Daily GK Update- 16th Aug, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Ramsar sites: 11 more Indian wetlands have got Ramsar recognition: India has added 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites to make a total of 75 such sites covering an area of 13,26,677 hectares in the country. 75 Ramsar Sites in 75th Year of Independence India. The 11 new sites designated as Ramsar sites included: four sites in Tamil Nadu, three in Odisha, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

From 1982 to 2013, a total of 26 Indian sites were added to the list of Ramsar sites. However, during 2014 to 2022, the country has added 49 new wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites. During this year itself, a total of 28 sites have been declared as Ramsar sites.

The 11 Indian wetlands which have been designated as new Ramsar sites:

a)      Tampara Lake in Odisha;

b)      Hirakud Reservoir in Odisha;

c)       Ansupa Lake in Odisha;

d)      Yashwant Sagar in Madhya Pradesh;

e)      Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;

f)        Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex in Tamil Nadu;

g)      Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;

h)      Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;

i)        Thane Creek in Maharashtra;

j)        Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir;

k)      Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ramsar site: A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as “The Convention on Wetlands”, an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975. It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources

 

2. Centre has revised the Atal Pension Yojana rules: Government of India has made revised the rules of Atal Pension Yojana (APY), will be effective from from October 1, 2022. No citizen who is or has been an income taxpayer will not be eligible to join the APY. If an income tax-payer joins the APY scheme on or after October 1, 2022, the APY account will be liable to be closed. Currently, all citizens of India between the age of 18-40 years are eligible to join the scheme,irrespective of their tax-paying status.

 

3. Defence forces, RBI and PM Office Most Trusted Institutions: Defence forces, RBI and Prime Minister of India are the three most trusted institutions in the country, according to a survey by Ipsos India. The Supreme Court of India came fourth and it was followed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). More Findings of Survey:

a)      Defence Forces with at least 2 in 3 (65 per cent of respondents) reposing faith in them was ranked first, followed by Reserve Bank of India with 1 in 2 (50 per cent). Prime Minister of India as an institution was at the third spot with 49 per cent citizens having trust in it, the survey said. Smack in the middle was the Parliament (33 per cent) ranked 7th, ranked 8th was the media (32 per cent) and placed 9th was the Election Commission of India (31 per cent), it said.

b)      The institutions at the bottom of the heap were politicians (16 per cent), political parties (17 per cent), community leaders (19 per cent) and religious leaders (21 per cent), it said, adding, these institutions have least credibility according to the opinions of the citizens across the cities and target groups polled.

 

4. Indian Railway Protection Force Launched “Operation Yatri Suraksha”: Indian Railway Protection Force (RPF), have launched a pan-India operation known as Operation Yatri Suraksha. Under this initiative, several steps are taken to provide round-the-clock security to passengers. To kickstart Operation Yatri Suraksha, the RPF launched a month-long pan-India drive against criminals who loot passengers in July 2022. During the drive, the RPF caught 365 suspects who were handed over to the concerned GRPs for legal action.

As part of this initiative, several steps are being taken to provide foolproof security to passengers i.e., train escorting, visible presence on stations, surveillance through CCTV, surveillance on active criminals, collection of intelligence about the criminals and action thereupon, identifying black spots and crime-prone trains/sections and enhancing security thereat among others to formulate an actionable strategy to reduce crime against passengers.

 

5. IAS Piyush Goyal named NATGRID CEO by the Union government: IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, Piyush Goyal has been appointed by the Central Government as the new CEO of NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid). Along with this, the Central Government has also issued an order to post 26 other officers on the post of Additional Secretary. Piyush Goyal is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Union Home Ministry.

The post of its CEO was vacant since June when its then chief IPS officer Ashish Gupta was appointed as additional director general of the Border Security Force (BSF). Chandrakar Bharti, a 1996 batch IAS officer of the Union Territory cadre, has been appointed in place of Piyush Goyal. Presently he is Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence.

Note: NATGRID is the central organization for intelligence gathering with the aim of enhancing India’s counter-terrorism capabilities.

NATGRID Formed: 2009; NATGRID Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

 

6. Parsi New Year: 16th August: Parsi New Year or Navroz is celebrated all over the country on 16th August every year. Parsi New Year 2022 marks the start of the new season and the beginning for the Parsi community. This year also on Parsi New Year 2022, India will observe a regional holiday which marks the beginning of the New Year according to the ‘Shahenshahi’ calendar. The Parsi New Year is also known as Navroz. Most of the Parsi community resides in the western part of the country, generally in Maharashtra and Gujarat. During Parsi New Year, the Parsi families all over India, visit holy temples, pay respect to elders and offer their prayers. They also enjoy their traditional food.

