2021, an increase of about 150 million since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Note: International Fund for Agricultural Development Founded: December 1977, Rome, Italy.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. 36th National Games: To be held in Gujarat from Sep 27 to Oct 10: Bhupendra Patel, the chief minister of Gujarat, declared that the 36th National Games will be held in his state from September 27 to October 10 for the first time ever. Due to a number of factors, including the coronavirus pandemic since 2020, the prestigious event is being hosted after a seven-year hiatus; the previous one was in Kerala in 2015. The chief minister claimed in another post that Gujarat has world-class athletic facilities and that the sporting world is experiencing a resurgence. The government will do everything possible to make the national games the best athletic event ever. Key Points:

a)      There will be more than 34 sports represented at the national games, which will take place in six cities.

b)      In both indoor and outdoor competitions, athletes from all over the nation are anticipated to display their prowess in sports including athletics, hockey, football, volleyball, lawn tennis, table tennis, judo, wrestling, kabaddi, kho-kho, mallakhambha, and yoga.

c)       Goa was another strong candidate for the location this year, in addition to Gujarat.

Note: Gujarat minister for youth, sports and culture: Shri Harsh Sanghavi

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Indian Air Force & PNB signs MoU for ‘PNB Rakshak Plus Scheme’: Public sector bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Air Force (IAF) under its flagship scheme, PNB Rakshak Scheme. The MoU focus on providing a bouquet of benefits along with specially designed products for the IAF personnel, including personal insurance cover. This scheme includes personal accident insurance as well as air accidental insurance to serving, retired as well trainees of the defence forces. It also covers retired defence pensioners, along with personnel of the central armed police forces, state police force, and metro police. The salient features of the PNB Rakshak Plus Scheme are:

a)      Personal accidental cover of Rs. 50 lakh.

b)      Air accident Insurance cover of Rs. 1 crore.

c)       Personal Accidental (Permanent total Disability) cover of Rs. 50 lakh.

d)      Education loan under “PNB Pratibha” for wards of primary account holders seeking admission in premier institutes and educational institutions.

e)      Financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh (per year) for 4 years or the actual expenditure whichever is less, for the education of two surviving and dependent children (male or female).

f)        Overdraft up to last three months net salary/pension amounting from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 3 lakh.

g)      Concession in rate of interest and service charges for home, car, education and/or personal loan. Other benefits include facilities such as zero balance saving account for family members and concession in locker rent charges.

 

2. Union Bank launched Open Banking Sandbox and Metaverse Virtual Lounge: Union Bank of India (UBI) has introduced a Metaverse Virtual Lounge – Uni-verse, & Open Banking Sandbox environment in collaboration with Tech Mahindra in an effort to elevate consumers’ banking experiences. In the beginning, movies and information on the bank’s deposits, loans, government assistance programmes, digital initiatives, etc. will be hosted by Uni-verse. Customers will receive a special banking experience thanks to it. The bank will work with fintechs and start-ups to develop cutting-edge banking products under the Open Banking Sandbox environment, according to reports.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Coffee Board to collaborate with ISRO to develop climate-resistant varieties: State-run Coffee Board is planning to focus on developing new varieties that will be resistant to the changing climatic patterns. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Coffee Board and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was signed with regard to breeding climate-resilient varieties and assessing the carbon sequestration potential in coffee among others.

The Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) in the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka conducts plant-related research activities under the Board in the areas of plant breeding, agronomy, agriculture chemistry and soil science, plant physiology, pathology, entomology, and post-harvest technology, among others. In recent years, coffee growers in the country have borne the brunt of changing climatic patterns. The number of extreme weather events affecting growers, such as excessive rain in a short period or deficit rainfall, is increasing.

Note: ISRO Founded: 15 August 1969; ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru; ISRO Chairman: S Somanath.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. ‘Father of Indian Internet’ BK Syngal passes away: Brijendra K Syngal, former Chairman of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), passed away after a prolonged illness. He was 82. Syngal, who has been acknowledged as the father of the Indian Internet, was known for his strong views and fearlessness in taking on the establishment. As the Chairman of VSNL, he was unofficially known as the ‘bulldozer’ for his ability to push through bureaucratic hurdles, as a result of which VSNL grew from a $125 million company in 1991 into a $1.65 billion communications giant by 1998.