Parsi New Year History: The beginning of Navroz is around 35000 years back when Prophet Zarathustra founded Zoroastrianism in Persia, Iran. According to the Zoroastrian philosophy, this period marks the annual renewal of everything in the universe. The Parsi New Year or Navroz links with Jamshed, an ancient Sasanian King who is believed to introduce the Parsi Calendar. Therefore, the Parsi New Year or Navroz is also known as Jamshed-i-Nouroz.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Covid booster vaccination approved first in the United Kingdom: British health authorities stated that the UK has become the first nation to approve a bivalent Moderna Covid booster vaccination. Covid booster vaccination targets both the original strain of COVID-19 and the more recent Omicron version. The Moderna Covid booster vaccination was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a “sharpened instrument” against the new coronavirus after it was determined to meet its requirements of safety, quality, and effectiveness. Covid booster vaccination: Key Points:

a)      Each dosage of the Moderna Covid booster vaccination “Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron” contains 25 micrograms of vaccine that targets both the original viral strain from 2020 and Omicron.

b)      According to the authorities, safety monitoring revealed that there were no significant safety issues in the Moderna Covid booster vaccination, and that the side effects were generally modest and self-resolving, just like they were with the original Moderna booster dose.

c)       As part of the nation’s booster vaccine deployment programme, the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) of the UK will now provide recommendations on how this new vaccine should be implemented.

d)      Additionally, the vaccine has been requested that the Australian, Canadian, and European Union regulatory bodies approve it (EU). By the end of next month, the dose is anticipated to receive approval from the EU drugs authority.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Asia’s oldest tournament Durand Cup starts on August 16: The oldest football tournament in Asia, Durand Cup started on August 16, 2022. The opening match will be played between FC Goa and Mohammedan SC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. The tournament will feature 20 teams all divided into four groups of five teams each. For the first time in its history, the tournament is being held in multiple cities. West Bengal, Assam and Manipur are hosting the Durand Cup 2022.

Durand Cup is one of the three major football tournaments in India, the other two being Indian Super League and Super Cup. This year the tournament is 131st edition.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. EPFOs’ Rs 1.59 lakh crore investment in ETFs rises to Rs 2.26 lakh crore: EPFO has invested Rs 1,59,299.46 crore in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) till March 2022 and its national market value of these investments was Rs 2,26,919.18 crore. Key Points:

a)      EPFO has been investing in ETFs since August 2015. Initially, the body decided to invest 5% of its investible deposits in stock markets. Later, the proportion was increased to 10% in 2016-17 and 15% 2017-18 and onwards.

b)      The EPFO invested Rs 12,199.26 crore in ETFs in April-June period this year while the total investment (in debt and equity) was Rs 84,477.67 crore.

c)       The body had invested Rs 43,568.02 crore in 2021-22, Rs 32,070.84 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 31,501.09 crore in 2019-20 in ETFs.

d)      The EPFO invests 85% of the funds in debt instruments and 15% in ETFs, as per the investment pattern notified by the government.

Note: Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) Founded: 1952; Headquarters:New Delhi

 

2. Paytm partnered with Piramal Finance to offer loans: One 97 Communications the parent entity of digital payments firm Paytm has partnered with Piramal Capital and Housing Finance to further expand its merchant loan business to small towns and villages of India. With this, merchants can avail loans of up to Rs 10 lakh with a tenure of 6-24 months. This partnership will expand Paytm’s loan distribution business, supported by Piramal Finance’s wide network of over 300 branches across India. It will also help drive financial inclusion by bringing access to credit to small businesses and retailers. It will also empower MSMEs from smaller cities and towns with access to digital credit.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Microsoft becomes first company to join ONDC network: Microsoft has become the first multinational technology firm to join the government’s open network for digital commerce (ONDC) platform. The US-based technology behemoth intends to introduce social e-commerce or a group buying experience in the Indian market through the entry. Through ONDC it intends to introduce social e-commerce in the Indian market. It will also launch a shopping app in India which will be available on the ONDC network.

Note: Microsoft Founded: 1975; Founders: Bill Gates and Paul Allen; Headquarters: Washington DC; Chairman: Satya Nadella

 

2. American Express launched Global Pay, cross border payments platform: American Express has launched its cross-border payments platform for small to medium-sized businesses named Global Pay. It will work as a digital solution that will let S. businesses make secure domestic and international B2B payments. In addition to this, the eligible customers can earn rewards points on foreign exchange payments. Global Pay is available to all eligible American Express Small Business Card Members in the U.S.

Note: American Express Headquarters: New York, US; CEO: Stephen Squeri

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Home Ministry awarded 1082 Police Medals in 2022: The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has awarded 1,082 police personnel from CAPFs and state forces with various categories of service medals, including for gallant action on the eve of Independence Day. The decorations include 347 police medals for gallantry (PMG), 87 President’s police medals for distinguished service and 648 police medals for meritorious service.

Out of the 347 gallantry awards, 204 personnel are being awarded for their gallant action in Jammu and Kashmir, 80 for displaying bravery in Left Wing Extremism or Naxal violence-affected areas and 14 personnel for showing bravery in North-East Region.

Key Points:

a)      The maximum gallantry medals at 109 have been received by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) followed by 108 to the J&K Police, 19 to the Border Security Force (BSF) and six each to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

b)      Among the state police forces, 42 gallantry medals have been given to Maharashtra, 15 to Chhattisgarh among other forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

 

2. Marina Tabassum won Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Lifetime Achievement Award: Renowned Bangladeshi architect, Marina Tabassumbecame the first person from the global south and first south Asian to win the prestigious Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Lifetime Achievement Award. She will receive an original artwork by the Portuguese artist and sculptor Carlos Nogueira as award during the Lisbon Triennale.